Telling the Stories Behind the Science

AGU’s newest journal, Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists, is a collection of memoirs, essays, and insights that present personal perspectives on how different scientific fields have evolved.

Responses of Al-Zamlkani Died in 651 Hijri in his book " Ghayat Al muhassal fi sharh Al mofassal" to Al-Zamakhshari and Abn-Al Hajeb in the names section: presentation and study: رُدُودُ الزَّمْلَكَاني المُتَوَفَى 651هـ في كِتَابِه "غَاية المُحَصَّلِ في شَرْحِ المُفَصَّل" على الزَّمَخْشري وابن الحاجب في قسم الأسماء: عَرْضٌ ودِرَاسَةٌ

This research aimed to identify some of Al-Zamlkani's responses and evaluate them according to the experts of linguistics using the descriptive and analytical method. This was achieved with a presentation of a brief translation of Al-Zamlkani; as the research centered on collecting the scholar's responses in his explanation in the nouns' chapters and his genres and grammatical aspects in more than one chapter. This includes a response to an Absolute Had (limit) that needed a restriction, or certain expressions that confuse the scholar; thus, where incorrectly studied. As for his response to Ibn al-Hajib in the chapter related to his personal perspectives presented in this explanation, he opposed him on the one aspect; while defended what Al-Zamakhshari mentioned about some of them in other chapters. These issues were presented in two topics: The first was Al-Zamlkani's responses to Al-Zamakhshari and Ibn al-Hajib in the nouns' categories; while the second was Al-Zamlkani's responses to al-Zamakhshari and Ibn al-Hajib in the aspects of noun parsing. The most important results demonstrated by the research were that Al-Zamlkani was seeking to facilitate the language and clarify the grammatical issues; as his responses varied when discussing Al-Zamakhshari; including a response to an Absolute Had that required restriction or expressions that confuse the scholar; thus, where incorrectly studied. Al-Zamlkani also dealt with chapters of certain grammatical aspects; where his responses showed reliance on the logical aspect and philosophical thought at times and on his sheik and teacher Ibn al-Hajib’s belief at other times by quoting what was explicitly or implicitly mentioned. The lack of interpretation and clarification in some of Al-Zamakhshari's phrases is a reason for the confusion that does not have a meaning for the scholars, including Al-Zamlkani.

Orientalist Perspective in the Letters of Lady Mary Montagu and Kelemen Mikes

An English aristocrat, poet and writer, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762) was a privileged and distinguished woman traveller in her time. During her sojourn in Ottoman Istanbul, she noted down significant details as regards the Constantinople and seraglio through her vivid descriptions as a liberated woman in her Embassy Letters. Another significant oriental work, Letters from Turkey by Kelemen Mikes (1690-1761), who was a Transylvanian-born Hungarian writer and political figure, is centered upon Mikes’s life in exile between the years 1717 and 1758 within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. In Letters from Turkey, we can feel his strong sense of Hungarian identity and his steadiness in maintaining his cultural and religious customs and values in his elaboration of his own and the “other” culture, while his praising the benign and merciful ruling style of Ottoman Sultans offers a different view of orientalism in favour of the “other” culture (Ottoman Empire). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the Letters of Lady Mary Montagu and Kelemen Mikes from their political, ethnical, religious and personal perspectives and trace several relationships that has allusive discussion relativity in the discourse of Orientalism. After having explained the specific letters of both writers, I will attempt to use the scope of Edward Said’s Orientalism and Enlightenment Orientalism discussed in Sirinivas Aravamudan’s Enlightenment Orientalism: Resisting the Rise of the Novel, as a magnifying glass to different oriental images and conceptions contradictory with the reality in the eighteenth century. This study will mostly make use of Edward Said’s account of orientalism as well as Stephen Greenblatt’s theory of Self Fashioning in order to explicate the differences as to how the Orient is perceived by the authors from different cultures but from the same period. In order to highlight how the definition of Orient changes, this paper attempts to define the Orient in accordance with the works of Lady Montagu and Kelemen Mikes.

Voices from women’s wardrobes: midlife and self-image

Current fashion research has not explored women’s perceptions of available clothing choices during the biological and physical transformations of midlife. Instabilities such as menopause, family breakups, or a loved one’s death augment women’s diminishing visual presence amid Western society’s beauty ideal. In response, clothing may become vital for self-expression, but also measurable in the terms of dress success, or a wardrobe impasse. A reflective Photovoice approach required participants (n=11) to take 7 full-body selfies over the course of a week, while wearing their favourite daywear outfits. The photographs prompted in-depth discussions during one-on-one interviews. Photovoice’s debut in fashion research reveals the common philosophies and strategies used by women in midlife to navigate a quick-response fashion system and establish a wardrobe that reflects their self-image. Women’s personal perspectives and selfevaluated dressing choices reveal whether their everyday wardrobe supports or compromises their desired self-image, promoting dress success or causing a wardrobe impasse.

Voices from women’s wardrobes: midlife and self-image

Current fashion research has not explored women’s perceptions of available clothing choices during the biological and physical transformations of midlife. Instabilities such as menopause, family breakups, or a loved one’s death augment women’s diminishing visual presence amid Western society’s beauty ideal. In response, clothing may become vital for self-expression, but also measurable in the terms of dress success, or a wardrobe impasse. A reflective Photovoice approach required participants (n=11) to take 7 full-body selfies over the course of a week, while wearing their favourite daywear outfits. The photographs prompted in-depth discussions during one-on-one interviews. Photovoice’s debut in fashion research reveals the common philosophies and strategies used by women in midlife to navigate a quick-response fashion system and establish a wardrobe that reflects their self-image. Women’s personal perspectives and selfevaluated dressing choices reveal whether their everyday wardrobe supports or compromises their desired self-image, promoting dress success or causing a wardrobe impasse.

Perspectives on technologies and care relations, illustrated by a narrative on food care1

We present a model and a narrative on food care to support reflection and dialogue, i.e. the exchange of ideas or opinions between patients, informal caregivers and care professionals, as a way to specifically explore values and perspectives on the use of technologies within care triads. To this end, we used an explorative literature study and an analysis of a care practice. We propose that care professionals have the responsibility to be sensitive to and act on potential dilemmas with the use of technologies in (food) care practice. This requires explicit thinking about one’s own personal perspectives on health and food, care and technologies, and the possible perspectives of others, in achieving a fair balance in care. The ‘Dilemma Model of Technology and Care Relations’ is presented to facilitate dialogue between patients, informal caregivers and professionals, in healthcare as well as in (food) technology. The model can be used both in the workplace and in educational settings. In conclusion, contrasting values and perspectives show that an open dialogue is needed to decide what is good (food) care in each individual care practice.