Intentional Creation Research Articles

Intentional creation of carbon-rich dark earth soils in the Amazon.

Fertile soil known as Amazonian dark earth is central to the debate over the size and ecological impact of ancient human populations in the Amazon. Dark earth is typically associated with human occupation, but it is uncertain whether it was created intentionally. Dark earth may also be a substantial carbon sink, but its spatial extent and carbon inventory are unknown. We demonstrate spatial and compositional similarities between ancient and modern dark earth and document modern Indigenous practices that enrich soil, which we use to propose a model for the formation of ancient dark earth. This comparison suggests that ancient Amazonians managed soil to improve fertility and increase crop productivity. These practices also sequestered and stored carbon in the soil for centuries, and we show that some ancient sites contain as much carbon as the above-ground rainforest biomass. Our results demonstrate the intentional creation of dark earth and highlight the value of Indigenous knowledge for sustainable rainforest management.

Co-design as a Networked Approach to Designing Educational Futures

Design is a contested term, and this has implications for designing educational futures. Described through five senses to elucidate its complexity, design can be conceptualised as domain, as process, as plan, as the resulting product, and as the intentional creation of new possibilities. In this paper, we use the five design senses to illustrate how they could be useful for making sense of a large, complex, and multifaceted educational project. We define the design senses as a network of socio-material entanglements and illustrate how actor-network theory can be useful in unpacking this network. Taking a postdigital perspective, we illustrate that in designing for learning in higher education, the relationships between the five senses are fluid, constantly shifting, and emergent in a network of human and non-human actants. We argue that design research needs to move beyond cognitive approaches to the study of collaborative approaches that empower participants. In doing so, our study proposes a co-design approach to designing educational futures where multidisciplinary teams connect their knowledge, skills, and resources to carry out a design task. We present three mini-cases from our co-design project to illustrate how the five senses of design can be used to unpack and untangle the web of complex relationships in co-design. Furthermore, we reflect on the shifting role of educational developers as they lead and participate in co-design teams. We conclude by problematising educational design for designing educational futures in a postdigital world.

Intentional creation of dissection flaps to treat perforations during chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) carries a non-negligible risk of coronary perforation. Definitive treatment of a proximal large vessel perforation often requires the use of covered stents; however, the latter carry significant risk of restenosis and thrombosis, and is not feasible if wire control of the distal vessel has not been achieved. We describe two cases of target vessel perforations during CTO PCI which were treated by the intentional creation of dissection flaps using the subintimal tracking and re-entry technique to seal the perforation.

The Moroccan “Yizkor Book”: Holocaust Memory, Intra-Jewish Marginalization, and Communal Empowerment in Israel

The writing of “Yizkor books” (Yizker bikher, רעכיב רוכזי)—memorial books for European Jewish communities that were destroyed in the Holocaust—has developed and expanded as the remnants of these lost communities scattered around the globe in the post-war era. The motives for writing comparable books among non-European Jewish communities—which experienced different circumstances of dispersal but were still influenced by Holocaust memory—and the way these books nourished the intentional creation of immigrant communities, are understudied. This article focuses on the related genre of what we define as community-oriented autobiographical memoirs penned by Moroccan Jews who migrated to Israel in the 1950s. Within these books, we trace patterns of narration and memory construction utilized by Moroccan leaders in an effort to cope with the stereotyping and exclusion of their communities from mainstream culture by the Ashkenazi-European elite in Israel. We explore how these narratives by Moroccan immigrants were, on the one hand, inspired by commonplace Israeli Holocaust memories depicting the traumatic annihilation of Jewish life in Morocco, and, on the other hand, accounts of Moroccan marginality in Israel.

Medical students’ experiences of the Senior Citizen Partnership Program: Evaluation of a five-year longitudinal program

Purpose This article reports on an evaluation which explored students’ experiences with a Senior Citizen Partnership Program (SCPP). This was implemented in 2017 as part of Curtin Medical School’s curriculum to support students’ learning about healthy ageing. Methods This mixed methods study reports a cross-section of attitudes and content analyses of (i) open-ended responses from 258 students and (ii) transcriptions from seven focus group discussions which allowed 33 students from first, fourth and fifth years to articulate their experiences of the SCPP and its impact on their training. Results Three main themes were identified: (i) challenges to prior perceptions of older adults (with ten subthemes), (ii) positive impacts on their medical education (with eight subthemes) and (iii) on their personal development (with five subthemes). Overall, students viewed the SCPP as a valuable contribution to their learning. Its intentional creation of a designated space and time coincided with students’ transition into adulthood and formation as a doctor. Clinical-year students attributed the SCPP to improved interpersonal communication and care of older patients. Conclusion A longitudinal program which partners students with residential-based older adults may support the emerging identity of a doctor who provides quality care for older persons.

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Purpose: As one of the world's most populous countries, Indonesia is struggling with the composition of its people, the majority of whom are unemployed productive-age individuals with low education levels. Another issue is the high poverty rate, which is followed by issues of gender inequality. The government cannot solve these social issues on its own. There is a need for community support to solve these problems through sustainable social entrepreneurship activities. Theoretical framework: Studying the factors that affect the intention to engage in social entrepreneurial activities is an important aspect of SE theoretical development (Yu et al., 2021). Thus, the study of what factors influence an individual's Social Entrepreneurial Intention (SEI) is still in its early stages, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia, where the SE level is much lower than in developed countries. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior with Outcome Expectation to determine the factors that influence the interest of the Z and Millennial generation in becoming social entrepreneurs. The outcome expectation variable was added because previous research has indicated that outcome expectations are crucial when making career decisions (Lent et al., 2002) and that people must believe that social entrepreneurship is an appropriate method to address social problems when compared to other options before deciding to build a social enterprise. Design/methodology/approach: This study applied a quantitative approach with a judgmental sampling technique to a sample of Generation Z and Millennials who have ever participated in social activities but have not yet started their own business. The study gathered 210 respondents, who were then analyzed using the PLS-SEM method with multiple group analysis generation-based comparison. Findings: According to the findings, the Millennial Generation's Attitude Toward Behavior, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control and Outcome Expectation, all had a positive impact on Social Entrepreneurial Intention. Meanwhile, Subjective Norms had no effect on Social Entrepreneurial Intention in the Z Generation. Only attitude toward behavior, perceived behavioral control, and outcome expectation have a positive effect on the development of social entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, the findings of this study confirm that subjective norms influence attitude toward behavior and Perceived Behavioral Control in both Generation Z and millennials (generation Y) sample. Research, Practical & Social implications: The results of this research can be used by stakeholders to formulate policies and programs that can encourage the creation of social entrepreneurial intentions among Generation Z and Generation Y because they have different needs and motivations for pursuing career aspirations as sociopreneurs. Originality/value: The results of this research contribute to the enrichment of the study of social entrepreneurial intention, which currently attracts many scholars because of the economic and social impact it produces. Moreover, the study was conducted on samples of Generation Z and Generation Y in Indonesia, something that was rarely done in previous research in the Social Entrepreneurial Intention study.

Analysis of Interest in Becoming Social Entrepreneurs Among the Millennials and Z Generation Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Outcome Expectation: A Multigroup Analysis Approach

Purpose: As one of the world's most populous countries, Indonesia is struggling with the composition of its people, the majority of whom are unemployed productive-age individuals with low education levels. Another issue is the high poverty rate, which is followed by issues of gender inequality. The government cannot solve these social issues on its own. There is a need for community support to solve these problems through sustainable social entrepreneurship activities.
 
 Theoretical framework: Studying the factors that affect the intention to engage in social entrepreneurial activities is an important aspect of SE theoretical development (Yu et al., 2021). Thus, the study of what factors influence an individual's Social Entrepreneurial Intention (SEI) is still in its early stages, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia, where the SE level is much lower than in developed countries. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior with Outcome Expectation to determine the factors that influence the interest of the Z and Millennial generation in becoming social entrepreneurs. The outcome expectation variable was added because previous research has indicated that outcome expectations are crucial when making career decisions (Lent et al., 2002) and that people must believe that social entrepreneurship is an appropriate method to address social problems when compared to other options before deciding to build a social enterprise.
 
 Design/methodology/approach: This study applied a quantitative approach with a judgmental sampling technique to a sample of Generation Z and Millennials who have ever participated in social activities but have not yet started their own business. The study gathered 210 respondents, who were then analyzed using the PLS-SEM method with multiple group analysis generation-based comparison.
 
 Findings: According to the findings, the Millennial Generation's Attitude Toward Behavior, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control and Outcome Expectation, all had a positive impact on Social Entrepreneurial Intention. Meanwhile, Subjective Norms had no effect on Social Entrepreneurial Intention in the Z Generation. Only attitude toward behavior, perceived behavioral control, and outcome expectation have a positive effect on the development of social entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, the findings of this study confirm that subjective norms influence attitude toward behavior and Perceived Behavioral Control in both Generation Z and millennials (generation Y) sample.
 Research, Practical & Social implications: The results of this research can be used by stakeholders to formulate policies and programs that can encourage the creation of social entrepreneurial intentions among Generation Z and Generation Y because they have different needs and motivations for pursuing career aspirations as sociopreneurs.
 
 Originality/value: The results of this research contribute to the enrichment of the study of social entrepreneurial intention, which currently attracts many scholars because of the economic and social impact it produces. Moreover, the study was conducted on samples of Generation Z and Generation Y in Indonesia, something that was rarely done in previous research in the Social Entrepreneurial Intention study.

The AHAWOMEN project: study protocol of a multi-design research for exploring HAPA predictors of exercise in postmenopausal women

BackgroundThe postmenopausal period can represent an opportunity for women to improve their health and well-being. The Active and Healthy Ageing in Women during early postmenopause (AHAWOMEN) study aims to identify the key determinants of an active lifestyle among middle-aged women, with a focus on the stages and the social-cognitive variables outlined in the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model, a theoretical framework for understanding health behaviour change. We expected that HAPA factors and processes of intention creation (motivational phase) and action adoption (volitional phase) will be significant predictors of exercise initiation and maintenance, supporting both the HAPA tenets and the efficacy of HAPA-based interventions.Methods/designThis study was approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Committee. Postmenopausal women aged between 45 and 65 years will voluntarily participate. The participants will be allocated to one of three groups: Intervention-Initiators (n = 100, random allocation), Control-Sedentary (n = 100, random allocation) or Control-Active (n = 100, non-random allocation). The intervention group will engage in a supervised exercise programme lasting at least 3 months, supplemented with a HAPA-based intervention for behaviour change. The sedentary control group will not receive any intervention to change their physical activity, while the active control group will consist of women who are already regularly adhering to an active lifestyle. Study variables will be measured at baseline and postintervention phases, as well as at 1, 3, 6 and 12-month follow-ups. The predictors of exercise behaviour in the different phases of the behavioural change process will be explored and compared within and between groups throughout the study. These analyses will help identify the factors that determine the adoption of a healthy active behaviour. Additionally, the effectiveness of the model and the intervention for changing active behaviour will be evaluated.DiscussionThis paper describes the rationale, development and methods used in the AHAWOMEN project. Supporting women who intend to become active can help them to translate their goals into sustainable action. Verifying that the HAPA predictions are applicable to postmenopausal women’s adoption of exercise would provide the basis for designing effective interventions for promoting healthy and active ageing that are also tailored to the experiences of middle-aged women.Trial registrationISRCTN16251361. Registration date: 01/06/2023 (retrospectively registered).

Quantifying the anisotropic elasticity of 3D printed phononic artifacts with ultrasound for process monitoring

The layer-wise additive building technique utilized by 3D Printing (3DP)/Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes results in builds and parts with strong anisotropy. Also, with 3DP/AM, the intentional creation of intricate internal geometries and regulated compositions is possible, leading to exciting opportunities for generating anisotropic structures at the material level with optimized properties and superior performance. Accurate characterization of these anisotropic properties for specific applications is essential for optimizing their design and performance, as well as monitoring their quality in real-time during production. The current study introduces a new monitoring mechanism to evaluate the anisotropic characteristics of a build by examining the ultrasonic responses of Phononic Crystal Artifacts (PCAs), which are specially designed calibration pieces that represent the geometric and mechanical complexities of the build. But the PCAs are much simpler and smaller in size, making them easier and more cost-effective to manufacture, monitor, and assess compared to the actual build. Based on the Christoffel equation, the proposed monitoring approach extracts the elastic coefficients from the ultrasonically acquired waveforms and their corresponding speeds in three principal (one build-up and two lateral) and two additional (diagonal) wave propagation directions. The printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) material exhibits anisotropy of 3.07 % to 8.91 % in the reported experiments. The extracted directional elastic parameters are determined as the directional Young's moduli E1 = E2 = 2.59 GPa, E3 = 2.22 GPa; shear modulus, G13 = 0.94 GPa, and Poisson's ratios, υ12 = 0.29, and υ13 = 0.34. The obtained elastic parameters show that the lateral directions dominate the elasticity of the printed material in the build-up direction. The presented approach for non-destructive ultrasonic characterization, which is used to investigate the directional mechanical properties, can also be beneficial in developing a real-time quality monitoring system for 3DP/AM.

Human connections: intergenerational engagement, intentionality, and third places

ABSTRACT This article presents a study that focused on employees and their experiences of an intergenerational program with older adult volunteers in a child-care facility. The paper explores the intentional creation of third places and its contribution to the development and maintenance of relationships between child-care staff and volunteers. Findings from this study indicate that building respect, valuing commitment, and gaining enjoyment are vital aspects of the human connections that are established and nourished in third places.

미술관과 전시의 정체성 일치가 미술관 장소애착에 미치는 영향

In this study, we show that the degree to which the museum's identity matches the exhibition's identity affects processing fluency of the exhibition and aesthetic experience in the museum. Data were collected and analyzed for four representative museums in Korea. The results of a multiple mediation analysis and a moderated mediation analysis revealed that when museum visitors perceive the exhibition to go well with the museum, fluency in processing the exhibition increases aesthetic experience of the museum, which in turn generates place attachment. In addition, when the identity of the museum and that of the exhibition matches, the fit has a significant positive effect on the content creation intention especially among the visitors with high holistic thinking tendency.

Logging operations creating snags, logs, and stumps under open and closed canopies promote stand-scale beetle diversity

Conservation tools to enrich habitat diversity in the widely distributed homogeneous production forests include stumps as logging residues but also the intentional creation of logs or snags, as well as varying canopy conditions. While an open canopy has been shown to foster forest biodiversity, the impact of different deadwood types at stand scale is less clear, which is crucial since this is the most relevant scale for silvicultural decisions. In this study, we experimentally manipulated canopy conditions (open vs. closed) and created deadwood (stumps, logs, snags) in different combinations in five mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests to test the potential of active manipulations to increase the diversity of beetles, one of the most diverse insect orders in temperate forests. We estimated abundance, species number and species richness (controlled for abundance) of saproxylic (i.e., deadwood-dependent) and non-saproxylic beetles using flight-interception traps and analyzed species assemblages within the first 3 years of the experiment. Using generalized linear mixed effect models we found a 33.7 % and 43.4 % higher abundance as well as a 26.1 % and 23.5 % higher species number under open canopies for saproxylic and non-saproxylic beetles respectively, accompanied by a higher species richness of both groups. Stands with deadwood had a 38.6 % and 32.7 % higher species number followed by higher species richness of saproxylic and non-saproxylic beetles compared to stands without manipulation but manipulations did not affect beetle abundances. We identified sampling year, followed by canopy condition and deadwood type (in addition to an overall higher impact of spatial distance between stands and sites) by applying multiple regression analyses as most important to explain species assemblages of both beetle groups. Saproxylic abundance and species number in stump treatments were initially high but decreased over 3 years, while treatments containing snags and logs resulted in an increase in both abundance and species number over time. These temporal trends were mediated by canopy cover. Our findings provide three major insights for biodiversity-orientated management in mature beech forests: First, opening the canopy increases the stand-scale abundance, species number, and species richness of saproxylic and non-saproxylic beetles. Second, while stumps are attractive for saproxylics shortly after the logging operation, snags and logs provide longer-lasting deadwood resources, thus underlining longer sustainability of snag and log enrichment for forest biodiversity. Third, deadwood enrichment at the stand scale promotes not only deadwood-dependent but also other beetle species.

The role of entrepreneurship policy and culture in transitional routes from entrepreneurial intention to job creation: a moderated mediation model

It has long been assumed that entrepreneurship has significant social and economic benefits, including the creation of jobs. Based on the literature, however, small businesses have often had difficulty expanding to recruit and even surviving due to their plight. In spite of this, little is known about how institutional factors facilitate and constrain the path from entrepreneurial intention to create jobs. Therefore, we develop and test a moderated mediation model to examine how the government's policymaking and national entrepreneurship culture regulate entrepreneurship-based job creation. With the Adult population survey and the National expert survey of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), this study compiled 417 observations from 39 European and North American countries between 2002 and 2020. We prove the partial mediation effect of entrepreneurial behaviour on the relationship between individuals' entrepreneurial intention and job creation. The findings of our study suggest that institutional changes should be mobilised to relieve the pressures on small business owners instead of residing on size-neutral approaches. Furthermore, a progressive, contextually based entrepreneurial culture serves as a critical stimulant to the growth of latent entrepreneurs and early-stage start-ups. Therefore, the study not only describes a new path that underpins entrepreneurship-based job creation, but also highlights a new motive for necessary institutional change.

Ecotourism research: a bibliometric review

The paper aims to examine the trends and evolution of ecotourism research in the last 20 years, highlighting co-citations, collaborations, and emerging research themes. A total of 1387 ecotourism-related research from the Web of Science (WoS) database from 1991 to 2021 were analyzed in some bibliometric analyses using CiteSpace V software. The WoS database was scanned using the terms “ecotourism” and “eco-tourism.” While scanning, the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport, and Tourism” field was selected for filtering, and articles published by September 12, 2021, were accessed. The most frequently studied cluster of topics related to ecotourism includes the creation of local benefits, ecotourism intentions, and community empowerment. The three most frequently used keywords related to ecotourism are “ecotourism,” “tourism,” and “conservation.” The outcome of this research constitutes a unique contribution to the area of ecotourism. The study provides an in-depth bibliometric analysis of publications and identification of important research trends. It also identifies possible avenues for future research in the knowledge domain of ecotourism.

Dynamics of network relations: how organizations exploit inter-organizational networks to gain set

Purpose: The main scientific purpose of this article is to identify the way organizations exploit network relations’ features in order to gain set benefits, from the dynamic perspective of achieving another levels of network collaboration maturity. Design/methodology/approach: Conceptual development and positioning of the research aim at providing a generalizable contribution to management science, at the same time being accessible to practitioners. The research was carried out using the interpretive method of a multiple case study, following its methodological rigor. It was divided into two stages: within- case analysis and cross-case analysis. According to the replication logic, case studies constitute series of independent research which provide data corresponding with set research questions. Findings: The conducted research shows that as a part of a network organizations gain various types of benefit and its character evolves as the collaboration achieves another levels of maturity. At the same time, along with the evolution of the reasons for developing network collaboration, organizations exploit different features of network relations, in order to maximize the benefit. Practical implications: The research leads to presenting a pattern of exploiting network relations’ features in order to gain set benefits. The identified template serves as a tool for practitioners and allows more conscious planning and developing the interactions with business partners. Consequently, it supports maximizing benefits from the network collaboration as it achieves another levels of maturity. Originality/value: The author adopts a dynamic perspective to the problem of intentional creation of network relations in order to gain set benefits. In the literature still very little attention is put on understanding the reasons for network development and the evolution of network relations’ features as organizations achieve another levels of network maturity. Therefore, the author focuses on filling this gap by deepening the analysis of the network trend and increasing efficiency of realized tasks from the egocentric perspective of a network member. Keywords: network, network collaboration, network relations’ features, dynamics of network. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Coupled multiphysics 3-D generalized finite element method simulations of hydraulic fracture propagation experiments

Intentional creation and propagation of fractures driven by fluid under high pressure have several applications in oil and gas exploration, geological mining, disposal of toxic waste, flow of molten magma within crevices/fissures, etc. Due to the need to design hydraulic fractures, especially in the oil and gas industry, and the limitation of their full scale/field testing, the use of laboratory experiments and/or numerical simulations remain viable alternatives. While several computational methods for this class of problems exist in the literature, their reliability and robustness hinge on their ability to replicate experimental results with acceptable confidence. This paper presents the application of a coupled multiphysics 3-D generalized finite element method (GFEM) for the simulation of hydraulic fracture experiments based on a regularized Irwin criterion and adaptive mesh refinement. Built with an automatic time step search, the algorithm computes the time step size that ensures the satisfaction of the propagation criterion. Modes I, II, and III stress intensity factors are computed using the displacement correlation method, while the fracture propagation direction is determined using the Schöllmann’s criterion, which is a generalization of the maximum tangential stress criterion for 3-D stress state. The GFEM is validated against a hydraulic fracture experiment on PMMA specimen, on one hand, and against four different cases of experimental fractures within concrete (a granite-like) material which serves as the pioneer application of the algorithm to verify hydraulic fracture simulation in non-PMMA materials. The influence of the initial shear stresses along the fracture plane (assuming unnotched condition) on the resulting propagation paths in the latter benchmarked problem is also assessed and found to have good agreement with experimental observations.

Filling Voids in Japanese EFL Programs with Bricolage, MAYA, and Intentional Space

Japanese universities and their EFL programs, when seen together, one may get a general sense that policy aims and actual effects show high-sounding slogans with results mainly in the opposite direction (Yoshida, 2019). A lack of a unified approach to EFL education can be explained at the program level when the following three terms are considered: 1) Bricolage, 2) the MAYA Principle, and 3) Intentional Space creation. Professors, often from eclectically different backgrounds, who are charged with curriculum design, hiring and training, and implementing their EFL program need to recognize their shared participation as something within an entire that will always be larger than the sum of what they can contribute. Hence the use of the term bricolage. Bricolage is a French loanword that means the process of improvisation in a human endeavor. The word is derived from the French verb bricoler, to tinker, with the English term DIY ("Do-it-yourself") being the closest equivalent. MAYA stands for: "Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable," a principle initially constructed by industrial designer Raymond Loewy. MAYA provides users, product consumers, teachers, students, coaches, and literally anyone with enough of what they already use and understand with enough new features that are easy to adopt ("Design - Raymond Loewy the first real Mad Man," 2017). MAYA is never applied nor experienced in a vacuum, always within a predetermined space. Within educational settings, MAYA needs to be applied not just in a classroom but to intentional spaces that include and go beyond the classroom. Creating an intentional space is about validating the students and making them feel valued and belong. It is also about building a dynamic, informed community applicable to learners' lives (Bauwens, 2008). So, what makes an EFL program good? Everyone working hard for the students? Is it teaching in an informed, smart manner? These questions and others were shared and discussed at a medium-sized university's EFL program in Japan. Survey results and discussion outcomes will be shared along with case study-like anecdotes and vignettes.

Can Artificial Intelligence Make Art?: Folk Intuitions as to whether AI-driven Robots Can Be Viewed as Artists and Produce Art

In two experiments (total N = 693), we explored whether people are willing to consider paintings made by AI-driven robots as art , and robots as artists . Across the two experiments, we manipulated three factors: (i) agent type (AI-driven robot vs. human agent), (ii) behavior type (intentional creation of a painting vs. accidental creation), and (iii) object type (abstract vs. representational painting). We found that people judge robot paintings and human paintings as art to roughly the same extent. However, people are much less willing to consider robots as artists than humans, which is partially explained by the fact that they are less disposed to attribute artistic intentions to robots.

New Routes to Mixed “Roots”

Developments in reproductive (e.g., assisted reproduction, surrogacy) and genetic technologies (commercial DNA ancestry testing) have opened new routes to mixedness that disrupt the relationship between multiracialism and family. Discussions of racial mixedness, both academic and lay, tend to refer to persons born to parents of different racialized ancestry. Multiracialism is also understood as an outcome of extended generational descent—a family lineage comprised of ancestors of varied “races”. Both modes of mixed subjectivity rely on a notion of race as transmitted through sexual reproduction, and our study of them has often focused on the implications of this boundary crossing for families. These routes to mixedness imply a degree of intimacy and “knownness” between partners, with implications for the broader web of relationships into which one is born or marries. Assisted reproduction allows for the intentional creation of mixed-race babies outside of sexual reproduction and relationship. These technologies make possible mixed race by design, in which one can choose an egg or sperm donor on the basis of their racial difference, without knowing the donor beyond a set of descriptive characteristics. Commercial DNA testing produces another route to mixedness—mixed by revelation—in which previously unknown mixed ancestry is revealed through genetic testing. Ancestry tests, however, deal in estimations of biogenetic markers, rather than specific persons. To varying degrees, these newer routes to mixedness reconfigure the nexus of biogenetic substance and kinship long foregrounded in American notions of mixedness, expand the contours of mixed-race subjectivity, and reshape notions of interracial relatedness.

Language naming in Indigenous Australia: a view from western Arnhem Land

AbstractLanguage naming systems are local ways of organising diversity, yet the language names used by linguists are sometimes incommensurable with the lived social reality of speakers. The process of assigning language names is not neutral, trivial or objective: it is a highly political process driven and shaped by understandings of group identity, similarity and difference. Closer attention to local perspectives on language naming offers important insights into ideologies around social and linguistic differentiation. This paper draws together accounts of diverse language naming practices from across Indigenous Australia and applies a close lens to the region of western Arnhem Land. Through an examination of three groups (speakers of Bininj Kunwok, Mawng, and Burarra), we describe the range of strategies speakers use to divide up their local language ecologies, practices for naming lects, and the role of variation in the processes of differentiation. Naming practices between these groups show interesting similarities but also striking differences. We further highlight the interplay between two key processes which characterise local language naming strategies in the region: the ‘erasure’ of difference, typically from the perspective of a politically more powerful group, and the intentional creation of linguistic differentiation, or ausbau.