The Boggart

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Young

The boggart was a much-feared, little-studied supernatural being from the north of England. Against the odds, it survives today, whether in place-names or in works of fantasy literature – not least Harry Potter. Centring on this mercurial and mysterious figure, The Boggart pioneers two methods for collecting folklore: first, the use of hundreds of thousands of words on the boggart from digitised ephemera; second, about 1,100 contemporary boggart memories that derive from social media surveys and personal interviews relating to the interwar and postwar years. Through a radical combination of this new information and an interdisciplinary approach – involving dialectology, folklore, Victorian history, supernatural history, oral history, place-name studies, sociology and more – it is possible to reconstruct boggart beliefs, experiences and tales. The boggart was not, as we have been led to believe, a ‘goblin’. Rather, this was a much more general term encompassing all solitary, and often ambivalent, supernatural beings, from killer mermaids to headless phantoms to shape-changing ghouls. In the same period that boggart beliefs were dying, folklorists continuously misrepresented the boggart and how the modern fantasy version was born of these misunderstandings. As well as offering a fresh reading of a deep seam of folklore, this book showcases some of the ways in which harnessing recent advances in digitization can offer rich and compelling rewards.

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Andrew Jackson

One scenario put forward by researchers, political commentators and journalists for the collapse of North Korea has been a People’s Power (or popular) rebellion. This paper analyses why no popular rebellion has occurred in the DPRK under Kim Jong Un. It challenges the assumption that popular rebellion would happen because of widespread anger caused by a greater awareness of superior economic conditions outside the DPRK. Using Jack Goldstone’s theoretical expla-nations for the outbreak of popular rebellion, and comparisons with the 1989 Romanian and 2010–11 Tunisian transitions, this paper argues that marketi-zation has led to a loosening of state ideological control and to an influx of infor-mation about conditions in the outside world. However, unlike the Tunisian transitions—in which a new information context shaped by social media, the Al-Jazeera network and an experience of protest helped create a sense of pan-Arab solidarity amongst Tunisians resisting their government—there has been no similar ideology unifying North Koreans against their regime. There is evidence of discontent in market unrest in the DPRK, although protests between 2011 and the present have mostly been in defense of the right of people to support themselves through private trade. North Koreans believe this right has been guaranteed, or at least tacitly condoned, by the Kim Jong Un government. There has not been any large-scale explosion of popular anger because the state has not attempted to crush market activities outright under Kim Jong Un. There are other reasons why no popular rebellion has occurred in the North. Unlike Tunisia, the DPRK lacks a dissident political elite capable of leading an opposition movement, and unlike Romania, the DPRK authorities have shown some flexibility in their anti-dissent strategies, taking a more tolerant approach to protests against economic issues. Reduced levels of violence during periods of unrest and an effective system of information control may have helped restrict the expansion of unrest beyond rural areas.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Jana ◽  
Jennifer Shu

The new edition of this best-selling guide to newborn care has been fully revised and updated! Available in May 2015 -- Order your copy today! Written by 2 pediatricians and focusing on the first few months of an infant's life, Heading Home With Your Newborn, 3rd Edition, includes an abundance of new information on topics like Breastfeeding and the involvement of allergies Formula options, vitamins, and supplements (vitamins, iron, fluoride, probiotics) Sleep strategies Extended stay in strapped-in positions (car seats, bouncy chairs) The impact of social media sharing Capturing moments/sharing memories And much more!


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-107
Author(s):  
Pavel HRONČEK ◽  
◽  
Karol WEIS ◽  
Vladimír ČECH

The primary objective of this paper is to present opportunities for creating virtual 3D models of defunct historical buildings, reconstructed on the basis of archival and field research, and the effective promotion and visualisation of such models through a thematic web application. The secondary objective is to increase the tourism potential and attractiveness of the various historical sites and the studied region. The comprehensive methodical processing of documents and the creation of 3D models of objects and other digital visualisation requires not only high-quality programmers and graphic artists, but especially scientists who create historically-relevant descriptive texts, real schemes, and historically acceptable models that can be computer-processed, visualised, and used as an effective tool for the development of tourism. Research and follow-up activities require an interdisciplinary approach, i.e. the cooperation of experts from various disciplines. The research processed in this study points out that even simple, now widely available modern means of communication, such as websites, can be effectively used for the promotion and publicity of this type of attraction. High-quality 3D models and visualisations of buildings and specific destinations, or cultural and technical monuments, can thus become available to tourists also outside museums. This paper introduces the opportunities of digital presentation of preserved, partially defunct and, especially, completely defunct historical buildings and sites that are often almost unknown to tourists. In many cases, only their shells or foundations remain. In terms of cultural heritage conservation and monument protection, these sites are often among the most important religious buildings from various historical periods. This study focuses on the Middle Ages and locations in Slovakia (former Hungary), and presents a methodology that is generally applicable for the research and visualisation of any similar cultural sites, and thus opening up their potential to tourists.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon Berriche ◽  
Sacha Altay

Social media like Facebook are harshly criticized for the propagation of health misinformation. Yet, little research has provided in-depth analysis of real-world data to measure the extent to which Internet users engage with it. This article examines 6.5 million interactions generated by 500 posts on an emblematic case of online health misinformation: the Facebook page Santé + Mag, which generates five times more interactions than the combination of the five best-established French media outlets. Based on the literature on cultural evolution, we tested whether the presence of cognitive factors of attraction, that tap into evolved cognitive preferences, such as information related to sexuality, social relations, threat, disgust or negative emotions, could explain the success of Santé + Mag’s posts. Drawing from media studies findings, we hypothesized that their popularity could be driven by Internet users’ desire to interact with their friends and family by sharing phatic posts (i.e. statements with no practical information fulfilling a social function such as “hello” or “sister, I love you”).We found that phatic posts were the strongest predictor of interactions, followed by posts with a positive emotional valence. While 50% of the posts were related to social relations, only 28% consisted of health misinformation. Despite its cognitive appeal, health misinformation was a negative predictor of interactions. Sexual contents negatively predicted interactions and other factors of attraction such as disgust, threat or negative emotions did not predict interactions. These results strengthen the idea that Facebook is first and foremost a social network used by people to foster their social relations, not to spread online misinformation. We encourage researchers working on misinformation to conduct finer-grained analysis of online contents and to adopt interdisciplinary approach to study the phatic dimension of communication, together with positive contents, to better understand the cultural evolution dynamics of social media.


PERSPEKTIF ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Muhammad Wahyu Effendi ◽  
Yan Hendra ◽  
Armansyah Matondang

<h1>This research is based on the social media account of Instagram @humas_pemkomedan which contains the image of Medan City Government. The purpose of this study to determine the public perception about the image of Medan City Government through social media accounts Instagram. Theories used in this study include the theoretical description of communication, perception, society, image, social media, Instagram. The research method used is qualitative descriptive method. Selection of informants here is the people of Medan City who follow social media accounts Instagram @humas_pemkomedan and informants in this study following the principle of saturation where if the data needed is still less will be done addition of informants to get new information until the data obtained reach saturation point that if from the source is the same, then the data collection through the interview is stopped. Data collection   techniques  were  conducted   by  semi-structured interviews to all informants, and the results of this study showed that where the perception of the image is described into the first two aspects through Instagram profile and the second is the content of Instagram @humas_pemkomedan consisting of 6 categories of uploads are as follows: The activities of Medan city administration, news reports on work, information and appeal, congratulations, videos, figures, then Public Perceptions About Government Image Medan City Through Social Media Account Instagram is tend to be positive.</h1>


2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanna Paniataaq Kingston

Abstract During the summers of 2005 and 2006, a group of Ugiuvangmiut (King Island Inupiat) and western scientists participated in a project entitled “Documenting the Cultural Geography, Biogeography, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge of King Island, Alaska.” The intent was to bring Ugiuvangmiut to King Island in order to document and map place names, as well as archaeological and subsistence sites. Throughout fieldwork, conflicts occurred between scientists, between community members, and between scientists and community members. As the principal investigator, I confronted one conflict in 2005, but my actions exacerbated long-standing tensions within the community and I was later advised by two community members that I should not have confronted the conflict. When conflict occurred again in 2006, instead of confronting the conflict, I chose to take a break from the project for several days. The result was that the overt conflict within the community lessened. Based upon these experiences and other examples, I conclude that conflict avoidance still persists among the Ugiuvangmiut. In addition, I “write against culture” (to borrow Abu-Lughod’s phrase) to explain how my mixed ethnic background and the backgrounds of two community members resulted in actions that run counter to conflict avoidance, showing that there are “multiple, shifting, and competing” cultural values at play. I end with suggestions for scientists conducting fieldwork in the North.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Ismail Ismail

This study aims to describe the existence of social media on student behavior and the inhibiting factors of PAI teachers in various social media at North Belopa State Middle School. This research is qualitative research that uses pedagogical, psychological, sociological, and theological normative approaches. Data sources are primary data sourced from principals, PAI teachers, and students through interviews, while data in the form of existing documents with research. The results of the study show that in the role of the teacher in using social media in junior high school students in the sub-district as follows: 1. Dutch Middle School students use social media as a place to show the outside world. Everyone is competing to display and make branding about the World World. There is nothing that can be done for others and  2. As for the PAI teacher's inhibitors in various social media at the North Belopa State Middle School, they are not working with teachers and parents in using social media. Community environment (association) association of students outside the school is also very large on the behavior and behavior of students in everyday life. Ineffective regulations made by schools.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Dilbarkhon Fazilova ◽  
Hasan Magdiev

Abstract. The classical geodetic coordinate system (CS42) in Uzbekistan uses the Krasovsky ellipsoid. The implementation of new information technologies, such as the Global Navigation Satellite System, became the basis for the development of a new national open geocentric coordinate system. This paper describes the development of a distortion grid for transforming horizontal spatial data from the local geodetic datum CS42 to a geocentric datum WGS84 for 1:100000 scale maps of the Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan. A first version of the distortion grid file has been created for transforming between CS42 and WGS84 for the whole territory of the country. The significant influence of the longitudinal drift of the region has been confirmed. The grid was used to transform topographic maps at a scale of 1:100000 for the Fergana Valley. Changing the map datum has shifted the grid of coordinate systems by 70 m in the East and 7 m in the North.


Author(s):  
Wenzhong Shi ◽  
Michael F. Goodchild ◽  
Michael Batty ◽  
Mei-Po Kwan ◽  
Anshu Zhang

AbstractUrban informatics is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding, managing, and designing the city using systematic theories and methods based on new information technologies. Integrating urban science, geomatics, and informatics, urban informatics is a particularly timely way of fusing many interdisciplinary perspectives in studying city systems. This edited book aims to meet the urgent need for works that systematically introduce the principles and technologies of urban informatics. The book gathers over 40 world-leading research teams from a wide range of disciplines, who provide comprehensive reviews of the state of the art and the latest research achievements in their various areas of urban informatics. The book is organized into six parts, respectively covering the conceptual and theoretical basis of urban informatics, urban systems and applications, urban sensing, urban big data infrastructure, urban computing, and prospects for the future of urban informatics. This introductory chapter provides a definition of urban informatics and an outline of the book’s structure and scope.


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