Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Integration im Ritual

Der Beitrag behandelt die Frage, wie es Gemeinschaften gelingt, kulturelle Differenzen in Ritualen zu bearbeiten. Rituale werden hier verstanden als performative Inszenierungen, die nicht nur einen Rahmen für interne Integrationsprozesse bilden, in denen sich Gemeinschaften konstituieren, stabilisieren oder konfirmieren, sondern die auch einen sozialen Zusammenhang für die Integration externer Herausforderungen darstellen. An einem Beispiel aus der ethnographischen Forschung werden kulturelle Selbstbildungsprozesse als performative analysiert. Dabei erscheint aus dieser Sicht interessant, wie sich eine Familie in einem Frühstücksritual über Schule, Leistungen, Lehren und Lernen selbst wechselseitig belehrt. Eine performative Betrachtungsweise betont die Konstitution gemeinsamer Wirklichkeiten in szenischen und k?rperlichen Aufführungen, die (sprachliche) Artikulation von Rahmungen und die mimetischen, kommunikativen Wirkungsprozesse. Darüber hinaus verweist sie auf die Bedeutung von (institutionellen) Machtbeziehungen und auf die mit ihnen verbundenen habituellen Praktiken sowie auf die Bedeutung der gemeinschaftlichen Differenzerzeugung-und-bearbeitung, die auch im Ritual durchaus mit ludischen Elementen verknüpft ist.     

CAVEman: Standardized anatomical context for biomedical data mapping

The authors have created a software system called the CAVEman, for the visual integration and exploration of heterogeneous anatomical and biomedical data. The CAVEman can be applied for both education and research tasks. The main component of the system is a three‐dimensional digital atlas of the adult male human anatomy, structured according to the nomenclature of Terminologia Anatomica. The underlying data‐indexing mechanism uses standard ontologies to map a range of biomedical data types onto the atlas. The CAVEman system is now used to visualize genetic processes in the context of the human anatomy and to facilitate visual exploration of the data. Through the use of Java? software, the atlas‐based system is portable to virtually any computer environment, including personal computers and workstations. Existing Java tools for biomedical data analysis have been incorporated into the system. The affordability of virtual‐reality installations has increased dramatically over the last several years. This creates new opportunities for educational scenarios that model important processes in a patient's body, including gene expression patterns, metabolic activity, the effects of interventions such as drug treatments, and eventually surgical simulations. Anat Sci Ed 1:10–18, 2008. © 2007 American Association of Anatomists.     

Rituale im Grundschulalter: Performativität,Mimesis und Interkulturalität

Rituals in Primary School Age – Performativity, mimesis and interculturality. Rituals and ritualization play a central role in the upbringing, education and socialization of children at primary school age. They structure children’s lives and support their integration into the social order in a constructive manner. Rituals shape transitions between fields of socialization and institutions, and facilitate social learning, which is important both in lessons and more generally at school. Due to their performativity, pedagogic processes act just like rituals and ritualization in all fields of social action. How children stage (or perform) their behaviour and actions, whether alone or together with adults, can be seen as the performativity of actions. Important aspects of cultural learning at primary school age occur as mimetic processes. In this, pictures, schemes, the expectations of others, of social situations, occurrences and actions are incorporated into an individual’s “world” of mental pictures. This practical knowledge enables children to learn and act together, to live and to exist. In view of Globalization and Europeanization, upbringing and education have become an intercultural task, for which rituals, ritualization, pedagogic and social gestures, the performativity of social practices and mimetic forms of learning play an important role. Ethnography and qualitative methods are appropriate for investigating rituals and ritualization, the performativity of pedagogic practices, of mimetic processes and intercultural education processes. Amongst the most important methods, which are complementary and, where possible, should be combined, are participative observation, video-supported observation, video performance and photograph analysis, interviews and group discussions. With the help of this method-mix, attempts can be made to capture complex and methodologically transparent research results.     

Happiness,pride and elite sporting success: What population segments gain most from national athletic achievements?

Elite sports are widely considered by national governments as a merit good through which many benefits to society as whole can be fostered through the stimulation of ‘national pride’ and ‘happiness’ (or ‘wellbeing’). The aim of this paper is to analyze what factors influence perceived national pride and happiness when athletes succeed at major national and/or international competitions. Based on a nation-wide survey, data was collected from n = 2006 randomly selected Germans by means of a computer assisted telephone interview. The results reveal that 66.2% respondents felt proud and 65.6% respondents were happy when German athletes were successful at major events. National pride and happiness were significantly explained through interest in elite sports, sport participation and socio-economic variables. The results reveal that there are differences between the perception of pride and that of happiness. Women, individuals with a low educational background, and low income and individuals having a migration background are the population segments who gain most from the sporting success of elite athletes. The results show in particular that the funding of elite sports and elite athletes can be considered as policy tool for social integration.     

Reduction of mental distress in the dissection course by introducing the body donor experience through anatomical demonstrations of organ systems

The practice of dissection teaches students not only the foundations of anatomical knowledge but also encourages the development of professional competencies. Yet, the dissection of cadavers in the gross anatomy course can be a stress factor for medical students. There are a minor proportion of students who demonstrate strong emotional reactions in anticipation of being confronted with a cadaver. Therefore, in 2008, the authors implemented a voluntary course entitled, “Anatomical demonstrations of organ systems” (AD‐OS) in advance of the dissection course to ease this psychological burden. The question of whether attendees of AD‐OS showed less mental distress at the start of the dissection course compared with those that had not or only infrequently visited AD‐OS was addressed. AD‐OS attendees assessed their expected mental distress using a five‐point Likert scale before starting the dissection course and a second time at the end of their first day, after they had been confronted with a cadaver. AD‐OS was evaluated as excellent and the majority of students participated actively during teaching sessions. Overall, female students showed higher levels of mental distress. AD‐OS attendees assessed themselves as being less burdened by mental distress than members of the control group. Longitudinal analysis revealed that students who visited AD‐OS showed a marked decrease of their mental distress level, comparing prospective and retrospective ratings. This was significantly (P < 0.001; Z = ?6.061) different from nonattendees or those who visited AD‐OS only infrequently. AD‐OS satisfied its intended teaching goals and proved that a step‐by‐step introduction of dissection through anatomical demonstrations helped to reduce the mental distress of students. Future studies are planned to measure mental distress with objective instruments. Anat Sci Educ © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.