Cultural materialism behind global cultural diffusion process

In this paper, the author intends to illustrate cultural materialism behind cultural diffusion process. The author first argues that despite the two opposing paradigms of cultural views （differentialism vs. universalism） what is really happening and winning is the third paradigm of mixing cultural perspective as presented in Jan Nederveen Pieterse＇s book Globalization and culture-global Mdlange. Then the author takes Marvin Harris＇ cultural materialism theory as the basis and gives specific evidence from China to illustrate the formation and eventual spread of any ＂new cultural scripts＂, which is done through the transformation process from territorial culture to translocal culture with economic motive behind as the driving force. These Chinese cases of global mixing, in turn, form a further support to Marvin Harris＇s cultural materialism theory.

Material Culture as Amulets:Magical Elements and the Apotropaic in Ancient Roman World

This article aims to make a brief presentation on the elements of material culture in the ancient Palestinian region,mainly coins,which were removed from their production context and placed in funerary contexts(coins were often buried in graves),thus converted in amulets,acquiring magical and apotropaic senses.We will use examples verified in different parts of the Roman Empire,as in Pithekússai(modest island,which is in the Italian Peninsula),on the banks of the Thames,in Celtic contexts,more specifically in the current city of Lezoux,France,in the ancient city of Aquincum,present day Budapest,also in Tel Maresha and Tiberias,present-day Israel,to demonstrate how these practices were recurrent throughout the Empire.It is also our intention to observe iconographic elements that bring apotropaic content in their formulations,because,in addition to the role that coins could play in connecting the worlds of men and gods,many people believed that they had the power to project magical and apotropaic strength through images powerful that they portrayed.

When the Butter Got Done： The Resilience of Indigenous Design Processes During Dictatorial Regime in Uganda Between 1971-1978 and Their Continued Use in Kiruhura District in S.W. Uganda

Although African continent and Uganda in particular experienced the influence of the western economies which came with exploration, missionary work, and colonialism, and which put the indigenous design creativity to sleep, communities have continued to show resilience in utilizing indigenous design processes whenever there is a shift in the cosmetic African-West relationship. This paper describes and assesses how indigenous processes become fundamental and sustained a fragile economy of Uganda after the military takeover of government by Idi Amin in 1971. It looks at how Ugandan artisans employed their long forgotten skills in designing processes that allowed communities to function. For example artisans made spare parts for the abandoned factories, made soap, and processed salt for consumption. The paper takes a pro-vocal approach and traces how this worked, how it is still working even when the country is presumably peaceful with the majority of the population engaged in agriculture production. The author carried out an ethnographic study on 90 participants in Kiruhura district in S.W. Uganda to establish how families integrate indigenous design processes in their daily activities. The author investigated why families continue to use indigenous material cultural items such as carvings, pottery, baskets, and iron work yet government policy emphases commercial agriculture. Results indicate that most families still use indigenous design processes in agriculture, housing, and treatment because of the superficial and unstructured ability by most families to use western made technologies, and that many of them do not have the necessary resources to acquire the modern technology. Results further indicate that families have a special attachment to indigenous materials which gives them an identity and ownership and that some items work better than the Western designed products. The paper concludes that those indigenous design processes are fundamentally good opportunities for entrepreneur actions that could be viable household enterprises. In addition to improving household incomes, the author theorize that re-engaging indigenous design processes, may facilitate ownership, resilience, and creativity of indigenous African creativity and design processes that could lead to sustainable development.

Applying Literature to ELT

Literature is no longer a frightening word to English language learner. Interactive teaching methods and attractive activities can help motivating Chinese university English learners. This essay will first elaborate the reasons to use literature in ELT (English Language Teaching) class and how to apply literature to ELT class.

I Will Not Forget the Land Where I Was Born——The Educational Legacy of Oliveira Lopes Brothers

The tendency to participate with solidarity in the religious and assistance initiatives is a trademark of the Portuguese who returned from Brazil. The major novelty in the second half of the nineteenth century is the conduction of large sums of money towards education, in a framework of philanthropy that was unusual. This inclusion of education in the field of charity was in the concerns of politicians and intellectuals of the time who argued that ＂only by educating people, nations can achieve its independence, wealth and freedom （...）＂. Inserted in this context we can find examples that deserve, by their paradigmatic profile, a more detailed attention. After making fortune, Oliveira Lopes and his brother tried to solve problems that seemed without solution in their homeland. This example assumes a synthetizing nature for several reasons. Firstly, because it portraits the typical Brazilian of the end of the nineteenth century that saw education as a fundamental tool to approach Portugal to the international standards. Secondly, because with the well-being of his fellow countrymen and the ＂notoriety of his hometown＂ he can diminish the pain of the ＂abandonment in search of wealth＂. Thirdly, because his return introduced a new sense and a new rhythm in searching solutions for eternal problems in the field of religion, assistance or education. Finally because, even though they are the minority of Brazilians that achieved fortune, they put their wealth in the service of the country that made them leave in order to try to stop the flux of emigrants.

Observe Chinese Culture from Chinese Idioms

Chinese idioms are the essence of the Chinese language, the crystallization of human wisdom and the important cartier of national culture. Through the structure, content and meaning of Chinese idioms, we can see various forms of the history and culture of the Han nationality. Observe national culture through the structure, content, meaning of Chinese idioms, namely the phenomenon of the linguistic phenomenon and culture phenomenon, we focus on elaborating Chinese idioms and cultural relationship between a Chinese idiom and Chinese culture.

The Transmission of Household Objects from the National Socialist Era to the Present in Germany and Austria： A Local Conversation Within a Globalized Discourse

Increasingly, scholars of Holocaust memory stress its globalization： the ways in which the Holocaust has become a model or reference point for remembered events that belong to quite different historical and cultural contexts. The best of this literature acknowledges the ways in which the local, national, and global are in continual dialogue. This article looks at an instance in which memory remains stubbornly local and national even in contexts in which it is ostensibly internationalized. The article is concerned with history exhibitions about the Nazi era in Germany and Austria and examines one particular set of museum objects： household possessions that have been stored in homes since 1945 and that are typically presented by the museum as having ＂resurfaced＂ in the present. These objects are used to concretize abstract processes of remembering and forgetting, communication and silence, in the years from 1945 to the end of the twentieth century. As such, they form part of ongoing debates about how family memory operated during that period in Germany and Austria.