scholarly journals Genius Loci Balkani: Reception of the Past and the Construction of the Academic Narrative on the Balkan Heritage

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 779
Author(s):  
Vladimir D. Mihajlović

Postcolonial and postmodern perspectives, entering the humanities over the last decades of the 20th century, have contributed to the awareness that the present European interpretations of the past have been strongly influenced by the social and ideological context of the 19th and 20th centuries. Consciously or otherwise, the pioneers of research into the Classical antiquities have perceived the object of their research through their own perception of the relations in the world that surrounded them, thus inscribing their contemporaneous values onto the past and using thus conceived past in understanding, explaining and justifying the modern social/cultural phenomena. This contribution poses the question to which extent the social trends in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia have inspired and enabled the creation of an academic narrative about the uniqueness of the Balkan lands, based upon the continuity with the "ancient humanism", and social/cultural values, (allegedly) defined at the times of Ancient Greece and Hellenism. The relationship is considered between the modern trends and the formation of academic issues in the case of social and political circumstances that coincided with the creation of the discourse of the "Balkan spirit". The narrative is considered from the times of its formation up to the present, as well as the reasons for its wide popularity both in the academic community and the general public.

2021 ◽  
pp. 105971232199468
Author(s):  
Jeannette Pols

The response asks about the relationship between artist and audience in the RAAAF artworks. Is the artist an Autonomous Innovator who breaches the ties with the past and the environment? Or is the aesthetic practice located in the creation of relationships around these objects, hence expanding the artwork by using know-how, experiences and enthusiasm of the audience/users?


2021 ◽  
pp. 136843102199664
Author(s):  
Chris Shilling

During the past two decades, there has been a significant growth of sociological studies into the ‘body pedagogics’ of cultural transmission, reproduction and change. Rejecting the tendency to over-valorise cognitive information, these investigations have explored the importance of corporeal capacities, habits and techniques in the processes associated with belonging to specific ‘ways of life’. Focused on practical issues associated with ‘knowing how’ to operate within specific cultures, however, body pedagogic analyses have been less effective at accounting for the incarnation of cultural values. Addressing this limitation, with reference to the radically diverse norms involved historically and contemporarily in ‘vélo worlds’, I develop Dewey’s pragmatist transactionalism by arguing that the social, material and intellectual processes involved in learning physical techniques inevitably entail a concurrent entanglement with, and development of, values.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-154
Author(s):  
Dimitris Papazachariou ◽  
Anna Fterniati ◽  
Argiris Archakis ◽  
Vasia Tsami

Abstract Over the past decades, contemporary sociolinguistics has challenged the existence of fixed and rigid linguistic boundaries, thus focusing on how the speakers themselves define language varieties and how specific linguistic choices end up being perceived as language varieties. In this light, the present paper explores the influence of metapragmatic stereotypes on elementary school pupils’ attitudes towards geographical varieties. Specifically, we investigate children’s beliefs as to the acceptability of geographical varieties and their perception of the overt and covert prestige of geographical varieties and dialectal speakers. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between the children’s specific beliefs and factors such as gender, the social stratification of the school location and the pupils’ performance in language subjects. The data of the study was collected via questionnaires with closed questions. The research findings indicate that the children of our sample associate geographical varieties with rural settings and informal communicative contexts. Moreover, children recognize a lack of overt prestige in geographical variation; at the same time, they evaluate positively the social attractiveness and the personal reliability of the geographical varieties and their speakers. Our research showed that pupils’ beliefs are in line with the dominant metapragmatic stereotypes which promote language homogeneity.


Author(s):  
Rimma M. Khaninova ◽  

Introduction. In the genre system of Kalmyk poetry, the literary fable appeared in the 1930s. When it came to master the genre, Kalmyk poets mainly focused on the traditions of Russian fable of the 19th–20th centuries, primarily on I. A. Krylov’s works which they eagerly translated. The Kalmyk authors were the least likely to rely on traditions of Eastern literature — whether Indian, Tibetan, or Oirat Mongolian — since those sources written in Tibetan, Classical Mongolian and Clear Script (Kalm. todo bichiq) were virtually unavailable to them, and not all poets had knowledge of the scripts. National folklore, including myths, animal tales, household tales, aphoristic poetry (proverbs, sayings, riddles), to a certain extent contributed to the creation of plots and motifs, a gallery of images ― people and the animal world ― in the Kalmyk literary fable. The appeal to the fable was determined by the tasks of cultural construction in Kalmykia, the satirical possibilities of the genre designed to scourge social vices and human shortcomings, contribute to the correction of morals, facilitate education of a person in the new society. Attention to the fable in 20th-century Kalmyk poetry was not that universal and constant, by the end of the century it was no longer in demand and never revived further. The Kalmyk literary fable has been little studied so far, with the exception of several recent articles by R. M. Khaninova, which determines the relevance of this study. Goals. The article aims to study zoopoetics of text of the animalistic fable in Kalmyk poetry of the past century through examples of selected works by Khasyr Syan-Belgin, Muutl Erdniev, Garya Shalburov, Basang Dordzhiev, Timofey Bembeev, and Mikhail Khoninov. Methods. The work employs a number of research methods, such as the historical literary, comparative, and descriptive ones. Results. The animalistic fable is not the leading one in the general genre system of Kalmyk poetry of the past century, including among fables with human characters. It usually includes characters of the steppe fauna whose figurative characteristics are manifested in Kalmyk folklore. The social satire and political orientation of the fables are actualized by modern reality, actual international situation and events. The paper reveals a relationship between the animal fable and — Kalmyk folklore and the Russian fable tradition. Most of the fables have not yet been translated into Russian. Conclusions. In terms of national versification patterns, the study of the Kalmyk poetic animal fable has identified such synthetic forms as fable-fairy tale, fable-proverb, and fable-dream. The genre definition is not always specified by the authors, a moral usually concludes each quatrain-structured narrative. Genre scenes, monologues, and dialogues contribute to an in-depth reading of the context, symbolism of images, and semantic code.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 777-783
Author(s):  
Dragana Frfulanović-Šomođi ◽  
Milena Savić

The design of socialist Yugoslavia received a particularly new look through the creation of Aleksandar Joksimović, which gave the new elements a traditional look, equally putting them in rank with world-famous designs of celebrated designers. This paper was created with the idea of emphasizing the importance of the creativity of Joksimović, which is within the framework of socialist norms, as an artist, remained insufficiently recognized, although his work was in the service of exclusive promotion of the cultural aspects of his country. His concept of design based on the medieval cultural tradition emerged from the framework of the then socialist clothes, and it is called grandiose exoticism. The names of the first collections given by the historical figures of medieval Serbian history are a clear indication that it is possible to draw inspiration from the past, if it is professionally approached and adequately, by contemporary trends, the audience and the market. Joksimovic's individualism, apart from design, was also reflected in the way the collection itself was modeled through models and choreographies, and clearly once again showed his step ahead of time, while the social and political circumstances forced him to stay one step behind.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronan Van Rossem

Over the past decade discontent in Flemish universities with the increased work load of faculty members has risen. This study is the first to examine how many hours a week senior researcher (postdocs and faculty) in Flemish universities actually work. The data used stems from the 2010 Survey of Senior Researcher conducted among senior researchers at the five Flemish universities. 1195 respondents provided information on their working hours. Senior researchers worked on the average 50.4 hours a week, with 12% reporting to work more than 60 hours a week. The number of hours worked varied significantly with rank, where respondents in more senior ranks reported to work more hours. Once one controls for rank any gender differences in number of hours work disappear. We did observe a significant trade-off between the time spent on various activities. Postdocs spent more time on research than the other ranks, and senior professors spent more time on service and administration. Respondents from the humanities, and to a lesser degree from the social sciences, spent more time on education than respondents from other disciplines. This study confirms that senior researchers at Flemish universities work long hours, and that the number of hours spent on various activities is largely a reaction to demands from their institutional environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-590
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Lewis ◽  
Steve Charters ◽  
Benoît Lecat ◽  
Tatiana Zalan ◽  
Marianna McGarry Wolf

Purpose Tasting experiments involving willingness to pay (WTP) have grown over the past few years; however, most of them occur in formal wine-tasting conditions, removed from real-world experience. This study aims to conduct experiments on wine appreciation and willingness to pay in both settings, to allow a comparison of how tasters reached conclusions in different situations. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted two sets of experiments in Dijon, France, with knowledgeable wine drinkers, in 2014 and in 2016, to explore the relationship between wine ratings, WTP and objective characteristics (appellation, labelling and price). The first was in a formal wine-tasting setting (n = 58), and the second in the social setting of a restaurant (n = 52). The experiments involved deception: the tasters were presented with five wines, but in fact only three wines were involved, two of the wines being presented twice. Findings The results from the 2014 study showed that even with a group of experienced tasters, objective characteristics overwhelmed subjective assessment (taste, sensory perception) of the wine. Ratings and WTP were driven by the appellation or brand, labelling and price of the wines. The authors replicated the experiment in a social setting in 2016 which, contrary to their expectations, produced very similar results. In neither experiment did the experienced tasters detect the deception. Research limitations/implications The social setting was a lunch in a restaurant with a group of students who were graduating together. The tasting was conducted by some of their professors, which may have influenced the results and raises questions about whether the setting was truly ‘social’. The sample size for the experiments was comparatively small and further research, including novice and expert tasters, might contradict these findings, or at least add nuances to them. Originality/value The study finds that, contrary to expectations, in the social wine consumption setting of a restaurant meal enjoyed with colleagues, objective wine characteristics over-rode subjective appreciation of the wine.


Sociology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Simko

Collective memory encompasses both the shared frameworks that shape and filter ostensibly “individual” or “personal” memories and representations of the past sui generis, including official texts, commemorative ceremonies, and physical symbols such as monuments and memorials. Sociological work on collective memory traces its origins to Émile Durkheim and his student, Maurice Halbwachs. In the United States, the contemporary sociology of memory coalesced in the 1980s and 1990s, after Barry Schwartz brought renewed attention to Durkheim’s focus on commemoration as well as Halbwachs’s interest in how the past is reconstructed in the present, in the service of present needs, interests, and desires. Though this line of research initially emphasized heroic pasts—particularly national commemorations that bolstered state legitimacy with reference to triumphant episodes—scholars quickly began to address the ways that collectivities grapple with “difficult pasts,” or episodes that evoke shame, regret, and/or dissensus, and that threaten to “spoil” national identity. What is the relationship between memory and forgetting, and related concepts such as silence and denial? Can the increasingly pervasive language of “trauma” help us understand the current preoccupation with difficult pasts in both scholarly literature and public culture? More recently, scholars have critiqued the field’s overwhelming focus on national memory from two angles. First, studies of micro-level memories have revived Halbwachs’s initial interest in the social frameworks that structure (seemingly) individual memories. Second, globalization facilitates connectedness and identification beyond and/or outside of national frames of reference, and thus scholars have pointed to the emergence of “cosmopolitan” memories that create community and solidarity beyond and outside formal political borders.


Author(s):  
Cumhur Coskun

A passport is an identity given to an individual by his country, to travel to other countries. With globalisation, ‘passports’ that were papers stamped at the entrance and exit by customs during the past centuries have increasingly become critical documents. It is not only a personal document, but it also represents the country to which it belongs. The designs should reflect the cultural identity of a nation, in the form of visual elements, illustrations and photographs. Countries that are aware that their passports reflect their cultural values are able to combine their passport designs with the modern design concept of the times creatively and stylishly, as an artistic work. This qualitative study is aimed at evaluating passport designs in terms of being a representative of a cultural identity and examining passport designs that are re-examined with innovative and modern understanding cultural identity. Keywords: Passport design, cultural identity, graphic design.


1976 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 173-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart Lyon

This discussion of Anglo-Saxon coinage attempts to look beyond the detail of numismatic classification in order to consider the relationship between the underlying variations and the economic life of the times. Those parts of it which deal with the classification of the coinage and analyse the observed metrology are intended to be a critical summary of the numismatic research carried out in the past thirty years. Other parts, in which I seek to relate the metrology to such documentary evidence as is known to me – and thus trespass across the vague dividing line between numismatics, of which I have some knowledge, and economic history, of which I have little – are aimed at stimulating awareness and discussion of the problems involved. Finally, a section is devoted to numismatic methods because it is important that their use and limitations be generally understood.


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