#database ethnography

[texasdreamer01]

Atlantis Expedition: Science Division Departments - Field Sciences Department

With the original post outlining the departments getting further away in the rearview mirror, as I've already finished the medical and life sciences departments, on to the field sciences.

Below are the original notes, with - tada! - no revisions:

Field Sciences Department

> Head: OC > Contains: Linguistics, historical geography, cartography, ethnography, sociology, oceanography, hydrology, atmospheric physics, planetary physics > Function: Research pool for gate teams and any assigned missions > Examples of function: Preservation of refugee cultures, scouting for trade planets, analysis of back-up sites for establishment > Personnel quantity: 1 (Head) + 3 (linguistics) + 1 (histgeo) + 1 (cart) + 1 (ethno) + 1 (socio) + 1 (oceano) + 1 (hydro) + 1 (atmophys) + 1 (planphys) = 12 > A/N: SGC duplicate all shoved into one department, mostly ignored in-house but their brains are picked for background dossiers when it comes to mission planning. Linguists trained in xenolinguistics, from the SGC, can cover the various anthro fields if necessary, also various training in structural linguistics. Main scientist pulls for gate team assignments, if something critical isn't needed (i.e. Ancient technology).

There's about three loose groupings here: the linguists, the anthropologists, and the non-anthropological scientists. The last of these are more pure science, so while they may do technical work, they're not engineering based, and thus well-suited to this department for a few reasons.

Here's the breakdown, commentary included:

> Linguistics  » 3x of these  » SGC imports   ⇛ How many linguists to a Daniel Jackson  » Specialties?   ⇛ Linguistics Typology    ⟹ Does the analytical work of structuring languages   ⇛ Sociolinguistics/Linguistic Anthropology    ⟹ Does the sociological work of relevance in languages   ⇛ Computational Linguistics    ⟹ Does the computer work to categorize languages    ⟹ AKA Database creation   ⇛ Outline of linguistics   ⇛ Linguistics in science fiction > Historical Geography  » Collects first-hand accounts, as well as reference material, to construct location data  » Can contain work from botany and archaeology > Cartography  » Uses GIS-type software for creating reference materials  » Leverages historical geographer's work to make maps of different types > Ethnography  » SGC import  » Collates relevant information about found societies  » Contributes to database work > Sociology  » SGC import  » Specialties?   ⇛ Analytical sociology    ⟹ Studies the mechanisms contributing to the creation of social facts   ⇛ Sociocultural evolution    ⟹ Studies how societies and cultures change over time   ⇛ Outline of sociology > Oceanography  » Assists cartographer in mapping oceanic and other water body areas > Hydrology  » Analyzes water systems and their management  » Assists historical geographer, ethnographer, and sociologist > Atmospheric Physics  » AKA meteorology and climate physics  » Assists everyone but linguists unless otherwise requested > Planetary Physics  » Not astrophysics   ⇛ Works with the astrophysicists  » Studies composition of planets  » Assists and leads oceanographer, hydrologist, and atmospheric physicist in research

Insert Daniel's caterwauling about not being allowed to go with the expedition. I imagine he was very grumpy in picking out some of his staff to go instead of him, but they are, at least, quite likely to be well-trained.

At any rate, these are the people that contribute to pre-mission dossiers, analyze data brought back from missions, and are the general group of people that might be pulled into gate missions themselves based on their expertise in various facets of culture and cultural analysis.

Given the fact that the Atlantis expedition was launched years after the SGC was formed, and also years after they ironed out the kinks in developing gate teams and mission parameters, the expedition has a bit of a leg up in terms of pre-populating their experts. Having Elizabeth Weir as the head of the expedition helps, as she had at one point been the head of the SGC, so had the opportunity to learn how the SGC runs, and why it makes the decisions it does.

Because of this, the Field Sciences department is going to be heavy on the SGC imports, and not just given a quick training on Goa'uld-adapted technology like the Medical and Life Sciences department would be.

The linguists are going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting, and likely already know Ancient from the Milky Way extant samples the SGC was able to get from their own missions. (Do I think Ancient really is a Latin analogue? Nope, but narratively that's what it is.) After having been trained on Goa'uld as a lingua franca of the Milky Way, these people are going to be more specialized in being thrown feet-first into a new language group and learning it without any preexisting framework.

The anthropologists - geographer, cartographer, ethnographer, and sociologist - are going to be the ones to gather, analyze, and provide context for not only the languages the expedition and gate teams will encounter (such as dialects of Ancient and other common trading languages in the Pegasus galaxy), but also to record and articulate historical and contemporary information of the peoples the expedition meets. This is useful for not only establishing back-up installations (i.e. alpha site, beta site, etc), but also for assisting in refugee work and tracking population migrations that they'll eventually figure out is caused by Wraith cullings.

The pure sciences do what pure sciences do: collect information. While linguists may find a group of people with fifty words for different shades of green, pure scientists will track down what those words are used for (i.e. locating different types of forests). They'll work closely with the Life Sciences department, in case a botanist needs to find a particular plant, or a zoologist needs to find a particular animal, by cross-referencing geographical data and likely working in concert with the local societies that provided them with that information.

Of all departments, it's the Field Sciences department that people like Teyla and Ronon will be most likely to interact with on a regular basis, given their roles of cultural experts and cultural liaisons.

Total Field Sciences Department Personnel

Head of Department: 1

Linguists: 3

Anthropologists: 4

Pure Sciences: 4

Total total: 12

Any canonical characters that happen to fit the bill of a role in this department will have their own post, but for now this is a general accounting of the expedition's field sciences department.

[phone-number-data]

research is often used when the research question requires an in-depth understanding of the context, meaning, and complexity of a phenomenon. Qualitative research methods can include interviews, focus groups, ethnography, and case studies.

[esthersanganyi01]

Week 4 Blog

Prompt 2: Moving from Point A to Point B

As I continue my journey through this course, each week brings new challenges and opportunities for growth in my writing and research skills. I reflect on the writing process this week, contemplating how I transitioned from a blank slate to a well-structured research proposal. Join me as I delve into the intricacies of my writing process and the steps I took to craft my proposal on the Muhammad Ali Center and its advocacy for human rights.

Step 1: Topic Selection and Brainstorming

Every successful research project begins with a compelling topic. This week, I selected "Exploring Human Rights Through the Muhammad Ali Center" as my research focus. The first step involved brainstorming ideas and considering why this topic was interesting to me and essential in the broader context of human rights and social justice.

Step 2: In-Depth Research

Once I had my topic, I delved into the research phase. I scoured academic databases like Google Scholar to gather relevant articles, books, and resources about the Muhammad Ali Center and its role in advocating for human rights. My goal was to build a solid foundation of knowledge to inform my proposal.

Step 3: Seeking Expert Guidance

Understanding the significance of my topic within the fields of human rights and museum studies was crucial. I reached out to professionals in these fields to gain insights and perspectives beyond what I could find in my research. Their guidance helped shape my approach and ensured I was on the right track with my research.

Step 4: Crafting the Proposal

With a wealth of research material at my disposal and a clear understanding of my topic's relevance and context, I began crafting my proposal. This involved synthesizing and structuring the information I had gathered into a coherent narrative. I also had to carefully consider my approach to exploring the Muhammad Ali Center's advocacy for human rights.

Step 5: A Multifaceted Approach

In my proposal, I outlined a unique approach that went beyond the conventional. I opted for museum ethnography, content analysis, stakeholder interviews, comparative analysis, and visitor surveys. This multi-faceted approach allowed me to understand the Muhammad Ali Center's role in promoting human rights and social justice.

Step 6: Timeline and Feasibility

To ensure the success of my project, I had to consider the feasibility of my plan within the course timeline. The Muhammad Ali Center's accessibility to me, coupled with a well-structured research schedule, gave me confidence that I could achieve my research objectives effectively. Reflecting on this week's writing process, I can see how each step contributed to the development of my proposal. From the initial inspiration to formulating a unique research approach, I navigated the intricate path of research and writing. While challenges may arise, I am committed to refining my work, seeking feedback, and ultimately producing a well-rounded exploration of the Muhammad Ali Center's advocacy for human rights and social justice.

[focusinsite]

AI-Assisted Market Research Recruiting is No Match for Human-Centered Recruiting

It seems that anything related to artificial intelligence (AI) gets a lot of attention, and market research recruiting agencies is no exception. There are a number of market research recruiting agencies that specialize in AI-assisted recruitment. While there is certainly a role for technology in recruitment, we’ve heard from moderators and researchers that have used AI-recruiting agencies that the quality of the candidates recruited to participate in market research studies is no match for humans leading recruitment efforts.

Market research is a social science, and it is all about the people. When you turn over a critical aspect of a study over to technology, you’re more likely to end up with participants that may meet the minimum criteria, but that doesn’t always make for a good recruit. So much of what our team of recruiters do is engage with potential participants and get a feel for how honest they are in their answers, how familiar they are with the subject matter being studied, and how easily they engage with technology (often a requirement for online focus groups and mobile ethnography studies). When our recruiters screen potential participants they are not only assessing how well potential candidates communicate, they also rank the responses to screening guide questions so that the end result is a strong pool of participants. We attribute much of our success as a nationwide market research recruiting agency to the fact that our recruiters know how to read people and know what the client is looking for in its recruits. There is no doubt that market research recruitment agencies takes time and effort, and we appreciate why some people may feel that they can hasten the process by introducing AI to the recruiting process. Technology certainly plays an important role in recruiting, and our jobs would be much harder if we didn’t have a database of interested candidates to pull from, or software to assist us in project managing each market study. We are definitely not ‘anti-tech’, but we are ‘pro-people interaction’, especially when it comes to recruiting. Market research is an investment and it doesn’t come cheap. We fully understand the desire to save money and look for ways to cut down on the time it takes to fill a study. One of the surest ways to save money is to partner with an experienced market research firm and research recruitment agency. Established agencies have likely seen and done it all when it comes to types of studies and recruiting, and have learned ways to streamline. We’ve certainly become more efficient in our recruiting abilities over the years and we pass the savings and our experience on to our clients. Contact us today to learn more about our approach to recruiting. Original Source: https://bityl.co/DIiR

[codeforcer-blog]

Re-imagining Canada’s energy data

From board meetings to infinity mapping, as Code for Canada fellows, we’ve just firehosed through our first week at the National Energy Board--soon to be the Canadian Energy Regulator.   

We’ve found new ways of thinking and talking about energy data. Starting with pipeline cleaners as pipeline rhumbas to gamefully engaging board members as human libraries while we assumed roles of the public--farmer, student, scientist, and more. Historically, we have viewed energy regulation as a legal experience filled with lawyers, hearings, and community groups advocating for their rights within a legal process. But many others, like the aforementioned roles, would benefit from meaningfully engaging with this information on the environment, land rights, and renewable energy that only this Board has access to.  

What will this digital transformation look like? We have a plethora of ideas, but we don’t know yet. Right now we are embracing the gray area of discovery, learning from our mistakes, being mindful about our scope of work, and slowly growing our digital government skills. As we discover and navigate what’s possible in this blue sky, while refusing to let folks rain on our parade, or rather, Calgary Stampede, we’ll soon find out. We invite you to come along for the (horse) ride!

Lequanne, on behalf of the fellows

___________

Des réunions du conseil à la cartographie à l’infini, en tant que boursiers du Code pour le Canada, nous venons tout juste de briller dans notre première semaine à l’Office national de l’énergie - qui sera bientôt l’organisme canadien de réglementation de l’énergie.

Nous avons trouvé de nouvelles façons de penser et de parler des données énergétiques. Commençons par les nettoyeurs de pipelines en tant que rhumbas de pipeline, puis les membres du conseil d’administration en tant que bibliothèques humaines, tandis que nous assumons les rôles d’agriculteur public - étudiant, scientifique, etc. Historiquement, nous avons considéré la réglementation de l'énergie comme une expérience juridique remplie d'avocats, d'audiences et de groupes communautaires défendant leurs droits dans le cadre d'une procédure judiciaire. Mais beaucoup d’autres, à l’instar des rôles susmentionnés, gagneraient à s’intéresser de manière significative à ces informations sur l’environnement, les droits fonciers et les énergies renouvelables, auxquelles seul ce Conseil a accès.

À quoi ressemblera cette transformation numérique? Nous avons une pléthore d’idées, mais nous ne le savons pas encore. Pour le moment, nous abordons la zone grise de la découverte, tirons les leçons de nos erreurs, sommes conscients de notre champ de travail et développons lentement nos compétences en matière de gouvernement numérique. Au fur et à mesure que nous découvrons et naviguons dans ce ciel bleu, tout en refusant de laisser les gens pleuvoir sur notre défilé, ou plutôt dans le Stampede de Calgary, nous le saurons bientôt. Nous vous invitons à venir faire un tour à cheval!

Lequanne, au nom des boursiers

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Your mom is a tech ninja

What makes someone “good at technology?” In part, it’s an understanding of the underlying technical principles and industry conventions — what a “power on” icon looks like, say. I have a lot of that. But there’s another component, one that’s often invisible to people like me: the extent to which your technology was designed to suit your needs.

I have a lot of that, too. I’m a 50 year old, middle-class, tech-industry adjacent professional man with an honorary PhD in computer science. Not only do tech designers think like and about me when they create new products — they often ask me what I think I need.

Several times per year, I’ll get on a call with product managers and researchers at both big and small tech companies to discuss some planned product. I am good at tech, but tech is also good at me. It doesn’t just meet me halfway — it bends over backwards to meet my needs.

Some years ago, I joined the advisory board for Simply Secure, a nonprofit that helps tech designers build strong security tools that are intended to be usable by non-technical people.

https://simplysecure.org/

In my first call with the org’s founder, Meredith Whittaker, I suggested a slogan for the products we helped with: “So easy, even your boss can use them.” You see, I’ve been an IT manager, and in that rule, I’ve had to institute security policies, like minimum standards for passwords, mandatory VPN usage, and other important (but often cumbersome) measures.

In these circumstances, I always did my best to explain to my co-workers that these measures were not me being high-handed or sadistic, loading them up with pointless busywork. I tried really hard — with pretty good success — to convey the rationale behind these measures and the risk I was trying to mitigate.

This isn’t just a matter of being respectful to the people I was working to protect, it was also key to that protection — when people don’t accept security measures, they circumvent them. As this amazing ethnography of security-bypassing medical professionals puts it, “You Want My Password or a Dead Patient?”

https://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~sws/pubs/ksbk15-draft.pdf

It’s really important to get rank-and-file workers to understand why you’re asking them to endure the inconvenience of a security measure, but it’s far more important to get your boss to understand this. After all, even if your co-workers don’t buy in, you have some authority to mandate their cooperation, whereas your boss gets to override you.

Everyone who’s worked in security has had experience with this: you get a call from the CEO like, “Look, Poindexter, I don’t give a monkey’s asshole about the VPN or whatever. I need to download a presentation to raise the capital to pay your salary, and as soon as the kid in the lobby of this Comfort Inn is done Reddit shitposting on the shared lobby iMac, I need to download that file to this USB stick I found in the parking lot of an Arby’s and transfer it to my laptop. Make it happen!”

This is why I suggested “So easy your boss can use it,” as a replacement for the odious “So easy your mom can use it.” Bosses have the social clout to force the universe to rearrange itself to your comfort.

Moms, not so much.

Tech designers are notoriously indifferent to the needs of moms — and other marginalized users — when they plan their products. The emblem of this was the Honeywell Kitchen Computer, a $10,600 recipe-organzing database system the size of a kitchen counter, offered for sale in the 1969 Nieman-Marcus Christmas catalog:

https://www.wired.com/2012/11/kitchen-computer/

The men who designed this computer didn’t ask their wives — whose nightly dinner-cooking duties they set out to automate — whether they needed a $10,000, 100lb recipe organizer that you queried by punched paper tape. Not one unit sold.

Everything your mom does with a computer is twice as hard as the things that I do with a computer. Even if your mom gets more consideration from product designers today than she did in 1969, I’m getting more consideration. When I use a computer, I’m playing the game of life on the lowest difficulty setting:

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2022/05/18/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-ten-years-on/

But as easy as things are for me, they’re even easier for your boss, who doesn’t just play on the lowest setting — your boss gets to play in God Mode. They get highest-level access to company systems and they get to ignore the security policies their underlings must obey.

Hence IFL Science’s study of CEO passwords for Nordpass, which found that the median CEO uses a password that is “startlingly dumb,” in the phraseology of the headline for PC Gamer’s article on the study, by Katie Wickens:

https://www.pcgamer.com/the-passwords-most-used-by-ceos-are-startlingly-dumb/

The study analyzed 290 million data-breaches and clustered the leaked passwords by job title, finding that the most popular passwords for the highest-ranking employees were typical of the worst password choices: “123456,” “picture1,” “password,” and names like “Tiffany,” as well as mythological animals like “Dragon.”

These passwords aren’t worse than the median breached password, but they should be better. With great power comes great responsibility, after all. C-Suite Impersonations are extremely dangerous to companies — forged emails from top execs have led to millions of losses at a swoop, when the impersonator orders an underling to transfer millions to pay a bogus invoice.

https://www.batesgroup.com/publications/joic-02-2017-0001.pdf

It’s a safe bet that the IT managers who work for these execs know about the risk of C-Suite account takeovers, and it’s a sure bet that the execs who chose these bad passwords had heard advice about choosing strong passwords. But unlike your mom, your boss gets to overrule IT policies.

Passwords suck and they’re hard to do well. You (and your mom, and your boss) should be using a password manager and using a different, strong, randomly generated password for every service.

https://www.eff.org/dice

You should also turn on two-factor authentication for every service, using either a hardware token or a standalone 2FA app (not SMS!):

https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/how-enable-two-factor-authentication

Meanwhile, let’s normalize saying, “So easy my boss can use it” and banish “so easy my mom can use it” to the scrapheap of history.

[Image ID: The 1969 Nieman-Marcus Christmas Catalog listing for the Honeywell Kitchen Computer. The ad copy reads, 'If she can only cook as well as Honeywell can compute. Her souffles are supreme, her meal planning a challenge? She's what the Honeywell people had in mind when they devised our Kitchen Computer. She'll learn to program it with a cross-reference to her favorite recipes by N-M's own Helen Corbitt. Then by simply pushing a few buttons obtain a complete menu organized around the entree. And if she pales at reckoning her lunch tab, she can program it to balance the family checkbook. 84A 10,600.00 complete with two week programming course 84B Fed with Corbitt data: the original Helen Corbitt cook-book with over 1,000 recipes 5.00 (.75) 84C Her Potluck, 375 of our famed Zodiac restaurant's best kept secret recipes 3.95 (.75) Epicure 84D Her tabard apron. one-size, ours alone by Garden House in multi-pastel provincial cotton 28.00 (.90) Trophy Room.]

[house-of-laminations]

working on obey me fic and my research at the same time is wild because my tabs look like

[endnote] [ethnography of infrastructure.pdf] [the levels of hell] [miro - phd subquestions] [docs: trueforms awooga 💦] [mechanisms framework] [cool daggers] [library search] [lovecraftian rituals] [database search]

[orbitguideofficial]

About VN Karazin Kharkiv National University

VN Karazin Kharkiv National University With a history of more than 210 years, Kharkiv National University (Karazin University) is a leading research and educational institution in Ukraine. In the UNESCO Chair's "Ukraine Top 200" ranking in 2016, Kharkiv University ranks third among all universities in Ukraine. According to Scopus, the world's largest database of abstracts and citations, the university ranks third among educational and research institutions in Ukraine for the number of articles published in major international scientific publications.

Today the university has 21 schools and 124 departments that train professionals in 61 professions. The university also includes 3 research institutes (for astronomy, biology, and chemistry), a central scientific library with over 3.5 million books, botanical gardens, the university's historical museum, natural history museum, archaeological museum, and ethnography. All colleges, international student training centers, and pre-enrollment training centers offer classes for 15,000 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The university employs 308 doctors of sciences and doctors of literature, full professors, and about 800 doctors, associate professors, including 15 scientists and relevant members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and sector academies, in teaching and research.

The university is characterized by its 24 internationally recognized scientific faculties and the largest capacity and largest base for training highly qualified personnel on the left bank of Ukraine. The university has more than 20 subject examination committees and senior experts, which annually defend 10 to 15 dissertations and about 60 dissertations. Every year university scholars publish more than 60 textbooks and 300 handbooks, about 60 monographs and over 80 issues of university bulletins and other journals, about 2,500 scientific articles and abstracts, including over 400 articles in major international scientific journals. . Every year the university organizes more than 150 national and international conferences on research and teaching methods.

The university promotes diverse, close and fruitful cooperation with the research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences and the field academies of Ukraine, continuing to build and strengthen contacts with regional research institutes and companies. Within the research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 17 departments of university departments were created. In collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the university inaugurated the Faculty of Physics and Energy.

The university has wide international recognition as one of the sponsors of the signing of the Magna Charta Universum (Bologna, 1998), a co-founder of the Association of Eurasian Universities, an active participant of the International Association of Universities and the Association of European Universities, a nearly 1,500 International students, training centers for Ph.D. and Ph.D. students from 50 countries around the world, and partners in research and education collaborations with over 100 universities and other organizations worldwide.

Click to know more about study MBBS Abroad, visit our website Orbit Guide.

[architectuul]

Dignity Of Memory

After almost 30 years since the break-up of Yugoslavia, we can take a stroll through a part of the architectural history with the benefit of distance.

The heritage of Yugoslav architecture was taken on almost a decade ago by Croatian Architects Association in collaboration with Maribor Art Gallery with the regionally conceived project Unfinished Modernisations – Between Utopia and Pragmatism – Architecture and Urban Planning in the Former Yugoslavia and the Successor States, and last year with the global exhibition in New York City's MoMA Toward a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948–1980.

In the architecture and art of ex-Yugoslavia, the monuments to the victims of the People's Liberation War stand out. Through their  artistic language, they remind us of the dignity of human life and death. They are powerful markers of the once-common state's public open space. Their unique architectural and artistic design has placed them on a field of timelessness, which is not constrained by geographic and cultural borders, age, race, or political views. 

Memorial complex to the Battle of Sutjeska is an exceptional work by Miodrag Živković and one of the best sculptural memorials in the Yugoslav space. | Photo from the archive of Miodrag Živković

Monuments were built and designed by Yugoslav architects and sculptors of the highest profile, such as Bogdan Bogdanović, Edvard Ravnikar, Miodrag Živković, Dušan Džamonja and many others. Instead of the regime's symbolism, their creations combined the present, the past, the elements of antique necropolises, ethnography and spatial poetics.

Last and First Men by Johann Johannsson (2020) narrated by Tilda Swinton

The monuments are predominantly designed as sculptural-architectural structures, abstract architectural sculptures. Many were constructed in concrete, which was elevated to the status of noble material by virtue of shaping and finishing. They are sited in authentic spatial situations and historical settings, designed as a commemorative path. Every monument tells a story connected with the events and victims.

Memorial complex Korčanica is dedicated to the largest Partisan hospital, which was active in the liberated territory of the slopes of Grmeč between 1942 and 1943. | Photo from the archive of Miodrag Živković

In mid-march 2019, Gallery DESSA, ab-Architect's Bulletin magazine and Architectuul began the preparations for the exhibition and publication named Architecture. Sculpture. Remembrance.; The Art of Monuments of Yugoslavia 1945–1991. On the basis of high architectural and artistic value of the structures and the exceptional contemplative qualities of the spatial designs, the curators selected 33 monuments and memorial complexes from all the republics and autonomous provinces of ex-Yugoslavia. The exhibition was prepared in collaboration with authors, photographers, institutions from the ex-Yugoslav region, which has also laid the foundation for future co-operation. The exhibition will present and evaluate the exceptional architecture of the Yugoslav monuments, whose aesthetic and structural innovation is enhanced by their idiosyncratic artistic expression.

The memorial complex Kadinjača by is dedicated to the Partisan fighters of Workers' Battalion of Užice. | Photo from the archive of Miodrag Živković

Monument to the Revolution by Dušan Džamonja is located at the highest peaks of Kozara mountain. | Photo from the archive of Miodrag Živković

Monuments are also political art, they are an uncompromising tribute to humanity, to reverence towards the victims, conveyed by means of the authors' individual artistic expression. With the dissolution of Yugoslavia into individual independent states in 1991, it seems that the need for respecting the remembrance expressed by its memorials is waning. As a result, the present state of repair of the monuments and their treatment varies depending on the region. In some places, the past and the strivings of the previous generations are held in respectful memory while elsewhere, the monuments have been abandoned, left to ruin, or even desecrated. 

“Beck’s Legendary - Croatia Infiltration” is a beer commercial, which exploits  the Monument of Petrova Gora.

Due to their abstract nature, they may be used for very different purposes, such as shooting TV advertisements and music videos, or as fashion runways. Such use of monuments by individuals who have no appreciation or knowledge of the past and therefore cannot respect it represents misuse as well as contempt for the dignity of the victims and their memory.

The exhibition is planned to be shown in all the former Yugoslav republics. We wish to foster a sober and respectful assessment of the value of ex-Yugoslav monuments and draw attention to their cultural and contemplative significance, and thus lend support to the maintenance and preservation of the memorial areas. It will present the exceptional, progressive, and still-contemporary creative language of their artists and other creators, which transcends the superficiality of the quest for the different, the exotic, the picturesque, and the unknown. Monuments are ties to the past, they reminiscent of the dignity of human life and death. And remembrance.

The exhibition started to travel to different cities of the territory of Ex-Yugoslavia. Because of COVID-19 restrictions the project continues online. The next stop is co-hosted by the creative community Avtomatik Delovišče under the auspices of the Municipality of Koper. Together with Architectuul 33 monuments will be presented daily with a conclusion online webinar on 29. November 2020.

---

Architecture. Sculpture. Memory.  The art of monuments of Yugoslavia 1945–1991  online webinar 29 November 2020 

Dessa, AB, Avtomatik Delovišče Curators Boštjan Bugarič, Kristina Dešman, Maja Ivanič, Špela Kuhar, Eva Mavsar, Špela Nardoni Kovač, Damjana Zaviršek Hudnik Media partner Architectuul

*********** Program

10:00 Introduction Christian Burkhard, editor in Chief Architectuul, Berlin Boštjan Bugarič, senior editor Architectuul, Berlin Mara Ivanič, Dessa Gallery, Ljubljana

10:20 Spaces and Dignity Sanja Horvatinčić, Institute of Art History, Croatia Vladimir Deskov, School of architecture and design - UACS, N. Macedonia Ana Ivanovska, Faculty of Architecture Skopje, North Macedonia Kristina Dešman, Maja Ivanič, Špela Kuhar, Eva Mavsar, Špela Nardoni Kovač, Damjana Zaviršek Hudnik, DESSA Gallery, Slovenia Jelica Jovanović, Grupa arhitekata / Docomomo Serbia Boris Trapara, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bekim Ramku, Docomomo Kosovo Slavica Vučković, Faculty of Architecture Podgorica, Montenegro Moderator: Boštjan Bugarič

11:00 Yugoslavia Express   Roberto Conte presenting the field photo trip 

11:30 Presentation and Dignity Roberto Conte, Italy Relja Ivanić, Serbia Matija Kralj, Croatia Elena Chemerska, North Macedonia Donald Niebyl, Spomenik Database USA Andrew Lawler, Spomenici NOB, Serbia Moderator: Kristina Dešman

12:00 Embodied Experiences: Investigating the relation between architecture, landscape and symbolism in WW2 monuments of socialist Yugoslavia; a master thesis by Vida Rucli, Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana, menthors Maruša Zorec and Luka Skansi

12:30 Culture Routes in Montenegro Slavica Vučković presenting the project

13:00 (In)appropriate Monuments: Interview with Miodrag Živković In loving memory of Miodrag Živković by Jelica Jovanović

[writingwithcolor]

Two-Spirit character

Hi, I’ve got a question for you (or your followers, especially if they’re Native American, preferably Cree) regarding people who are Two-Spirit. One of my characters comes from a Cree tribe and is Two-Spirit, and I’ve noticed that different tribes have specific terms of their own to describe Two-Spirit people, so I’d like to use that in my novel as well when this character describes her identity. I came across the Cree phrase “iskwêhkân” which, according to wikipedia, means “one who acts/lives like a woman”, but creedictionary.com doesn’t recognize it as a word, I think, because the site only gives me a similar word, which is “kîskwêhkân” that means “fool, a mentally ill person”. Which, as you imagine, is definitely not what I was going for.

I’m wondering if I should use another word in the book? Also, if it’s possible, can you recommend me another word or even redirect me where I could continue my search? I admit, I haven’t looked further than wikipedia and creedictionary.com yet because I haven’t gotten around to writing the chapter, in which this character is introduced. I’d love some pointers on this topic, though, because I really don’t want to be ignorant or even offensive to either the trans community or to the Indigenous people. (Also if I phrased anything in an offensive or ignorant way, I apologize. I’m not very educated on this topic yet, but I’m trying to get there)

I asked a Cree friend of mine this, and she’s nearly positive that the derogatory meaning was a mistranslation in the ethnography the term was popularized with. This is the thing with ethnographies, where they are often filtered through a white lens, and as a result a lot of nuance is lost.

The word was originally used to describe the sibling of a man named Fine Day, and the translator misgendered them. And the white interpretation seems to have simply stuck.

The thing is, Cree isn’t a gendered language and doesn’t really have the concept of “pronouns”, unless you attach a gender to the sentence (my friend has been called he and she by Cree elders who learned English late in life as a result).

So gender is a much less obvious thing, and any sort of derogatory meaning has a high likelihood of being a colonialist interpretation. And the lack of recognition in any sort of database is also likely colonialist, since two spirit people were a target of eradication. 

The term is probably fine, and it’d be nice to see it used in a positive way.

~ Mod Lesya

Howdy,  

In case you’re afraid that iskwêhkân would be transphobic, no, lemme try to break the words down to show you what’s going on here:

Iskwew means “woman”.  

Meanwhile, kîskwew means … I’d call it “made mentally affected, mental state altered” because while yes, it can turn into kîskwehkân it also can turn into words like kîskwesin (stunned, dazed, concussed) or  kîskwesiw (dizzy, sick) or kîskwepewin (intoxicated).  

Their similarity between these words is either a coincidence (consider words like “dough” vs “doe”, they don’t have anything to do with one another), or it could be kind of like the English word “hysterical” – a word that has a meaning derived from some culturally contextual attitudes towards women regardless of whether they still apply today.

Kân is a suffix you add to a word to denote that it is false (not as in counterfeit, but as in created, not originally natural), and you can see the neutral nature of its connotation in words like mîpitihkâna or “dentures” (false teeth).

Iskwêhkân means, then, “false woman” in a way: it probably would be more suitable to translate it into something like “crafted woman” to reflect its grammatically neutral construction. -Elaney

[transrightsjimin]

im rly excited for research!!! im considering doing a participant observation at a kpop party for my ethnography course bc of how unique the behaviour of ppl there is compared to other parties (i.e. ppl start doing choreographies together on the dance floor) and for my bachelor thesis im gonna do a research on dutch people and their views on / experiences with etsy (e.g. how etsy is viewed by non-users, how etsy sellers view the role of etsy in their craftsmanship etc.) and i got contacted on instagram by an account that promotes dutch etsy sellers as a collective and they have a large database which i can make use of! so im very stoked but also a bit stressed bc i need to finish my introduction today so i can move onto continuing my policy proposal tomorrow. 

[athiraeduworld-blog]

Mixed Methods Research

Mixed methods research is a growing area of methodological choice for many academics and researchers from across a variety of discipline areas. With the development and perceived legitimacy of both quantitative and qualitative research in the social and human sciences, mixed methods research, employing the combination of both quantitative and qualitative research, has gained popularity. This popularity is because research methodology continues to evolve and develop and mixed methods research is another step forward, utilizing the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Mixed methods research is basically defined as the class of research where the researcher mixes or combines quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods, approaches, concepts or language into a single study. Philosophically, it is the “third wave” or third research movement, a movement that moves past the paradigm wars by offering a logical and practical alternative. It is an expansive and creative form of research, not a limiting form of research. It is inclusive, pluralistic and complementary. Mixed methods research focuses on collecting, analyzing and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or series of studies. Its central premise is that the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in combination provides a better understanding of research problems that either approach alone. This better understanding results because mixed methods offer strengths that offset the weaknesses of separately applied quantitative and qualitative research methods. It also encourages the collection of more comprehensive evidence for study problems; helps answer questions that quantitative or qualitative methods alone cannot answer. Mixed methods research is important today because of the complexity of problems that need to be addressed, the rise of interest in qualitative research and the practical need to gather multiple forms of data for diverse audiences.

Johnson, Onwuegbuzie and Turner define mixed methods research “is the type of research in which a researcher or a team of researchers combines elements of quantitative and qualitative approaches (e.g. use of qualitative and quantitative viewpoints, data collection, analysis, and inference techniques) for the purpose of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration”. Also, the Journal of Mixed Methods, in its call for paper mixed methods defined mixed methods research as “research in which investigator collects, analyses, mixes and draws inferences from both qualitative and quantitative data in a single study or a program of inquiry”.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data

As per the definition, mixed methods research involves both collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data includes closed-ended information such as that found on attitude, behaviour, or performance instruments. Sometimes quantitative information is found in documents such as census records or attendance records. The analysis consists of statistically analyzing scores collected on instruments, checklists or public documents to answer research questions or to test hypotheses.

In contrast, qualitative data consists of open-ended information that researcher gathers through interviews with participants. The general, open-ended questions asked during these interviews allow the participants to supply answers in their own words. Also, qualitative data may be collected by observing participants or sites of research, gathering document from a private or public source, etc. The analysis of the qualitative data (word or text or images) typically follows the path of aggregating the words or images into categories of information and presenting the diversity of ideas gathered during data collection.

Mixing of Data

The mixing of data is a unique aspect of the definition of the mixed methods research. By mixing the datasets, the researcher provides a better understanding of the problem than if either data set had been used alone. There are three ways in which the mixing occurs: merging or converging the two data sets by actually bringing them together, connecting the two datasets by having built on the other, or embedding one dataset within the other so that one type of data provides a supportive role for the other dataset. In short, it is not enough to simply collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data; they need to be mixed in some way so that together they form a more complete picture than they do when standing alone.

Table 1 Characteristics of Quantitative, Mixed and Qualitative methods

Characteristics

Quantitative Methods

Mixed Methods

Qualitative Methods

Degree Of Predetermined Nature

Predetermined

Both Predetermined And Emerging Methods

Emerging Methods

Questions

Instrument Based

Both Open- And Closed -Ended

Open – Ended

Data Types

Performance, Attitude, Observational And Census

Multiple Forms Of Data Drawing On All Possibilities

Interview, Observation,Document,

And Audiovisual

Analysis

Statistical Analysis

Statistical And Text Analysis

Text And Image Analysis

Interpretation

Statistical Interpretation

Across Databases Interpretation

Themes, Patterns Interpretation

May Employ These Strategies Of Inquiry

Surveys, Experiments

Sequential , Convergent, And Embedded

Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, Ethnography, Ease Studies,  Narrative

Basic Characteristics

Design can be based on either     or both perspectives.

Research problems can become     research questions and/or hypotheses based on prior literature, knowledge,     experience, or the research process.

Sample sizes vary based on     methods used.

Data collection can involve any     technique available to researchers.

Interpretation is continual and     can influence stages in the research process(‘Mixed     Methods Research Designs | Research Rundowns’, n.d.).

Mixed Methods Research Process Model

The mixed methods research process model comprises eight distinct steps:

Interpretation of data;

Analysis of data;

Collection of data;

Selection of mixed method or     mixed-model research design;

Determining the research question;

Determining whether a mixed     research procedure is appropriate;

Legitimisation of data; and

Drawing conclusions and writing     the final report(kudrat, 2015).

Figure1. Mixed Methods Research Design

 Why Use Mixed Methods?

The simple answer is to overcome the limitations of a single design. A detailed answer involves:

·         To explain and interpret.

·         To explore a phenomenon.

·         To develop and test a new instrument.

·         To serve a theoretical perspective.

·         To complement the strengths of a single design.

·         To overcome the weaknesses of a single design.

·         To address a question at different levels.

·         To address a theoretical perspective at different levels.

What are some strength?

Can be easy to describe and to     report.

Can be useful when unexpected     results arise from a prior study.

Can help generalize, to a     degree, qualitative data.

Helpful in designing and     validating an instrument.

Can position research in a     transformative framework.

What are some weaknesses?

Time required.

Resolving discrepancies between     different types of data.

Some designs generate unequal     evidence.

Can be difficult to decide when     to proceed in sequential designs.

Little guidance on     transformative methods.

TYPES

Sequential explanatory design. This design involves the collection and analysis ofquantitative data followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative data. The priority is given to the quantitative data, and the findings are integrated during the interpretation phase of the study.

Example:The researcher collects data about people’s risk and benefit perceptions of red meat using a survey and follows up with interviews with a few individuals who participated in the survey to learn in more detail about their survey responses (e.g., to understand the thought process of people with low risk perceptions (‘Mixed methods research’, n.d.).

squential exploratory design. In this design, qualitative data collection and analysis isfollowed by quantitative data collection and analysis. The priority is given to the qualitative aspect of the study, and the findings are integrated during the interpretation phase of the study

Example:The researcher explores people's beliefs and knowledge regarding nutritional information by starting with in-store interviews and then uses an analysis of the information to develop a survey instrument that is administered later to a sample from a population.

Concurrent triangulation. In this design only one data collection phase is used, during which quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis are conducted separately yetconcurrently. The findings are integrated during the interpretation phase of the study. Usually, equal priority is given to both types of research.

Example:The researcher uses a survey to assess people’s self-reported food safety practices and also observes those practices in their natural environment. By comparing the two types of data, the researcher can see if there is a match between what people think they are doing and what they are actually doing in terms of food safety practices.

Concurrent nested. In this design only one data collection phase is used, during which a predominant method (quantitative or qualitative) nests or embeds the other less prioritymethod (qualitative or quantitative, respectively). This nesting may mean that the embedded method addresses a different question than the dominant method or seeks information from different levels. The data collected from the two methods are mixed during the analysis phase of the project.

Example:The researcher collects data to assess people’s knowledge and risk perceptions about genetically modified food by using a survey instrument that mixes qualitative (open-ended) and quantitative (closed-ended) questions, and both forms of data are integrated and analysed.

Conclusion

Mixed methods research actually has a long history in research practice. It is now time that all researchers and research methodologists formally recognize the third research paradigm and begin systematically writing about it and using it. Generally, a contingency theory is recommended for research approach selection, which accepts that quantitative, qualitative and mixed research are all superior under different circumstances and it is the researcher’s task to examine the specific contingencies and make the decision about which research approach or combination of approaches, should be used in a specific study. As noted by Sechrest and Sidana, growth in the mixed method movements has the potential to reduce some of the problems associated with singular methods. By narrowing the divide between quantitative and qualitative researches, mixed method research has a great potential to promote a shared responsibility in the quest for attaining accountability for educational quality. The time has come for mixed methods research.

Reference

·         kudrat. (2015, February 14). Mixed Methods Research. Retrieved 25 August 2019, from Academike website: https://www.lawctopus.com/academike/mixed-methods-research/

·         Mixed methods research. (n.d.). Retrieved 25 August 2019, from http://resourcecentre.foodrisc.org/mixed-methods-research_185.html

·         Mixed Methods Research Designs | Research Rundowns. (n.d.). Retrieved 25 August 2019, from https://researchrundowns.com/mixed/mixed-methods-research-designs/

[teachingbytes-mls]

How do we do diginiographies

I experienced a good dose of culture shock when I went from burning hot, deep south Texas to blizzard cold Minnesota. I went there to study theology. It sounded good at the time.

Soon thereafter, I stumbled upon a cultural anthropology class and it’s professor, Dr. Correll, and found myself exploring what it meant to be a human being in a collective society. Not good news for the reverend back home.

One of the first books Dr. Correll introduced us to was James Spradley’s, “You Owe Yourself a Drunk.” It demonstrates the importance of paying careful attention in any discipline. It’s the art of the ethnography.

Despite giving up my degree in Cultural Studies (after significant coursework) for the alluring and seductive voices of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, I never lost my love for the social sciences. After getting a degree in Philosophy and feeling sick of books and theories, I dove into social work full-time. And what better way to study social science.

A friend of mine wonders why someone who contemplated becoming a Benedictine monk, studied cultural studies and philosophy in college is now passionately interested in technology, programming, data and information science. Bits and brains. Makes some sense to me. I see the connection(s).

I’m interested in the interaction and intersection of the connections between bits and brains; but in a Buber-esque space kind of way, maybe. I-It for now and maybe I-Thou soon to come…

I’m interested in the ethnographies of the internets, the people and non-people groups and the spoken and unspoken norms floating fluidly about. The search, the stories, the theories and the ideas, the questions of the ideal and the actual going, or gone digital.

Forget drunks and cocktail waitresses. Or maybe not. Actually, definitely not. And the thing we used to call the circus, with varied people groups exhaustively ethnogra-fied (I know, not a word) has invaded our backyard. While the other circus of so-called normality that we used to hide so not-so-well has now walked out the front door, trousers in hand.

A good day for the detached observer. Or jump in and participate. Actually, a participatory observation is the only option, now. Time for quite the interesting and complex multidimensional digi-ethnographic research. On instabook, facegram, and the new Tube, simple self-developed auto-biopics have turned into hyper-media ethnographies that blend together to morph into giga-media-ecologies in ultra-hd. Digi-ethnographies that are not of the analog type. This is the bandwidth type, but who’s measuring. The bits are moving way too fast for the brains.

I’m definitely not any kind of expert at ethnography or technology Far from it. I am, however, a learner and an educator. I’m interested in exploring hardware, software, programming and data just as much as I’m interested in exploring complex social realities and interactions and these social complexities require quite a bit of troubleshooting of their own. Complex and beautiful systems of anthro/psycho/social interactivity. You know, human mess.

So, in the midst of that lack of expertise and specialization, I found myself teaching in a classroom in South America. c.2000. I was considering the priesthood and instead, I was christened, Profesor de Sistemas. Meanwhile something was happening at this time. A shift. What was causing this shift? Something called the world wide web, maybe; that included something called wikipedia, perhaps. And then something called Google…and…and…something shifted super fast at about this time, as the annoying dial-up sound faded fast.

And, in just over a few years, the tipping point did happen. And then learning, sociology, philosophy, databases, poetry, code, art, ninjas, grammargirls, algorithms…and yes, even pornography and online confessionals started integrating in some messy (some would say unstructured) yet interesting ways. A way it all hadn’t before. So easily and seamlessly. Radically so and radically fast. Radically messy and radically organic. Or not. It all happened in a very short period of our lifetime, like human race lifetime.

And along came the cluetrain, web2.0, the restoration of the goddess, google, wikipedia, the database of intentions, tagging (no, not the Banksy type, but while we’re at it, why the hell not), and folksonomies (user-generated taxonomies) that all walked in and broke bread with ethnographies and fieldwork, stayed for some wine, the analog kind, and never left. So, will the world be a better place because of this internetsupertrain we ride?

Who knows? It may be an ugly mess or a beautiful mess. A good mess or a bad mess. But a mess, nonetheless it will be. Here’s to those who’ll work to make some sense of that mess.

-saúl martínez

[mostlysignssomeportents]

#1yrago Automating Inequality: using algorithms to create a modern "digital poor-house"

Weeks before the publication of Virginia Eubanks's new book Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor, knowledgeable friends were already urging me to read it, which was a no-brainer, having followed Eubanks's work for years.

Eubanks's work is a combination of technical analysis, ethical argument and thick, richly described ethnography, and it uses three different algorithmic systems to show how the false empiricism of service delivery through computerized triage and prediction is a means to harm, marginalize, and even kill the poorest among us.

Eubanks's first testbed for this brand of algorithmic cruelty are the Indiana benefits system, where a collaboration between an ideology-driven Republican state government and an overpromising, underdelivering IBM resulted in a shambles that cost the poorest Hoosiers food security, housing, medical care -- even their lives.

Next is Los Angeles's "no wrong door" approach to extending benefits to people living on the city's notorious Skid Row, a seemingly intractable tent-city that is a stain on the city's conscience, where quirks of the scoring system means that some of the most desperate, at-risk people are denied benefits, stuck in a catch-22 where (for example) being imprisoned can make you score as lower-risk because you had been housed recently.

Finally, there's the Allegheny child protective services system, whose dual mission of providing services to families and taking away children from families that neglect their children places the poorest people in one of America's poorest places in constant danger of having their children snatched from them, and where the children of parents who have attracted even anonymous and unsubstantiated complaints are at risk of having their children taken away a generation later, because growing up in a high-risk household puts you at high risk.

Eubanks's ability to combine beautiful biographic storytelling with keen observation and criticism makes this an indispensable addition to the literature on what Cathy O'Neil calls Weapons of Math Destruction.

For example, in a description of the use of algorithms to conduct surveillance to fight crime, she points out that in the traditional model of policing, the cops would find some reason to suspect someone, and then put them under surveillance; the data-driven approach is to put whole populations under surveillance, and then decide who is suspicious. This has enormous implications for social justice: if the reason to replace the old system is the racial bias of cops or other human frailties, then consider what happens if those same biases are reflected in the decisions of whom to surveil (poor people are more likely to find their lives under database scrutiny than wealthy people -- for example, if you have a high-waged job you will never be considered in an algorithmic sweep of food-stamps records looking for potential fraud) and what constitutes suspicious behavior.

A recurring theme in Eubanks's work is the power of algorithms to diffuse responsibility for human suffering: using math to decide who the "deserving" poor are makes it easier to turn away from everyone else whom the system has deemed undeserving. The history of poor peoples' rights is one of popular uprisings coupled with sympathy from wealthier people, often driven by stories of mediagenic people being harmed by the system -- the middle class is more apt to demand systemic overhaul when a small child or a sweet pensioner dies then when the system mostly kills racialized men with drug addictions. By using algorithms to "triage" the neediness of poor people, system designers can ensure that the people harmed by the system are the least sympathetic and least likely to provoke outrage among those with political clout.

Algorithmically defined guilt is also a problem because of the real problems agencies are trying to solve. In Allegheny, your child's at-risk score is largely defined by your use of social services to deal with financial crises, health crises, addiction and mental health problems. If you deal with these problems privately -- by borrowing from relatives or getting private addiction treatment -- you aren't entered into the system, which means that if these factors are indeed predictors of risk to children, then the children of rich people are being systematically denied interventions by the same system that is over-policing poor children.

Eubanks closes her book with some practical advice for improving the fairness of algorithms in public service. She advises that systems designers should guide their practice by asking themselves two questions.

1. Does the tool increase the self-determination and agency of the poor?

2. Would the tool be tolerated if it was aimed at non-poor people?

These feel like the kinds of simple-to-pose rules of thumb that can keep a lot of mischief at bay, and I hope that designers take them to heart -- but as useful as those principles are, I hope that people working in algorithmic service delivery read this book in its entirety.

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor [Virginia Eubanks/St Martin's Press]

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/31/empiricized-injustice.html

[orbemnews]

National Endowment for the Humanities Announces New Grants The New York Botanical Garden, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and the Judd Foundation in Marfa, Texas, are among 225 beneficiaries of new grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities that were announced on Wednesday. The grants, which total $24 million, will support projects at museums, libraries, universities and historic sites in 45 states, as well as in Washington and Puerto Rico. They will enable the excavation of a newly discovered ancient Egyptian brewery by researchers from New York University, the implementation of a traveling exhibition honoring Emmett Till’s legacy at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and research for a biography of the congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis by David Greenberg, a professor at Rutgers University. Adam Wolfson, the endowment’s acting chairman, said in a statement that the new projects “embody excellence, intellectual rigor and a dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, even as our nation and the humanities community continue to face the challenges of the pandemic.” As part of a new grant program in archaeology and ethnography, seven of the awards will support empirical field research, including the excavation of the ancient city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico and the investigation of settlement and migration patterns on the Micronesian islands of Pohnpei and Kosrae. In New York, 40 projects at the state’s cultural organizations will receive $6.6 million in grants. Funding will support the creation of a digital, open-access database of the endangered Uto-Aztecan language Wixárika, from west-central Mexico, at the New York Botanical Garden; the expansion of the Freedom of Information Archive, a digital resource of 4.6 million declassified documents, at Columbia University; and the production of a 15-episode “Radio Diaries” documentary podcast series, which uses archival audio recordings to tell forgotten stories of 20th century America, like that of the last surviving Watergate burglar. Elsewhere, the grants will support the processing of 384 linear feet of documents, manuscripts and correspondence related to the life and work of the artist Donald Judd at the Judd Foundation; the expansion of an online repository at Michigan State University that documents the lives of individuals who were enslaved, owned slaves or participated in the historical slave trade; and the researching and writing of a book on signed music for the deaf community. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art will receive a grant to produce an exhibition, “Dining With the Sultan,” that features art depicting Islamic courtly dining culture and culinary traditions from the eighth through the 19th centuries. And at California State University’s Fullerton campus, a team will use Bob Damron’s Address Books, a prominent travel directory used by L.G.B.T.Q. Americans in the late 20th century, to create interactive maps and visualizations. Source link Orbem News #announces #Endowment #Grants #Humanities #National

[sciencespies]

Here's what you need to know about bitcoin's skyrocketing value

https://sciencespies.com/tech/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-bitcoins-skyrocketing-value/

Here's what you need to know about bitcoin's skyrocketing value

Bitcoin continues to trade close to its all-time high reached this month. Its price is at the time of writing around US$34,000 – up about 77 percent over the past month and 305 percent over the past year.

First launched in 2009 as a digital currency, Bitcoin was for a while used as digital money on the fringes of the economy.

It has since become mainstream. Today, it’s used almost exclusively as a kind of ‘digital gold‘. That is to say, a scarce digital asset.

In response to the risk of economic collapse due to COVID, governments around the world have flooded global markets with money created by central banks, in order to boost spending and help save the economy.

But increasing the supply of money erodes its value and leads people to look for inflation-resistant assets to hold. In this climate, Bitcoin has become a hedge against looming inflation and poor returns on other types of assets.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, has a current circulating supply of 18,590,300 bitcoins and a maximum supply of 21,000,000.

This limit is hard-coded into the Bitcoin protocol and can’t be changed. It creates artificial scarcity, which ensures the digital money increases in value over time.

Whereas government-issued currencies such as the Australian dollar can have their supply increased at will by central banks, Bitcoin has a fixed supply that can’t be inflated by political decisions.

Bitcoin is predominantly traded on online cryptocurrency exchanges, but can also be sent, received and stored in “digital wallets” on specific hardware or smartphone applications.

But perhaps the most groundbreaking aspect of the Bitcoin network is that it draws on the work of cryptographers and computer scientists to exist as a blockchain-based digital currency.

A public blockchain is an “immutable” database, which means the record of transaction history can’t be changed.

A functional and decentralised digital currency

Bitcoin is ‘decentralised‘. In other words, it functions via a dispersed peer-to-peer network, rather than through a central authority such as a central bank.

And it does this through the participation of Bitcoin ‘miners‘. This is anyone who chooses to run software to validate Bitcoin transactions on the blockchain. Typically, these people are actively engaged with cryptocurrency.

They are rewarded with bitcoins, more of which are created every ten minutes. But the reward paid to miners halves every four years.

This gradual reduction was encoded into the network by creator Satoshi Nakamoto, who designed it this way to mimic the process of extracting actual gold – easier at first, but harder with time.

Bitocoin miners today earn 6.25 bitcoins for every block mined, down from 50 bitcoins in the early years. This creates an incentive to get involved early, as scarcity increases with time.

Because of this, the price is expected to rise to meet demand. But because future scarcity is known in advance (predictable at four-year intervals), the halving events tend to already be priced in.

Therefore, massive surges and falls in price typically reflect changing demand conditions, such as a growing number of new institutional investors. More and more public companies are now investing in bitcoin.

But what function does Bitcoin provide for society that has people so invested?

Why does Bitcoin matter?

There are a few possible explanations as to why Bitcoin is now deemed significant by so many people.

It’s a ‘safe’ asset

In the face of global uncertainty, buying bitcoins is a way for people to diversify their assets. Its market value can be compared to that of another go-to asset that shines in times of trouble: gold.

Amid the turmoil of a global pandemic, an unconventional US presidential handover and geopolitical power shifts the world over, it’s possible more people view gold and Bitcoin as better alternatives to dollars.

It ties into privacy-oriented ideologies

Bitcoin (and cryptocurrency in general) is not politically and ideologically neutral. It was born of the internet era, one plagued with grave concerns for privacy.

Bitcoin’s intellectual and ideological origins are in the ‘cypherpunk’ movement of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Records of online forums show it was advocated for as an anonymous digital currency that allowed people to interact online without being tracked by governments or corporations, offering an alternative for anyone who distrusts the Federal central banking system.

Perhaps the overt rise of digital surveillance in response to the COVID pandemic has further stoked fears about online privacy and security – again piquing the public’s interest in Bitcoin’s potential.

Why is Bitcoin booming?

Bitcoin’s recent boom in value comes down to a combination of three factors: ideology, social sentiment and hope.

But although these are variable factors, this doesn’t discredit the significance of the digital economy, interest in the technology as it matures and the influence of institutional investors in cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is in an upward market trend, also known as ‘bull market’ territory.

It was designed to increase in value over time through the rules Nakamoto wrote into its software code – which Bitcoin’s most outspoken advocates, known as ‘maximalists‘, vehemently defend.

Imagining new futures

From a larger frame of reference, decentralised cryptocurrencies allow new ways to coordinate without the need for a central arbiter.

And decentralised blockchain-based networks don’t just enable digital money. Similar to ordinary smartphone apps, software developers around the world are building decentralised applications (DApps) on top of Bitcoin and other blockchain protocols.

They have introduced other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum, which are also open platforms for the public.

Other DApps include decentralised financial (DeFi) tools for prediction markets, cryptocurrency borrowing and lending, investing and crowd-funding.

Nakamoto’s audacious experiment in digital currency is working as intended. And what really deserves attention now is what this means for our digital, physical and social futures.

Jason Potts, Professor of Economics, RMIT University and Kelsie Nabben, Researcher / PhD Candidate, RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub / Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

#Tech