From training to artisanal practice : rethinking choreographic relationships in modern dance

In the first part of the twentieth century early modern dancers created both a new art form and the forms of group social organisation that were its condition of possibility. This paper critically examines the balletic and disciplinary ‘training’ model of dancer formation and proposes that the assumption of training in dance can obscure other ways of understanding dance-making relationships and other values in early modern dance. An ‘artisanal’ mode of production and knowledge transmission based on a non-binary relationship between ‘master’ and apprentice and occurring in a quasi-domestic and personalised space of some intimacy is proposed as a more pertinent way to think the enabling conditions of modern dance creation.

A modern audience for the ancient mysteries of the occult : the evolution of Rudolf Steiner's esoteric architecture

In today’s secular society, occult conceptions of architecture may seem somewhat anachronistic, but at the turn of the twentieth century the bourgeoisie, alongside society’s artistic and intellectual elite, were enthusiastically embracing a myriad of esoteric doctrines and mystical impulses. One of the most prominent and enduring examples of this cultural phenomenon is to be found in Rudolf Steiner’s quasi-philosophical system of Anthroposophy. As a path of spiritual development based on ancient mysteries of the occult, Anthroposophy offered people the belief that there existed a way out of the chaos and meaninglessness of modern industrialised society. Steiner used the medium of architecture as a way of repackaging the occult’s venerable secrets into a tangible, material form that made their hidden message more readily accessible to his contemporary audience. While he was striving towards creating a totally new architectural language appropriate to the modern age, he perceived architectural style as an evolutionary process that revealed its spiritual content in a particular way in every epoch. As such, Steiner made free use of historical and mythological precedents as archetypal references in his work, thus giving his architecture a genealogy that has, until now, remained largely undefined. By investigating Steiner’s indebtedness to ancient temples and the architecture of the baroque, a greater understanding of his architectural heritage is made possible, which not only helps to locate him within the cultural milieu of his day, but also within the broader context of architectural history. A spiritual thread runs through this history that demonstrates that Steiner’s architecture is not as idiosyncratic as it may initially seem, though whether his work represents an original step forward in the development of modern architecture, or is merely a hangover of nineteenth century eclecticism, must also be considered in order to determine the architectural value of Steiner’s esoteric ideas.

Are ICT/Web 2.0 tools influencing civic engagement in modern democracies? An exploratory analysis from India

Web 2.0 tools, while mobilising citizens to make informed choices, may also manipulated public opinion. This hypothesis forms the central theme of this research investigation through the historiography lens. Based on concurrent research from decade, the authors take a closer look at citizen-to-citizen engagement, so as to trace the role of web 2.0 tools, in perhaps manipulating public opinion or enabling democratic governance through reversal of some existing defects in the Indian context. Specifically, they raise these questions: Has ICT enabled civic engagement manipulated public opinion in this developing democracy? Has it succeeded in reversing apparent defects in the electoral system, which is regarded pivotal in democracies? Focusing on the elections, the authors present a synopsis of the use of web 2.0 tools which were seemingly efficiently and prolifically used during the elections albeit to reach out to the large population base in this country.

Modern enhancements in teaching design theories to mechanical engineering students

This paper describes the application of computer aided design (CAD) in teaching advanced design methodologies to fourth-year undergraduate students majoring in mechanical engineering. This involves modern enhancements in teaching strategies for subjects such as design-for-X (DFx) and failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) concepts, which are traditionally categorised as advanced design methodologies. The main subsets of DFx including design-for-assembly (DFA), design-for-disassembly (DFD), design-for-manufacturing (DFM), design-for-environment (DFE) and design-for-recyclability (DFR) were covered by studying various engineering and consumer products. The unit was designed as a combination of practical hands-on workshop-based classes along with a software-based evaluation of different products. In addition to CAD, finite element modelling techniques were utilised to enhance the students’ understanding of design faults and failures. The inquiry into teaching practice and design of this fourth-year unit was carried out during past two years and it revealed some interesting outcomes from our teaching practice in terms of students’ learning experiences. Finally, the paper discusses some critical factors in the context of teaching advanced design methodologies to the undergraduates in mechanical engineering and even manufacturing engineering.

An analytical model on the propagation of modern email worms

Email worms propagate across networks by taking advantage of email relationships. Modeling the propagation of email worms can help predict their potential damages and develop countermeasures. We propose a novel analytical model on the propagation process of modern reinfection email worms. It relies on probabilistic analysis, and thus can provide a steady and reliable assessment on the propagation dynamics. Additionally, by introducing virtual users to represent the repetitious spreading process, the proposed model overcomes the computational challenge caused by reinfection processes. To demonstrate the benefits of our model, we conduct a series of experimental evaluation. The results show that our novel approach achieves a greater accuracy and is more suitable for modeling modern email worms than previous models.

Censorship, resistance and transformation in modern Indonesian literature

This paper investigates the way in which Indonesian literature has reflected violations of human rights in Indonesia in the last decade of the New Order (1990-1998). The regime was authoritarian and responded harshly to any challenge which could cause trouble to national stability. Some writers, such as Seno Gumira Ajidarma, used the power of allegory to resist this oppression. The three works examined here – ‘Saksi Mata’, ‘Pelajaran Sejarah’, and ‘Misteri Kota Ninggi’ – can be considered as a form of resistance literature.