Post-colonial folk dancing: reflections on the impact of stage folk dance style on traditional folk dance variation in Soviet and post-Soviet Estonia

ABSTRACT

The focus of this article is on traditional folk dance in Soviet and post-Soviet Estonia. Dance variation is analyzed through the prism of postcolonial theories to reveal the sequential effects of the colonial situation developed during the Soviet period. Specific causes and characteristic traits of the Soviet influence are explored. Colonialist echoes of the Soviet regime within contemporary Estonian culture are reflected in two trends in the variation of traditional folk dance: first, “contamination” of traditional folk dance with stage dance elements promoted during the Soviet era and, second, a regular search for “genuine” folk dance as a reaction to Soviet colonial heritage.     

A Validation Study of Bullet and Cartridge Case Comparisons Using Samples Representative of Actual Casework

The foundation of firearm and tool mark identification is that no two tools should produce the same microscopic marks on two separate objects that they would be inaccurately or wrongly identified. Studies addressing the validity of identification infrequently employ tests that mirror realistic casework scenarios. This study attempted to do so using a double‐blind process, reducing test‐taking bias. Test kits including bullets and cartridge cases but not the associated firearms were completed by 31 analysts from 22 agencies. Analysis of the results demonstrated an overall error rate of 0.303%, sensitivity of 85.2%, and specificity of 86.8%. Variability in performance across examiners is addressed, and the effect of examiners’ years of experience on identification accuracy is explored. Finally, the article discusses the importance of studies using realistic case work scenarios when validating the field's performance and in providing courts with usable indicators of the accuracy of firearm and tool mark identification.     

88例已破故意杀人案的回顾性分析

目的总结故意杀人案现场的法医学检案重点、难点和相关实践经验。方法收集某县2004—2013年88例已破故意杀人案件资料并进行回顾性分析。结果本县籍女性被害人数明显高于外埠籍女性。犯罪嫌疑人中外埠籍明显高于本县籍,男性明显高于女性;职业多为打工、无业或务农;学历明显较低。被害人死亡原因以机械性损伤、机械性窒息为主。故意杀人案件以熟人作案为主,陌生人作案主要表现为谋财。行为类型在谋人、谋财、谋性三类案件中具有一定的指向性,伪装行为及愧疚行为指向性最明显。结论犯罪嫌疑人的准确刻画是法医学鉴定中最重要的任务之一,也反映了故意杀人案现场法医工作的重要性及未来的研究方向。     

A discourse–design approach to multimodality: the visual communication of neoliberal management discourse

This paper takes a discourse–design approach to communication, providing a framework as to how this should be done. Design here is how individuals and institutions realize their interests in the world. We show how it is fruitful to link design more closely to the way discourse has been used in critical studies which draws attention to the motivated use of design, for thinking about design in terms of socio-political context. Due to their affordances, semiotic modes such as photography, graphics, layout, colour, numbers and writing will be deployed and co-articulated. The aim, using a discourse–design approach, is to show how we can best identify the very different affordances of such modes and how they rely on the principled design of a discourse. We illustrate this using examples from management documents at a university which draw on these different affordances in different ways to communicate the same discourse. Through this analysis we see how a neoliberal discourse based on a general design principle of coordination enters everyday practices and become very difficult to challenge.     

Second‐Order Devolution or Local Activism? Local Air Agencies Revisited

In response to calls from previous scholarship for further bottom‐up examination of local government roles in environmental policy, the authors revisit local air agencies to examine two separate phenomena occurring in environmental federalism: one from the top down (second‐order devolution) and one from the bottom up (local activism). Using survey data from local air agencies on devolved authorities to set air quality standards and to enforce federal and/or state standards, the authors identify three different types of local agencies: state administrative subunits (only enforcement authority), fully devolved agencies (authority to both set and enforce standards), and activist agencies (neither authority). Further findings indicate that state administrative subunits and fully devolved agencies are likely functions of second‐order devolution, while activist agencies are likely functions of local activism. Conclusions suggest that both top‐down and bottom‐up approaches to environmental federalism are shaping local government roles in environmental management.     

The advocacy coalition framework in Japan: Contributions to policy process studies and the challenges involved

The advocacy coalition framework (ACF), a unified framework for understanding the policy process, has been applied in various countries and regions; however, there are few contributions from Japan, despite seemingly favorable conditions for applying it. An exploration of what hinders ACF applications in Japan is worthwhile for developing the ACF as a framework for comparative policy process studies across various social and political settings. Therefore, this study aims to systematically review previous Japanese ACF studies. Our review found that Japanese ACF studies are fewer in number, have less coverage of policy fields, and have less methodological diversity and transparency than international trends. While most of the Japanese ACF studies supported the basic hypotheses of the ACF, we found a need to refine some hypotheses and research methods of the ACF studies. We also discuss the background factors in the inactivity of ACF studies in Japan and suggest solutions for it.     

国家安全学视域下的人工智能安全研究：议题网络建构的初步尝试

国家安全学的创建为人工智能安全研究提供了整合与成长的契机。人工智能技术并非基于安全目的而诞生，却因其核心功能可以与既有安全体系内的诸多环节建立深度链接，从而获得了内在的安全属性。人工智能与国家安全学存在深度耦合关系，国家安全学研究框架能够为人工智能安全议题网络的建构提供基础条件。人工智能本身蕴含的“双重时空意义”与国家安全学框架内特点各异的安全领域形成复杂互动，能够在学科框架中建立以“中心—外围”结构为基本特征的人工智能安全研究议题网络。国家安全研究的六个领域同时兼容人工智能的双重身份：在研究视角更加宏观的政治安全、经济安全和军事安全领域，人工智能将以系统性要素的身份创建广泛的新议题，并成为网络的中心节点；在安全内涵相对具体的网络安全、核安全与国土安全领域，人工智能则成为重要的赋能主体，塑造了网络的半中心区域。其余十个国家安全领域与人工智能的链接相对松散，人工智能分别以博弈客体、功能性要素和技术性要素的身份发挥次要作用，从而构成议题网络的外围区域。议题网络的创建有助于人工智能安全研究迈入学科化的发展轨道。