Listening in the Afterlife of Data

In Listening in the Afterlife of Data, David Cecchetto theorizes sound, communication, and data by analyzing them in the contexts of the practical workings of specific technologies, situations, and artworks. In a time he calls the afterlife of data—the cultural context in which data’s hegemony persists even in the absence of any belief in its validity—Cecchetto shows how data is repositioned as the latest in a long line of concepts that are at once constitutive of communication and suggestive of its limits. Cecchetto points to the failures and excesses of communication by focusing on the power of listening—whether through wearable technology, internet-based artwork, or the ways in which computers process sound—to pragmatically comprehend the representational excesses that data produces. Writing at a cultural moment in which data has never been more ubiquitous or less convincing, Cecchetto elucidates the paradoxes that are constitutive of computation and communication more broadly, demonstrating that data is never quite what it seems.

How large entrepreneurial-oriented companies breed innovation: the roles of interdepartmental collaboration and organizational culture

Purpose This study aims to provide a better understanding into how large-scale companies overcome their rigidity and bureaucracy, and transform entrepreneurial orientation (EO) into organizational responsiveness (e.g. interdepartmental collaboration [IDC]). It also clarifies the double-edged role of organizational culture in shaping IDC, specifically within the Chinese economy that is deeply influenced by Confucianism. Design/methodology/approach Datas were randomly collected from companies that reside in the Yangtze River Delta region. With a sample of 115 large-scale EO Chinese firms, consisting of 402 department managers and 115 executives. The study aggregates the scores to create an overall measurement for EO, collectivism, power distance and IDC in the analysis. Further, confirmatory factor analyses were used to measure the structural model fitness, and multiple regression analysis was used to assess the hypotheses. Findings The results show that in competitive environments, IDC, as a strategic response to EO and a risk aversion of inertia and bureaucracy, fully mediates the positive relationship between EO and organizational creativity. Furthermore, the positive association is more pronounced under high cultural collectivism or low power distance in large-scale firms. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the understanding of EO approach at the organizational level. The results posit that when large companies adopt EO, they are proactive rather than passive and would exhibit IDC as an important strategic responsiveness. Moreover, different organizational cultural orientations (i.e. high collectivism and low power distance) help to build IDC before cultivating innovation. Practical implications The results in this study suggest that large companies should focus on developing IDC to overcome knowledge fragmentation, bureaucracy and inertia. Also, large firms should develop Human Resource Management practices, such as creating job rotation and workflow, as well as cultural trust and common beliefs. In contrast, they should be on guard against status differences and workplace hierarchy’s cultural context. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that considers the roles of IDC and organizational culture and examines how large-scale entrepreneurial-oriented companies breed innovation.

Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Youth: The Influence of Rural and Urban Contexts on the Process of Building Identity and Disclosure

The study investigates how the territorial community can influence the individual and social well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) youth and especially the recognition of their feelings and the construction of their own identity as well as their needs to be socially recognized. This research focuses on the experiences of 30 LGB individuals (23 males and 7 females), with a mean age of 25.07 years (SD = 4,578), living in urban and rural areas of Southern Italy. Focalized open interviews were conducted, and the Grounded Theory Methodology, supported by the Atlas.ti 8.0 software, was used for data analysis. The textual material was first coded, and then codes were grouped into five macro-categories: Freedom of identity expression in the urban and rural context, identity construction and acceptance process, need of aggregation and identification with the LGB community, role of the interpersonal relationship in the process of identity acceptance, socio-cultural context, and LGB psychological well-being. The results showed a condition common to the two contexts that we can define as “ghettoization.” The young LGB is alone in the rural area due to a lack of places and people to identify with and greater social isolation. On the contrary, although there are more opportunities in the urban area, young people feel stigmatized and ghettoized because “their places” are frequented exclusively by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer (LGBTQ) community. The work will extensively discuss the limitations of the research, future proposals, and the practical implications of the results.

History and current state of youth policy abroad

The textbook is an innovative presentation of the discipline program "History and current state of youth policy abroad". The authors consider the process of formation and development of youth policy of the leading world powers in a broad socio-cultural context, relying on numerous authentic sources and relevant documents of international organizations devoted to social policy and sociology. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is intended for students of higher educational institutions studying under bachelor's degree programs in the field of training 39.03.03 "Organization of work with youth", and will also be of interest to specialists in the field of state youth policy and work with youth, teachers of humanities, researchers.

Family harmony, or the values of family education in Russia

The leading idea of the monograph is the idea of the unity of national priorities in the field of values of family education on the territory of the Russian Federation and the place of the region in its formation. Russian Russian peasant family values formation process in the second half of the XIX — early XX century is presented: in its historical and cultural context in the aspect of correlation with the stages of development of the Russian state; in its historical and pedagogical context in the aspect of correlation with the value priorities of education in the Russian peasant family, which determined the essence and content of the family way. The grounds for the representation of the North-Western region of Russia as significant in the formation of values of family education are revealed. The social conditionality of the process of development of traditional values of upbringing in the Russian peasant family is shown, provided by the coordinated actions of social institutions significant in a certain historical period: the state, pedagogical science, the socio-pedagogical movement, religion, the peasant community. The mechanisms of their translation of the values of upbringing in the Russian peasant family are revealed. It is addressed to a wide range of readers interested in the history of their region. It can be used in the implementation of basic educational programs of primary, basic, secondary general (vocational) education as the basis of educational work within the framework of educational, extracurricular activities of students; studying courses on the theory of education in the system of professional development of teaching staff; development of legislative and regulatory acts regulating issues of marriage and family relations.

Reconceptualizing Idol Making in the Context of Bangladesh

While bringing into attention the creative skills of a local Idol maker, this paper aims at exploring Idol making in the light of the maker’s perception and simultaneously placing it within the broader social and cultural context of Bangladesh. It seeks to understand the meaning that idol-making carries to its creator, and the meaning of idol-making that is felt within the larger social context of Bangladesh. While doing so, this paper investigates the concept of art prevailing in contemporary Bangladeshi society and therefore, examines the creative dimensions of idol making from folkloristic and material culture perspectives. Along with bringing forth the unheard stories of a local Bangladeshi idol maker, this paper aims at dismantling the grand narratives of art that existed within Bengali society and therefore, provides an opportunity to reconceptualize the artistic dimension of local idol making in Bangladesh.

Terence’s Eunuchus

Suetonius (Vita Terenti 3) asserts that Eunuchus was Terence’s most commercially successful play. While we cannot confirm this claim, Eunuchus (as all Terence’s plays) enjoyed continuous readership after performances of it ceased in antiquity, was often cited by ancient writers and grammarians, and received a commentary in the 4th century ce. While Eunuchus is not without its critics—some have found fault with its dramatic structure and the ethics of its finale, to say nothing of its unique (in New Comedy) foregrounding of violent rape—it has generated enormous interest in both medieval and modern cultures, including numerous commentaries and translations. Eunuch’s unusual deception-plot, that is, the impulsive Chaerea’s costuming as a eunuch to sexually overpower Pamphila, no doubt accounts for much of the attention the play has attracted. For scholars of gender and sexuality, Eunuch invites interrogation of Roman attitudes toward sexual violence, norms of masculinity, and constructions of gender, as well as of the sexually ambiguous figure of the eunuch in this dramatic and cultural context. Eunuch’s prologue has also captivated scholars of Roman comedy and literary history more generally, as it so clearly articulates recurring concerns of Terence’s characteristically metadramatic prologues: Terence’s adaptation of both his Greek and Latin sources, including charges of “contamination” and “plagiarism,” and the broader challenges of finding novelty within circumscribed comic tradition (for Terence’s “anxiety of influence” see esp. Eun. 35–43). Some scholarship has been conducted on linguistic differentiation among Eunuch’s characters, and it is hoped that burgeoning sociolinguistic work on Plautine Latin will continue to be extended to Terence. Recent criticism has largely focused on aspects of Eunuch’s performance, both on the micro-level of costumes, stage movements, and musicality, and more broadly on the play’s pervasive metatheatricality.

Cultural Factors and Social Changes Affecting Home Healthcare in Iran: A Qualitative Study

In Iran, home healthcare (HHC) is provided in a diverse socio-cultural context. Health professionals’ inadequate knowledge of the socio-cultural factors of the society can lead to poor quality HHC. Even so, the ways these factors influence HHC remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of cultural factors and social changes on HHC in Iran. This qualitative study which follows a conventional content analysis approach was conducted in Tabriz, Iran. Eighteen individuals including nurses, home health directors, physicians, policy-makers, patients, and their families participated in the study. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data collection involved focus group discussion (FGD) and 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews. In order to analyze the data, Graneheim and Lundman’s techniques were used and data collection continued until saturation was reached. Five main themes emerged from the data analysis including cultural diversity issues, society’s understanding of HHC, shifting demographics affecting healthcare needs, transitioning from traditional to modern lifeways, and increasing unaffordability of healthcare. Health managers can improve the accessibility and acceptability of HHC services by identifying the socio-cultural needs of the society. Future research should develop and test patients and families’ cultural care models in the HHC setting.