Antennas Up! Laura Nader’s Undergraduate Lecture Courses as Public Anthropology

While teaching lecture courses at the University of California, Berkeley, Laura Nader taught generations of students to raise their anthropological antennae. This article uses an autoethnographic approach to describe the author’s exposure to anthropology at Berkeley in the nineteen-nineties, gesturing towards the way undergraduate lecture courses play an important but largely underrecognized role in fostering public anthropology. Nader’s lecture courses were particularly effective at this because their focus on pushing students to question dogma and analyze controlling processes offered students a sense of how anthropology could foster critical public discourse. Nader stressed the importance of asking good questions designed to challenge assumptions, finding the right methods to answer those questions, and paying attention to pathways of power. While always questioning received wisdom, ideological assumptions, and Western categories of knowledge, Nader continued to stress the importance of developing straightforward, highly-accessible concepts that captured the attention of students—like Harmony Ideology, trustanoia, controlling processes, and the vertical slice.

Psychological Ramifications of Trauma in Women as Represented in Shahnaz Bashir’s The Half Mother

Trauma is a subjective and extensive term with its diverse implications on individuals and consequently on the societies. Also the heterogeneity of traumatic experiences, cannot be over-simplified by putting them under one blanket term or generalising all of them into one bracket. Since nineteen nineties, owing to several reasons, the term trauma has picked up an impetus, and various studies in this area of discourse are being carried out. Recently only however homogenising of all the traumatic experience into the countable postulates of Literary Trauma Theory is being challenged by the scholars and academicians across the world. In this paper, trauma of an individual (who is a single mother) and a society (of Kashmir) through the reading of Shahnaz Bashir’s The Half Mother is explored. This paper shall try to map the mindscape of the protagonist Haleema and parallelly observe the cultural ramifications of the same.

THE NEW EXPERIMENTALISM AND THE VALUE OF EXPERIMENTAL JUSTIFICATION IN EMPIRICAL SCIENCES

This article briefly presents and characterizes a relatively young (nineteen-nineties) trend in methodology, the theory of science – and philosophy, called “the new experimentalism”. The fundamental problem is determined by the question about the value of the new experimentalism and experimental grounds of scientific knowledge in empirical sciences. In the first part of the article, the previous (old) experimentalism is presented. First of all, the history of the experimental method is outlined and the definitions of experiment, object, phenomenon, and of the carried out and analyzed observation are provided. It is shown why the main proposition of experimentalists – “determining a fact based on sensory experience” is fallacious. The second part describes the way in which the representatives of the new experimentalism try to identify and characterize those factors of an experiment that guarantee the objectivity of its result; demonstrate that results are not only determined by psychological, historical, sociological or economic factors but also that they exist in nature as real objects and events. A correct and reliable analysis of the experiment and its results may – according to the new experimentalists – contribute to this conclusion. Therefore, the important role and value of the experimental foundation of social activity in general, and in particular, for the natural sciences, is rightly noted.

Occupational influences on Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis in a cohort of 18-year-old male military conscripts

Background The reported prevalence of spondylolysis (SL) in the adult population is 6–7%. Data concerning adolescent-onset spondylolisthesis (SLS) and the impact of certain activities on it is scarce. We examined the risk of clinical progression of SL and SLS as a function of primary severity and occupational strain among military recruits. Methods Based on the Israel defense Force (IDF) central human resources database, we identified 1521 18-year-old males inducted to the IDF with SL/SLS between the late nineteen nineties and early two-thousands. We followed changes in the SL/SLS status during the 3 years of obligatory military service. Disease severity was classified as Cat2: radiological findings of SL without clinical findings; Cat3: painful SL or asymptomatic grade 1 SLS; Cat4: grade 1 SLS with pain; Cat5: Grade 2 SLS. The soldiers were subdivided into the following occupational categories: administrative, combat, maintenance, and driving. The purpose was to compare the progression rates in different medical categories and job assignments. Results There were 162 recruits in Cat2, 961 in Cat3, and 398 recruits in Cat4. The overall progression rate to Cat5 (grade 2 SLS) was 1.02%. Significant progression rates were seen amongst administrative soldiers with a relatively higher risk of progression from Cat4 (painful-grade-1 SLS: 2.2%) vs. Cat3 (asymptomatic SLS: 0.5%, relative risk = 4.7, p < 0.02). Other occupational categories did not exhibit significant progression rates. Conclusion Progression of SL/SLS was highest in Cat4, i.e. for recruits already diagnosed with painful SLS (i.e. with a more severe baseline disorder). Progression did not correlate with military occupation. We recommend further follow-up studies that include, aside from progression rates, incidence rates of newly diagnosed grade 2 SL during military service.

Pomiędzy „integralnym jugoslawizmem” a „chrześcijańskim nacjonalizmem” – projekcje wspólnoty w obrębie serbskiej ideosfery po 1918 roku

Between „Integral Yugoslavism” and „Christian Nationalism”– Projections of the Community Within the Serbian Ideosphere After 1918 In the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (SHS), established in 1918, yugoslavism as a political idea of the integration of the nations was correlated by the Serbian intellectuals with another kind of the idea of community which only preserved terminological appearances of connection with the initial conception. In the interwar reality, unprecised „integral yugoslavism” gradually became the indication of the ethnic exclusivism of the Serbs and their leadership ambitions in the new state (philosophical ground for such a vision layed Miloš Djurić, whereas nationalisation of the community project was continued by Vladimir Dvorniković). The radicalisation of this programme ensued thanks to the ideologists of so called Christian nationalism (above all Dimitrije Ljotić) and led to the affirmation of the values of the native traditionalism. Such a thought with a fascist indication, supported with the politicised Orthodoxy and taking shape of the Serbian national idea from the nineteen-thirties, will be constituted as a primary factor of the disintegration of the (imaginary) community of the Yugoslavs right into the nineteen-nineties. W utworzonym w 1918 roku Królestwie SHS jugoslawizm jako polityczna idea integracji narodów został przez serbskich intelektualistów zestrojony z innym typem idei wspólnoty, który zachował tylko terminologiczne pozory związku z wyjściową koncepcją. W rzeczywistości międzywojennej niedoprecyzowany „integralny jugoslawizm” stawał się stopniowo wyznacznikiem etnicznego ekskluzywizmu Serbów i ich ambicji przywódczych w nowym państwie (filozoficzny grunt pod taką wizję przygotował Miloš Djurić, a nacjonalizację projektu wspólnotowego kontynuował Vladimir Dvorniković). Radykalizacja tego programu nastąpiła za sprawą ideologów tzw. chrześcijańskiego nacjonalizmu (przede wszystkim Dimitrije Ljoticia) i doprowadziła do afirmacji wartości rodzimego tradycjonalizmu. Ta faszyzująca myśl, wspierana upolitycznionym prawosławiem i przybierająca od lat 30. kształt serbskiej idei narodowej, stanowić będzie podstawowy czynnik dezintegrujący (wyobrażoną) wspólnotę Jugosłowian aż do lat 90. XX wieku.

On Islamic Feminist Texts and Women Activism

In the early nineteen nineties, when Arab and Muslim women in the diaspora began to speak of the linguistic construct “Islam” and “feminism,” the two terms were not yet closely connected. The discourse was rather about Islamic feminism as a trend or as a different form of gender awareness and renewal in Islamic thought (Badran, 2009). With the start of the twenty first century, a large group of Muslim women scholars and activists working on feminist issues, researchers on Islam, theologians, and social scientists from Senegal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran, Morocco, Malaysia, France, and the United States met for a conference in Barcelona (October 26-30, 2005) under the title “Junta Islamic Catalonia”. The Iranian Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Pakistani Refaat Hassan, Afro-American Amina Wadud, Pakistani Asma Barlas, and many other voices were heard officially discussing “Islamic feminism”, knowing that the phrase itself was used earlier in the journal Zenan, in post-revolutionary Iran.

Simuliranje demokracije: emancipacija demokratske krize u esejistici Dubravke Ugrešić

One of the central notions of the post-Yugoslav literature is the status of democracy in national states formed after the breakup of Yugoslavia. From the perspective of the exile, not only as banishment, but also as a liberating outside view into the once common social, cultural and political space, the post-Yugoslav writers question the social democracy praxis in their former home states comparing it to the social practices in the states of their current residence. In her books of essays, Dubravka Ugrešić ironizes different forms of social ideology in Croatia from the beginning of nineteen-nineties. Her writing recognizes the standards of European democracy accompanied with the ideological view into the questions of social rights, religion and language as the stumbling block of modern society. Ugrešić describes democracy as a notion hiding different things: the praxis of ruthless capitalist exploitation, loss of media freedom, media manipulation, the censorship of corporate capitalism, production of lies, modern slavery... (Don’t take it personal, 2014), validating in her essays the importance of literature in disclosure of autocracy masked as democracy.

Emily Dickinson po polsku

The article traces Polish translations of Dickinson’s poetry preceding and following the publication in the nineteen nineties of 200 poems by Emily Dickinson translated by Stanisław Barańczak. It comments on some Polish poets’ response to Dickinson in their own works and points to the growing body of publications online of private selections from Dickinson’s poems previously translated by established Polish poets (mostly Barańczak or Marjańska) as well as translations and original poems inspired by Dickinson’s work authored by less known poets, amateur translators and lovers of poetry. The article suggests that the increased Polish interest in Dickinson’s work is not only a kind of domino effect following Barańczak’s impressive translations. It also results from the growth of interest in translation studies and skills and must be related, too, to the fact that her poetry of private sensibility confronted with a dramatically changing world resonates with contemporary experience of the sensitive individual.

Paradoksi globalizacije

The article problematizes the process of globalization from the position of D. Helld’s theoretical postulates from the nineteen nineties. Confronting different attitudes to and conceptualizations of globalization the article gives an overview of the readiness of Western European countries for the 21st century and of their abilities to respond to the challenges of globalization. Drawing attention to negative trends as consequences of structural changes within Western Europe, the author makes conclusions about the paradoxes of globalization, namely, the political, democratic, economic, ethical and philosophical paradox.

Challenges in Meeting the Electricity Needs of South Africa

The state-owned power utility, Eskom, generates about ninety five percent of the electricity produced in South Africa. Plans by the government of South Africa in the mid-nineteen nineties to restructure the electricity industry in the country prevented Eskom from embarking on capacity expansion activities when it was necessary. Load growth, as a result of economic growth and a national electrification programme, caused an erosion of the electricity reserve margin, which was quite massive in the early nineties. The large reserve margin then caused Eskom to reduce operating capacity by mothballing some generating plants and putting them in reserve storage. The current situation is that the reserve margin has dropped to about 17,4 percent and a capacity expansion programme is underway. Though the apparent reserve margin is within the desired range, plant unavailability has diminished the reserve margin in real terms and this does not leave Eskom with much room for planned maintenance and a buffer to manage unplanned maintenance, the result being that plant incidents and technical problems cannot easily be absorbed within the power system to avoid interruption of supply. Also, the new environmental legislation does not help the situation, as it has the potential to shut down generating plants that do not meet the new emissions standard. In addition, there have been problems with the New Build Programme that caused a delay, of over three years, in the delivery of new power, and to compound the problem the Energy Regulator refused recently Eskom’s application for additional tariff increase, which was requested to enable the company provide the finances to cover the shortfall in funding for operational expenses and the New Build Programme. As such, Eskom faces many challenges in meeting its obligation to South Africa, and interventions are in place to manage the situation. In the short term, the key to generation sustainability is improved plant health, brought about by on-time maintenance and correctly-scoped and no-slip outages. This paper presents an overview of the power situation in South Africa, explaining where the country has come from, the plan for long term security of supply, and the challenges faced by Eskom from the generation supply side in meeting the demand load in the short term. Trends in the performance indices indicative of plant health are examined and it is argued that executing planned plant maintenance will improve plant health and, hence, plant availability, which can bring about a turnaround in the short term power supply situation, as Eskom awaits new capacity from the New Build Programme.