Do wyrzucenia. Historia współczesnego kryzysu – debata o śmieciach
Do wyrzucenia. Historia współczesnego kryzysu – debata o śmieciach.
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Do wyrzucenia. Historia współczesnego kryzysu – debata o śmieciach.
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This article is based on a comparison between legends about miraculous healing frequently published in the late 1980s in magazines and daily press and in advertising texts that are published today on the Internet in the form of almost formulaic information about new life-saving medicines for certain widespread diseases. These narratives are linked to tradition, primarily by their insistence on the truthfulness in both groups of texts, and on the role and basic qualities of healers, medicines, sources of healing power, testimonies and experiences of patients, elements of the miraculous and numinous. It is shown that less effort is put into achieving convincing veracity in contemporary texts, perhaps because their authors, unlike those from the late 1980s, are completely anonymous, and the websites where they publish are often temporarily available. Happiness is offered to all who invest a small sum of money and buy the miraculous medicine. The healer becomes the central figure of these narratives, they often combine the role of someone who was injured or ill with the role of the one who heals. In addition, names of famous physicians function as indirect proof of the truth: the medicine was “found” by someone who “everyone knows about”, who undoubtedly exists. Healers can also be students embodying the renewing life potential of youth, and patients who have inherited the medicine from their ancestors or received them from a patron saint. The attitude towards science in these narratives remains ambivalent. “Good” medical science opposes the evil “pharmaceutical mafia” and corrupted “official” medicine, which, for the sake of profit, consciously hides and suppresses cheap, effective, miracle medicines. Overall, what both types of narratives (those from the late 1980s, early 1990s and those from 2022 and 2023) have in common is an essential reliance on the human fear of death (Terror Management Theory) and on the deep need to, at least temporarily, miraculously overcome this fear at the price of (paid) self-deception.
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This article is dedicated to the memory of Croatian eminent folklorist, Maja BoškovićStulli, who dedicated much of her research to Istrian narrative folklore. She was one of the leading folklorists of the second half of the 20th century and a contemporary of Slovenia’s Milko Matičetov, another exceptional folklorist and field researcher. Together, they are responsible for the collection of Istrian narrative folklore and studied the role which narratives had in the lives of Istrian people. The proximity of different ethnic groups in this territory led to the diversity and richness of narrative culture and folk storytelling up to this day. This article discusses some examples of narrative culture from Slovenian and Croatian Istria from the point of view of vital shifts and changes that can be traced through different historical periods until today.
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According to Slavic folk beliefs, the soul leaves the body at the time of death in the form of a fly, butterfly, bird or mouse. It can later appear to living people in the form of some other animals, whereby differences can be observed between the so-called souls of the pure deceased or ancestors (those who died “of their own” natural death) and the so-called impure deceased (those who died prematurely or violently, who were sinners, unbaptized, practiced magic, etc.). The paper deals with folk beliefs about the zoomorphic characteristics of the souls of the mentioned groups of the deceased. The reasons for tying certain types of animals to a certain group of the deceased is examined, followed by folk beliefs about whether the soul has or takes the form of an animal or simply moves into its body. The research is based on published ethnographic and folkloristic materials in magazines and anthologies of the Slavic peoples, on scholarly studies on representations of the soul and animals in the folk culture of the Slavs, as well as on our own field records from the Banat region (Serbia).
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Birds are present in everyday life, in forests, parks, cities, in fields and on playgrounds, by rivers and at entrances to stores, etc. Their ubiquity in human everyday life all through history leads to “birds” developing metaphorical meanings and producing powerful stereotypical images, which also motivate wider conceptual meanings. This article focuses on the lexeme ptica “bird” in Slovenian short folklore forms, its stereotypical representation and its metaphorical meanings. The ethnolinguistic approach will provide insight into the characteristics ascribed to birds as well as personifications and metaphorical transfers in short folklore forms, i.e., it will show what the bird symbolizes.
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An interpretive timeline presents the imaginary of cats in South Slavic customs and beliefs from Natko Nodilo through Tihomir R. Đorđević and Ljubinko Radenković all the way to contemporary cultural animal studies research, as contextually related to other Slavs and Indo-European comparative mythology. While Nodilo relies on Angelo de Gubernatis’s interpretation of the mythology of nature, Tihomir R. Đorđević follows the ethnographic material of the South Slavs (as for Croatia, he thoroughly researched, among other things, material related to cats in the Collection of Folk Life and Customs of the South Slavs), and Ljubinko Radenković conducts a semiotic analysis to identify the role of the cat in the symbolism of the conceptualization of world of the South Slavs, where he notes that, as far as domestic animals are concerned, the closest animals to man are the horse, sheep, cow and ox, followed by the bull, goat, donkey, hen, pig, dog and cat. Finally, the symbolism of the cat in contemporary Croatian visual culture is considered, given that the cat is a powerful zoosymbol of post-conceptual and transmedial practice, that is, the “anthropological structure of the imaginary”, to use Gilbert Durand’s phrase. Overall, these diverse interpretations, ranging from folklore and ethnology to transmedia art, provide a comprehensive exploration of the South Slavic cat and his/ her (not its) significance within the cultural and artistic context of the region.
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Taking into account multilayered and sometimes contradictory ideas about medical authorities and medical workers, the authors establish a framework for a partial and limited ethnographic insight into the experiences of medical workers in their everyday lives during the pandemic, focusing on changes in their work and everyday routines, ways of coping with human suffering and death in medical institutions, as well as their approach to life outside of hospitals, in an everyday life that was in (dis)harmony with the dangers that threatened the population.
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Review of: 1.) Joško Ćaleta i Iva Niemčić, Uvooo! Eviva nam kumpanija, poša nam je alavija! Etnografija Lastovskog poklada, Institut za etnologiju i folkloristiku, JU Park prirode Lastovsko otočje, Zagreb, Lastovo 2022., 247 str.; 2.) Ivana Katarinčić, Estetika i etika baleta. Ambivalentna opstojnost, Institut za etnologiju i folkloristiku, Zagreb 2022., 299 str.; 3.) Lica gladi. Sit gladnom ne vjeruje, ur. Tanja Kocković Zaborski, Etnografski muzej, Zagreb 2023., 101 str.; 4.) Suzana Marjanić, Cetera animantia. Od etnozoologije do zooetike, Pergamena, Znanstveni centar izvrsnosti za integrativnu bioetiku, Zagreb 2022., 420 str.; 5.) Disenchantment, Re-enchantment and Folklore Genres, eds. Nemanja Radulović and Smiljana Đorđević Belić, Institute for Literature and Arts, Belgrade 2021, 286 pp; 6.) Luka Šešo, Krsnik između mita i zbilje. Kulturnoantropološke strukture jednog tradicijskog vjerovanja, Hrvatsko etnološko društvo, Hrvatsko katoličko sveučilište, Zagreb 2022., 145 str.; 7.) Ivo Jardas, Iz tradicijske kulture zapadne Kastavštine, Udruga Čakavski senjali, Rijeka 2022., 176 str.; 8.) Od terena do kabineta / Tra ricerca sul campo e studio a tavolino, ur. Marija Stanonik i Han Steenwijk, Libraria Editrice Università di Padova, Padova 2022., 510 str.; 9.) Tanya Kant, Making it Personal. Algorithmic Personalization, Identity, and Everyday Life, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2020., 253 str.; 10.) International Conference “Ecoanthropology. Between Man and Environment”, Institute of Folklore “Marko Cepenkov”, “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje, 30 May to 1 June 2023; 11.) Junačke pjesme iz Šipanske Luke, Dubrovnika, Konavala i Orašca zapisao Baldo Melkov Glavić (1865–1885), prir. Tanja Perić-Polonijo, Klementina Batina i Katarina Dimšić, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb 2022., 1022 str.; 12.) Natka Badurina, Strah od pamćenja. Književnost i sjeverni Jadran na ruševinama dvadesetog stoljeća, Disput, Zagreb 2023, 293 str.; 13.) Rethinking Post-Disaster Recovery. Socio-Anthropological Perspectives on Repairing Environments, ur. Laura Centemeri, Sezin Topçu i J. Peter Burgess, Routledge, Oxon, New York 2022, 243 str.; 14.) Leo Rafolt, Tijelo nacije. Uvod u japanski budo, Institut za etnologiju i folkloristiku, Akademija za umjetnost i kulturu Sveučilišta Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Zagreb, Osijek 2023., 239 str.; 15.) Željka Tonković, Krešimir Krolo i Sven Marcelić, Klasika, punk, cajke. Kulturni kapital i vrijednosti mladih u gradovima na jadranskoj obali, Sveučilište u Zadru, Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, Zadar 2020., 319 str.; 16.) 32. konferencija Međunarodnog društva za antrozoologiju (ISAZ) “Spektar odnosa između ljudi i životinja” / “Anthrozoology: The Spectrum of Human-Animal Interactions and Relationships”, 15.–18. lipnja 2023., Edinbourgh.; 17.) Pojmovanja živalskih smrti. Antropocentrizem in (ne)možne subjektivitete, ur. Branislava Vičar, Annales, Koper 2020., 332 str.
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In this paper, I draw on ethnographic fieldwork (participant observation) carried out at a Bulgarian service area to argue that such spaces create a ‘meaningful sociality’ building on imagination and sensual experience, as well as on experiences of intersectional oppression or dominance. I draw on the history and adaptations of shkembeto (tripe soup) and my observations of its preparation and serving at one such service area. This soup, which is famous in Turkey and Bulgaria, offers some people disorienting sensory experiences that are associated with complex power relations, which makes the service area a site for reflection on discrimination and gender roles. The paper closes with reflections on the sociality of such places, which is ephemeral but meaningful both there and at home.
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This article analyses the birth care beliefs practiced in a Punjabi village. Birth care is an important practice that ensures a safe and uncomplicated birth for both mother and child. The study presents an in-depth exploration of the human–divine connection and its symbolic manifestation in birth care rituals in rural Muslim communities. Utilising unstructured interviews with midwives, mothers, elderly women, and an imam, the research sheds light on the essential role of religious prayers, Quran recitation, charity, as well simulative imagery and amulets within the cultural care system of rural Punjab. Words, symbols, objects, and symbolic expressions emerge as powerful tools in facilitating faith healing and enhancing its perceived efficacy. The research deepens our understanding of the faith-based birth care process and highlights the essential interdependence of the human– divine connection and symbolic expression (manifestation of belief) within faith-based birth care practices.
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Review of: "History of the Caucasus", Academician Roin Metrevel is the chief editor of the publication. The group of authors includes: Roin Metreveli (leader), Valeri Vashakidze, Vakhtang Guruli, Aleksandre Daushvili, Lela Mikiashvili, Johnny Kvitsiani, Giorgi Cheishvili, Otar Janelidze. National Academy of Sciences of Georgia.
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Review of: The Collective Monograph “The History Of The Caucasus” In Two Volumes (Project Leader Academician R. Metreveli. Tbilisi. 2023)
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The aim of this article is to investigates the impact of age and geographical differences onteam satisfaction and interaction within selected European countries. In the context of anincreasingly multicultural society, characterized by diverse ethnicities, cultures, races, religions,ages, and genders, this study examines the impact of internal disparities influenced byregional factors on social dynamics, with a particular focus on team dynamics across differentgeographical locations and their influence on social cohesion. Amid demographic andtechnological shifts emphasizing the growing significance of age, this research investigateswhether individuals under the age of 36, residing in major urban areas, experience lowerlevels of team satisfaction and interaction compared to their older counterparts and thosefrom smaller towns. Utilizing a dataset comprising 250 participants from leisure, work, andsports teams across Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Germany, the study explores variationsin team satisfaction among different age groups and regional backgrounds. This papercontributes to the understanding of how multicultural environments affect team dynamics,highlighting the importance of considering both age and regional factors in assessing teamsatisfaction within both work and recreational settings.
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This essay is a fragment from the forthcoming novel "Convoiul," set to be published by Editura Junimea din Iași. The narrative follows a march through narrow mountain paths and broad highways, symbolizing life's journey through moments of confinement and liberation. The story vividly describes the physical and psychological experiences of the marchers, their interactions with the environment, and their internal reflections on freedom, confinement, and the passage of time. The recurring rhythm of marching steps, the detailed observation of surroundings, and the philosophical musings of the narrator create a rich tapestry that explores themes of perseverance, societal control, and the search for meaning in constrained circumstances.
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This essay presents a comprehensive overview of the intellectual contributions of Andrei Oișteanu, a prominent Romanian scholar specializing in cultural anthropology, ethnic imagology, and the history of religions. Boldea highlights Oișteanu's curiosity and scholarly rigor, examining his major works, including studies on the image of Jews in Romanian culture, the use of narcotics in Romanian history, and the exploration of Romanian myths and traditions. The article underscores Oișteanu's interdisciplinary approach, combining mythology, history, literature, and cultural studies to provide deep insights into Romanian and European cultural identity.
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China’s contacts with the Greek world, as shown in previous research, are chronologically extensive. It is certain that they began in antiquity and continued until the developed Middle Ages (Roman Embassy to the Song China). However, in domestic and foreign scientific literature there are often very dubious examples of the Far East and Hellenic culture links. In this article we will examine some of them. It is noteworthy that in the Greek-Chinese contacts study it is often necessary to decide questions concerning the ethno cultural situation in the «world of early nomads». The latter extended from the Northern Black Sea to Transbaikalia and Ordos. The article also considers the problem of correlation of «ethnonyms» from narrative sources with archaeological cultures, the sites of which were found in the north of the People’s Republic of China.
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Review of: Cassandra Hartblay. I Was Never Alone or Oporniki: An Ethnographic Play on Disability in Russia. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020. 218 p. ISBN 9781487588403.
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This study explores the construction of authority and formation of reputation inside the contemporary Don Cossack community/movement in Rostov Oblast of Russia. The subject of the study is the structure of informal relationships based on the interpersonal acts of reciprocal categorization and recognition. I explore the emergence of authority of contemporary Don Cossack leaders that takes place in the context of permanent suspicion, mutual surveillance, and recognition seeking among Cossacks inside and outside of formal Cossack organizations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork data, interviews, and network analysis, I explain the rise of Cossack intragroup brokerage and the noninstitutionalized authority of Cossack leaders. The article emphasizes the importance of symbolic communication, especially the use of semantic polysemy of nominative categories to connect distinct groups, cliques, and individuals. The structure of distributed authority among Cossacks is explained by the discursive strategies of framing the perpetually contested group boundaries. This explanation requires a reconceptualization of “brokerage” in anthropological theory as a practice that relies on switching between the symbolic frames of mutual categorization and recognition.
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