HACIA UNA SEMIÓTICA DEL EROS. EL ASPECTO TERMINOLÓGICO. ENCICLOPEDIAS Y DICCIONARIOS ESPECIALIZADOS

El objetivo de este artículo es el de estudiar el tratamiento reservado a las “voces del eros” en un corpus selecto de repertorios lexicográficos y enciclopédicos especializados (la Enciclopedia ilustrada de sexología y erotismo de Lo Duca, la Enciclopedia del erotismo de José Cela, el libro El sexo de nuestros abuelos de Amando de Miguel y el Diccionario del sexo y el erotismo de Rodríguez González), a fin de examinar las estrategias semióticas y culturales que han guiado a los autores de tales repertorios en el intento de organizar los materiales del saber relacionados con la actividad erótica. Las voces analizadas son: amor, coito, cópula, erotismo, fornicación, heterosexualidad, homosexualidad, libido, lujuria, pornografía, seducción, sexo, sexualidad, transexualidad, voluptuosidad. Abstract: We will study here the treatment of the words of Eros in a select corpus of specialized lexicographic and encyclopedic repertoires (Lo Duca’s Enciclopedia ilustrada de sexología y erotismo; Camilo José Cela’s Enciclopedia del erotismo; Amando de Miguel’s El sexo de nuestros abuelos, and Félix Rodríguez González’s Diccionario del sexo y el erotismo), in order to clarify the semiotic and cultural strategies that have guided the authors in the attempt to organize the materials of knowledge related to erotic activity. The analyzed words are: amor, coito, cópula, erotismo, fornicación, heterosexualidad, homosexualidad, libido, lujuria, pornografía, seducción, sexo, sexualidad, transexualidad, voluptuosidad.

The Sociocultural Context in Law: Modernism - Postmodernism - Metamodernism

This article analyses the socio-cultural aspects of modern law in terms of philosophical and legal analysis and in the context of the changes that take place in the culture of the 19th-21st centuries. The objec­tive of this work is to identify the discourse of today’s cultural strategies and their reflection in law and legal culture. The article uses an arsenal of methodological tools of philosophical and legal analysis, a cultural me­thodology through which the values of modern society are revealed, as well as a methodology of historical and philosophical research. The main result of the work is to establish that modern law cannot be understood outside and regardless of its contextuality, as well as in accordance with the cultural logic and peculiarities of civilisational deve­lop­ment in the context of globalisation. The main conclusion of the article is that the emergence of post-postcapitalism and the deepening of the consumer society result in a crisis of law and its excessive bureaucratisation and formalisation. The emerging cultural logic of metamodernism refers to such concepts as “structure of feeling”, “oscillation”, “communication”, “post-truth”, “totality” in order to restore the subject-orientation of law and give anthro­pological substance to the traditional concepts of “human dignity”, “freedom” and “justice”.

“Force Majeure”: The Transformation of Cultural Strategy as a Result of Urban Shrinkage and Economic Crisis. The Case of Riga, Latvia

Cultural strategies have been commonly used to address the consequences of urban shrinkage, particularly in a post-industrial context. Proliferated growth-oriented models, such as “creative city,” have threatened the sustainable development of shrinking cities. Alternative cultural models that prioritize social inclusion, local sensitivity, and affordability are thus urgently needed. Using Riga as a case study, this paper explores the process of transformation to an alternative cultural strategy in a post-socialist shrinking city and identifies planning and governance tools that stimulate its development. Employing qualitative interviews and document analysis, the relations between emergent and deliberate cultural strategies are investigated. The results show how the organization of the European Capital of Culture 2014 during the severe shrinkage and economic crisis led to five elements of an alternative cultural strategy: (1) a shift from investing in cultural “hardware” to “software,” (2) a locally sensitive approach, (3) cultural decentralization, (4) strengthened civic engagement, and (5) inclusiveness. These elements of an emergent strategy were recognized by local authorities and stimulated changes in the deliberate cultural strategy. This study supports the idea that urban shrinkage offers municipalities an opportunity to reimagine traditional planning practices and emphasizes the important role of civic actors’ participation in coproducing public services and governance strategies.

Cultural management of HLB: current status and on-going research

Huanglongbing (HLB), formerly known as greening, is a bacterial disease restricted to some Asian and African regions until two decades ago. Nowadays, causing bacteria and their vectors have spread to almost all citrus producing regions, and it is currently considered the most devastating citrus disease. HLB management can be approached in terms of prevention, limiting or avoiding pathogen and associated vectors to reach an area, or in terms of control, trying to reduce the impact of the disease by adopting different cultural strategies depending on infestation/infection levels. In both cases, control of psyllid populations is currently the best way to stop HLB spread. Best cultural actions (CHMAs, TPS system) to attain this goal and thus, able to limit HLB spread, and ongoing research in this regard is summarized in this review.

Transforming trash to treasure Cultural ambiguity in foetal cell research

Background Rich in different kind of potent cells, embryos are used in modern regenerative medicine and research. Neurobiologists today are pushing the boundaries for what can be done with embryos existing in the transitory margins of medicine. Therefore, there is a growing need to develop conceptual frameworks for interpreting the transformative cultural, biological and technical processes involving these aborted, donated and marginal embryos. This article is a contribution to this development of frameworks. Methods This article examines different emotional, cognitive and discursive strategies used by neurobiologists in a foetal cell transplantation trial in Parkinson’s disease research, using cells harvested from aborted embryos. Two interviews were analysed in the light of former observations in the processing laboratories, using the anthropologist Mary Douglas’s concept of pollution behaviour and the linguist, philosopher, psychoanalyst and feminist Julia Kristeva’s concept of the abjective to explain and make sense of the findings. Results The findings indicate that the labour performed by the researchers in the trial work involves transforming the foetal material practically, as well as culturally, from trash to treasure. The transformation process contains different phases, and in the interview material we observed that the foetal material or cells were considered objects, subjects or rejected as abject by the researchers handling them, depending on what phase of process or practice they referred to or had experience of. As demonstrated in the analysis, it is the human origin of the cell that makes it abjective and activates pollution discourse, when the researchers talk of their practice. Conclusions The marginal and ambiguous status of the embryo that emerges in the accounts turns the scientists handling foetal cells into liminal characters in modern medicine. Focusing on how practical as well as emotional and cultural strategies and rationalizations of the researchers emerge in interview accounts, this study adds insights on the rationale of practically procuring, transforming and utilizing the foetal material to the already existing studies focused on the donations. We also discuss why the use and refinement of a tissue, around which there is practical consensus but cultural ambiguity, deserves further investigation.

Characterisation of the drivers of environmental management system implementation

PurposeThe detrimental impacts of the construction industry activities, namely, toxicity of cement and concrete to the health of construction workers and the general public, have been reported in previous studies. Several environmental management measures were put in place by international organisations to reduce these impacts on humans and the entire ecosystem. Sadly, such environmental management measures are not widely embraced in the construction industry of developing countries. This contributes to the poor quality of life of construction stakeholders, amongst other outcomes. Therefore, this study investigated the drivers to facilitate an environmental management system (EMS) in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI).Design/methodology/approachquestionnaires retrieved from construction professionals in the micro, small, medium and large enterprises were used to conduct both descriptive and inferential statistics, namely, mean score, standard deviation, Kruskal–Wallis H test, post hoc test and factor analysis.FindingsThe analyses show that the drivers of EMS implementation in the NCI could be grouped into intellectual enhancement strategies, documentation and cultural strategies, and motivation and tracking strategies. The study concluded that training and education of relevant stakeholders, tracking compliance levels of organisations and recognising firms acting in compliance with stipulated “environmental” policy are essential. It was recommended that the collaboration of all construction stakeholders be upheld to aid EMS implementation in the NCI.Originality/valueThis paper investigated the drivers of EMS with the opinions of construction professionals in the mainstream of the NCI through survey using to ensure wide coverage of respondents. Investigating the view of construction professionals in the micro, small, medium and large enterprises helped determine possible significant differences. Thus, practical implications of the study were also provided in a systematic manner.

How Reindeer Herders Cope with Harsh Winter Conditions in Northern Finland: Insights from an Interview Study

Reindeer herding involves hard physical work carried out in a cold climate under variable weather conditions. In the fall and winter, herders’ work in northern Finland includes collecting and moving reindeer herds to round-up sites, working in round-ups, slaughtering and processing meat as well as daily feeding and monitoring of the animals in the field. To study the experiences and perceptions of coping with cold among physically active herders in harsh winter conditions, we interviewed 22 herders from six herding districts of the central reindeer management area within the north boreal coniferous forest zone. We focused on behavioral and cultural strategies that accompany the physiological cold adaptations. Semi-structured interviews revealed that the main behavioral and cultural strategies used by herders to successfully carry out their duties while avoiding cold-related injury include clothing, physical activity, nutrition, and shelter as well as protecting vehicles and devices. Herders across sex, age, and herding district reported using modern layered clothing developed for extreme conditions, often combined with traditional footwear and clothes made of reindeer fur or woollen fabric. In addition, herders increase their physical activity; eat warm, energy-rich foods; make fires; stay overnight or take breaks in a house or a cabin, a car, or other protected places to reduce exposure to the harsh environment. Coping with extreme conditions not only requires flexibility, preparedness, and innovation from the herders but also thoughtful caution when approaching and managing unexpected situations. We conclude that modernization of reindeer husbandry, climate change, and rapidly increasing land use competition not only drive herders to modify their behavioral and cultural coping mechanisms for extreme weather conditions but may also create new, unexpected vulnerabilities.