Ordinary People Research Articles

“Against Forgetting”

This paper investigates the witnessing and memory-making functions of the poetry of Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali. Against the backdrop of prevailing institutionalized constraints on journalism and mass media reportage by a postcolonial nation-state in a conflict-ridden territory, this paper shows how Shahid’s poetry fills the lacuna and serves not only as an archive of collective memories of his people, or witness to their sufferings, but also engages the critical as well as emotional faculties of a wider audience to elicit empathies and garner committed solidarities. It throws light on the complexity of witnessing with respect to the poet’s positionality as he bore witness to the occurrences of his homeland while being physically distant from it and yet offering a substitution to news, especially in the present times when journalism, in Kashmir, has failed in its obligation to represent the experiences of the ordinary people. The study primarily focuses on Shahid’s 1997 collection, The Country Without a Post Office, for its investigation of the witnessing functions of his poetry.

Tradition of Tetesan in Central Java

One of the traditions in Java in the life cycle is the tradition of dripping or female circumcision, especially at the age of 8-12 years. The various meanings of this dripping tradition are, for example, a sign of maturity, avoiding bad things and getting good fortune. At present, the dripping tradition has been abandoned by many Javanese people. Moreover, there is some information that drops are not good for health. However, this tradition must be maintained and preserved. The purpose of this study is to find out an overview of the dripping tradition in Central Java, especially Central Java and Yogyakarta. Moreover, there are differences in the implementation of the drip for ordinary people and the Yogyakarta Palace. The research method used is the historical method. As expressed by Kuntowijoyo in his book Introduction to History which states that the historical research method has five stages, namely topic selection, heuristics (source gathering), source criticism (verification, interpretation, and historical writing (historiography). The results of this study are how practice is the tradition of dripping in Central Java, namely Central Java and Yogyakarta, especially for ordinary people and the Yogyakarta Palace. The procedures for ordinary people are relatively ordinary while at the Yogyakarta Palace it is classified as complex because there are rules. And also, this drip is included in the oral tradition because it is tied to beliefs, meanings, symbols, norms, and customs that describe the meaning of this dripping tradition.

Commensuration and Currency in Plato’s Phaedo

Abstract My aim in this paper is to show that Plato’s Phaedo makes an important contribution to the development of ideas about the commensuration in value of heterogeneous items that is needed for practical reasoning and rational choice. Because the passage I focus on, the so-called ‘right exchange’ passage at 69a-c, has not usually been read this way, I motivate the reading by showing how it resolves some puzzles local to the Phaedo concerning the stark contrast Socrates develops between the virtues of philosophers and nonphilosophers, ordinary people who do not pursue wisdom single-mindedly, applying to the latter labels like ‘strange’, ‘unreasonable’, ‘illusory’ and ‘slavish’. Socrates says that one should, and suggests that philosophers do, use wisdom as their currency whereas nonphilosophers use pleasure (and perhaps also pains, fears, etc., or bodily conditions in general) as their currency (or currencies). Although it has been generally understood that the basis for this contrast lies in how the two groups evaluate, the details have remained murky. I argue that it’s due to the properties of pleasure (or bodily conditions in general) qua measure of value, in particular pleasure’s context-dependence, that nonphilosophers’ judgements about virtue, e.g. the courage and moderation of particular acts or people, are defective in the ways Socrates says they are.

Jézus hívása

The subjects of the vocation and mission are the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The basis and the aim of the Father’s calling and sending is Jesus. Between Jesus’ transfiguration and return, the Holy Spirit is the subject of the vocation and the mission. Jesus is able to make the stones cry out, yet he still calls ordinary people to proclaim his eternal message. In spite of the apparent restriction, Jesus’ call in Mt 11,28a refers to everyone. Jesus’ universal call becomes evident in Mk 13,10 and, eventually, in his command that is sent to every creature and nation all over the world. The universal call is delivered as a personal call. The goal of calling is practical discipleship. In a spiritual sense, God calls us away from sin, death and judgment. In a physical sense, the calling can be heard everywhere, be it at the church, at work, at home, at a place of entertainment, at the supermarket or on the road. The universal call knows neither racial, national, religious, social or sexual differences nor geographical boundaries. Along with the calling, mission is universal as well because it concerns Jews and Gentiles regardless. Jesus taught us that service means sacrifice and suffering, for which he set an example. The responsibility of the mission means a step out from us and a start towards others, service done to others. The triune God, out of his endless grace, called us, elected us and sent us, deeming us worthy of being his serving and suffering fellow-workers.

Social media and the negotiation of travel photo authenticity in the making of Wanghongjingdian in China

Social media have reconfigured place-making in tourism so that industry-led place promotion through professionally produced media representations is nowadays intertwined with bottom-up processes involving online influencers and ordinary people. The emergence of wanghongjingdian (i.e. internet-popular tourist attractions) in China is a case in point. This article aims at contributing to our understanding of the production of wanghongjingdian through a focus on the bottom-up negotiation between influential bloggers and ordinary users, especially on the “authenticity” of travel photos. We conducted a virtual ethnography and visual and textual analyses of 290 blogs on Xiaohongshu, a highly popular visual-oriented platform in China. Three authentication strategies, which relate to existing theoretical conceptualizations of authenticity in nuanced manners, are identified, and the negotiation process between influencers and ordinary users is marked by a critical participatory culture, multiplicity of practices, and individuality-in-community. These features help us understand the production of wanghongjingdian on Chinese social media.

Analyzing the Impact of Aesthetic Anthropology on Art Appreciation Through the Lens of Gestalt Psychology

Historically, art appreciation has been considered an elite activity, often requiring extensive knowledge and expertise. However, this perspective has evolved over time. This paper explores the innovative integration of anthropology and psychology with art, focusing on how these disciplines can make art more accessible to ordinary people. By applying Gestalt theory to everyday aesthetic activities, this study reveals how abstract concepts can become universal and relatable. Case studies of Antonio Canova's "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss" and Picasso's "Bull" series show that viewers can understand and resonate with artistic themes even without extensive knowledge. Additionally, this paper examines how social and cultural contexts influence aesthetic experiences from the perspective of aesthetic anthropology, particularly "contextual aesthetics." The findings highlight the importance of removing barriers to art appreciation, encouraging active participation and subjective interpretation, and promoting inclusive and dynamic artistic expressions. The study also acknowledges the limitations of sample diversity and reliance on qualitative analysis, recommending that future research incorporate quantitative methods to obtain more reliable data.

Making moral and economic inferior others: Everyday racialization of Asian migrants in South Korea

Recent studies have explored racialization among groups with subtle or no phenotypical differences; however, a crucial connection to racial capitalism remains unexplored. This article investigates the everyday racialization of migrants in Wongok-dong, a multicultural neighbourhood in South Korea, using narratives gathered from research participants through interviews, participant observations, and group discussions. Specifically, the study examines how Asian migrants, including ethnic Korean return migrants, are racialized attached to negative meanings such as fly-tipping, backward, and poor in host Korean residents’ narratives. Furthermore, the study scrutinizes the influence of the hierarchical worldview of ‘seonjinguk’ (developed/advanced country) and ‘hujinguk’ (underdeveloped/backward country) on the host Korean residents’ perceptions, reinforcing the Korean residents’ feeling of superiority over Asian migrants. In analyzing the Koreans’ narratives within the broader political-economic context of Asian labour migration, the author argues that Asian migrants are viewed as morally and economically inferior by the host Koreans in everyday discourse. By linking Asian labour migration as a facet of racial capitalism and developmental worldview and ordinary people’s perceptions of Asian migrants in Korea, this research deepens our understanding of racialization ‘beyond colour and the West’ and its ties to the broader discursive and political economic system.

PERTIMBANGAN HUKUM DALAM PENETAPAN PERKARA PERMOHONAN ISBAT NIKAH DI PENGADILAN AGAMA

The phenomenon of marriage of siri or marriage under the hands is still a lot happening among our society, whether done by ordinary people and figures known public. Issues surrounding siri marriage are still the subject of much discussion, especially if the practice is done by people who are well known by the community. In essence siri marriage from a religious perspective is valid, if the pillars and conditions are met. But in order to maintain order, the state has the right to regulate marriage matters, so marriage should be registered on the Registrar (for Muslims). For those who do not register their marriage, legally the marriage state is considered to have no legal force.

The dishonest disposition and everyday economic criminality of the British public

This paper is concerned with the everyday economic crimes of ordinary people. Although dishonesty is a core characteristic of these offences, we are not aware of any prior research that examines the direct, relationship between dishonest attitude and economic crime. Based on a survey of the British public, this article presents insights into this relationship. By profiling the integrity, dishonest disposition and everyday economic criminality of the British public, the study finds a strong relationship between attitudes and harmful dishonest behaviour such that, in a given year, 26 % of adults in the UK commit at least one economic crime. The higher levels of dishonesty in males and younger adults helps to explain their more prolific offending. Both the honesty and age-economic crime curves indicate that the maturation decline in offending is gradual compared to the sharp desistance in early adulthood of the traditional age-crime curve. Whilst this finding also contradicts the conventional view that economic crime is a middle-aged problem, it helps to explain this perception. By comparing the attitude results to a 2011 study, the research further found that the maturation effect is more pronounced due to a decline in integrity of the under 55 y population so that the younger generations now have a steeper moral hill to climb.

Family, politics and media

Abstract In this paper, we utilise the Nineteenth Century Newspaper Corpus to examine reporting surrounding William Gladstone’s Midlothian campaign, a key point in the democratization of British politics where a politician not only communicated with ordinary people through hustings but indirectly to a wider electorate via media reporting of those hustings. With the use of social actor analysis (van Leeuwen 2008), approached through collocation, we find that a distinctive feature of media reporting was a focus on Gladstone’s family. This surprising intersection of family and electioneering reveals a powerful hierarchy of social relationships in terms of gender and seniority, which became an effective propaganda strategy as Gladstone, enabled by Liberal-supporting newspapers, utilised his family as a political tool.

From diagnosis to dialogue - reconsidering the DSM as a conversation piece in mental health care: a hypothesis and theory.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, abbreviated as the DSM, is one of mental health care's most commonly used classification systems. While the DSM has been successful in establishing a shared language for researching and communicating about mental distress, it has its limitations as an empirical compass. In the transformation of mental health care towards a system that is centered around shared decision-making, person-centered care, and personal recovery, the DSM is problematic as it promotes the disengagement of people with mental distress and is primarily a tool developed for professionals to communicate about patients instead of with patients. However, the mental health care system is set up in such a way that we cannot do without the DSM for the time being. In this paper, we aimed to describe the position and role the DSM may have in a mental health care system that is evolving from a medical paradigm to a more self-contained profession in which there is increased accommodation of other perspectives. First, our analysis highlights the DSM's potential as a boundary object in clinical practice, that could support a shared language between patients and professionals. Using the DSM as a conversation piece, a language accommodating diverse perspectives can be co-created. Second, we delve into why people with lived experience should be involved in co-designing spectra of distress. We propose an iterative design and test approach for designing DSM spectra of distress in co-creation with people with lived experience to prevent the development of 'average solutions' for 'ordinary people'. We conclude that transforming mental health care by reconsidering the DSM as a boundary object and conversation piece between activity systems could be a step in the right direction, shifting the power balance towards shared ownership in a participation era that fosters dialogue instead of diagnosis.

Educational Values of Taboo Expressions in the Sasak Speech Community: An Ethnography Study

This study aims to determine the form, meaning and perception of the community related to taboo things or expressions in Muncan Village. This research is an ethnography research using descriptive qualitative method design. The sample of this research is 10 people of Muncan Village from experts in culture to ordinary people. The data collection process in this research is by using observation and interview. In the process of analyzing the data is done by identifying, classifying, and explaining the meaning and perception of the community. The results of this study show that there are 57 taboos believed by the community. Therefore, it can be concluded that the people of Muncan Village still believe in many taboo things or expressions that they should not violate or do. In other words, taboo expressions and things in today's modern era are still believed to be things that should not be said or done in Muncan Village.

Improved Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm with Transfer Learning based Arabic Sign Language Identification System

The Arabic sign language (ArSL) has witnessed ground-breaking research activities to identify hand gestures and signs through the deep learning (DL) model. SL is a unique communication tool that bridges the gaps between people with hearing impairment and ordinary people. The ArSL recognition system is of immense importance for different groups of people since it enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate effectively. In SLs, signs are characterized by discrepancies in hand positions, shapes, motions, body parts, and facial expressions, posing a crucial threat to visual recognition in computer vision (CV). An automated sign detection technique needs two primary courses of action: the recognition of specific features and the classification of the input dataset. Previously, several approaches for detecting and classifying SLs had been proposed. In this study, an Improved Metaheuristics with Transfer Learning based Arabic Sign Language Identification System (IMTL-ArSL) method is developed. The primary objective of the IMTL-ArSL method is to detect and classify the existence of various signs in the Arabic language. In the IMTL-ArSL model, the bilateral filtering (BF) model is initially used for preprocessing. Besides, the Residual Network (ResNet50v2) model is applied for extracting features, and an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm (IAOA) model is utilized for hyperparameter tuning. Finally, a gated recurrent unit (GRU) network is exploited to identify sign languages. The empirical analysis of the IMTL-ArSL approach is tested using a benchmark dataset. The experimental values of the IMTL-ArSL approach portrayed a superior accuracy value of 93.87% over other techniques.

Ценность улучшения китайского фортепианного образования

In China in the past, the piano belonged exclusively to princes and nobles, but now it has entered thousands of homes of ordinary people. Countless preschool children have started learning to play the piano with the support of their parents and teachers. According to incomplete statistics, the share of pianos in China has exceeded two million units, which is one tenth of the total in the world. Currently, at least one million people in China are learning to play the piano, of which beginners and young students make up the majority. Today, in the field of education, the piano has become one of the musical instruments of many learning enthusiasts in China. The piano has become a hot topic in society after reform and openness. In 2023, the fifth International Piano Art Festival was successfully held in the Futian district of Shenzhen. China has turned Shenzhen into a “piano city” and this theme has become a big focus in Shenzhen. Then, with such a tense status quo, the problem of piano education in China arose. The text below contains a discussion of this issue.

Situational awareness and situational heroism: a close reading of testimonies from the London Bridge terror attack 2019

ABSTRACT Based on an-in depth analysis of two testimonies, this article explores how ordinary people can become ‘situational heroes’. On 29 November 2019, Darryn Frost and Steve Gallant were caught up in a terrorist attack in central London. In that situation, Frost and Gallant demonstrated a high degree of situational awareness and took bold and swift action to stop the attacker. Using the literary method of close reading, I analyse their testimonies with a particular eye towards two questions: how did the two men perceive the dangerous situation? Can and should they be seen as heroes? As a convicted murderer and long-serving prisoner, Gallant was certainly no hero in the conventional sense. Yet, in 2023 he received The Queen’s Gallantry Medal for ‘for acts of exemplary bravery’ alongside with Frost and a few others. This, I argue, is symptomatic of a broader shift towards situational awareness and towards what I call situational heroism. As it is less about being a hero and more aboutacting heroically in particular situations, situational heroism is less elitist and more inclusive than many historical forms of heroism. However, it also raises new ethical questions.

Moving From Vernacular Culture to Urban Culture: Evolution of Batik Culture in Indonesia

Batik has initially been a practice among the ordinary people, having been introduced to Jakarta during the Dutch rule. It has evolved from a vernacular product to a symbol of urban culture and national identity, pursuant to independence of Indonesia. It has acquired an association with the political and cultural activities linked to Jakarta's role as the national government center and has reached a position of national signficance. This study examines the significant elements and the effects of batik in the development of the urban culture of Indonesia. It employed interviews as primary data sources to gather information from batik owners and craftsmen, museums, collectors, institutions, and decision-makers regarding local culture and its contemporary significance. Secondary data was compiled from reference sources using an interdisciplinary historical approach in order to reconstruct the historical development of Batik in Indonesia. It is concluded that the roots of the batik tradition in Jakarta have arisen from the immigrant vernacular communities. Numerous political, economic and cultural events have produced the setting for its growth to form the current urban cultural identity having become a fashionable cloth of national significance even symbolizing the national identity of Indonesia.

Sangbor Petroglyphs in Bavanat County, Southern Iran

During archaeological research, especially in the study of the historical and Islamic periods, the focus is on kings’ palaces, religious buildings and famous artists. Ordinary people are generally ignored. This means that all people of every social class should be studied to understand past societies. Petroglyphs are one of the most significant archaeological types of evidence to study ordinary people’s art and concerns. During an archaeological survey conducted by the author in Bavanat county, several petroglyphs were found in this area. Considering the importance of rock art in archaeology, anthropology, sociology, the history of art and rock art tourism, in this article, the petroglyphs of Sangbor that were discovered during the survey of Bavanat have been introduced. At this site several petroglyphs are identified on the rock outcrops in the area. Zoomorphs, anthropomorphs, geometric shapes, and unknown shapes are depicted. Petroglyphs were created by three methods: engraving, engraving-pounding and scratching. According to the amount of patination and weathering, the above petroglyphs were created during different periods. Natural factors such as rock erosion, wind and rain have gradually destroyed these rock art. In addition to preserving rock art sites like Sangbor, they can become a tourist attraction for rock art or cultural tourism.

Ethnofolklore representations in moldovan painting of the 1970s

The article demonstrates that during the 1970s, Moldovan painting focused deeply on rural life and folk traditions, expressing them profoundly. Plastic artists depicted the beauty and authenticity of rural landscapes on canvas, highlighting the close connection between people and nature. Portraits and everyday life scenes brought to the forefront authentic faces and moments experienced by ordinary people. Realism and decorative elements harmoniously intertwined in their creations. Dances and folk traditions were represented in various forms, conveying the energy of traditional events. Folk motifs and symbols underscored Moldova’s cultural and historical identity. Mythology and the legend served as sources of inspiration, bringing forth the metaphorical visions of the artists. Ornamental elements and specific technical principles of Moldovan mural painting emphasized the importance of faith and folklore. Overall, these themes and motifs contributed to shaping an authentic image of Moldovan culture in the painting of the 1970s.

A Collective Fantasia of the Financial Age in Early 1990s China: Erotic-Speculative Sensation, Neoliberal Labor Heroine, and Presentist Worldly Wisdom

When the notion of “finance” reentered ordinary Chinese people's lives since the “Reform and Opening Up,” how were “finance and economics” (caijing) perceived and felt? This essay focuses on the mainland critics’ reviews of the “finance-themed” novels by the Hong Kong entrepreneur-cum-writer Leung Fung Yee (b. 1949) and discusses how “Leung fever” (1992 – 93) provided a medium for a collective imagination of the financial age. Leung's fiction introduced “sensuous and lively” financial knowledge particularly attractive to a financially uneducated mainland readership who nonetheless desired to engage in adventurous economic activities. This essay is situated in the intersection of finance and literary practice and highlights the ways these critics’ interpretations of Leung's novels helped instruct readers in how to feel, experience, and survive the financial age and legitimize the new economic behaviors in everyday life. This new age was first and foremost experienced as an “erotic-speculative sensation” in which an erotic adventure was experienced similar to the financial behavior of speculation. The mainland critics envisioned the figure of “the neoliberal labor heroine,” one who creatively utilizes the intervals to maximize productive value and who performs “presentist worldly wisdom” to strategically navigate life and achieve optimal outputs and success in a disorienting world.

Four questions to assess attitudes toward epilepsy, the caveness questions: Analytical study to verify the usefulness of the Japanese version

ObjectiveThis study sought to translate the Caveness questions (CQs), initially formulated in the United States for assessing attitudes toward people with epilepsy (PWE), into Japanese. Concurrently, the study examined the translated instrument's psychometric properties, specifically the usefulness within Japan's cultural and linguistic context. MethodsWe crafted the Japanese version of CQs-J by drawing upon the original English and German versions. Subsequently, On May 22nd and 23rd, 2023, we administered an online questionnaire survey to the general public registered with the online research survey service (Cross Marketing Group Inc., Tokyo, Japan). Inclusion criteria comprised an age of ≥18 years, processing proficient reading and speaking skills in Japanese, and demonstrating the ability to comprehend the Japanese questionnaires. In addition, we included questions about age, gender, education levels, employment status, and any experiences with epilepsy. ResultsA cohort comprising 400 ordinary people processing prior exposure to information regarding epilepsy participated in the study. Participants provided informed consent before proceeding to complete the study questionnaire. The CQs-J, encompassing following four items.CQ1) Would you object to having any of your children in school or at play associate with persons who sometimes had seizures (fits)?CQ2) Do you think epilepsy is a form of insanity or not?CQ3) Do you think epileptics should or should not be employed in jobs like other people?CQ4) Would you object to having a son or daughter of yours marry a person who sometimes has seizures (fits)?We compared CQs-J groups with negative or positive attitudes towards epilepsy, taking into account age, gender, employment status, education levels, and knowledge and experiences of the condition. Those who responded to the CQ1 question that they would object to their child's occasional association with someone at school or at play who has seizures (fits) were significantly more negative in their experiences with epilepsy: they did not understand what to do during seizures (Ex3, p < 0.01), and they did not believe in the effectiveness of epilepsy treatment (Ex4, p < 0.01). In addition, males were significantly more likely to respond that epilepsy is insanity when asked the CQ2 question (p < 0.001). Additionally, in CQ3, do you think people with epilepsy should have the same access to jobs as other people with epilepsy? Significant differences were found for younger age, a lower overall Epilepsy Knowledge Scale score (p < 0.001), being employed (p = 0.028), Ex3 (p = 0.041), and Ex4 (p < 0.01). Finally, older people were significantly more opposed to marrying someone who has seizures in CQ4 (p < 0.001) or is not working, and others were also significantly more opposed (p = 0.030). SignificanceWe evaluated the utility of the Japanese version of the CQs, demonstrating its effectiveness for assessing treatment strategies in stigma reduction and enabling cross-cultural comparisons of attitudes towards epilepsy. In large-scale social surveys, the CQs-J scale effectively captures broad attitudes toward epilepsy with a limited number of items and offers the advantage of ease of use for longitudinal studies, such as tracking changes in attitudes over time. Furthermore, we expect the CQs-J results to facilitate in-depth cross-cultural comparisons of attitudes toward epilepsy by comparing them across different cultures.