Carolingian culture in the North Sea world: rethinking the cultural dynamics of personal adornment in Viking age England

Boosted by a proliferation in metal-detected finds, categories of personal adornment now constitute a vital archaeological source for interpreting Viking-age cultural interaction in the North Sea region. Previous research in England has explored the potential of this metalwork in relation to the formation of ‘Anglo-Scandinavian’ identity, but without due consideration of a wider spectrum of cultural influences. This article redresses the balance by shifting attention to twenty-eight belt fittings derived from richly embellished baldrics, equestrian equipment, and waist belts manufactured on the Frankish continent during the period of Carolingian hegemony in the later eighth and ninth centuries ad. The metalwork is classified and then contextualized in order to track import mechanisms and to assess the impact of Carolingian culture on the northern peripheries of the Frankish empire. The main conclusion is that the adoption, adaptation, and strategic manipulation of Carolingian/northern Frankish identity formed an embedded component of cultural dynamics in Viking-age England, scrutiny of which sheds new light on patterns of interconnectivity linking peoples of the North Sea world.

Orientalism and intelligence analysis: deconstructing Anglo-American notions of the ‘Arab’

Despite revived notions of a ‘cultural divide’ between East and West, Edward's Said's ‘Orientalism’ has received little attention from scholars of intelligence and diplomacy. This article brings to light for the first time a number of recently declassified documents of a different nature to usual assessments produced by Anglo-American analytic bodies: those focussed primarily on the issue of ‘national character’. Using and critiquing Said's thesis of Western ‘Orientalism’ it reveals some critical and enduring conceptualizations articulated by the diplomatic and intelligence community about Arab culture such as the role of Islam, rhetoric, political motivation and notions of ‘honour’. Such a critical approach demonstrates how diplomatic and intelligence history can also be a history of culture, ideas and institutional mentalité.

Inesgotável fonte de magia: o poder encantatório da palavra em um conjuro anglo-saxônico

This work aims to analyze the Wið Færstice, a charm from the anglo-saxon literature, translated as Charm for a sudden Stich. Inside of the imaginarium in this context, the refered pain is assigned to a dart shooted by an elf, witch or pagan god. This charm is included in the anglo-saxon medicine manuscripts andwas wrtitten in form of poetry, presenting characteristics of the poetic work, presenting aspects of the poetic do that once considered historical, cultural and artistic issues concerning the people and the Anglo-Saxon culture, indicate a close relationship between poetry as a form of thought and knowledge and magic as a way of interpreting the world. At this respect we call here, for methodological purposes, incantatory power of the word. From the analysis of this referred enchantment, as well as of the elements in the text, is intended to demonstrate how articulates this incantatory power of words and how to give, within the Anglo-Saxon conception of the Sacred, the transformation of reality through the pronouncement of words

Inesgotável fonte de magia: o poder encantatório da palavra em um conjuro anglo-saxônico

This work aims to analyze the Wið Færstice, a charm from the anglo-saxon literature, translated as Charm for a sudden Stich. Inside of the imaginarium in this context, the refered pain is assigned to a dart shooted by an elf, witch or pagan god. This charm is included in the anglo-saxon medicine manuscripts andwas wrtitten in form of poetry, presenting characteristics of the poetic work, presenting aspects of the poetic do that once considered historical, cultural and artistic issues concerning the people and the Anglo-Saxon culture, indicate a close relationship between poetry as a form of thought and knowledge and magic as a way of interpreting the world. At this respect we call here, for methodological purposes, incantatory power of the word. From the analysis of this referred enchantment, as well as of the elements in the text, is intended to demonstrate how articulates this incantatory power of words and how to give, within the Anglo-Saxon conception of the Sacred, the transformation of reality through the pronouncement of words

Challenges for expatriate managers:an exploration of cross-cultural management, adjustment, and training issues faced by Anglo-American managers in Hong Kong

This field work study furthers understanding about expatriate management, in particular, the nature of cross-cultural management in Hong Kong involving Anglo-American expatriate and Chinese host national managers, the important features of adjustment for expatriates living and working there, and the type of training which will assist them to adjust and to work successfully in this Asian environment. Qualitative and quantitative data on each issue was gathered during in-depth interviews in Hong Kong, using structured interview schedules, with 39 expatriate and 31 host national managers drawn from a cross-section of functional areas and organizations. Despite the adoption of Western technology and the influence of Western business practices, micro-level management in Hong Kong retains a cultural specificity which is consistent with the norms and values of Chinese culture. There are differences in how expatriates and host nationals define their social roles, and Hong Kong's recent colonial history appears to influence cross-cultural interpersonal interactions. The inability of the spouse and/or family to adapt to Hong Kong is identified as a major reason for expatriate assignments to fail, though the causes have less to do with living away from family and friends, than with Hong Kong's highly urbanized environment and the heavy demands of work. Culture shock is not identified as a major problem, but in Hong Kong micro-level social factors require greater adjustment than macro-level societal factors. The adjustment of expatriate managers is facilitated by a strong orientation towards career development and hard work, possession of technical/professional expertise, and a willingness to engage in a process of continuous 'active learning' with respect to the host national society and culture. A four-part model of manager training suitable for Hong Kong is derived from the study data. It consists of a pre-departure briefing, post-arrival cross-cultural training, language training in basic Cantonese and in how to communicate more effectively in English with non-native speakers, and the assignment of a mentor to newly arrived expatriate managers.

Szervezeti kultúra kutatások a termelési folyamatok szervezésében – irodalom-feldolgozás = Organizational culture researches on the filed of operations management – a literature review

A műhelytanulmány célja, hogy megalapozzon egy, a lean menedzsment és a szervezeti kultúra kapcsolatát vizsgáló empirikus kutatást. Máig ritka a szűken vett témában született publikációk száma, ezért tanulmányunkban olyan forrásokat dolgozunk fel, amelyek a lean menedzsmenten túl a termelésmenedzsment más koncepcióit, gyakorlatait (minőségmenedzsment és a fejlett termelési rendszerek), az általuk elérhető teljesítmény és a szervezeti kultúra kapcsolatát értelmezi, vagy vizsgálja. A források módszeres áttekintésével azonosítjuk a kutatásokat indokoló tényezőket, az érintett termelésmenedzsment koncepciók értelmezéseit, a szervezeti kultúra értelmezéséket és a kutatási eredményeket. Mindezek alapján bemutatjuk, hogy melyek lehetnek azok a kérdések, melyek egy, a szervezeti kultúra és a lean menedzsment kapcsolatát vizsgáló empirikus kutatás során figyelmet érdemelnek. Bemutatjuk továbbá, hogy milyen egyéb tényezőkre kell figyelemmel lenni egy ilyen kutatás tervezése során. Önmagában a lean menedzsment, mint téma újszerű a szervezeti kultúrával kapcsolatos kutatások területén. Ezen túl a nagymintás és az angolszász területeken kívül eső kutatások kecsegtetnek jelentős új ismerettel. További újdonságot jelente a termelésmenedzsment koncepció és a szervezeti kultúra kapcsolatának megragadásán túl a kapcsolat természetének (a hatás irányának) feltárása. ______ The aim of this paper is to provide a solid base for a study that would examine the relationship between lean management and organizational culture. Since there are only limited number of publications in this topic, in our study we examined publications, which interpreted or examined the relationship among organizational culture, organizational performance and - beyond lean management - any operations management concepts or practices (but mainly quality management and advanced manufacturing technologies). Rigorously reviewing the selected sources, we identified the main questions justifying the researches, interpretations of the involved operations management concepts, interpretations of organization culture, and research results. Based on our review, we highlight those questions that are worth to examine within a research targeting to study the relationship between the organizational culture and lean management. Moreover, we identified other important factors to be considered when designing such research. Lean management by itself a novelty in the research field related to organizational culture. Moreover, large sample studies conducted outside the Anglo-Saxon territory likely to bring notable novelty. Further new knowledge may emerge if beyond capturing the existence of relationship among organizational culture and any operations management concept the nature of the relationship (the direction of the influence) was also investigated.

The Impact of Chinese Culture on European Landscape Design

The English garden design style and the landscape garden movement became the most emblematic cultural achievement of England in the 18th-19th century. The natural garden style proved to be the symbol of the liberal philosophy and the enlightened way of thinking. But the English landscape garden, which can be seen as an idealized view of nature, is inspired by the classical landscape paintings and is also influenced by the classic Chinese gardens, which had recently been described by European travellers. The interest for Chinese culture, architecture and garden design spread around the British island and inspired the talented garden designers. The gardens of Chambers created a new section in the picturesque landscape gardens, the so called anglo-chinoiseric gardens where eastern, mainly Chinese architectural motives and garden elements have been used in most cases without integrating the Chinese nature philosophy. This first, more or less formal effects of Chinese garden design on European landscape architecture were overwritten by garden designers and horticulturalist during the gardenesque period of the early 19th century when great variety in plant design was taken into the focus of landscape architecture.

Without women: Masculinities, gay male sexual culture and sexual behaviors in Miami, Florida

Recent studies have reported alarmingly high rates of HIV infection and risky sexual behaviors among gay men in Miami, Florida. Previous research has suggested that the risky sexual behaviors of many gay men reflect the pursuit of intimacy and love, and that barriers to intimate relationships among gay men may stem from traditional masculinity norms. This dissertation examines the meanings which gay men ascribe to their sexual behaviors, as well as the intersections of those meanings with both traditional masculinity constructions and Miami's gay male sexual culture. ^ The study is based upon participant observation, print media content analysis, surveys and ethnographic interviews of a purposive snowball sample of 30 Cuban American, Puerto Rican, African American and Anglo gay men who reside in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Analysis of research questions was accomplished through grounded theory methods and descriptive and non-parametric statistics, including Pearson chi-square, Fisher's Exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. ^ The study shows that culturally-specified masculinity norms vary in the relative importance ascribed to heterosexual prowess, economic providership and competitiveness. These cultural differences appear important not only to the timing of sexual awareness and to the strength of homosexual stereotyping as effeminacy, but also to men's strategies in coming out as gay. The meanings men attributed to their sexual behaviors were, however, constructed in response to both inherited masculinity norms and the hypermasculine structure of Miami's gay male sexual culture. In addition to providing an ethnographic account of this subculture, the study elaborates men's issues relative to casual sex and committed relationships. Unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners during the previous twelve months was associated with growing up without one's father in the home, having been teased for effeminacy during childhood, being defensive about one's masculinity, not trusting men, having been cheated on by boyfriends, and believing that long-term gay male relationships are problematic. ^ It is concluded that the continuing epidemic of HIV infections among local gay men, as well as the hypermasculine form of the gay sexual subculture itself, are nihilistic symptoms embedded in the masculinist gender structure of the larger society. ^

Wasta in the Jordanian Culture: a Study in the Banking Sector

Due to globalisation, the emergence and expansion of new overseas markets, extensive use of information and communication technologies in global trade and growing competition between multinational companies, international Human Resource Management (HRM) is an increasingly attractive and popular area of study. However, much of our knowledge is built on an Anglo-Saxon/ European base and there is a paucity of research that considers the transfer of modern (western) principles of HRM to developing countries, particularly in the Middle East. Arguably, Jordan is one country that may benefit from the promise of quality, equality and profitability offered by the systemic approach to managing people. Thus, this paper introduces a PhD research project, currently in its first year, that considers the transfer of western recruitment and selection frameworks into Jordanian culture.

The Scots in Ireland: culture, colonialism and memory, 1315-1826

This thesis examines three key moments in the intersecting histories of Scotland, Ireland and England, and their impact on literature. Chapter one Robert Bruce and the Last King of Ireland: Writing the Irish Invasion, 1315- 1826‘, is split into two parts. Part one, Barbour‘s (other) Bruce‘ focuses on John Barbour‘s The Bruce (1375) and its depiction of the Bruce‘s Irish campaign (1315-1318). It first examines the invasion material from the perspective of the existing Irish and Scottish relationship and their opposition to English authority. It highlights possible political and ideological motivations behind Barbour‘s negative portrait of Edward Bruce - whom Barbour presents as the catalyst for the invasion and the source of its carnage and ultimate failure - and his partisan comparison between Edward and his brother Robert I. It also probes the socio-polticial and ideological background to the Bruce and its depiction of the Irish campaign, in addition to Edward and Robert. It peers behind some of the Bruce‘s most lauded themes such as chivalry, heroism, loyalty, and patriotism, and exposes its militaristic feudal ideology, its propaganda rich rhetoric, and its illusions of freedom‘. Part one concludes with an examination of two of the Irish section‘s most marginalised figures, the Irish and a laundry woman. Part two, Cultural Memories of the Bruce Invasion of Ireland, 1375-1826‘, examines the cultural memory of the Bruce invasion in three literary works from the Medieval, Early Modern and Romantic periods. The first, and by far the most significant memorialisation of the invasion is Barbour‘s Bruce, which is positioned for the first time within the tradition of ars memoriae (art of memory) and present-day cultural memory theories. The Bruce is evaluated as a site of memory and Barbour‘s methods are compared with Icelandic literature of the same period. The recall of the invasion in late sixteenth century Anglo-Irish literature is then considered, specifically Edmund Spenser‘s A View of the State of Ireland, which is viewed in the context of contemporary Ulster politics. The final text to be considered is William Hamilton Drummond‘s Bruce’s Invasion of Ireland (1826). It is argued that Drummond‘s poem offers an alternative Irish version of the invasion; a counter-memory that responds to nineteenth-century British politics, in addition to the controversy surrounding the publication of the Ossian fragments. Chapter two, The Scots in Ulster: Policies, Proposals and Projects, 1551-1575‘, examines the struggle between Irish and Scottish Gaels and the English for dominance in north Ulster, and its impact on England‘s wider colonial ideology, strategy, literature and life writing. Part one entitled Noisy neighbours, 1551-1567‘ covers the deputyships of Sir James Croft, Sir Thomas Radcliffe, and Sir Henry Sidney, and examines English colonial writing during a crucial period when the Scots provoked an increase in militarisation in the region. Part two Devices, Advices, and Descriptions, 1567-1575‘, deals with the relationship between the Scots and Turlough O‘Neill, the influence of the 5th Earl of Argyll, and the rise of Sorley Boy MacDonnell. It proposes that a renewed Gaelic alliance hindered England‘s conquest of Ireland and generated numerous plantation proposals and projects for Ulster. Many of which exhibit a blurring‘ between the documentary and the literary; while all attest to the considerable impact of the Gaelic Scots in both motivating and frustrating various projects for that province, the most prominent of which were undertaken by Sir Thomas Smith in 1571 and Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex in 1573.