Parallel structures: André Leroi-Gourhan, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and the making of French structural anthropology

2020 ◽  
pp. 095269512091153
Author(s):  
Jacob Collins
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Individual Object ◽  
Cultural Objects ◽  
New Humanism ◽  
Cave Paintings ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
The Stability

This article reframes our understanding of French structural anthropology by considering the work of André Leroi-Gourhan alongside that of Claude Lévi-Strauss. These two anthropologists worked at opposite poles of the discipline, Lévi-Strauss studying cultural objects, like myths and kinship relations; Leroi-Gourhan looking at material artifacts, such as stone tools, bones, arrowheads, and cave paintings. In spite of their difference in focus, these thinkers shared a similar approach to the interpretation of their sources: Each individual object was meaningful only as part of a larger whole. For Lévi-Strauss, structuralism was designed to unlock features of the human mind; for Leroi-Gourhan, to uncover the material processes that underlay human life. Again, in spite of their difference in orientation, both structuralisms produced similar theories of human society. Whether ‘primitive’ or ‘advanced’, all societies functioned the same way: Their institutions worked harmoniously, beyond the intentions of any individual actors, to preserve the stability of the group. This eliminated the basis for thinking one society was superior to another. Finally, the article argues that both Lévi-Strauss and Leroi-Gourhan believed that structural anthropology could found a ‘new humanism’, and thereby rescue modernity from moral degeneration. This ‘new humanism’ could not only produce a universal description of human nature, but also help rethink French colonialism, broker new geopolitical alliances, and prevent the erasure of world cultures. Structural anthropology thus imagined a tight relationship between its social-scientific work and its political-moral mission.

Narrating Society: Enacting ‘Immigrant’ Characters through Negotiating, Naturalization, and Forgetting

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne Boersma
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Work ◽  
Immigrant Integration ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
Media And Communication

This article scrutinizes how ‘immigrant’ characters of perpetual arrival are enacted in the social scientific work of immigrant integration monitoring. Immigrant integration research produces narratives in which characters—classified in highly specific, contingent ways as ‘immigrants’—are portrayed as arriving and never as having arrived. On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork at social scientific institutions and networks in four Western European countries, this article analyzes three practices that enact the characters of arrival narratives: negotiating, naturalizing, and forgetting. First, it shows how negotiating constitutes objects of research while at the same time a process of hybridization is observed among negotiating scientific and governmental actors. Second, a naturalization process is analyzed in which slippery categories become fixed and self-evident. Third, the practice of forgetting involves the fading away of contingent and historical circumstances of the research and specifically a dispensation of ‘native’ or ‘autochthonous’ populations. Consequently, the article states how some people are considered rightful occupants of ‘society’ and others are enacted to travel an infinite road toward an occupied societal space. Moreover, it shows how enactments of arriving ‘immigrant’ characters have performative effects in racially differentiating national populations and hence in narrating society. This article is part of the Global Perspectives, Media and Communication special issue on “Media, Migration, and Nationalism,” guest-edited by Koen Leurs and Tomohisa Hirata.

scholarly journals Differences over Difference: Sino-Russian Friendship at Interstate and Interpersonal Scales

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-721
Author(s):  
Ed Pulford
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Global Era ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Border Town ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Daily Interactions ◽  
Difference Form ◽  
Social Scientific

AbstractRelations between states are usually framed in human terms, from partners to rivals, enemies or allies, polities and persons appear to engage in cognate relationships. Yet whether or not official ties and relationships among people from those states actually correspond remains less clear. “Friendship,” a term first applied to states in eighteenth-century Europe and mobilized in the (post)socialist world since the 1930s, articulates with particular clarity both the promise and the limitations of harmonized personal and state ties. Understandings of friendship vary interculturally, and invocations of state-state friendship may be accompanied by a distinct lack of amity among populations. Such is the case between China and Russia today, and this situation therefore raises wider questions over how we should understand interstate and interpersonal relationships together. Existing social scientific work has generally failed to locate either the everyday in the international or the international in the everyday. Focusing on both Chinese and Russian approaches to daily interactions in a border town and the official Sino-Russian Friendship, I thus suggest a new scalar approach. Applying this to the Sino-Russian case in turn reveals how specific contours of “difference” form a pivot around which relationships at both scales operate. This study thus offers both comparison between Chinese and Russian friendships, and a lens for wider comparative work in a global era of shifting geopolitics and cross-border encounters.

scholarly journals INTRODUCTION TO THE SYMPOSIUM ON THE REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL PANEL ON SOCIAL PROGRESS (IPSP) 2018

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-441
Author(s):  
Alexander Raubo ◽  
Alex Voorhoeve
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Historical View ◽  
International Panel ◽  
Enlightenment Project ◽  
Social Scientific

The publication of the first Report of the International Panel on Social Progress is a significant intellectual event, both because of its hugely ambitious aim – of uniting the world's leading researchers from social sciences and the humanities to develop research-based, multi-disciplinary, non-partisan, action-guiding solutions to the central challenges of our time – and because it represents the completion of a mammoth effort in the service of this aim by a diverse set of 269 authors. In its attempt to synthesize and render accessible to social actors a broad range of the latest social scientific knowledge, as well as in its confidence that knowledge can empower those actors to make progress, it recalls D'Alembert and Diderot's famous Encyclopédie. Indeed, one can say that the Report is a quintessential Enlightenment project (cf. Bury 1920). For example, in his famous Outlines of a Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind (1796), Condorcet asserts the possibility of an accumulation of empirical and theoretical knowledge and the concomitant expansion in our capacities to alleviate social and natural evils. And Condorcet and many of his contemporaries were motivated to propose political institutions that would enable such an indefinite increase in knowledge so as to bring about the attendant improvement to people's lives.

scholarly journals Welcome to the Ziggurat Journal of Materials Technology - a New Open Access Journal

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Bast
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Technological Progress ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Open Access Journal ◽  
Human Society ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Global Population

Dear readers, authors and colleagues, Technological progress plays an essential role in the development of human society. The increasing global population and its mobility, the expansion of urban areas, climate protection and the conservation of fossil resources present challenges that can only be overcome by the improvement of existing resources and the development of new components, materials and production processes. Conventional materials have quickly reached their limit as new mechanisms are developed. These fields of application require the supply of new materials working in aggressive environments at extreme temperatures and high stress. These new materials are also expected to automatically alert us when critical loads are reached to avoid accidents caused by failures. This is the first issue of the Ziggurat Journal of Materials Technology, and we hope that you are satisfied with the content. The title of the journal primarily suggests materials technology; however, we strive to present a broad range of topics, including questions about the interaction between design, material, manufacturing and energy. The efficient interaction between these parameters results in components that are optimally designed and economically feasible. The idea for this journal resulted from the editors' realisation of the large knowledge potential that is being developed at colleges and universities around the world by scholars and PhD students. These clients must have the opportunity to publish their work and get in touch with other scientists. We want to reach out to young researchers and encourage them to present their work to a wide range of readers. Furthermore, a scientific career today requires evidence of publications that withstand the corresponding assessments of specialist colleagues and meet the criteria of good scientific work. In this context, the submitted articles will be subjected to a strict review. The principal objective is not to criticise work but rather to provide advice on how to improve the quality of the work presented. With this in mind, we would like to invite you to submit articles and use this journal as a reference for your ongoing scientific work.

scholarly journals Rise and Decay of the COVID-19 Epidemics in the USA and the State of New York in the First Half of 2020: A Nonlinear Physics Perspective Yielding Novel Insights

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Till D. Frank
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Compartment Model ◽  
The State ◽  
Stability Parameters ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
Infection Dynamics ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
The Stability

As of December 2020, since the beginning of the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed worldwide more than 1 million lives and has changed human life in unprecedented ways. Despite the fact that the pandemic is far from over, several countries managed at least temporarily to make their first-wave COVID-19 epidemics to subside to relatively low levels. Combining an epidemiological compartment model and a stability analysis as used in nonlinear physics and synergetics, it is shown how the first-wave epidemics in the state of New York and nationwide in the USA developed through three stages during the first half of the year 2020. These three stages are the outbreak stage, the linear stage, and the subsiding stage. Evidence is given that the COVID-19 outbreaks in these two regions were due to instabilities of the COVID-19 free states of the corresponding infection dynamical systems. It is shown that from stage 1 to stage 3, these instabilities were removed, presumably due to intervention measures, in the sense that the COVID-19 free states were stabilized in the months of May and June in both regions. In this context, stability parameters and key directions are identified that characterize the infection dynamics in the outbreak and subsiding stages. Importantly, it is shown that the directions in combination with the sign-switching of the stability parameters can explain the observed rise and decay of the epidemics in the state of New York and the USA. The nonlinear physics perspective provides a framework to obtain insights into the nature of the COVID-19 dynamics during outbreak and subsiding stages and allows to discuss possible impacts of intervention measures. For example, the directions can be used to determine how different populations (e.g., exposed versus symptomatic individuals) vary in size relative to each other during the course of an epidemic. Moreover, the timeline of the computationally obtained stages can be compared with the history of the implementation of intervention measures to discuss the effectivity of such measures.

scholarly journals Literacy Culture Development through Class Library at SDIT Salsabila 2 Klaseman Ngaglik Sleman

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-203
Author(s):  
Ahmad Safi'i
Keyword(s):  
Life Skills ◽  
Human Life ◽  
School Library ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Class Library ◽  
Reduction Techniques ◽  
The Government ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Culture Development

Life skills are proven to be able to improve human civilization.  Improving literacy culture is one way to develop human life skills.  The National Literacy Movement/ Gerakan Literasi Nasional (GLN) initiated by the government is an effort to realize it.  SDIT Salsabila 2 Klaseman has a Class Literacy Movement/ Gerakan Literasi Kelas (GLK) program.  The limited space available is not a reason to discourage GLK.  This type of research was case study field research.  The institution studied was SDIT Salsabila 2 Klaseman.  The subjects consisted teachers, principals, students and parents.  Data was obtained by observation, interviews and documentation steps.  Analysis was performed by using data reduction techniques, data display, triangulation, and conclusion drawing/verification.  The data showed that the main purpose of GLK was to intensify the culture of school literacy, library revitalization, and maintain the stability of school library functions.  The technical implementation is by creating a class library in each class, fostering a sense of belonging to the class library, supplying books from the school library to the class library, providing educational playgrounds in the area of the class library, giving rewards for students who are diligent in reading, achievements are informed in public, and explore the student guardian support. The problems that arise are the lack of teacher exemplariness, lack of consistency, supply of books from school libraries is still small, and the system of re-education has not been orderly.

scholarly journals Manusia, Agama, dan Masyarakat: Suatu Wacana Menuju Dialog Multi-peradaban Global

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 189
Author(s):  
Togardo Siburian
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Religious Study ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Social Politics ◽  
Two Dimension ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Innovative Concept

ABSTRACT: This article tries to foster a multi-civilization dialogue to religious society that faces humanity crisis due to extremism. Study through library research found that there is an axiom that religion and society is necessity in human life. In realty this two dimension is closely related and may resulted in sharp conflicts between culture and civilization. Inter-religious studies, including inter-religion dialogue, are developed to overcome these conflicts. Unfortunately the differences in comparative religious study are widened, although in the hazy form such as multi-culturalism ideas wich contain interreligious aspect. The ideas of multi-religionism in the intra and inter-religion dialogue become an important principe, since it looks upon One God as a source of religious existence in human. It is necessery to exceep the multi-religion principe wich deals with other factors such as race, culture, social, politics, economy, technology, and education of modern person. An innovative concept is neeeded that combines all existing elements in global multi-civilization dialogue, by considering global factors such as human rights, democracy, civil society, and world ethics. This universal multi-civilization concept can be declared as a discourse to overcome crises today comprehensively. KEYWORDS: human, society, inter-religion, global, civilization, dialogue, multi-civilization, present

scholarly journals MENJADI PENDIDIK YANG TERDIDIK

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (01) ◽  
pp. 81-90
Author(s):  
Sumiati Sumiati
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Common Phenomenon ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Philosophy Of Life ◽  
The World ◽  
Organizational Differences ◽  
Human Education

ABSTRAK Pendidikan merupakan suatu kegiatan yang universal dalam kehidupan manusia. Di manapun di dunia ini terdapat masyarakat manusia, dan di sana pula terjadi pendidikan. Walaupun pendidikan merupakan gejala umum dalam kehidupan masyarakat, namun perbedaan pandangan hidup, perbedaan falsafah hidup yang dianut oleh masing-masing bangsa atau masyarakat menyebabkan adanya perbedaan penyelenggaraan termasuk perbedaan tujuan pendidikan yang ingin dicapai oleh suatu bangsa atau masyarakat. Kegiatan pendidikan tidak dapat dilepaskan dari yang hendak dicapainya. Bagi manusia pendidikan merupakan suatu keharusan, karena manusia lahir dalam keadaan tidak berdaya, ia sangat membutuhkan bantuan dan bimbingan orang lain untuk dapat berdiri sendiri. Di samping itu manusia lahir tidak langsung dewasa yang mengidentifikasikan manusia dengan moral yang berlaku, dan manusia yang bertanggung jawab, manusia yang sanggup mempertanggungjawabkan segala konsekuensi dan perbuatannya. Oleh karena itu, perbuatan mendidik merupakan perbuatan yang mempunyai tujuan, ada suatu yang ingin dicapai dengan perbuatan tersebut. Orang tua menyuruh anaknya melaksanakan shalat lima waktu, melatih anaknya melaksanakan saum pada bulan ramadhan, melarang anaknya kencing di sembarang tempat dan sambil berdiri, menyekolahkan anaknya dan lain-lain, semuanya itu memiliki maksud dan tujuan yang ingin dicapai, khususnya bagi anaknya. Kata Kunci: Pendidik, Terdidik ABSTRACT Education is a universal activity in human life. Everywhere in the world there is human society, and there is also education. Although education is a common phenomenon in the life of the community, the differences in life views, differences in the philosophy of life adopted by individual nations or societies lead to different organizational differences, including differences in educational goals to be achieved by a nation or society. Educational activities cannot be separated from what they want to achieve. For human education is a must, because humans are born in a state of helpless, he urgently needs the help and guidance of others to be able to stand on their own. In addition man is born indirectly mature which identifies man with the prevailing morals, and responsible man, man who is able to account for all consequences and actions. Therefore, the act of educating is a purposeful act, there is something to be achieved with the action. Parents asked their children to perform the five daily prayers, to train their children to carry out fasting in Ramadan month, to forbid their children to urinate in any place and to stand up, send their children to school and others, all of which have a purpose and goal to be achieved, especially for their children. Keywords: Educator, Educated

Conclusion

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin E. H. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Fixed Number ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Modern History ◽  
Human Diversity ◽  
History Of ◽  
Tremendous Amount

This concluding chapter links antiquarian and contemporary conceptions of race, though at the same time noting that there can be no easy distinction between the two. It shows that while there may be transhistorical and innate predispositions to divide human society into a fixed number of essentialized subgroups, it would be extremely hasty to suppose that these “kinks” of the human mind are somehow fixed in the human brain. Between any possible predisposition and the actual modern history of thinking about race, there is a tremendous amount of room for conceptualizing alternative paths our deep-seated propensities for thinking about human diversity might have taken, and could still yet take.

The Academic Study of French Civilization

PMLA ◽  
1915 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 614-628
Author(s):  
Albert Léon Guérard
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
German Empire ◽  
Insurance System ◽  
The Past ◽  
Political Events ◽  
Automatic Adaptation ◽  
Academic Study

If history is to giv us a tru picture of human life in the past, it cannot limit itself to political events. The chief end of man never was to frame, uphold, and overthro governments, stil les to wage war and sign treaties. These ar accidents or epiphenomena. Man's primary concern is and was from the first his daily fight for existence, the necessity of getting food and shelter, the desire of getting them with a minimum of painful exertion. Man does not merely adapt himself to his surroundings: he attempts to alter his surroundings so as to suit himself. Thus he creates new conditions from which new problems arise. Human society groes ever farther away from that brutish state of automatic adaptation which poets call the Erthly Paradise. From the erliest stone implement to the aeroplane, from the first concerted hunt to the elaborate insurance system of the German Empire, we see the progres of this warfare against nature. The result of these efforts is what we understand by civilization.

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