India in Translation through Hindi Literature. A Plurality of Voices

What role have translations from Hindi literary works played in shaping and transforming our knowledge about India? In this book, renowned scholars, translators and Hindi writers from India, Europe, and the United States offer their approaches to this question. Their articles deal with the political, cultural, and linguistic criteria germane to the selection and translation of Hindi works, the nature of the enduring links between India and Europe, and the reception of translated texts, particularly through the perspective of book history. More personal essays, both on the writing process itself or on the practice of translation, complete the volume and highlight the plurality of voices that are inherent to any translation. As the outcome of an international symposium held at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2008, India in Translation through Hindi Literature engages in the building of critical histories of the encounter between India and the «West», the use and impact of translations in this context, and Hindi literature and culture in connection to English (post)colonial power, literature and culture.

Narration und Diagrammatik. Eine Vorüberlegung und sieben Thesen

[Narrative and the Diagrammatic. Preliminary Thoughts and Seven Theses.] This article proposes a view of narrative that does not depend on the traditional perspective of temporal sequence but emphasizes the spatial structure of literary narrative. Contrary to the prevalent treatment of space in narrative theory, the notion of spatiality in this context refers not to the space that is represented by the narrative (e.g. the setting and other spatial elements of the fictional world) but to the space that represents it: first, the graphic surface of the text; second, the (quasi-)spatial mental representation of its content that is produced in the process of reception. It is argued that these conditions form the primary ontological mode of narrative, whereas the temporal development of a story is an aesthetic illusion that has been specifically stimulated by the narrative conventions of approximately the past three centuries and must thus be considered a secondary effect. The diagrammatic, as a way of both depicting data and perceiving relations through spatial representation, thus forms a more adequate methodological approach to understanding narrative structure than approaches that are implicitly derived from the 'grammar' of narrative in the structuralist sense and its sequential logic.

Opening The Fortress : the work of public gaze on the Swiss asylum reality

The Fortress (La Forteresse) is a 2008 documentary film by Fernand Melgar that reports the Swiss asylum reality from a distant but committed point of view. The documentary describes the life of asylum seekers awaiting in a federal centre the decision to grant them-or not-refugee status. It subtly raises the issue of the role that "textual realities", grasped from the spectator's point of view, play in the production of public discourses. Most of all, it subtly poses the question of the (Swiss) spectator as an actor of the asylum policy, in the context of a semi-direct democracy. After evoking the notion of sensible experience for linking spectatorship to politics, we look at how the documentary invites its model spectator to accept the film's moral premises. Furthermore, focusing on the Swiss public sphere, we deliver an account of the reception by empirical spectators, notably by a group of leftist activists that tend to subvert Melgar's intentions. This two-fold analysis leads us to exhibit that, in a context of discursive struggles, The Fortress generates an original space of deliberation and experience, which appeals to the public to exercise their political agency on asylum policy without being constricted by an antagonist framework.

Exploring transparent approaches to the authentication of signatures on artwork

This thesis is composed of three main parts. The first consists of a state of the art of the different notions that are significant to understand the elements surrounding art authentication in general, and of signatures in particular, and that the author deemed them necessary to fully grasp the microcosm that makes up this particular market. Individuals with a solid knowledge of the art and expertise area, and that are particularly interested in the present study are advised to advance directly to the fourth Chapter. The expertise of the signature, it's reliability, and the factors impacting the expert's conclusions are brought forward. The final aim of the state of the art is to offer a general list of recommendations based on an exhaustive review of the current literature and given in light of all of the exposed issues. These guidelines are specifically formulated for the expertise of signatures on paintings, but can also be applied to wider themes in the area of signature examination. The second part of this thesis covers the experimental stages of the research. It consists of the method developed to authenticate painted signatures on works of art. This method is articulated around several main objectives: defining measurable features on painted signatures and defining their relevance in order to establish the separation capacities between groups of authentic and simulated signatures. For the first time, numerical analyses of painted signatures have been obtained and are used to attribute their authorship to given artists. An in-depth discussion of the developed method constitutes the third and final part of this study. It evaluates the opportunities and constraints when applied by signature and handwriting experts in forensic science. A brief summary covering each chapter allows a rapid overview of the study and summarizes the aims and main themes of each chapter. These outlines presented below summarize the aims and main themes addressed in each chapter. Part I - Theory Chapter 1 exposes legal aspects surrounding the authentication of works of art by art experts. The definition of what is legally authentic, the quality and types of the experts that can express an opinion concerning the authorship of a specific painting, and standard deontological rules are addressed. The practices applied in Switzerland will be specifically dealt with. Chapter 2 presents an overview of the different scientific analyses that can be carried out on paintings (from the canvas to the top coat). Scientific examinations of works of art have become more common, as more and more museums equip themselves with laboratories, thus an understanding of their role in the art authentication process is vital. The added value that a signature expertise can have in comparison to other scientific techniques is also addressed. Chapter 3 provides a historical overview of the signature on paintings throughout the ages, in order to offer the reader an understanding of the origin of the signature on works of art and its evolution through time. An explanation is given on the transitions that the signature went through from the 15th century on and how it progressively took on its widely known modern form. Both this chapter and chapter 2 are presented to show the reader the rich sources of information that can be provided to describe a painting, and how the signature is one of these sources. Chapter 4 focuses on the different hypotheses the FHE must keep in mind when examining a painted signature, since a number of scenarios can be encountered when dealing with signatures on works of art. The different forms of signatures, as well as the variables that may have an influence on the painted signatures, are also presented. Finally, the current state of knowledge of the examination procedure of signatures in forensic science in general, and in particular for painted signatures, is exposed. The state of the art of the assessment of the authorship of signatures on paintings is established and discussed in light of the theoretical facets mentioned previously. Chapter 5 considers key elements that can have an impact on the FHE during his or her2 examinations. This includes a discussion on elements such as the skill, confidence and competence of an expert, as well as the potential bias effects he might encounter. A better understanding of elements surrounding handwriting examinations, to, in turn, better communicate results and conclusions to an audience, is also undertaken. Chapter 6 reviews the judicial acceptance of signature analysis in Courts and closes the state of the art section of this thesis. This chapter brings forward the current issues pertaining to the appreciation of this expertise by the non- forensic community, and will discuss the increasing number of claims of the unscientific nature of signature authentication. The necessity to aim for more scientific, comprehensive and transparent authentication methods will be discussed. The theoretical part of this thesis is concluded by a series of general recommendations for forensic handwriting examiners in forensic science, specifically for the expertise of signatures on paintings. These recommendations stem from the exhaustive review of the literature and the issues exposed from this review and can also be applied to the traditional examination of signatures (on paper). Part II - Experimental part Chapter 7 describes and defines the sampling, extraction and analysis phases of the research. The sampling stage of artists' signatures and their respective simulations are presented, followed by the steps that were undertaken to extract and determine sets of characteristics, specific to each artist, that describe their signatures. The method is based on a study of five artists and a group of individuals acting as forgers for the sake of this study. Finally, the analysis procedure of these characteristics to assess of the strength of evidence, and based on a Bayesian reasoning process, is presented. Chapter 8 outlines the results concerning both the artist and simulation corpuses after their optical observation, followed by the results of the analysis phase of the research. The feature selection process and the likelihood ratio evaluation are the main themes that are addressed. The discrimination power between both corpuses is illustrated through multivariate analysis. Part III - Discussion Chapter 9 discusses the materials, the methods, and the obtained results of the research. The opportunities, but also constraints and limits, of the developed method are exposed. Future works that can be carried out subsequent to the results of the study are also presented. Chapter 10, the last chapter of this thesis, proposes a strategy to incorporate the model developed in the last chapters into the traditional signature expertise procedures. Thus, the strength of this expertise is discussed in conjunction with the traditional conclusions reached by forensic handwriting examiners in forensic science. Finally, this chapter summarizes and advocates a list of formal recommendations for good practices for handwriting examiners. In conclusion, the research highlights the interdisciplinary aspect of signature examination of signatures on paintings. The current state of knowledge of the judicial quality of art experts, along with the scientific and historical analysis of paintings and signatures, are overviewed to give the reader a feel of the different factors that have an impact on this particular subject. The temperamental acceptance of forensic signature analysis in court, also presented in the state of the art, explicitly demonstrates the necessity of a better recognition of signature expertise by courts of law. This general acceptance, however, can only be achieved by producing high quality results through a well-defined examination process. This research offers an original approach to attribute a painted signature to a certain artist: for the first time, a probabilistic model used to measure the discriminative potential between authentic and simulated painted signatures is studied. The opportunities and limits that lie within this method of scientifically establishing the authorship of signatures on works of art are thus presented. In addition, the second key contribution of this work proposes a procedure to combine the developed method into that used traditionally signature experts in forensic science. Such an implementation into the holistic traditional signature examination casework is a large step providing the forensic, judicial and art communities with a solid-based reasoning framework for the examination of signatures on paintings. The framework and preliminary results associated with this research have been published (Montani, 2009a) and presented at international forensic science conferences (Montani, 2009b; Montani, 2012).

Value and Prices in Russian Economic Thought: A journey inside the Russian Synthesis, 1890-1920

This book explores Russian synthesis that occurred in Russian economic thought between 1890 and 1920. This includes all the attempts at synthesis between classical political economy and marginalism; the labour theory of value and marginal utility; and value and prices. The various ways in which Russian economists have approached these issues have generally been addressed in a piecemeal fashion in history of economic thought literature. This book returns to the primary sources in the Russian language, translating many into English for the first time, and offers the first comprehensive history of the Russian synthesis. The book first examines the origins of the Russian synthesis by determining the condition of reception in Russia of the various theories of value involved: the classical theories of value of Ricardo and Marx on one side; the marginalist theories of prices of Menger, Walras and Jevons on the other. It then reconstructs the three generations of the Russian synthesis: the first (Tugan-Baranovsky), the second, the mathematicians (Dmitriev, Bortkiewicz, Shaposhnikov, Slutsky, etc.) and the last (Yurovsky), with an emphasis on Tugan-Baranovsky's initial impetus. This volume is suitable for those studying economic theory and philosophy as well as those interested in the history of economic thought.

Romanisation et vie quotidienne : le petiti mobilier de type italique en Gaule interne : (IIe s. av. J.-C.-Ier s. ap. J.-C.)

Durant les deux derniers siècles avant notre ère, des objets de type italique, c'est-à-dire caractérisant la culture matérielle de l'Italie tardo-républicaine apparaissent progressivement en Gaule. L'identification de ces objets du quotidien et leur analyse typologique et contextuelle permettent une approche renouvelée du phénomène de romanisation de la Gaule. L'objectif de cette thèse est de mettre en exergue les modalités chronologiques, spatiales et culturelles de la diffusion de ce type de mobilier. La confrontation des résultats avec les données issues des études céramologiques et architecturales permet de brosser un tableau affiné du processus d'acculturation. La nature des sites, ainsi que la diversité des types d'objets considérés permettent de souligner la variété des comportements des populations locales face à la réception de ces mobiliers exogènes. Que ce soit dans le commerce ou en intégrant l'armée romaine, les élites locales ont joué un rôle majeur au sein des interactions avec l'Italie, de la diffusion de ces objets et de l'intégration des nouveaux modèles italiques. -- For the last two centuries before our era, italic type objects, which means objects that are characterizing the material culture of Tardo-republican Italia, are progressively appearing in Gaul. The identification of these everyday objects and their typological and contextual analysis allow a renewed approach of the Gaul romanization phenomenon. The objective of this thesis is to highlight, the chronological, spatial and cultural modalities of the diffusion of such furniture. The comparison of the results with the data provided by the ceramological and architectural studies allows to improve the description of the acculturation process.The behavioral diversity towards the reception of exogenous furniture is underlined by the nature of the sites and the diversity of the considered objects. Local elites, whether by participating in commercial exchanges or by joining the army, have played a major role in the interactions with Italia, from the diffusion of these objects to the integration of the new italic models.

L'ordinaire en partage : le courrier des lecteurs à Georges Simenon

Cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude du courrier que l'écrivain Georges Simenon (1903-1989) recevait de la part de ses lecteurs et de ses admirateurs inconnus. Ils sont près de 6000 à s'être adressés, par courrier postal, à l'auteur célèbre des Maigret, entre 1945 et jusqu'à sa mort. Ces lettres, auxquelles l'écrivain répondait quasi systématiquement sont archivées au Fonds Simenon de l'Université de Liège mais n'ont jusqu'alors pas fait l'objet d'étude, contrairement à la correspondance que l'auteur a échangée avec des auteurs comme André Gide ou Henry Miller. La thèse s'arrête sur une portion de cet échange inédit, soit un peu plus de 2000 missives reçues entre 1946 et 1973. Ce courrier est le point de départ d'une démarche inspirée par le cas singulier que Simenon représente dans l'histoire des lettres, de par son succès, sa large audience et son double positionnement en tant qu'auteur grand public et écrivain aux ambitions littéraires. Cette étude empirique du lectorat d'un auteur de bestsellers va au-delà de l'approche sociologique courante concernant Simenon, qui s'intéresse en priorité à la position et à la posture du créateur face à ses pairs, aux médias et aux institutions (Bourdieu) mais ignore, tout comme une bonne partie des études littéraires et par effet d'un ethnocentrisme lettré, le lecteur « ordinaire ». Une sociologie pragmatique plus compréhensive du vécu de l'ensemble des acteurs - lecteurs compris - (Boltanski, Heinich) a dès lors été privilégiée. Ce sont plus particulièrement les valeurs engagées dans le rapport à l'écrivain et les fonctions que les correspondants réservent à ce « grand singulier » qui sont examinées. Les lettres attribuent en effet à l'écrivain divers rôles (aide, confident ou consolateur). On apprend ainsi dans quelles proportions la lecture « ordinaire » mais aussi nos rapports les plus courants aux objets culturels, sont constitués d'une attention oscillant de l'oeuvre à la personne du créateur. Ces témoignages s'inscrivent en toile de fond d'un enjeu plus large qui concerne l'évolution de l'image et du rôle de l'écrivain dans notre société : en particulier dans le contexte culturel médiatique de la seconde moitié du XXe siècle, où cette image entre plus que jamais en concurrence avec les arts visuels et de divertissement dits de « masse », conduisant les valeurs littéraires à s'affronter aux valeurs de la visibilité et de la célébrité ainsi qu'aux valeurs commerciales.

L'exploration temporelle comme modalité du voyage imaginaire dans la bande dessinée franco-belge (1930-1980)

In this paper, I explore the motif of time travel in science fictional French comics until the eighties. Time travel incorporates a fascinating potential for narrative representation, since moving back in time may multiply timelines, according to the well-known paradox of the grandfather. This virtuality has become very popular in novels and in movies, since In his Bootstraps (Heinlein, 1941) and La Jetée (Marker, 1962) until the recent Looper (Johnson, 2012) but it has been rarely represented in French comics before the eighties and the apparition of time paradoxes in series like "Yoko Tsuno" and, mostly, "Valérian agent spatio-temporel". Firstly, many modalities of time travel do not engender time paradoxes, like exploration of prehistoric sanctuaries, imaginary travel, or cryogenic sleep followed by an awakening if a future world with no hope to return in the past. Secondly, time travel has been mostly interpreted as a mere extension of the classic motif of the "extraordinary journey", as exemplified for centuries in fictions by Verne, Mercier, Swift, or Stevenson. Thus, the graphic potential of time travel for the representation of spectacular exotic worlds has predominated in French comic tradition, and this tendency has been encouraged by the dominant mode of publication until the end of the sixties. Indeed, complex scriptwriting involving multiple timelines would not fit the form of a weekly feuilleton addressed to a young audience, because it would be too demanding cognitively speaking. It illustrates also the dominance of graphic concerns over a taste for complex scriptwriting in many comics of this period. Still, the development of time paradoxes in Pierre Christin scriptwriting underlines the potential of the media when it is published in series of albums or in graphic novels. At the same time, Jean-Claude Mézières drawings-featuring spectacular representations of foreign worlds-show that the visual interest of spectacular time travels remains a central issue for this popular graphic medium. Cette étude porte sur le motif du voyage temporel dans la bande dessinée franco-belge de science- fiction jusque dans les années quatre-vingt. Le voyage temporel intègre un potentiel fascinant pour la représentation narrative, étant donné que le retour dans le passé est susceptible d'engendrer des lignes temporelles multiples, selon le paradoxe bien connu du « grand-père ». Cette virtualité est devenue très populaire dans les romans et dans les films, depuis In his Bootstraps (Heinlein, 1941) et La Jetée (Marker, 1962) jusqu'au récent Looper (Johnson, 2012), mais elle a rarement été représentée dans la bande dessinée franco-belge avant les années quatre-vingt et l'apparition de paradoxes temporels dans des séries comme « Yoko Tsuno » et, surtout, « Valérian agent spatio-temporel ». Tout d'abord, de nombreuses modalités du voyage dans le temps n'engendrent aucun paradoxe, par exemple l'exploration de sanctuaires préhistoriques, le voyage illusoire ou le sommeil cryogénique suivi d'un réveil dans le futur, sans espoir de revenir dans le passé. Deuxièmement, le voyage dans le temps a été plus souvent interprété comme une simple extension du motif classique du « voyage extraordinaire », tel qu'on le retrouve, depuis le XVIIIe siècle, les fictions de Verne, Mercier, Swift ou Stevenson. Ainsi, le potentiel graphique du voyage dans le temps pour la représentation de mondes exotiques spectaculaires a prédominé dans la tradition franco-belge et cette tendance a été encouragée par le mode de publication dominant jusqu'à la fin des années soixante. En effet, l'écriture de scénarios complexes impliquant de multiples lignes temporelles ne semble pas adaptée à la forme d'un feuilleton hebdomadaire destiné à un jeune public, parce qu'il aurait été trop exigeant, cognitivement parlant. Cela illustre également la prédominance de préoccupations graphiques sur l'écriture de scénarios complexes dans de nombreuses bandes dessinées de cette période. Pourtant, le développement de paradoxes temporels dans les scénarios de Pierre Christin souligne le potentiel du média quand il est publié en série d'albums ou dans des romans graphiques. Parallèlement, les dessins de Jean-Claude Mézières, qui proposent des représentations spectaculaires de mondes étrangers, montre que l'intérêt visuel du voyage dans le temps demeure une question centrale pour ce média populaire.

The Impact of Supervisor's Advice, Codes of Conduct, Accountability and Moral Attentiveness of Individuals on Discriminatory Behaviour Against Immigrants.

Past studies on the personnel selection demonstrated that a supervisor's advice to discriminate can lead to compliant behaviours. This study had the aim to extend past findings by examining what can overcome the powerful influence of the hierarchy. 50 Swiss managers participated to an in-basket exercise. The main task was to evaluate Swiss candidates (in-group) and foreigners (out-groups: Spanish and Kosovo Albanians) and to select two applicants for a job interview. Main results were the effect of codes of conduct to prevent discrimination against out-group applicants in the presence of a supervisor's advice to prefer in-group members. But, when participants were accountable to an audience, this beneficial effect disappears because participants followed the supervisor's advice. The second aim was to assess if the difference in responses between participants was related to their difference in moral attentiveness. Results showed some significant relationships but not always in the direction expected.