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10. Putting the ‘Fun’ Back in ‘Funeral’
Get PDFThe Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius writes in his notebooks: “You are a little soul carrying a corpse,” quoting the Greek stoic philosopher Epictetus. As he was likely writing these notes to himself as a form of mental discipline in the throes of a military campaign, he obviously meant that observation to be comforting. To most it is far from that, of course—but the reason why this is so is worthy of some attention. [excerpt
11. Objectively Funny Jokes: Comedy’s El Dorado or a Simple MacGuffin?
Get PDFCould there ever be an objectively funny joke or bit of humor? With the popularity of certain forms of humor, with the appearance of puns as consistent stages in the development of humor in children, this seems a reasonable query. Further, give recent developments in humor theory, and depending on what stance you take on what is essential to the funny or humorous your answer could be yes or no. [excerpt
05. Aesthetics, Humor, and Virtue: Reflections on Richards and the Good Life
Get PDFIn A Philosopher Looks at the Sense of Humor, Richard C. Richards discusses how one\u27s appreciation of and ability to create incongruities is a necessary condition for developing a sense of humor. One\u27s sense of humor, according to Richards, can be a component of happiness. In this paper, I will build on Richards\u27s concept of the sense of humor. I will argue that Richards account is consistent with an Aristotelian picture of happiness as holistic well-being. Specifically, I will suggest that the attitude underlying the aesthetic and/or the humorous is a kind of pro-attitude that must be cultivated (i.e., one is not simply born with a developed sense of humor). I argue that a sense of humor, as an Aristotelian virtue, is consistent with Richards’s developmental account of a sense of humor. However, I am making a stronger claim than Richards; I will argue that the sense of humor is necessary for happiness. In this way, I am filling out Richards’s account of the role one\u27s sense of humor plays in one\u27s long-term happiness. Since a good Aristotelian will offer examples to elucidate the intermediate position between the extremes, I offer an analysis of Richards own writings and behavior as exemplifying an excellent sense of humor, one that has served as a model for others to emulate the kind of play necessary to transform a simple incongruity into the stuff of humor . [excerpt
The Invisible Hurdle: Biases Investors Have Against Sustainable Investing
Get PDFA current trend of many corporations is making it a priority to focus on becoming more socially responsible and ethical in all aspects of their businesses. Investors, on the other hand, have not been as focused on incorporating these issues into their selection criteria, especially when it comes to the issue of sustainable investing (ESG). This research tries to understand what the hidden barriers are that stop individual investors from investing sustainably. This research examines the effect of proper information on sustainable investing and the most effective communication strategies to relay this information to investors. There was a control group and two treatment groups; participants of the three online surveys were asked to answer a set of questions, and either watch a video, read a document, or neither, then answer the final set of questions. There was a significant difference in likelihood of engagement in ESG after participants received the information on ESG. And there was a marginally significant difference in the effectiveness of a written document compared to a video. These findings are important for investors in order for them to understand the importance of being properly informed and to follow the trend of being more socially responsible
Digital Humanities Toolkit
No full textThe DH Toolkit is an ongoing work-in-progress that is designed to provide information about common Digital Humanities tools, as well as support for issues related to digital projects such as copyright.
The Tools section provides introductions to common digital tools, including ones used for storytelling, data visualization, and content management. The Design section includes information on how to plan a website and best practices to ensure accessibility. The Media section provides information about copyright and how to find images, video, and audio that can be used in digital projects. [excerpt
The Consent of the Governed
Get PDFThe Consent of the Governed is a Kolbe Fellowship project investigating gerrymandering through the lens of mathematics, Supreme Court litigation, and the potential for redistricting reform. It was produced as a five-episode podcast during the summer of 2020; this paper is the transcription of the podcast script. The project begins with an analysis of the impact of gerrymandering on the composition of the current U.S. House of Representatives. It then investigates the arguments and stories of Supreme Court gerrymandering cases in the past twenty years within their political contexts, with a focus on the Court\u27s reaction to different mathematical methods to measure partisan gerrymandering. The project also looks at the potential for state-level redistricting reform, including through state supreme court litigation and citizen-led ballot initiatives.
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Everyday Religiosity and Extraordinary Experiences: Nepali Muslim Narratives of Hajj
No full textThis chapter presents first-person narratives from Nepali Muslims directly before and after their journeys from Kathmandu to Mecca, for the Hajj pilgrimage, in 2005–2006. Scholars of religion conceptualize the rich landscape of practice and faith, as well as their multiple and shifting meanings embedded in the social field, as “lived religion”. Nepal’s identity politics of the last three decades, and religious identity politics in particular, have had transformative effects upon contemporary forms of religion and religious community. Islam is a religion of orthopraxy, meaning that historically it has been a tradition in which practice has been understood to take precedence over, and even precede, belief or faith. The people of Nepal and India tend to go on the Hajj when they have become too old. The situation in Nepal at the time of these interviews is an important context for understanding these pilgrims’ reflections, as is the importance of Hajj as a ritual obligation for Muslims
Review of Mike O\u27Mahony, Photography and Sport
No full textWriting in the academic journal Historical Social Research, Mike O\u27Mahony, Professor of History of Art and Visual Culture at the University of Bristol, observes, Sport, as a cultural manifestation, might be regarded as primarily a visual experience. … Yet, whilst the material legacy of sport\u27s visual culture provides an extensive and highly valuable resource for research, this has to date been largely untapped (28). O\u27Mahony\u27s new book, Photography and Sport, an Exposures monograph published by Reaktion Books, taps that resource. Exposures has published twenty-two editions to date that explore photography from thematic perspectives. O\u27Mahony makes a strong case for sport as a visual experience, from the beginning of photography to the digital age. [excerpt
Girl Talk: How Friendships between Moravian and Native Women Sustained the Moravian Mission at Shamokin Pennsylvania, 1742–1749
Get PDFFrom 1742 to 1755, Moravian missionaries attempted to establish a mission at the Indian town of Shamokin. While the Moravians failed to convert any native peoples, they succeeded where other missionaries failed by maintaining a continued presence. By using evidence from sources such as the Shamokin mission diary, this project asserts that it was the friendships forged between Native and Moravian women in the early years of the mission that integrated the Moravians into the community at Shamokin. Through an examination of the lives of the women present at Shamokin in this period, this project situates itself within existing research on Moravian missionary activity and gender relations in colonial Pennsylvania
Informal Strategies for Risk Assessment Among Brazilian Male Sex Workers and Their Clients
No full textSexually transmitted infections have always been a threat for both sex workers and their clients. This issue has become more prominent, however, since the early 1980s when HIV surfaced as an incurable and life-threatening virus. Studies on safer sex and male sex work have examined many topics but few studies have done so from the perspectives of both sex workers and their clients. In this article, we examine strategies used by both parties for risk assessments in Brazilian termas (saunas). We analyzed 45 in-depth interviews conducted between 2010 and 2014. All participants are or have been sex workers and or their clients. We used a grounded theory approach which allows themes and issues that participants deemed important to emerge in analyzing the data. The results of this exploratory study suggest that sex workers and their clients in Brazil attempt to make risk assessments even though their methods are not scientific or necessarily reliable. Three common strategies engaged by both parties include playing defensive, relying on visual verification, and using gossip as a source of information. In the absence of immediate and reliable source of information to aid risk assessment, these are some of the strategies they can use at the site of interaction to make their best informed decision on with whom to transact and what the transaction should entail. An often under-examined source of information is the role of gossips or small talk among clients, among sex workers and between sex workers and clients