Symbol Of Prestige Research Articles

Real Tennis and the Civilising Process

This article examines the social significance of Real Tennis among the Western European nobility during its heyday of the sixteenth century. Underpinned theoretically by Norbert Elias's seminal empirical work The Civilising Process, this article seeks to identify the societal preconditions for the emergence of Real Tennis, and provide explanations for its diffusion across Western Europe and subsequent boom in popularity among the nobility. A critique is offered of the current body of literature written on Real Tennis, with an aim to address a general lack of focus on the game's ‘social’ elements and how their development is linked with structural changes to the game over the centuries. The article then goes on to examine the ways in which Real Tennis became a symbol of prestige and a tool for social mobility among the increasingly status-competitive royal court nobility. Played during royal festivals, the game provided opportunities for nobles to engage in conspicuous consumption through architectural, clothing and gambling displays; having an entourage in accompaniment to the noble players; and, through the style of play and behavioural control, exhibiting self-restraint and foresight. Overall, an attempt is made to apply Elias's theoretical framework to aid our understanding of the development of Real Tennis, a game that has never been characterised by overt ‘violence’ of the kind examined previously by other sociologists employing an Eliasian framework.

Determinants of Purchasing Imported Products in a Regular Basis: Development of a Regression Model

Bangladesh, an emerging economy, has substantial dependence on and predilection for foreign products. We made an effort to delve into the factors influencing consumer purchase decision of imported products, considering some regular use consumer shopping products. We have employed multiple regression analysis as the statistical tool. Regression model of our study demonstrated statistical significance and appeared competent to explain 76% of the total variance in the dependent variable. The determinants posed positive influence are brand preference, COO bias, trust in retail store, uninterrupted availability, fewer local alternatives, prestige symbol in reference group; while price and utility imbalance played negative influence.

Aguecheek's Beef, Belch's Hiccup and Other Gastronomic Interjections: Literature, Culture, and Food Among the Early Moderns

We didn't always eat the way we do today, or think and feel about eating as we now do. But we can trace the roots of our own eating culture back to the culinary world of early modern Europe, which invented cutlery, haute cuisine, the weight-loss diet, and much else besides. Aguecheek's Beef, Belch's Hiccup tells the story of how early modern Europeans put food into words and words into food, and created an experience all their own. Named after characters in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, this lively study draws on sources ranging from cookbooks to comic novels, and examines both the highest ideals of culinary culture and its most grotesque, ridiculous, and pathetic expressions. Robert Appelbaum paints a vivid picture of a world in which food was many things - from a symbol of prestige and sociability to a cause for religious and economic struggle - but always represented the primacy of materiality in life. Peppered with illustrations and a handful of recipes, Aguecheek's Beef, Belch's Hiccup will appeal to anyone interested in early modern literature or the history of food.

Subtle Signals of Inconspicuous Consumption

The notion of conspicuous consumption (Veblen 1899) suggests that consumers spend lavishly on goods to that symbolize status and visibly communicate wealth and status to others. Analysis of multiple product categories, however, indicates an inverted-U relationship between price and the presence of logos or brand names: High-end products are actually less likely to contain such clear brand markers. Further, experimental studies show that high-end products which use more subtle markers are harder for observers to recognize, more likely to be perceived as cheaper generic equivalents, and less likely to be perceived as status symbols. This research explains this seeming inconsistency through social identity and distinction. Mainstream consumers prefer explicitly marked products which are widely recognizable symbols of prestige. Consequently, insiders prefer subtle markers that differentiate them from the mainstream and thus facilitate communication with others in the know. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for the communication of identity, brand management, and the success of cultural products.

Ponis, santuarios y guerreros: la dimensión ritual del caballo en el mundo galo

In ancient Gaul —and in Celtic culture as a whole— horse was a special animal not only because of its role as symbol of prestige and richness but also because of its strong religious and ritual dimension. There are horses in burials and in sanctuaries (like Vertault in Cote d´Or) being sacrified together with other domestic animals or with the warriors as we see in some cult places in Picardy as the well known of Gournay-sur-Aronde (Oise) or the so called ‘trophy’ of Ribemont-sur-Ancre (Somme).

The Upper Sonoran Lifestyle: Gated Communities in Scottsdale, Arizona

While much has been written on gated communities and the motivations and proposed implications of such a building paradigm, little has informed us about how a landscape is socially and economically transformed by the influx of this community design principle. This article explores a place defined by gated communities highlighting significant differences in social and community life in the city of Scottsdale, Arizona. This is a location, unlike many other gated spaces, where the gating of the community has little to do with avoiding crime. It is mainly a symbol of prestige and exclusivity. Housing in the Northern part of Scottsdale is mostly gated, master‐planned communities geared toward the upper class while the Southern part of Scottsdale is comprised of older housing stock and more organic community life. Both primary and secondary data are analyzed to highlight the socio‐cultural nature of the Upper Sonoran landscape. This article also explores social theory and proposes the use of multi‐scalar thinking and grounded fieldwork in gathering a more detailed, multi‐dimensional picture of community life behind the gate. This picture illustrates the changing nature of institutional forces shaping urban life as neoliberal policies in local government engender the proliferation of private institutions, as residents are willing to relinquish personal property rights for economic and social stability.

The Symbolic Use of Mobile Telephone Among Turkish Consumers

SUMMARY Mobile telephone has been widely adopted by many people in society. As it integrates into daily life, it alters the way people communicate, identify their personalities and relate to others in social system. It affects socio-economic structures as well as individual life. Mobile telephone enables accessibility, emancipation, security and micro-coordination and serves as a symbol of prestige, pride and self-identity. The aim of this study is to explore the symbolic factors influencing the use of mobile telephone among Turkish consumers using qualitative and quantitative research methods. The findings reveal that symbolic needs overweigh functional needs which are revealed in Argyris and Schon's remarkable works (1974, 1978) on “theories-in-use” and “espoused-theories,” respectively.

English in Argentina: a sociolinguistic profile

The status of English as a global language has made it not only widely available in Argentina but increasingly necessary to the average Argentinian as well. In the past decade those seeking a job or a promotion or those pursing a graduate university education have become acutely aware that proficiency in English is an essential requirement. As a symbol of prestige and modernity, it has become a ‘means of social ascension’ (Friedrich, 2000: 222). This paper sets out to provide insight into the dimenisons and dynamics of English in Argentina by drawing a sociolinguistic profile of this language in a South American setting. It begins with an overview of the languages and cultures represented in Argentina and the historical presence, contact and availability of English from the eighteenth century on. It describes the users and uses of English in terms of Kachru's (1992) framework, and Argentinian attitudes towards English. The sources of the availability and status of English are traced to the strong cultural legacy of the British which has influenced the teaching of English, its contemporary presence and prestige, and to the shift of economic power to the USA in tandem with developments in communication technologies.

CACAO AND CHOCOLATE

The origin of the words $lsquo;cacao$rsquo; and $lsquo;chocolate$rsquo; and their use in the reconstruction of the early history of Mesoamerica, remain very controversial issues. Cambell and Kaufman (1976, American Antiquity 41:80–89), for example, proposed that the word $lsquo;cacao$rsquo; originated from Mixe–Zoque languages, thus possibly representing Olmec traditions. According to this argument, other Mesoamerican languages, including Nahuatl, borrowed the word as a symbol of prestige and Olmec influence. Other researchers claim the word $lsquo;chocolate$rsquo; represents a more recent neologism, a possible Maya–Nahuatl hybrid, due to the late appearance of the word in central Mexico's Colonial sources. We refute the putative Mixe–Zoque origin of $lsquo;cacao$rsquo; and provide linguistic evidence to propose that $lsquo;cacao,$rsquo; like $lsquo;chocolate,$rsquo; is a Uto-Aztecan term. Analysis of these words highlights general and particular evolutionary trends that originate from the Uto-Aztecan language family. In addition, we show that these two words were initially used as descriptive terms to refer to the shape of the plant's bean and the techniques of drink preparation. Etymological evidence verifies the use of a Mayan term for cacao as early as the Classic period (fourth century a.d.). This early appearance of the term in Mayan and the later diffusion of the Nahua word throughout all of Mesoamerica correlate with additional data to support the conclusion that Teotihuacanos spoke Nahuatl.

La menace des armes nucléaires ne doit pas être éternelle

The Threat of Nuclear Weapons Should Not Be Eternal, by David Martin and Michel Rocard For the five big powers, nuclear weapons are at présent meaningless. Their préservation as a symbol of prestige induces other countries to maintain the weapons which they possess. The danger is especially serious in regions where they cannot be used as instruments of crisis management. France and the UK should propose jointly a programme of disarmament which would require several decades to implement.

Temples, Donors, and Gifts: Patterns of Patronage in Thirteenth-Century South India

The common model of the Hindu temple of South India has stressed its significance as the main integrative factor binding the disparate elements of precolonial society into one social fabric. As a focal point for economic redistribution, the South Indian temple was the conduit through which exchange occurred: material goods were transformed into the symbols of prestige and influence known as temple honors (Appadurai and Breckenridge 1976). The legitimacy of the medieval South Indian ruler rested on his role as the donor par excellence, and his sovereignty had a ritual basis that was far stronger than his more mundane methods of control (Stein 1980: 45–46). The foremost reason South Indian temples were able to perform this integrative function was their wide appeal in the society—their ability to incorporate members of different communities into one community of worship. By providing employment to artisans, peasants and shepherds and by lending money to agriculturalists in their vicinities, South Indian temples also redistributed the property of the wealthy to other segments of society (Spencer 1968:292). The widespread approval accorded to patrons of temples meant that, during the later Vijayanagara age, religious gifting could be used as a strategy by outside warriors for creating allegiances on the local level in Tamil Nadu (Appadurai 1977:55–59).

Stridsøksekulturens flintøkser og -mejsler

Stridsøksekulturens flintøkser og -mejsler

An evaluation of vestibular testing.

IT is my task to evaluate vestibular testing, and in order to make this worthwhile, we must determine in advance what is our ultimate goal. There is no reason why an astute clinician should not be interested in all aspects of the labyrinth. With this attitude, he may hope to carry on worthwhile research. We must be aware of the fact, however, that research has become a prestige symbol as has elaborate test equipment. Succumbing to these spurious current fads may give temporary gain. However, for anyone who cherishes the hope of establishing an enduring good name, beware of pseudoscience. Science has inexorable laws which eventually catch up with and consign to oblivion, the so-called scientist who is in a hurry. The clinician's first concern is for the welfare of his patient, and in order to be most effective, he must arrive at a correct diagnosis of the illness. The

Lagging Emulation in Post‐Peasant Society1

THIS paper has two purposes: one is to suggest that a particular process of social and cultural change occurs commonly enough and has important enough consequences to be worthy of being identified and given a distinctive name; and the second is to illustrate, using contemporary Greek data, the possible value of the concept for studies of change in rural populations emerging from the status of peasantry. I call this concept lagging emulation. The emulation in question is the process whereby social groups of lower prestige, upon the acquisition of new wealth or other forms of opportunity, imitate and often successfully acquire what they conceive to be the behavior of those with greater prestige; the emulation lags in that the behavior imitated is that which reached its acme as a prestige symbol for the higher social group at an earlier period in its history, and is now obsolescent. Lagging emulation occurs, then, under conditions in which the groups which constitute the traditional elites or which are otherwise considered worthy of emulation are themselves acquiring new ways at the same time that the traditionally less advantaged groups are enabled to alter their previous patterns of life. The concept and its phrasing are of course influenced both by the ideas of Thorstein Veblen and also by Charles Erasmus' recent extension of some of them for his discussion of the acceptance or rejection of change in underdeveloped countries (Erasmus 1961:13 and passim). The concept of lagging emulation is based on the assumptions that the desire for prestige, or social status, or achievement is a basic motive in all cultures and societies; that to some extent this motive enters into the conscious awareness of the participants in a society-it becomes a felt need, in Erasmus' terms (Erasmus 1961: 12-13, 309); and that a frequently occurring means for satisfying the need is to emulate the behavior of those strata of society to which prestige is already firmly attached (cf. Foster 1962: 147-150). Examples of the phenomenon, without a special term for it to be sure, have appeared in the literature, and some of these may clarify the idea. Many writers on caste in India have noted that as village lower castes develop some wealth or power, they assume some of the obsolescent customs of higher castes. The lower caste may imitatively start to increaSe the authority of the father and husband and to tighten the restrictions on wives at just about the time that higher castes are beginning, as a means of increasing their prestige in a newly developing international community, to loosen the traditional authority and restrictions (Cohn 1955:67-68). Srinivas, in his discussions of religiously inspired traits in India, characterizes as an ... interesting contradiction of modern Hindu social life [the fact] that while Brahmins are becoming more and

Titles as Symbols of Prestige in Seventeenth-Century New England

p ROMINENT among evidences of social prestige that were important to New England colonists were titles indicative of rank. A strenuous attempt was made to maintain traditional titular honors that had long flourished in mother country, but conditions of frontier life made it difficult to perpetuate niceties of usage much though they were cherished by those who loved stately ways of past. Consequently there was an interplay between heritage and environment in New England which developed a unique attitude toward honorifics, albeit one that was not always consistent. The titles and prefixes of respect that comprised nomenclature of honor in New England were complex and utilized with a punctiliousness which was more apparent than real. Official memoranda clearly indicate an attempt by clerks and recorders to use titles as a means of designating quality of an individual. An entry, under date of December ig, i67I, in court records of Middlesex County referred in one sentence to the Reverend Mr. Charles Chauncey, Worth(y) Daniel Gookin Esqr. and to two presumably less dignified individuals, Jno. Greene and Joseph Hawley.' Another entry in same records for i686, noting renewal of seventeen innkeepers' licenses, apparently distinguished among applicants by prefixes to their names. One Mistress, four Mr.s, one Widow, two Lieutenants, and nine unqualified names composed list.2 Most of official records and documents of early New England, by displaying a discrimination in use of titles similar to those noted, create illusion that they were carefully regulated in accordance with a definitely prescribed rule of social etiquette.3 But a more exhaustive study of records reveals no standardized relationship between

Postvocalic /-r/ in South Carolina: A Social Analysis

rrHE RELATIONSHIP between speech forms and the cultural configurations 1 and prestige values within a civilization has been indicated by linguistic scientists, but so far most of the study of that relationship has been directed toward languages outside the Indo-European family.2 It is, however, just as proper to utilize the data of linguistics, as derived from a study of dialects of our own language, in analyzing some of the problems within our own culture.3 As an example of a situation in which linguistic data and other cultural data must be correlated, one may examine the distribution in South Carolina and the adjacent parts of Georgia of postvocalic /-rX as constriction in such words as thirty, Thursday, worm, barn, beard, Jather.4 (In popular terminology, speakers lacking constriction in words of these types are said not to pronounce their /-r/.) A social analysis proved necessary for this particular linguistic feature, because the data proved too complicated to be explained by merely a geographical statement or a statement of settlement history. In this particular problem, moreover, the social analysis seems more significant than it might seem in othersll because the presence or absence of postvocalic /-rX as constriction becomes an overt prestige symbol only on a very high level of sophistication. With little experience a speaker learns that the folk forms ['laItasd], lightwood and ['faatlboasd], fireboard, do not have the prestige of the corresponding standard forms kindling and mantelpiece5-that the folk forms are gener-