Human–Computer Interaction-Oriented African Literature and African Philosophy Appreciation

African literature has played a major role in changing and shaping perceptions about African people and their way of life for the longest time. Unlike western cultures that are associated with advanced forms of writing, African literature is oral in nature, meaning it has to be recited and even performed. Although Africa has an old tribal culture, African philosophy is a new and strange idea among us. Although the problem of “universality” of African philosophy actually refers to the question of whether Africa has heckling of philosophy in the Western sense, obviously, the philosophy bred by Africa’s native culture must be acknowledged. Therefore, the human–computer interaction-oriented (HCI-oriented) method is proposed to appreciate African literature and African philosophy. To begin with, a physical object of tablet-aid is designed, and a depth camera is used to track the user’s hand and tablet-aid and then map them to the virtual scene, respectively. Then, a tactile redirection method is proposed to meet the user’s requirement of tactile consistency in head-mounted display virtual reality environment. Finally, electroencephalogram (EEG) emotion recognition, based on multiscale convolution kernel convolutional neural networks, is proposed to appreciate the reflection of African philosophy in African literature. The experimental results show that the proposed method has a strong immersion and a good interactive experience in navigation, selection, and manipulation. The proposed HCI method is not only easy to use, but also improves the interaction efficiency and accuracy during appreciation. In addition, the simulation of EEG emotion recognition reveals that the accuracy of emotion classification in 33-channel is 90.63%, almost close to the accuracy of the whole channel, and the proposed algorithm outperforms three baselines with respect to classification accuracy.

McLuhan | Havelock | metaphysics

The McLuhan ⇔ Havelock correspondence turns on a question about the meaning(s) of events that transpired in Greece during the Archaic and High-Classical period – perhaps the only time and circumstance in which the metaphysical and independent human being had been able to manifest themself amidst the vast amorphous resonance of tribal culture. Here, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary issue of Explorations in Media Ecology, this article uses the correspondence between two leading figures in the Media Ecology (anti-)canon as a leaping off point to talk about metaphysics and media. The focus is McLuhan. This article offers a portrait that shows the significance, if not centrality, of (Christian) metaphysics to McLuhan’s project, and how his metaphysical commitments inform and shape his ethics, politics and pedagogy. This article also makes the claims that: (1) McLuhan, in his theory and practice, asserted the primacy of mediation with respect to thinking about being and knowing, and (2) McLuhan’s insertion of media into metaphysics stands as an invitation to revisit and revise the history of metaphysics, especially when, under digital conditions, the merging of all pasts and presents is well advanced.

He mana taonga, he mana tangata: Māori taonga and the politics of Māori tribal identity and development

<p>In museum studies, museums have been examined in terms of their historical role in collecting and exhibiting the culture of colonized peoples, and their contemporary participation in identity politics, repatriation and relationships with source communities, but their role in indigenous tribal development has never been the focus of a major study. This thesis sets out to examine this phenomenon and thereby address a major gap in the literature. In New Zealand, Māori tribes are actively pursuing social, cultural and economic development initiatives as an expression of their mana motuhake or self-determination. The development ethos that is guiding many of these tribes has at its core the wellbeing of their people and the importance of their culture and tribal identity to social and economic development. The research into this extraordinary politics of Māori tribal identity and development seeks to understand the role Māori taonga play both historically and within contemporary Māori communities as part of tribal self-determination and the advancement of Māori development and identity. The questions framing the study include the following: What is the nature of Māori taonga and what is their relationship with the politics of Māori tribal identity and development? What value are museums, collections of taonga or other cultural heritage in the process of iwi development which is taking place during the Waitangi claims process and Post Settlement phase? Using a research methodology that incorporates a Kaupapa Māori paradigm, as well as methodologies used in museum studies and related fields, this research investigates the experiences of a number of Māori tribes with regard to their tribal taonga and cultural heritage projects including tribal exhibitions. Major case studies include Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou along with an examination of secondary sources such, as tribal websites, tribal visions and strategic plans, and other published materials. The research findings demonstrate that taonga are important and enduring symbols of Māori identity, which are often used in the assertion and promotion of tribal self-determination and development. Māori tribal values such as mana, whakapapa, manaakitanga, tikanga, kōrero, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga along with taonga related kupu (words) shape and influence many tribal development strategies. The literature and interviews from tribal members confirm the enduring significance of taonga to whānau, hapū and iwi. The research demonstrates the role taonga play in sustaining the inter-generational continuity of tribal culture and the ‘connectedness’ of taonga to the wider culture, including the pivotal role they play in informing and shaping tribal development futures.</p>

He mana taonga, he mana tangata: Māori taonga and the politics of Māori tribal identity and development

<p>In museum studies, museums have been examined in terms of their historical role in collecting and exhibiting the culture of colonized peoples, and their contemporary participation in identity politics, repatriation and relationships with source communities, but their role in indigenous tribal development has never been the focus of a major study. This thesis sets out to examine this phenomenon and thereby address a major gap in the literature. In New Zealand, Māori tribes are actively pursuing social, cultural and economic development initiatives as an expression of their mana motuhake or self-determination. The development ethos that is guiding many of these tribes has at its core the wellbeing of their people and the importance of their culture and tribal identity to social and economic development. The research into this extraordinary politics of Māori tribal identity and development seeks to understand the role Māori taonga play both historically and within contemporary Māori communities as part of tribal self-determination and the advancement of Māori development and identity. The questions framing the study include the following: What is the nature of Māori taonga and what is their relationship with the politics of Māori tribal identity and development? What value are museums, collections of taonga or other cultural heritage in the process of iwi development which is taking place during the Waitangi claims process and Post Settlement phase? Using a research methodology that incorporates a Kaupapa Māori paradigm, as well as methodologies used in museum studies and related fields, this research investigates the experiences of a number of Māori tribes with regard to their tribal taonga and cultural heritage projects including tribal exhibitions. Major case studies include Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou along with an examination of secondary sources such, as tribal websites, tribal visions and strategic plans, and other published materials. The research findings demonstrate that taonga are important and enduring symbols of Māori identity, which are often used in the assertion and promotion of tribal self-determination and development. Māori tribal values such as mana, whakapapa, manaakitanga, tikanga, kōrero, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga along with taonga related kupu (words) shape and influence many tribal development strategies. The literature and interviews from tribal members confirm the enduring significance of taonga to whānau, hapū and iwi. The research demonstrates the role taonga play in sustaining the inter-generational continuity of tribal culture and the ‘connectedness’ of taonga to the wider culture, including the pivotal role they play in informing and shaping tribal development futures.</p>

Tungus-Manchu Traditional Beliefs. Part 1: Fertility Cult and Images of Divine Ancestresses

This article explores the traditional beliefs of the Tungus-Manchu peoples and is based on the hermeneutic and comparative analysis of the fertility cult. Some of its aspects are related to images of divine ancestresses, the tree of life, the hearth cult, ancestral lineage, and animistic beliefs. For the fi rst time, cults of fertility, as well as those of divine ancestresses, are regarded as an integral whole. This analysis demonstrates that images of ancestresses are preserved in mythology, rituals (specifi cally domestic ones), tribal culture, and cultural features related to birth, shamanism, ludic culture, and applied art. Also, they relate to the hearth cult, fi re rites, the tree of souls or tree of life, creation, and shamanism as part of folk medicine and rites of passage. The conclusion is made that the Tungus-Manchu fertility cult is an inherent religious system, relevant to the mentality, archetypal cultural values, ethno-cultural specifi city, and contacts with other peoples.

Hidden Riot: Investigating the Impact of Rural–Urban Gap in Afghanistan’s Political Changes

Afghanistan, with major rural population is of the countries that face varieties of problems for transformation from tradition to modernity (underdevelopment). Nowadays various social gaps in this geographical area have crystalized in ethnic cleft; has been originated from another background that the most important is the rural-urban gap. This hidden gap has shown itself in different forms in the social history of Afghanistan. Sometimes with a cover of Tribe, sometimes in the form of wealth and poverty and sometimes it rises with a cover over modernity and tradition. Development experts concentrate on other gaps and they didn’t pay enough attention to this important gap. The question is: What has been the role of rural-urban gap in underdevelopment and political changes in Afghanistan? In a country where social relations are generated from rural areas and political changes rise by using violent tools in different forms, necessitate deep socialistic investigations on ruling relations in rural communities that constitute the most population of the country. It seems inattention to rural people needs and problems led to the profound gap which shaped violent changes in the history of Afghanistan. Meaningful rural relations, nomadism and tribal culture, have led to many partitions in the process of development.

Budaya Suku Bugis Sebagai Daya Tarik Wisata Di Pantai Bung Jabe Karimunjawa

Indonesia is consist of several islands and have various ethnic, tribal and cultural, so it has great potential in the world of tourism especially cultural tourism. Almost all islands or regions of Indonesia have a culture that can be used as a tourist attraction. One of them is the culture of Bugis tribe used as a tourist attraction in Bunga Jabe Karimunjawa. The manager of Bunga Jabe Karimunjawa currently does the development of tourist attraction by carrying the theme of Bugis tribal culture as a tourist attraction and also as the way to preserve the culture of Bugis tribe on Bunga Jabe Karimunjawa. In this research, researchers used qualitative naturalistic methods because in this study conducted on natural conditions and researchers as the key instrument. Data collection techniques use observation, interview and documentation techniques. Some cultures of Bugis tribe used as a tourist attraction at Bunga Jabe Karimunjawa beach are local language or Bugis language, Bugis traditional art of Pencak Silat Baruga and Paduppa Dance, custom homes of Bugis tribe or stilt house, dwarf house as accommodation and Bugis typical food

Culture and financial reporting quality in GCC countries: what do we know about tribal culture?

PurposeAlthough the effect of culture on financial reporting practices has been addressed in earlier studies, the existing empirical evidence totally neglects an important dimension in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets: tribal culture. The authors fill this gap in the literature using Oman as the setting.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collect data for 583 company-year observations for companies listed on the Omani capital market, 2007–2014. The authors run a two-way fixed effects panel data regression to test their hypothesis.FindingsTribal culture has a negative effect on financial reporting quality (FRQ), measured by both accrual-based and real earnings management. The findings are robust under a variety of sensitivity analyses. In additional analysis, the findings confirm that tribal culture negatively moderates the effectiveness of internal monitoring mechanisms and is associated with low-quality auditing. Further, the authors find tribal culture associated with delayed financial information.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, the study makes several contributions to the literature because it is the first archival evidence linking tribal culture with FRQ. It is the first to show that the effect of corporate governance mechanisms on FRQ is moderated by tribal culture. The study has valuable implications for policymakers, regulators, boards of directors and auditors in GCC countries as well as in countries with similar cultures.

Ethno Veterinary Therapeutic Practices of Medicinal Flora in Livestock Health Care by Attappadi Tribal farmers of Kerala

Background- Attappadi is the largest tribal settlement area in Kerala with three tribes viz., Irulas, Mudugas and Kurumbas who are traditionally engaged in livestock activities. The present study was undertaken to document the different plants of ethnoveterinary uses and to identify the most prevailing livestock disease category among livestock farmers of Attappadi tribal area. Hence this study was designed and conducted to understand and effectively use the knowledge, and for the proper selection of important plant species for the most prevailing illness.Methods- This study was conducted in the period of December 2018 – April 19 using a structured interview with tribal farmers, EVM healers and key informants engaged in the livestock farming.Results- The present study documented 55 plant species under 39 families for treatment of 15 categories of ailments with their dosages and parts used in Attappadi tribal area. There was great agreement among the informants regarding ethno veterinary uses of plants with Factor of Informants Consensus (FIC) value ranging from 0.50 to 0.97, with an average value of 0.87.Conclusion- The study reports 55 medicinal plants with the­­­­­­ir uses and dosage along with the highlighted high FIC values indicates that the species traditionally used to treat these ailments are worth searching for bioactive compounds and this has illuminated the cultural importance of this ethno veterinary wisdom which is consonantly blended with the tribal culture of the area.

The Challenges to Political Participation of Women in Afghanistan

Issues of women’s rights, including political and social rights, are important topics and relevant to the political development of countries. Unfortunately, many Afghan women have been deprived of their rights and privileges for numerous reasons. The purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the challenges facing women’s political participation in Afghanistan and to present strategies that can pave the way for women’s political participation. The results show that there are challenges in the context of women’s political participation, most notably cultural, historical and ideological problems. Afghanistan’s current socio-economic environmental conditions contribute to tribal culture and clan-centric life patterns, characterized by patriarchy and centred on manhood. The patriarchal structure of society defines and interprets religious teachings as masculine and in favour of men. Cumulatively, issues such as educational barriers, economic dependence, gender gaps, and hundreds of other such obstacles, are at the root of the challenges to women’s political participation. The relationship between these causes is such that the strengthening of one leads to the strengthening of the others, and vice versa.