The Cultural Evolution of Language

Language is one of only a handful of human cultural systems that is both unique to our species, and universal. This chapter will focus on the cultural evolution of language, situating this alongside the phylogenetic and developmental timescales which also feed into the evolution of language. The chapter begins by outlining the relationship between the emergence of human language and the language faculty and the more rapid, ongoing processes of language change, which are often framed as predominantly cultural. In particular, previous work has emphasised how these timescales interact, and how cultural factors in particular shape which aspects of language exhibit broad cross-cultural variation or stability. This is followed by detailed evidence for this relationship from three domains, focusing on the role of cultural evolution in language as observed in natural language (both historical corpora and cross linguistic data), the cultural evolution of language in agent-based models, and finally, experimental studies of the cultural evolution of language. We conclude that the study of the cultural evolution of language forms an important data-rich model for the study of the evolution of cultural systems more generally, while also providing key insights into the specific dynamics of this uniquely human behaviour.

Transcultural capital and emergent identities among migrant youth

The everyday practices and socio-cultural identities of migrant youth have become a focal point of contemporary sociological research in Western countries of immigration. This article engages with the concept of transcultural capital to frame the possibilities and opportunities embodied in young migrants’ multi-layered identities and cross-cultural competencies in the context of an increasingly interconnected and diverse world. By re-conceptualising diversity and difference as agentic, transformational capitals to be valued, fostered and mobilised, this transcultural approach brings to the fore the multitude of skills, networks and knowledge that migrant youth access and develop through multiple cultural repertoires. Drawing on the narratives of migrant youth in Melbourne (Australia), this article argues that access to different – and not necessarily oppositional – cultural systems opens up a space for understanding the ability of migrant youth to instigate, negotiate and maintain valuable socio-cultural connections in ways that recognise, disrupt and transform social hierarchies.

Development of tourist destinations in the context of Ukraine's participation in the program of the cultural routes of the council of Europe

The purpose of the article is to analyze the existing Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, to explore the historical and cultural connection of these routes with tourist destinations and cultural monuments of Ukraine, to identify those tracks of the Council of Europe to which our country can connect. The methodology involves the treatment of general scientific and special methods, including comparative, analytical, synthesis methods, historical and cultural systems. The scientific novelty of the article is the study of key links between European cultural routes and local historical and cultural sites; in forming a list of cultural routes which possess grounds to be joined for Ukrainian tourist destinations, museums, etc. Conclusions. In the XXI century, the development of tourist destinations, in particular, and tourism as a socio-cultural phenomenon, in general, is correlated with several global factors. One of the mentioned circumstances is the pan-European cultural process, including cultural programs successfully implemented by the Council of Europe. Ukraine has joined only three routes out of the 45 certified European cultural paths. At the same time, according to the study, our country can already apply for active participation in 18 relevant cultural and tourist routes related to the history and culture of Ukraine. Another 11 routes require additional research as well as historical and cultural studies. Joining the above-mentioned Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe will contribute a powerful stimulus for the development of tourist destinations, the formation of advanced models of cultural tourism, the improvement of historical and cultural monuments as well as the intensification of scientific research in the particular field. Key words: cultural tourism, state policy, cultural routes, tourist destinations, interrelation of cultures.

Social Representations, Communication, and the Evolution of Cultures

This chapter suggests that, in order to understand changes in both social representations and culture, we need to focus on their systemic nature and on the role of communication processes. Linking up with a lengthy tradition that enhances the social nature of the human mind, the connections between the Frankfurt School’s legacy, cultural psychology, and the socio-constructionist movement are explored from a mature biological-evolutionary perspective. Considering and extending the idea of complexity from the biological domain to the mental, social, and cultural spheres, the attention shifts from structures to processes. What then becomes relevant is how well living and cultural systems are able to constantly regenerate themselves through structural changes and the establishing of new connections. The author suggests that we consider social representations as “maps” that we need to orient ourselves effectively in the “territory” of knowledge, action, and social relations.

EFEKTIFITAS DISIPILIN ASKESTISME DALAM PENGEMBANGAN PENDIDIKAN KRISTEN

: In the development of Christian education we must look at good behavior and self-control and also teach God's children with God's teachings and discipline is also needed in the development of Christian education. In the development of Christianity, there must also be changes in behavior, attitudes or cultural systems. Christian education is also one of the efforts in the growth of human wisdom and discipline.

The constraints of translating martial arts fiction

This article comments on the notion of ‘constraint’ by analysing the specific difficulties in the translation of a martial arts (‘wuxia’) novel into French and English. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳, she diao ying xiong zhuan) is the first part of the ‘Condor Trilogy’ (射鵰三部曲, she diao san bu qu), the masterpiece of Chinese writer Jin Yong (金庸). Little known in the West, the novel was recently translated by Anna Holmwood and Wang Jiann-Yuh. This article studies the strategies adopted by each translator to render the cultural specificities of the source context in the target culture. By so doing, it contributes to theoretical debates concerning transfers between two distant literary and cultural systems.

Shifting Narratives, Recognizing Resilience: New Anti-Oppressive and Decolonial Approaches to Ethnobotanical Research with Indigenous Communities in Canada

Revitalizing Indigenous land-based practices are acts of resurgence and resistance. The presence of Indigenous bodies occupying land to nourish and strengthen themselves through ancestral practices is a political act. These cultural systems of knowledge and practice are in opposition to historical and ongoing colonial attempts to dispossess Indigenous Peoples of their connections to land. Indigenous People have undergone changes in diet and land access, including cultivating and harvesting plants for health and wellbeing. Recognizing and understanding the impacts and implications of colonization on land-based knowledge is fundamental in carrying out meaningful work within Indigenous communities in the field of ethnobotany. Much of the literature and media on Indigenous issues continue to uphold trauma narratives. When working with Indigenous communities on projects, it is essential to understand the history, impacts and ongoing struggles related to colonization and genocide in America in order to not cause harm and to contribute positively to those communities. Furthermore, by taking our responsibilities one step further, we can carry out research in trauma-informed ways while prioritizing anti-oppressive, decolonial and strength-based approaches to our research and collaborations with Indigenous communities. We illustrate these points through a community-based case study from the Squamish Nation in British Columbia, Canada.

SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND RELIGIOUS ASPECT IN MOSQUE FUNDRAISER

This study described and analyzed the form and types of speech in fundraising activity as well as to identify social, cultural, and religious aspect in it. The observation was carried out in Wirolegi Village, Sumbersari District, Jember Regency. This study used a phenomenological perspective which viewed that fundraising activity was a social reality known by the public. This study used anthropolinguistic approach which viewed that people's linguistics activities (speech) were related to the social and cultural systems of the community. To examine the forms and types of speech, this study used Searle's speech act theory. This study resulted a finding that the utterances of the fundraiser were about expressive and commissive speech acts. Thus, the language activity within fundraising program was an action that was clearly and indirectly contained in his speech. In its social aspect, the speech contained a binding from the speaker to the interlocutor which could contribute to their social and religious aspect.

Overimitation and the Ritual Stance

To engage in ritual is to adopt a unique stance on behaviour—one that forfeits all hope of ever discovering a causal structure in the actions involved. Rituals are causally opaque not only in a provisional or potentially resolvable way but irretrievably so. Psychologists describe the copying of such behaviour as ‘overimitation’—the uniquely human tendency to imitate actions modelled by others that have no transparent instrumental rationale but are simply that way because it is the established convention. This chapter explores the evolutionary origins of the ritual stance, as well as some of the many ways in which cultural systems exploit it to create magic, meaning, and mythology.

The Unquantifiable Self: An exploration into the relationship between users and their activity trackers

<p>Digital self-tracking generates ever increasing amounts of personal data on anything from mood and relationships to health and finance. This thesis aims to explore the relationship between the consumer and their personal data, it seeks to discover how self-tracking changes the user’s experience and understanding of the world and themselves. The background research firstly discusses the usefulness and availability of self-tracking data to the consumer in comparison to other stakeholders. Secondly, it explores the services and cultural systems that guide how self-tracking might be used as a tool for self-expression. Thirdly, it outlines the ways that quantification can change how an experience is perceived and the meaning that people find in analysing their data.Finally, it discusses the impact of potential surveillance on consumers. Interviews and analysis concluded that activity trackers help users make day to day decisions, that personal data is both meaningful and useful to the user and can act as a way to express or represent their experiences and that the act of using an activity tracker also changes and often enhances the experiences of the user. These ideas were then explored in a series of design works that both critiqued self-tracking and used it as a creative medium.</p>