150 research outputs found
"Let Yo Booty Do that Yoga": Black Goddess Politics
No full textWhen African American pop star Janelle Monae released her single Yoga in the spring of 2015, Indian American bloggers were quick to accuse her of Orientalism and irreverent appropriation. For instance, Sonya Devi on her Bharatanatyam-dedicated Tumblr lamented, I just cringe watching nonsense like this. Yoga is thousands of years old, and THIS is the Western take on it? She describes the lyrics baby bend over, let yo booty do that yoga as trash and asks of Monae, Has this girl ever taken a Yoga class, researched what it actually is, or the history and spiritual significance of it? Ugh. Devi concludes with a caution: People of color, we are not exempt from cultural appropriation
When do special interests run rampant ? disentangling the role in banking crises of elections, incomplete information, and checks and balances
No full textThe author investigates the political determinants of government decisions that benefit special interest groups - especially government decisions to deal with banking crises. He finds that the better informed the voters, the more proximate elections, and the larger the number of political veto players ( conditional on the costs to voters of relevant policy decision), the smaller the government's fiscal transfer are to the financial sector and the less likely the government is to exercise forbearance in dealing with insolvent financial institutions. The results suggest that policies thatmight be appropriate for mitigating banking crises in the United States might be less effective in settings where voters are less informed, where elections are less competitive, and where there are fewer veto players, because in these settings checks and balances are missing. These policies include: a) Disseminating information about the costs of inefficient government decisions. b) Improving the structure of legislative regulatory oversight. c) Intervening early in insolvent banks. The author concludes that the more veto players there are, the less likely policies are to favor special interest groups (contrary to previous views). Moreover, the closer the elections, the less likely policies are to favor special interest groups.
Elections, special interests, and the fiscal costs of financial crisis
No full textThe author proposes a new approach to explain why the costs of crisis are greater in some countries than in others. He begins with the premise that many crises result from the willingness of politicians to cater to special interests, at the expense of broad social interests. A parsimonious model predicts that the less costly it is for average citizens to expel politicians, the more veto players there are; the less important are exogenous shocks, and the more difficult it is for politicians and special interests to forge credible agreements, the lower the costs of crisis are. Though these predictions differ from those in the literature, empirical evidence presented shows that they explain the fiscal costs of financial crisis, even after controlling for the financial sector policies believed to contribute most to the efficient prevention, and resolution of financial crisis.Banks&Banking Reform,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Decentralization,Economic Theory&Research,National Governance,National Governance,Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Financial Crisis Management&Restructuring,Financial Intermediation
Contemporary musical expression in Anglican Churches of the Diocese of Cape Town developments since the liturgical, theological and social revolutions of the twentieth century
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.The broader purpose of this study is to investigate musical change in relation to theological and liturgical change. The particular focus of this thesis is to explore the link between liturgial revision and musical development in the Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa, between 1964 and 2010. This doctorate is situated in musicology but also embraces features of liturgical theology. Le Huray's account of musical change during the Reformation, in Music and the Reformation in England 1549-1660 (Cambridge, 1978), served as a model on which to view contemporary developments. Pass' definitions of the role of music in church (kerygmatic, koinoniac and leitourgic), contained in Music and the Church (Nashville, 1989), have also been used as a basis for the study. Additionally, the author developed a series of terms to distinguish the relationship between musical and liturgical change
David’s Elite Warriors and Their Exploits in the Books of Samuel and Chronicles
No full textThis article examines various descriptions of David and his warriors. Whereas the early pro-monarchic author of David’s story glorifies his military activity, the later anti-monarchic author of Samuel diminishes the admiration by revealing that Abishai saved his King’s life, and the king was banned from fighting activity. The warriors’ anecdotes disclose that David’s killing of Goliath was far from being unmatched; other warriors killed the Rephaim giants as well. In Chronicles, however, the rosters of David’s heroes demonstrate the comprehensive support of his accession, while his heroes’ exploits are part of his warfare against the Philistines. The booty of war was instrumental in building the temple.</jats:p
Paleopedology of the Late Triassic Middle Passaic Formation, Newark Supergroup, Pottstown, PA
No full textCyclic stratigraphy has been recognized in the Newark Basin for many years. Each package, referred to as a Van Houten Cycle (VHC), generally has three divisions: shallow lake, deep lake, and subaerial exposure. Van Houten (1964) first proposed that Milankovitch orbital forcing was responsible for the manifestation of these ~21 kyr cycles. Although root traces have been observed in VHCs by others, no detailed paleopedological analysis has been performed that examines the relationship between individual VHCs, orbital forcing, and paleosol development. The Middle Passaic Formation of Late Triassic age is continuously exposed for over 30 meters along a railroad cut that follows Manatawny Creek near Pottstown, PA. Six VHCs were identified at this location and the upper most three were selected for detailed study due to their strong development. Three Van Houten Groups (VHGs), consisting of VHC Division 3, Division 1, and Division 2 respectively, were formed in order to group paleosol profiles (Division 3) with stratigraphically adjacent lacustrine units (Divisions 1 and 2) since the lakes directly affect the paleosurface through inundation and erosion. Petrographic analysis suggests that soils in this section only developed to the degree of Entisols or Protosols. Voids are lined with chalcedony and cored with calcite indicating diagenetic alteration. Molecular weathering ratio calculations proved unreliable due to diagenetic alteration of the strata. Magnetic susceptibility was measured on two intervals of the section, but is not well-suited to fractured, massive rock due to signal attenuation. Paleosol development is greater in instances where the overlying lake is poorly developed. Paleosols that are associated with a shallow lake or no lake likely have more time to develop than paleosols associated with deep lakes as the precipitation filling the lake would saturate the soil, hindering pedogenesis. The VHCs' ~21 kyr interval forces time to be the limiting factor for pedogenesis in this section, ending in either sedimentation or inundation. However, time is also tied to climate as it modulates from relatively moist to relatively drier within a VHC. Orbital forcing is the ultimate controlling factor in soil formation since time, climate, insolation, and precipitation are all interrelated and influenced by it. Relief is independent of orbital forcing and a possible control on soil formation within the Basin. Soils that formed distal from the bounding fault may not have been subject to inundation due to their higher elevation. Further research is needed to establish paleocatenary relationships of soil within the Newark Basin.Geolog
Still in the “Drivers’ Seat”, But for How Long? ASEAN’s Capacity for Leadership in East-Asian International Relations
No full textThis paper assesses the capacity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to moderate great-power relations in East Asia, especially in light of recent regional developments that have challenged ASEAN’s traditional modus operandi and its corporate cohesion. The first of three sections argues that capacity emerges not from institutional arrangements but rather the social relationships that give rise to particular institutions, and therefore can only be understood relationally. A number of key relationships are highlighted and explored in the rest of the paper. First, the relationships among regional great powers, which are considered in section two. Second, the relationships among ASEAN states, and between ASEAN states and their own societies, which are considered in section three. The paper's basic argument is that the first set of relationships is essentially what gives ASEAN its capacity to play a wider regional role. However, it also sets profound constraints for what this role can involve in practical terms. The second set of relationships also creates serious and deep constraints that are often not well understood. However, despite the serious limitations on ASEAN’s leadership role, unless the first set of relationships change, this role is likely to continue, regardless of how frustrating or ineffectual it might be
Коран і хадіси Імаму Аль-Бухарі про поводження з полоненими і воєнну здобич
No full textСтатья посвящена исследованию одного из институтов мусульманского права - права войны, и в частности его составной части - правилам обращения с побежденным противником и раздела военной добычи, содержащимся в Коране и «Сахихе» имама аль-Бухари. Подчеркивается значение принципа гуманного отношения к побежденному противнику и принципа справедливого распределения захваченной в ходе военных действий добычи (трофеев).The article devoted to the analysis of the one of Mohammedan law instruction - law of war and in particular, its component - rules of treating the defeated enemy and the division of booty which are contained in the Qur'an and Sahih al-Bukhari. The author underlines the significance the booty (trophies) which was captured during military operations
Une vision iconoclaste de la Guerre sainte d'al-Hājj Umar Taal
No full textM. Kane, S. Fagerberg & D. Robinson — An Iconoclastic View of al-Hajj Umar Taal's Holy War.
Lamin Maabo Gise's poem in Ajami (Arabie letters used to write in the Fulani lan-guage), which has been translated and annotated by the three authors of this article, sheds new, critical, light on al-Hajj Umar's jihad, specifically on the views of those involved therein. For these holy wars, disciple-soldiers (taalibe) were mobilized in the west for waging war in the east, in Kaarta and then among the Bambara. This poem provides evidence that : the taalibe grew discontent in reaction to the horrors of war-fare ; believers were disappointed when they realized that the driving force was booty (especially the acquisition of slaves); and recruits were nostalgie for their native Futa Tooro.Kane Moustapha, Fagerberg-Diallo Sonja, Robinson David. Une vision iconoclaste de la Guerre sainte d'al-Hājj Umar Taal. In: Cahiers d'études africaines, vol. 34, n°133-135, 1994. L'archipel peul. pp. 385-417
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