Parallel Preachings: Urban II and al-Sulamī

At the Council of Clermont in 1095, Pope Urban II (1088–1099) called for a holy war against the Muslims who had wrested Jerusalem from Christian rule and who continued to threaten the Byzantine Empire. His audience responded enthusiastically and undertook a campaign commonly known today as the first crusade, which established several crusader states in the Levant. Some 10 years after the council, a Damascene jurisprudent named ‘Alīb. Tāhir al-Sulamī (d. 499–500/1106) publicly dictated the earliest extant call for a Muslim counter-offensive against these states. Al-Sulamī's message met with little success, unlike Urban's: only 14 years later, at the Battle of Balat (also called Ager sanguinis or the Field of Blood), do Islamic calls to jihād (holy war) seem to have started to have significant effect. Despite marked disparities between the religious traditions of each faith, the entreaties of Urban II and al-Sulamī parallel one another in many ways. On the most basic level, they have identical purposes: both call for a military campaign against people of another faith. Yet their similarities go much deeper than this. The two preachings reveal a common mindset toward religious or holy war that is all the more striking because Christian views on holy war and Muslim doctrines of jihād developed in isolation. Moreover, both demand similar responses from their listeners – responses that subordinate secular interests to sacred ones. So although these calls to action came out of separate theological traditions and addressed audiences in quite disparate social contexts, their similarities appear to reflect cross-cultural medieval attitudes toward holy war. Indeed, they suggest that there were certain basic ideas associated with holy war that were common to the medieval mindset, regardless of the individual's cultural background.     

The role of cultural pressures and group favouritism in shaping Syrian refugees’ identity in the Jordanian work environment

This study seeks to understand the cultural inclusion/exclusion practices that Syrian refugees encounter in the Jordanian work environment, explore whether an ingroup (Jordanian) over outgroup (Syrian refugees) favouritism exists and how such favouritism reshapes Syrian refugees’ social identity in this new environment. Drawing on qualitative-semi structured interviews with 12 Syrian refugees in Jordan, the study highlights different multi-layered cultural exclusion/inclusion practices that Syrian refugees in Jordan face. Through a combined underpinning of social identity theory (SIT) (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and the acculturation framework (Arends-Tóth & van de Vijver, 2006), the study reports how these practices re-shape Syrian refugees’ identity around vocational skills. We go beyond the basic types of discrimination against refugees (e.g., gender, race, religion) to highlight economic and legal restrictions as important promoters of cultural exclusion despite the strong cultural cohesion factors. This highlights the significant role of community and societal practices that can go beyond cultural differences between groups, and extend our understanding of SIT.     

Disrupting Whitestream Measures of Quality Teaching: The Community Cultural Wealth of Teachers of Color

Discussions of teacher preparation, qualifications, and effectiveness are at the heart of increasing attacks on public education. In this article, we contribute to the growing body of literature that works to challenge the narrowing parameters of what is considered effective teacher pedagogy, particularly as it relates to the noted value of teachers of color. We argue that racial justice-oriented teachers of color—teachers who recognize structural racial inequities and strive for transformation—provide important, yet invisible labor in our nation's schools. Using a community cultural wealth (CCW) framework, we illuminate multiple strengths and contributions that racial justice-oriented teachers of color bring to the profession that go largely unnoticed by whitestream—Eurocentrism as a norm—measures of teacher quality. In an analysis of data from interviews, digital narratives, and questionnaires, we present counter-narratives—oppositional stories told from the vantage point of the oppressed—of women of color educators to show how their positionalities as teachers of color, community members, and activists, provide insights to the experiences and needs of students that often go unrecognized. This research expands our understanding of overlooked pedagogical characteristics that are foundational to serving students of color and should be incorporated into the way we prepare teachers and the educational administrators who evaluate them.     

“Maybe That Concept Is Still with Us”: Adolescents' Racialized and Classed Perceptions of Teachers' Expectations

Teacher expectations for student behavior and academic performance have a lasting effect on student academic achievement—not only in the immediate school year, but also many years later. Yet, we know very little about how students interpret and understand teachers' expectations for them. This article expands the literature on teachers' expectations for students by drawing on student voice to examine how middle and high school students describe and experience the expectations that teachers have for them, and the implications of these expectations for developing positive student–teacher relationships. Findings indicate that traditionally minoritized and traditionally privileged youth harbor racialized and classed perceptions of teachers' expectations.

I feel like it's all around us too, like everything we hear kinda everything we learn about; it's kinda like minorities are oppressed. Like you learn about, a lot about, like, civil rights and all that; like you always kinda hear that, like, Blacks, minorities, all of them were kinda oppressed and that Whites were dominant at one point. So I mean it's not like it's the same; it's not completely different now, but maybe that concept is still with us. (Latina/o high school student)     

Fog

Early in the morning forclouded up green trees, tallbamboos, lush grass andfresh flowers in the park. Ithanged over the lake like asoft mass of cotton. Howthick the fog was!However in the eyes oflovers the fog seemed to bethe first warm sparklingsnow or a tender passioncoming from their hearts.Love is a lingeringsentiment that can not beunraveled...A young man and a youngwoman were rambling sideby side. He was handsomeand she pretty like the heroand heroine of many stories.She was vivacious.…     

Beyond cultural differences: The sociopolitical impact on supervision between Arab supervisees and Jewish supervisors in Israel

Little attention has been given to the cultural and political aspects of the supervisory relationship between Arab Palestinian supervisees and Jewish Israeli supervisors in medical psychology in Israel. This paper presents a focus group of five interns and certified medical psychologists of Arab Palestinian origin who describe their experiences and relationships with their Jewish supervisors. Constant comparison analysis revealed three main themes: fusion between professional and national identities, gaps that go beyond the cultural differences, and a sense of alienation and isolation in the supervision setting. The findings indicate the inevitable presence of the political conflict in the supervision relationship and correspond with findings for other professions such as social work. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed and practical recommendations for supervisors are offered.     

The Will to Be Unveiled: Sufi Autobiographies in Classical Sufism

While autobiography as a special genre increasingly occupies an important position in modern scholarship, independent Sufi autobiographies still require additional and detailed examination. The current paper seeks to examine two spiritual autobiographies known very well in the history of Sufism: Al-?akīm al-Tirmidhī's Bad? sha?n, and Rūzbihān al-Baqlī's Kashf al-asrār. References to these works in modern research do not go beyond the assumption that they may represent visionary autobiographies, dreams, and mystical, extraordinary experiences and states. In the framework of this paper, we consider it essential to regard both texts as serious indicators of different realities, contexts, and mystic discourses.     

‘Second death’, or revival of the ‘third world’ in the context of neo‐liberal globalization

Abstract

This paper tries to analyze the historical change in the Third World in its emergent stage, in the authoritarian stage and in the current democratic stage and, thereafter, find a way to revive the Bandung spirit in the current globalization context. I define the Bandung spirit as one of a ‘non‐aligned self‐helped “organization against” the dominant powerful countries’; that is, spirit of ‘anti‐predominance’. This spirit has emerged on the base of such domestic orientation and realities as economic self‐reliance, nationally integrated political regime, convergence of the state and civil society around anti‐colonialism. However, according to intensification of the Cold War confrontation on the international level and its centrifugal influence, the early Third World changed to a ‘new’ authoritarian Third World. The Third World in this stage could be characterized by an exclusive authoritarian political regime, dependent‐developmentalist economic orientation and coercively repressed and mobilized, in the top‐down way, civil society. This authoritarian Third World began to be confronted with a strong struggle from the bottom for democratization. In order for democratization of the Third World to become its true revival in the context of globalization, the following tasks should be considered. First, the democratic Third World should be a great driving force for the institutionalization of the transnational public regulatory mechanism. Second, the democratic Third World countries try to go over a kind of ‘transformed’ dependent development strategy. Third, democratization should go along with recovery of political inclusiveness and openness of the state to civil society’s demands. Thereafter, I tried to construct globalist re‐interpretation of the Bandung, by way of conceptualizing the current globalization as imperial globalization, unlike the imperialist globalization which the historical Bandung wanted to confront. I argue that the Bandung spirit of collective self‐help organizations against the newly emerging dominant order should be revived in this worse imperial globalization context. In addition, I argue that a nationalist resistance is also one component of the multiple resistances in the current imperial globalization.     

Moderating effects of educational standing on interethnic relations in the classroom

The study investigated the roles of ethnicity and educational standing as determinants of interpersonal acceptance among integrated Western and Middle Eastern junior high school students in Israel. A previous study found that often reported ethnic asymmetries were dissipated once educational standing of targets was controlled. The present study hypothesized that the use of sociometric formulations emphasizing self-initiated desire rather than acquiescent agreement would reassert the importance of ethnic biases alongside educational considerations. A sample of 1127 students completed two versions of the Interpersonal Relationship Assessment Technique, emphasizing either willingness to agree or desire to initiate relations with each classmate. Findings indicated that educational standing was the central determinant of relations. In the case of acquiescent acceptance a target's high educational status was found to ameliorate the impact of ethnicity which appeared at low status. In the case of self-expressed desire, ethnic effects appeared alongside the more prominent educational ones: Westerners exhibited same group preference across educational levels, whereas Middle Easterners displayed no group preference. These findings suggest that personalized considerations of educational status overshadow group ones of ethnicity, yet do not obliterate them when interpersonal stakes are high.     

Suobuya：the Stone Forest Less Traveled

The stone Forest in the southwest province of Yunnan,thanks to its worldwide reputation,hasset a stereotype about what a stone forest should be like.[第一段]     

Xia Xiaocao： Life Devoted to Violin

The violinist's prof ile: Born in Shanghai, Xia Xiaocao is a Chinese violinist active in the international music circle. Xiao began learning the violin at age 6 and often appeared in radio and TV music programs in her childhood. She has received training under the mentorship of several prestigious professors including Wang Zhilong, Peng Dingxin and Lin Yaoji. Upon graduation from the Central Conservatory of Music, Xia was engaged as teacher at the conservatory. She then went to Souther…     

Causal ascription and evaluation of achievement-related outcomes: A cross-cultural comparison

Three experiments (replications) were conducted under a general program of testing the applicability of social psychological findings obtained in the United States to Brazil. Three samples of Brazilian students (college male undergraduates, lower-class training school male students, and female teachers graduating in education) were asked to ascribe either gold (reward) or red (punishment) stars to examination results. These results could be excellent, fair, borderline, moderate failure, or clear failure; the student's ability (high or low) as well as his or her effort (high or low) were also indicated.The results reproduced only in part those of the original study. As in the United States, effort and good outcomes influence the assignment of rewards and punishments to achievement-related outcomes. However, in the United States, low-ability students, when effort is held constant, are more rewarded for good results and less punished for bad ones than high ability students; in Brazil the opposite was found, that is, high ability students, holding effort constant, are rewarded more for good results and punished less for bad ones. The implications of this finding for individual achievement and nation's development are pointed out.     

Health,functioning and social engagement among the UK Chinese

The present study examines factors associated with health, functioning and social engagement among Chinese in the UK. A total of 211 Chinese men and women aged between 15 and 79 years were recruited through a selection of Chinese social organisations across the UK. Data was collected using a self-completion questionnaire, which included domains examining health and functioning and social functioning; among others. Poor health and functioning was associated with levels of social support. Social engagement was associated with high levels of social support, network size, and contribution to others, emphasising the importance of meaningful social engagement. Those individuals with good cognitive and physical functioning felt more of a sense of social cohesion and inclusion and respect from others than individuals with poorer functioning. Findings emphasise the UK Chinese community's reliance on informal support networks rather than the utilisation of formal networks, which may go some way to explain the reported underutilisation of formal health and social support services among this community.     

Psychological distress among international students in Turkey

This study examined predictors of psychological distress in a sample of 334 international students studying at different public universities in Turkey. The standard multiple regression analysis was used to clarify the contributions of individual characteristics, interaction with Turkish students, perceived discrimination, Turkish language proficiency, perceived cultural distance, integration to social life in Turkey, and life satisfaction to psychological distress of international students. The results revealed that life satisfaction, integration to social life in Turkey, Turkish language proficiency, and length of stay in the host country (Turkey) account for 32.8% of the variance in the international students’ psychological distress levels. The study concludes that factors contributing to psychological distress of foreign students are related to some individual characteristics and personal factors. Hence, foreign students need to go through a preparation process/program in their home country. Then a guidance and orientation program needs to be provided in the host country.     

Emblem of an empire: the development of the Byzantine empress's crown

Byzantine crowns are not only emblematic of the empire, but also reflect the breadth and depth of her acquaintance. Much like the Classical tradition of using women as personifications of cities, states and ideals, the empress who embodied the empire was often depicted in a more elaborate crown than the emperor. The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of the Byzantine empress' crown as distinct from the emperor's crown. Both evolved, in part, from the much simpler diadems of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Comparison of pictorial images and historical sources reveals how their respective styles diverged and the influences that fed those variations. Further comparison with the jewellery and headgear of neighbouring peoples reveals the influence of Eastern headgear and hairdressing upon the evolution of the empress's crown. Much like the decorative arts of Byzantium, the empress's crown testifies to the fusion of Mediterranean and Eastern cultures.     

Collages of Memory: Remembering the Second World War Differently as the Epistemology of Crafting Cultural Conflicts between Russia and Ukraine

This essay critically examines the current duality of Russian-Ukrainian intercultural relations and explores the subject of politics of active and selective memory as the claimed root of current controversies and military tensions. Through rhetorical analysis of historical and contemporary national narratives, it demonstrates how culturally defining experience of the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War is remembered, rethought, and reused by respective parties to reinvent the Self and the Br/Other, as well as rethink ones positionality on the world arena.     

How to understand Stuart Hall’s “identity” properly?

Some scholars specializing in racial issues attempt to explain ethnic “identity” and its awakening as the intrinsic logic that runs through Stuart Hall’s academic life. My paper disagrees with this explanation and finds three problems in it: first, it has not fully understood the applicable object of Hall’s politics of “identity,” thus it leads to the inappropriate employment of the theory; second, it does not fully recognize the involvement of Hall’s academic research, and exaggerates the effect of Hall's early experience on the development of his academic thoughts; third finally, there is a tendency to use essentialist reductionism in the attempt to find an essential Hall or the essence of Hall. I argue that one needs to comprehend three key words in order to understand the “guarantee-free” Hall, that is, “resistance,” “openness” and “articulation.” Therefore, if one wants to grasp Hall’s “identity,” one must go back to the social history and its evolving process where Hall existed.     

Cultural Values Are Communicated: How Hotel Introductions Persuade

This study looks into the question of how to theorize the role of cultural values in communication through persuasion. A multi-method approach is used to encode 60 English hotel introductions and 60 Chinese ones for data analyses. The relation between cultural values and persuasive strategies is explored in the context of communication. It is argued that hotel discourse not only reflects cultural values; more importantly, it creates empirical evidence for people within the culture to learn and induce their own conception of their culture.     

黄粱梦里

很多人都喜欢告诉我们人生不过如一场黄粱梦，在繁复的美丽与曲折的悲欢之后，悠然醒转，新炊却犹末熟。