The International Law of Culture : Prospects and Challenges

This is a conference review of an event on the international law of culture, which took place in late May 2012 at the University of Göttingen, Germany. The review provides context to it considering the complex landscape of international initiatives of hard and soft law nature, which address culture and their impact on the environment, where cultural rights are to be exercised.

Cytokine induction in human mononuclear cells stimulated by IgG-coated culture surfaces and by IgG for infusion

The effect of IgG on cytokine production by human mononuclear cells (MNC) was studied. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) was determined both by bioassay and by immunoassay. Interleukin-1 (IL1) was measured by a thymocyte costimulator assay, which was shown to be completely inhibitable by polyclonal anti-IL1. Precautions were taken to avoid inadvertent exposure of the studied cells to endotoxin. In a first model, TNF and IL1 production by adherent MNC in IgG-coated cluster plates were determined. IgG induced a strong TNF response, usually leveling off after 6 hr, and was comparable in kinetics and magnitude with an LPS-induced response. The thymocyte co-stimulatory activity response was relatively weak and peaked at 6 hr. In contrast, LPS-induced co-stimulatory activity production steadily increased over 24 hr. In a second model, MNC in suspension cultures containing autologous serum were exposed to IgG for intravenous use (IgG-IV). Cells exposed to IgG-IV produced higher amounts of cytokines than control counterparts and were primed for enhanced production of cytokines upon a second, unrelated stimulus. This implies that the effect of IgG-IV on suspended MNC resembles that of surface-adsorbed IgG and raises the possibility that cytokine release is an integral part of the mechanism of action of infused IgG. Evidence is presented suggesting that both surface IgG and IgG-IV act directly on monocytes, in a Fc-dependent manner.

Introduction: Sociolinguistics and tourism - mobilities, markets, multilingualism

In the introduction to this special issue on Sociolinguistics and Tourism, we focus on language in tourism as an important window into contemporary forms of economic, political, and social change. Our aim is twofold: (1) to establish and extend ‘sociolinguistics and tourism’ as another social and applied domain of sociolinguistic research; and (2) to use tourism as a lens for a broader discussion of the sociolinguistics of late modernity. To this end, we outline the contours of language and tourism research to date; we consider the (re)conceptualization of key thematics or notions in sociolinguistic research – such as ‘community’, ‘identity’, and ‘language’ itself – as particularly germane to the study of tourism's fleeting encounters; we examine the inevitable tensions between commodification and authenticity; and we explore the links between performances of ‘self’ and ‘other’, and the contestation of different identity positions with regard to social actors’ multilingual repertoires. We illustrate these issues with data examples from several tourist sites, where multilingual resources are deployed for identification, authentication and commodification. Finally, we briefly introduce the papers in this special issue and conclude by commenting on some sociolinguistic consequences of the study of language/s in tourism.

Land acquisition, investment, and development in the Lao coffee sector: Successes and failures

Despite the increasing acknowledgment of scholars and practitioners that many large-scale agricultural land acquisitions in developing countries fail or never materialize, empirical evidence about how and why they fail to date is still scarce. Too often, land deals are portrayed as straightforward investments and their success is taken for granted. Looking at the coffee sector in Laos, the authors of this article explore dimensions of the land grab debate that have not yet been sufficiently examined. Coffee concessionaires in southern Laos often fail to use all of the land granted them and fail to produce high yields on the land they do use. Thus, the authors challenge the often-assumed superiority and effectiveness of large-scale versus small-scale production, specifically the argument that they modernize agricultural production and optimize land use. They argue that examining failed investments is as important as studying successful ones for understanding the implications of the land grabbing phenomenon for social, economic, and environmental outcomes. Knowledge about the scale of “failed land deals” provides important motivation for national governments to close the gap between intentions and actual outcomes. This article engages with the current debate on quality of investment and challenges the approach of employing land concessions as a vehicle for economic development in the Lao coffee sector and in other sectors and countries.

C4I Culture Assessment and Transition

Assessing Culture at UCHC: A Survey If you were working at UCHC in the spring of 2005, you may remember a survey that was mailed to your home asking for your thoughts and feelings about the “culture” at UCHC. The survey included questions about our culture: Job satisfaction, employee working conditions, diversity, and the quality/safety of the care we deliver to our patients. The survey was funded by the Connecticut Health Foundation and sponsored by the Office of Diversity Programs and C4I.

When Wells Run Dry: Water and Tourism Along the Western Coast of Nicaragua

This dissertation uses a political ecology approach to examine the relationship between tourism development and groundwater in southwest Nicaragua. Tourism in Nicaragua is a booming industry bolstered by ‘unspoiled’ natural beauty, low crime rates, and government incentives. This growth has led to increased infrastructure, revenue, and employment opportunities for many local communities along the Pacific coast. Not surprisingly, it has also brought concomitant issues of deeper poverty, widening gaps between rich and poor, and competition over natural resources. Adequate provisions of freshwater are necessary to sustain the production and reproduction of tourism; however, it remains uncertain if groundwater supplies can keep pace with demand. The objective of this research is to assess water supply availability amidst tourism development in the Playa Gigante area. It addresses the questions: 1) are local groundwater supplies sufficient to sustain the demand for freshwater imposed by increased tourism development? and 2) is there a power relationship between tourism development and control over local freshwater that would prove inequitable to local populations? Integrating the findings of groundwater monitoring, geological mapping, and ethnographic and survey research from a representative stretch of Pacific coastline, this dissertation shows that diminishing recharge and increased groundwater consumption is creating conflict between stakeholders with various levels of knowledge, power, and access. Although national laws are structured to protect the environment and ensure equitable access to groundwater, the current scramble to secure water has powerful implications on social relations and power structures associated with tourism development. This dissertation concludes that marginalization due to environmental degradation is attributable to the nexus of a political promotion of tourism, poorly enforced state water policies, insufficient water research, and climate change. Greater technical attention to hydrological dynamics and collaboration amongst stakeholders are necessary for equitable access to groundwater, environmental sustainability, and profitability of tourism.