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The “Pagan” Influence on Christianity: An Analysis of Cultural and Iconographical Transitions from the 1st Century BCE to 5th Century CE
No full textThesis (B.A. in Classical Studies)--John Cabot University, Fall 2024.This paper will explore and analyze the transitional period of the Late Roman Empire during its transition from a pagan dominated culture to a Christian one. The aim of this thesis is to highlight the events over this transition as well as question the efficacy and how linear/progressive the victory of Christianity was over the Roman world at a cultural level and whether “paganism” really transitioned quietly. To find this, I will be referencing translated primary sources, reviewing scholarly interpretations of certain myths both Christian and pagan, and analyze art works and archaeological sites in relation to texts provided. From this it can be seen that a mix of social and political factors over a period of time growing from tolerance as well as a backing from the upper and elite class of Roman citizens aided in a public acceptance of Christianity. However, this did not entirely succeed in diminishing the footprint of paganism especially in artworks adapted to fit the Christian narrative as well as possible adaptation of myths. This then can show that despite a major shift in religions during the Late Roman Empire not only was there an explicit shift from pagan to Christian but also a more subtle shift in Christianity with its roots in the Roman myths, thus revealing the complicated relationship between the two
Facing Up to Queer Representation: Zanele Muholi’s Faces and Phases Series, a Tool for Visual Activism
No full textThesis (B.A. in Art History, Minor in Business Administration)--John Cabot University, Fall 2024.This thesis explores Zanele Muholi's approach to portraiture in the Faces and Phases series as a tool for visual activism to normalize homosexuality in South Africa. The photograph entitled Cleo Dladia, KwaThema Community Hall, Springs, Johannesburg, 2011 will serve as a case study to assess Muholi's investment in social change and their stated goal of challenging national norms of representation by raising awareness on injustices committed towards LGBTQIA+ community members. The individual narratives recounted through over 300 portraits photographed between 2006 and 2014 contribute to larger conversations within the national socio-political context, such as discrimination and violence towards these marginalized communities. Existing scholarship has established how global exhibitions and the international art market have become major contenders in Muholi’s work, having their photographs on display in recognizable international institutions or sold to private collectors, and has ultimately aided in the development of queer-artistic practice within contemporary South Africa. Nevertheless, the viewing reception of Muholi’s Faces and Phases series, which endeavors to raise awareness of critical issues stemming from homophobia and transphobia within South African communities, has been overlooked by scholars. Despite South Africa’s legal forward-thinking, as a result of the cultural beliefs prominent within local townships, there is the misconception that to identify as queer is un-African. This, in turn, causes a percentage of LGBTQIA+ members to fall victim to corrective rape, which has increased the cases of HIV/AIDS within the country. Although Muholi’s work aims at breaking the silence around targeted violence towards queer community members, their portraits are not accessible to South African communities where a heteronormative narrative still prevails. Therefore, to assess the effectiveness of expanding the identity dialogue within local townships, this thesis will examine the artist’s writings and interviews to conduct a comparison of the reception and curatorial setting of the series when exhibited in formal institutions versus that of the artist’s traveling mobile museum and nonprofit organisations. Through an examination of Muholi’s artistic practice, its accessibility, and cultural perceptions, this study aims to shed light on expanding the relevant dialogue of social change within marginalized communities
Does Working from Home Increase the Gender Wage Gap? Insights from an Italian Survey of Occupations
No full textThis article investigates to what extent the working from home (WFH) feasibility of occupations can influence the gender wag gap (GWG) at the mean and along the wage distribution. Based on Oaxaca–Blinder decompositions and unconditional quantile regressions, results show that the GWG is greater among women working in an occupation with a high level of WFH feasibility. We find evidence of both sticky floor and glass ceiling effects for employees with high WFH feasibility and only a sticky floor effect for the group with low WFH feasibility. The positive association revealed between the level of WFH feasibility and the GWG appears particularly strong among older and married women employees. These results underscore that the WFH feasibility may play an important role in exacerbating future gender gaps in wages, as WFH is expected to remain a normal practice beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship
Full text linkThis survey reviews emerging but fast-growing literature on impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on entrepreneurship, providing a resource for researchers in entrepreneurship and neighboring disciplines. We begin with a review of definitions of AI and show that ambiguity and broadness of definitions adopted in empirical studies may result in obscured evidence on impacts of AI on en-trepreneurship. Against this background, we present and discuss existing theory and evidence on how AI technologies affect entrepreneurial opportunities and decision-making under uncertainty, the adoption of AI technologies by startups, entry barriers, and the performance of entrepreneurial businesses. We add an original empirical analysis of survey data from the German Socio-economic Panel revealing that entrepreneurs, particularly those with employees, are aware of and use AI technologies significantly more frequently than paid employees. Next, we discuss how AI may affect entrepreneurship indirectly through impacting local and sectoral labor markets. The reviewed evidence suggests that AI technologies that are designed to automate jobs are likely to result in a higher level of necessity entrepreneurship in a region, whereas AI technologies that transform jobs without necessarily displacing human workers increase the level of opportunity entrepreneurship. More generally, AI impacts regional entrepreneurship ecosystems (EE) in multiple ways by altering the importance of existing EE elements and processes, creating new ones, and potentially reducing the role of geography for entrepreneurship. Lastly, we address the question of how regulation of AI may affect the entrepreneurship landscape by focusing on the case of the European Union that has pioneered data protection and AI legislation. We conclude our survey by discussing implications for entrepreneurship research and policy
Lilies in Bloom: An Investigation into the Iconography of Lilies in Aegean Wall Paintings
No full textMaster of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2024.The ancient Bronze Age civilizations of Greece have long fascinated scholars. In particular, the civilization's deep reverence for nature and its symbolism is at the forefront of most Aegean art forms. While academic studies have traditionally focused on depictions of flora and fauna, such as the crocus flower and the swallows, the delicate lily has yet to garner such attention. This study seeks to rectify this overlooked flower by analyzing its depiction across three distinct types of wall paintings – landscape, figurative, and decorative – while employing the methodologies of iconography and context. All in the effort to answer this question: does lily iconography reflect elite status, authority, or something else altogether? Through meticulous case studies, Lilies in Bloom: An Investigation into the Iconography of Lilies in Aegean Wall Paintings, delves into the botanical intricacies of the lily flower and its portrayal as a symbol of cultural identity. The study of lilies in Aegean art is long overdue, and it is hoped that this study will lead to further discussion about this vastly understudied flower
Digital Technologies and Firms’ Employment and Training
No full textThis study examines the causal influence of digital technologies, specifically operational (ODT) and information digital technologies (IDT), on firms’ employment structure using Italian firm-level data. It employs a unique empirical approach, constructing instrumental variables based on predetermined employment composition and global technological progress, proxied by patents. Findings indicate that IDT investment positively affects employment, favoring a skilled, IT-competent workforce, as supported by firms’ training and recruitment plans. Conversely, ODT investment does not significantly alter total employment but skews the workforce towards temporary contracts. The study contributes methodologically by distinguishing between ODT and IDT and highlighting nuanced employment dynamics within firms
Triggering Change: An SDG2 Challenge Competition Hosted by John Cabot American University in Rome
No full textA three-arm randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of mindful compassion for perfectionism in reducing perfectionistic cognitions
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of mindful compassion for perfectionism (MCP). MCP is an 8-week group intervention that integrates compassion-focused therapy and dynamic relational therapy and has been previously pilot-tested in a few case series. Seventy-two postgraduate students with clinically high perfectionistic traits were randomly assigned either to a control group (wait-list) or two different formats of MCP (online or in-person). Primary outcomes were feasibility (safety, completion, adherence) of MCP and change in perfectionistic cognitions between active treatments and control group. Secondary analyses explored pre–post changes and differences between the two active groups in perfectionistic cognitions, psychosocial distress, group functioning, and self-soothing. No dropouts or unwanted adverse events were reported, 6.25% of participants missed a single session and 8.33% were excluded from the study for having missed more than one. MCP treatments—both individually and as a unique group—showed a greater reduction of perfectionistic cognitions and psychosocial distress than wait-list (ηp² ranging between .565 and .591). In-person MCP indicated a greater reduction of perfectionistic cognitions and psychosocial distress and a greater increase in group functioning and self-soothing than online MCP (ηp² ranging between .157 and .394). These findings suggest the feasibility and efficacy of MCP in reducing perfectionistic cognitions and psychosocial distress. The in-person format is seemingly more effective than the online format. Further research is needed to confirm these results
Mario Mafai's Demolizioni: On Fascist Cultural Policies and Anti-Fascist Art History
No full textMaster of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2024.This thesis proposes a reconsideration of Mario Mafai’s Demolizioni series, painted in Rome between 1936 and 1939. These 20 or so paintings depict buildings in the city center of Rome that were being demolished as a consequence of the enactment of the 1931 Master Plan. The works were widely appreciated by members of the Fascist regime before and during the war as works celebrating Mussolini’s initiative of rebuilding a new, Fascist Rome. However, after 1945, art critics interpreted Mafai’s Demolizioni as a first sign of the artist’s aversion towards the regime, and a warning against the atrocities yet to be witnessed during World War Two. However, proclaiming Demolizioni a series of anti- Fascist works is problematic, first because they do not express an outspoken condemnation of Fascism or of war as other works by Mafai clearly do; second, because Mario Mafai himself adopted a rather ambiguous and at times even opportunistic attitude towards politics. While the Roman artist doubtlessly became an anti-Fascist after 1938-1939, his earlier political positions remain unclear. This thesis therefore investigates Mafai’s attitude towards Fascism by considering the publication of articles written by or about him on Fascist newspapers and periodicals like L’Italia Letteraria or Quadrivio, as well as three paintings and one fresco celebrating Fascist themes, all painted by Mafai between 1931 and 1937. Returning to Demolizioni, this thesis argues that, like Mafai’s Fiori Secchi series, they stand out as an ode to what is about to perish and stands on the threshold separating existence from oblivion. Far from being artworks denunciating the regime, Demolizioni are here seen as emblematic of Mafai’s pictorial and artistic taste, a manifestation of his most intimate reflections on life and death. In support of this point, this thesis will address how art critics and the general public received Demolizioni at the time they were first exhibited at the Galleria della Cometa in 1937 through articles written and published in newspapers from both sides of the political divide