The Ethnographic Moment: Event and Debate in Mediatized Fieldwork

This article introduces the term ‘the ethnographic moment’, which takes up and ‘plays’ with the long-disputed ‘ethnographic present’ in anthropology, as an indicator of changing conditions and requirements for ethnography in the context of mass media and mediation. It argues that event and debate, rather than structure and practice, have become pivotal aspects in thinking and conducting fieldwork that has to deal with the ephemeral. At the same time, it tries to show that an unquestioning acceptance of technological advancement and speed of societal change immunizes us to the thinkable absence of media and obscures analysis of lasting states of injustice and inequality, in whose (re-)production they have a stake.

The role of brand marketing in snowboarding: A comparative study of Switzerland and New Zealand

Introduction: Brands play an essential role in the organizational structure of snowboarding by sponsoring athletes, arranging events, contributing to product development and developing long-term partnerships with other key actors. However, the specialities of their role in scene sports, such as creating identities, networking and brand marketing strategies, have not been extensively researched. This study aims to provide an analysis of the function of brands within the snowboarding subculture by comparing how the sport is organized in Switzerland and New Zealand. Sociological theories of subcultures (Hitzler & Niederbacher, 2010) and social networks (Stegbauer, 2008) are used to defi ne the structures of the sport, whereas marketing and branding theories (Adjouri & Stastny, 2006) help to understand the role of the brands. Snowboarding will be defi ned as an alternative sports subculture based on characteristics such as aesthetics, adventure and new resources of performance (Schwier, 2006). Such a defi nition also begs for a novel form of analyzing its organization. Unlike more conventional structures, the organization of snowboarding allows a variety of actors to get involved in leading the sport. By portraying and encouraging differentiated identities and lifestyles, athletes provide a space for other actors to fi nd their place within the sport (Wheaton, 2005). According to Stegbauers network theory, individual actors are able to obtain high positions and defi ne their identity depending on their ties to actors and networks within the subculture (Stegbauer, 2008). For example, social capital, contacts within the sport and insider knowledge on subculture-related information enable actors to get closer to the core (Hitzler & Niederbacher, 2010). Actors who do not have close networks and allies within the subculture are less likely to engage successfully in the culture, whether as an individual or as a commercial actor (Thorpe, 2011). This study focuses on the organizational structure of snowboarding by comparing the development of the sport in Switzerland and New Zealand. An analysis of snowboarding in two nations with diverse cultures and economic systems allows a further defi nition of the structural organization of the sport and explains how brands play an important role in the sport. Methods: The structural organization of the sport will be analyzed through an ethnographic approach, using participant observation at various leading events in Switzerland (Freestyle.ch, European Open) and New Zealand (World Heli Challenge, New Zealand Open, New Zealand Winter Games). The data is analyzed using grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss 1967) and gives an overview of the actors that are playing an important role in the local development of snowboarding. Participant observation was also used as a tool to get inside the sport culture and opened up the possibility to make over 40 semi-structured qualitative expert interviews with international core actors from 11 countries. Obtaining access to one actor as a partner early on helped to get inside the local sport culture. The ‘snowball effect’ allowed the researcher to acquire access, build trust and conduct interviews with experts within the core scene. All the interviewed actors have a direct infl uence on the sport in one or both countries, which permit a cross-analysis. The data of the interviews was evaluated through content analysis (Mayring 2010). The two methods together provided suffi cient data to analyze the organizational structure and discuss the role of brand marketing within snowboarding. Results: An actors mapping by means of a center-periphery framework has identifi ed fi ve main core groups: athletes, media representatives, brand-marketing managers, resort managers and event organizers. In both countries the same grouping of actors were found. Despite possessing different and frequently multiple roles and responsibilities, core actors appear to have a strong common identifi cation as ‘snowboarders’, are considered to be part of the organizational elite of the sport and tend to advocate similar goals. The author has found that brands in Switzerland tend to have a larger impact on the broader snowboarding culture due to a number of factors discussed below. Due to a larger amount of snowboarders and stronger economic power in Europe, snowboarders are making attempts to differentiate themselves from other winter sports, while competing with each other to develop niche markets. In New Zealand, on the other hand, the smaller market enables more cooperation and mutual respect within snowboarders. Further they are more closely linked to other winter sports and are satisfi ed with being lumped together. In both countries, brands have taken up the role of supporting young athletes, organizing competitions and feeding media with subculture-related content. Brands build their image and identity through the collaboration with particular athletes who can represent the values of the brand. Local and global communities with similar lifestyles and interests are being built around brands that share a common vision of the sport. The dominance of brands in snowboarding has enabled them with the power to organize and rule the sport through its fan base and supporters. Brands were defi ned by interviewees as independent institutions led by insiders who know the codes and symbols of the sport and were given trust and credibility. The brands identify themselves as the engines of the sport by providing the equipment, opportunities for athletes to get exposure, allowing media to get exclusive information on activities, events and sport-related stories. Differences between the two countries are more related to the economic system. While Switzerland is well integrated in the broader European market, New Zealand’s geographical isolation and close proximity to Australia tends to limit its market. Further, due to different cultural lifestyles, access to resorts and seasonal restrictions, to name a few, the amount of people practicing winter sports in New Zealand is much smaller than in Switzerland. However, this also presents numerous advantages. For example, the short southern hemisphere winter season in New Zealand enables them to attract international sports athletes, brands and representatives in a period when Europe and North America is in summer. Further, the unique snow conditions in New Zealand and majestic landscape is popular for attracting world renowned photo- and cinematographers. Another advantage is the less populated network as it provides the opportunity for individuals to gain easier access to the core of the sport, obtain diverse positions and form a unique identity and market. In Switzerland, on the other hand, the snowboarding network is dense with few positions available for the taking. Homegrown brands with core recognition are found in both countries. It was found that the Swiss brands tend to have a larger impact on the market, whereas in New Zealand, the sport is more dependent on import products by foreign brands. Further, athletes, events and resorts in New Zealand are often dependent on large brand sponsorships from abroad such as from brand headquarters in the Unites States. Thus, due to its location in the centre of Europe, Swiss brands can take advantage of brands which are closer in proximity and culture to sponsor athletes and events. In terms of media coverage, winter sports in New Zealand tend to have a minor coverage and tradition in local mass media, which leads to less exposure, recognition and investment into the sport. This is also related to how snowboarding is more integrated into other winter sports in New Zealand. Another difference is the accessibility of the ski resort by the population. While in Switzerland the resorts are mostly being visited by day-travelers, ‘weekend warriors’ and holiday makers, the location of the resorts in New Zealand make it diffi cult to visit for one day. This is in part due to the fact that Swiss ski resorts and villages are usually the same location and are accessible through public transportation, while the ski resorts in New Zealand have been built separately from the villages. Further, the villages have not been built to accommodate to high tourist arrivals. Thus, accommodation and food facilities are limited and there is a lack of public transportation to the resorts. Discussion: The fi ndings show that networks and social relations combined with specifi c knowledge on scene-related attributes are crucial in obtaining opportunities within the sport. Partnerships as well as competition between these different actors are necessary for core acceptance, peer credibility and successful commercial interests. Brands need to maintain effective marketing strategies and identities which incorporate subcultural forms of behavior and communication. In order to sustain credibility from its fans, athletes and other snowboarding actors, brands need to maintain their insider status through social networks and commercial branding strategies. The interaction between all actors is a reciprocated process, where social capital, networks and identities are being shared. While the overall structure of snowboard subcultures in Europe and New Zealand are similar, there are some distinct characteristics which make each one unique. References Adjouri, N. & Stastny, P. (2006). Sport-Branding: Mit Sport-Sponsoring zum Markenerfolg. Wiesbaden: Gabler. Glaser, B. & Strauss, K. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine. Hebdige, D. (2009). Subculture; The meaning of style. New York: Routledge. Hitzler, R. & Niederbacher, A. (2010). Leben in Szenen: Formen juveniler Vergemeinschaftung heute. Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. Mayring, P. (2010). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse: Grundlagen und Techniken. Weinheim: Beltz. Schwier, J. (2006). Repräsentationen des Trendsports. Jugendliche Bewegungskulturen, Medien und Marketing. In: Gugutzer, R. (Hrsg.). body turn. Perspektiven der Soziologie des Körpers und des Sports. Bielefeld: transcript (S. 321-340). Stegbauer, C. (2008). Netzwerkanalyse und Netzwerktheorie. Ein neues Paradigma in den Sozialwissenschaften. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. Thorpe, H. (2011). Snowboarding bodies in theory and practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Wheaton, B. (2005). Understanding lifestyle sports; consumption, identity and difference. New York: Routledge.

Reconstructing 4000 years of mass movement and tsunami history in a deep peri-Alpine lake (Lake Geneva, France-Switzerland)

The study of mass movements in lake sediments provides insights into past natural hazards at historic and prehistoric timescales. Sediments from the deep basin of Lake Geneva reveal a succession of six large-scale (volumes of 22 × 106 to 250 × 106 m3) mass-transport deposits, associated with five mass-movement events within 2600 years (4000 cal bp to 563 ad). The mass-transport deposits result from: (i) lateral slope failures (mass-transport deposit B at 3895 ± 225 cal bp and mass-transport deposits A and C at 3683 ± 128 cal bp); and (ii) Rhône delta collapses (mass-transport deposits D to G dated at 2650 ± 150 cal bp, 2185 ± 85 cal bp, 1920 ± 120 cal bp and 563 ad, respectively). Mass-transport deposits A and C were most probably triggered by an earthquake, whereas the Rhône delta collapses were likely to be due to sediment overload with a rockfall as the external trigger (mass-transport deposit G, the Tauredunum event in 563 ad known from historical records), an earthquake (mass-transport deposit E) or unknown external triggers (mass-transport deposits D and F). Independent of their origin and trigger mechanisms, numerical simulations show that all of these recorded mass-transport deposits are large enough to have generated at least metre-scale tsunamis during mass movement initiation. Since the Tauredunum event in 563 ad, two small-scale (volumes of 1 to 2 × 106 m3) mass-transport deposits (H and I) are present in the seismic record, both of which are associated with small lateral slope failures. Mass-transport deposits H and I might be related to earthquakes in Lausanne/Geneva (possibly) 1322 ad and Aigle 1584 ad, respectively. The sedimentary record of the deep basin of Lake Geneva, in combination with the historical record, show that during the past 3695 years, at least six tsunamis were generated by mass movements, indicating that the tsunami hazard in the Lake Geneva region should not be neglected, although such events are not frequent with a recurrence time of 0·0016 yr−1.

From Books to the Web: A Comparative Analysis of Holocaust Denial in the Internet Age

An analysis of print Holocaust denial literature as it compares to internet Holocaust denial, with a focus on how the transition from print literature to the internet has affected Holocaust denial.

Doctor-patient communication in the medical interaction: Context, implications, and practice

Effective communication; whether from an interpersonal, mass media, or global perspective, is a critical component in public health. It is an essential conduit in increasing public awareness of available health resources, potential health hazards and related disease prevention strategies, and in delivering better health care. Within this context, available literature asserts doctor-patient communication as central to healthcare delivery. It has been shown to affect patient health outcomes, satisfaction with care, adherence to treatment recommendations, and even understanding of medical information. While research supports the essential imperative of interventions aimed at teaching doctors and patients the communication skills necessary for a successful and meaningful medical interaction, most interventions to date, focus on teaching these communication skills to doctors and seem to rely, largely, on mass media for providing patients with the information needed to increase communication efficacy. This study sought to fill a significant gap in the doctor-patient communication literature by reviewing the context of the doctor-patient exchange in the medical interaction, the implications of this exchange in resulting care of the patient, and the potential improvements to practice through interventions aimed at improving the communication exchange. Closing with an evaluation of a patient-centered communication intervention, the “How to Talk to Your Doctor” (HTTTYD) program that combines previously identified optimal strategies for improving communication between doctors and patients, this study examined the patients’ perspective of their potential as better communicators in the medical interaction. ^ Specific Aims, Hypotheses or Questions (Aim I) To examine the context of health communication within a public health framework and its relation to health care delivery. (Aim II) To review doctor-patient communication as a central focus within health care delivery and the resulting implications to patient care. (Aim III) To assess the utility of interventions to improve doctor-patient communication. Specifically, to evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-centered community education intervention, the “How to Talk to Your Doctor” (HTTTYD) program, aimed at improving patient communication efficacy.^

The relationship between supermarket nutrient movements and the mortality rates from fat-associated and non-fat-associated cardiovascular disease: Development of an ecologic method for determining community food patterns

Supermarket nutrient movement, a community food consumption measure, aggregated 1,023 high-fat foods, representing 100% of visible fats and approximately 44% of hidden fats in the food supply (FAO, 1980). Fatty acid and cholesterol content of foods shipped from the warehouse to 47 supermarkets located in the Houston area were calculated over a 6 month period. These stores were located in census tracts with over 50% of a given ethnicity: Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, or white non-Hispanic. Categorizing the supermarket census tracts by predominant ethnicity, significant differences were found by ANOVA in the proportion of specific fatty acids and cholesterol content of the foods examined. Using ecological regression, ethnicity, income, and median age predicted supermarket lipid movements while residential stability did not. No associations were found between lipid movements and cardiovascular disease mortality, making further validation necessary for epidemiological application of this method. However, it has been shown to be a non-reactive and cost-effective method appropriate for tracking target foods in populations of groups, and for assessing the impact of mass media nutrition education, legislation, and fortification on community food and nutrient purchase patterns. ^

Study of rural leadership and implications for community participation and development in the health and family planning programs in Bangladesh

The vast majority of Bangladesh are poor and are unable even to provide for the most basic human needs. These are the landless and marginal farmers of Bangladesh. They constitute 70% of the rural population, which in turn constitute about 90% of the country's population.^ Effective development of Bangladesh would largely mean the development of the landless and marginal farmers. Past efforts of development in this section of the population, including that of the government, have not succeeded. One of the development goals of the government of Bangladesh is to improve the quality of life of the rural population through health and population control measures. Overpopulation, malnutrition and diarrhea are the major impediments to socioeconomic development in Bangladesh.^ The current study was designed to identify whether there is effective opinion leadership among the marginal and landless peasants affecting decisions on acceptance or nonacceptance of family planning methods and oral rehydration therapy (ORT) in the selected rural areas of Bangladesh. The study was conducted in eight randomly selected villages with funding from the Ministry of Health and Family Planning, government of Bangladesh. One hundred twenty-five opinion leaders were interviewed after they were identified by 408 rural couples owning land less than 2 acres and wives' age below 50. The study was conducted in two phases; couples' interview preceded that of the leaders.^ Findings of the study reveal that the opinion leaders influencing adoption of health and family planning among the landless and marginal farmers belong to the same class. Theses opinion leaders own land much less than the rich farmers and the formal leaders in the rural areas. Majority of these of opinion leaders are friends, neighbors and relatives, some are other persons who are businessmen and professionals like doctors, while the rest few are the field workers of health and family planning. Source of influence as a factor contribute most in differentiating use and non-use of family planning and ORT among both couples and leaders. The most frequent sources of influence referred by the couples and the leaders are the field workers of health and family planning, followed by the peer opinion leaders (friends, neighbors, relatives) and spouse.^ The opinion leaders do not differ much from the poor couples on land holding, a strong indicator of economic status, they however differ considerably on social factors such as family planning practice, education, and exposure to mass media.^ The study suggests that future development efforts in Bangladesh have to ensure community participation by the landless and marginal farmers and opinion leaders belonging to their class. ^

Perdón o condena : discurso y subjetividad en la obra de Isolda María Calzadilla

Siguiendo los pasos de la narrativa latinoamericana del siglo XIX, en los años 30 y 40 en Venezuela, la literatura canónica propuso un trazado más o menos claro de los lugares de heroísmo y villanía involucrados en la refundación nacional. La apuesta iniciada por la intelectualidad del país, desde diciembre de 1935, se dirigía a la construcción de una nación moderna cuya imagen se solidificaba no sólo por medio de la narrativa de ficción, sino también en los registros masivos fundamentados en la oralidad, en los medios de comunicación en general y, particularmente, en fotografías e imágenes reproducidas por revistas de alta circulación, periódicos e, inclusive, en proyecciones audiovisuales. Como ocurre en estos ejercicios de organización nacional, inevitablemente, salieron a la luz por entonces, ciertas subjetividades nómades que generaron su propia discursividad ética y estéticamente ajena a las demandas del canon. Escrituras que crearon, en su interior un espacio de resistencia frente a todos los esfuerzos de normatización propuestos desde el poder. Aquí se inscribe el texto Mujeres (1943), de Isolda Calzadilla, una suerte de novela guión cinematográfico donde se deja en evidencia no sólo la conciencia en el uso del lenguaje de parte de la autora, sino además, la necesidad de replantearse los márgenes del centro urbano, de abrir las posibilidades de desarrollo subjetivo a las mujeres y de mostrar el envés de un mapa modernizante que llega a borrarse por completo detrás de la fachada.

Table 1: Discharge, mass flux, maximum velocity and ice thickness of glaciers from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Mass transport and mass flux values for the different types of glaciers in the Sør-Rondane are calculated from computer models, based upon gravity data and geodetic stake velocity measurements. The results are interpreted in the light of a general flow line analysis, glacial geological investigations and of the ablation terms of the mass balance for Dronning Maud Land and Antarctica.

(Table 1) Circulating levels of TT3 and TT4, and age, length, girth, and estimated body mass in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland 1999-2001

We investigated the multivariate relationships between adipose tissue residue levels of 48 individual organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) and circulating thyroid hormone (TH) levels in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland (1999-2001, n = 62), using projection to latent structure (PLS) regression for four groupings of polar bears; subadults (SubA), adult females with cubs (AdF_N), adult females without cubs (AdF_S) and adult males (AdM). In the resulting significant PLS models for SubA, AdF_N and AdF_S, some OHCs were especially important in explaining variations in circulating TH levels: polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE)-99, PBDE-100, PBDE-153, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-52, PCB-118, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, trichlorobenzene (TCB) and pentachlorobenzene (QCB), and both negative and positive relationships with THs were found. In addition, the models revealed that DDTs had a positive influence on total 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (TT3) in AdF_S, and that a group of 17 higher chlorinated ortho-PCBs had a positive influence on total 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine, TT4) in AdF_N. TH levels in AdM seemed less influenced by OHCs because of non-significant PLS models. TH levels were also influenced by biological factors such as age, sex, body size, lipid content of adipose tissue and sampling date. When controlling for biological variables, the major relationships from the PLS models for SubA, AdF_N and AdF_S were found significant in partial correlations. The most important OHCs that influenced TH levels in the significant PLS models may potentially act through similar mechanisms on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, suggesting that both combined effects by dose and response addition and perhaps synergistic potentiation may be a possibility in these polar bears. Statistical associations are not evidence per se of biological cause-effect relationships. Still, the results of the present study indicate that OHCs may affect circulating TH levels in East Greenland polar bears, adding to the "weight of evidence" suggesting that OHCs might interfere with thyroid homeostasis in polar bears.

Mass balance measurements on King George Island ice cap in 2007 and 2008

The Antarctic Peninsula has been identified as a region of rapid on-going climate change with impacts on the cryosphere. The knowledge of glacial changes and freshwater budgets resulting from intensified glacier melt is an important boundary condition for many biological and integrated earth system science approaches. We provide a case study on glacier and mass balance changes for the ice cap of King George Island. The area loss between 2000 and 2008 amounted to about 20 km**2 (about 1.6% of the island area) and compares to glacier retreat rates observed in previous years. Measured net accumulation rates for two years (2007 and 2008) show a strong interannual variability with maximum net accumulation rates of 4950 mm w.e./a and 3184 mm w.e./a, respectively. These net accumulation rates are at least 4 times higher than reported mean values (1926-95) from an ice core. An elevation dependent precipitation rate of 343 mm w.e./a (2007) and 432 mm w.e./a (2008) per 100 m elevation increase was observed. Despite these rather high net accumulation rates on the main ice cap, consistent surface lowering was observed at elevations below 270 m above ellipsoid over an 11-year period. These DGPS records reveal a linear dependence of surface lowering with altitude with a maximum annual surface lowering rate of 1.44 m/a at 40 m and -0.20 m/a at 270 m above ellipsoid. These results fit well to observations by other authors and surface lowering rates derived from the ICESat laser altimeter. Assuming that climate conditions of the past 11 years continue, the small ice cap of Bellingshausen Dome will disappear in about 285 years.

Calcareous nannofossil stratigraphy, mass accumulation rates and bulk density of sediments from ODP Leg 173 sites

Drilling on the Iberia Abyssal Plain during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 173 allowed us to recover Upper Cretaceous through Paleocene sediments at Sites 1068 and 1069 and only upper Paleocene sediments at Site 1067, which expands considerably the Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene record for this region. Of these three sites, Site 1068 recovered uppermost Cretaceous sediments as well as the most complete Paleocene record, whereas Site 1067 yielded only uppermost Paleocene sediments (Zone CP8). Site 1069 provided a rather complete upper Campanian through Maastrichtian section but a discontinuous Paleocene record. After a detailed calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy was documented in distribution charts, we calculated mass accumulation rates for Holes 1068A and 1069A. Sediments in Hole 1068A apparently record the final stages of burial of a high basement block by turbidity flows. Accumulation rates through the Upper Cretaceous indicate relatively high rates, 0.95 g/cm**2/k.y., but may be unreliable because of the lack of datum points and/or possible hiatuses. Accumulation rates in the Paleocene section of Hole 1068A fluctuated every few million years from lower (~0.35 g/cm**2/k.y.) to higher rates (~0.85 g/cm**2/k.y.) until the latest Paleocene, when rates increased to an average of ~2.0 g/cm**2/k.y. Mass accumulation rates for the Upper Cretaceous in Hole 1069A indicate a steady rate of ~0.60 g/cm**2/k.y. from 75 to 72 Ma. There may have been one or more hiatuses between 72 and 68 Ma (combined Zone CC24 through Subzone CC25b), as indicated by the very low accumulation rate of 0.15 g/cm**2/k.y. The Paleocene section of Hole 1069A does not show the same continuous record, which may result from fluctuations in the carbonate compensation depth and poor recovery (average = 40%). Zones CP4 and CP5 are missing within a barren interval; this and numerous other barren intervals affect the precision of the nannofossil zonation and calculation of mass accumulation rates. However, in spite of these missing zones, mass accumulation rates do not seem to indicate the presence of hiatuses as the rates for this barren interval average ~1.0 g/cm**2/k.y. This study set out to test the hypothesis that a reliable biostratigraphic record could be constructed from sediments derived from turbidity flows deposited below the carbonate compensation depth. As illustrated here, not only could a reliable biostratigraphic record be determined from these sediments, but sedimentation and mass accumulation rates could also be determined, allowing inferences to be drawn concerning the sedimentary history of this passive margin. The reliability of this record is confirmed by independent verification by the establishment of a magnetostratigraphy for the same cores.

Elastoplastic consolidation at finite strain. Part 2: finite element implementation and numerical examples

A mathematical model for finite strain elastoplastic consolidation of fully saturated soil media is implemented into a finite element program. The algorithmic treatment of finite strain elastoplasticity for the solid phase is based on multiplicative decomposition and is coupled with the algorithm for fluid flow via the Kirchhoff pore water pressure. A two-field mixed finite element formulation is employed in which the nodal solid displacements and the nodal pore water pressures are coupled via the linear momentum and mass balance equations. The constitutive model for the solid phase is represented by modified Cam—Clay theory formulated in the Kirchhoff principal stress space, and return mapping is carried out in the strain space defined by the invariants of the elastic logarithmic principal stretches. The constitutive model for fluid flow is represented by a generalized Darcy's law formulated with respect to the current configuration. The finite element model is fully amenable to exact linearization. Numerical examples with and without finite deformation effects are presented to demonstrate the impact of geometric nonlinearity on the predicted responses. The paper concludes with an assessment of the performance of the finite element consolidation model with respect to accuracy and numerical stability.