Natural Representation Research Articles

SYMBOLS ENGRAVED ON BUDDHIST PARASOL: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MATHURA MUSEUM

After the creation of the universe, the practice of consecration of statues and symbolic representation of gods-goddesses and nature as divinity began in civilizations across the world; proving its continued existence and practice across human history. These symbols serve the multiple purposes; from being an emblem representing the concept of religious faith, notions and beliefs in the psyche of the devotees to representing the desire for glory, protection and good fortune. These symbols communicate complicated human emotions through symbolic language in the simplest ways. From the prehistoric times to the contemporary age these symbols can be traced across the human civilizations with some variations in its physical form. These variations sometimes translate differently across religions and sometimes their expressions carry certain similarities. We find such instances in the iterations of some Buddhist symbols, when worshipping the idol of Gautama Buddha was prohibited in Pre-Sectarian Buddhist age. As a result, initially Lord Buddha was represented through the consecration of religious symbols. Gradually with the passage of time, due to cultural assimilation and the domination of Hinduism, Buddhism (Mahayana sect) came closer to Hinduism. We find early Buddhist sculptures in open natural spaces as the consecration of the statue of Gautama Buddha preceded the construction of temples. To protect these statues from Sun and Rain, these statues were soon covered by various forms of parasol like canopies (Umbrella) to the upper part of the idol as a unique feature on the upper side of the idol marking the influence of Kushan period. These parasols are engraved with various symbols like: Mangal Kalash, Swastika, Conch, Shrivatsa, Lotus, etc. The specimens of these parasols can be found protected in Mathura Museum. This paper studies the meaning of artistic and symbolic foundation of these engraved symbols.

Archivos, colonos y fronteras en el Territorio del Chubut. Fotografías del Fondo Documental Juan Moreteau (circa 1895-1910)

Juan Moreteau (1870-1951) was a French engineer who settled in Argentina in 1895. At that time, he joined the Topographic and Geological Section of the Museo de la Plata, directed by Francisco P. Moreno and was appointed as a technician of the Argentina Border Commission with Chile. In 1903 he settled in Trelew (Chubut-Argentina) from where he carried out explorations and tasksrelated to his profession. The photographs from the Juan Moreteau Documentary Archive Fond, recovered by the Patagonian Institute of Social and Human Sciences (IPSH-Conicet), allow us to analyze the point of view about his own figure as an explorer, that of his co-workers, his neighbors, about the interethnic relationships and the representations of Patagonian nature in this context. The problems of the archives in Argentina have caused a certain dispersion of the documentary fonds, therefore, the enhancement of Moreteau’s materials opens a new window to a key moment in the expansion of the central state in Patagonia.

Multidimensional mental representations of natural environment among Chinese preadolescents via draw‐and‐write mapping

Abstract The mental associations that children have with the natural environment can be referred to as their natural representations. These representations encompass a blend of shared consensus and individual differences, playing a pivotal role in shaping human relationships with nature and influencing attitudes and behaviours. However, comprehending children's natural representations, particularly among preadolescents with limited verbal narrative abilities, remains a challenge. To address this challenge, we conducted a study employing a draw‐and‐write task and a questionnaire survey. Our investigation aimed to understand how the level of nature experiences and demographic variables affects the multidimensional representations of nature among preadolescents (aged 9–12) in China. Specifically, we examined the impacts of direct, indirect and vicarious nature experiences on their natural representations. These representations included dimensions such as the level of wildness, cognitive complexity, extent of elaboration, expression of emotion and representation style. These dimensions were based on literature review and supported by empirical data collected from children's drawings. Our findings showed that children's drawings of nature not only share similarities but also display significant variations. Most of their drawings include natural components, such as living and non‐living elements, while a notable proportion of drawings depicts human activities. Interestingly, we observed notable differences in the level of wildness, elaboration and representation style among preadolescents from different regions. Additionally, we found that vicarious nature experiences have a significant positive impact on the cognitive complexity, extent of elaboration and positive emotional expression in children's drawings, while direct nature experiences also have a weaker but still significant positive effect on the elaboration. Moreover, female students exhibit greater proficiency in these three aspects compared to their male counterparts. The study highlights the significance of the surrounding environment and nature experiences, especially vicarious nature experience, in shaping the natural representations of preadolescents. Using draw‐and‐write mapping is recommended as a valuable approach to understanding the children's mental representations of the natural environment. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Medicine within a Cultural Ecosystem

The paper examines the concept of Tamil siddha literature as an integrating force for the local cultural ecosystem. The research is based on texts ascribed to two prominent authors of Tamil siddha tradition, namely Siddhar Yākōpu and Siddhar Pōkar (ca. 17th cent.). The first part of the paper looks at representations of nature in the Siddhars‘ texts, and demonstrates that the authors attribute certain extraordinary powers and divinity to nature. This further suggests that such views on nature allow the Siddhars to interconnect different realms typically viewed as separate in the contemporary secular perspective where liberatory practices are positioned apart from domains like nature and medicine. Attempts to integrate various fields of siddha lore are evident in the Siddhars‘ texts, for instance, in Vaittiya Kallāṭam, which is analyzed in the second section of the paper. To this end, among others, the perspective of material ecocriticism is applied to examine the images of natural material substances in Tamil siddha texts.

Ecological functions of the document in art and design: diplomatic-documents in artistics inquiries

A certain ecologist art form has been on the rise for the past twenty years. Those artworks include documents. The analysis will take two examples : Tale as Tool, and Chroniques de l’accueil. The use of documents doesn't deal with representation, as it used to be in art, but with inquiries. The ecological art tries to trigger testimonies and transformations of the common representation of nature. They don’t use documents as a trace but for their diplomatic capabilities. The document doesn’t record events or facts but it changes the situation. The ecological artists come with this paradoxical art stance : recording the existing state of social relation to transform it.

Representing topological full groups in Steinberg algebras and C*-algebras

We study the natural representation of the topological full group of an ample Hausdorff groupoid in the groupoid's complex Steinberg algebra and in its full and reduced C*-algebras. We characterise precisely when this representation is injective and show that it is rarely surjective. We then restrict our attention to discrete groupoids, which provide unexpected insight into the behaviour of the representation of the topological full group in the full and reduced groupoid C*-algebras. We show that the image of the representation is not dense in the full groupoid C*-algebra unless the groupoid is a group, and we provide an example showing that the image of the representation may still be dense in the reduced groupoid C*-algebra even when the groupoid is not a group.

What does nature mean to you? A photo analysis of urban middle school students’ perceptions of nature

In the present study, we explore the perceptions of urban middle school students’ representations of nature using participatory photography and their nature connectedness. Preadolescents (N = 108, 6th grade, age 11–13) were asked to take a photo of what nature is to them and write a short description of what is in the image. In a mixed method study applying the ‘Inclusion of Nature in Self’ (INS) scale, we investigated (1) what are middle school students’ perceptions of nature as evidenced through their own photography, (2) what are the differences between students who are more connected with nature and those who are less connected and (3) how can photography be used as a tool to investigate students’ perceptions of nature? Students’ nature perceptions were diverse, with a majority showing plants and urban nature. Students mentioned positive emotions and aesthetic aspects of nature. Students who scored higher on the INS, defined as more connected to nature, photographed a greater diversity of phenomena and geographies, many outside of urban areas. Participatory photography proved to be an excellent choice for an inclusive data collection method in Education for Sustainable Development, especially for students with reading or writing difficulties or language barriers.

Trans Visual Narratives: Representing Gender and Nature in Early Modern Europe

Abstract: This article studies the portraits of two gender-ambiguous individuals, the seventeenth-century Spanish soldier Antonio (née Catalina) de Erauso and the eighteenth-century French diplomat the Chevalier (Chevalière) d’Eon, as they offer a window into early modern debates on the representation of nature through its wonders. Making sense of the representations of Erauso and d’Eon requires viewing them as depictions of nature that belonged to the genre of the cabinet of curiosities. When seen as part of the cabinet of curiosities, their paintings appear as part of the artistic and scientific explorations that negotiated changing concepts of nature in early modern Europe. While Erauso’s portrait belonged to a tradition that embraced the sitter’s gender ambiguities, d’Eon’s portrait appears instead as a transitional object between two ways of organizing knowledge of nature. D’Eon’s portrait reflected a grown interest in the eighteenth century of representing nature in an objective way with a clear separation between the genders.

Front and Back Covers, Volume 39, Number 6. December 2023

Front and back cover caption, volume 39 issue 6CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS POWERThe jolly figure of Santa Claus, tankard in hand as he rests his feet atop a sack of toys, invites us to ponder the mystery behind this iconic Christmas emblem. Who is the real Santa, and what is his relationship to adults and children during the holiday season? This image of Santa on the cover of Puck magazine's 1896 Christmas edition alludes to the complex web of secrecy and revelation that enables Santa to materialize each year.As Martí Torra Merín explores in the accompanying article, Santa Claus and other Christmas figures occupy a unique position in contemporary Western cultures. Their ‘existence’ relies upon the innocence projected onto children, who serve as conduits to the magical realm. Yet children's agency in navigating this process has been overlooked. Through an ethnographic study in Catalonia, the article reveals that even young children detect inconsistencies in Santa's portrayal, and older children may feign ignorance of the ‘secret’ to prolong the magic.Far from fragile, children's awareness empowers their agency. Their liminal position, privy to the ‘public secret’ that adults both disbelieve in Santa and expect children's innocence, allows for clever navigation of cultural expectations. Like Puck's impish character, children toe the line between innocence and cunning. Ultimately, the article argues, recognizing children's agency is key to understanding how Santa materializes each Christmas through intricate social performances between adults and youth. This image encapsulates that interplay, with Santa as the symbolic connector between magical worlds and everyday realities.SEX AND GENDER ARE INSEPARABLEThis back cover image* visually embodies the guest editorial's exploration of how the complex interplay between sex and gender defies conventional binary perceptions.The left circle, ‘sex’, includes the biological aspects of our being, encompassing our evolved physical attributes, biomaterial processes and bodily characteristics that are often, albeit incorrectly, assumed to be fixed and immutable. It acknowledges biomateriality as a dynamic process more than a static ‘thing’.The right circle, ‘gender’, encapsulates the roles, behaviours and identities shaped through socialization within various social groups and cultural constructs. It signifies the fluid and dynamic nature of how we express and identify ourselves in society, which is not necessarily aligned with biological sex.At the intersection of these two spheres lies the ‘gender/sex’ overlap, a space that acknowledges the co‐construction of hormones and behaviour. This area represents the ongoing interplay and feedback loops between our biological traits and the social roles we embody. It is a recognition that hormones can influence behaviours that society reads as gendered and, conversely, that our social experiences and behaviours can affect our biological functions, such as hormone levels.This diagram illustrates how sex and gender are deeply intertwined, each influencing and shaping the other in a continuous dance. It is a powerful representation of the biosocial nature of human identity, where biological and social influences are inseparable and in constant interaction, creating a spectrum of diversity that defies the simplistic bimodal model.This image underscores the message of the guest editorial, advocating for a nuanced understanding of human identity that respects and reflects the complex realities of our lives.* From: S. van Anders 2022. Gender/sex/ual diversity and biobehavioural research. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication.

Qatar's Magical Land: An Ecocriticism Study on the Representation of Nature in Dreamers Music Video by FIFA World Cup

Abstract
 Qatar, as the host of the World Cup 2022, has released a music video to enliven the euphoria. The music video is believed to indirectly present several issues including environmental issues. This research aims to examine the depiction of nature in the Dreamers music video by Jungkook and Fahad Al Kubaisi for the official soundtrack of FIFA World Cup 2022. This paper uses ecocriticism interest which takes an earth-centered approach to a literary study by looking at the role nature plays in a given work proposed by Cheryll Glotfelty. The result of the study shows that the music video contains some nature representations which are the existence of pearls as Qatar’s main income source before oil discovery, the whale shark as the country's representation to signified its new image, and the white snowy tree emphasizing a climate change that has been a serious concern in the Arab world.
 Keywords: Ecocriticism, Music Video, Qatar, Representation, World Cup 2022

Strategies and Tactics to Communicate ‘Nature’: Beyond Anthropocentrism in Swedish Media

Media play a central role in the discursive struggles over the meaning of nature, climate change and human–nature relationships through the strategic selection and salience of media content. This paper investigates the strategies and tactics mobilized by media producers in communicating environmental issues. The investigation is based on a selection of seven media productions in the Swedish context, comprising TV series and documentaries produced between 2015 and 2020. Through a discourse-theoretical analysis of these audio–visual products and interviews with their producers, we identify a five-cluster model, ranging from mainstream anthropocentric strategies to alternative ecocentric tactics. Our model aims to delineate media strategies reproducing hegemonic anthropocentrism to critically inquire about environmental ideologies in media communication and explore potential alternative tactics for more ecocentric representations of nature.

„Mélyedés az agyagban”

œThe paper discusses the prose writings of Ágnes Nemes Nagy. œThe thematic focus of these texts, which form a peripheral part of the oeuvre, is the representation of nature, and thus their examination can nuance the insights into landscape poetics. In the context of the posthumous work Az öt fenyő, which bears traces of crime fiction and the Künstlerroman, the article attempts to answer the question how the relationship between nature and man (the notion of the sublime nature), the interpersonal relationships between people, and the inclusion of images and ekphrasis can provide solutions to the investigation. œThe paper interprets the tale of “Felicián vagy a tölgyfák tánca” from the perspective of ecological crisis and ecocritical content.

Földút haza?

Th‹e aim of the article is to analyse the relationship between nature and the nature of narration in Imre Oravecz’ trilogy. Since the representation of nature and the depiction of landscapes play a prominent role in the author's novels, their poetic effects must also be considered. ‹The crucial question of the last novel is whether agriculture as a way of life can be sustained on another continent. ‹The paper therefore examines how agriculture and the relationship between humans and nature are presented in the trilogy.

Creating Synergies between International Law and Rights of Nature

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of failing environmental governance, rights of nature (RoN) are lauded as the paradigm shift needed to transform law's approach to nature. RoN have been increasingly proclaimed at the domestic level but remain mostly absent from international law. As examined in this article, this is notably as a result of some profound incompatibilities between international law and RoN, including the fact that most international treaties approach nature as a resource to be owned, exploited or protected for the sake of humans. However, despite this dominant approach to nature, some areas of international law, notably under the leadership of Indigenous peoples, are starting to acknowledge a more relational approach to nature, putting forward concepts of care, kinship, and representation of nature in international law. Building on these developments, this article offers a reflection on potential synergies between RoN and international law, specifically by changing the latter's approach to nature. It argues that some of the RoN concepts concerning duty of care, institutional representation of nature's voice, and ecocentrism could serve as a platform to reinterpret some of the anthropocentric principles of international law, creating some potential synergies between RoN and international law.

Un idillio dannunziano

The article aims to verify how the modern classic of 19th century Giacomo Leopardi has influenced d’Annunzio, with particular regard to the representation of nature. Traditionally, critical studies on d’Annunzio’s models have not recognised significant traces of ‘leopardismo’ in this author. The analysis of the poem Nox, in Primo vere, shows that the young d’Annunzio knew Leopardi’s works very well like a Cicognini School student had to do. It also proves that leopardian lection of Idylls is present in some d’Annunzio’s descriptions of natural landscapes, like lunar nights and quiet countryside. However, d’Annunzio never gave up his style, which was evident right from his early poetic stage.

«Io guardo la placida scena e dipingo». Visioni e cromatismi della natura inPrimo vere(1880)

Considerably modified and enlarged compared to the 1879 print, the second edition ofPrimo Vere, the work of Gabriele d’Annunzio’s poetic debut, was published in 1880. This contribution focuses on it, which aims to offer an overview of the representation of nature in its chromatic, musical and olfactory aspects. Portrayed from life or fruit of the imagination, the landscape triumphs in its colouristic value and with its symphonic strength in the alternation of acute, hoarse, powerful or delicate sounds, which sometimes give way to the enchantments of silence or intertwine with the inebriation of fragrances and scents that cloak the atmosphere.

Metaphorical Features of the Animated Nature of the Concept Star in Kyrgyz Linguistic Picture of the World

The authors delve into an exploration of the multifaceted concept of star within the context of the Kyrgyz linguistic worldview. It discusses the structural elements of this concept, its verbalization, and the identification of metaphorical features that draw parallels with the living world. The focal point of this research is the profound role this concept plays in shaping the inner world of individuals and its significant impact on the preservation and evolution of the Kyrgyz culture. This intricate image of ideas is beautifully woven through the lens of linguistic metaphors used by native speakers, each metaphor providing a window into the Kyrgyz perception of stars. By analyzing these metaphorical representations of the animated nature, the authors aim to answer a pivotal question: How has the concept of the star been actualized and what significance does it hold in the history of the Kyrgyz linguistic worldview?

Representations of Nature of Science in Science Textbooks

Representations of Nature of Science in Science Textbooks

Multispecies blue justice and energy transition conflict: examining challenges and possibilities for synergy between low-carbon energy and justice for humans and nonhuman nature

This paper explores deep insights into sustainability transition tensions and pathways in terms of place-based conflict and potential for synergies between offshore wind energy (OWE) development and justice for humans and nonhuman nature. Specifically, we build a capability and recognition-based multispecies blue justice framework that at once centers ecological reflexivity (i.e., environmental awareness-raising, proxy representation of nature, and institutional recognition and protection of rights of nature and human-nature relationality), decenters anthropocentric frames of justice, and sheds light on injustices, human and nonhuman that climate and energy transitions may create or reinforce. This framework then informs analysis of a sustainability transition conflict, specifically a longstanding OWE conflict on Hiiumaa island, Estonia. This analysis unravels justice concerns, human and nonhuman, raised by proxy representatives of nature (i.e., grassroots actors and environmental stewards), the knowledge contestations involved, and the resolution measures undertaken thus far. Next, we discuss the possible transformative role of the OWE conflict, including how a Supreme Court ruling invalidating the OWE plan has fostered reflexive planning and may have set a legal precedent that may have human and nonhuman justice implications for the handling of future planning cases. We then highlight remaining challenges for socially and ecologically responsive OWE deployment. These include the judicial non-recognition of nature’s right as well as environmental values and sociocultural ties to nature as rights worth protecting, and the likely effects that formalization of European Union ambitions to speed-up and ramp-up renewable energy could have locally. These include prospects for environmental stewards and ocean defenders to steer nature-positive, people-centered energy transitions. Last, we propose conditions for enhanced multispecies justice, including how formal interventions (e.g., law) and informal practices (e.g., negotiation, awareness-raising) can be harnessed to unlock productive conflict and align energy transitions with the norms of justice, human and nonhuman.

The short-form of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12): Adaptation and validation of the Spanish version in young Peruvian students.

Cyberchondria is defined as the increase in health-related anxiety or anguish associated with excessive or repeated online searches for health-related information. Our objective was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the CSS-12 scale for Peruvian Spanish speakers, to determine whether the Bifactor model works as well in our population as in previous studies' and to explore whether the Bifactor-ESEM is a more suitable model. We performed a cultural adaptation using the Delphi method and a validation study on medical students between 2018 and 2019. Reliability was evaluated by using Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's omega (Ω) for internal consistency, and Pearson's r and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), for test-retest reliability. We evaluated construct validity by contrasting four measurement models for the CSS-12 and the convergent validity against health anxiety. The Spanish CSS-12 showed excellent reliability (α = .93; Ω = .93; ICC = .93; r = .96). The Bifactor ESEM model showed the best fit, supporting a unidimensional measure of the general cyberchondria. This measure was positively associated with health anxiety (r = .51). The Spanish CSS-12 provides a valid and reliable unidimensional measure of cyberchondria, which is distinguishable from the more general health anxiety. This can be applied to similar populations and future research. The Bifactor-ESEM model appears to offer a more accurate and realistic representation of the multifaceted nature of cyberchondria. We provide a free-to-use form of the Spanish CSS-12 as supplemental material.