Identifying Past Beer Production: Contributions from an Ethnoarchaeological Study in Bedik Villages, Senegal.

The identification of beer production in past societies remains a challenge as very few studies have discussed its material evidence. Our investigation in Senegal aimed at filling this gap. We documented 14 beer houses and several beer cooking areas in five Bedik villages and excavated a beer house and associated cooking area in a recently abandoned village. We recorded the architectural attributes of the beer-making structures (location, shape, size, materials, techniques, internal layouts). We also analyzed associated pottery combining typometry and use-wear. Such an integrated study revealed that the pottery types (large vessels, small bottles) and use-alteration (inner non-abrasive attrition), are the most distinctive features for identifying beer production, besides the beer houses' internal layouts (wedge holes of large pottery, altar) and the beer cooking areas' location outside the compound. Exploration of the same criteria in other cultural contexts in Africa lends support to the broader significance of these findings.

Neither saintly nor psychotic: a narrative systematic review of the evolving Western perception of voice hearing.

We present a social-historical perspective on the evolution of the voice-hearing phenomenon in Western society. Based upon a systematic search from a selection of nine databases, we trace the way hearing voices has been understood throughout the ages. Originally, hearing voices was considered a gifted talent for accessing the divine, but the progressive influence of monotheistic religion gradually condemned the practice to social marginalization. Later, the medical and psychiatric professions of secular society were instrumental in attaching stigma to both voice hearers and the phenomenon itself, thereby reinforcing social exclusion. More recently, the re-integration of voice hearers into the community by health authorities in various countries appears to have provided a new, socially acceptable setting for the phenomenon.

News discourses threatening multiculturalism in Ethiopian mainstream TV channels: Discourse historical approach.

This study explores how the political interests of different ethnic groups influence mainstream televisions' news discourses in Ethiopia. It was based on data generated from a corpus of 1167 news stories in three TV channels from 2019 to 2021 and analyzed stories threatening multiculturalism. Based on the theoretical lenses of critical theory, it employed a Discourse Historical Approach to analyze discursive strategies used in TV news. It underscores that in a diverse society like Ethiopia, achieving public consensus through news discourse might become tougher. The results also show that recent political polarization, conflicts, and civil wars have potentially compromised the objectivity of news reporting, undermining the utilization of inclusive language for representing diversity. Newsrooms employ antagonistic narratives that impede the cultivation of tolerance and respect among diverse ethnic and political factions. Consequently, these narratives cunningly neutralize the political undertones of ethnic conflicts by labeling the culprits as terrorists. Hostile mode of discourse perilous to the enactment of multiculturalism characterizes the news discourses in TV channels. While discussing political conflicts and insecurities, the news stories intensify divisions among diverse political groups. Therefore, the study suggests that news reporting in a diverse society ought to focus on peace bargaining, the use of impartial and inoffensive discourses to lay the groundwork for multicultural integration.

Toy Preferences among 3-to-4-Year-Old Children: The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors and Developmental Characteristics.

Background: Today's common typologies and categories of children's toys are mainly decided by the manufacturers and retailers of children's products. Such categorizations are not based on a theoretical understanding of child development and therefore cannot provide information about the opportunities that toys provide for the young. Objective: This study proposed three criteria for categorizing toys based on the cultural-historical approach: their degree of realism; their degree of anthropomorphism; and their degree of detail. These criteria were chosen as a result of an analysis of theoretical works carried out in the framework of cultural-historical approach. Design: The proposed criteria were tested through an experiment measuring children's toy preferences. The participants were 129 children of ages 3-4 years. Experimental data confirmed that most children do prefer realistic and detailed toys rather than those with fewer of these properties. The contribution of socio-demographic factors and the children's individual developmental indicators to their toy preference was also analyzed. Results: The study revealed that among various socio-demographic factors, only the child's gender and the number of siblings in the family acted as significant predictors for the toy preferences. None of child's developmental characteristics (nonverbal intelligence, executive functions, and emotional understanding) were found to be significant predictors of preference for particular toys. Conclusions: The assumption that toys can be assessed in terms of their realism and degree of detail found empirical support. The results of this study may be useful in designing further research and in the practical issue of toy selection for children age 3-4 years.

Do executive function and family factors predict children's preference for trendy over classic toys? An experimental investigation.

In the last decade, global trends and social media have covered almost the entire world, including children population. The toy industry is filled with new items whose popularity has been triggered by viral publications on social networks or by popular animated films. The present experimental study is the first to (i) describe the characteristics of toy choice in the context of the spread of global trends, and (ii) examine the influence of family and individual child characteristics on the dependence on trends in toy choice. The sample consisted of N = 127 children aged 3-4 years. Children had individual assessment of non-verbal intelligence main executive function skills (cognitive flexibility, working memory and inhibition control) and took part in the experiment, while their parents completed a questionnaire on family background. Analysis of children's answers about the reason for choosing a particular toy indicates uncertain motivation in choosing a trendy toy in contrast to the classic ones. It is reflected in the fact that children do not know what exactly and how they will play with it. It is revealed that boys are 1.66 times more likely to prefer the trendy toy than girls. It was also found that as inhibitory control increased, children were less dependent on tendencies to choose toys.

The discursive construction of corporate identity in the corporate social responsibility reports: A case study of Starbucks.

Both corporate identity and corporate social responsibilities are of strategic importance to companies' reputation and competitiveness. From a social constructivist view, identity is constructed in discourse. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate how corporate identity is discursively constructed in corporate CSR communication. Taking Starbucks as an example, this corpus-assisted study explores how Starbucks deploys nomination, predication, and intensification strategies and the corresponding linguistic resources to discursively construct itself and its main stakeholder groups in the CSR reports from the perspective of Discourse-Historical Approach to Critical Discourse Analysis. Also, how Starbucks addresses or presents issues in which scandals or problems reside is investigated. The findings show that Starbucks explicitly constructs itself as the supportive care-taker of the partners, faithful deliverer of good customer experience, powerful helper of poor farmers, and CSR-conscious selector of suppliers, who takes a strongly committed and proactive CSR stance through the discourse. However, behind such discursive construction are the hidden ideologies and corporate agenda of a capitalistic nature, with Starbucks veiling the power dominance and unequal power relations. This study not only contributes to the understanding of the discursive construction of corporate identity, but also helps raise peoples' awareness of the power game at play behind the corporate discourse.

Historical overview of hip arthroplasty: From humble beginnings to a high-tech future.

Surgery of the arthritic hip was not an easy task in the previous centuries, lots of operations being followed very closely by complications and failures. Nowadays, hip arthroplasty is considered "the operation of the century". This review follows the evolution of surgery on the arthritic hip, with emphasis on arthroplasty. Acknowledging the history of this operation, one can better prepare its evolution and future directions of research. The final chapter briefly describes the current trends and future perspectives.

'Austria First' revisited: a diachronic cross-sectional analysis of the gender and body politics of the extreme right.

In this paper, Rheindorf and Wodak provide a discourse-historical analysis of extreme-right cultural politics in Austria, ranging from the blatant racism in the speeches of Vienna's former Deputy Mayor Johann Gudenus (now MP in the Austrian parliament) to the construction of an idealized national body in the election campaigns of the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ), its programmatic agenda in handbooks and pamphlets, and the performances of far-right pop singer Andreas Gabalier. Rheindorf and Wodak argue that such cultural politics use a wide spectrum of discursive strategies both inside and outside established party politics and that the accompanying production of an ideal extreme-right subject is informed by nativist ideology. The cross-sectional analysis demonstrates that the cultural politics of the Austrian extreme right ranges from appropriated national symbols to coded National Socialist iconography. These politics pervasively construct a gendered and racialized national body, policed by a 'strict father' and nurtured by a 'self-sacrificing mother', vis-à-vis an apocalyptic threat scenario identified with migration, intellectual and political elites, cosmopolitanism and progressive gender politics.

Caracterización del nivel de desarrollo de la función simbólica en niños preescolares / Characterization of development level of the symbolic function in preschool children

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio es caracterizar el nivel de adquisición de la función simbólica en niños preescolares colombianos. Participaron 39 niños a quienes se les aplicó el protocolo de evaluación psicológica cualitativa que permite caracterizar la adquisición de la función simbólica en los niveles materializado, perceptivo y verbal; basado en el concepto de la zona del desarrollo próximo lo cual implica la participación activa del niño, y diversas formas de ayuda por parte del evaluador. Los resultados señalan un bajo nivel de desarrollo de la función simbólica al final de la edad preescolar; además posibilitan conocer cómo el niño preescolar realiza tareas simbólicas a partir de apoyos verbales del adulto. Se discute la importancia del espacio de colaboración entre el adulto y los niños en el que se usa el lenguaje como medio de apoyo para la ejecución de acciones simbólicas y para la creación independiente de diversas formas de representación materializada, perceptiva y verbal.

Abstract The aim of this study is to characterize the acquisition level of the symbolic function in Colombian preschool children in the city of Bogotá. The study involved 39 children. Children were assessed by a protocol of qualitative psychological evaluation to characterize the acquisition of the symbolic function in materialized, perceptual and verbal levels. The protocol is based on the zone of proximal development concept, which involves the active participation of children and the use of various forms of assistance from the evaluator. The results of the protocol evaluation indicate a low development level of the symbolic function at the end of preschool age. The findings of this study are useful in both education and psychology fields, as it possible to know how the preschool child performs symbolic tasks from the adult's verbal support. The importance of cooperation space between adult and children in which language is used as a means of support for the implementation of symbolic actions and for independent creation of various forms of materialized, perceptual, and verbal representation is discussed.

A Formação de Conceitos em Alunos com Deficiência Intelectual: o Caso de Ian / Concept Formation in Students with Intellectual Disabilities: the Case of Ian

este artigo apresenta um recorte de uma pesquisa de doutorado, com alunos que apresentam deficiência intelectual, matriculados em uma escola regular da rede pública do Rio de Janeiro, entre os anos de 2009 e 2012. A pesquisa-ação colaborativa e a abordagem histórico-cultural foram as bases teórico-metodológicas para investigar a elaboração dos processos de ensino e aprendizagem e a formação de conceitos por um aluno com deficiência intelectual. Os episódios da interação professor aluno, filmados na sala de aula e na sala de recursos, indicaram possibilidades de ações pedagógicas com vistas a situações de ensino conducente à construção de conceitos pelo aluno com deficiência intelectual. Além disso, constatou-se que a abordagem teórico-metodológica foi favorável à organização, de forma colaborativa, das atividades de ensino, pelas professoras de sala de aula e da sala de recursos, com procedimentos de ensino mais adequados ao processo de aprendizagem do aluno com deficiência intelectual, na escola regular.Tal proposta se coaduna com a perspectiva de ensino de qualidade para todos.

This article presents part of a doctoral study with students who have learning disabilities, who were enrolled in a regular public school in Rio de Janeiro between the years 2009 and 2012. Collaborative action research and cultural-historical approach were the theoretical and methodological bases to investigate the development of both processes of teaching and learning and the formation of concepts by a student with intellectual disabilities. From episodes filmed in the classroom and in the resource room, the data collected and analyzed indicated possibilities of pedagogical action aimed at concept construction situations by students with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, it was found that the theoretical-methodological approach was favorable to cooperative organization of educational activities by teachers in the classroom as well as in there source room, with the most suitable teaching procedures to ensure learning conditions for students with intellectual disabilities in regular school. This proposal is consistent with the perspective of quality education for all.

La casa de los sueños: ocupación, actividad transgresora y construcción de identidad / The house of dreams: occupation, transgressive activity and identity construction

El estudio pretende comprender cómo los niños que han transgredido la ley, vinculan su contexto social y ámbitos contextuales a sus actividades significativas, entre ellas la actividad transgresora, como elementos constructores de su identidad y cotidianidad, desde un enfoque socio-histórico. El foco de investigación, fueron niños que se encuentran en régimen residencial en el Centro de Reparación Especializada de Atención Directa (CREAD-Pudahuel), específicamente en la casa “De los Sueños”. La metodología utilizada fue cualitativa con alcance exploratorio, descriptivo analítico. La recopilación de información se realizó mediante entrevistas semi-estructuradas a profesionales y niños cuyas edades fluctúan entre 10 y 14 años. Complementado con observación participante por medio de juego grupal con los niños. El análisis de datos se realizó siguiendo la Teoría Fundamentada propuesta por Glaser y Struss (Glaser, 1967). Los resultados aluden a que la significación positiva de la actividad transgresora es facilitada por distintos contextos. Donde las ocupaciones están determinadas por las oportunidades, las características de estos ámbitos y por la vivencia de logro y autoeficacia experimentadas en dichas ocupaciones. Es así, como estas promueven la construcción de identidad en torno a la ocupación realizada y como esta favorece su participación e inclusión social. Lo anterior plantea desafíos para Terapia Ocupacional en tanto pueda plantear cambios contextuales que favorezcan mayores posibilidades a los niños y alternativas a la ocupación transgresora.

This research aims to how children who have the law relate their social environment to their main activities, such as the transgressive activity itself. It also aims to show how it influences their identity, and everyday life, from a socio-historic point of view. The research focus on children who temporarily live at the center “Centro de Reparación Especializada de Atención Directa” (CREAD-Pudahuel), specifically at “La Casa de los sueños (The Dream House) the ages for the sample fluctuate between 10 and 14. This research has a powerful descriptive, qualitative analytical, and exploratory character. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with professionals and children, whose ages fluctuate between 10 and 14, and also by observation of group play activities The main results show that the positive significance of the transgressive activity is facilitated by different contexts, where jobs will be determined by the opportunities and the characteristics of these domains of context and the experience of accomplishment and self-efficacy that the child experiences in these occupations, thus promoting the construction of identity around the occupation done and how this promotes social participation and inclusion. This poses challenges for occupational therapy can raise both contextual changes that encourage development that provides greater opportunities for children.

A historical approach to scorpion studies with special reference to the 20 th and 21st centuries

This work provides historical context about scorpion studies from the end of the 19 th century to the present day. The content is mainly addressed to non-zoologists, working in research fields that embrace scorpion biology, notably to those working with venoms and toxins. The historical aspects described include academic professional scholars who worked on scorpion classification and general distribution patterns; and to a lesser extent, on studies of ecology and natural history. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive description of all scholars who in one way or another became involved with scorpions, but rather of those who greatly contributed during a given period to the research of these organisms. No critical analysis of the work of previous researchers is undertaken, but some comments are proposed to bring clarification on ‘who’s who’. Since a global consensus in relation to classification and/or distribution patterns has not been reached among modern experts, these different approaches are also presented without judgment. Consequently, distinct approaches remain open for discussion.

A historical approach to scorpion studies with special reference to the 20 th and 21st centuries

This work provides historical context about scorpion studies from the end of the 19 th century to the present day. The content is mainly addressed to non-zoologists, working in research fields that embrace scorpion biology, notably to those working with venoms and toxins. The historical aspects described include academic professional scholars who worked on scorpion classification and general distribution patterns; and to a lesser extent, on studies of ecology and natural history. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive description of all scholars who in one way or another became involved with scorpions, but rather of those who greatly contributed during a given period to the research of these organisms. No critical analysis of the work of previous researchers is undertaken, but some comments are proposed to bring clarification on ‘who’s who’. Since a global consensus in relation to classification and/or distribution patterns has not been reached among modern experts, these different approaches are also presented without judgment. Consequently, distinct approaches remain open for discussion.

Deficiência intelectual na perspectiva histórico-cultural: contribuições ao estudo do desenvolvimento adulto / Intellectual disability according to the cultural-historical approach: a path to adult development

Conceitos e práticas atuais relacionados à condição de deficiência intelectual ainda são influenciados por compreensões normativas de desenvolvimento que, por vezes, restringem a pessoa com esse diagnóstico à categoria de eterna criança. O conjunto de ferramentas conceituais apresentado pela perspectiva histórico-cultural permite discussão crítica da deficiência intelectual sob um prisma complexo e dinâmico, no qual as capacidades são valorizadas, observando-se contínuo desenvolvimento da pessoa na relação com seu meio. No entrelaçamento das condições ambientais, histórico-culturais e subjetivas há ressignificação de si, da própria condição de deficiência e do mundo. Em meio a esse conjunto de fatores, a menoridade perene dá lugar à possibilidade de autonomia e visão crítica de si. Buscamos neste trabalho oferecer argumentos que possam gerar reflexões críticas sobre a condição a que se tem denominado deficiência intelectual. Discorremos sobre a construção histórico-social do fenômeno em questão; discutimos a relação entre os modelos médico e social vigentes na atualidade e a influência na construção de conceitos e crenças sobre a pessoa com deficiência; apresentamos a perspectiva histórico-cultural como alternativa à compreensão cristalizada de deficiência intelectual e, por fim, ressaltamos possibilidades de desenvolvimento adulto compatíveis com as condições contextuais dos indivíduos na atualidade.

Many concepts and current practices related to the condition of intellectual disability remain strongly influenced by a normative understanding of developmental processes that often maintain the person diagnosed as disabled in a position of never ending childhood. The set of conceptual tools presented by the cultural-historical approach provides for a critical discussion of intellectual disability according to complex and dynamic viewpoints, in which abilities are valued, while the person's ongoing development in relation to the environment is also considered. Amid the intertwined environmental, sociocultural, and subjective conditions there is room for re-signifying self, one's condition of disability and the world. Among this group of factors, eternal childhood gives place to autonomy and a critical view of self. In this study we aim to put forth arguments to support critical reflections about the condition called intellectual disability. First, we discuss the cultural-historical construction of the phenomenon of intellectual disability. Next, we focus on and compare the main concepts and beliefs related to disability put forth by the medical model and the social approaches to disabilities. The cultural-historical approach is then presented as a potential theoretical alternative to substitute crystallized conceptions. Lastly, we highlight some of the developmental potentials of adults with intellectual disabilities, compatible with the individuals' current conditions in context.

Alzheimer's disease: learning from the past, looking to the future.

Our understanding on the pathophysiology and clinical aspects related to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) have been largely improved since the first case recorded in the medical literature in the beginning of the 20(th) century. Regarding the age of onset of AD, an important change seems to have happened in the last century: from several AD cases reported in middle aged and young adults in the first half of the 20(th) century, the age of onset of AD seems to have increased at the end of that century and the beginning of the 21(st) century. Since the 1-century-long time interval is very narrow to make a hypothesis on a genetic modification, it is possible that modifiable risk factors of AD played a role in increasing the age of onset of AD. Although the exact etiology of AD remains unknown, experts currently agree that it is multifactorial, being the result of complex interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, nutrition, and smoking. In the present article, we briefly discuss how lifestyle trends in the last century may have contributed to the increase in the age of onset of AD, and propose future directions for research on AD and lifestyle factors.

Orientação profissional na escola: uma pesquisa com intervenção / Vocational guidance at school: a research with intervention

A escolha profissional é um processo evolutivo que, se realizada de forma consciente e planejada, interfere positivamente na qualidade de vida. O objetivo do presente trabalho é apresentar uma orientação profissional dentro da escola, utilizando como base teórica a abordagem sócio-histórica e como método de avaliação dos resultados uma escala de atitudes. Verificou-se a importância de um instrumento para avaliar processos de orientação profissional, que possibilite mensurar quanto os alunos se beneficiaram com a intervenção. Entretanto, o indicado seria a prática durante as aulas, com a participação dos professores, de modo que o tema seja trabalhado de forma transversal ao currículo escolar.

The professional choice is a process of evolution that, if carried out in a planned and conscious way, affects positively the quality of life. The aim of this research is to present a professional guidance inside the school, using as a theoretical basis the socio-historical approach and a scale of attitudes as method of evaluating the results. There was verified the importance of an instrument to measure the processes of vocational guidance, which allows to measure if the students have been benefited with the involvement. However, the most suitable is that the practice should be done during the classes, with the participation of the teachers, in order that the theme should be worked through out a cross-school curriculum.