Open Access Books

How do digital experiences shape intimacy? What role do sensory stimuli play in creating connections across virtual spaces? ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), a growing cultural and media phenomenon, invites us to reconsider the ways intimacy, care and relaxation are nurtured through immersive soundscapes and visuals. This book situates ASMR within the landscape of contemporary affective culture, exploring how sounds, visuals and tactile elements build intimate and soothing connections in digital environments. Through a detailed analysis of ASMR videos, it reveals how posthuman perspectives and post-cinematic aesthetics blur the boundaries between human and non-human, reshaping our experience of media and creating new spaces for connection, care and emotional resonance. Ultimately, it uncovers how ASMR opens the door to new forms of transgressive intimacy, challenging traditional notions of closeness in today's world.

This open access book provides a comprehensive look at the pluses and minuses of leadership in times of an unparalleled crisis, such as the COVID-19 global pandemic. It examines the COVID-19 crisis in terms of psychodynamics, crisis management, and especially from the standpoint of complex, messy systems. It analyses how leaders need to think and act differently to cope better with—and potentially prevent—future crises.

Resistance features a selection of overtly non-conformist positions in the contemporary visual art scene of Albania vis-à-vis the most recent social, political, and economic turmoils in the Western Balkans – a region marked by the dark side of political governances that have remained “democratic” in their outward appearance (especially toward the European Union), while dramatically leaning toward autocratic regimes in the eyes of their own citizens. Regardless of their citizens’ primary interests, and despite some positive signals surfacing in the international media, almost every attempt to establish lasting conditions for democratic governance in the Western Balkans has been shrouded in the veil of profit-driven political scandals, personal greed for more and more power over the people’s rights, and the extinction of public property in pursuit of social elite’s corporate and private interests. Additionally, and more specifically related to Tirana, artists and citizens have, over the years, been involved in various types of revolt, expressing their disagreements with the ongoing destruction of public property in the name of “modernization and development”: a movement led by local political powers through financially and strategically motivated processes of architectural cannibalism – not only at the expense of erasing Albanian cultural heritage or long-term residents’ habitats, but also at the expense of taking human lives under the pretext of “urbanization.” The most obvious instance of this economy of destruction was the complex of buildings linked to the National Theater of Albania in downtown Tirana that has served as a symbolic and material place of citizens’ resistance: for more than two years, together with local artists, they have been opposing the government’s plans to demolish the old complex in order to build a new one – until this finally happened in Spring 2020, in the midst of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. Rooted in the atmosphere of the National Theater Protests in Tirana, RESISTANCE was conceived in Summer 2019 by ZETA Center for Contemporary Art as the International Artists-in-Residence Program, in cooperation with three partner organizations from Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia (Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art in Prishtina; Ilija & Mangelos Foundation in Novi Sad; and Faculty of Things That Can’t Be Learned in Bitola) and supported by Swiss Cultural Fund in Albania, a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Gradually, the project expanded into an exhibition (Heterotopias of Resistance, curated by Blerta Hoçia and featuring works by Lori Lako, Fatlum Doçi, Edona Kryeziu, Nina Galiç, Darko Vukiç, Nikola Slavevski, and Natasha Nedelkova) and a series of interviews and panel discussions (with contributions by Lindita Komani, Edmond Budina, Ervin Goci, Ergin Zaloshnja, Pleurad Xhafa, Gentian Shkurti, Stefano Romano, Luçjan Bedeni, HAVEIT, Leonard Qylafi, Jonida Gashi, and Fatmira Nikolli). The results of both have been collected and presented in the format of a publication that, besides serving as an indispensable reading material concerning visual arts and politics in contemporary Albania, especially to those abroad, functions by itself as a form of resistance against contagious cultural policies in weak post-socialist “democracies” in Southeastern Europe.

Erklärvideos stellen für Lernende eine wichtiger werdende Lerngelegenheit dar. Die Forschungslage zum Thema Erklärvideos lässt zum Teil noch offen, welchen Einfluss die didaktische Qualität eines Erklärvideos und die Form der Einbettung in Lehr-Lernprozesse auf den Lernzuwachs haben. Weiterhin ist unklar, ob es Personengruppen gibt, die von Erklärvideos besonders profitieren können. Ziel der Arbeit ist es daher, einen theoriebasierten Kategorienkatalog zur Gestaltung möglichst lernwirksamer Erklärvideos zu entwickeln, zwei Erklärvideos unterschiedlicher didaktischer Qualität zu einem Thema aus der Elektrizitätslehre zu gestalten und anhand dieser beiden Videos die Lernwirksamkeit empirisch zu prüfen.Die Erhebung mit N = 146 Lehramtsstudierenden des Sachunterrichts zeigt über alle Treatmentgruppen große Lernzuwächse. Aus den Ergebnissen folgt, dass die Qualität und auch das Einbettungsformat in dieser Erhebung keinen direkten Einfluss auf den Lernzuwachs haben. Aus der Betrachtung der Nutzungsdaten der Erklärvideos folgt als eine mögliche Erklärung, dass die Studierenden auch im schlechteren Erklärvideo relevante Inhalte identifizieren können. Es konnte beobachtet werden, dass besonders im Vorwissen schwache Studierende überproportional von Erklärvideos profitieren. Der mögliche Lernzuwachs bei der Nutzung von Erklärvideos hängt somit von den individuellen Lernvoraussetzungen der Lernenden ab.

The article analyzes the centrality of the question of work in the thought of Karl Marx, focusing in particular on the role that work has in the Marxian conception of man and in the materialistic understanding of history. Marx criticizes Adam Smith’s view according to which work is essentially a sacrifice. For Marx, work, which is constitutive and essential to human nature, can take very different forms: it can be alienated and exploited work as in capitalism, and therefore a work where the individual loses himself. But it could also be, in a different society, one of the most important ways of self-realization of the individual and extrication of his creativity.

Das Verhältnis von Film und Fotografie ist, gerade seit der Digitalisierung, neu zu definieren: Bewegung und Stillstand, Film und Fotografie, gehen ineinander über (z.B. durch filmisches Fotografieren), die mediale Grenzziehung verschwimmt. Die historische und aktuelle Beziehung beider Medien wird durch die PostProduktion zu erfassen versucht: Wie lassen sich Film und Fotografie über diese begreifen? Wo finden sich Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten? Ein Zusammenspiel? Es wird nach dem Austauschprozess und der ästhetischen Versuchsanordnung von Film und Fotografie gefragt. Der vorliegende Band dokumentiert die Ergebnisse einer interdisziplinären Tagung am Seminar für Filmwissenschaft der Universität Zürich, die sich mit dieser Fragestellung/den Medien Film und Fotografie im Kontext ihrer PostProduktion auseinandersetzte.

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.

Fake News und Hate Speech sind Phänomene, mit denen wir fast tagtäglich konfrontiert sind, sei es im beruflichen, ehrenamtlichen oder privaten Kontext. Die Beiträge des Bandes bieten Einblicke in die ostbelgische »Speak Up!«-Werkstatt, in der sich Wissenschaftler*innen, Praktiker*innen und Menschen aus der Zivilgesellschaft mit den Ursachen, Erscheinungsformen und Folgen von Fake News und Hate Speech auseinandergesetzt haben. Die Beiträge wurden von Menschen mit den unterschiedlichsten beruflichen, (mutter-)sprachlichen und kulturellen Hintergründen verfasst. Offen und authentisch legen sie die Herausforderungen und Erfahrungen aus der ostbelgischen »Speak Up!«-Werkstatt dar und liefern neue Denkanstöße. Die Darstellungsformen der Beiträge reichen von Tagebucheinträgen über Reflexionsberichte, Handlungsleitfäden, Gedankenprotokolle und Interviews bis hin zum Werkstattgespräch.

This open access book presents an in-depth analysis of data from ICCS. An international group of scholars critically address the state of civic and citizenship education in the four Nordic countries that participated in the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) in 2009 and 2016. The findings are of particular relevance to educators at all levels, from school education through to teacher education. Nordic countries have long traditions of democracy and their students have performed relatively well in the ICCS assessments. Nonetheless, citizenship education continues to evolve and has received increasing attention in recent educational reforms, indicating policymakers understanding that schools play an important role in establishing democratic values among future citizens. Data from ICCS can be used to analyze, discuss, and reflect on the status of civic and citizenship education and can contribute to the discourse on the potential role of education in contributing to sustainable democracies for a common future. However, teaching citizenship and learning democracy are two different things. While young people can be taught about democracy in school, it is vital that schools work together with the wider community in which youth operate to strengthen civic understanding and values for all young people regardless of their social and economic background.

The rise of China and India could be the most important political development of the twenty-first century. What will the foreign policies of China and India look like in the future? What should they look like? And what can each country learn from the other? Bridging Two Worlds gathers a coterie of experts in the field, analyzing profound political thinkers from these ancient regions whose theories of interstate relations set the terms for the debates today. This volume is the first work of its kind and is essential reading for anyone interested in the growth of China and India and what it means for the rest of the world. “This brilliant volume shines a light on the two great civilizations that will once again drive world history. No volume could be more timely, more relevant, and more needed than this one.” — KISHORE MAHBUBANI, Distinguished Fellow, Asia Research Institute, NUS, and author of The Asian 21st Century “With the recently elevated economic and political power of China and the great potential of India in the twenty-first century, interdisciplinary dialogue and engagement such as is found in this book is necessary for contemporary debates in political theory and international relations.” — KUIYI SHEN, Professor of Asian Art History, Theory, and Criticism, University of California, San Diego"

nutrition; agriculture; sustainable development

Scientific integrity is defined by the French Research Code as "the set of rules and values that must govern research activities in order to guarantee their honest and rigorous nature". It applies to all knowledge production and dissemination practices. It is essential not only to the smooth running of scientific communities, and to the robustness and reliability of the knowledge produced, but also to the sustainability of public confidence in science. In France, as in other countries, an institutional and legal framework for research has gradually been established, encouraging all players in the world of research to rigorously exercise their responsibility for self-regulation. This book recalls the essential principles of scientific integrity and the stakes involved in respecting them, as well as the role that each player in research must play. It also outlines the context in which this notion has been mediatized, and suggests ways of building a favorable ecosystem. This book is aimed at students and all research professionals.

The book collects the contributions of scholars from disciplines of education and digital representation to jointly investigate the lines of development of education to art and heritage. Pedagogical knowledge brought into digital environments, both Augmented Reality and Immersive Virtual Reality, enhances its effectiveness in the signification of an educational experience whose main objectives seem to be art in all its forms and cultural heritage in all its expressions.

In dem Sammelband werden Reformprojekte vorgestellt, die Teilnehmende eines afrikanisch-asiatischen Qualifizierungsprogramms für Dekane an ihren Heimathochschulen umgesetzt haben. In den Projekten haben sie Veränderungen in verschiedenen Bereichen initiiert. Dazu gehören Verbesserungen in Forschung und Lehre sowie die Einführung einer Qualitätssicherung. Im "DIES International Deans' Course" werden Managementfähigkeiten für Fakultätsmanager:innen im afrikanischen und südostasiatischen Raum vermittelt. Die Autorinnen und Autoren zeigen, dass es auch unter schwierigen Bedingungen möglich ist, erfolgreiche Änderungsprozesse auf den Weg zu bringen. Alle Beiträge des Bandes sind auf Englisch verfasst.

A kötet egy, az alkoholizmusból felépülő közösség, az Anonim Alkoholisták (A.A.) átfogó bemutatására vállalkozik. Nyomon követi kialakulásának történetét egyesült államokbeli alapításától globális közösséggé fejlődéséig, kitérve a rendszerváltással meginduló magyarországi elterjedésére. Feltárja azokat a vallási, filozófiai és tudományos eszméket, melyekben a közösség elképzelései gyökereznek, majd azt a folyamatot, ahogy nézetei, a kezdeti vallási elképzelésektől elszakadva, azokon túllépve, spirituális szemléletté fejlődtek. Elemzi az A.A. alkoholizmusról mint betegségről kialakított, a modern orvostudományra is hatást gyakorló felfogását, tizenkét lépéses felépülési programját, illetve szervezetének és működésének elveit, melyek a múlt század közepétől egyre több, különböző szenvedélybetegségekből felépülő közösség számára szolgáltattak mintát, és jelentősen hozzájárultak a század utolsó harmadától kibontakozó pszichospirituális józan kultúrához. A szerző elemzéseiben nem csupán az A.A.-hoz kapcsolódó közösségi és szakirodalomra, hanem többévnyi, A.A.-gyűléseken és -találkozókon végzett résztvevő megfigyelésre, a közösség tagjaival készült számos interjúra, valamint egy kérdőíves vizsgálatra támaszkodik, betekintést nyújtva a magyarországi A.A.-közösségben józanodók életvilágába. Madácsy József (1970–) mintegy húsz éve a Pécsi Tudományegyetem Közösségi és Szociális Tanulmányok Tanszékének oktatója, ma tanszékvezetője. Fő oktatási és kutatási területei a szenvedélybetegség, a felépülés lehetőségei és a segítő munka etikája. Egyetemi munkája mellett autogén tréner és addiktológiai tanácsadó a Rovienne Pszichológiai Központban, illetve az INDIT Közalapítványnál önkéntes munkában támogat problémás szerhasználattal küzdőket.