Environmental and Social Change in Northeast Thailand during the Iron Age

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-569
Author(s):  
C.F.W. Higham ◽  
B.F.J. Manly ◽  
R. Thosarat ◽  
H.R. Buckley ◽  
N. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Agricultural Revolution ◽  
Maritime Silk Road ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Elites ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

The Iron Age of Mainland Southeast Asia began in the fifth centurybcand lasted for about a millennium. In coastal regions, the development of trade along the Maritime Silk Road led to the growth of port cities. In the interior, a fall in monsoon rains particularly affected the Mun River valley. This coincided with the construction of moats/reservoirs round Iron Age settlements from which water was channelled into wet rice fields, the production of iron ploughshares and sickles, population growth, burgeoning exchange and increased conflict. We explore the social impact of this agricultural revolution through applying statistical analyses to mortuary samples dating before and after the development of wet rice farming. These suggest that there was a swift formation of social elites represented by the wealth of mortuary offerings, followed by a decline. Two associated changes are identified. The first involved burying the dead in residential houses; the second considers the impact of an increasingly aquatic environment on health by examining demographic trends involving a doubling of infant mortality that concentrated on neonates. A comparison between this sequence and that seen in coastal ports suggests two interconnected instances of rapid pathways to social change responding to different social and environmental stressors.

scholarly journals The social impact of the ‘Social solidarity income’ in Greece: A qualitative interpretation

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Theodoros Sakellaropoulos ◽  
Varvara Lalioti ◽  
Nikos Kourachanis
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Social Solidarity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
Positive Elements ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

The present article sheds light on the implementation of the ‘Social Solidarity Income’ (SSI) in Greece, an example of a guaranteed minimum income (GMI). Drawing on the findings of 40 semi-structured interviews carried out in five selected municipalities, the article focuses on the ‘social impact’ of the SSI. More specifically, it investigates two inter-related themes: a) the social situation of beneficiaries and the survival strategies they used before and after receiving the SSI; and b) aspects of the SSI that should be improved at the implementation stage. It is argued that, despite certain positive elements of the SSI, such as the monetary allowance, which is a key component of the SSI and assists beneficiaries in covering their basic needs, the impact of the SSI on the lives of individuals is relatively small and a large proportion of the beneficiaries continue to rely on the survival strategies they used before implementation of the SSI

Britain, Gaul, and Germany

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Moore
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
First Century ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Burial Rites ◽  
Cultural Interactions

Britain’s place in the Roman Empire cannot be seen in isolation. The province’s close links to Gaul and Germany stemmed from earlier interaction in the late Iron Age, and these connections have been seen as highly significant in explaining the changes in burial, dress, and settlement that took place in Britain from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. Exploring evidence from changes in diet, architecture, and burial rites, this chapter will assess the nature and extent of cultural interactions between these provinces. In particular, it will examine whether these links can be used to argue for a ‘Gallicization’ of Britain, rather than a ‘Romanization’. It will question whether such terms are helpful in reconceptualizing the processes of cultural change before and after the Roman Conquest or whether they present their own set of problems for understanding cultural interactions and social change.

Farming, social change, and state formation in Southeast Asia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles F. W. Higham
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Water Buffalo ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Early States ◽  
Agricultural Revolution ◽  
Social Elites ◽  
Rapid Formation

Farming in Southeast Asia is dominated two major crops, rice and millet, and domestic pigs, cattle, water buffalo, chickens, and dogs. The domestication of these species took place in China, and the first farmers began to settle Southeast Asia in the early second millennium bc. They integrated with the indigenous hunter-gatherers, and were heavily reliant not only on their crops and domestic animals, but also on hunting, gathering, and fishing. An agricultural revolution took place during the Iron Age, involving plough agriculture in permanent fields. Ownership of improved land would have stimulated the rise of social elites and dependent craft specialists, factors underlying the rapid formation of early states.

At the dawn of history: From Iron Age aggrandisers to Zhenla kings

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles F.W. Higham
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
Irrigated Rice ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Agricultural Revolution ◽  
Social Elites ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Exchange Network

The transition from Late Iron Age to early state societies in the riverine lowlands of the Mun Valley and northern Cambodia took place rapidly in the fifth and sixth centuries CE. Defining the former involves archaeological excavation, whereas the latter is best known from surviving temple structures and inscriptions in addition to the results of archaeological fieldwork. Several common threads link the two phases of cultural development. From the late fifth century BCE, Iron Age communities participated in the growing maritime exchange network linking Southeast Asia with China and India, bringing exotic ideas and goods into the hinterland. Iron itself had a major impact on agriculture and warfare. Salt, a vital commodity that is abundantly available in the Mun Valley, was exploited on an industrial scale. By the fifth century CE, an agricultural revolution involving permanent, probably irrigated, rice fields and ploughing underwrote a rapid rise of social elites. These leaders in society, named in the early historic inscriptions, maintained and elaborated prehistoric innovations.

Islamic Law and Society

1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-191
Author(s):  
Louay M. Safi
Keyword(s):  
Composite System ◽  
Islamic Law ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
Social Growth ◽  
The Social ◽  
Collective Experience ◽  
Law And Morality ◽  
The Impact

Shari'ah (Islamic law) has been the dominant moral and legal code ofMuslim societies for the gnxter part of their history. During the early centuriesof Islam, Shari'ah hcilitated the social growth and develojment of the Muslims,growth that culminaa in the establishment of a vast emph and an outstandmgcivilization. By the close of the fifth century of Islam, however, Shari'ahbegan to lose its role as the guiding force that inspired Muslim creativityand ingenuity and that nurtured the growing spirit of the Muslim community(Ummah). Consequently, the Ummah entered a period of stagnation thatgradually gave way to intellectual decline and social decadence. Regrettably,this painful trend continues to be more or less 'part of the individualconsciousness and collective experience of Muslims.This paper attempts to trace the development of the principles of Islamicjurisprudence, and to assess the impact of Shari'ah on society. It argues thatthe law ceased to grow by the sixth century of Islam as a result of thedevelopment of classical legal theory; more specifically, law was put on hold,as it were, after the doctrine of the infallibility of ijma' (juristic consensus)was articulated. The rigid principles of classical theory, it is contended, havebeen primarily induced by the hulty epistemology employed.by sixth-centuryjurists.Shari'ah, or Islamic law, is a comprehensive system encompassing thewhole field of human experience. It is not simply a legal system, but rathera composite system of law and morality. That is, Islamic law aspires to regulateall aspects of human activities, not only those that may entail legalconsequences. Hence, all actions and relationships are evaluated in accordancewith a scale of five moral standards.According to Shari'ah, an act may be classified as obligatory (wajib),recommended (mandub), permissible (mubah), reprehensible (makruh), orprohibited (haram). These five categories reflect the varying levels of moral ...

scholarly journals The impact of young people's participation in events

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliza Hixson
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sense Of Involvement ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the social impact that two events, the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Clipsal 500, have on young residents (16-19 years old) of Adelaide. The purpose of this paper is to examine how young people participate in these events and how this affects their sense of involvement in the event and contributes to their identity development. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach was adopted in which focus groups and questionnaires were conducted with secondary school students. As an exploratory study, focus groups (n=24) were conducted in the first stage of the research. The results of the focus groups were used to develop a questionnaire that resulted in 226 useable responses. The final stage of the research explored one event in further depth in order to determine the influence of different participation levels. Findings – This study found that young people demonstrated more involvement in the Adelaide Fringe Festival and their identities were more influenced by this event. Further investigation of the Adelaide Fringe Festival also indicated that level of participation affects the social outcomes gained, with those participating to a greater degree achieving higher involvement and increased identity awareness. This is demonstrated through a model which aims to illustrate how an event impact an individual based on their role during the event. Originality/value – This paper applies two leisure concepts in order to analyse the impact of events. Activity involvement is a concept which examines the importance of the activity in the participant's life. Also of importance to young people is how activities contribute to their identities, especially because they are in a transitional period of their lives.

A Simple Starting Point for Designing for and/or Assessing the Social Impact of Products

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Ottosson ◽  
Emma Hirschi ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Eric Dahlin
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Product Development Process ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Functional Characteristics ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

In this paper we present a starting point for designing for and/or assessing the social impact of engineered products. The starting point is a set of tables comprising products, their general functional characteristics, and the accompanying social impacts. We have constructed these tables by first extracting a set of social impact categories from the literature, then 65 products were qualitatively reviewed to find their social impact. The resulting product impact tables can be used at either the beginning of the product development process to decide what social impact to design for and discover product functions that lead to it, or later to qualitatively assess the social impact of a product being designed and/or to assess the impact of an existing product.

scholarly journals The Consequences of Female Genital Mutilation on Psycho-Social Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110018
Author(s):  
Sarah O’Neill ◽  
Christina Pallitto
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Women's Lives ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Female Genital

The health consequences of female genital mutilation (FGM) have been described previously; however, evidence of the social consequences is more intangible. To date, few systematic reviews have addressed the impact of the practice on psycho-social well-being, and there is limited understanding of what these consequences might consist. To complement knowledge on the known health consequences, this article systematically reviewed qualitative evidence of the psycho-social impact of FGM in countries where it is originally practiced (Africa, the Middle East, and Asia) and in countries of the diaspora. Twenty-three qualitative studies describing the psycho-social impact of FGM on women’s lives were selected after screening. This review provides a framework for understanding the less visible ways in which women and girls with FGM experience adverse effects that may affect their sense of identity, their self-esteem, and well-being as well as their participation in society.

Towards a Universal Social Impact Metric for Engineered Products That Alleviate Poverty

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip D. Stevenson ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Kenneth M. Bryden ◽  
Nordica A. MacCarty
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty Index ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

More than ever before, engineers are creating products for developing countries. One of the purposes of these products is to improve the consumer’s quality of life. Currently, there is no established method of measuring the social impact of these types of products. As a result, engineers have used their own metrics to assess their product’s impact, if at all. Some of the common metrics used include products sold and revenue, which measure the financial success of a product without recognizing the social successes or failures it might have. In this paper we introduce a potential metric, the Product Impact Metric (PIM), which quantifies the impact a product has on impoverished individuals — especially those living in developing countries. It measures social impact broadly in five dimensions: health, education, standard of living, employment quality, and security. The PIM is inspired by the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) created by the United Nations Development Programme. The MPI measures how the depth of poverty within a nation changes year after year, and the PIM measures how an individual’s quality of life changes after being affected by an engineered product. The Product Impact Metric can be used to predict social impacts (using personas that represent real individuals) or measure social impacts (using specific data from products introduced into the market).

Social impact of major sports events perceived by host community

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongfeng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
The Social ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the social impact of major sports events perceived by host city residents using Shanghai as an example. Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory factor analysis based on 450 valid questionnaires. Findings – Research revealed six impact factors including four positive ones: “image and status,” “international exchange and cooperation,” “economic and tourism development,” and “infrastructure development.” In addition, two negative ones are also identified as “inconvenience of life” and “environment pollution and security concern.” Taken as a whole, the local residents in Shanghai have a relative positive perception of the impact of major sports events. Four out of six impact factors were significantly predictive of the attitude toward future bidding of major sports events. Originality/value – The existing literature mainly examined social impact of specific events through case study, and little is known about the overall perception of major sports events in general. Accordingly, this paper seeks to bridge the gap by taking an event portfolio approach using Shanghai as an example.

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