Polylogical Core of Modern Intercultural Interaction Models

The article is devoted to the problems of transformation and phenomenon of complication of intercultural communication models. The significance of the study lies in the fact that intercultural communication through the prism of cultural and civilizational developments reflects the sociocultural changes taking place at all levels of social development. The problem of application of theoretical knowledge about the communicative paradigm of modern culture with its polylogical core for the development of a specific model of intercultural communication and effective cultural policy relates to the difficulties of achieving compliance of the research results with the real state of the sociocultural environment. Basing on the previous and current research approaches and taking into consideration a systemic and synergistic approach as well as a dialogue concept, the authors aim to investigate theoretical modeling of intercultural interaction. As a result of investigation, the authors conclude that the study of models of intercultural interaction cannot be carried out without understanding the principles and factors of the dynamics of cultural changes in the modern world which allows us to consider the transition from a dialogue model to a polylogue model as a natural stage in the dynamics of culture. Also, the methodological set of philosophical and cultural studies of the dynamics of modern culture is proved as constantly expanding due to the new tendencies, like total digitalization. It is stated that overcoming outdated models of intercultural interaction and adopting the new ones is a long process that must be tested by the human society

Challenges in the Valorization of the Funerary Heritage. Experiences in the Municipal Cemetery of Murcia (Spain)

The cemetery is a cultural landscape that represents themes of great relevance to interpret the structure of a society, roles, and hierarchies, as a reflection of its social life. The cemetery gathers a whole symbolic universe where local social histories are represented, beyond the history of art and the architectural aspect. As a heritage element, the cemetery shows us the socio-cultural changes of a territory: religious questioning, changes linked to the family, individualization of contemporary society or broader questions about socio-economic structure. This article presents the experience conducted during the last 6 years in the Cemetery “Nuestro Padre Jesús” in Murcia (Spain), through a collaboration among the Sociedad Murciana de Antropolgía (SOMA), the University of Murcia and the Municipality of Murcia, developing the project “Funerary Cultures”, whose main objective is to promote the heritage, cultural and historical values of the funerary culture. Specifically, as a result of this teaching innovation experience, the six thematic guides to visit the cemetery are presented as an experience of patrimonialization of elements of the cemetery and its consequent selection and consensus exercise to determine what was considered as heritage in the context of the cemetery. Finally, a proposal of a systematic process in the valuation and selection of the material objects in the cemetery is presented; this proposal allows us to establish a debate on what considerations to take into account when considering the relationship between cultural heritage and the cemetery as a cultural landscape in permanent transformation.

Improving bioinformatics software quality through incorporation of software engineering practices

Background Bioinformatics software is developed for collecting, analyzing, integrating, and interpreting life science datasets that are often enormous. Bioinformatics engineers often lack the software engineering skills necessary for developing robust, maintainable, reusable software. This study presents review and discussion of the findings and efforts made to improve the quality of bioinformatics software. Methodology A systematic review was conducted of related literature that identifies core software engineering concepts for improving bioinformatics software development: requirements gathering, documentation, testing, and integration. The findings are presented with the aim of illuminating trends within the research that could lead to viable solutions to the struggles faced by bioinformatics engineers when developing scientific software. Results The findings suggest that bioinformatics engineers could significantly benefit from the incorporation of software engineering principles into their development efforts. This leads to suggestion of both cultural changes within bioinformatics research communities as well as adoption of software engineering disciplines into the formal education of bioinformatics engineers. Open management of scientific bioinformatics development projects can result in improved software quality through collaboration amongst both bioinformatics engineers and software engineers. Conclusions While strides have been made both in identification and solution of issues of particular import to bioinformatics software development, there is still room for improvement in terms of shifts in both the formal education of bioinformatics engineers as well as the culture and approaches of managing scientific bioinformatics research and development efforts.

Upaya Transformasi Masyarakat Indonesia Pada Era Masyarakat 5.0 Berdasarkan Ajaran Yesus tentang Kerajaan Allah

Terkoneksinya antara dunia fisik dengan dunia digital sebagai ciri dari Masyarakat 5.0 memicu perubahan-perubahan kultur dalam kehidupan masyarakat. Hal ini memerlukan respons Gereja yang berbeda, baik pada konteks teologi maupun praksis transformasi. Upaya transformasi terlihat cenderung bersifat parsial, di antara pengutamaan pemberitaan Injil atau tanggungjawab sosial. Hal ini terjadi karena adanya tarik menarik pengaruh teologi yang bersifat membedakan (polarization) ataupun menyamakan (equalization) diantara keduanya, sehingga dampak transformasi kurang optimal. Dibutuhkan model upaya transformasi yang bersifat integratif dan relevan. Penelitian mencoba mengkaji kehadiran Kristus dalam menyatakan Kerajaan Allah tidak sebatas berita pertobatan juga melibatkan diri-Nya dalam pergumulan sosial masyarakat. Praksis-Nya melampaui upaya ekualisasi ataupun polarisasi tetapi menekankan urgensi integrasi keduanya. Praksis ini akan ditawarkan menjadi model transformasi masyarakat di Indonesia. Penelitian dilakukan melalui metode hermeneutika dengan memberi tekanan pada analisis historis dan sosial terhadap beberapa bagian teks tertentu dalam Injil berkenaan dengan kehadiran Kerajaan Allah yang digagas Yesus.The connection between the physical world and the digital world as a characteristic of Society 5.0 has triggered cultural changes in the lives of society. These cultural changes will require a different Church response, be it in theological context as well as transformation praxis. The existing transformation efforts is often seen as partial, between prioritizing the preaching of the gospel or social responsibility. This is due to the tug-of-war effect between the two theological influences with differentiating nature (polarization) or equalizing nature (equalization), so that the transformation impact is perceived as nonoptimal. A model of transformative effort that is integrative and relevant is needed. The research tries to examine the presence of Christ in proclaiming the Kingdom of God which was not only limited to conveying the message of repentance but also involved Himself in the social struggles of society. His praxis go beyond equalization or polarization and instead emphasize the urgency of the integration of the two. This praxis will be offered as a society transformation model in Indonesia. This research is conducted by hermeneutic method with emphasize on historical and social analysis towards certain texts of the Bible regarding the presence of the Kingdom of God initiated by Jesus.

Infancia, familia y educación análisis histórico y cambio social

The interest for the care and education of childhood have varied throughout the different historical time. Together with the transformations experienced within families, childhood has gradually and progressively attained meaning and relevance in the social environment. The new moral and spiritual function assumed by the family in the transition to modern times, and which went beyond its traditional function as transmitter of surname and heritage, implied the appearance of new emotions towards childhood at the same time their individuality intensified.At present, childhood acquires important centrality both in the private family space in which its protection, care, assistance and education prevail, rooted in new link of relationship (Burgess, 1972: 6-7), as well as in the public space, social, political, normative and economic. With these ideas, this research aims to historical analysis of the conception of childhood and its education, from ancient times to the present day, within the framework of the family and considering the repercussions that political, social, economic, demographic and cultural changes have had on childhood. La atención y el interés por el cuidado y la educación de la infancia han ido variando a lo largo de las diferentes etapas históricas. Ligada a las transformaciones experimentadas en el seno de las familias, de forma gradual y progresiva la infancia ha ido alcanzando significado y relevancia en el medio social. La nueva función moral y espiritual asumida por la familia en el tránsito hacia los tiempos modernos, y que rebasaba su tradicional función como transmisora de apellido y patrimonio, implicó la aparición de nuevas emociones hacia los menores al tiempo que se intensificaba su individualidad. En la actualidad la infancia adquiere notable centralidad tanto en el espacio privado familiar en el cual prima su protección, cuidado, asistencia y educación, enraizadas en nuevos vínculos de relacionabilidad (Burgess, 1972: 6-7), como también en el espacio público, social, político, normativo y económico. Partiendo de estas premisas, este artículo tiene por finalidad el estudio y análisis histórico de la concepción sobre la infancia y su educación, desde la antigüedad hasta nuestros días, dentro del marco de la familia y considerando las repercusiones que los cambios políticos, sociales, económicos, demográficos y culturales han tenido sobre la misma.

Ethnomedicinal survey among Kani Tribes and traditional healers in Selected Tribal populations of Trivandrum district

Indian tribes constitute around 8.3% of the total population. The health problems of tribal communities are influenced by the interaction of various socioeconomic and political factors. An attempt is made to document the traditional knowledge of the Kani tribes in the floristically rich Peringamala panchayath of Thiruvananthapuram district. The investigation revealed that the Kani tribes were using 127 species of ethnomedicinal plants, belonging to 57 families. The most cited family was Fabaceae and leaves were the most frequently used plant parts for the treatment of various diseases. Some medicinal plants used by Kani tribes which are included in the list of rare and endangered categories, such as Aristolochia tagala, Holostemma adakodien, Entada scandens, Anaphyllum beddomeii, decalepsis arayalpathra which are vanishing from the tribal settlement areas. So special attention should be given to cultivate and conserve these rare medicinal plants by making them available for mass cultivation, either through conventional methods or other non-conventional methods like micropropagation. The study showed that the Kani tribes have good knowledge about medicinal plants that have been passed orally from generation to generation. Current healers may be the final generation of Kani tribal healers. Due to rapid socio-economic and cultural changes, there is a possibility of losing the treasure of tribal knowledge in near future. The wealth of this tribal knowledge would lead to a greater potential for the Indian system of medicine towards new drug discovery and development.

Conceptual Foundations of Civilizational Transformations in Contemporary Social Philosophy

Introduction. The relevance of the analysis of civilizational transformations in Russia is explained, first of all, by the vast vicissitudes of its political, economic and socio-cultural development in recent decades. The importance of the topic is growing, since the content of the philosophical problem in the period of building a multipolar world is supplemented by geopolitical components. Methods. The work used historical and dialectical methods, as well as systems analysis. Results. In modern scientific research, the ideas of linear and cyclical development are no longer opposed to each other as rigidly as was customary in the 19th – 20th centuries. The development of the concept of “axial time” by K. Jaspers leads to the idea that local civilizations, throughout their development, undergo significant transformations, while maintaining their own uniqueness. The concept of “civilizational transformations” is closely related to the category of “social transformations” that has developed in the scientific literature, however, it focuses primarily on cultural changes that cover the spiritual sphere of society. Discussion and Conclusion. At present, there is a need to include the concept of “civilizational transformations” in the scientific circulation, which in its most general form describes all possible changes in civilization on the way of its development. Civilizational transformations not only change the social code in the spiritual sphere, but also significantly affect the transformation of social, political and economic institutions.

Lithic Technology and Chronology of Initial Upper Paleolithic Assemblages at Tor Fawaz, Southern Jordan

The Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) is a key chrono-cultural concept in our understanding of the cultural and population dynamics at the transition from the Middle Paleolithic to Upper Paleolithic period. This paper presents technological and chronological analyses of lithic assemblages from a rockshelter site at Tor Fawaz in the Jebel Qalkha area, southern Jordan, to provide accurate dating and detailed recognition of the IUP variability in the Levant. We present integrated micromorphological, phytolith, and dung spherulite analyses to evaluate formation and postdepositional processes of archaeological remains through high-resolution micro-contextual studies. As a result, the Tor Fawaz assemblages show general similarity to those of Boker Tachtit Level 4, Tor Sadaf A–B, and Wadi Aghar C–D1 that represent the late phase of the IUP in the southern Levant. Based on the detailed recognition of site-formation processes, we suggest ca. 45–36 ka as the age of IUP occupations at Tor Fawaz. More specifically, the IUP occupations at Tor Fawaz and Wadi Aghar, a nearby IUP site in the same area, may represent slightly different phases that show a lithic technological trend paralleling the IUP sequence at Tor Sadaf in southern Jordan, and possibly post-date Boker Tachtit Level 4. We also discuss the issue of partial chronological overlap between the late IUP and the Ahmarian and also argue for the geographically different trends in cultural changes from the late IUP to the Ahmarian.

Revising Postsocialism

This article reflects on the current explanatory value of concepts such as postsocialism and Eastern Europe by exploring how they are represented in contemporary art projects in Estonia. Through an overview of recent exhibitions in which I collaborated with local artists and curators, the research considers generational differences in relation to cultural discourses of the postsocialist experience. Methodologically, artists and curators were not simply my informants in the field, but makers of analytical knowledge themselves in their practice. Exhibitions were also approached as contact zones, whereby new cultural forms are simultaneously reflected and constructed. Critically, this inquiry gathers new ways of representing and conceptualising cultural changes in Estonia and novel perspectives of interpreting the relations to the Soviet past. The focus is put on art practice because of its capacity of bringing together global and local frames of reference simultaneously. The research also draws attention to the inbetweenness of the first post-Soviet generation (those born near the time of the breakup of the USSR); they are revising established cultural forms as well as historical representations through mixing practices, and therefore updating traditional ideas of identity and attachment to places.

Ecology of Communication: the toxicity factors in media

The paper raises the problem of media ecology. The concept of media ecology is considered from the standpoint of post-nonclassical rationality: the object of research is viewed as a system that unifies communicants, their communities and the information environment within the framework of ongoing interactions, which, in turn, affect all elements of the ecosystem. The authors analyze socio-cultural changes caused by media influence and give the interpretation of the manifestations of media toxicity through five components of communication (toxicity factors): (1) subject; (2) sign code; (3) content; (4) method and (5) discourse background. The experimental base of the research is represented by a lexical-semantic analysis of materials from print and electronic media and students' essays (n>300), an associative experiment conducted with students of the direction of training “Advertising and public relations” (Moscow and St. Petersburg, n> 200). At the end the authors share the experience of holding a scientific conference dedicated to the discussed problem as an optimal format for involving students in the problems of the ecology of media communication.