scholarly journals State-building and the Management of Diversity in India (Thirteenth to Seventeenth Centuries)

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-447
Author(s):  
Corinne Lefèvre
Keyword(s):  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Institution Building ◽  
Institutional Diversity ◽  
Narrative Texts ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Indian State ◽  
Solid Substratum ◽  
Ideological Dimension

How has political diversity—and, first of all, administrative and institutional diversity—been handled within the succeeding polities that prevailed in the Indian subcontinent from 1200 to 1700? In order to provide the non-specialist reader with a first insight into this complex question, the present article opens with a presentation of the sources available for reconstructing the administrative organisation and functioning of medieval and early modern Indian polities. Despite the fragmentary and biased nature of the information they provide, these sources (mainly epigraphic materials and narrative texts) have often been elevated to the rank of a solid substratum that allowed for the development of highly sophisticated yet antagonistic analyses of both the nature and the working of the Indian state in pre-British times. Besides a strong focus on the question of centralisation, most of these analyses have also long been marred by an implicit but ever-present Western point of comparison. From the middle of the 1980s, however, a number of voices have argued in favour of an alternative approach that would value both the processual character of state- and institution-building and its ideological dimension while stressing at the same time the need to take into account the diversity of the forms assumed by this process in the various regions that came to constitute a given polity and to pay more attention to the wide range of actors involved in state-formation and to the latter’s political cultures. Taking its cue from these non-aligned or revisionist studies, as they are often termed, the last part of the essay shifts from the purely institutional perspective presiding over the first and largely historiographical section and proposes to examine instead the politics of diversity that were theorised and implemented by pre-colonial South Asian dynasties as well as the way these politics were perceived and handled by those who bore their brunt most directly, that is to say the subordinate functional elites.

The lens of firstness: Shamanic/Aboriginal culture as cosmos-sign

Semiotica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (221) ◽  
pp. 143-173
Author(s):  
Steven Bonta
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
New World ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Aboriginal Culture

AbstractHaving identified previously (Bonta 2015) the Peircean Category Firstness as the semiotic basis (or cultural Prime Symbol) for Australian Aboriginal culture, this paper examines the “lens” of Firstness as it is manifest in a variety of aboriginal (or “Shamanic”) cultures worldwide. By studying the semiotic contours of religion, language, social organization, and art, we find systemic prioritization of Firstness in its various manifestations, across a wide range of aboriginal cultures from Australia to the Indian Subcontinent to aboriginal Siberia and the New World. Shamanic culture, despite its ethnic and geographic variety, may therefore be represented as a semiotic type – and, in addition, one that, in its pristine form, is nearly extinct.

scholarly journals Adverse events with ayurvedic medicines- possible adulteration and some inherent toxicities

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buddhi Paudyal ◽  
Astha Thapa ◽  
Keshav Raj Sigdel ◽  
Sudeep Adhikari ◽  
Buddha Basnyat
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Nephrotic Syndrome ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Ayurvedic Medicine ◽  
Gold Salt ◽  
Traditional System ◽  
Wide Range

Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional system of medicine practiced in the Indian subcontinent is considered to be devoid of adverse events. We report three cases which highlight the possibility of adverse events related with the use of ayurvedic products. A 35 year old woman with hepatitis took ayurvedic powder medicine and swarnabhasma (gold salt) and had her liver injury worsened, possibly due to alkaloids, and developed nephrotic syndrome, possibly due to gold salt. A 57 year old hypertensive man was taking ayurvedic medicine containing reserpine which had long been withdrawn from the allopathic system of medicine due to wide range of side effects. A 47 year old woman with rheumatoid arthritis was taking an unknown tablet containing steroid as an adulterant for 2 years and developed side effects typical of steroid excess. We would like to highlight the fact that ayurvedic medicines do have propensity to cause adverse events due to adulteration or inherent constituents like alkaloids, and hence may not always be completely safe.

Institutional diversity, internal search behaviour, and joint-innovations

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 2088-2106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli ◽  
Daniele Rotolo
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Diversity ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Biotechnology Firms ◽  
Institutional Differences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
University Industry ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the innovation performance of R & D collaborations from an institutional perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct an empirical analysis based on 487 joint-inventions developed by 50 US biotechnology firms from 1985 to 2002. Findings – The authors find that institutional diversity between the partners, as reflected by firm-university partnerships, positively affects the value of their joint-innovation. This effect is reinforced by the firm’s behaviour in searching for knowledge broadly (scope) and in the non-commercial realm (science-based nature). Conversely, as the firm searches for knowledge in few domains areas (depth), the positive effect of institutional diversity is reduced. Research limitations/implications – The study contributes to literature on partner selection, university-industry collaborations, balance between exploration and exploitation, as well as to research on the interdependence between firm’s external and internal resources. Practical implications – The study reveals that when firms innovate together with universities, this promotes the development of high valuable innovations. In addition, it emerges that to fully capture the benefits of these collaborations, firms have to develop a wide set of competencies supported by a scientific approach in problem solving. Originality/value – The study sheds new light on the dynamics favouring the joint development of valuable innovations by focusing on the impact exerted by partners’ institutional differences, as revealed by how norms and rules shape innovation’s modes.

scholarly journals Understanding the crisis in harm reduction funding in Central and Eastern Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Miovský ◽  
Silvia Miklíková ◽  
Viktor Mravčík ◽  
Jean-Paul Grund ◽  
Tereza Černíková
Keyword(s):  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Institution Building ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background The harm reduction (HR) approach to injecting drug use was rapidly adopted in Central Europe following the fall of the Iron Curtain. The associated social and economic transformation had significant consequences for drug policies in the region. A large number of emerging services have been dependent on funding from a wide range of national and/or local funding programmes, which continue to be unstable, and closely associated with political decisions and insufficient institution building. A sharp distinction is made between health and social services, often without regard to client input. The main objective of the paper is to identify the causes of the funding problems currently faced by HR services in the context of their history of institution building which represents a major threat to the future of HR services in the region. Methods Qualitative content analysis of documents was conducted in the development of two case studies of the Czech and Slovak Republics. The body of documentation under study comprised policy documents, including National Drug Strategies, Action Plans, ministerial documents, and official budgets and financial schedules, as well as documents from the grey literature and expert opinions. Results The insufficient investments in finalising the process of the institution building of HR services have resulted in a direct threat to their sustainability. An unbalanced inclination to the institutionalisation of HR within the domain of social services has led to a misperception of their integrity, as well as to their funding and long-term sustainability being endangered. In addition, this tendency has had a negative impact on the process of the institutionalisation of HR within the system of healthcare. Conclusion The case study revealed a lack of systemic grounding of HR services as interdisciplinary health-social services. The aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008 fully revealed the limitations of the funding system established ad hoc in the 1990s, which remains present until today, together with all its weak points. The entire situation is responsible for the dangerous erosion of the interpretation of the concept of harm reduction, which is supported by various stereotypes and false, or ideological, interpretations of the concept.

scholarly journals The development of Indian English post-colonial women's prose

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
Tina Grobin
Keyword(s):  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Human Experience ◽  
Female Identity ◽  
Indian Society ◽  
Indian Diaspora ◽  
Indian English ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Wide Range

Indian English post-colonial women's prose has seen many a change in the last sixty years since the pioneering writers gave voice to the Indian women. By breaking away from the burden of the colonial past and the traditional limitations of Indian society, the writers carved out a place for a distinct female identity in the Indian English literary sphere. The more recent women's prose addresses a wide range of universal issues of human experience, usually closely interwoven with the colourful heritage of the Indian subcontinent. As such it has become a highly acclaimed and internationally recognized global voice of contemporary India and the Indian diaspora.

scholarly journals The Development of Academic Advising to Enable Student Success in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Gugu Wendy Tiroyabone ◽  
Franҫois Strydom
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
International Perspectives ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University

Universities promote social justice by improving student success; a university degree is one of the most powerful tools to change the economic prospects of students, their families, and communities. For students to succeed, it is vital that they are connected to the wide range of support services in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, many students (especially first-generation students) find it difficult to connect to university environments that are complex and that are often not optimally coordinated. International and national research show that academic advising plays a critical role in improving student engagement and success by facilitating better coordination and integration of support. Academic advising provides students with relevant information, facilitates their conceptual understanding of the university, and allows students the opportunity to form a meaningful relationship with the institution through an advisor and by means of various advising initiatives. This paper shares international perspectives on the critical importance of academic advising for student success. Building on these perspectives, we reflect on the development of academic advising in South Africa and on its potential for enhancing student success in our context. We provide an institutional perspective by sharing the journey of the University of the Free State. In doing so, we show the positive impact of advising before and during the pandemic and we conclude with lessons for the future of academic advising in the South African context.

Material Culture and Childhood in Harappan South Asia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supriya Varma
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Northwestern Part ◽  
Household Chores ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Harappan Civilization ◽  
Two Cities ◽  
Third Millennium Bce ◽  
Wheeled Vehicles

The Harappan Civilization came up in the mid-third millennium bce over an area that extended over much of the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. This chapter will specifically focus on two major cities, Mohenjodaro and Harappa, to discuss material culture and childhood in Harappan South Asia, including the wide range of arguably child-related objects found at these sites which provide a lens through which we can get a glimpse of quotidian activities within these two cities. Many of the artefacts that have been categorized as toys represent household chores that took place around children as well as objects (such as wheeled vehicles), animals, and birds that they routinely encountered.

scholarly journals Heterodox markets and ‘market distortions’ in the global trading system

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 677-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lang
Keyword(s):  
World Trade Organization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Legal Basis ◽  
Institutional Diversity ◽  
Trading System ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Trade Frictions ◽  
Market Distortion ◽  
Market Capitalism ◽  
Political Settlement

ABSTRACT An important context for contemporary trade frictions is the emergence, since the 1990s, of a wide range of new forms of market capitalism, of which China’s hybrid market economy is the most significant. Institutional diversity of this kind is a source of strength and dynamism for the global trading system, but it is also the cause of very serious friction. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization system has dealt with this problem before, but the existing settlement regarding the legitimate boundaries of institutional diversity is under pressure and needs to be revisited. One concept that has been incorporated into World Trade Organization trade defence law (and elsewhere) to help draw these boundaries is the concept of the ‘market distortion’. The concept can be a useful one, but it has so far been interpreted and applied with an inadequate appreciation of its serious conceptual and practical difficulties. The potential result is a system of trade defences targeted in a discriminatory and even punitive manner against heterodox institutional forms, in ways that may excessively disincentivize institutional experimentation. In response, this paper argues for an approach to the interpretation and application of this concept, which proceeds from an understanding of the institutionally embedded character of markets. This does not take the form of a readily available ‘solution’, but rather a messy and evolving set of legal techniques that, in the best case, can form the legal basis of a practical and justifiable approach to the tensions caused by institutional diversity. A toolkit of legal techniques of this kind clearly cannot take the place of a more foundational political settlement of some sort, but it is a necessary accompaniment to it, if we are to preserve the aspiration towards a genuinely non-discriminatory and rules-based global economic order.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document