Exhibiting eugenics: response and resistance to a hidden history

Human Plants, Human Harvest: The Hidden History of California Eugenics is the first-ever exhibition on the history of eugenics in California. The disappearance of this history for half a century, and the consequent absence of a "collective menory", were the primary factors determining the exhibit's sttrcture and content. Responses to the exhibit confirmed that most visitors "never knew" about this history. The exhibit is described in some detail, with selected imagery from the exhibit reproduced. After the initial exhibition, responses of other museums and foundation officials revealed a continuing resistance to this history being publicly displayed, though the sources of resistance varied.     

古代目录中史部故事类到政书类的演变

故事本意系指旧事,司马迁继承其父遗愿时曾表示:"请悉论先人所次旧闻,弗敢阙."以后又曰:"余所谓述故事,整齐其世传,非所谓作也."①从对旧事的引录叙述,渐指旧日事例及前朝的典章制度,《汉书·楚元王传附刘向传》:"是时,宣王循武帝故事,招名儒俊材置左右."又《汉书·苏武传》:"卫将军张安世荐(苏)武明习故事,奉使不辱使命."故事意指典章制度,史志中一直沿用至明代.     

The early history of the Hejaz: a response to Garth Bawden

Despite Dr. Bawden's criticisms - some of which seem to be based on his misunderstanding of previous arguments - the author reaffirms his view that the development of "oasis urbanism" in the Hejaz at the end of the 2nd millennium was at least in part the result of Egyptian trading contacts with the region. The available evidence does not allow us to conclude that this phenomenon survived into the early 1st millennium, however, and it is more likely that the area became nomadized for several centuries, perhaps until the Neo-Babylonian occupation of Tayma in the mid-sixth century.     

浅析中国古代方志中的地图

中国的地图与方志之间有着很深的历史渊源.无论在方志的前身地记、图经中作为主导地位的地图,还是在定型后的方志中作为组成部分的地图,它都是方志文献中不可或缺的成分.因此,研究方志中地图的情况既是对地图研究的需要,也是对方志研究的需要.而方志文献是诸多文献中数量众多、信息涵盖面广泛、资料特征独特的重要文献形式,因此,对地图的研究不可缺少对方志中地图的研究.     

The Iranian Diaspora in Sydney: Migration Experience of Recent Iranian Immigrants

Recent research has found that discrimination against Islam and Muslims is deeply rooted in Australia. This report explores whether or how recent Iranian migrants have experienced racism, discrimination, or Islamaphobia in Sydney. These questions are explored by focusing on their experiences and issues regarding their making of new lives in Australia. This article suggests that recent Iranian migrants are experiencing far less discrimination than other Muslim diasporas in Sydney. Concluding that despite recent reports by some researchers grouping various Muslim populations together as regards Islamaphobia, there is a necessity for investigating discrimination, stereotyping, and Islamaphobia against particular diasporas to determine the needs of the Muslim population at large.     

Confabulations: a conceptual history

Confabulations are inaccurate or false narratives purporting to convey information about world or self. It is the received view that they are uttered by subjects intent on "covering up" for a putative memory deficit. The epidemiology of confabulations is unknown. Speculated causes include amnesia, embarrassment, "frontal lobe" damage, a subtype of "personality", a dream-like event, and a disturbance of the self. Historical analysis shows that "confabulation" was constructed at the turn of the century as part of a network of concepts (e.g. delusion, fixed idea, etc.) meant to capture narratives with dubious content. This paper deals with the history of the construction of the word and concept of confabulation and with earlier recognitions of the behaviours that serve as their referent and puts forward a model based on historical data. Two phenomena are included under "confabulation": "untrue" utterances by subjects with memory impairment and "fantastic" utterances marshalled with conviction by subjects suffering from psychoses and no memory deficit. Under different disguises, the "covering up" or "gap filling" hypothesis is still going strong. Although superficially plausible, it poses problems in regards to the issue of "awareness of purpose": if full awareness is presumed then the semantics of the concept of "purpose" is severely stretched and confabulations cannot be differentiated from delusions.     

清代徽州族长的权力简论

族长是清代徽州宗族内部的最高领导者,对宗族内外事务拥有较大的控制权。这些权力主要包括宗族祭祀权、族内事务主持监督权、族内纠纷调处裁判权、对宗族经济生活的控制权、对族人的处罚惩治权、宗族对外交涉权等。由于族长拥权较重,徽州宗族在族内制度设计时对族长制订了一些防范、惩罚措施,这在一定程度上有利于遏制宗族自治中的不利因素,使徽州宗族社会秩序沿着相对较为健康有序的轨道惯性推进。