Ethnography From Physical to Digital Contexts

The term ethnography comes from the Greek ethnos (folk, the people, cultures) and gráphein (to write, to describe), and therefore, its literal meaning refers to the description of cultures. The current perspectives of ethnographic research are widening to digital contexts for several interrelated motivations: decolonization, globalization, information and communication technologies (ICTs). The classical loci of digital ethnography is represented by online communities, delimited digital spaces of social aggregation around a given domain of interest. However, in the last years, these privileged sites are complemented or sometimes substituted by social media sites and metadata in digital ethnographic research. As a result, new sites for ethnographic fieldwork are emerging fostering new types of ethnographic practice. The difference in digital ethnographic fields imply an internally diverse array of approaches. The chapter starts from the origins of ethnographic research to investigate its digital developments, methodological challenges, and variety of approach.

The Spectacle of Appearances

Ovid thematizes the gap between appearance and reality, which also is represented on the linguistic level through an insistent, systematic discordance between the literal meaning of the language and the figurative one. The metamorphic and spectacular nature of language therefore becomes a mirror of the whole reality, which is subject to the law of continuous change, and gives rise to the game of illusions and deceptions in which humans are involved and often overwhelmed. Ovid’s verbal pyrotechnics, long dismissed as a fatuous rhetorical exercise, is actually a highly conscious key to representing reality with its paradoxes; and the distinctive visual, ekphrastic style of his poem (destined to become the ‘Bible of painters’) is the mark of Ovid’s continuous intense reflection on his own representational strategies.

Translation and interpretation in Abhidharmakośa

Rosemberg (1991) has made a critical review of a long-standing discussion between Eastern philologists and Buddhist philosophers. The discussion is centered around the translation of the doctrine on the one hand, and its philosophical systematization on the other hand. When scientific-philological translation prevails, the literal meaning of Buddhist terminology is declared to be its basis. The young scholar, who had specialized in Japan, studied Buddhism from Japanese and Chinese sources and collected lexicographic material from non-Hindu sources. After comparing them, he encountered inaccuracies in the translation. In an attempt to overcome them, he preferred the point of view of the philosophy of Buddhism. The conclusion that he has drawn in the preface of this edition is that the study should begin with a systematization of antiquity.

Augustine on the Economy of Angels

Angelology is a major theme in Augustine’s important works such as The City of God, The Literal Meaning of Genesis and Enchiridion. This essay explains Augustine’s theology of angelic economy from three perspectives -- creation, governance and kingdom. 1) The relationship between the angelic economy and the creation: it is here argued that the economic ability of the angels is originated in the intellectual intuition of God and of the creation, as, even prior to creation, angels had already stored the created in their minds as concepts; 2) The relationship between the angelic economy and governance is originated in the concept of “divine apparition.” Angels govern as God’s agents, but their governance is impersonal; 3) The relationship between the angelic economy and the kingdom is originated in the union between the holy angels and the holy people, which occurs in God’s will. In this union, Angels act as guides leading human beings to the kingdom of peace. This essay also points out that Augustine’s angelology is related to his three major theological principles, i.e. the theories of creation, governance and salvation.

How to save the World: Replacing “Giftedness” with “Giftingness” based on individual strengths and interests

This paper is framed as an email conversation between the authors, a lifespan developmental psychologist with expertise in the field of wisdom and an educational scientist with expertise in the field of giftedness. We discuss how giftedness is defined and whether the definition, and the concept in general, is still useful in today’s world. We draw three conclusions. First, “giftedness” has taken on a particularly literal meaning as it tends to favor students that are already privileged. Second, educational systems should aim to identify and promote all students’ individual profiles of strengths and interests instead of focusing on promoting the “gifted” ones. Third, given the current state of the world, educational systems should aim to empower “gifting” students who engage themselves for a greater good, instead of “gifted” students competing for grades and achievements.

تکملہ فتح الملہم شرح صحیح مسلم میں مفتی محمد تقی عثمانی کی ترجیحی آراء کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Fathul Munhim is a great work in the area of Hadith Sciences and its Explanations which was initiated by a Renowned Scholar Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani. “Due to demise of the Author that was accomplished by a well-known scholar of this age. Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, who is famous for his Contributions to Fiqh, Hadith, Islamic Banking & Finance, etc. his explanatory work in Hadith literature has been appreciated and acknowledged by great scholars. This article elaborates and analysis his different methods and styles in Hadith explanations regarding lexical and literal meaning of Hadith words, juristic opinions and arguments preferred opinions and arguments preferred opinions “Clarifications of ambiguities and his explanation of many modern & contemporary issues".

Istilah Hasan Menurut Al-Daraqutni Dalam Kitab Al-‘Ilal Al-Waridah Fi Al-Ahadith Al-Nabawiyyah

The terminology of hasan has sparked polemics from the stand point of its definition which brings forth differences of opinion among hadith scholars. In addition to the debate on the definition of hasan which is often associated with al-Tirmidhi and al-Khattabi, other hadith scholars also use this term. One of them is al-Daraqutni. This study therefore, aims to examine the use of the term hasan according to al-Daraqutni in his work entitled al-‘Ilal al-Waridah fi al-Ahadith al-Nabawiyyah. In conducting this study, a library research method in the form of document analysis was used. The data obtained were then analyzed based on inductive and deductive methods. The findings of the study demonstrate that the term hasan applied by al-Daraqutni refers to its literal meaning that is good or fine. Apart from that, the term hasan according to him also carries the meaning of gharib. This statement is based on his commentary on certain sanad narrated individually by a single narrator; from the additional comment that only one narrator took the narration from his teacher. Thus, it can be deduced that the term hasan applied by al-Daraqutni does not deviate from the meaning of hasan assigned by some other scholars of hadith.

BELENGGU RASIONALITAS DALAM TAFSĪR BI AL-MA’THŪR

The Interpretation with transmitted text (riwāyah) which uses to get meaning far away from the influence of ratio (al-ra'y) still cannot occur. Various different narrations for interpreting the same verse in the exegesis via narration (al-tafsīr bi al-ma'thūr) can be evidence of the use of ijtihad in that interpretation model. In this context, this study aims to find evidence and reconceptualize the terms to prove the existence ratio on exegesis via narration. This study uses a qualitative method with the type of study that uses literature research and uses content analysis as an analytical tool. This study finds that the interpreters in the category of exegesis via narration used ratio in the form of transmitted text selection to strengthen the meaning desired. The unawareness of the existence of rationality in the exegesis via narration is caused by the confusion of the terms used which are borrowed from the term of hadith study (muṣṭalah al-ḥadīth). Based on this, this study proposes to redefine that term to illustrate that dichotomy does not refer to the use of transmitted text or ratios in interpretation, but that dichotomy occurs from the proximity of the resulting message to the literal meaning content in interpretation.

Oppressed Within the Oppressed: The Patriarchal Hegemonic Discourse of Colourism on Dalit Women in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh

The biggest victims of colourism in Bangladesh are girls, who are victims of colour-based violence and suffer from a dark-black complexion. In general, Bangalee society is a dominating patriarchal society, which has been established through a hegemonic discourse. This study explores how and in what process this racist discourse has started in the society. Therefore, being born with only a black complexion, a family deals with long-term psychological problems. In addition to the so-called mainstream social system in Bangladesh, a detached and marginalized group living in Bangladesh is known as Dalits. They are primarily a neglected community, isolated from the mainstream. Among them, the condition of Dalit women is much more deplorable. Dark complexion women are experiencing the most exploitation, deprivation and neglect. The Dalit women are ‘Oppressed within the Oppressed’—they are forced to live a cursed life through a dark-black complexion from birth. This study focuses on how masculine authoritarian behaviours dominate the dark-black face of the Dalit girls in Bangladesh. A random sample-based interview has been conducted on Dalit people of Shahjadpur in the Sirajganj district to explore what kind of mechanism exploits the girls and how the literal meaning of ‘beauty’ is established in society.