Southern Appalachian Woman Preachers and Their Sermons

This article inquires into how the maintenance of the residual practice of inspired preaching broadcast over the radio by Southern Appalachian Pentecostals, offers an accepted means by which women gain the power to articulate the conflicts, desires and contradictions of their culture. The democratic ethos of Pentecostalism declares that all people who feel the call to preach must be given that opportunity which opens a space of women＇s voices within the traditionally male ＂preacher culture.＂ Because radio lacks the visual component, and inspired preaching is deemed valid by its effect of the body, women may preach over the radio without the potential for sexual display that could arouse men visually. By examining the content and delivery of women＇s sermons using studies in melodrama, the article explores the nature and articulation of dramatic conflicts, points of difference, and especially issues of the body as lived by the women of southern Appalachia. Thereby, the article locates sites of resistance and conflicts with power both within and without the region. Using Gramcian notions of hegemony, negotiation and consent, it explores how a particular culture successfully elaborates itself through language and how Appalachian women critique their culture without risk of dramatic change.

Radio Preaching in Southern Appalachia

Appalachian inspired Pentecostal radio preaching maintains the Protestant legacy of that region first settled through the medium of radio. These sermons are characterized by high levels of affect in delivery, and serve to differentiate ＂preacher culture＂ from those denominations that abandoned their original heritage for admittance into middle class status. Thus, preacher culture is an act of both religious and class descent because they are ＂inspired＂ by the Holy Spirit （that is, not composed before delivery）. Gramscian notions of hegemony are used to interpret how ＂preacher culture＂ has maintained itself since the settlement by the northern British and the Scots to Appalachia. The genre of melodrama and ＂preacher culture＂ share significant parallels and content, dynamics of presentational styles, and because of these basic parallels, theories of melodrama offer analytical methods for analysis of the content of the inspired sermons and the way of life they elaborate. Gramscian notions of negotiation and consent are used to analyze the maintenance of ＂preacher culture＂, which maintains both tradition and cultural specificity that is characteristic of southern Appalachia.

Cultural Transfer in Subtitle Translation in Pushing Hands

Translating cultural specific items(CSI)in a movie involves the culture behind the terms,CSI translation methodologyand the subtitle translation methodology,which makes subtitles in Pushing Hands(推手)about the Chinese medicine more difficultto translate.In Pushing Hands,frequent emergence of CSI poses a challenge for translators.Likewise,reproducing the aesthetic ef-fects of a Chinese poem can be impeded in the clash of distinct cultures.Therefore,our group studied related samples,drawing ontheories like skopos,text typology,functional equivalence,etc.

Emergency Housing Solutions after Earthquakes:Innovative Technologies and Resilience Strategies

The international research project,developed through the collaboration between the University of Chieti and Pescara“G.d'Annunzio”and theÉcole Nationale d'Architecture of Marrakech,aims to explore new strategies for emergency housing,with a focus on technological innovation and the resilience of temporary shelters.The main goal of the research is to define a more efficient housing module for post-earthquake scenarios,based on the analysis of the most advanced international solutions for first-response shelters.This study has made it possible to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of existing proposals,leading to the development of a housing model capable of improving living conditions during emergency phases.The objective is to propose an innovative housing module that not only addresses immediate post-disaster needs but is also adaptable to the specific socio-cultural characteristics of the affected populations.As a result of this work,the“DIVA-Variable Dimension Emergency Shelter”project was developed.This housing model stands out for its ability to adapt to the needs of different emergency phases,offering a versatile and customizable solution that effectively addresses post-earthquake challenges while ensuring respect for cultural specificities and improving quality of life.