The impact of film reviews on the box office performance of art house versus mainstream motion pictures

Critics and their reviews can play an important role in consumer decision making in general, and film choice in particular. In this study, we propose that consumers of art house movies are being led by film reviews when making a film choice (influence effect), whereas consumers of mainstream movies are hypothesized to rely mainly on other sources of information. Thus, in the latter case the review does not influence the moviegoer, but may still be a reflection of the ultimate success of the movie (predictor effect). Using the Dutch film industry as our empirical setting, we study the effects of reviews on the opening weekend and on the cumulative box office revenue. Our research shows that the number and size of film reviews in Dutch newspapers directly influence the behavior of the art-movie-going public in their film choice. The number and size of film reviews of mainstream movies, on the other hand, only predict movie performance.

论19世纪英国小说中的荷兰画派

19世纪的英国小说中,荷兰画随处可见。"荷兰画派的黄金时代"预示着小说的新纪元到来。小说家运用类比批评范式将叙述小说与17世纪荷兰视觉艺术相连。该时期的英国小说与荷兰风俗画各种类别之间存在亲族关系上的相似性。"日常和家庭生活"的密切联系促成把小说比作荷兰绘画。小说的叙述者在一种"清高的人所鄙弃"的绘画种类中寻求"一股宜人的同情感",有意违背了荷兰绘画理论研究结果长期以来的传统。     

Increasing Labour Productivity in Agriculture and its Implications

Abstract

In order to profit from the economic growth in their society farmers can (1) increase the yields of their crops and animals, (2) switch to the production of high value products for which there is an increasing demand in the market, (3) increase the labour productivity on their farm, (4) find non-farm sources of income for some or all of their family members. Many farmers are aware that with the increasing average income in their country the proportion of the labour force which can find employment in agriculture decreases. Therefore options (3) and (4) are important for them, but in many countries they do not get much help from extension services and social institutions to realize these options in their situation. These extension services and institutions need support from socio-economic research to be able to provide this help.     

荷兰成人教育促进弱势群体社会融合成效评估工具研究——基于SIT工具的分析

荷兰开展的成人教育促进弱势群体社会融合成效评估,通过搭建理论框架、建构评估指标体系、编制评估量表等一系列活动,首创成人教育促进弱势群体社会融合成效评估工具——SIT工具,实现了成人教育与弱势群体社会融合的有力对接。荷兰的SIT工具为我国建构成人教育促进弱势群体社会融合成效评估体系提供了参考范式和思维框架。     

Training imams in the Netherlands: the failure of a post-secular endeavour

ABSTRACT

What are the reasons behind the failure of the Islamic theology and imam-training programmes at the Dutch universities? To address this question, we employed qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews (N = 38) conducted between July 2016 and January 2017. The sample consists of stakeholders such as academics teaching in the programmes, imams, Qur’an teachers, chairs of the largest Islamic organisations, and Dutch ministry and municipality officials. We analysed the establishment of the state-funded Islamic theology and imam-training programmes in the Netherlands in the light of the different theoretical accounts about the evolution of Dutch secularism after the de-pillarisation of the Dutch society. The findings suggest that the failure of the programmes stemmed from distrust in the intentions of the funding by the Dutch government, lack of confidence in the expertise of the non-Muslim academics teaching the programmes and refusal by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), to cooperate with the universities for the set-up of the programmes. This study shows that future attempts for Islamic theology programmes in the Dutch universities will need to establish better connections with the grassroots of the Dutch Muslim communities.     

近世日本“中华”概念的异化

汉字"中华"一词在当代日本有着与中国很不相同的意涵。这种差异是在日本近世时期出现的。之前,日本知识界曾以"中华"自诩,对中国文化有着深深的仰慕和认同。近世思想家却狂热地抬高本土文化的地位,持续地将对"中华"的认同和褒扬向着异化和贬损的方向扭转。但做到这一点需要一个过程。山鹿素行以与中国争夺"中华"的荣耀并与中国对抗为己任,"私意论"者和徂徕学派也通过各自的论证表明日本乃原本"中华"的代表,而比早已退去"中华"本色的中国更有文明优势;国学者则进了一步,径直利用本土神道资源贬斥"中华"概念,将之视为"中国人的自尊之辞";而兰学者则根据近代西方知识体系,有意地构建起对中国文化的对抗机制,将"中华"一词的含义解释为中国人的妄自尊大。随着近代神(皇)国思想和洋学思想的盛行,这种理解成为日本语境中通行的意涵。至此,近世思想家似乎撇清了自己与"中华"一词的干系,使它最终异化成了专门指称他者中国的概念。不过,洋学者把日本自诩为"文明开化",把"中华"打入"野蛮愚昧"的做法,最终无法表明真正逃脱了华夷观念之末流的命运。透过"中华"含义的这场异变,不仅可以看清近世日本文化主体意识是如何畸形崛起的,更可以体会到近代日本国族意识是怎样膨胀并最终导致东亚国际关系发生历史性异动的内在根据。     

略论《穆斯林的葬礼》的叙事手法

霍达的作品《穆斯林的葬礼》获得不少奖项,而其中一项便是中国最高文学奖。此著作曾以各种方式传播,直至今日,其文学影响力仍不减。在这部小说里,霍达通过不同的艺术形式,使内容精彩纷呈,这些艺术形式中,其叙事手法的娴熟运用值得关注。作者采用不同的叙事手法,令文本的内容与形式交相辉映,呈现出不同的悲剧内容,产生历史厚重感和较强艺术魅力。本文借鉴小说叙事学和小说写作的相关理论,从时间的控制、空间的设定这两个方面,探讨增加叙事频率、设置悬念、戏中戏手法、平行蒙太奇手法的运用,并分析其所达到的艺术效果。     

Mapping discourses on mosque education in the Netherlands: a content analysis of the Dutch press, 2010–2016

ABSTRACT

This article provides an overview of the discourses on Dutch mosque education. Based on a review of the scholarly debates on mosque education in West, we conducted a qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles containing references to mosque education between 2010 and 2016 (N?=?45). The data are sampled from the five largest Dutch newspapers. Most of the themes emerging from the literature are also reflected in the discourses on mosque education in the press. In line with other media analysis on representation of Muslims, the portrayal of mosque education in the Dutch press is also mainly negative. The key issues in the press portrayals included use of corporal punishment, inadequate training of imams, reinforcement of conservative gender norms, intensification of social segregation, links with religious extremism and local opposition to mosques. Fewer references concern the positive influence of mosque education on cognitive skills and identity development of the Muslim children.     

论荷兰宽容文化形成的若干原因

荷兰的宽容文化在世界上独树一帜,在荷兰形象中具有令人瞩目的地位。在塑造荷兰宽容文化的众多原因中,荷兰历史上不利的自然环境和由此产生的区域自治的传统、中世纪后期包括荷兰在内的整个西欧宗教普遍不宽容的历史及荷兰市镇商品贸易的繁荣与对外交往的频繁,这些都构成了促使荷兰宽容文化产生的重要因素。