15 research outputs found
Narrating religious change: Christianity in Ottoman Mardin and the Life of Eliya the Priest
No full textTitle page of the Life of Eliya the Priest and what befell him (USJ 30 (18th c.?), ff. 1v-2r). Rosemary Maxton In around 1700 CE, in the town of Mardin (current-day southeast Turkey), a priest decided to abandon his Syriac Orthodox faith and embrace Catholicism.[1] Though little else can be gathered about this priest, a remarkably detailed autobiographical account in Arabic of his religious conversion has survived. Like its author, however, the account appears to have largely escaped t..
Let the poor world grow
No full textAfter introducing the concept of globalisation, in the first part of this paper the author reviews the work of sociologists who have developed the study of modernisation to examine the features of contemporary social change revolving around the various paradigms of interpretation of the nascent global society in the 1990s. The second part goes on to exemplify some consequences of globalisation on two levels: macrostructural, with reference to practical economic consequences, and the changes that have overtaken human spaces in everyday life.Nella prima parte del paper dopo aver introdotto il concetto di globalizzazione, l’autore fa seguire un rapido excursus del pensiero dei sociologi che, a partire dallo studio della modernizzazione, si sono spinti ad approfondire i caratteri del mutamento sociale contemporaneo partendo dai diversi paradigmi d’interpretazione della nascente società globale degli anni ’90. Nella seconda parte del saggio si esemplificano alcune conseguenze della globalizzazione non solo sul piano macrostrutturale, con riferimento alle conseguenze registrate dalla concreta vita economica, ma anche sul piano dei mutamenti della vita quotidiana
Aki Shimazaki, the Chronicler of Inconvenient Aspects of Japanese Society
No full textThis research looks at the work of Aki Shimazaki, the Japanese-Canadian author who writes about Japanese society and history through fictional narratives in French. The main aim of this research is to investigate the role of Shimazaki as a chronicler of ‘inconvenient’ aspects such as war memory, gender roles and the idea of 'otherness'. In her three pentalogies: Le Poids des secrets (1999-2009), Au Cœur du Yamato (2006-2013) & L’Ombre du chardon (2014-2018), Shimazaki explores these sensitive issues through the eyes of Korean residents, Japanese Christians as well as atomic bomb survivors and an array of marginalised protagonists thus shedding light on how these aspects of life are viewed from a perspective outside of mainstream/indigenous Japanese society. This thesis sets out to examine the contribution of Aki Shimazaki to modern French literature. The main aim of this investigation is to analyse Shimazaki’s three pentalogies Le Poids des Secrets: Tsubaki (1999), Hamaguri (2000), Tsubame (2001), Wasurenagusa (2003), Hotaru (2004), Au Cœur du Yamato: Mitsuba (2006), Zakuro (2008), Tonbo (2010), Tsukushi (2012), Yamabuki (2013), and L’Ombre du chardon: Azami (2014), Hôzuki (2015), Suisen (2016), Fuki-no-tô (2017), Maïmaï (2018). This dissertation is divided into five chapters: Chapter 1 - ‘Aki Shimazaki in the context of Translingualism’ will analyse the role Shimazaki plays in the translingual literary genre vis-à-vis other Franco-Japanese writers; Chapter 2 - ‘The Legacy of the Second World War’ delves into questions surrounding the trauma suffered by the survivors of the war and the impact that this experience has had on their future; Chapter 3 - ‘Zainichi Identity in Japan’ explores the sensitive topic regarding Korean residents in Japan and their experience traced through the life of the protagonist Yonhi-Mariko in Tsubame; Chapter 4 - ‘Aki Shimazaki’s Japanese Otherness’ focuses on Japan’s Christian minority and how Christianity plays a prevalent role in Shimazaki’s narratives; Chapter 5 - ‘Suicide, Sexuality and Family: the presence of Dazai and Mishima in Shimazaki’s novels’ examines the prominent influence of two well-known Japanese authors in Shimazaki’s writing, and thematic parallels are drawn between their work and her novels. By examining Shimazaki’s unique binary role as an insider and an outsider, this research will evaluate the importance of Shimazaki’s work on re-examining Japanese stereotypes and realities. In Chapter 1, Shimazaki’s writing will be compared to other Franco-Japanese writers such as Akira Mizubayashi and Ryoko Sekiguchi in order to investigate whether there are any parallels and divergences that can be drawn in light of translingualism. Although these Franco-Japanese writers criticize Japanese society for being rigid, each writer has a very distinctive style and relationship with the French language thus setting Shimazaki’s work apart. Furthermore, as a translingual writer Shimazaki occupies an unparalleled role because she deconstructs and reconstructs the French language to give it a uniquely Japanese flavour. In Chapter 2, questions regarding why a contemporary writer such as Shimazaki needs to write about the Second World War are raised. The effect that the war has left on Yukiko in Tsubaki (1999) and Tsuyoshi in Zakuro (2008) is profound and this continues to haunt the new generations in their families as intimate secrets are revealed. The third Chapter brings to light the suffering of the Korean-Zainichi residents in Japan and opens up the debate regarding this relatively unknown community to French-speaking readers. By so doing Shimazaki exposes shortcomings of Japanese society and opens the debate onto an international arena. Chapter 4 explores why Shimazaki decided to dedicate three of her novels (Tsubame, Hamaguri and Tonbo) to plots that revolve around Christianity in Japan. This analysis leads to the deduction that Shimazaki wants to alert us to the long and complicated relationship between the Christian minorities and Japanese society. The final Chapter looks at the links that can be made between the well-known Japanese authors Ozamu Dazai and Yukio Mishima to Shimazaki’s novels. The role of secrecy and traditions in Japanese society are examined through Dazai and Mishima’s philosophies with regards to familial woes and suicide in Japan. Shimazaki, by openly mentioning these writers in her novels, pays homage to their literary contributions to Japanese literature and at the same time puts emphasis on the need to discuss suicide, sexuality and family ties in a repressive Japanese society. In conclusion, this thesis will examine the unique role that Shimazaki plays as a chronicler and mediator between Japanese society and the French-speaking world with her complex storylines that expose Japanese realities in order to open the debate about very sensitive topics that have been limited to Japanese literature and domestic deliberation
The Seneca effect: why growth is slow but collapse is rapid
No full textThe essence of this book can be found in a line written by the ancient Roman Stoic Philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca: "Fortune is of sluggish growth, but ruin is rapid". This sentence summarizes the features of the phenomenon that we call "collapse," which is typically sudden and often unexpected, like the proverbial "house of cards." But why are such collapses so common, and what generates them? Several books have been published on the subject, including the well-known "Collapse" by Jared Diamond (2005), "The collapse of complex societies" by Joseph Tainter (1998) and "The Tipping Point," by Malcom Gladwell (2000). Why The Seneca Effect? This book is an ambitious attempt to pull these various strands together by describing collapse from a multi-disciplinary viewpoint. The reader will discover how collapse is a collective phenomenon that occurs in what we call today "complex systems," with a special emphasis on system dynamics and t he concept of "feedback." From this foundation, Bardi applies the theory to real-world systems, from the mechanics of fracture and the collapse of large structures to financial collapses, famines and population collapses, the fall of entire civilizations, and the most dreadful collapse we can imagine: that of the planetary ecosystem generated by overexploitation and climate change. The final objective of the book is to describe a conclusion that the ancient stoic philosophers had already discovered long ago, but that modern system science has rediscovered today. If you want to avoid collapse you need to embrace change, not fight it. Neither a book about doom and gloom nor a cornucopianist's dream, The Seneca Effect goes to the heart of the challenges that we are facing today, helping us to manage our future rather than be managed by it. "The Seneca Effect" is probably the most important contribution to our understanding of societal collapse since Jo seph Ta inter's 1988 masterpiece, "The Collapse of Complex Societies." Since we live in a society that is just in the process of rounding the curve from growth to decline, this is information that should be of keen interest to every intelligent person. Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute, Author, The End of Growth Why do human societies collapse? With today's environmental, social and political challenges it is a question that is more than academic. What can we learn from history? How can we avoid the pitfalls? In this fascinating, well written book, Ugo Bardi provides many of the answers. Here is a book to feast on, to devour and be stimulated by, a book packed full of insights and ideas which will leave the reader satisfied, curious and stimulated. Simply wonderful. Graeme Maxton, Secretary General of the Club of Rome
Differences in inflammatory bowel disease phenotype between South Asians and Northern Europeans living in North West London, UK
No full textOBJECTIVES: The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing throughout Asia. Since the 1950s, there has been substantial migration from South Asia (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) to the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to define the clinical phenotype of IBD in UK South Asians living in North West London, and to compare the results with a white Northern European IBD cohort.METHODS: The phenotypic details of 367 South Asian IBD patients (273 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 94 Crohn's disease (CD)), undergoing active follow-up in five North West London hospitals, were compared with those of 403 consecutively collected white Northern European IBD patients (188 UC and 215 CD).RESULTS: The phenotype of IBD differed significantly between the two populations. 63.0% of South Asian UC patients had extensive colitis compared with 42.5% of the Northern European cohort (P < 0.0001). Proctitis was uncommon in South Asian UC patients (9.9 vs. 26.1% in Northern European patients, P < 0.0001). In the South Asian CD cohort, disease location was predominantly colonic (46.8%). CD behavior differed significantly between the groups, with less penetrating disease compared with Northern Europeans (P = 0.01) and a reduced need for surgery (P = 0.003).CONCLUSIONS: The phenotype of IBD in South Asians living in North West London is significantly different from that of a white Northern European IBD cohort. Knowledge of ethnic variations in disease phenotype may help to identify key genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors contributing to the development of IBD.</p
Redemption in the work of Francis Stuart
No full textThe idea of redemption is central to an understanding of the work
of Francis Stuart. Through an examination of its development and
expression, it is possible to demonstrate the integrity of his work and
its distinctive qualities. Such a demonstration is necessary because
Stuart's writing has been subjected to comparatively little scholarly
inquiry, although reviews of his work, especially that produced since
1949, suggest that it is impressive and important.
First, a general background to Stuart's work, a discussion of the
special problems associated with reading it, and a summary of his corpus
is provided. This indicates that the idea of redemption is important to
his earliest writing. The state of redemption is shown to be a
necessary apotheosis for Stuart's outcast heroes; it involves spiritual
suffering through which may be found a sense of reintegration and a
higher reality. This is expressed through interrelated themes such as
those of gambler, artist and ordinary man; mystic and criminal; sacred
and profane love; and spirituality and the mundane. The nature of the
redemptive experience is further elaborated by distinctive, complex
motifs, especially the hare, the ark and the woman-Christ. Their
recurrence provides an important element in the unity of Stuart's work.
Because Stuart's idea of the outcast raises important biographical
questions, an examination of the relationship between Stuart's life and
his work is made. Finally, the way in which the idea of redemption
exists in the language structures of Stuart's novels is examined, with
especial reference to his most recent work, The High Consistory. The
thesis shows that the development of the these of redemption
demonstrates the integrity of Stuart's work
The lived experience of parents of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit in Lebanon
No full textBackground: Family caregivers have a significant responsibility in the care of their child in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Parents staying with their child in the PICU have particular needs that should be acknowledged and responded to by clinicians. Several studies have been conducted in the USA and Europe to try to understand the experience of family caregivers of children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. There are no such studies in Lebanon or the Middle East where the culture and support systems differ from other countries. Objective: To understand the lived experience of Lebanese parents of children admitted to the PICU in a tertiary hospital in Beirut. Design: Phenomenological study. Methods: The study followed purposeful sampling in which 10 parents (mother or father) of children admitted to PICU were interviewed. Data were analyzed following the hermeneutical process as described by Diekelmann and Ironside (1998). Results: A constitutive pattern . Journey into the unknown which constitutes an overarching theme and four major themes with subthemes emerged from the data. These were: We are human beings with dignity ; . looking for a healthier environment; Dependence on God and . The need to be in the loop reveal the parents' journey into the unknown. Conclusion: This qualitative study adds to the knowledge that would help health care workers understand the experience of Lebanese parents with a child in PICU and to highlight the significance of this experience to them. 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Discourses on the function of the pelvis in childbearing from ancient times until the present day
No full textThis historical research traces evolving beliefs about the function of the pelvis in childbirth from ancient times until the present day. The female pelvis was considered facilitative of birth in ancient times, acquiring an increasingly negative image adjacent to developments in the study of anatomy and medicine. The ancient doctrine of humours highlighted constitutional differences between the sexes, which sixteenth-century anatomists refined down to the level of the pelvis. The idea that the female pelvis was perfect for childbearing was exalted as a natural reason for women's domestic and childrearing roles in society. Paradoxically, men midwives (now obstetricians) contended pelvic pathology often meant women failed miserably in this role. The pelvis was also harnessed by men midwives to demonstrate traditional midwives' ignorance of reproductive anatomy. The midwife authors discussed in this thesis were aware of this, and the need for all midwives to have a contemporary knowledge of the bony pelvis and female reproductive anatomy, in order to converse with doctors and maintain public confidence. Whilst forceps could overcome mild degrees of obstructed labour caused by a narrow pelvis, surgical techniques were employed to explore ways of widening or bypassing it, such as symphysiotomy or caesarean section. The foray into pelvic mensuration which began in the eighteenth century, continued unabated until the late twentieth century. Seemingly objective medical studies were also cultural markers which aimed to justify social differences between sex, race, and class. As maternal mortality declined in the late twentieth century, and the safety and versatility of the caesarean operation increased alongside developments in fetal medicine, concerns about the size and shape of the pelvis became of less consequence. Despite tremendous medical endeavour, the old adage, the fetal head is the best pelvimeter, continues to underpin practice to this day
Predictors of the experience of a Cytosponge test: analysis of patient survey data from the BEST3 trial
No full text\ua9 2023, The Author(s).Background: The Cytosponge is a cell-collection device, which, coupled with a test for trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), can be used to diagnose Barrett’s oesophagus, a precursor condition to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. BEST3, a large pragmatic, randomised, controlled trial, investigated whether offering the Cytosponge-TFF3 test would increase detection of Barrett’s. Overall, participants reported mostly positive experiences. This study reports the factors associated with the least positive experience. Methods: Patient experience was assessed using the Inventory to Assess Patient Satisfaction (IAPS), a 22-item questionnaire, completed 7–14 days after the Cytosponge test. Study cohort: All BEST3 participants who answered ≥ 15 items of the IAPS (N = 1458). Statistical analysis: A mean IAPS score between 1 and 5 (5 indicates most negative experience) was calculated for each individual. ‘Least positive’ experience was defined according to the 90th percentile. 167 (11.4%) individuals with a mean IAPS score of ≥ 2.32 were included in the ‘least positive’ category and compared with the rest of the cohort. Eleven patient characteristics and one procedure-specific factor were assessed as potential predictors of the least positive experience. Multivariable logistic regression analysis using backwards selection was conducted to identify factors independently associated with the least positive experience and with failed swallow at first attempt, one of the strongest predictors of least positive experience. Results: The majority of responders had a positive experience, with an overall median IAPS score of 1.7 (IQR 1.5–2.1). High (OR = 3.01, 95% CI 2.03–4.46, p < 0.001) or very high (OR = 4.56, 95% CI 2.71–7.66, p < 0.001) anxiety (relative to low/normal anxiety) and a failed swallow at the first attempt (OR = 3.37, 95% CI 2.14–5.30, p < 0.001) were highly significant predictors of the least positive patient experience in multivariable analyses. Additionally, sex (p = 0.036), height (p = 0.032), alcohol intake (p = 0.011) and education level (p = 0.036) were identified as statistically significant predictors. Conclusion: We have identified factors which predict patient experience. Identifying anxiety ahead of the procedure and discussing particular concerns with patients or giving them tips to help with swallowing the capsule might help improve their experience. Trial registration ISRCTN68382401
Conflicts within the established church in Warwickshire c. 1603-1642
No full textThis thesis examines the established church in Warwickshire from the
accession of James I to the outbreak of the English civil war. Its
principal aim is to assess the impact of the ecclesiastical policies
of Charles I, which have been the subject of considerable debate
between historians in recent years.
The thesis argues that significant changes occurred in the local
church during the 1630s. These were broadly in line with the
policies of Archbishop William Laud, who sought to promote an
institutional and sacramental style of worship, and to suppress the
activity of Protestant nonconformists. In Warwickshire, these
policies led to the promotion of ceremonial religion and the
renovation and redecoration of parish churches. There was also an
increase in the prosecution of Puritans in the church courts.
However, the success of these policies was limited by various
factors: the attitudes of the local bishops, the practical problems
of enforcing discipline, and the resilience of the Puritan community.
The thesis examines the impact of Laud's policies on the county as a
whole, and on particular groups within the local church. It also
presents case-studies of religion in the towns of Coventry and
Stratford-upon-Avon. The thesis concludes that the ecclesiastical
policies of the 1630s were largely counter-productive: they provoked
the hostility of local Puritans, but failed to curb their activities.
The experience of "Laudianism" also encouraged demands for thorough
reform in the established church, which were translated into support
for parliament at the beginning of the civil war
