Humanities & Social Sciences

The basement of the façade of the San Rufino at Assisi is part of the newly erected Cathedral, which can be dated between 1140 and about 1240. Its extensive décor shows the self-confidence of its sole initiators, the Canons of the Cathedral. On the one hand the present treatise is addressed at the differentiated planar structuring on behalf of a large-scaled framing with a salient arched corbel course and the debate of its derivation. Thereby the framing of the reliefs next to the main portal on the façade of San Pietro fuori le mura at Spoleto receives specific consideration, also in comparison with the different types of relief-framing of several churches in the southwestern Mediterranean area. On the other hand the diversified decorative repertoire of the façade-basement at Assisi is brought into focus in this treatise. In this context special attention is paid to the so far rudimentarily investigated motives of the presentations, their origin and distribution.

What are the factors which have made South Africa so appealing to terrorist and radical islamic organisations? What role has South Africa played within global Jihad? This book examines how South Africa has come to play a major role in global terror networks stemming from growing criminality and corruption within state structures. It also examines the interaction between local and foreign extremist elements which undermine South Africa’s security. The author brings the discussion beyond the usual mundane academic treatise to the sharp reality of the global dangers of politicised Islam – a muslim talking candidly about Islam.

Social networking, blogging, vlogging, gaming, instant messaging, downloading music and other content, uploading and sharing their own creative work: these activities made possible by the new digital media are rich with opportunities and risks for young people. This report, part of the GoodPlay Project, undertaken by researchers at Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero, investigates the ethical fault lines of such digital pursuits. The authors argue that five key issues are at stake in the new media: identity, privacy, ownership and authorship, credibility, and participation. Drawing on evidence from informant interviews, emerging scholarship on new media, and theoretical insights from psychology, sociology, political science, and cultural studies, the report explores the ways in which youth may be redefining these concepts as they engage with new digital media. The authors propose a model of "good play" that involves the unique affordances of the new digital media; related technical and new media literacies; cognitive and moral development and values; online and offline peer culture; and ethical supports, including the absence or presence of adult mentors and relevant educational curricula. This proposed model for ethical play sets the stage for the next part of the GoodPlay project, an empirical study that will invite young people to share their stories of engagement with the new digital media.The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning

In a Barbie World: Barbie as Narrative, Symbol, and Cipher brings together a group of global scholars representing different disciplines and identities to examine the myriad themes that emerge from the Greta Gerwig film, Barbie. In 2023, Barbie unexpectedly became the highest grossing film of the year and surprised audiences with its perceptive exploration of feminism and feminist philosophies. Taking an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach, this collection is the first book to undertake a philosophical and academic consideration of Barbie. This collection of essays approaches the film from different disciplinary perspectives, considering it simultaneously as a cultural phenomenon and as an academic text. Chapters cover a range of topics, including patriarchy, consumerism, capitalism, colonialism, sexual identity, race, recognition, relationships, mothers and daughters, queerness, girl power, feminism, and, of course, its theatre rival, Oppenheimer. In a Barbie World: Barbie as Narrative, Symbol, and Cipher offers an accessible yet scholarly contribution to the fields of gender studies, political theory, philosophy, film studies, bioethics, and education, among others. It will be of value to students of these subjects at both undergraduate and graduate level, as well as to broader audiences who are interested in Barbie and its themes.

The identification of all the friars active in Santa Maria Novella on a regular basis or only temporarily is a puzzling issue, due to the high mobility of Dominican friars as well as the complexities of the internal organization of the convent. This contribution offers a schematic chronology of the Florentine Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella between 1291 and 1319. For each year, the prior, the main lector, the lector of the Sentences, the students, and other friars active in the convent are listed, together with further information about the major events taking place at the convent.

Audioführungen spielen bei der Vermittlung von Museumsexponaten eine immer wichtigere Rolle. Ihre Erstellung ist inzwischen zu einem festen Bestandteil der museumspädagogischen Arbeit geworden. Doch trotz dieses weit verbreiteten Einsatzes ist das Medium Audioführung in der Museumslandschaft keineswegs unumstritten. Während die einen den Vorwurf der Manipulation durch zu viel »Führung« erheben, führen die Befürworter des neuen Mediums ins Feld, es sei wenig fruchtbar, Museumsbesucher mit den Exponanten »alleine zu lassen«. Mit der Studie »Aufmerksames Sehen« präsentiert Uwe Christian Dech einen in der Praxis erprobten Ansatz, der aufzeigt, wie Audioführungen sinnvoll eingesetzt werden können. Dabei wird deutlich, welch wertvollen Beitrag die Audioführung im Zusammenspiel mit anderen Begleitmedien zu leisten in der Lage ist.

The right to participate in cultural life is profoundly rooted in international human rights law, and, with regard to persons with disabilities, it is enunciated in Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD or the Convention). This provision requires States Parties to the Convention to ensure accessibility of cultural materials, services and activities, and cultural heritage, and to support the creative and artistic potential of persons with disabilities. However, people with disabilities continue to face barriers to cultural participation. On foot of a pan-European empirical study and a socio-legal analysis, this book discusses the normative content of Article 30 CRPD and its implementation. It identifies and categorises barriers to cultural participation, highlighting new paths to operationalise Article 30 CRPD. This book will be of interest to scholars and students working in disability law, socio-legal studies, international human rights law, as well as cultural studies, disability studies, and cultural policies.

The here collected contributions relating to the 46th International Conference of the Representation Disciplines Teachers, organized jointly by Sapienza University of Rome, Roma Tre University, and San Raffaele Roma University, aim to offer the scientific community a reflection on the theoretical and methodological aspects related to the concept of èkphrasis, a term that, in the field of representation, concerns descriptive, analogical, and digital activities that generate new knowledge in several areas of application. The Conference aims to place at the center of the discussion an interpretation of the concept of research that, without neglecting an idea of study, protection, and enhancement of environmental and cultural heritage, focuses on the needs of contemporary society and its possible developments, making use of innovative theoretical, methodological, and operational activities, including those characterized by an interdisciplinary approach. According to this interpretation, research can also be seen as a foreshadowing of the definition and testing of experimental proposals aimed at exploring new areas of investigation: this opens up imaginative and utopian perspectives in the relationship between the sciences, the arts, and the disciplines that contribute to common goals, through the experimentation of methods, techniques, and languages for conceiving, prefiguring, designing, and representing.

Die medienwissenschaftliche Debatte um das Verhältnis und die Verschränkung von Mensch und Medium bekommt eine neue theoriehistorische Analytik: Mit dem »audiovisuellen Individuum« - dem Audioviduum - rückt Julia Eckel eine spezifische Schnittstelle dieser materiellen wie diskursiven Kopplung in den Fokus. Dazu untersucht sie die Relevanz des Menschenmotivs in audiovisuellen Medien für die Herausbildung medientheoretischen Denkens und befragt frühe Schriften zu Stummfilm, Radio und Tonfilm auf ihre inhärenten Anthropozentrismen. Das Audioviduum bezeichnet hierbei die konkrete Verschmelzung von Medium und Mensch im Modus anthropomorpher und anthropophoner Audiovisualität und repräsentiert dessen Relevanz für die Medientheorien des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts - und darüber hinaus.

Städte zeichnen sich dadurch aus, dass sie Zentren von Wanderungsbewegungen sind und durch den Weg- und Zuzug verschiedenster Bevölkerungsgruppen geprägt werden. Migrationserinnerungen im Lokalen nachspüren: Das ist die Thematik der Beiträge des interdisziplinär angelegten Sammelbandes, der Veränderungen und Kontinuitäten örtlicher Erinnerungs- und Geschichtskulturen nach 1989 an den Fallbeispielen Bratislava, Prag, Hoyerswerda, Košice und Łodz fokussiert. Die Aufmerksamkeit gilt insbesondere Erinnerungsinteressen und -praktiken städtischer Akteure.

The "4 per 1000: Soils for Food Security and Climate" initiative proposes to increase the stock of carbon in all soils around the world by four thousandths each year. At the request of Ademe and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, INRA (now INRAE) conducted a study, focused on mainland France, aimed at estimating the potential for carbon storage. agricultural and forest soils and, ultimately, to measure the potential contribution of this lever to the objective of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. Various candidate practices (intermediate crops, contribution of new organic resources, grassland management, agroforestry, etc.) were evaluated. The results obtained showed a high variability of the additional carbon storage. The study also made it possible to estimate the additional cost, for farmers, of implementing these storage practices, and then an allocation of the storage effort between the practices and the regions was made. These data will allow the various actors concerned to make the best choices for storing more carbon in the soil. This book is aimed at decision-makers responsible for developing public climate policies in the agricultural sector, territorial managers, planners, engineers and technicians, farmers and all citizens interested in the issue of agriculture. and climate change.

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, mikrostrukturelle und chemische Inhomogenitäten in Ni- und Co-Basis Superlegierungen auf der Mikro- und Nanoskala mechanisch bei hohen Temperaturen zu untersuchen, um deren Einfluss auf das makroskopische mechanische Verhalten bei erhöhten Temperaturen zu ermitteln. Hierzu wurden kombinatorische Untersuchungen an Diffusionspaaren unter Einsatz eines integrierten Legierungsentwicklungsansatzes durchgeführt, um den optimalen Cr-Gehalt in einer Co-Basis Superlegierung zu bestimmen, der eine verbesserte Oxidationsbeständigkeit bei gleichbleibenden mechanischen Eigenschaften ermöglicht. Daneben wurden Zugkriechversuche mit verschieden großen Proben und Mikrostrukturen durchgeführt, um den Einflusses der Miniaturisierung auf die Kriecheigenschaften zu untersuchen. Dabei konnte festgestellt werden, dass eine Reduktion des Durchmessers von 6 mm auf 150 µm zur gleichen minimalen Kriechrate führt. Bei dieser starken Miniaturisierung kommt es jedoch zu einer Abnahme der Bruchdehnung. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden außerdem Druckversuche bei konstanter Dehnrate sowie Dehnratenwechselversuche zur Bestimmung des temperatur- und dehnratenabhängigen Mischkristallhärtungsverhaltens von W, Ta, Re, Mo und Ru in Ni durchgeführt. Dabei konnte ein semiempirisches Modell entwickelt werden, mit welchem sich die Mischkristallhärtung der untersuchten Legierungselemente in Ni in Abhängigkeit von Temperatur, Dehnrate und Zusammensetzung quantitativ abschätzen lässt. Insgesamt können die in dieser Arbeit entwickelten Methoden gezielt eingesetzt werden, um die Legierungsentwicklung neuer Superlegierungen zu beschleunigen und zu optimieren.

'Strange Science: Investigating the Limits of Knowledge in the Victorian Age' is an unprecedented collection that examines marginal, fringe, and unconventional forms of scientific inquiry, as well as their cultural representations in the Victorian period. Although now relegated to the category of the pseudoscientific, fields like mesmerism and psychical research captured the imagination of the Victorian public. Conversely, many branches of science that we now view as uncontroversial, such as physics and botany, were often associated with unorthodox methods of inquiry. Whether incorporated into mainstream scientific thought, or relegated by 21st century historians to the category of the pseudo- or even anti-scientific, these sciences generated conversation, enthusiasm, and controversy within Victorian society.

Die vorliegende Arbeit hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die südslavische Volksepik - unter Berücksichtigung der Ergebnisse der historischen und neomythologischen Schule - auf ihre verschiedenen Liedschichten und damit Fragen der Chronologie hin zu untersuchen. Die Fragestellung ist also eine historische: es interessiert aber nicht in erster Linie die Geschichte in der Epik, sondern viel mehr die Geschichte der Epik.