Pennsylvania Folklife Vol. 39, No. 2

• The Recovery of the Feminine in an Early American Pietist Community: The Interpretive Challenge of the Theology of Conrad Beissel • A Religious and Geographical History of the Shakers, 1747-1988 • Indiana Amish Family Records • Eel for Christmas: An Italian Tradition • Recollections of Ninety-Two Years • Those Old-Time Children\u27s Days • Aldes un Neies (Old and New)https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/pafolklifemag/1126/thumbnail.jp

Looking-for-money : simple commodity production in the economy of the Tapah Semai of Malaysia

This thesis examines the nature of the articulation of the economy of the Tapah Semai, a Malaysian aboriginal (Orang Asli) group, with the wider Malaysian economy. Its primary aim is to document the extent of the market linkages to demonstrate that the prevailing image of the people as subsistence farmers with limited involvement in the market economy is misleading. This view is portrayed in the literature and is held by the Malaysian government which bases its policies in respect to Semai (and other Orang Asli) upon it. On the basis of an indepth village study and a regional socio-economic survey covering all the Semai villages in the Tapah region, it is demonstrated that the Tapah Semai are now deeply enmeshed in simple commodity production as well as commodity consumption. In a detailed examination of how a sample of six households in the study village, Sempak, allocated their time to production, it is demonstrated that the people spent treble the time on commodity production, such as fruit collecting, forest product gathering and rubber tapping, tha* they spent on subsistence production such as swiddening, fishing and hunting. It appears that the villagers allocated more time to commodity production because it was more efficient and productive than subsistence production. For the sample households in Sempak, it was found that in terms of imputed market value, subsistence production produced only one eighth the value of a equal amount of time spent in commodity production. As a result of its low productivity relative to commodity production, subsistence production is in decline. It appears that the villagers’ current focus on commodity production is also linked to their ever increasing desire and dependence on market goods. These market relations are underwritten by a pervasive system of credit and indebtedness which is necessary for the maintemcnce of regular trading relations with several middlemen. A detailed examination of the expenditure of the sample households indicates that about half of their total expenditure was on foodstuff which formed almost all of their food consumption. The commoditisation of the Semai economy is seen to have engendered several changes in intravillage social relations such as the development of private property, the ascendancy of appropriative practices, the appearance of intravillage entrepreneurial enterprises, the commodification and decline in sharing and labour cooperation, all of which are creating incipient social differentiation. This thesis ends with a discussion of the future of the Tapah Semai as simple commodity producers. Although the Semai economy is quite resilient, given its broad nature and flexibility, its continued viability is dependent upon several factors beyond the people’s control. The most crucial factor is legal tenure to an adequate land area. However unless the Malaysian government recognises the current nature of the Tapah Semai economy, the future of simple commodity production among the Tapah Semai is precarious

Microcredit, enhancement of entitlement and alleviation of poverty : an investigation into the Grameen Bank's role in Bangladesh

In developing countries, especially in Bangladesh, poor people are excluded from the formal financial sector credit services through the collateral requirement to receive a loan. Informal financial sector sources, especially moneylenders, are exploitative in nature. Therefore, poor people do not receive the minimum amount of capital, which is required to start any income generating activity, from either of the financial sector sources. The Grameen Bank initiated the microcredit programme in Bangladesh around 1976, to alleviate the poverty of poor households through providing them with the minimum amount of capital as credit without collateral and exploitation. The present study evaluates the impact of microcredit on the poverty of borrowing households. Both quasi-experimental as well as non-experimental designs have been formulated to achieve the objective. The survey-design covers one group of households (programme households), which have already received more than one loan, and another group of households (comparison households), which have just joined the programme. This study goes beyond earlier studies by developing a comprehensive framework, which covers income, consumption, assets, basic-needs, living standards, entitlement, poverty, and poverty risk of households, for assessing the impact of microcredit on the poverty of borrowing households. This study uses both subjective as well as objective measures of poverty for determining the poverty status of households. The present study compares income, consumption, basic-needs, some proxies for living standards, poverty, and poverty risk of programme households with those of comparison households to assess impacts of microcredit. On the basis of the results obtained, the study argues that microcredit increases income, consumption, expenditure, and assets of borrowing households. Through increasing income and assets, microcredit enhances entitlement of borrowing households. Microcredit also improves fulfilment of basic-needs and living standards of borrowing households. Finally, this study argues that microcredit reduces poverty risk and alleviates poverty of borrowing households significantly

Rural accessibility :women in south-west Tynedale

PhD ThesisS.W. Tynedale, a remoter rural area of the UK with a history of agricultural and industrial activity, is the location for the analysis of womens / accessibility to rural services and cultural/educational opportunities. Increasing car ownership and the decline in rural services have created difficulties for some rural women in gaining access to opportunities. Changes, through time, in the role of rural women and the space they occupy are analysed in terms of gender relations and the division of labour. Women's access to, and use of, power in S.W. Tynedale reveals a reluctance to seek political office. A survey conducted in 1981, and the 1981 Census data are used to explore the relationship between physical accessibility and the socio-economic, mobility and behavioural characteristics of women. Two indices are constructed to measure private and public transport accessibility, respectively. Although, socio-economic variables relate more to private transport accessibility, mobility and behavioural variables can be better explained in terms of public transport accessibility. A space-time approach is used in which the dimensions of the potential space-time prism in S.W. Tynedale is described and compared with the experiential prisms for three different groups of women. Using case study material an analysis of the behaviour of rural women points to the importance of the constraining and enabling mechanisms of the family support system in explaining womens' accessibility behaviour at different stages in the lifecycle. Through the application of Principal Component Analysis the underlying structure of accessibility is investigated. Nine axes of differentiation are identified including life style, life cycle, community involvement and education. Remoteness and mobility summarise the surveyed womens's location in space and ability to overcome distance. Measures of knowledge of facilities are summarised by three components _ local, town and city orientation from which space-time prisms are constructed. Distinct regional variations are apparent in the use of the resources of space and time. Finally, future possibilities for the accessibility of the two groups of rural women, the carless and the family dependent, are considered in relation to the wider stage of the political economy

Narrative Reliefs From the SW and NW Corner Pavilions of Angkor Wat.

This study examines the religious and social meaning of the reliefs from the western corner pavilions of the temple of Angkor Wat (12th century AD.). It investigates how visual narrative was articulated by the Khmer, and how the reliefs contributed to the sacredness of the temple and the consolidation Suryavarman II's kingship. In Part I (Chapterl), after a brief introduction on the political and religious status of Cambodia at the time of Suryavarman II, the Indian texts to which the stories of the reliefs refer are extensively discussed. After a critical analysis of the literature available on the reliefs of the corner pavilion, a detailed examination of the reliefs of the south-western and north-western pavilions is then presented in order to establish the base for their interpretation. For a better understanding it was essential to study, even if briefly, narrative reliefs from other sites of the temple. Part II (Chapter 1) deals with the use of semiotics, seeking a level of meaning of the reliefs underlying that revealed by iconography. Semiotics provides the possibility of an analytical practice, of describing and explaining the process and structures through which meanings are constituted. This is followed by an investigation into narration's techniques used by the Khmer in depicting events in the reliefs. Chapter 2 includes my attempt to interpret the narrative, the analysis of the arrangement and selection of the themes, and their narrative program. It results that narrative elements were fundamental components of a sacred discourse. Finally, in Chapter 3, the conclusions of the study are summarised. The reliefs are symbolic of the temporal power of the king, and affirm his right to rule the Khmer in intimate association with the divine. Moreover, they were used for creating the image of a sacred universal meaning, a visual representation of Khmer metaphysics. They were the visual manifestation of devotion to Vishnu. To Part III belong all the maps, tables and illustrations supporting the text of the thesis

Peasant farming systems in Thailand : A comparative study of rice cultivation and agricultural technology in Chiangmai and Ayutthaya.

This thesis describes and analyses two peasant rice farming systems established in the northern intermontane basins and the Chao Phraya delta of Thailand in a comparative perspective. The two distinctive farming systems, i.e. the Intermontane Basin and the Delta farming systems, are examined in ecological and socio-economic contexts with special emphasis upon the role of indigenous technology at both regional and village levels. Intensive fieldwork into the specified villages in Chiangmai and Ayutthaya provinces was conducted for 26 months mainly in 1974-75 with further visits in subsequent years. The farming systems are first examined in the ecological context by investigating physiographical and hydrological conditions, methods and practices of irrigation and the consistent process of farming operations in rice cultivation. The labour-intensive and small-scale transplanting culture of the Intermontane Basin has been founded on the traditional irrigation systems mainly developed at village level. In many parts of the Delta, however, where units of cultivation are larger, broadcast-sowing culture has been adopted which depends basically on natural precipitation and annual inundation. These contrasting farming systems, in which agricultural technology interacts with both ecological and socio-economic conditions, are in turn dominated by different forms of peasant agricultural production: subsistence production in the Intermontane Basin and petty commodity production in the Delta. The differentiation of the forms of peasant production is primarily derived from the complex of socio-economic conditions of the two farming systems stemming from the processes of land reclamation, land tenure and labour utilisation. Thus we recognise within the farming systems two structures, ecological and socio-economic, which are closely interrelated through the farming technology prevailing amongst the peasants. Structural analysis of the contrasting farming systems reveals the complex reality of Thai peasant rice cultivation. It is reasonable to assume that any problems and changes in peasant agriculture can be detected most, effectively by means of this structural approach

Tape music with absolute animated film : Prehistory and development.

Volume 2 consists of a film and slides (Apply direct to York to obtain)SIGLELD:D48862/84 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Game Theory Relaunched

The game is on. Do you know how to play? Game theory sets out to explore what can be said about making decisions which go beyond accepting the rules of a game. Since 1942, a well elaborated mathematical apparatus has been developed to do so; but there is more. During the last three decades game theoretic reasoning has popped up in many other fields as well - from engineering to biology and psychology. New simulation tools and network analysis have made game theory omnipresent these days. This book collects recent research papers in game theory, which come from diverse scientific communities all across the world; they combine many different fields like economics, politics, history, engineering, mathematics, physics, and psychology. All of them have as a common denominator some method of game theory. Enjoy

Manpower planning and labour shortages in an underdeveloped economy: An empirical analysis of manpower policies and practices of the Industrial Development Corporation Limited (INDECO) of Zambia.

This study focuses on the extent and adjustment to labour shortages in a large, publicly owned, Industrial holding company (INDECO) operating in an underdeveloped economy---Zambia---whose labour market experiences severe shortages of skilled manpower. In taking an empirical approach, we sought to test the applicability of the conventional labour market adjustment theory in the context of an underdeveloped economy. It is suggested that a systematic management of human resources through manpower planning can help to reduce the incidence of either labour shortages or surplus and thereby minimise the implied costs of either situation. We, therefore, sought to find out whether the concept of manpower planning has been adopted in INDECO and, if so, how it is viewed and practised and the problems which are encountered in its implementation. Evidence presented in this thesis suggests that skilled manpower shortages, as exemplified by recruitment difficulties and high labour turnover, are experienced in technical, engineering, accounting and managerial occupations. Skill deficiency problems also obtain among existing employees, especially those in direct production occupations. The causes of such shortages are historical, technical and institutional: colonial educational and labour policies; high demand from increased manufacturing activity after independence; inelastic supply; poor manpower utilization policies; and, for parastatal companies, a bureaucratic pay structure. In addition to reduced efficiency, the shortage of local skilled manpower have forced many companies to depend on expatriates. This is costly both in terms of foreign exchange and its distortional effects on the economic structure. While many companies favour increased supply (training) as the main adjustment instrument, the relatively cheaper forms of increasing supply (on-the-job and local training) are, however, underrated when compared to foreign training. In most companies manpower planning is synonymous with training and development. We attribute such a narrow view to the government's indi-genization policy, the lack of appropriate manpower planning skills, and that increasing supply may be the most effective way of adjusting to labour shortages. Implementing comprehensive manpower planning is also constrained by the bureaucratic pay structure, government intervention, foreign exchange problems, and, the lack of suitable manpower data. Given such constraints, we suggest some approaches to manpower planning which the INDECO companies could adopt