Thaipusam in Malaysia : a Hindu festival misunderstood?

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Sustainable consumption as a means to self-realization: a Hindu perspective on when enough is enough

In this paper, I investigate the religious notion of self-realization or self-actualization in the context of sustainability, and argue that sustainability is the means to this end. I am particularly interested in Hindu perspectives on self-realization or the Purusharthas. The Purusharthas provide an interesting sustainability critique because they consider the satisfaction of material want as an important step to self-actualization; the reconciliation of want and need is a fundamental sustainability tension. The issue of growing want is doubtless an important one, given the rapidly growing middle classes in the developing world that aspire to Western material dreams, as illustrated by the case of Delhi. The Purusharthas may be seen to give consumption legitimacy; however, I argue that it is the selective understanding and institutionalization of the religious message that causes the sustainability problem. Viewed in their entirety, the Purusharthas provide the correct prescriptions for the sustainable enjoyment of want, and take the adherent beyond sustainability into greater transcendence or self- awareness.

Kasper Hauser (bronze sculpture)

Original, edition of 1, Bronze sculpture of Bird titled: "Kasper Hauser" referring to the mystical German 19th century figure in history who was discovered in a town centre. As he had been isolated all his life he showed great wonderment at nature and music.

Uneasy alliances: Traditional dynamics in women's relationships in urban Hindu society (1910-2010)

This paper argues that in spite of the phenomenal economic progress made by India, the urban Indian Hindu woman still faces major challenges and hindrances in charting the course of her existence, some aspects of which are still located within a very traditional discourse. Women of particular age groups combine highly competitive careers in medicine, management, engineering, and other demanding professions with marriage and motherhood, while simultaneously juggling the eternal roles of the docile, hardworking daughter-in-law and the dutiful daughter. It is, yet again, another sacrifice of individual needs and time on the part of the urban Indian Hindu woman within a discourse that imposes constant adjustment and compromise from one's birth as a female child. The economic context might appear to be very different in this century, and the socio-cultural discourse may appear to have changed along with it, but the expectations and the status quo of the urban Hindu woman has not changed very much, given the underlying historical and socio-cultural discourse that is still extant.

Índia e crescimento: modelos tradicionais e impacto da filosofia hindu

A Índia, com sua notável expansão econômica, cultura e filosofia milenares, é o tema desse trabalho, com dois objetivos: exemplificar diversos aspectos teóricos ligados ao crescimento econômico e aprofundar o estudo de um aspecto institucional pouco difundido na literatura, os impactos das filosofias religiosas. A princípio, são analisadas as reformas econômicas realizadas após a crise do balanço de pagamentos ocorrida em 1991. Diversos estudos teóricos são citados ao longo do texto para contextualizar o efeito das reformas no potencial de crescimento. O setor externo é analisado com profundidade, seguido pela desregulamentação no setor privado, principalmente na atividade industrial e no controle de preços. Estes dois setores foram conjuntamente responsáveis pelo grande salto de produtividade na economia (descrito pelos impactos na produtividade total dos fatores). Alguns aspectos de política monetária e fiscal também são analisados, mas com menor ênfase, visto que as reformas e resultados nesses setores são limitados. A seguir, apresenta-se análise sobre a filosofia Hindu, predominante no país. Introduz-se o tema com breve descrição dos aspectos filosóficos, para seguir com avaliação dos impactos econômicos resultantes. Max Weber e Amartya Sen contradizem-se sobre o sinal do impacto: Weber suportando que a magia hindu impediria o racionalismo; Sen argumentando que o próprio hinduísmo tem histórico de racionalismo heterodoxo, de contestação e criação. Para disseminar dúvidas apresenta-se um modelo econométrico, com base em convergência condicional: impactos diretos e indiretos não se mostram significantes. Levanta-se um debate e um alento a alguns países: um histórico institucional bastante desalentador ao desenvolvimento, baseado em uma filosofia religiosa controversa de nuances pós-vida, pode ser superado com algumas corretas reformas na economia.

Uma proposta para utilização do computador no processo de ensino e aprendizagem dos primeiros números do sistema hindu-arábico

The aim of this work is presenting the development and the results of a research, which focus of interest has been the making of softwares that could help the process of teaching and learning of the hindu-arabic numerals system, on children in the alphabetical stage. Since the most important presupposes to this work are the development of the number concept according to Jean Piaget (1986-1980) and the reality of the classroom, then three different moments have been fixed: the creation of a beginning scheme of computer activities; the aplication of these activities on children in the alphabetical stage; and, finally, an analysis of the limits and possibilities of these activities while an environment cause of actions that would benefit the process of teaching and learning of the mentioned content. Finally, based on the anlysis of the results obtained, the next step was fixing a more consistant set of computer activities, which makes up a proposal to the use of computer in the process of teaching and learning of the first hindu-arabic numbers

Multidisciplinary approach in the teaching of dental sculpture and anatomy

The purpose of the Dental Sculpture and Anatomy discipline is to introduce undergraduate students to the study of the anatomic and morphological characteristics of permanent and primary human dentition, through classes, books and cognitive and psychomotor activities. This discipline supports the teaching of specific knowledge necessary for a more extensive education, involving interdisciplinarity as a means of knowledge exchange among several areas of dentistry, to achieve comprehensive professional education. Students must recognize the dental morphology from samples of preserved teeth, and reproduce the morphology through three-dimensional models made of stone or wax blocks. In this article, the authors describe the process for producing teeth collars and macro dental models made of stone, their importance and benefits of utilization. The purpose of the study was to encourage the teaching of Dental Sculpture and Anatomy toundergraduate students of the Bauru School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, through activities that would associate theory, practice and the development of manual skills.