Unusual Roman Iron Age burials on the Links of Pierowall, Westray, Orkney

Antiquarian accounts and surviving finds allow two Iron Age cist-burials found in the late 18th century on the Links of Pierowall on Westray, Orkney, to be reconstructed, although no details of the bodies survive (but both were most probably inhumations); the unusual finds have not previously received full attention. One burial contained a polished stone disc, used as a palette for grinding some valued substance, probably cosmetic, medical or narcotic. A review of the type emphasises its particular prevalence in northern Scotland, and places it within the wider context of an increase in artefacts linked to personal appearance and behaviour in the Roman Iron Age. The other burial contained a well-known Roman glass cup and a hitherto ignored ‘metal spoon’ which can reasonably be identified as a Roman import as well, plausibly of silver. Such spoons are rare import goods, known from rich burials beyond the frontier on continental Europe in the late 2nd and 3rd century AD. This suggests that the Roman world adopted similar approaches to its varied neighbours in terms of the goods offered in (most likely) political or diplomatic connections.

Students’ and Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers to Cycling to School—An Analysis by Gender

Internationally, there is increased emphasis on the need to reduce dependency on cars and to encourage more sustainable forms of travel, including active travel. To encourage increased levels of cycling, the focus has generally been on improving cycling infrastructure and on making cycling safer. While cycling rates have increased in many countries, including Ireland, women are often less likely to cycle than men. While there are some notable exceptions to this (for example, in the Netherlands) this phenomenon of lower cycling rates amongst women is common and research shows that the differences between male and female cycling rates can be seen from an early age. This paper explores the reasons why women are less likely to cycle than men, by examining the modal choices of school-going students, and the attitudes of their parents/guardians to their modal choices. The survey was conducted in the city of Limerick in the midwestern region of Ireland. The results show multi-factorial barriers to cycling to school for girls compared to boys. Uniforms, traffic concerns, physical efforts of cycling, effects on personal appearance, and peer-influences were factors affecting girls more than boys. Male parents/guardians did not significantly differentiate by the gender of their children in relation to factors associated with cycling to school, unlike female parents/guardians who were found to be significantly less supportive of their daughters than their sons. Additionally, parents/guardians were generally more likely to afford their male children greater independence in their school travel choices. While there are many considerations that would affect students’ perceptions towards cycling, an adjustment to the school uniform policy would, at least, remove the most significant barrier for girls. Further research must be carried out to determine how to shift the perceptions of the efforts associated with cycling, especially among girls, and how to encourage female parents/guardians to better support their daughters to cycle to school.

Daily lives of university students in the health area during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil

Objective. To determine the main changes that took place in the daily lives of students in the health area during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. Method. This is a cross-sectional study, carried out from May to June 2020, with 1786 students over 18 years old, regularly enrolled in health courses at higher education institutions in five regions of Brazil. Sampling was by convenience, typified as snowball. In order to collect data, an instrument to describe the sociodemographic profile and the daily lives of students during the pandemic period was used, which was applied via a digital platform on the web. Results. The main changes that took place in the daily lives of academic students in the health area in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil are related to lower productivity; difficulty concentrating; increased hours of sleep, use of electro-electronic equipment and weight; poorer quality of food; higher consumption of food, legal and illegal substances and medications (mainly analgesics, anxiolytics and antidepressants); less interest in personal appearance; and greater contact with relatives. Regarding emotional changes, it should be underlined the complaints of anxiety, stress, anguish, confusion, helplessness and depression. Conclusion. During the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, the students in the health area experienced several changes in their daily lives, which deserve special attention from higher education institutions and health systems, envisioning interventions to minimize health risks to this population.

An Impact Study of Hymnody on Selected Ghanaian Churches

This paper is an investigation of the efficacy of hymns and their impact on personality. The investigation was aimed at addressing ‘the problem of the relationship of hymnody and discipline, self-regulation which results in guarded behaviour reflecting in speech, personal appearance, and conduct within the Ghanaian society.’ The investigation was against the backdrop of the perception that hymnody influences devoted singers with the power to shape personality and bring about character transformation. The objective of the investigation was to spike the hymnody effect within society. The theory of personal transformation combined the qualitative design. The study consisted of a single question to determine the most predominant view about hymnody in hymn-singing churches in Accra and Kumasi. Findings indicated that 41% of 300 informants confirmed hymnody as powerful and transformative, but elitist and excluded the non-literate. Eurocentric and Afrocentric perspectives attended the analysis of Hymnody. The study concluded that hymnody is beneficial to mood and character change to stimulate the transformation of soul and mind, leading to the growth of the inner man as a function of discipline. Thus, a reference to the notions of pedagogy and discipline are underscored as transforming outcomes of devoted hymnody participation. The paper’s contribution to knowledge lies in its focus on the role of hymnody, a religious ritual, as catalyzing the development of the discipline ethic to engage the attention of the academy for further research. Keywords: Discipline, Ghana, Hymnody, Personality.

CONCEPT OF RASAYANA IN MANAGEMENT OF STHOULYA

Immunity is a protective mechanism of the body; weak immunity may give rise to so many health conditions. The immunity of the person cannot be defined by personal appearance, as a lean body person may have stronger immunity compared to an obese person. The immunity depends upon proper nourishment of body tissues and lack of proper nourishment leads to a decrease in the person strength and lifespan. Sthoulya is one of the conditions where there is increased nourishment of only Medadhatu with lack of nourishment of other Rasadidhatu which further give rise to so many complications. Rasayana is one of the peculiar concepts of Ayurveda known for its Rejuvenation, Immunebooster, and antioxidant properties. As the name itself suggests it is the procedure with specific dravyas for the nourishment of Rasadidhatu. In Sthoulya as it is vruddi (Increased) of Shleshma, Vatadosha and Medadhatu with lack of nourishment of other dhatu occur so the use of Dravya having Rasayana, shleshmahara, Medohara and Vatagna properties are more beneficial. Keywords: Rasayana, Sthoulya, Shleshmahara, Medohara, Vatagna

Race and Social Inequality in 20th and 21st-Century Brazil

Several voices inside and outside Brazil define it as a racial democracy—that is, a nation without segregation or rigid boundaries separating the different groups of race and color. This understanding interacts with issues like nationality and a positive image that this nation conveys for itself worldwide as a land of cordiality, happiness, and racial integration. More than origin, personal appearance is the basis of social interactions. Society can identify a continuum of hues of skin color among its individuals who are racially classified according to their social class and the social spaces in which they interact. However, it does not mean that the social prestige assigned to an individual’s skin color is neutral. The literature shows that the pattern of race relations in Brazil is characteristically ambiguous, based on constant racial prejudice and discrimination against the Afro-Brazilian population while systematically denying its existence. As such, Brazil’s individuals have an asymmetrical standard of social acceptance and access to economic, political, and symbolic power, based on their physical features, including their skin color, their hair type, and the shape or size of their lips and nose. Despite methodological complexities, several research pieces from 1990–2020 confirm that a racial hierarchy system exists in Brazil and that racial injustice, violence, and inequality are prevalent. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Brazil has implemented comprehensive social policies to combat poverty and affirmative action policies that target Afro-Brazilian individuals in an effort to improve the quality of the lives of Brazil’s poorest citizens. Nevertheless, these endeavors were not enough to overcome the consequences of a long historical period of slavery, discrimination, and racial injustice.

Professional glamour and feminine mystique: Barbara Moon's Style in words and wardrobe

‘Glamour’ is a term usually reserved to describe celebrities and fashion personalities. This research project proposes that glamour can also be performed by highly skilled professional women to assert themselves in the workplace and challenge gender expectations. Years before the publication of the Dress for Success books in the 1970s, women were already entering typically masculine environments and negotiating their professional identities through fashion and personal appearance. This paper provides a case study of one woman’s wardrobe, donated to the Ryerson University Fashion Research Collection in 1997. Its owner, Barbara Moon, was a highly respected journalist and magazine editor who worked in Toronto from the 1950s to 1990s. Through material culture approaches, as well as textual and discursive analyses, Moon’s wardrobe was examined and situated within the social and professional contexts in which it was worn. Connections were drawn between the themes she explored in her writing, and her elegant self-presentation.

Professional glamour and feminine mystique: Barbara Moon's Style in words and wardrobe

‘Glamour’ is a term usually reserved to describe celebrities and fashion personalities. This research project proposes that glamour can also be performed by highly skilled professional women to assert themselves in the workplace and challenge gender expectations. Years before the publication of the Dress for Success books in the 1970s, women were already entering typically masculine environments and negotiating their professional identities through fashion and personal appearance. This paper provides a case study of one woman’s wardrobe, donated to the Ryerson University Fashion Research Collection in 1997. Its owner, Barbara Moon, was a highly respected journalist and magazine editor who worked in Toronto from the 1950s to 1990s. Through material culture approaches, as well as textual and discursive analyses, Moon’s wardrobe was examined and situated within the social and professional contexts in which it was worn. Connections were drawn between the themes she explored in her writing, and her elegant self-presentation.