British Muslims: Past,Present and Future

Abstract: Around the European Union, the implication by large sections of society is that there is something intrinsically different about Islam that makes it difficult to integrate Muslims into European societies. Some of these sections of society are non‐Muslim, and are reluctant to allow such integration to take place; others are Muslim. These sentiments raise a number of issues relating to plural identities and their compatibility with modern day Europe and Islam, with such issues finding variable expressions in member‐states. The British example represents an illustrative case study, having a long history of interaction with Muslims and being the home of a large Muslim population. History bears witness that in terms of religious diversity, the U.K. was never a monolithic society based on a monoculture. From the Middle Ages until the beginning of the twentieth century, there is strong evidence to show that there was, at the least, British contact with Muslims. In Britain, just as all over Europe, Islam has a long lineage: “For British Muslims, the past does not have to be ‘another country.’”     

Editors' Note: Past and Future of JAC

<正>The JOURNAL OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS(JAC)is published annually by the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations(northeast normal university,Changchun,Jilin Province,People’s Republic of China).This year,we are proud to present the 30th volume to the academic audience.First issued in 1986 after the foundation of     

English and American Giving: Past and Future Imaginings

In this paper I compare the development of English and American philanthropy. A brief history of the background of English land holding and social relationships, stressing paternalism and security, is compared with that of changing American views on giving that are linked with progress and individual achievement. In both instances I use Mauss's theory of the gift. This includes such matters as the gift becoming part of the giver, the importance of emotional rather than contractual commitment to exchange, and the use of sanctions in encouraging reciprocity. Examples are provided of these attributes in comparing the giving of three well known English philanthropists with three American counterparts from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.     

中印关系的历史及发展趋势

中国和印度是近邻且同是幅员辽阔、人口众多的世界明古国,两国都有着悠久的历史和灿烂的化。作为世界明古国,都曾为人类的进步作出过杰出贡献;两国都曾饱受西方殖民主义、帝国主义的欺凌与蹂躏;两国都想在世界舞台充当重要角色。这些相同的经历和共同的发展任务,使中印两国有着许多共同点。     

The Archaeology of Al-Andalus: Past,Present and Future

Abstract

THIS PAPER PRESENTS AN OVERVIEW of the archaeology of al-Andalus (the Arabic name for Islamic Spain and Portugal), from its beginnings in the late 1970s to the present day. Innovative approaches and challenging theoretical stances made the archaeology of al-Andalus the spearhead of medieval archaeology in Iberia between the 1980s and 1990s. A problematic, and often conflicting, relationship between archaeology and history has characterised medieval archaeology in Spain since its inception, however, and a new awareness of these problems is emerging. This paper reviews past and current attitudes to such challenges and reflects on the future needs of the discipline. It also reflects on the politics of archaeology and on the role of medieval archaeology in revealing social change, which has until now been underrated.     

Agency and Archaeology: Past, Present, and Future Directions

In light of the growing social scientific interest in agency theory, this paper sets out to examine and critically evaluate recent approaches to agency within archaeology. To this end, the paper briefly outlines the foundational theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Anthony Giddens before turning to discuss the central themes and issues that emerge from some of the more influential contemporary approaches to agency within archaeology. Drawing from these differing approaches, this paper seeks to establish conceptual clarity in archaeological thinking about agency through a discussion of the importance of distinguishing between intentions, consequences, meanings, and motives when seeking to understand the situated subjectivities of historical actors.     

一部承前启后的地方志书——记民国《夏口县志》

民国《夏口县志》是汉口建县后第一部志书,也是汉口建国前唯一一部志书,它全面地反映了清末民初汉口地区的历史与文化,具有很高的史料的地方价值。另外,该志在吸收前人修志经验的同时,纳入进化史观、民生史观以及综合文化观,志书的体例更丰富、更完备,内容更加贴进民众,关注民生、反映民情。使该志初具近代方志的雏形,备中国方志承前启后之功。     

Imagining an Archaeology of the Future: Capitalism and Colonialism Past and Present

This paper explores how doing history backward may allow archaeologists to begin imagining an archaeology of the future. The purpose of such an archaeology would be two-fold: first, to examine the past from the vantage point of the present as a way of better understanding the past as precondition, and second, to critically examine the present with an eye toward imagining how archaeology might be able to influence the future. Drawing on case studies that offer windows on the growth of capitalist production and the continuing impacts of colonialism, this paper seeks to demonstrate the power of using archaeology to link past and present. By focusing on the ideological dimensions of processes such as commoditization and the erasure of indigenous histories I hope to highlight the value of doing history backward and its potential for constructing an archaeology of the future.