Academic literature on the topic '200204 Cultural Theory'

In this bold and ambitious book, Rachel Elior seeks to trace the early history of Jewish mysticism, from biblical through rabbinic times. In the course of ten chapters, the author covers a wide range of material, with special attention devoted to Ezekiel, 1 Enoch, the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, and of course the Hekhalot texts. While not all scholars will be convinced by the analysis presented here, one should welcome this latest installment in the author's wide-ranging and creative efforts to understand better the origins and later developments of Jewish mysticism.

Bullying behaviour can have a negative impact on a child's physical and psychological health. Bullying in the classroom is a challenge for early-childhood educators. Preschool is the first place outside the home where children face social challenges when interacting with their classmates. Child-Friendly Class is the first step and part of the Children Friendly School (CSF) as a UNICEF program and an important Indonesian government policy to prevent the emergence of child bullying behaviour. This study aims to identify needs in the process of developing a Child-Friendly Classroom Management model to anticipate bullying behaviour. This research and development method uses an adaptation of the Rowntree model which includes three stages of the process and data collection techniques using interviews, questionnaires, and observation. The results of this study indicate that the preparation of an effective classroom management guidebook to create child-friendly classes needs to be followed up immediately. Several findings related to teachers' perceptions of classroom management, and child-friendly classes prove that child-friendly classes have not been implemented properly in PAUD institutions, with bullying behaviour still appearing in early childhood in PAUD institutions. PAUD teachers understand that it is important to implement classroom management but so far there has been no manual on how to manage effective classrooms as well as training related to the implementation of effective classroom management. The creation of child-friendly classes is believed to be able to help teachers suppress the emergence of bullying behaviour in early childhood. Keywords: Child-Friendly Classroom Management, Bullying Prevention, Early Childhood Education References: Allday, R. A., Hinkson-Lee, K., Hudson, T. M., Neilsen-Gatti, S., Kleinke, A., & Russel, C. S. (2012). Training General Educators to Increase Behavior-Specific Praise: Effects on Students with EBD. Behavioral Disorders, 37, 87–98. Alsaker, F. D., & Valkanover, S. (2012). The Bernese Program against Victimization in Kindergarten and Elementary School. New Directions for Youth Development, 2012(133), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20004 Arseneault, L., Walsh, E., Trzesniewski, K., Newcombe, R., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (2006). Bullying Victimization Uniquely Contributes to Adjustment Problems in Young Children: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study. PEDIATRICS, 118(1), 130–138. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2388 Benedict, E., Horner, R. H., & Squires, J. (2007). Assessment and Implementation of Positive Behavior Support in Preschools. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 27, 174–192. Boz, Y. (2008). Turkish student teachers’ concerns about teaching. European Journal of Teacher Education, 31(4), 367–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760802420693 Bradshaw, C. P., & Johnson, R. M. (2011). The Social Context of Bullying and Peer Victimization: An Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of School Violence, 10(2), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2011.557145 Bradshaw, C. P., Sawyer, A. L., & O’Brennan, L. M. (2009). A Social Disorganization Perspective on Bullying-Related Attitudes and Behaviors: The Influence of School Context. American Journal of Community Psychology, 43(3–4), 204–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-009-9240-1 Bullock, J. R. (2002). Bullying among Children. Childhood Education, 78(3), 130–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2002.10522721 Çobanoğlu, F., Ayvaz-Tuncel, Z., & Ordu, A. (2018). Child-friendly Schools: An Assessment of Secondary Schools. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(3), 466–477. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2018.060313 Cothran, D. J., Kulinna, P. H., & Garrahy, D. A. (2003). “This is kind of giving a secret away...”: Students’ perspectives on effective class management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(4), 435–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(03)00027-1 Cross, D., Monks, H., Hall, M., Shaw, T., Pintabona, Y., Erceg, E., Hamilton, G., Roberts, C., Waters, S., & Lester, L. (2011). Three‐year results of the Friendly Schools whole‐of‐school intervention on children’s bullying behaviour. British Educational Research Journal, 37(1), 105–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920903420024 Cross, D., Pintabona, Y., Hall, M., Hamilton, G., & Erceg, E. (2004). Validated Guidelines for School-Based Bullying Prevention and Management. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 6(3), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623730.2004.9721937 Cross, D., Runions, K. C., Shaw, T., Wong, J. W. Y., Campbell, M., Pearce, N., Burns, S., Lester, L., Barnes, A., & Resnicow, K. (2019). Friendly Schools Universal Bullying Prevention Intervention: Effectiveness with Secondary School Students. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 1(1), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-018-0004-z Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2012). Handbook of Classroom Management: Research, Practice, and Contemporary Issues. Fox, B. H., Farrington, D. P., & Ttofi, M. M. (2012). Successful Bullying Prevention Programs: Influence of Research Design, Implementation Features, and Program Components. Research Design, 6, 10. Georgiou, S. N. (2008). Bullying and victimization at school: The role of mothers. The British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78 Pt 1, 109–125. Hammarberg, T. (1998). A School for Children with Rights. UNICEF International Child Development Centre. Hymel, S., & Swearer, S. M. (2015). Four decades of research on school bullying: An introduction. American Psychologist, 70(4), 293–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038928 Johansen, A., Little, S. G., & Akin-Little, A. (2011). An Examination of New Zealand Teachers’ Attributions and Perceptions of Behaviour, Classroom Management, and the Level of Formal Teacher Training Received in Behaviour Management. King, E. (2020). Implications for the child friendly schools policy within Cambodia’s cultural and primary school context. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 48(4), 375–388. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2019.1645811 Kirves, L., & Sajaniemi, N. (2012). Bullying in early educational settings. Early Child Development and Care,182(3–4), 383–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2011.646724 MacSuga, A. S., & Simonsen, B. (2011). Increasing Teachers’ Use of Evidence-Based Classroom Management Strategies through Consultation: Overview and Case Studies. Beyond Behavior, 20, 4–12. Maida, P. (2006). Child-Friendly-School-Manual. UNICEF. Modipane, M., & Themane, M. (2014). Teachers’ social capital as a resource for curriculum development: Lessons learnt in the implementation of a Child-Friendly Schools programme. South African Journal of Education, 34(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.15700/201412052105 Monks, C. P., Smith, P. K., & Swettenham, J. (2005). Psychological correlates of peer victimisation in preschool: Social cognitive skills, executive function and attachment profiles. Aggressive Behavior, 31(6), 571–588. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20099 Olweus, D. (1994). Bullying at School: Basic Facts and Effects of a School Based Intervention Program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 35(7), 1171–1190. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1994.tb01229.x O’Neill, S. C., & Stephenson, J. (2011). Classroom behaviour management preparation in undergraduate primary teacher education in Australia: A web-based investigation. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(10). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n10.3 O’Neill, S., & Stephenson, J. (2012). Does classroom management coursework influence pre-service teachers’ perceived preparedness or confidence? Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(8), 1131–1143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2012.06.008 Osher, D., Kelly, D. L., Tolani-Brown, N., Shors, L., & Chen, C.-S. (2009). American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street , NW Washington, DC 20007-3835. 13. Perren, S., Stadelmann, S., & Von Klitzing, K. (2009). Child and family characteristics as risk factors for peer victimization in kindergarten. Swiss Journal of Educational Research, 36(1), 13–32. https://doi.org/10.24452/sjer.36.1.4806 Reinke, W. M., Lewis-Palmer, T., & Merrell, K. (2008). The Classroom Check-up: A Classwide Teacher Consultation Model for Increasing Praise and Decreasing Disruptive Behavior. School Psychology Review, 37(3), 315–332. PubMed. Repo, L., & Sajaniemi, N. (2015). Prevention of bullying in early educational settings: Pedagogical and organisational factors related to bullying. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(4), 461–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2015.1087150 Rigby, K. (2003). Consequences of Bullying in Schools. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(9), 583–590. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370304800904 Rowntree, D. (1994). Preparing Materials for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning: An Action Guide for Teachers and Trainers. Kogan Page. https://books.google.com.jm/books?id=6Tf1kH6MQZ0C Sainio, M., Veenstra, R., Huitsing, G., & Salmivalli, C. (2011). Victims and their defenders: A dyadic approach. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 35(2), 144–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025410378068 Salmivalli, C. (2002). Is there an age decline in victimization by peers at school? Educational Research, 44(3), 269–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131880210135331 Saracho, O. (2016). Contemporary Perspectives on Research on Bullying and Victimization in Early Childhood Education. Information Age Publishing, Incorporated. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=dalCDQAAQBAJ Saracho, O. N. (2017). Bullying Prevention Strategies in Early Childhood Education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(4), 453–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0793-y Sempowicz, T., & Hudson, P. (2011). Analysing Mentoring Dialogues for Developing a Preservice Teacher’s Classroom Management Practices. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(8). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n8.4 Smith, J. D., Schneider, B. H., Smith, P. K., & Ananiadou, K. (2004). The Effectiveness of Whole-School Antibullying Programs: A Synthesis of Evaluation Research. School Psychology Review, 33, 547–560. Sourander, A., Ronning, J., Brunstein-Klomek, A., Gyllenberg, D., Kumpulainen, K., Niemelä, S., Helenius, H., Sillanmäki, L., Ristkari, T., Tamminen, T., Moilanen, I., Piha, J., & Almqvist, F. (2009). Childhood Bullying Behavior and Later Psychiatric Hospital and Psychopharmacologic Treatment. ARCH GEN PSYCHIATRY, 66(9), 9. Tauber, R. T. (2007). Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice. Praeger Publishers. https://books.google.la/books?id=XiQFyR41kysC Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2011). Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: A systematic and meta-analytic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 7(1), 27–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-010-9109-1 Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2012). Bullying prevention programs: The importance of peer intervention, disciplinary methods and age variations. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 8(4), 443–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-012-9161-0 Unal, Z., & Unal, A. (2012). The Impact of Years of Teaching Experience on the Classroom Management Approaches of Elementary School Teachers. International Journal of Instruction, 5, 41–60. UNICEF. (2007). Implementation Handbook for The Convention on The Rights of The Child (3th Edition). UNICEF. Vaillancourt, T., McDougall, P., Hymel, S., Krygsman, A., Miller, J., Stiver, K., & Davis, C. (2008). Bullying: Are researchers and children/youth talking about the same thing? International Journal of Behavioral Development, 32(6), 486–495. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025408095553 Vlachou, M., Andreou, E., Botsoglou, K., & Didaskalou, E. (2011). Bully/Victim Problems Among Preschool Children: A Review of Current Research Evidence. Educational Psychology Review, 23(3), 329–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9153-z Vlachou, M., Botsoglou, K., & Andreou, E. (2014). Bullying/Victimization in Preschool Children. https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.5086.1764 Vreeman, R. C., & Carroll, A. E. (2007). A systematic review of school-based interventions to prevent bullying. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 161 1, 78–88. Witvliet, M., Olthof, T., Hoeksma, J. B., Goossens, F. A., Smits, M. S. I., & Koot, H. M. (2010). Peer Group Affiliation of Children: The Role of Perceived Popularity, Likeability, and Behavioral Similarity in Bullying. Social Development, 19(2), 285–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00544.x Yaşar, M. (2017). Adaptation of General System Theory and Structural Family Therapy Approach to Classroom Management in Early Childhood Education* *. 32.

The issue of students’ health promotion is prioritized against the background of preserved high incidence of school-associated nosologies, occurrence of new risk factors that determine a change in the daily schedule and lifestyle, and intensification of an educational process. The implemented system of hygienic control over the valid risk factors is deprived of effectiveness due to its irrational use associated with insignificant motivation of educational process participants for its practical implementation. The purpose of this research is to examine awareness of the teachers during 20-year-long observation of dynamics while obtaining hygienic education on the issues of schoolchildren health protection. 36 and 50 teachers were included into the research in 2000 and 2021, respectively. Inclusion criteria were as follows: gymnasium teacher, time interval, properly completed questionnaire, availability of voluntary informed consent. Exclusion criteria included another professional group and place of employment, another time interval, lack of properly completed questionnaire, no voluntary informed consent. The gymnasium teachers were questioned during a dynamic study and obtained hygienic education on the issue of schoolchildren health protection. Statistica 13 PL pack was used. An increased level of teachers’ awareness during sanitary and educational work, formation of healthy lifestyle skills and reduction of a number of teachers (from 33.3% in 2000 to 10.2% in 2021) not promoting their health were noted. This results in improved effectiveness of preventive activities at educational institutions.

This thesis uses cultural studies approaches to ask in what ways can intersubjective art act on the disparities brought about by late capitalism through the auspices of cosmopolitanism? How do the same processes that oppress others allow the artist to be mobile and self-reflexive while accruing and deploying a broad range of knowledges and competencies? The answer is paradoxical: those oppressed by the processes of late capitalism become the focus, theme, and content of the intersubjective artwork while the artists benefit from a system they seek to problematise and critique. Three case study chapters highlight these complex and disconcerting politics.

This thesis provides a cultural history of Australian copyright law and related artistic controversies. It examines a number of disputes over authorship, collaboration, and appropriation across a variety of cultural fields. It considers legal controversies over the plagiarism of texts, the defacing of paintings, the sampling of musical works, the ownership of plays, the co-operation between film-makers, the sharing of MP3 files on the Internet, and the appropriation of Indigenous culture. Such narratives and stories relate to a broad range of works and subject matter that are protected by copyright law. This study offers an archive of oral histories and narratives of artistic creators about copyright law. It is founded upon interviews with creative artists and activists who have been involved in copyright litigation and policy disputes. This dialogical research provides an insight into the material and social effects of copyright law. This thesis concludes that copyright law is not just a ‘creature of statute’, but it is also a social and imaginative construct. In the lived experience of the law, questions of aesthetics and ethics are extremely important. Industry agreements are quite influential. Contracts play an important part in the operation of copyright law. The media profile of personalities involved in litigation and policy debates is pertinent. This thesis claims that copyright law can be explained by a mix of social factors such as ethical standards, legal regulations, market forces, and computer code. It can also be understood in terms of the personal stories and narratives that people tell about litigation and copyright law reform. Table of Contents Prologue 1 Introduction A Creature of Statute: Copyright Law and Legal Formalism 6 Chapter One The Demidenko Affair: Copyright Law and Literary Works 33 Chapter Two Daubism: Copyright Law and Artistic Works 67 Chapter Three The ABCs of Anarchism: Copyright Law and Musical Works 105 Chapter Four Heretic: Copyright Law and Dramatic Works 146 Chapter Five Shine: Copyright Law and Film 186 Chapter Six Napster: Infinite Digital Jukebox or Pirate Bazaar? Copyright Law and Digital Works 232 Chapter Seven Bangarra Dance Theatre: Copyright Law and Indigenous Culture 275 Chapter Eight The Cathedral and the Bazaar: The Future of Copyright Law 319

Six decades after the romantic comedy emerged as a Hollywood genre in 1934, the first romantic comedies with a central lesbian couple, including Marita Giovanni’s Bar Girls and Rose Troche’s Go Fish, were released in 1994. This study argues that Bar Girls and Go Fish represent the first in a group of films whose numbers and similarities enable their consideration as a romantic comedy sub-genre, namely the ‘lesbian romantic comedy’. This study identifies and analyses this sub-genre. It contends that these films have emerged as the predominant (and perhaps only) form of mainstream lesbian feature film in the United States of America in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s. Yet, despite their relative prominence for more than a decade, they remain vastly under-examined areas in scholarship on both film genre and lesbian culture. This project aims to contribute to these areas by producing the first full-length survey of the sub-genre and the first study of any length to focus exclusively on it. This study concentrates on ten lesbian romantic comedies: Bar Girls (1994), Go Fish (1994), Maria Maggenti’s The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love (1995), Kelli Herd’s It’s in the Water (1996), Julia Dyer’s Late Bloomers (1996), Emma-Kate Croghan’s Love and Other Catastrophes (1996), Heidi Arnesen’s Some Prefer Cake (1997), Anne Wheeler’s Better than Chocolate (1999), Jamie Babbit’s But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), and Helen Lesnick’s A Family Affair (2001). While this project employs textual analysis as its primary methodology to examine these films, these analyses take place more broadly within a public sphere framework. Consistent with a wider shift in analyses of lesbian and gay cultural products, this framework allows a consideration of the larger public stakes of lesbian romantic comedies and, in particular, their introduction of lesbian content into a heterocentric genre. Specifically, this project argues that the introduction of lesbian content—or the replacement of ‘boy meets girl’ with ‘girl meets girl’—destabilises the genre in significant ways, but that the genre itself equally restricts the representation of lesbianism possible within it. Ultimately, this project proposes a reading of lesbian romantic comedies as conservative and progressive, conventional and subversive, but as nonetheless complex texts that offer a range of pleasures and readings to their audiences and a range of challenges to the genre itself. Such a reading reveals the complexity and negotiation inherent in these films’ position as independent films presenting culturally and politically marginal content in a mainstream genre.

Al llarg d'aquest treball, he intentat defensar la idea de que els judicis de valor que elabora la crítica de cinema espanyola estàn inscrits en tradicions culturals que deriven, la major part d'elles, de categories històrica i socialment construïdes. En aquest cas, la cinefília, en qualsevol de les seves accepcions, seria l'origen sociocultural de les tradicions cinematogràfiques de gran part de la crítica. D'ella sorgirien les idees i conceptes que fa servir la crítica sobre el que és art, cultura i cinema. D'altra banda, he desenvolupat la idea de que aquestes tradicions cinèfiles, per molt diverses que puguin ser des d'un punt de vista històric, cultural i social, es converteixen en una pràctica institucionalitzada des del moment en què es formulen a través de la crítica de cinema. Pel que fa institució, per tant, la crítica treballa per mantenir la seva posició social privilegiada com estament regulador dels discursos cinematogràfics que circulen en la societat en un moment històric determinat. La proposta d'analitzar la crítica de cinema en els anys 90 és perquè en aquesta dècada es formalitza un canvi generacional llargament incubat durant els 80. En aquest aspecte, es produeix un xoc generacional en el qual cada formació crítica, més enllà de les seves tradicions culturals i cinèfiles, treballarà per legitimar uns gustos cinematogràfics i consolidar-los com a part de la institució. En el procés, els mateixos crítics s'erigeixen en representants d'aquests gustos emetent discursos públics sobre el cinema i la cultura, jerarquitzant, fent judicis de valor i discriminant models estètics cinematogràfics i culturals. En aquest sentit, la crítica de cinema funciona com un espai de confrontació dels gustos culturals de les diferents tradicions cinèfiles, gustos que es van institucionalitzant a mesura que els discursos es legitimen social i culturalment. Aquests discursos cinematogràfics i aquests processos d'institucionalització estan sotmesos a múltiples variables socials, culturals, històriques, econòmiques, nacionals, generacionals i de gènere que els situa més enllà del camp cinematogràfic. Al llarg d'aquest treball, he intentat aprofundir en cadascun d'aquests paràmetres per a establir els orígens i significats dels discursos i pràctiques culturals que circulen al voltant del cinema. El mètode d'anàlisi que m'ha permès un acostament interdisciplinari a la cinefília i la crítica de cinema és la branca dels estudis culturals que ve de la teoria cultural i la sociologia de la cultura.
A lo largo de este trabajo, he intentado defender la idea de que los juicios de valor que elabora la crítica de cine española están inscritos en tradiciones culturales que derivan, la mayor parte de las veces, de categorías histórica y socialmente construidas. En este caso, la cinefilia, en cualquiera de sus acepciones, sería el origen sociocultural de las tradiciones cinematográficas de gran parte de la crítica. De ella surgirían las ideas y conceptos que maneja la crítica acerca de lo que es arte, cultura y cine. Por otro lado, he desarrollado la idea de que estas tradiciones cinéfilas, por muy diversas que puedan ser desde un punto de vista histórico, cultural y social, se convierten en una práctica institucionalizada desde el momento en que se formulan a través de la crítica de cine. En cuanto institución, por tanto, la crítica trabaja para mantener su posición social privilegiada como estamento regulador de los discursos cinematográficos que circulan en la sociedad en un momento histórico determinado. La propuesta de analizar la crítica de cine en los años 90 es porque en esa década se formaliza un cambio generacional largamente incubado durante los 80. En este aspecto, se produce un choque generacional en el que cada formación crítica, más allá de sus tradiciones culturales y cinéfilas, trabajará para legitimar unos gustos cinematográficos y consolidarlos como parte de la institución. En el proceso, los mismos críticos se erigen en representantes de esos gustos emitiendo discursos públicos acerca del cine y la cultura, jerarquizando, haciendo juicios de valor y discriminando modelos estéticos cinematográficos y culturales. En este sentido, la crítica de cine funciona como un espacio de confrontación de los gustos culturales de las diferentes tradiciones cinéfilas, gustos que se van institucionalizando a medida que los discursos se legitiman social y culturalmente. Estos discursos cinematográficos y estos procesos de institucionalización están sometidos a múltiples variables sociales, culturales, históricas, económicas, nacionales, generacionales y de género que los sitúa más allá del campo cinematográfico. A lo largo de este trabajo, he intentado profundizar en cada uno de estos parámetros para establecer los orígenes y significados de los discursos y prácticas culturales que circulan en torno al cine. El método de análisis que me ha permitido un acercamiento interdisciplinar a la cinefilia y la crítica de cine es la rama de los estudios culturales que viene de la teoría cultural y la sociología de la cultura.
Throughout this work I have attempted to defend the idea that value judgments produced by the Spanish film criticism are enrolled in cultural traditions that derive, most of the times, from historically and socially constructed categories. In this case, cinephilia, in any of its forms, would be the sociocultural background of the cinematic traditions of much of contemporary Spanish film critics. From it arises the ideas and concepts to handle criticism about what art, culture and film should be. Furthermore, I developed the idea that these cinéphiles traditions, however different that may be from an historical, cultural and social perspective, become an institutionalized practice from the time they are made through film criticism. As an institution, therefore, film criticism works to maintain its privileged status as a regulator estate of those cinematic discourses circulating in a society at a particular historical moment. The proposal to analyze Spanish film criticism in the 90s, is because in that decade formalizes a long-incubated generational change since 80s. In this aspect, there is a generational clash in which each critical training, beyond cultural and cinéphiles traditions, will work to legitimize and consolidate some cinematic tastes as part of the institution. In this process, critics are put forward as representatives of those tastes by issuing public statements about cinema and culture, a hierarchy, making discriminating judgments, and aesthetic models and cultural films. In this sense, film criticism works as a confrontation of cultural tastes of the different cinéphile traditions, and tastes are becoming institutionalized as legitimate social and cultural statements. These cinematographic discourses and institutionalizing processes are subject to multiple social, cultural, historical, economic, national, generational and gender variables, which puts them beyond the cinematographic field. Throughout this work I have attempted to delve into each one of these parameters in order to establish the origins and meanings of discourses and cultural practices that circulate around the cinema. The method of analysis that has allowed me to an interdisciplinary approach to cinephilia and film criticism is the branch of cultural studies that comes from cultural theory and sociology of culture.

The present paper discusses the cultural and stylistic issues in the translation of a part of the 2004 Republican Party Platform. Political text in American English and Swedish is in focus, and translation examples are accounted for and categorised according to Vinay & Darbelnet’s (1995) system theory of translation procedures. The conclusion is that cultural issues caused fewer problems than stylistic ones when the Republican Party Platform 2004 was translated.

Cuando una obra literaria es trasladada a la gran pantalla y tanto la película resultante como la propia obra literaria se traducen a otro idioma, se crea entre el sistema emisor y el receptor un nexo de intercambio cultural en el cual intervienen varias formas de transferencia: la traducción literaria, la traducción audiovisual y la adaptación cinematográfica. La combinación de estas formas de trasvase constituye un fenómeno especialmente ilustrativo de las relaciones interculturales entre sistemas. A partir de esta hipótesis y tomando como marco epistemológico la teoría de los polisistemas, se ha desarrollado un modelo de análisis que permite estudiar de forma sistemática la combinación de estos trasvases y su papel en el intercambio cultural. Dicho constructo teórico se ha aplicado a un corpus de adaptaciones cinematográficas españolas y su recepción en Alemania en el período 1975-2000 con el objetivo de analizar las relaciones interculturales hispano-germanas que se dan a través del cine y la literatura.
When a literary work is transferred to the screen and both the resulting movie and the literary work itself are translated into another language, an intercultural connection arises, where various transfer forms take place: literary translation, audiovisual translation and film adaptation. The combination of these three transfer forms establishes a very illustrative phenomenon of the intercultural relationships between systems. On the basis of this assumption and using Polysystem Theory as apistemological framework, an analysis model has been designed, which enables to systematically explore this transfer combination and its role in cultural exchange. This model has been than applied to a corpus of Spanish film adaptations and their reception in Germany between 1975 and 2000, in order to analyse the Spanish-German intercultural relationships which take place through translated cinema and translated literature.

From the socio-economic turmoil of the 20th century, Japan has repeatedly revealed its resilience. During these trying times, scientific work has been an important element in Japan's economic development. However, the 1990s revealed weaknesses in this “economic miracle.” During this period, several socio-structural factors have contributed to this social landscape. Future successes in Japanese socio-economic spheres will partially depend on scientific work. In this study, it is suggested that identifying structural factors in the Japanese “system” that contribute to its scientific organizations is key to ascertaining a more coherent assessment of scientific work in Japan. This assessment can lead to more in depth analyses of the interconnections between science and society. The focus of this study is on scientific institutes and their organizational structure. The social networks that interconnect these institutes and couple their scientific work with other elements of Japanese culture are essential in the analysis of Japan's scientific enterprise. In the present study, a qualitative case study methodology is used to explore socio-structural networks within the cultural field of scientific work in Tsukuba, Japan. The structure of scientific work in Japan is composed of several cultural and material elements which have been distilled into two themes for evaluative purposes. These themes include cultural factors and scientific production/economic affairs. Through a reflexive-thematic lens an analysis of scientific work is conducted. Central to the method used in this study is a series of structured and un-structured in-person interviews using a format of open-ended questions. Most informants in this study were chosen by administrators of the institutes involved. Although, I did participate in assuring diversity in the sample, there is possible bias inherent in management's choices of particular informants. These interviews were held during the month of October 2002 in five separate university and non-university institutes in Tsukuba, Japan. The findings in this study reveal common, contradictory and idiosyncratic aspects that have important cultural and scientific/economic effects across organizational types. Common attributes include the observation of universal “top-down” organizational hierarchies with networks of labor being accumulated through elite scientists. Generally, informants perceived little to no effect from the national economy on their particular institute's funding of science. Scientists spent an extraordinary amount of time at work and conducted highly specialized work tasks. The publishing activity concentrated among elite scientists while utilization of foreign scientists and contingent workers were segregated. Also, the use of tacit knowledge as a principal training tool was universally observed across institutes. Contradictory attributes include scientists' attitudes toward their work versus the city they live in, government policy versus actual laboratory work, and publishing versus conference presentations. The idiosyncratic attributes focus on levels of organizational formality across organizations. The organizational formality is related to the individual scientists' perceptions of what they enjoyed most about their work. Thus, scientists that enjoyed the â processes' of their work tended to be located in more formal organizations whereas those scientists who enjoyed “discovery” were situated in less formal organizations. It is likely that the different levels of organizational formality observed in this study are associated with other elements of laboratory culture. Also, the composition of foreigners and women varied remarkably across institutes. Yet, their use in laboratories is relatively similar.
Ph. D.

This thesis contributes to the burgeoning field of the history of sexuality in New Zealand and seeks to distill the more theorised and reflexive understanding of the subjectively understood queer male identity since 1948. Emerging from the disciplines of History and English, this project draws from a range of narratological materials: parliamentary debates contained in Hansard, and novels and short stories written by men with publicly avowed queer identities. This thesis explores how both 'normative' identity and the category of 'the homosexual' were constructed and mobilised in the public domain, in this case, the House of Representatives. It shows that members of the House have engaged with an extensive tradition of defining and excluding; a process by which state and public discourses have constructed largely unified, negative and othering narratives of 'the homosexual'. This constitutes an overarching narrative of queer experience which, until the mid-1990s, excluded queer subjects from its construction. At the same time, fictional narratives offer an adjacent body of knowledge and thought for queer men and women. This thesis posits literature's position as an important and productive space for queer resistance and critique. Such texts typically engage with and subvert 'dominant' or 'normative' understandings of sexuality and disturb efforts to apprehend precise or linear histories of 'gay liberation' and 'gay consciousness'. Drawing from the works of Frank Sargeson, James Courage, Bill Pearson, Noel Virtue, Stevan Eldred-Grigg, and Peter Wells, this thesis argues for a revaluing of fictional narratives as active texts from which historians can construct a matrix of cultural experience, while allowing for, and explaining, the determining role such narratives play in the discursively constructed understandings of gender and sexuality in New Zealand.

This volume springs from that fruitful project of scientific cooperation between the humanities departments of Università di Firenze and University of Arizona which was the Forum for the Study of the Literary Cultures of the Southwest (2000-2007). Tri-cultural, at least (Native, Hispanic and Anglo-American), and multi-lingual, today’s Southwest presents a complex coexistence of different cultures, the equal of which would be hard to find elsewhere in the United States. Of this virtually inexhaustible object of study, the essays here collected tackle an ample range of themes. While the majority of them are concerned with the literatures of the Southwest, still a good third falls into the fields of history, art history, ethnography, sociology or cultural studies. They are partitioned in four sections, the first three reflecting the chronology of the stratification of the three major cultures and the fourth highlighting one of the most sensitive topics in and about contemporary Southwest – the borderlands/la frontera.

This book represents a contribution to the elaboration of language teaching methods. It comprises a collection of the addresses made on the first two study days on the teaching of European languages (Florence 2002-2003) attended by teachers working in Italian universities, and also in higher educational institutes both public and private. From the comparison of different experiences and cultures there emerged a very dynamic scenario, open to new scientific and methodological stimuli. Among the issues addressed are the use of the new technologies in teaching, the implications of the expansion of the European Union, and the use of a foreign language for the teaching of non-linguistic disciplines.

53 writers invited to speak, as artists, of themselves and their world at the beginning of the new millennium in no more than 2002 keystrokes. A new research criterion with which Fonti di Weltliteratur. Ungheria obtains the real and literary data for a theoretical specification of the state and behaviour of the cultural sphere in the globalized context, in the critical passage constituted – for the political and economic spheres as well – by a transformation of linguistic—national realities. Brief historical notes on the recent and current status of the writer in a Hungary passing from dictatorship to democracy in the end enable light to be thrown on the possible fate of the general figure of the intellectual in the perspective of the realization of a Goethean Weltliteratur. Fonti di Weltliteratur. Ungheria by Beatrice Töttössy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione-Non commerciale-Non opere derivate 2.5 Italia License.Based on a work at www.fupress.com.

AbstractThe historical documents and archaeological discoveries inform that sophisticated maritime cultures had been developed thousands of years ago along southeast coast of China and adjacent Southeast Asia. The indigenous Bai Yue (百越) ethnicities carried out early navigation between the coastal region East and Southeast Asia since Neolithic age, that is earlier before than the migration of Han people from North to South 2000 years ago (Chang, K.C. 1989; Rolett, B.V. 2007; Wu, C.M. 2019). These Neolithic seafaring groups have also been taken as the origin of the Pacific Austronesians (Chang, K.C. et al. 1964; Chang, K.C. 1987a; Rolett, B.V. et al. 2002; Wu, C.M. 2012a). By what kind of craft did they take on the great sea thousands of years ago? Archaeologists, historians, ethno-historians, and maritime culture researchers argued with different viewpoints.

AbstractThe historical documents and archaeological discoveries inform that sophisticated maritime cultures had been developed thousands of years ago along southeast coast of China and adjacent Southeast Asia. The indigenous Bai Yue (百越) ethnicities carried out early navigation between the coastal region East and Southeast Asia since Neolithic age, that is earlier before than the migration of Han people from North to South 2000 years ago (Chang, K.C. 1989; Rolett, B.V. 2007; Wu, C.M. 2019). These Neolithic seafaring groups have also been taken as the origin of the Pacific Austronesians (Chang, K.C. et al. 1964; Chang, K.C. 1987a; Rolett, B.V. et al. 2002; Wu, C.M. 2012a). By what kind of craft did they take on the great sea thousands of years ago? Archaeologists, historians, ethno-historians, and maritime culture researchers argued with different viewpoints.

AbstractA significant effort in theorising and conceptualising the visual has been made within various disciplines. To mention only a few, Howard Becker (Art as collective action. Am Sociol Rev 767–776, 1974) in visual sociology, Lucien Taylor (Visualising theory. Routledge, 1994), Marcus Banks and Howard Morphy ((eds): Rethinking visual anthropology. Yale University Press, London, 1999) and Jay Ruby (Picturing culture: explorations of film and anthropology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2000) in visual anthropology, Chris Jenk ((ed): Visual culture. Routledge, 1995) in cultural studies, Gillian Rose (Visual methodologies: an introduction to the interpretation of visual methods. Sage, 2001) in geography and Sarah Pink (Doing visual ethnography. Sage, London, 2001) in visual ethnography, all produced fundamental works focusing on the visual in social sciences. This book, however, without diminishing the disciplinary work within the subject, proposes to approach visual methodologies in the specific context of a field of study, adopting an interdisciplinary approach that brings together geography, sociology, anthropology and communication studies. As Adrian Favell (Rebooting migration theory: interdisciplinarity, globality and postdisciplinarity in migration studies. In: Brettell C, Hollifield J (eds) Migration theory: talking across disciplines. Routledge, pp 259–278, 2007, p. 1988) has suggested: “On the face of it, there could hardly be a topic in the contemporary social sciences more naturally ripe for interdisciplinary thinking than migration studies.” In this piece we will attempt to explain why the adoption of visual methodologies in the field of migration studies is of particular interest.

The theory of cultural dimensions constitutes the foundation of a significant portion of comparative cross-cultural business research. From Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) to the GLOBE study (2004), researchers have refined its conceptualization and empirical methods. Even though the theory of cultural dimensions can be criticized from several points of view, it has shown its usefulness for both research and as a teaching tool. Opportunities exist both in a more rigorous application and in the further development of cultural dimensions.

With exponential growth of virtual communities, more and more studies are carried out to examine how they change people’s life (Bieber et al., 2002; Blanchard & Markus, 2004; Bruckman, 2002; Burnett, 2002; Burnett, Dickey, Kazmer, & Chudoba, 2003). Among those studies, many researchers focus on the architectures and infrastructures to enable knowledge sharing, such as Bieber et al. (2002), Bruckman (2002) and Marshall (2000). The human behavioral side of virtual communities, however, still remains mysterious. While virtual communities are inconceivable without the technological infrastructure and protocols that support them, they are equally inconceivable without human users. It is the users or the sense of community rather than the technologies that give virtual communities their significance (Burnett, 2002). The interactions of users in electronically mediated environments bring up new challenges and questions for researchers. For example, how do we understand culture in virtual communities? What kind of cultural issues are involved in virtual communities? Interacting with people from all over the world, how does one’s national and ethnic culture background influence his or her activities in the virtual communities (Burnett et al., 2003)? The list of questions can go on. This article proposes one possible way to answer the first question of how to understand culture in virtual communities. We argue that the culture model by Schein (1992) can be applied to obtain an understanding of culture in virtual communities. In this article, we first review relevant research on cultural issues in virtual communities. Then we propose that Schein’s model can be applied to understand culture in virtual communities. Next, we analyze the trends for research on the topic and discuss our conclusion.

This chapter examines how gayborhoods can persist in the present and how they will live on into the future. It is unrealistic to think that gayborhoods have always been around, that they will remain stable in their character and composition, or that they will never change. All neighborhoods, along with the cities that surround them, are organic, continually evolving places. However, it is equally naive to declare the death of the gayborhood. The chapter first considers demographic trends based on the 2000 and 2010 U.S. censuses before discussing the many different ways that our sexuality continues to direct the decisions we make about where to put down our roots. It shows that gayborhoods can reform from one place to another. This is evident in Chicago, where gays and lesbians have moved steadily north for more than a century now, colonizing one neighborhood after the next.

Although the need to develop global leaders with adequate intercultural competencies has become obvious (Morrison, 2000; Suutari, 2002), global leadership, as an emerging field, has not received a great deal of attention (Morrison, 2000). Literature of developing global leadership has been focused on partial evidence to generate simple universality with an American bias (Dickson, Hartog, & Mitchelson, 2003). This chapter attempts to propose an integrative Intercultural Effectiveness (ICE) model for Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals. The model evolves a theoretical conceptualization to link ICE and global leadership with the theory of transformative learning and the process of cross-cultural learning. It provides a series of process guidelines for HRD professionals in designing, developing, and conducting HRD programs for the development of global leadership.

The United States has experienced a large growth in the number of immigrant students who speak English as a non-native language. The results of a 2004 survey on the topic of English Learners (ELs) or English Language Learners (ELLs) showed the number of ELs had almost doubled to 5,119,561 in public schools across the nation (NCELA, 2008). These ELLs bring their cross-cultural expectations into dominant culture classrooms, and teachers must be prepared to meet the cross-cultural issues between student and teacher that might occur, where ultimately the student loses. Similarly, North Dakota has experienced enormous surges in its ELL populations in its previously culturally homogenous population; consequently, mainstream teachers struggle to learn how to interact with culturally diverse students. Instances of cultural dissonance negatively impact students’ performance and school culture. The awareness of culture and how it impacts content learning is thus a subject of critical importance, and developing cultural awareness as well as effective and culturally relevant instructional methods is a necessity for all classroom teachers. Therefore, this chapter describes multiple methods and strategies that are linguistically appropriate and culturally relevant for all teachers, but particularly for teachers of ELLs.

The health and state of the German economy has been the dominant topic in the European business press since at least 1994, when the post-unification boom came to an end, and with good reason. Home to 82 million people, it is Europe’s largest economy. But it has also been the slowest-growing economy within the European Union since 1994, averaging just 1.6 per cent annually, a period in which it has also lagged behind the United States in every year except 2001. The DAX index of Germany’s top companies has experienced a sharper and more sustained downturn than the stock markets in the United States, United Kingdom, and France, indicative of a growing malaise amongst the country’s largest industrial and financial firms (Smiley 2002: 4). Inward foreign direct investment has slowed to a trickle, and a large proportion of its biggest companies are diverting their own investments to production sites abroad. The country’s share of global exports has declined from 11.8 per cent to 9.7 per cent over the decade between 1992 and 2002 (The Economist 2002a: S8). Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate has climbed to nearly 10 per cent over the same period, according to German statistics (or 8.3 per cent using European Union statistics) (The Economist 2002b: S13). There is no shortage of diagnoses for what allegedly ails the German economy these days. For many in the same business press, the answer is seductively simple: Germany is ‘stifled by a hugely restrictive and intrusive web of regulations, and weighed down by one of the most expensive, inflexible and protected labour forces in the world’ (Smiley 2002: S4). While there is undoubtedly some truth to this assessment, it is also simple-minded in the extreme. This chapter provides an alternative interpretation of the roots of Germany’s economic problems by focusing on one of its bedrock industries: mechanical engineering (in particular, its machinery and machine tool industry). Tracing the evolution of this key industry from a point early in the 1990s when it first encountered a serious competitive setback.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) researchers and practitioners are well aware of the cultural challenges brought on by a global market (Smith, 2004; Smith, Dunckley, French, Minocha, & Chang, 2004). However, there are many unresolved problems concerning the extent to which culture influences ICT usability. Businesses use ICT in the form of databases to house customer information, Web sites enabling customers to place orders, information systems for management or suppliers, training systems, and as products sold to customers. Internet growth enables businesses to expand their customer base to international markets. Thus, businesses benefit from the explosion of Internet usage but may be challenged by how to best meet the needs of their multi-cultural customers, suppliers, and employees. There is a need to develop a model of cultural barriers to human-computer interaction (HCI). With all of the technology in use today, along with the different cultures that interact with ICT, it is important to identify a model of ICT and the HCI barriers produced by it to better help designers of ICT avoid these technology pitfalls. Figure 1 displays how the incorporation of technology, people, and culture into businesses must be carefully positioned together to optimize the success of all involved.

While there has been a great deal of research on the application and implementation of IS, there is less research on the variables which can contribute to the successful strategic implementation of IS and its relation to the cultural/work values of the people involved in the implementation. We are familiar with the two paradigms for evaluating IS, the first calls for the evaluation to be based on the relation to design specification - or user needs. The second concentrates on the performance related aspects which consider outcome of the system. This paper presents a model, based on research of different cultures, that outlines an approach to consider in relating the correlation of IS to the Culture and Work values of the individuals in a particular cultural setting.

Languages and the thinking they reflect stem mainly from cultural needs for expression. A controlled vocabulary, thesaurus, can be seen as a cultural product. The focus of this study is the translatability of British-English social science indexing terms into Finnish language and culture on a conceptual, term and indexing term level. The emphasis is on Finnish language and human factors. The study is quantitative-qualitative and the perspectives are both linguistic and sociological - a combination through which a broader understanding of the phenomena is being aimed at in the general frame of information science. The study uses multiple cases aiming at theoretical replication. It is thus an empirical case study and the goal is to illustrate a new theory of “pragmatic indexing (term) equivalence”. Several data collection and analysis methods will be used in order to construct a theory by triangulation of evidence. The aim of this research is a doctoral thesis in information studies.

The prerequisites for this study are criticism of postmodernism by theorists and philosophers of culture, and the actualisation of metamodernism as one of the most popular theories of postmodernism. The relevance of the study is determined by the appearance of a ‘new sensitivity’ having arisen from geopolitical events of the 2000s. Metamodernism theory authors declare the new structure of sensation to be different from the dominants of postmodernism and modernism. The article describes the transformation of the representation of cultural traumas in public discourse with the consideration of ideas of metamodernism and a new frankness. The article covers the methodological capabilities for using postmodernism and metamodernism discourses for analysing the principles of representation of cultural trauma within public discourse. Distinguishing features of new frankness are highlighted. Immortal Regiment action is analysed as an example of actualisation of personal experience and family history in public discourse. The concept of ‘new frankness’ increases the role and significance of the witness. The examples of works of contemporary mass culture and media resources are used to trace the actualisation of the witness’s narrative of cultural trauma. Warmth, depth, and affect, characteristic of metamodernism, actualise the demand for plausibility and personal experience of an event. An indirect effect of these hypotheses consists in that narratives on cultural trauma are multivariate as manifested in criticism of the conventional image of a historic event. Re-evaluating historical events from different points of view triggers mechanisms of latent trauma, potentially making almost any historical event a cultural trauma. The study resulted in the revelation of accentuation of sensitivity in narratives of cultural traumas, as opposed to manners prevailing in modernism and postmodernism discourses, i.e. practices of stigmatisation, suppression, and the commodification of cultural traumas.

After the economic rise in Saudi Arabia in 1938, workers migrated from across Saudi Arabia seeking better work opportunities. Statistics from the General Census of Population and Housing in 2010 reveal that the total number of international immigrants increased from 0.7 to 1.73 million between 2002 and 2010 (from 29.4% to 50% of the Population), coming from different countries, cultural, social and religious backgrounds. Over recent years, a perception has developed by some citizens that there are too many Immigrants, which has exposed increased feelings of insecurity. Anti-immigrant attitudes and social exclusion have become more prominent, Saudi nationals have become concerned about diminishing national identity, in addition to believe that expatriates take available work and economic opportunities away from nationals, main cause of crime, and moral corruption. Immigrants have brought with them new ideas, skills and practices from their home cultures, which add to the new urban cultures in Jeddah. This has helped to create a culturally vibrant urban environment. The study will discuss the challenges faced by immigrants in Jeddah, in terms of interaction and social harmony with Saudi citizens in public spaces, and the underlying causes of those challenges. Qualitative method is used in this study, through discuss and analyse general literature review about the objective of the research (Public space and Immigration social challenges in Jeddah), then propose general recommendations that contribute to the improvement of the immigrants social life in the public space.

Marae Ora, Kāinga Ora (MOKO) is a marae-led community development and wellbeing research project. Lee-Morgan et al. (2021) explain this three-year research project, stating: “MOKO investigates the potential of five marae to strengthen their provision of kāinga (village, settlement) in the contemporary urban context of South Auckland” (p. 2). Using a Kaupapa Māori (KM) approach to Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), this project explores the ancient Indigenous innovation of marae (both a spiritual and physical location with a socio-cultural setting for Māori to be immersed in a cultural context) and kāinga to understand and co-create new culturally based initiatives and support the activation of community development and wellbeing initiatives. While marae are highly valued by Māori communities as being critical to cultural sustainability and are recognised by government agencies as important community providers, there is a dearth of research about how contemporary urban marae operate and how they can work with, and for, communities (Kawharu, 2014; Tapsell, 2002; Thornley et al., 2015). The MOKO research aim is to enable marae to explore their potential role within their communities, to develop their own interpretation and opportunities for kāinga. These insights influence opportunities to partner with external agencies and services to achieve greater outcomes and collaborative advantages for whānau (family group) and community wellbeing, alongside marae. In brief, the MOKO project is focused on the intergenerational sustainability of the knowledge systems and replenishment of resources inherent within marae, our natural environment and kāinga ora.

In spatial, social and cultural pluralism, the questions of human intentionality and socio-spatial emergence remain central to social theory (Portugali 2000, p.142). The correlation between individual preferences, values and intentions, and actual behaviour and actions, is subject to Portugali’s theory of self-organisation (2000). Compared to Gidden’s structuralism, which focuses on society and groups, the point of departure for Portugali (2000) are individuals and their personal choices. The key feature in how complex systems `self-organise', is that they `interpret', the information that comes from the environment (Portugali 2006). The current study explores the urban environment formerly inhabited, and largely constructed, by Jews in two central Polish districts: Mazovia and Lodz, before the tragedy of the Holocaust. While the Jewish presence lasted from the 11th century until the outbreak of World War II, the most intensive development took place in the 19th century, together with the civilisation changes introduced by industrialisation. Embracing the everyday habits of Jewish citizens endows the neighbourhood structures they once inhabited with long gone meanings, the information layer which once helped organise everyday life. The main thesis reveals that Jewish communities in pre-war Poland represented an example of a self-organising society, one which could be considered a prototype of contemporary postmodern cultural complexity. The mapping of this complexity at the scale of a neighbourhood is a challenge, a method for which is addressed in the current paper. The above considerations are in line with the empirical studies of the relations between Jews and Poles, especially in large cities, where more complex socio-cultural processes could have occurred. References: Eco, U. (1997) ‘Function and Sign: The Semiotics of Architecture’, in Leich, N. (ed.) Rethinking Architecture: A reader in cultural theory (Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, London) 182–202. Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (2003) The Social Logic of Space (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge). Marshall, S. (2009) Cities, Design and Evolution (Routledge, Abingdon, New York). Portugali, J. (2000) Self-Organization and the City, (Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg). Portugali, J. (2006) ‘Complexity theory as a link between space and place’, Environment and Planning A 38(4) 647–664.

Once again the architecture of culture has begun to play a significant role in the structure of cities, redefining their space, creating their character, and shaping their modern face. This trend has become particularly evident in Europe after year 2000. Cultural objects have been en masse constructed both in big metropolitan areas, as well as in small towns. Based on the observation and the analysis of architecture of music realisations, we can extrapolate conclusions which will allow to ascertain when these buildings became a functioning part of the urban structure. We also get the opportunity to learn from the mistakes: despite significant financial expenses, the architecture of culture has failed to meet users’ expectations, becoming a dead space in many cases. The study of the presented examples forces us to discuss directions and purposefulness of investing in the architecture of culture. Introducing clear goals will provide guidance for creating the city of the future.

Karen (or Kariang or Yang) are a group of heterogeneous ethnic groups that do not share common culture, language, religion, or material characteristics, and who live mostly in the hills bordering the mountainous region between Myanmar and neighboring countries (Fratticcioli 2001; Harriden 2002). Some of these groups have migrated to Thailand’s borders. Given these huge numbers of migrant Karens, there is a paucity of research and understanding of how Karen learners from upland ethnic groups negotiate and construct their identities when they socialize with other lowland learners. This paper explores ways in which Karen learners negotiate and construct their identities through language socialization in the Thai learning context. The study draws on insights from discourse theory and ecological constructionism in order to understand the identity and negotiation process of Karen learners at different levels of identity construction. Multiple semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper understandings of this phenomenon between ethnicity and language socialization. The participants were four Karen learners who were studying in a Thai public university. Findings suggest that Karen learners experience challenges in forming their identity and in negotiating their linguistic capital in learning contexts. The factors influencing these perceptions seemed to emanate from the stakeholders and the international community, which played significant roles in the context of learning. The findings also reflect that Karen learner identity formation and negotiation in language socialization constitutes a dynamic and complex process involving many factors and incidences, discussed in the present study. The analysis presented has implications for immigration, mobility, language, and cultural policy, as well as for future research.

Design, the cross-fertilization of science and art, is a basic function of all species that occupy a masterfully orchestrated and designed ecosystem in which man is but one. On the other hand, culture with its complex mix is the expression of what a group of people creates — arts, beliefs customs, institutions, products and thought — at a particular time within the context of the natural environment. Design and culture therefore are intimately linked and undoubtedly influence each other. This suggests that designers, with their problem solving skills and keen interest to preserve nature and advance quality of life are capable of reshaping culture in a positive way. This paper is not intended to provide specific answers on how to achieve that, but it highlights some aspects of the design-culture interface and asserts that designers, armed with good will and respect for all have under their disposal a strong force by which they can help fashion a peaceful world. The paper also addresses possible things designers can do to influence that objective.

вопросы развития «европейской идентичности» русскоязычных эмигрантов, проживающих в Европе, рассматриваются в контексте русскоязычного образования за рубежом. Культурный концепт европейской идентичности все более размывается и становится неприемлемым в реальной интеграционной политике, особенно в связи с событиями в Европе последних двух лет. Автор исследует процессы, происходящие внутри многочисленной русскоязычной диаспоры, прежде всего, в той ее части, которая состоит из эмигрантов с постсоветского пространства, выехавших на постоянное проживание в Европу после распада Советского Союза, в 1990–2000-е гг. В последнее десятилетие в европейских государствах фиксируется рост числа образовательных организаций с обучением на русском языке и преподаванием русского языка. Длительные наблюдения автора за деятельностью этих образовательных организаций убеждают в том, что они выполняют запрос семей русскоязычной диаспоры в связи с двумя реализуемыми адаптационными стратегиями. Первая родительская стратегия вызвана желанием сделать интеграцию своих детей в принимающее инокультурное общество психологически комфортным процессом, без разрыва с родным языком и культурой. Для другой части родителей характерна вторая адаптационная стратегия: они «прячутся» в пространстве своего языка и культуры, поскольку не готовы к быстрой социально-культурной и психологической адаптации в принимающее общество. Автор статьи делает вывод, что в европейских странах в основе развития образования на русском языке лежит не только решение задачи сохранения и поддержки родного языка и культуры. Создающиеся русские школы также способствуют сохранению ценностного «русского» взгляда на образование, его содержание и цели. Можно предположить, что в какой-то степени эти процессы помогают эмигрантам из России и вообще постсоветского пространства позиционировать свое отличие от других жителей Европы и конструировать особую идентичность, которую можно условно именовать «русскоязычные европейцы». the development of the “Russian identity” of Russian-speaking emigrants living in Europe is researched in the context of the processes in the sphere of Russian-language education abroad. We note that the cultural concept of European identity is becoming indistinct and unacceptable within the real integration policy, especially in connection with the events happening in Europe during the latest two years. That is why the author of the article is interested in the processes occurring inside the Russian-speaking diaspora, especially among those post-Soviet emigrants who left for Europe in the 1990–2000, after the destruction of the Soviet Union. During the latest seven – twelve years there can be fixed the growth of the number of educational organizations in European countries that teach Russian and in Russian. Long-term observation of their activities convinces the author that such schools and kindergartens satisfy the query of the families of Russian-speaking diaspora following two adaptation strategies. The first strategy that some parents follow is inspired by the wish to make integration of their children into the accepting foreign-culture society a psychologically comfortable process, without the break with mother language and culture. Other parents follow the other adaptation strategy and “hide” in the environment of their mother language and culture because they are not ready to be socially, culturally, and psychologically adapted to the accepting society. The basis of the development of Russian-language education in European countries is not only the aspiration to save and support mother language and culture. Russian schools also help to conserve the valuable “Russian” outlook on education, its content, and its aims. We can suppose that to some extent these processes help emigrants from Russia and post-Soviet countries to position their distinction from other people living in Europe, to construct their own identity that can be named, for example, “Russian-Speaking Europeans”.

Previous research on the reproductive health of adolescents and youth in Pakistan has not addressed the diversity of adolescent experiences based on social status, residence, and gender. To understand the transition from adolescence to adulthood more fully, it is important to assess social, economic, and cultural aspects of that transition. This brief presents the experience of married and unmarried young people (males and females) from different social strata and residence regarding their own attitudes and expectations about reproductive health. More young people aged 15–24 live in Pakistan now than at any other time in its history—an estimated 36 million in 2004. Recognizing the dearth of information on this large group of young people, the Population Council undertook a nationally representative survey from October 2001 to March 2002. The analysis presented here comes from Adolescents and Youth in Pakistan 2001–02: A Nationally Representative Survey. The survey sought information from youth aged 15–24, responsible adults in the household, and other community members in 254 communities. A total of 6,585 households were visited and 8,074 young people were interviewed.

A mature teacher who continuously seeks improvement should be recognised as a professional who has autonomy in conducting their job and has the autonomy to engage in a professional community of practice (Hyslop-Margison and Sears, 2010). In other words, teachers’ engagement in professional development activities should be driven by their own determination rather than extrinsic sources of motivation. In this context, teachers’ self-determination can be defined as a feeling of connectedness with their own aspirations or personal values, confidence in their ability to master new skills, and a sense of autonomy in planning their own professional development path (Stupnisky et al., 2018; Eyal and Roth, 2011; Ryan and Deci, 2000). Previous studies have shown the advantages of providing teachers with autonomy to determine personal and professional improvement. Bergmark (2020) found that giving teachers the opportunity to identify areas of improvement based on teaching experience expanded the ways they think and understand themselves as teachers and how they can improve their teaching. Teachers who plan their own improvement showed a higher level of curiosity in learning and trying out new things. Bergmark (2020) also shows that a continuous cycle of reflection and teaching improvement allows teachers to recognise that the perfect lesson does not exist. Hence, continuous reflection and improvement are needed to shape the lesson to meet various classroom contexts. Moreover, Cheon et al. (2018) found that increased teacher autonomy led to greater teaching efficacy and a greater tendency to adopt intrinsic (relative to extrinsic) instructional goals. In developed countries, teacher autonomy is present and has become part of teachers’ professional life and schools’ development plans. In Finland, for example, the government is responsible for providing resources and services that schools request, while school development and teachers’ professional learning are integrated into a day-to-day “experiment” performed collaboratively by teachers and principals (Niemi, 2015). This kind of experience gives teachers a sense of mastery and boosts their determination to continuously learn (Ryan and Deci, 2000). In low-performing countries, distributing autonomy of education quality improvement to schools and teachers negatively correlates with the countries’ education outcomes (Hanushek et al., 2011). This study also suggests that education outcome accountability and teacher capacity are necessary to ensure the provision of autonomy to improve education quality. However, to have teachers who can meet dynamic educational challenges through continuous learning, de Klerk & Barnett (2020) suggest that developing countries include programmes that could nurture teachers’ agency to learn in addition to the regular content and pedagogical-focused teacher training materials. Giving autonomy to teachers can be challenging in an environment where accountability or performance is measured by narrow considerations (teacher exam score, administrative completion, etc.). As is the case in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, teachers tend to attend training to meet performance evaluation administrative criteria rather than to address specific professional development needs (Dymoke and Harrison, 2006). Generally, the focus of the training relies on what the government believes will benefit their teaching workforce. Teacher professional development (TPD) is merely an assignment for Jakarta teachers. Most teachers attend the training only to obtain attendance certificates that can be credited towards their additional performance allowance. Consequently, those teachers will only reproduce teaching practices that they have experienced or observed from their seniors. As in other similar professional development systems, improvement in teaching quality at schools is less likely to happen (Hargreaves, 2000). Most of the trainings were led by external experts or academics who did not interact with teachers on a day-to-day basis. This approach to professional development represents a top-down mechanism where teacher training was designed independently from teaching context and therefore appears to be overly abstract, unpractical, and not useful for teachers (Timperley, 2011). Moreover, the lack of relevancy between teacher training and teaching practice leads to teachers’ low ownership of the professional development process (Bergmark, 2020). More broadly, in the Jakarta education system, especially the public school system, autonomy was never given to schools and teachers prior to establishing the new TPD system in 2021. The system employed a top-down relationship between the local education agency, teacher training centres, principals, and teachers. Professional development plans were usually motivated by a low teacher competency score or budgeted teacher professional development programme. Guided by the scores, the training centres organised training that could address knowledge areas that most of Jakarta's teachers lack. In many cases, to fulfil the quota as planned in the budget, the local education agency and the training centres would instruct principals to assign two teachers to certain training without knowing their needs. Realizing that the system was not functioning, Jakarta’s local education agency decided to create a reform that gives more autonomy toward schools and teachers in determining teacher professional development plan. The new system has been piloted since November 2021. To maintain the balance between administrative evaluation and addressing professional development needs, the new initiative highlights the key role played by head teachers or principals. This is based on assumption that principals who have the opportunity to observe teaching practice closely could help teachers reflect and develop their professionalism. (Dymoke and Harrison, 2006). As explained by the professional development case in Finland, leadership and collegial collaboration are also critical to shaping a school culture that could support the development of professional autonomy. The collective energies among teachers and the principal will also direct the teacher toward improving teaching, learning, and caring for students and parents (Hyslop-Margison and Sears, 2010; Hargreaves, 2000). Thus, the new TPD system in Jakarta adopts the feature of collegial collaboration. This is considered as imperative in Jakarta where teachers used to be controlled and join a professional development activity due to external forces. Learning autonomy did not exist within themselves. Hence, teachers need a leader who can turn the "professional development regulation" into a culture at schools. The process will shape teachers to do professional development quite autonomously (Deci et al., 2001). In this case, a controlling leadership style will hinder teachers’ autonomous motivation. Instead, principals should articulate a clear vision, consider teachers' individual needs and aspirations, inspire, and support professional development activities (Eyal and Roth, 2011). This can also be called creating a professional culture at schools (Fullan, 1996). In this Note, we aim to understand how the schools and teachers respond to the new teacher professional development system. We compare experience and motivation of different characteristics of teachers.

The Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network monitors plant communities at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and evaluates a variety of environmental variables that affect vegetation patterns, including climate and ecological disturbances such as fire and grazing. Here we report on 2002–2018 trends in management actions (fire and grazing) and key plant community indicators. Temperature has increased over the past 50 years in the region. Precipitation and a standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index included a high degree of interannual variability and did not demonstrate directional change. We documented a decline in disturbance intensity (i.e., less frequent prescribed fire and lower stocking rates) since 2006. A preserve goal is to maintain 30 to 60% of the area as bare ground (soil and rock) for ideal greater prairie-chicken habitat. Bare areas have been in decline and minimally meet the goal preserve wide. Bare areas vary by pasture and year, with bare areas exceeding the threshold in earlier years and Big Pasture and Red House Pasture falling short in some recent years. Although the preserve-scale mean minimally met the objective, there was a great deal of heterogeneity across monitoring sites. Litter cover and depth were greater than ecological recommendations for the greater prairie-chicken, especially in 2018. Litter depth demonstrated a great deal of variability and included deep litter. Woody plants were targeted to remain below 5% cover. Preserve- and pasture-scale cover means were well below this threshold but are increasing. Species richness on a per site basis (alpha diversity) and preserve-wide richness (gamma diversity) showed no apparent directional change when corrected for differences in sample size. Comparison of native species composition between 2002 and 2018 revealed a 36.9% difference in the Sørensen Index, although observer error accounted for almost 2/3 of this apparent change. The preserve continues to have characteristic tallgrass prairie species, and nonnative species continue to be low. Similar to targeted invasive plant monitoring, we found the target species Kentucky bluegrass to be below park thresholds. Continued evaluation of fire frequency and grazing intensity will be critical to achieving ecological goals including conserving the greater prairie-chicken. Development of a grazing plan may assist with prescribing stocking rates that are consistent with the preserve’s ecological and cultural objectives and could include alternative herbivores, such as goats or expansion of bison.

United Nations (UN) counter-terrorism (CT) policies are challenged by the emergence and resurgence of different threat profiles on the security horizon because its response framework is focused on one type of terrorism and violent extremism (T/VE) threat. As there is increasing focus on the threat of extreme right-wing T/VE in the current social and political context in the West, for example, the challenges of adaptability and transferability become apparent. This is often due to the lack of flexibility and nuance of the conversation around CT at the UN level. This same lack of consideration for complexity can be exemplified through the case of the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda and the subsequent application of gender mainstreaming strategies. The WPS agenda was introduced with UNSC Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in 2000 and developed over the next two decades with the adoption of nine follow-on resolutions. The increasing visibility of the impacts of terrorist groups on women and girls, and the articulation by some groups of a strategy that specifically targeted gender equality or utilized narratives promoting the subjugation of women, created greater momentum to push for the integration of the WPS and CT agendas, reflected most significantly in UNSCR 2242. However, even with this necessary focus on the protection and empowerment of women in the peace and security space, there has often been a more limited policy conversation around the wider gender perspective and analysis needed to effectively implement gender mainstreaming strategies. There needs to be increased attention given to understanding how socio-culturally defined gender roles and expectations impact how and why every individual engages with T/VE. Additionally, research is needed on how the wider gender equality goal of gender mainstreaming strategies can be implemented This research brief examines the adaptability and transferability of the last two decades of UN CT legal and policy frameworks and architecture to the evolving threat landscape.

Improving plant cell wall (fiber) degradation remains one of the highest priority research goals for all ruminant enterprises dependent on forages, hay, silage, or other fibrous byproducts as energy sources, because it governs the provision of energy-yielding nutrients to the host animal. Although the predominant species of microbes responsible for ruminal fiber degradation are culturable, the enzymology and genetics underpinning the process are poorly defined. In that context, there were two broad objectives for this proposal. The first objective was to identify the key cellulosomal components in Ruminococcus albus and to characterize their structural features as well as regulation of their expression, in response to polysaccharides and (or) P AA/PPA. The second objective was to evaluate the similarities in the structure and architecture of cellulosomal components between R. albus and other ruminal and non-ruminal cellulolytic bacteria. The cooperation among the investigators resulted in the identification of two glycoside hydrolases rate-limiting to cellulose degradation by Ruminococcus albus (Cel48A and CeI9B) and our demonstration that these enzymes possess a novel modular architecture specific to this bacterium (Devillard et al. 2004). We have now shown that the novel X-domains in Cel48A and Cel9B represent a new type of carbohydrate binding module, and the enzymes are not part of a ceiluiosome-like complex (CBM37, Xu et al. 2004). Both Cel48A and Cel9B are conditionally expressed in response to P AA/PPA, explaining why cellulose degradation in this bacterium is affected by the availability of these compounds, but additional studies have shown for the first time that neither PAA nor PPA influence xylan degradation by R. albus (Reveneau et al. 2003). Additionally, the R. albus genome sequencing project, led by the PI. Morrison, has supported our identification of many dockerin containing proteins. However, the identification of gene(s) encoding a scaffoldin has been more elusive, and recombinant proteins encoding candidate cohesin modules are now being used in Israel to verify the existence of dockerin-cohesin interactions and cellulosome production by R. albus. The Israeli partners have also conducted virtually all of the studies specific to the second Objective of the proposal. Comparative blotting studies have been conducted using specific antibodies prepare against purified recombinant cohesins and X-domains, derived from cellulosomal scaffoldins of R. flavefaciens 17, a Clostridium thermocellum mutant-preabsorbed antibody preparation, or against CbpC (fimbrial protein) of R. albus 8. The data also suggest that additional cellulolytic bacteria including Fibrobacter succinogenes S85, F. intestinalis DR7 and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens Dl may also employ cellulosomal modules similar to those of R. flavefaciens 17. Collectively, our work during the grant period has shown that R. albus and other ruminal bacteria employ several novel mechanisms for their adhesion to plant surfaces, and produce both cellulosomal and non-cellulosomal forms of glycoside hydrolases underpinning plant fiber degradation. These improvements in our mechanistic understanding of bacterial adhesion and enzyme regulation now offers the potential to: i) optimize ruminal and hindgut conditions by dietary additives to maximize fiber degradation (e.g. by the addition of select enzymes or PAA/PPA); ii) identify plant-borne influences on adhesion and fiber-degradation, which might be overcome (or improved) by conventional breeding or transgenic plant technologies and; iii) engineer or select microbes with improved adhesion capabilities, cellulosome assembly and fiber degradation. The potential benefits associated with this research proposal are likely to be realized in the medium term (5-10 years).

Making Sense is a European Commission H2020 funded project which aims at supporting participatory sensing initiatives that address environmental challenges in areas such as noise and air pollution. The development of Making Sense was informed by previous research on a crowdfunded open source platform for environmental sensing, SmartCitizen.me, developed at the Fab Lab Barcelona. Insights from this research identified several deterrents for a wider uptake of participatory sensing initiatives due to social and technical matters. For example, the participants struggled with the lack of social interactions, a lack of consensus and shared purpose amongst the group, and a limited understanding of the relevance the data had in their daily lives (Balestrini et al., 2014; Balestrini et al., 2015). As such, Making Sense seeks to explore if open source hardware, open source software and and open design can be used to enhance data literacy and maker practices in participatory sensing. Further to this, Making Sense tests methodologies aimed at empowering individuals and communities through developing a greater understanding of their environments and by supporting a culture of grassroot initiatives for action and change. To do this, Making Sense identified a need to underpin sensing with community building activities and develop strategies to inform and enable those participating in data collection with appropriate tools and skills. As Fetterman, Kaftarian and Wanderman (1996) state, citizens are empowered when they understand evaluation and connect it in a way that it has relevance to their lives. Therefore, this report examines the role that these activities have in participatory sensing. Specifically, we discuss the opportunities and challenges in using the concept of Community Level Indicators (CLIs), which are measurable and objective sources of information gathered to complement sensor data. We describe how CLIs are used to develop a more indepth understanding of the environmental problem at hand, and to record, monitor and evaluate the progress of change during initiatives. We propose that CLIs provide one way to move participatory sensing beyond a primarily technological practice and towards a social and environmental practice. This is achieved through an increased focus in the participants’ interests and concerns, and with an emphasis on collective problem solving and action. We position our claims against the following four challenge areas in participatory sensing: 1) generating and communicating information and understanding (c.f. Loreto, 2017), 2) analysing and finding relevance in data (c.f. Becker et al., 2013), 3) building community around participatory sensing (c.f. Fraser et al., 2005), and 4) achieving or monitoring change and impact (c.f. Cheadle et al., 2000). We discuss how the use of CLIs can tend to these challenges. Furthermore, we report and assess six ways in which CLIs can address these challenges and thereby support participatory sensing initiatives: i. Accountability ii. Community assessment iii. Short-term evaluation iv. Long-term evaluation v. Policy change vi. Capability The report then returns to the challenge areas and reflects on the learnings and recommendations that are gleaned from three Making Sense case studies. Afterwhich, there is an exposition of approaches and tools developed by Making Sense for the purposes of advancing participatory sensing in this way. Lastly, the authors speak to some of the policy outcomes that have been realised as a result of this research.

Original objectives: The long-term goal of the research is to achieve higher protein content in the milk of ruminants by modulating the translational apparatus of the mammary gland genetically, nutritionally, or pharmacologically. The short-term objectives are to obtain a better understanding of 1) the role of amino acids (AA) as regulators of translation in bovine and mouse mammary epithelial cells and 2) the mechanism responsible for the synergistic enhancement of milk-protein mRNA polyadenylation by insulin and prolactin. Background of the topic: In many cell types and tissues, individual AA affect a signaling pathway which parallels the insulin pathway to modulate rates and levels of protein synthesis. Diverse nutritional and hormonal conditions are funneled to mTOR, a multidomain serine/threonine kinase that regulates a number of components in the initiation and elongation stages of translation. The mechanism by which AA signal mTOR is largely unknown. During the current grant period, we have studied the effect of essential AA on mechanisms involved in protein synthesis in differentiated mammary epithelial cells cultured under lactogenic conditions. We also studied lactogenic hormone regulation of milk protein synthesis in differentiated mammary epithelial cells. In the first BARD grant (2000-03), we discovered a novel mechanism for mRNA-specific hormone-regulated translation, namely, that the combination of insulin plus prolactin causes cytoplasmic polyadenylation of milk protein mRNAs, which leads to their efficient translation. In the current BARD grant, we have pursued the signaling pathways of this novel hormone action. Major conclusions/solutions/achievements: The positive and negative signaling from AA to the mTOR pathway, combined with modulation of insulin sensitization, mediates the synthesis rates of total and specific milk proteins in mammary epithelial cells. The current in vitro study revealed cryptic negative effects of Lys, His, and Thr on cellular mechanisms regulating translation initiation and protein synthesis in mammary epithelial cells that could not be detected by conventional in vivo analyses. We also showed that a signaling pathway involving Jak2 and Stat5, previously shown to lead from the prolactin receptor to transcription of milk protein genes, is also used for cytoplasmic polyadenylation of milk protein mRNAs, thereby stabilizing these mRNAs and activating them for translation. Implications: In vivo, plasma AA levels are affected by nutritional and hormonal effects as well as by conditions of exercise and stress. The amplitude in plasma AA levels resembles that applied in the current in vitro study. Thus, by changing plasma AA levels in the epithelial cell microenvironment or by sensitizing the mTOR pathway to their presence, it should be possible to modulate the rate of milk protein synthesis. Furthermore, knowledge that phosphorylation of Stat5 is required for enhanced milk protein synthesis in response to lactogenic opens the possibility for pharmacologic approaches to increase the phosphorylation of Stat5 and, thereby, milk protein production.

Climate and hydrology are major drivers of ecosystems. They dramatically shape ecosystem structure and function, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Understanding changes in climate, groundwater, and water quality and quantity is central to assessing the condition of park biota and key cultural resources. The Sonoran Desert Network collects data on climate, groundwater, and surface water at 11 National Park Service units in southern Arizona and New Mexico. This report provides an integrated look at climate, groundwater, and springs conditions at Chiricahua National Monument (NM), Coronado National Memorial (NMem), and Fort Bowie National Historic Site (NHS) during water year (WY) 2019 (October 2018–September 2019). Overall annual precipitation at Chiricahua NM and Coronado NMem in WY2019 was approximately the same as the normals for 1981–2010. (The weather station at Fort Bowie NHS had missing values on 275 days, so data were not presented for that park.) Fall and winter rains were greater than normal. The monsoon season was generally weaker than normal, but storm events related to Hurricane Lorena led to increased late-season rain in September. Mean monthly maximum temperatures were generally cooler than normal at Chiricahua, whereas mean monthly minimum temperatures were warmer than normal. Temperatures at Coronado were more variable relative to normal. The reconnaissance drought index (RDI) indicated that Chiricahua NM was slightly wetter than normal. (The WY2019 RDI could not be calculated for Coronado NMem due to missing data.) The five-year moving mean of annual precipitation showed both park units were experiencing a minor multi-year precipitation deficit relative to the 39-year average. Mean groundwater levels in WY2019 increased at Fort Bowie NHS, and at two of three wells monitored at Chiricahua NM, compared to WY2018. Levels in the third well at Chiricahua slightly decreased. By contrast, water levels declined in five of six wells at Coronado NMem over the same period, with the sixth well showing a slight increase over WY2018. Over the monitoring record (2007–present), groundwater levels at Chiricahua have been fairly stable, with seasonal variability likely caused by transpiration losses and recharge from runoff events in Bonita Creek. At Fort Bowie’s WSW-2, mean groundwater level was also relatively stable from 2004 to 2019, excluding temporary drops due to routine pumping. At Coronado, four of the six wells demonstrated increases (+0.30 to 11.65 ft) in water level compared to the earliest available measurements. Only WSW-2 and Baumkirchner #3 have shown net declines (-17.31 and -3.80 feet, respectively) at that park. Springs were monitored at nine sites in WY2019 (four sites at Chiricahua NM; three at Coronado NMem, and two at Fort Bowie NHS). Most springs had relatively few indications of anthropogenic or natural disturbance. Anthropogenic disturbance included modifications to flow, such as dams, berms, or spring boxes. Examples of natural disturbance included game trails, scat, or evidence of flooding. Crews observed 0–6 facultative/obligate wetland plant taxa and 0–3 invasive non-native species at each spring. Across the springs, crews observed six non-native plant species: common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), spiny sowthistle (Sonchus asper), common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus), Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), rabbitsfoot grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), and red brome (Bromus rubens). Baseline data on water quality and water chemistry were collected at all nine sites. It is likely that that all nine springs had surface water for at least some part of WY2019, though temperature sensors failed at two sites. The seven sites with continuous sensor data had water present for most of the year. Discharge was measured at eight sites and ranged from < 1 L/minute to 16.5 L/minute.

Cameroonian researchers at the Institute of Behavioral Studies and Research (IRESCO), with support from FRONTIERS, conducted an operations research project between 2000 and 2002 to assess strategies to encourage abstinence, increase contraceptive use, and reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among sexually active youth. The intervention combined peer-education strategies with media campaigns to promote healthy behavior among youth in the Mokolo neighborhood of Yaoundé. IRESCO trained 49 peer educators aged 19–25 in reproductive health (RH) communication strategies. The team coordinated educational talks, counseling sessions, conferences, and cultural and athletic events; produced comic books and brochures; and sold French and English editions of Among Youth magazine, featuring celebrity interviews and information on RH, unwanted pregnancy, and STI transmission. IRESCO evaluated the intervention’s impact through baseline and endline surveys of 2,500 youth in Mokolo and the control site, New Bell, in Douala. This brief concludes that urban youth in Cameroon are knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS and the risks of early pregnancy, but their behavior often fails to reflect their knowledge. Peer-education programs targeting youth through one-on-one counseling, theatrical performances, youth magazines, and sporting events increases abstinence and fidelity and improves consistent and correct condom use.

Female genital cutting (FGC) is practiced as a rite of passage in over half of Kenya’s districts. Kenyan nongovernmental agency Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (MYWO) has long conducted community sensitization focused on discouraging this practice. In 1996, MYWO began implementing the “alternative rite” (AR) intervention in sensitized communities. Girls participating in AR receive family life education in seclusion, followed by a public graduation ceremony recognizing them as adults. They are not cut as part of the ceremony. In 2000, the Population Council carried out an assessment of the AR program that sought to identify the impact of MYWO’s activities on knowledge and attitudes regarding FGC, reproductive health, and gender equity. Data were collected through focus group discussions, interviews, household surveys, and case studies of AR-participating families. As this brief states, where cultural support for female circumcision is weakening, communities are more likely to accept sensitization messages encouraging abandonment of the practice and to participate in an alternative coming-of-age ceremony for girls. However, such alternative ceremonies must be preceded by extensive sensitization that changes attitudes and must be tailored to fit cultural norms for rite of passage.