Humanities & Social Sciences

Man is part of nature, we say, and perhaps for most of us nature includes all that exists (at least in a tangible way—i.e. if we want to exclude our own thought, ideas, or emotions). Yet for some of us there is also another world, unbound from the yoke of natural laws, a world of spiritual existence governed by divinity: the supernatural world. In this view, the supernatural world interferes with the natural. Either everything that happens is ordered by the divine entity or spiritual activity is the cause of extraordinary and inexplicable natural phenomena. This book aims to investigate these belief systems in the case of the Ottoman Empire of the pre-modern period: that is, before the westernization process that started in the nineteenth century. It seeks to explore the changing borders between natural and supernatural and the shifts from knowledgeable to unknowledgeable, seeking to connect such changes and shifts to cultural developments and various social actors. The book examines topics such as the ideas about the universe and its function, the role of angels and jinn, sainthood and miracles, dreams and revenants, magic and other occult sciences, and so forth. The ultimate goal is to explore the place of the Ottoman world in early modernity, with a special focus on the disenchantment of the world and the Enlightenment.

Schon um 1900 beschrieben Besucher früher Filmvorführungen das Flackern auf der Leinwand als "Tanz der Bilder". Die Idee, dass Filme Tanz nicht nur aufzeichnen, sondern selber – über die Projektion, Kamerabewegungen oder Montage – tänzerische Bewegungseffekte freisetzen, zirkuliert seither durch Filmkritik und -theorie. Der Band untersucht die Denkfigur vom tänzerischen Film und zeichnet ihr Entstehen im Kontext der intermedialen Geschichte von früher Filmkultur und modernem Tanz zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts nach. Gezeigt wird, wie das Kino im Kontext von Tanz, Körperkultur und Gymnastik als "Bewegungskunst" modelliert wird und wie es sich – parallel zu und in Wechselwirkung mit dem modernen Tanz – als Praxis und Erfahrungsraum etabliert, an dem neue Formen der Bewegung und Wahrnehmung erprobt werden. Erarbeitet wird ein innovatives Theorie- und Analysemodell, das medienarchäologische Ansätze mit Theorien der Wahrnehmung, Bewegung und Körperlichkeit verknüpft. Dieser Zugriff erlaubt, die Geschichte des tänzerischen Films über ein breites Spektrum an Beispielen in den Blick zu nehmen: an den Tanz- und Trickszenen des frühen Kinos, wissenschaftlichen Bewegungsstudien und Zeitlupen-Aufnahmen, Tanz- und Kulturfilmen, Tanzlehrfilmen, Filmkomödien und Melodramen der 1910er Jahre bis hin zu den ‹absoluten› Experimentalfilmen der frühen 1920er Jahre. Die Zusammenschau verbindet die Analyse der Filme mit den Filmtheorien und Aufführungspraktiken der damaligen Zeit und beleuchtet zentrale Beispiele über eine Fülle bislang unbekannter Archivmaterialien. So entfaltet sich ein faszinierendes Panorama der frühen Filmkultur, das zeigt, wie eng diese im Austausch stand mit Ideen des Tänzerischen der Körper- und Tanzkultur, bildenden Kunst, Philosophie, Physiologie, Bewegungswissenschaft, Lebensreform und populären Unterhaltungskultur. Erstmals in den Blick genommen werden auch die Reaktionen moderner Tänzerinnen und Choreographen wie Isadora Duncan und Loïe Fuller, Rudolf von Laban, Mary Wigman und Gret Palucca auf den Film. Ihre Kommentare, mal polemisch gegen das Kino gewandt, mal euphorische Entwürfe einer intermedialen Bewegungskunst, eröffnen einen ganz eigenen Reflexionsraum auf das damals neue Medium. Im Zentrum ihrer Überlegungen steht die (auch tanztheoretisch relevante) Frage: Wie lässt sich Tanz verstehen, wenn er nicht mehr an den menschlichen Körper gebunden ist? Die entwickelte Theorie vom tänzerischen Film ermöglicht, diese Frage auch für aktuelle Filme – von der ‹Berliner Schule› bis hin zu Spielformen des Screen- und Videodance – zu reflektieren und zu klären, was es heißt, einen Film oder ein Video ‹tänzerisch› zu ‹erfahren›.

Cet ouvrage présente une nouvelle approche originelle à la vielle question de la variation du ne de négation en français moderne. Soigneusement établie sur un corpus de langue parlée, l’auteur présente l’hypothèse de la variation linguistique pluridimensionnelle : le clitique négatif ne est parfois réalisé, comme dans la phrase ma mère ne vient pas, mais très souvent omis, surtout dans la communication informelle : je viens pas. Comme toute variable linguistique, le ne de négation est soumis à un ensemble d’influences potentielles. À l’aide d’une analyse multifactorielle, Charlotte Meisner montre que la variation pluridimensionnelle du ne de négation est déterminée par un facteur-clé sous-jacent : la prosodie du français moderne.

Before new interventions can be used in disease control programmes, it is essential that they are carefully evaluated in “field trials”, which may be complex and expensive undertakings. Descriptions of the detailed procedures and methods used in trials that have been conducted in the past have generally not been published. As a consequence, those planning such trials have few guidelines available and little access to previously accumulated knowledge. In this book the practical issues of trial design and conduct are discussed fully and in sufficient detail for the text to be used as a “toolbox” by field investigators. The toolbox has now been extensively tested through use of the first two editions and this third edition is a comprehensive revision, incorporating the many developments that have taken place with respect to trials since 1996 and involving more than 30 contributors. Most of the chapters have been extensively revised and 7 new chapters have been added.

The contribution, based on a recent legal case against AI companies accused of using protected works via web scraping to train generative algorithms, analyzes the legal challenges related to the protection of artistic style, historically excluded from copyright. It criticizes the subjective criterion of originality, based on the author’s personality expression, and proposes a remedial approach that values the objective effects of a work on the public, overcoming the current focus on creative intention.

Is there a counter-imperial message beneath the surface of the text in Paul? Christoph Heilig analyzes the letters of the apostle and concludes that the hypothesis that we can identify critical »echoes« of the Roman Empire in Paul's letters needs to be modified for it to be maintained.

This book explores how nationalism and multilateralism transform international society and global governance. It does so by comparing the governance model of the EU – a constitutionalised and increasingly polycentric form of multilateralism – with Northeast Asia. There nationalist administrations have resisted multilateral commitments and are locked into rivalries instead of pursuing a regional project. Both Europe and Northeast Asia can be seen as success stories of the late 20th/ early 21st centuries, but by having followed different approaches to international governance. The book traces these two trajectories through critical junctures in history to how both regions have dealt with the contemporary challenges of the financial crisis and climate change. During the financial crisis, Europe’s multilateral economic and monetary architecture revealed profound weaknesses whilst national policies allowed much of Northeast Asia to escape the worst of it. On climate change the European Union (EU) has developed effort-sharing governance models to reduce emissions, while Northeast Asian countries are relying on greening national industrial policy. The book argues that global governance has to find the balance between multilateralism and nationalism in order to find collaborative approaches to global challenges. This book provides a fresh take on the EU and on Northeast Asia and develops innovative concepts of international society and polycentric governance. Thus, it will be of considerable interest to researchers and students of global governance, international relations, EU and Asia Studies. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-ND) 4.0 license.

What can the languages spoken today tell us about the history of their speakers? This question is crucial in insular Southeast Asia and New Guinea, where thousands of languages are spoken, but written historical records and archaeological evidence is yet lacking in most regions. While the region has a long history of contact through trade, marriage exchanges, and cultural-political dominance, detailed linguistic studies of the effects of such contacts remain limited. This volume investigates how loanwords can prove past contact events, taking into consideration ten different regions located in the Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and New Guinea. Each chapter studies borrowing across the borders of language families, and discusses implications for the social history of the speech communities.

A look at twentieth-century Chinese writers and intellectuals who used the material remains of the past to unsettle the present. In this book, Guangchen Chen argues that discerning collectors used antiquities to upend dominant discourses on history and cultural memory in twentieth-century China. Examining four categories of ancient artifacts—“carving” (oracle bones), “rubbing” (imprints of inscriptions and books), “brushing” (calligraphy), and “weaving” (textiles and costumes)—Chen explains how their modern (re)emergences changed our understanding of the relationship between tradition and modernity, textuality and materiality, and the very meaning of “Chineseness.” Chen considers intellectuals such as Wang Yirong, Liu E, Luo Zhenyu, Wang Guowei, and Chen Mengjia, who played a pivotal role in the oracle bones’ modern reception. He also looks to major literary figures including Lu Xun, whose engagements with textual remnants of the past inspired his critique of Chinese culture; Guo Moruo, whose work on the calligraphic masterpiece Lantingxu contributed to the cultural-political climate that sparked the Cultural Revolution; Shi Zhecun, whose interest in inscriptions on ancient stelae helped him to hold fast to intellectual integrity in the face of political pressure; and Shen Congwen, whose obsession with ancient textiles saved him from committing suicide after his writing fell out of favor. These antiquarians used their collections as a strategy to synchronize historical time and to challenge two dominant yet contrasting ideologies in modern China: a regressive idealization of antiquity and an unquestioning trust in linear progress. During this turbulent period, long-lost artifacts came to function as omens, warnings, and revelations from another time, generating new meanings that were uniquely relevant to the present.

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) adversely impact the ability of the world’s nations to feed a growing world population. Hundreds of scientists work throughout many countries studying economically damaging fruit flies to improve our understanding of these pests and how to manage them. This book contains 19 contributions from many scientists, which is intended to improve the ability of all nations to manage tephritids and to provide good-quality food for their people. This book starts with a reflection on the career and contribution of Prof. Antigone Zacharopoulou. It continues with three chapters expanding our knowledge and information on the biology, ecology, physiology, and behavior of tephritid flies. The following three chapters explore opportunities for international trade. Aspects of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and natural enemies from different countries are explained in the next five chapters. Finally, the last seven chapters describe a diverse range of action programs and area-wide Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Key features: Provides information on fruit fly diversity, courtship, and components involved in mating success. Offers opportunities to improve international trade on fruits susceptible to tephritids. Explores methods to optimize the components of the SIT and the use of parasitoids. Provides new insights into area-wide IPM and action programs. Includes contributions from relevant fruit-growing areas of the globe. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Market-Oriented Disinformation Research explores the spread of false or misleading information online through the lens of marketing theory and consumer research. It examines how the business models of digital platforms and advertising technology firms (AdTech) generate digital markets that incentivize the circulation of harmful content for profit. Rather than viewing disinformation and misinformation as accidental byproducts, the book proposes that they thrive in the current markets designed for digital advertising and influencer marketing. Readers will learn how the amplification of disinformation can be linked to social media’s business model. Examples include how social media algorithms promote addictive content, how fake news sites use ad fraud to lure in advertising revenue, and how some content creators rely on clickbait, ragebait, bots, and conspiracy theories to boost their engagement metrics. The book is a must-read for scholars in journalism, media studies, and political communication, as well as policymakers interested in the democratic governance of social media platforms. In addition, it calls for digital marketing, advertising, and brand management professionals to take responsibility for their ad spending by advocating for greater oversight over AdTech intermediaries to prevent unethical actors from monetizing the harmful content that polarizes society and undermines democratic institutions.

Dieses Open Access-Buch zeigt, wie der Wert von Ökosystemleistungen und biologischer Vielfalt im Sinne einer ehrlichen Rechnung besser in nationale Berichte und Unternehmensbilanzen integriert werden kann. Wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Wohlstand hängen entscheidend von einer intakten, artenreichen Natur ab. Der wahre Wert des Naturvermögens und funktionierender Ökosysteme wird häufig unterschätzt – sowohl in seiner Bedeutung für den Einzelnen, wie auch in volkswirtschaftlichen Berechnungen und Unternehmensbilanzen.

During the 13th century, the Franciscan school became prominent among the first universities such as Oxford and Paris and other European centres of learning. This volume explores the contributions to scholarship of some of the major English Franciscans or Franciscan associates who worked primarily at Oxford, situating their contributions in relation to those of the other major Franciscan schools that existed at the same time, especially in Paris.

This open access book is the documentary of the Second International Forum on Financial Mathematics and Financial Technology, with focus on selected aspects of the current and upcoming trends in FinTech. In detail, the included scientific papers cover financial mathematics and FinTech, presenting the innovative mathematical models and state-of-the-art technologies such as deep learning, with the aim to improve the financial analysis and decision-making and enhance the quality of financial services and risk control. The variety of the papers delivers added value for both scholars and practitioners where they will find perfect integration of elegant mathematical models and up-to-date data mining technologies in financial market analysis. Due to COVID-19, the conference was held virtually on August 13–15, 2021, jointly held by the School of Mathematics of Renmin University of China, the Engineering Research Center of Financial Computing and Digital Engineering of Ministry of Education, the Statistics and Big Data Research Institute of Renmin University of China, the Blockchain Research Institute of Renmin University of China, the Zhongguancun Internet Finance Research Institute, and the Renmin University Press.

Reading Digital Fiction offers the first comprehensive and systematic theoretical, methodological, and analytical examination of digital fiction from a cognitive and empirical perspective. Proposing the new concept of “medial reading”, it argues for the centrality of an audience’s interest in, awareness of and/or attention to the medium in which a text is produced and received, and which we argue should be applied to reader data across media. The book analyses and theorises five generations of digital fiction and their reading including hypertext fiction, hypermedia fiction, narrative video games, app fiction, and virtual reality. It showcases medium- and platform-specific methods of qualitative reader response research across a variety of contexts and settings from screen-based and embodied interaction to gallery installation, and from reading group and individual interview to think-aloud methodologies. The book thus addresses the unique affordances of digital fiction reading by designing and reporting on new empirical studies focusing on hypertextuality, interactivity, immersion, as well as medium-specific forms of textual “you”, ontological ambiguity, reader orientation and empathy. In so doing, the book refines, critiques, and expands cognitive, transmedial, and empirical narratology and stylistics by placing the reader of these new narratives front and centre.