Post-Coloniality: Projection of Ghana In Video-Films

The rise of the mainstream video industry has been significant towards socio-cultural and economic development in Ghana; however, this study will not focus on the impacts of the video industry of Ghana. This article primarily examines the image construction of Ghana in video-films. Over the past few years, videofilms in Post-colonial Ghana have often been critiqued by film scholars and critics for reinforcing superstitious beliefs and instigating backward tendencies that derail national development. Normative scholarships have critically explored the visuality of Ghanaian video-films and their themes. Nonetheless, these normative scholarships have often overlooked the nexus between the Ghanaian society and video texts. It is against this scholarly gap that this study engages the meta-question of how video-films project Ghana in their texts. This article will engage a critical textual reading of a few popular films from the Pentecostal and Occult genres to contextualize the ideological sub-texts and the image construction of Ghana in these selected video-films. I argue that major ‘postmodern’ thematic concerns in Ghanaian video-films considerably denigrate and malign Ghana’s image, as well as neglect issues of national interests.

Get my head around owls: people perception and knowledge about owls of Andaman Islands

Understanding people’s perceptions and knowledge about birds in an endemic bird area is a prerequisite for bird conservation. This is more so in the case of non-charismatic birds such as owls. In this context, we conducted a questionnaire survey about owls in the North Andaman Island between January 2016 and 2018. We interviewed 203 respondents from six market places in North Andaman tehsil, and collected data on their socio-economic status as well as their knowledge on owls. Although all the respondents were familiar with owls, only 9% of them identified all species of owls in the Andaman Islands. Around 98% of respondents were aware of owl diets, either partly or wholly. We found several superstitious beliefs revolving around owls. Two species, Otus sunia and Ninox obscura were associated with negative beliefs while Tyto deroepstorffi was associated with positive beliefs. Generalized linear model with the demographical predictors showed that positive attitudes towards owls is associated with age (older), education (literacy), revenue villages and temporary houses. We conclude that Tyto deroepstorffi had the highest positive values among islanders and hence, may be considered as a focal species to create awareness about owls and to protect other endemic owls of the Andaman Islands. Awareness programmes targeting younger, illiterate people, and land encroachers may help in conservation of cryptic owl species of Andaman.

Write Your Own Luck Campaign: Pentel’s Successful Advertising Strategy Based on Superstitious Beliefs in Thailand

The Pentel case study exhibits a success case of a global firm’s ability to incorporate cultural-specific values into an advertising campaign. Pentel used superstitious beliefs in the Thai culture to create the Write Your Own Luck campaign. The company launched a limited pen collection designed to be carried as lucky charms. Each pen version represented a unique type of luck it brought to its user. The campaign targeted Thai teens who were heavy users of social media. The campaign was launched through offline and online channels and received significant attention and awareness from the target audience. This case study represents a campaign that incorporates cultural beliefs and values of local consumers into an effective advertising campaign. The company achieved its goal of raising brand awareness and online engagement among the target audience.

The Unheimliche as Source of the Fantastique. On the Translation of the Concepts of Todorov’s “Étrange” and Freud’s “Inquiétante Étrangeté”

This study examines the problem of the translation of the concepts of “étrange” in the theory of the fantastic in literature by Tzvetan Todorov (1939–2017) and of Unheimliche by Sigmund Freud (1856–1939). Todorov defines clearly the realm of “fantastique” as an intermediary genre situated between two poles: “merveilleux” (lit. marvellous) and “étranger” (lit. strange, odd). The latter term is translated by the substantive adjective “uncanny” in English and Unheimliche in German. However, Unheimliche is also used by Freud to designate a psychoanalytical notion, and the common English translation is “uncanny”. This comparative analysis reveals that, on the contrary, the Freudian notion of Unheimliche and the Todorovian notion of “fantastique” are equivalent and that they both refer to a temporary nature. This comparison makes it possible to clarify the mechanisms of the fantastic in literature. Todorov indeed does not explain where the “hesitation” in the face of an apparently supernatural event comes from, even though this uncertainty is the pivot of his theory. However, Freud’s considerations lead us to understand that it is because such an event shakes our modern rational convictions, and because the old superstitious beliefs convictions that we should have “overcome” return in the form of the Unheimliche.

The Unheimliche as Source of the Fantastique. On the Translation of the Concepts of Todorov’s “Étrange” and Freud’s “Inquiétante Étrangeté”

This study examines the problem of the translation of the concepts of “étrange” in the theory of the fantastic in literature by Tzvetan Todorov (1939–2017) and of Unheimliche by Sigmund Freud (1856–1939). Todorov defines clearly the realm of “fantastique” as an intermediary genre situated between two poles: “merveilleux” (lit. marvellous) and “étranger” (lit. strange, odd). The latter term is translated by the substantive adjective “uncanny” in English and Unheimliche in German. However, Unheimliche is also used by Freud to designate a psychoanalytical notion, and the common English translation is “uncanny”. This comparative analysis reveals that, on the contrary, the Freudian notion of Unheimliche and the Todorovian notion of “fantastique” are equivalent and that they both refer to a temporary nature. This comparison makes it possible to clarify the mechanisms of the fantastic in literature. Todorov indeed does not explain where the “hesitation” in the face of an apparently supernatural event comes from, even though this uncertainty is the pivot of his theory. However, Freud’s considerations lead us to understand that it is because such an event shakes our modern rational convictions, and because the old superstitious beliefs convictions that we should have “overcome” return in the form of the Unheimliche.

Effect of Superstitious Beliefs and Risk Intuitions on Genetic Test Decisions

Introduction Moving beyond numeric representations of risk perceptions, we examine cognitive causation, or superstitious thinking, and negative affect in risk as predictors of MC1R (i.e., moderate v. high risk) skin cancer genetic testing and responses to this testing. Methods Participants ( N = 496) completed baseline assessments using validated measures of cognitive causation (beliefs that thinking about cancer risk increases cancer likelihood) and negative affect in risk (negative feelings generated during risk perception) and subsequently received a test offer. Participants could access a website to learn about and request genetic testing. Those who tested ( n = 167) completed assessments of cognitive and affective reactions 2 wk after testing, including the Impact of Events–Revised Intrusive thoughts subscale. Results Those with higher negative affect in risk were less likely to return a saliva sample for testing (odds ratio = 0.98, 95% confidence interval = 0.96–0.99). Those with higher cognitive causation reported more fear ( b = 0.28–0.31; P’s < 0.05). Higher negative affect in risk was associated with more emotion-laden test responses, particularly in those receiving higher-risk as compared with average-risk results. Conclusion Negative affect in risk did not hamper test information seeking, although it did inhibit the uptake of genetic testing. Those with higher cognitive causation showed more fear regarding their test result, as indicated by higher distress in those who received average-risk results and lower believability in those who received higher-risk results.

Assessment of the Rationality of Gender Studies from the Perspective of Bocheński’s Concept of Philosophical Superstition

In recent years, the issue of the determinants of human gender identity has been lively discussed. In such discussions, there are numerous supporters of the belief that a person’s gender identity does not depend directly on a given individual’s biological endowment with sex, but is the result of various socio-cultural circumstances in which a given person lives. This view began to gain popularity in the scientific community in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is now considered paradigmatic in the rapidly evolving interdisciplinary study of cultural gender development, which is commonly referred to as gender studies. Representatives of gender studies often present the findings obtained in the course of their research as brilliant and modern. However, when viewed through the concept of philosophical superstition, authored by the Polish logician Józef Maria Bocheński (1902–1995), it can be concluded that the proponents of gender studies significantly exaggerate the intellectual momentum of their conclusions and postulates. Furthermore, one can even say that according to Bocheński’s concept of philosophical superstition, gender studies is a discipline which only creates a semblance of rationality (truth). This is because gender studies fail all six criteria which, as Bocheński maintains, distinguish beliefs, views, and theories which are manifestly irrational from those which are not philosophical superstitions. The article consists of three parts. In the first part, Bocheński’s concept of philosophical superstition is discussed and, in particular, the criteria are outlined which, in Bocheński’s opinion, allow one to identify philosophically superstitious thinking. This section also provides examples of philosophically superstitious beliefs, views and theories that fall under each of the criteria. In the second part, gender studies are characterized in terms of the basic assumptions adopted within this trend, as well as its theses and postulates. The third part of the article is devoted to the assessment of gender studies with the use of criteria which, according to Bocheński, make it possible to distinguish theories, beliefs and views without the hallmarks of rationality from those that are not philosophically superstitious.

The Negative Contingency Illusion: A Cognitive Bias Leading to Misjudgement of Protection

Humans possess a highly adaptive ability to draw inferences about the world by recognizing meaningful links between stimuli and events: making contingency judgements. We describe a systematic bias in contingency judgements that we label the negative contingency illusion in which individuals falsely judge a cue to be protective against an outcome. We demonstrate that the illusion arises when outcome probability is low and occurs when there is no actual relationship between cue and outcome and even when there is a modest positive relationship between cue and outcome. Such misjudgements may lead individuals to superstitious beliefs and could have major public health implications if they lead to the belief in and promotion of treatments that are ineffective or deleterious to the prevention and treatment of illness.

Superstitions and Residential Property Buyer Decision Making in Sri Lanka

The purpose of this study is to identify the influence of superstitious beliefs on the residential property buyer’s decision-making in Sri Lanka. Despite plethora of research devoted to study superstitious beliefs affecting residential property prices, limited studies are available discussing the effects of superstitious beliefs on the entire buyer decision-making process. Besides, no studies are dedicated to discuss the issue pertaining to the Sri Lankan residential market. Rooted to Vastu, Almanac, and Islamic discipline, superstitious beliefs on the residential property exist in Sri Lanka. These superstitious beliefs, on the whole, concentrate on the design, shape, alignment, size, location, and structure of residential properties. Superstitious beliefs of buyers become a factor affecting their problem recognition, an insight for the information search, a criterion for evaluation of alternatives, a critical factor to make a purchase or purchase intention decision, and measurement of satisfaction of the residential property purchased. These findings are based on in-depth interviews with twenty (20) residential and community experts and thirty (30) residential buyers. John Dewey's five-stage buyer decision-making process is employed as a theoretical framework for data analysis. This examination provides useful insights on the behavioural aspect of the residential market in Sri Lanka for its market actors including real estate developers, agents, businesses, and real estate planners.