Coastal heritage in touristic regional identity narratives: a comparison between the Norwegian region Sørlandet and the Dutch Wadden Sea area

ABSTRACT

Heritage plays a central role in narratives of coastal regions that promote them as places of leisure. This paper compares this role of heritage in Sørlandet (Norway) and the Dutch Wadden Sea area. Both regions have rich and related cultural histories, but at the same time exhibit striking differences in the role of cultural heritage and other aspects of heritage in regional identity narratives that are aimed at attracting tourists. We conclude that while the narratives of Sørlandet affirm a romantic, picturesque image of pre-industrial, societies, those in the Dutch Wadden Sea area frame this region as a pristine and timeless wilderness, in which human history has no place.     

The Social and Economic Complexity of Ancient Jerusalem as Seen Through Choices in Lighting Oils

This paper presents and discusses the results of residue analysis conducted on 78 ceramic lamps found in archaeological excavations in ancient Jerusalem, in an attempt to identify the types of oils used and the reasons for their preferential choice. The oil lamps chosen for the study were taken from a variety of contexts, which represent the different periods during which Jerusalem was settled and the different sectors of the city. The results of the study show that even the most mundane activity of lighting using oil held within it social and economic choices, as mirrored in the different excavation areas.     

Migrations- und Integrationsforschung in der Praxis

Das aktuelle Interesse an Fragen der Migration und Integration von Ausl?ndern und eingebürgerten Deutschen hat zu einer gro?en Vielfalt an Forschungsans?tzen geführt. Die M?glichkeiten zur Analyse von Migrations- und Integrationsprozessen werden in einem hohen Ma?e durch die verfügbaren statistischen Daten und empirischen Umfrageergebnisse bestimmt, die spezifische Anforderungen erfüllen müssen. Der folgende Beitrag führt kurz in die besonderen Erfordernisse der Migrations- und Integrationsforschung ein und stellt eine Auswahl an Datenquellen vor. Im Mittelpunkt des Interesses steht der aktuelle Integrationssurvey des Bundesinstituts für Bev?lkerungsforschung, dessen Analysem?glichkeiten exemplarisch gezeigt werden. Correspondence to:Frank Swiaczny     

Dividing Homer (continued): Innovation vs. Tradition in Homer - an Overlooked Piece of Evidence

In Homeric studies, the evidence of metrics has often been overlooked. The authors argue that the hexameter must be a recent development, closely bound up with the transition from an Aeolic to a Ionic phase in the development of the epic diction. The Ionic phase must have been very short, and the rise of the Iliad is probably also to be situated at the very moment of change in meter and dialect.     

Noncontiguity and political architecture: the parliaments of small island states

Territorial noncontiguity creates distance problems, and thereby promotes a need for noncontiguous countries to accommodate regional or otherwise distinct interests that emanate from or are linked to territorial divisions. For a population of 31 small island states, many of which display territorial noncontiguity, this study explores to what extent geography is reflected in the political architecture of legislatures that these political units choose to apply. Specifically, the study searches for possible effects of noncontiguity on federalism and bicameralism as well as the extent to which parliaments are recruited by means of apportionment and appointment. Concerning federalism and bicameralism, no discernible patterns emerge. Concerning apportionment and appointment, however, noncontiguity makes a difference. These techniques are used by a majority of the noncontiguous island states, but not (Mauritius being by virtue of its social heterogeneity a distinct exception) by contiguous island states. Processes of constitution-making in the island states have indeed been concerned with challenges that originate from the partitioning of space, and although geography does not of course explain the totality of politics, it does affect, to some extent at least, the motives, inducements, calculations and behaviour of constitution-makers as political architects.