The application of ethnographic methods to engineering for global development: the case of the Improvised Betel Nut Cutter

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Bibhuti Ranjan Bhattacharjya ◽  
Saurav Kamal Medhi ◽  
Sashindra Kumar Kakoty
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽  
Betel Nut ◽  
Global Development ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Technological Intervention ◽  
Complex Engineering

Abstract This technical brief is an attempt to report a case analysis of Engineering for Global Development (EGD) research from India. As a part of the engineering design and research project, two models of Improvised Betel Nut Cutter (IBNC) are designed, manufactured and field-tested. Engineering ethnography is adopted as a research tool during the design process of IBCN. It facilitated the participation of local stakeholders in the design process which is found to be effective for contextual understandings of the target community's needs, aspirations, constraints and socio-cultural norms and values. The technological intervention is expected to solve the problems like finger cuts, health drudgery (musculoskeletal pain, back pain, etc.) of the women involved in the supari business in Assam, India. It will also improve productivity and efficiency in the supari cutting practices of women. This case analysis depicts the effectiveness of trans-disciplinary effort in solving complex engineering problems at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). Evidence gathered from this study is expected to be a useful resource for future endeavours in EGD research.

Social Science's Need for a Cultural Symbols Paradigm

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Dhaouadi
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Science Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Symbols ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Cultural Components

The thesis of this paper is that human beings are remarkably dis­tinct from other living beings (animals, birds, insects, etc.) and Artificial Jntelligence (Al) machines (computers, robots, etc.) by what we would like to call cultural symbols. The latter refers to such cultural components as language, science, knowledge, reli­gious beliefs, thought, myths, cultural norms and values.

Human versus Artificial Intelligence: A Data-Driven Approach to Real-Time Process Management During Complex Engineering Design

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Joshua Gyory ◽  
Nicolas F Soria Zurita ◽  
Jay Martin ◽  
Corey Balon ◽  
Christopher McComb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Engineering Teams ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
Complex Engineering ◽  
Process Managers

Abstract Managing the design process of teams has been shown to considerably improve problem-solving behaviors and resulting final outcomes. Automating this activity presents significant opportunities in delivering interventions that dynamically adapt to the state of a team in order to reap the most impact. In this work, an Artificial Intelligent (AI) agent is created to manage the design process of engineering teams in real time, tracking features of teams' actions and communications during a complex design and path-planning task with multidisciplinary team members. Teams are also placed under the guidance of human process managers for comparison. Regarding outcomes, teams perform equally as well under both types of management, with trends towards even superior performance from the AI-managed teams. The managers' intervention strategies and team perceptions of those strategies are also explored, illuminating some intriguing similarities. Both the AI and human process managers focus largely on communication-based interventions, though differences start to emerge in the distribution of interventions across team roles. Furthermore, team members perceive the interventions from the both the AI and human manager as equally relevant and helpful, and believe the AI agent to be just as sensitive to the needs of the team. Thus, the overall results show that the AI manager agent introduced in this work is able to match the capabilities of humans, showing potential in automating the management of a complex design process.

scholarly journals Religious and Socio-cultural Influences on the Pakistani Wedding Invitation

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 354-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musarat Yasmin ◽  
Farhat Naseem ◽  
Ayesha Sohail
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Cultural Influence ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Genre Analysis ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Western Values ◽  
Generic Structures

AbstractThe Wedding Invitation is one of the significant text genres. Following genre analysis approach and discourse analysis (DA), the present research analysed the wedding invitation genres in Pakistan to explore generic structures, as well as the role played by the broader socio-cultural norms and values in shaping this genre. Therefore, a corpus of 50 wedding invitations in Urdu and English was randomly selected from cards received from January to June 2018. The results of this genre analysis revealed seven obligatory and one optional move in Urdu, while six obligatory and one optional move in English invitations. Through discourse analysis, it has been uncovered how religious association and cultural influence in Pakistani society shape textual selection. Little variation was displayed in the invitations of the two languages, presumably due to regional cultural reflections and recent influence of western values. A comparison of Pakistani and UK invitations showed differences not only in move selection but also in lexical choices which are shaped by the respective cultures.

scholarly journals Impact of Globalization on the Traditional African Cultures

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kabiru Ibrahim Yankuzo
Keyword(s):  
Moral Principle ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Focus Attention ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Stages Of Development ◽  
Global Village ◽  
Cultural Convergence ◽  
Cultural Aspect ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
The World

There has been increasing concern over the years by the scholars and writers on how the world is being compressed into a single space now referred to as 'a global village'. Countries at various stages of development are increasingly forced to take account of an ever expanding interconnection of socio-cultural issues and economies in the management of their national affairs. The states are increasingly losing their capacity to govern and to regulate in an increasingly borderless world; with an increasing homogenization and domination of traditional African cultures. African societies are forced into accepting uniform moral principle of what is right and wrong within the global cultures. Scholars and writers often focus attention on economic aspect of globalization, while neglecting other aspects, more importantly its cultural aspect. This paper seeks to examine what exactly is globalization, and how can we best conceptualize this phenomenon? Lastly what are its impacts on the development of African cultural norms and values? These amongst others are the questions, which this paper seeks to examine using cultural convergence perspective as a guide.

scholarly journals Ethnic Harmony in BP Koirala's Sumnima

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 106-116
Author(s):  
Bhanu Bhakta Sharma Khandal
Keyword(s):  
Belief Systems ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Ethnic Communities ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Melting Pot ◽  
The People ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Diverse Society ◽  
Better Than

Sumnima, a novel written by Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (BP Koirala in short), has raised voice for social integration through harmonious relationship among the ethnic groups. But it is read as the presentation of binary between Aryan and Kirat cultures, highlighting differences in belief systems, rites, rituals, and day to day lifestyle that create misunderstanding, conflict, and problems among the people of different cultural groups. The main objective of studying the novel, in this article, is to find how the novelist offers an opportunity to the readers to realize the ideas and benefits of harmony among the divergent ethnic communities living in Nepal or elsewhere through understanding differences and celebrating the diversity. Theoretical insights of ethnicity have been used to analyze the primary text. The article argues, taking the reference of the novel, that ethnic misunderstandings and conflicts can be solved by understanding cultural norms and values of others. The article also examines and analyzes how the relations without understanding cannot prosper even within the same ethnic group but love and understanding makes the life beautiful no matter which tribe or ethnicity the people belong to. The implicit intention of the novelist in the novel is that in a culturally diverse society, mutual understanding, compromise, and respect of difference make the society a ‘salad bowl’ that works better than trying to make it a ‘melting pot’.

Cross-cultural Application of Behaviour Therapy

1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Higginbotham ◽  
Juriko Tanaka-Matsumi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Potential Application ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Functional Analyses

The potential application of behaviour therapy to cross-cultural situations is explored as societies move to recognise their bicultural or multicultural composition. First reviewed are the moral and epistemological underpinnings of behaviour therapy and questions involving the universality of behaviour principles and technologies. Expected competencies of cross-cultural therapists are next raised. The basic message, told through examples from Australia, North American, and elsewhere, is that cultural norms and values penetrate every facet of client–therapist interaction and clinical decision-making. Competently performed functional analyses can produce culturally accommodating interventions that respond to culture-specific definitions of deviancy, accepted norms of role behaviour, expectations of change techniques, and approved behaviour change practitioners.

scholarly journals Advancing scientific knowledge and conservation of birds through inclusion of conservation social sciences in the American Ornithological Society

The Condor ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley A Dayer ◽  
Jessica C Barnes ◽  
Alia M Dietsch ◽  
Jacqueline M Keating ◽  
Liliana C Naves
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
The Rich

Abstract Conservation efforts are shaped by individual and collective human behaviors, cultural norms and values, economic pressures, and political and organizational structures. As such, the conservation social sciences—disciplines that draw on social science theories and approaches to improve conservation efforts—can play a vital role in advancing the science and practice of bird conservation. We connect the rich, ongoing discussion about the vital role of the conservation social sciences to the specific context of bird conservation and make an argument for the importance of proactive inclusion of these sciences in ornithological societies. First, we introduce the conservation social sciences and illustrate how they can improve the design and implementation of conservation programs and policies for birds. Drawing on discussions from a symposium we organized at the 2019 American Ornithological Society (AOS) annual meeting, we encourage the AOS to make institutional changes that could further support the inclusion of conservation social sciences. These changes ideally would include a working group, conference plenaries and themes, and high-quality social science publications, along with support and encouragement for ornithologists and bird conservationists to partake in trainings and collaborate with social scientists. Strategies for how to do so effectively can be adapted from other conservation societies that have paved the way for disciplinary inclusivity.

scholarly journals Pride in Education: A Narrative Study of Five Finnish Schoolteachers

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401984548
Author(s):  
Matthew Etherington
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Social Equality ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Narrative Study ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Positive Feature

This narrative inquiry explores how Finnish schoolteachers perceived the emotion of pride as a feature of teaching and learning. The study consists of face-to-face interviews with Finnish schoolteachers between 30 and 62 years of age. The results reveal perceptions of teaching and learning that are shaped by a culture of social equality, modesty, group achievement, and tenacity, that is, Sisu. Although the teachers understand achievement pride as a positive feature of learning, in association with cultural norms and values, pride is not a significant emotional response to promote in the classroom. The results are important for understanding how teachers exploit larger cultural values to judge the worth of particular emotions in the classroom.

scholarly journals Scheduling of Changes in Complex Engineering Design Process via Genetic Algorithm and Elementary Effects Method

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 169097
Author(s):  
Yuliang Li ◽  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Yongsheng Ma ◽  
Lichen Hu
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Propagation Path ◽  
Change Propagation ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Complex Engineering ◽  
Encoding Method

Engineering design changes constantly occur in a complex engineering design process. Designers have to put an appropriate procedure in place to handle these changes in order to realize successful product development in a timely and cost-effective manner. When many change propagation paths are present, selection of the best change evolution paths and distribution of change results to downstream tasks become critical to the progress management of the project. In this paper, based on the available change propagation simulation algorithm, a global sensitivity analysis method known as elementary effects (EE) is employed to rank the importance of each potential propagation path with those involved design dependencies in the process. Further, an EE-based heuristic design dependency encoding method is applied to the genetic algorithm which is then adopted to schedule the change updating process. Finally, the optimal results obtained by the complete search and the heuristic dependency encoding methods are compared to illustrate the improvements and effectiveness of the latter method.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document