To what are humans adapting?

Emilio F. Moran, Human Adaptability: An Introduction to Ecological Anthropology. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1982. xv + 404 pp. $25.00 cloth, $13.50 paper.     

What are patterns in the humanities?

ABSTRACT

This paper is concerned with patterns in past human behaviour, what they are, and how this relates to the detection of patterns in data by means of computation. Theorists have not given patterns the attention they deserve. Therefore it is far from clear what patterns are and to what purpose scholars may use them. This paper presents eight propositions on patterns which hold true for patterns found ‘by hand’ and patterns found ‘by computation’. One such is that a pattern is discernible in behaviour when we subject it to the intentional stance, as the philosopher Daniel Dennett argues. Here behaviour is part of an intentional system. This paper’s argument is that the patterns found ‘by computation’ too are part of an intentional system. To substantiate this claim this paper discusses two important examples of detecting computational patterns in the domain of the humanities.     

Where are the witches of prehistory?

Why are certain common classes of ritually destroyed objects (persons, artifacts, or architecture), such as persecuted witches, so difficult to identify in the archaeological record? Although a common topic in cultural anthropology, witches seldom receive the attention of archaeologists. The difficulties archaeologists face in the study of religion derive, in part, from the lack of correlates linking ritual activities to the formation of archaeological deposits. This paper defines ritual as a technology and employs an object life history approach that draws upon ethnographic, archaeological, and experimental research to begin building such linkages—including those describing the presecution and deposition of witches, sorcerers, and other victims of ritual violence. These new directions are illustrated through a case study of anomalous deposits of human skeletal remains from the North American Southwest     

Why are Canadians Reluctant to Leave Their Province?

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the puzzle of Canadian interprovincial migration. Despite the opportunities afforded by a large country like Canada, the proportion of residents moving to a new province has been in steep decline since the 1970s. A body of literature suggests that federal redistribution explains the limited incentives of residents to move across provinces, by equalizing the quality of services throughout the country. However, most of the available evidence relies on migration trends observed after the fact. This article introduces an original survey asking Canadian respondents squarely whether they have ever considered leaving their province. The findings support the idea that satisfaction with provincial services refrains intra-country migration. Moreover, the results show that views about the federation matter to explain attitudes toward migration. Canadians favorable to centralization, who tend to be younger and more educated, are more likely to consider moving to another province.     

Nationalism and Sexuality,What are the Issues?

Abstract. This article attempts to clarify in a systematic fashion the relationship between nationalism and sexuality. Whilst a relationship is now generally recognised between the two phenomena, it has been neglected relative to other issues. There are genuine reasons for this, the relationship being fraught with conceptual and empirical problems. Such problems are evident in the writings to date directly on nationalism and sexuality. This discussion attempts to initially disentangle racism and gender from nationalism and sexuality, respectively, before outlining what I consider to be the three major intersections: national sexual stereotypes, sexuality in national conflict and sexuality in nation-building. Each of the intersections are indicated by an assessment of their conceptual relationship, and illustrated by various historical instances.     

’Elephants are contagious’: Fintan O'Toole's Ireland

The Lie of the Land: Irish Identities Fintan O'toole, 1998 Dublin, New Island Books pp. 172, ISBN 1.874.597.723, £9.99 (hb)     

"昭德"应为"彰德"

中华书局标点本《续资治通鉴长编》(以下简称《长编》)卷十六,开宝八年(975)九月有这样一条材料: 丁酉,以相州录事参军河南钱文敏为右赞善大夫、权知泸州.先是,藩镇多以笔牍私取官库钱,韩重赟领昭德时,颇仍旧弊,文敏不与.重赟怒,召文敏廷责之,文敏词不屈.重赟既死,上始闻其事,嘉文敏有守,故擢用焉,……①     

"群团"还是"社团"

在首届新方志和续修方志中,有许多设了群众团体志(编、篇),还有的将党派群团或党政群团写在一起,称党派群团志(编、篇)或党政群团志(编、篇)。少数则设社会团体志(编、篇),或合设党派社团志(编、篇)。究竟应叫“群团”,还是称作“社团”呢？对此,我们首先要弄清群团和社团的概念。     

"绿"与"绿"

中日两国文化源远流长,在文化融合交汇的过程中,产生许多同形词.在这些同形词中必然存在异义词.本文所讨论的"绿"字,在中日两国语言中同时存在,其基本义相近,引申又有所不同.本文将从"绿"的基本义和引申义的解释和分析出发,试比较"绿"在现代中日两国语言中异同.     

"丘"非"乡"而为"里"辨

~~ 名称 ?笔者认为 ,此处“丘亭”与“乡亭”的说法有类似之处。“乡亭”之名屡见于《汉书》 ,“乡”为地方行政组织的名称 ,则“丘亭”之“丘”是不是也可以作同类解释 ?故顾炎武《日知录》在此条下云 :“又必有人民 ,如今之镇集。”即顾氏以“镇集”释“丘”。再以息夫躬的情况而言 ,他为食邑千户之宜陵侯 ,虽被哀帝遣就国 ,怎能住到一个“空亭”、“野亭”之中 ?因此此“丘亭”之“丘”应为当时一级地方行政组织之名称。另外 ,还有一条史料也可以为此提供佐证 ,《史记·高祖本纪》云 :“汉王……引水灌废丘 ,废丘降 ,章邯自杀。更名…     

"鹭舞"与"鹭鼓"

上个世纪40年代,闻一多先生《说鱼》1一文在考释"鱼"字的隐义时附带谈及"鹭",将鱼、鹭两者释为男女关系的两方,这应该是"鹭"与其他象征之错综复杂关系的一个方面.本文认为"鹭"的杂多象征关系中还有一个被以往学者已注意到但尚未展开的方面,即鹭与舞、鹭与鼓的关系.     

"欺人"与"自欺"

公元1415年4月18日,也就是明永乐十三年三月丁未。贵州建省的第三个年头,历史上由中央政府任命的贵州首位行政长官,贵州布政司右布政使蒋廷瓒对一干人等说：去年皇上北征,得胜回朝,消息传到贵州,贵州思南府务川县的大岩山中听到连呼三声“万     

"葬"和"埋"

本文主要对"葬"释源,并兼谈与"葬"有密切关系的"埋"字,同时附带介绍一些与丧葬有关的历史文化知识."葬"是起源很早的字,很有可能在商周时代产生,"埋"是"薶"的俗字,"埋"的出现理应晚于"薶"字."埋(薶)"起先都是指埋物、埋牲,后来才有埋人之义.本文粗略地说明了"葬""埋"的起源、意义,同时附带介绍一些与丧葬有关的历史文化知识.     

"黔驴技穷"与"夜郎自大"

题目上的这两个成语,都没给贵州人增光,倒让贵州人很气短的。然而不知自何时起,除了“自大”一词仍不能让人安逸外,“夜郎”竞越来越成为抢手货了。先是本省的几个地方争得不可开交,“内战”未息,据说邻省某县就已挂出“夜郎县”的招牌来了。何以然?旅游之故也!人     

“There are only realities built in the mind”

Abstract

In the wake of the First World War, Vilhelm Bjerknes and his colleagues in Bergen established their so-called front meteorology. With their new concepts and models they “appropriated” the weather – to use Robert Marc Friedman's expression – for physics and for Norwegian science. A regular weather forecasting service was established at the same time for the whole of the Norwegian coast, and fishermen soon became the meteorologists’ primary allies in their struggle for state support and resources. This article examines how the alliance was established, how weather forecasting was “appropriated” by the coastal population, particularly in the north, and what difference this made.