“Transcending Without Transcendence”: Utopianism and an Ethos of Hope

Human geography has recently witnessed an emergent interest in the intertwined problematics of how to be utopian and how to remain hopeful or optimistic. This paper aims to introduce a type of immanent utopianism that follows from a dynamic, open, conception of utopia. It revolves around thinking through how an ethos of hope functions in relation to the multiple problems and tasks of utopia/utopianism. The paper describes how Ernst Bloch re‐defined the utopian as a type of process and then outlines a style of immanent utopianism based on an explicit ethos of hope. The result is a sensitivity to matter as utopological, as containing an immanent reference to a not‐yet beyond, that obliges us to practice a utopianism that intervenes in the emergence, and change, of something better in a world that takes place “in hazard”. In conclusion the paper argues for a utopic geography based on being, and becoming, hopeful that is itself a response to an ethical imperative to give and find hope in the context of the tragedy and injustice of suffering.     

Embeddedness,context, proximity and control

In this paper, we discuss the notion of embeddedness in relation to knowledge and knowledge processes. We distinguish embeddedness in terms of institutional contexts, in terms of clusters and networks, and in terms of spatial proximity. An overview of empirical cases of knowledge processes leads to the conclusion that spatial proximity is not inherently important to these processes. Spatial concentration of knowledge processes may nevertheless occur for other reasons.     

Palaeolithic and Neolithic Occupations in the Témara Region (Rabat, Morocco): Recent Data on Hominin Contexts and Behavior

In the 1970s, the discoveries of Palaeolithic human remains in the caves of Dar es Soltane 2, El Harhoura 1 and Les Contrebandiers reinforced interest in the sites of the Témara region. These sites, often cited, have been the object of numerous investigations which have produced a major contribution to the prehistory of Morocco. Over the past 15 years, research at two key sites, El Mnasra and El Harhoura 2, have considerably enhanced the available data for this region. Preliminary results obtained from excavations since 2001, allow us to present the palaeoenvironmental framework and describe the technological behaviour of prehistoric groups within a re-evaluated stratigraphic context. The microfaunal and macrofaunal assemblages are analysed according to systematics, taphonomy and palaeoecology. The lithic and bone industries document patterns of raw material acquisition and transformation. Within the context of the history of more than 60 years of research in the region of Témara, this contribution allows us to approach the question of Palaeolithic population on the basis of recent, and for the most part new, data and evidence.     

‘The Chiefs’ Country': a Malaitan View of the Conflict in Solomon Islands

ABSTRACT This account of the recent conflict in Solomon Islands, based on personal experience, offers a local Malaitan perspective on the historical causes and course of events which has not been well represented in other published accounts. It describes the Malaitan settlement of Guadalcanal and the failure of government to deal with the resulting grievances in terms of traditional values which also informed the author's own responses to the conflict and its resolution. The Malaitan community is shown as forced into politically‐manipulated militancy through neglect of the conciliatory role of clan leaders as chiefs. As a perspective from one side of the conflict, the paper invites responses and discussion of indigenous histories.     

The Strength Reduction Factors for Seismic-Isolated Bridges Characterized by SDOF Bilinear Systems in Far-Fault Areas

This article presents a statistical study on strength reduction factors for seismic-isolated bridges in far-fault areas. 1410 ground motions are selected and modified to be compatible with the recommended response spectra. Then, they are divided into 60 groups to investigate the effects of PGA/PGV ratios, soil conditions and post-to-pre-yield stiffness ratio. Results show that reduction factors are significantly affected by the PGA/PGV ratio, while the latter two items are not as important as the first one. Finally, an improved equation to estimate the reduction factor is proposed, and the accuracy of the equation is verified by additional records.