An Overview of Maritime Archaeological Research of the Colonial Period in the French Antilles

This article provides a summary of the various maritime archaeology projects undertaken in the French Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique) since the 1980s that date to the 17th–19th century Colonial period. These projects are presented in the context of the principal maritime archaeological research questions. The results are analysed thematically touching on different aspects of archaeological research in littoral and underwater zones: coastal plantations, ports, and micro‐islets. Research carried out on wreck‐sites is presented with respect to their maritime use (commercial, naval, and cabotage). The nature and distribution of such sites provides information both on maritime routes and traffic, trade, conflicts, and environmental risks specific to the Antilles in the Colonial period.     

Gendering boundary work: exploring excluded spaces in supermarket job rotation

The article explores the establishment of gendering divides in organisations by bridging Hernes' (2004) typologies of physical, social and mental boundary work with notions on the practice of gender as negotiated in everyday organisational activities. In the investigated Swedish supermarket, the pre-store, a narrow, front-stage space in which only women worked, was excluded from the job rotation that otherwise dominated the organisation of work in the store. This study examines: (1) how and on what grounds the divides of the pre-store were established in the supermarket and (2) how spatial divides were incorporated into the practice of gender and work in the supermarket. The findings suggest that the divides that are visible through the exclusion of the pre-store from the job rotation involved not only the allocation of work and space but also multiple and complex physical, social and mental spatial negotiations undertaken by both employees and managers. Together, these factors neutralised the divides as an aspect of the activities. First, the notion that gender was irrelevant for organisational decisions makes gender a non-issue for the organisation of the pre-store activities. Second, the notion that women and men are essentially different provided a ground for explaining why, despite being an organisational non-issue, work and workers were in fact organised along gendered lines in the supermarket. The study contributes with qualitative insights regarding the micro-political practices that make gender into a neutralised non-issue in organisations and, in particular, the intertwinement of spatial practices and negotiations.     

France,Patrie, Nation: figures de lutte et discours national (XVIème–XIXème siècles)

This article explores the conceptual changes and semantic shifts of ‘patrie’ and of nation from the Renaissance up to the French Revolution and the First Empire. It emphasises the causes and consequences of both concepts' occurrence and tries to discover their fundamental differences synchronically and diachronically. A brief comparison with other European countries allows us to understand that both concepts are not typically French and highlights the very fact that they are interactive, discontinuous, and at the same time evolutionary, since they are successively inserted in a specific historical context. Above all, ‘patrie’ and nation turn out to be used more often during national and international political conflicts, even though they did not have the same connotation and register. It is therefore interesting to consider precisely what characterises both concepts, and to reflect upon the origins of the modern meaning of nation.     

First record of Viperidae snakes from the Pleistocene of southwestern Brazilian Amazonia

We describe an incomplete trunk vertebra of a snake attributable to the Viperidae, collected from a conglomerate facies in upper Pleistocene sediments at the Mississippi locality, Upper Juruá River, southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. It represents the first fossil snake record from the Pleistocene of this region. This specimen extends the fossil distribution of the Viperidae, representing the northernmost record of a snake in the Brazilian Pleistocene.     

ORGANIZATION,LEGITIMATION, PARTICIPATION

This article suggests a new interpretation of the state formation process in Early Modern Sweden, focusing on three dimensions: The organization of the state as a way to use limited resources in a rational way, the legitimation of rulers in terms of beliefs and values current in society, and the participation of the subjects in state activities. Our model focuses on institutional change as a result of the intensity of interaction between rulers and subjects. Based on our own research, claims are made for new understanding of state formation in Europe that allows more room for political action from below.     

Incorporating “virtual” and “real world” field trips into introductory geography modules

The “field trip” is a key pedagogical tool within geographical education to encourage deep learning, though they are increasingly difficult to implement due to reduced budgets, safety concerns and increasing class sizes. We incorporated three field-learning activities into a large introductory module. A traditional staff-led trip was the most effective activity in terms of enjoyment, knowledge, and deep thinking and awareness. Self-paced field activities and video podcasts had less pedagogical value, though can still support lectures and the staff-led field trip. An integrated approach will best maximize deep learning opportunities.