Good Karma

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-70
Author(s):  
Andrea R. Jain

This chapter argues against the common tropes that bemoan the commodification of spirituality as the loss of an authentic, pure religious expression or spiritual consumers as the passive victims of manipulation, deception, and coercion, as cultural dupes living in a permanent state of false consciousness. It suggests such critiques depend on the ahistorical assumption that there is an original, static tradition to be preserved, one that preexisted the profanation of religion through commodification, and consequently they produce nostalgic representations, mirroring the essentialisms of consumers themselves. Alternatively, this chapter provides an analysis of spiritual consumers, not as duped, but as choosing spiritual commodities because they privilege the culturally dominant neoliberal capitalist values and ideologies they already embrace.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Hanry Harlen Tapotubun ◽  
Hilda Rahmah

This article aims to analyze the reasons behind the increasing number of expressing the religiosity on social media by the millennials, especially by discussing the preconditions those religious expressions. This study uses a qualitative approach with literature-based and netnographic study methods. It is also supported by interviews and observations on social media related to the activities of millennials in expressing their religiosity on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The results showed that the massive expression of religiosity on social media by the millennial could be considered as a "resistance" against the dominant discourse, both in virtual and in the religious spaces. These dominant discourses, such as: 1) religion is a private matter, and 2) the existence of a virtual world can only be achieved by displaying an established image, academic achievement, hedonic behavior, good looking appearance and creativity. By using the idea of mimicry by Bhabha, that massive activity of expressing religiosity in the virtual space emphasizes a counter-discourse that millennials have created. This is done in a “similar” way from common social media users, in response to the dominant discourse which tends to place their religious expression and their existence on social media as two separates aspects. Mimicry shows that anyone can show their religiosity in the same ways as the common users or celebrity on Instagram, but with a different idea and interests.Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis alasan dibalik maraknya aktivitas mengekspresikan religiusitas di media sosial oleh generasi milenial, dengan membahas bagaimana prakondisi yang melandasi aktivitas tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode studi kepustakaan dan netnografi, dibantu teknik wawancara dan observasi partisipan di media sosial untuk mengamati aktivitas para millenial dalam mengekspresikan religiusitasnya di platform Instagram, Facebook dan WhatsApp. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa masifnya ekspresi religiusitas di media sosial oleh generasi milenial merupakan sebuah praktik “pelawanan” terhadap wacana dominan, baik dalam ruang virtual maupun dalam ruang agama. Wacana dominan ini antara lain: 1) agama adalah urusan privat, dan 2) eksistensi dunia virtual hanya dapat dicapai dengan cara memamerkan citra kemapanan, pencapaian akademik, perilaku hedon, good looking dan kreatif. Menggunakan gagasan Mimikri Bhabha, ekspresi religiusitas yang masif di ruang virtual menegaskan adanya sebuah upaya counter wacana yang ingin dibangun oleh para milenial. Hal tersebut dilakukan dengan cara-cara yang tidak jauh berbeda dengan para pengguna sosial media lainya dalam menampilkan citra good looking, pencapaian akademik dan perilaku hedon sebagai bentuk eksistensi, demi merespon wacana dominan yang cenderung menempatkan ekspresi beragama dan eksistensi di media sosial sebagai dua hal terpisah. Mimikri menunjukkan bahwa siapapun bisa menunjukkan ekspresi religiusitasnya dengan cara-cara yang sama seperti yang dilakukan oleh artis atau selebgram di Instagram, namun dengan dasar dan kepentingan yang berbeda. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 366
Author(s):  
Afshan Quyyum ◽  
Sikandar Ali ◽  
Junaid Akash

The present study has looked into the hidden realities and ideologies in an animation “The Donkey King” released on 13th October 2018, by using the English subtitles. This animation seems to be a reminiscent of the Orwellian plot and is a phenomenal depiction of the contemporary political scenario in Pakistan. Realities can be constructed, ideologies can be created and false consciousness can be spread among the common masses by unknown and unseen powers of the society. The research has explicated the hidden realities and ideologies through CDA three-dimensional framework proposed by Norman Fairclough (1989, 1992a, 1993, 1995). Qualitative method with convenient random sampling approach in chronological order has been utilized to carry out the research. CDA is a combination of politics and language use and the study provides a deep insight into the role of cinema, in reality construction. The study concludes that cinema is a powerful tool capable enough to create realities and ideologies among the masses. The study also contains message for all ages that the real king is the savior of the nation no matter which creed or cast he belongs to. The study is significant to bring changes in the society and recommends some practical and useful suggestions to the readers, leaders, viewers of cinema and for the upcoming researchers who can bring a positive change in the society. The main significance of the study lies in creating awareness in the masses for the welfare of a free and open society. Additionally, the current study suggests that critical thinking is crucial for viewers and readers; critical thinking would help them not to easily get triggered by the issues intended by the powerful institutions, in which ideology and power keep important influences. This study filled many gaps and persisted with numerous gaps for upcoming researchers. It is expected that the current study is going to serve a useful reference resource for the researchers in understanding the study about ideology and power in media discourse.


2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (182) ◽  
pp. 35-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingar Solty

The paper starts with a critique of the common notion of a fundamental divide between right-wing evangelicals and libertarians,“ i.e. „value“ and „business conservatives.” It also problematizes the underlying return of Lukacs’ian/Frankfurt School type of theories of „false consciousness,“ which fall behind the achievements of Gramscian and post-Althusserian theorizations of ideology and points towards the lack of a religious/Christian Democracy cleavage in the U.S. and, as a consequence, the specifically particularistic nature of the U.S. welfare state. The article then proceeds by linking the regional specifics of right-wing evangelicalism in the South and bordering Mid-West to U.S. capital’s domestic spatial fixes during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Finally, challenging right-wing populism in the United States would necessitate a break with the neoliberal anti-discrimination approach professed by the liberal Democrats.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-130
Author(s):  
Robert McPherson

The Ute community of White Mesa, comprised of approximately 315 people, sits in the corner of southeastern Utah, eleven miles outside of Blanding. The residents, primarily of Weenuche Ute and Paiute ancestry, enjoy a cultural heritage that embraces elements from plains, mountain, and desert/Great Basin Indian culture. Among their religious practices are the Worship Dance, Ghost Dance, Sun Dance, and Bear Dance. Although each ceremony is unique, and performed for a variety of reasons, the common ground among them cannot be missed. Healing the sick, renewing necessities for survival, connecting spiritually with ancestors, communicating with the Land Beyond, establishing patterns for life, and sharing symbols that unify religious expression—such as the circle, tree, and bear—are elements that characterize the faith of these people as expressed in these ceremonies. Their origin sheds light on the relevance of these practices as they blend traditions from the past with contemporary usage. As symbols imbued with religious relevance, they make the intangible visible while continuing to teach and protect that which is important in Ute cultural survival. This article looks at these shared elements while offering new information about the origin and symbolism of the Ghost Dance as practiced in the Worship Dance. Circles, trees, bears, and other emblems provide not only themes from past teaching but empower the Ute universe today.


1978 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 389-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chr. de Vegt

AbstractReduction techniques as applied to astrometric data material tend to split up traditionally into at least two different classes according to the observational technique used, namely transit circle observations and photographic observations. Although it is not realized fully in practice at present, the application of a blockadjustment technique for all kind of catalogue reductions is suggested. The term blockadjustment shall denote in this context the common adjustment of the principal unknowns which are the positions, proper motions and certain reduction parameters modelling the systematic properties of the observational process. Especially for old epoch catalogue data we frequently meet the situation that no independent detailed information on the telescope properties and other instrumental parameters, describing for example the measuring process, is available from special calibration observations or measurements; therefore the adjustment process should be highly self-calibrating, that means: all necessary information has to be extracted from the catalogue data themselves. Successful applications of this concept have been made already in the field of aerial photogrammetry.


Author(s):  
Ben O. Spurlock ◽  
Milton J. Cormier

The phenomenon of bioluminescence has fascinated layman and scientist alike for many centuries. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a number of observations were reported on the physiology of bioluminescence in Renilla, the common sea pansy. More recently biochemists have directed their attention to the molecular basis of luminosity in this colonial form. These studies have centered primarily on defining the chemical basis for bioluminescence and its control. It is now established that bioluminescence in Renilla arises due to the luciferase-catalyzed oxidation of luciferin. This results in the creation of a product (oxyluciferin) in an electronic excited state. The transition of oxyluciferin from its excited state to the ground state leads to light emission.


Author(s):  
Ezzatollah Keyhani

Acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) (ACHE) has been localized at cholinergic junctions both in the central nervous system and at the periphery and it functions in neurotransmission. ACHE was also found in other tissues without involvement in neurotransmission, but exhibiting the common property of transporting water and ions. This communication describes intracellular ACHE in mammalian bone marrow and its secretion into the extracellular medium.


Author(s):  
R. Hegerl ◽  
A. Feltynowski ◽  
B. Grill

Till now correlation functions have been used in electron microscopy for two purposes: a) to find the common origin of two micrographs representing the same object, b) to check the optical parameters e. g. the focus. There is a third possibility of application, if all optical parameters are constant during a series of exposures. In this case all differences between the micrographs can only be caused by different noise distributions and by modifications of the object induced by radiation.Because of the electron noise, a discrete bright field image can be considered as a stochastic series Pm,where i denotes the number of the image and m (m = 1,.., M) the image element. Assuming a stable object, the expectation value of Pm would be Ηm for all images. The electron noise can be introduced by addition of stationary, mutual independent random variables nm with zero expectation and the variance. It is possible to treat the modifications of the object as a noise, too.


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