scholarly journals Introduction

Focaal ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 (55) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levent Soysal

Culture has always been the defining feature and disciplinary asset of anthropology. Before the reflective conversations of the 1980s, anthropology had owned culture. In the aftermath of the "crisis of anthropology" came the expansion and augmentation of culture to disciplines, domains, and settings beyond anthropology. Culture is now present in every aspect of social life and it is possible to buy, sell, design, invent, market, perform, and circulate culture(s) individually or collectively in (in)tangible forms. With the expansion, "culture talk"—not always in benign variety—has also become the predominant mode of addressing citizenship, security, and even economy, which were conventionally considered to be distinct from culture. This article elucidates this expansive venture of culture from being a disciplinary analytical artifact to an authoritative arbiter of rights, difference, heritage, and style, and suggests "projects of culture" as an analytical tool to enter into the burdensome territory of culture today, without getting trapped in culture talk.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (32) ◽  
pp. 242
Author(s):  
Antonio Sabino da Silva Neto ◽  
Leonardo Damasceno de Sá

Este artigo discute as formas da experiência social na fronteira franco-brasileira. A partir da ideia heurística de terceira margem, pensa a fronteira como lugar de deslocamentos e tensões. Baseado em trabalho de campo etnográfco, descreve e analisa as atividades de garimpagem e comércio do ponto de vista dos atores sociais. O objetivo é realizar uma primeira aproximação do campo, discutindo fronteira como ferramenta analítica. Percebe-se como principal conclusão que as dimensões morais e simbólicas estão conectadas com as atividades propriamente socioeconômicas, que a vida social na fronteira franco-brasileira exige uma abordagem de suas múltiplas realidades.Palavras-chave: Amapá. Guiana Francesa. Fronteira franco-brasileira. Garimpo. Comércio.THE THIRD MARGIN OF THE OIAPOQUE RIVER: COMMERCE AND MINING IN THE BRAZILIAN-FRENCH BORDERAbstractThis article discusses the forms of social experience on the Franco-Brazilian frontier. From the third-margin heuristic idea, it thinks of the frontier as a place of displacements and tensions. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, it describes and analyzes the activities of garment and trade from the standpoint of social actors. The objective is to make a first approximation of the field, discussing frontier as an analytical tool. It is perceived as the main conclusion that the moral and symbolic dimensions are connected with the activities properly socioeconomic, that the social life in the French--Brazilian border requires an approach of its multiple realities.Keywords: Amapá. French Guiana. French-Brazilian border. Mining. Trade.


GeroPsych ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Kristin Doebler

Abstract. This article suggests that the term “culture” can explain the heterogeneity of age(ing) in nursing homes as well as (dis-)similarities opposed to organizational parameters (e.g., size, location, ownership). It introduces an analytical tool for the systematic analysis of culture which encompasses 15 thematic dimensions grouping as conceptualizations of age(ing), social relationships, and care. Two nursing homes from an explorative project in Bavarian nursing homes are used for illustrating the tool’s possible applications: systematic description, explanation, and comparisons of locally effective cultures; determining ambivalences’ manifestations and sources. The article ends with a discussion of underlying implications of the findings for theory and praxis and the benefits and weaknesses of this study, connected with the hope to broaden the perception of nursing homes which are more than organizations designed to house older people safely; they are also culturally shaped places of social life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-48
Author(s):  
Andrei V. Nevskii

The sociological study of volunteerism typically uses a definition which includes all possible types of free, unpaid activities which benefit other people. Such an approach transforms the very phenomenon of volunteerism into an analytical tool for studying various fields of economic and social life: degrees of development of civil society, employment structure, features of a certain economic mode. Regardless, the use of such a definition when researching volunteer movements presents certain problems. Multiple critics point out that such an approach towards understanding volunteerism, on one hand, leads to various types of volunteer activity being excluded from the scope of research, namely those which do not fully comply with the aforementioned criteria of free choice and gratuitousness; on the other hand, it waters down the concept of volunteerism, by merging it with other forms of civil action, such as political activism. Furthermore, most studies exhibit a tendency towards highlighting volunteerism as a special type of action, which possesses persistent intrinsic characteristics regardless of the field in which it is being undertaken. Such an approach results in a complete lack of care for certain essential features of various types of those productive activities which volunteers can partake in. It’s also worth noting that research doesn’t tend to include practices of volunteerism when the main focus of analysis shifts towards studying the socio-demographic characteristics of participants, as well as issues concerning their motivation. Based on analyzing Russian and foreign sources, the article presents an overview of the issues associated with defining the boundaries of the field in question, while discussing the main difficulties when it comes to constructing a general theory of volunteerism, and analyzing the separation of various forms of civil activity which is typically present in foreign literature: volunteerism, grassroots political involvement, civil activism. The article brings forth arguments for limiting the subject of research and for analytical separation between various forms of civil activity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Danks

AbstractThe target article uses a mathematical framework derived from Bayesian decision making to demonstrate suboptimal decision making but then attributes psychological reality to the framework components. Rahnev & Denison's (R&D) positive proposal thus risks ignoring plausible psychological theories that could implement complex perceptual decision making. We must be careful not to slide from success with an analytical tool to the reality of the tool components.


Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Andriessen ◽  
Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart ◽  
Julie Cerel ◽  
Myfanwy Maple

Abstract. Background: Suicide can have a lasting impact on the social life as well as the physical and mental health of the bereaved. Targeted research is needed to better understand the nature of suicide bereavement and the effectiveness of support. Aims: To take stock of ongoing studies, and to inquire about future research priorities regarding suicide bereavement and postvention. Method: In March 2015, an online survey was widely disseminated in the suicidology community. Results: The questionnaire was accessed 77 times, and 22 records were included in the analysis. The respondents provided valuable information regarding current research projects and recommendations for the future. Limitations: Bearing in mind the modest number of replies, all from respondents in Westernized countries, it is not known how representative the findings are. Conclusion: The survey generated three strategies for future postvention research: increase intercultural collaboration, increase theory-driven research, and build bonds between research and practice. Future surveys should include experiences with obtaining research grants and ethical approval for postvention studies.


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