Sacred Civics

Sacred Civics argues that societal transformation requires that spirituality and sacred values are essential to reimagining patterns of how we live, organize and govern ourselves, determine and distribute wealth, inhabit and design cities, and construct relationships with others and with nature. The book brings together transdisciplinary and global academics, professionals, and activists from a range of backgrounds to question assumptions that are fused deep into the code of how societies operate, and to draw on extraordinary wisdom from ancient Indigenous traditions; to social and political movements like Black Lives Matter, the commons, and wellbeing economies; to technologies for participatory futures where people collaborate to reimagine and change culture. Looking at cities and human settlements as the sites of transformation, the book focuses on values, commons, and wisdom to demonstrate that how we choose to live together, to recognize interdependencies, to build, grow, create, and love—matters. Using multiple methodologies to integrate varied knowledge forms and practices, this truly ground-breaking volume includes contributions from renowned and rising voices. Sacred Civics is a must-read for anyone interested in intersectional discussions on social justice, inclusivity, participatory design, healthy communities, and future cities

Music and architecture: a composer’s perspective on form, process and product

This portfolio consists of fourteen compositions: 1. on hearing light fall (piano sextet) 2. Woven Palaces (saxophone quartet) 3. Piranesi’s Fantasies (solo piano) 4. Portrait of Marinela (8 players) 5. Hora Spoitorilor (solo viola) 6. de stamparare (solo oboe) 7. Fantasia on theme of Marinela (solo piano) 8. Caught on the Corner (wind quartet) 9. A Body is a Body is a Body Even So (SSAATTBB acapella) 10. Proprioception (symphony orchestra) 11. Nacre Voit (string quartet and trumpet) 12. Cantec Tesute (14 players) 13. Ikon (solo clarinet) 14. Traffick – excerpts: Sc.1 Mother(s) and Daughter(s) // Sc. 2 Road Kill (chamber opera) In these pieces I explore a variety of compositional processes and show how I aim find a rationale to realise a poetic, abstract architectural idea. Whilst there are a variety of separate ‘leitmotifs’ in my output there is a clear distinction between both the technical and expressive concerns that results in a hierarchical level in the compositional process. The larger-scale, structure-specific translation of architectural spaces into my musical composition is of paramount importance whilst my interest in the trumpet timbre and a particular anonymous Romanian folk theme Hora Spoitorilor are material-specific, creative springboards and used more intuitively. The more technical ‘environmental’ concerns are a method for organising the intuitive use of particular sonorities and the melodic and rhythmic qualities of the folk tune. Modern art and architecture deals with the sensuous relationship between space and artistic experience as well as the notion of drawing a concept of space into the work itself, not just symbolically, but experientially. In a similar way I draw on particular sonorities of the trumpet timbre, and the instrument’s associations with light, by mapping these sensuous associations to my treatment of, and appreciation of, its sound whilst still continuously focusing on architectural ideas as subjective metaphors in my work. Although each piece does prescribe its own terms, in-as-much that it stands in its own right, this thesis will look at the role of the pieces as ‘satellite’ works surrounding the final work Traffick. My in-depth research into particular sonorities, harmonic progressions, orchestration, and augmentation and diminution of rhythmic devices are all compositional processes that have informed my writing in Traffick. Each piece is also contextualised with other works of art and artistic ideas. This exchange is sometimes with painting or sculpture but most importantly for this work with architecture and philosophical writings on architecture

Sacred Civics

Sacred Civics argues that societal transformation requires that spirituality and sacred values are essential to reimagining patterns of how we live, organize and govern ourselves, determine and distribute wealth, inhabit and design cities, and construct relationships with others and with nature. The book brings together transdisciplinary and global academics, professionals, and activists from a range of backgrounds to question assumptions that are fused deep into the code of how societies operate, and to draw on extraordinary wisdom from ancient Indigenous traditions; to social and political movements like Black Lives Matter, the commons, and wellbeing economies; to technologies for participatory futures where people collaborate to reimagine and change culture. Looking at cities and human settlements as the sites of transformation, the book focuses on values, commons, and wisdom to demonstrate that how we choose to live together, to recognize interdependencies, to build, grow, create, and love—matters. Using multiple methodologies to integrate varied knowledge forms and practices, this truly ground-breaking volume includes contributions from renowned and rising voices. Sacred Civics is a must-read for anyone interested in intersectional discussions on social justice, inclusivity, participatory design, healthy communities, and future cities

Interpreting the Traditional Jewellery of Bedouin in Oman through Contemporary Jewellery Practice

Although traditional Omani jewellery is considered to be one of the invaluable crafts in the cultural heritage of the Sultanate, contemporary jewellery has been overlooked. Omani traditional jewellery has maintained the same designs for centuries. The market for this jewellery has decreased significantly. Previous studies dealt with traditional Omani jewellery only as objects. The women’s role in the production of traditional Omani jewellery has not been investigated before. The leather parts of Omani traditional jewellery are generally overlooked in previous studies. The aim of this research is to understand the subjective values associated with Omani traditional jewellery, based on the knowledge acquired from oral interviews with Bedouin women who are both makers and wearers of this jewellery. The study then seeks to interpret this traditional Bedouin jewellery through contemporary jewellery practice. The methodology employed in this study is practice-based research that builds on knowledge developed through fieldwork. The study involved both ethnographic and auto-ethnographic research. Fieldwork undertaken in Oman explored the role of women in the production of traditional Omani jewellery and identified 14 subjective values in traditional Bedouin jewellery. The fieldwork revealed a previously unexplored area of the use of eco-leather in traditional Omani jewellery. The interaction with the Bedouin women enabled the recording of traditional craft processing techniques and production of sample material. The fieldwork supported the development of a co-creation group with women craft practitioners for the production of new forms of jewellery drawing on Omani cultural traditions and materials. The fieldwork led to the formation of a co-creation group of craft practitioners. This, in turn, led to experiments using traditional techniques with novel materials facilitating the production of new forms of jewellery which draw on Omani cultural traditions and techniques. The insights gained from this research led to the development of a body of contemporary jewellery under the following themes- Jewellery and materials, Jewellery and mixed cultures; Jewellery and social practice, Jewellery and recycling and sustainability, and Jewellery and technology

Parliament Buildings: The architecture of politics in Europe

As political polarisation undermines confidence in the shared values and established constitutional orders of many nations, it is imperative that we explore how parliaments are to stay relevant and accessible to the citizens whom they serve. The rise of modern democracies is thought to have found physical expression in the staged unity of the parliamentary seating plan. However, the built forms alone cannot give sufficient testimony to the exercise of power in political life. Parliament Buildings brings together architecture, history, art history, history of political thought, sociology, behavioural psychology, anthropology and political science to raise a host of challenging questions. How do parliament buildings give physical form to norms and practices, to behaviours, rituals, identities and imaginaries? How are their spatial forms influenced by the political cultures they accommodate? What kinds of histories, politics and morphologies do the diverse European parliaments share, and how do their political trajectories intersect? This volume offers an eclectic exploration of the complex nexus between architecture and politics in Europe. Including contributions from architects who have designed or remodelled four parliament buildings in Europe, it provides the first comparative, multi-disciplinary study of parliament buildings across Europe and across history

Atlantis lost : the American experience with De Gaulle, 1958-1969

This dissertation examines the reactions in the United States to French foreign policy during de Gaulle’s presidential tenure (1958-1969). It is concerned with these reactions in the context of the history of American foreign policy and of American approaches to the transatlantic relationship. Based on the American documentary record, it responds to the following questions: How did Americans interpret de Gaulle’s policy of ‘independence’ within the larger framework of their ideas about the transatlantic relationship? How did consecutive administrations actually deal with the challenges posed within this framework by de Gaulle’s ‘independent’ foreign policy from 1958 to 1969? Did de Gaulle’s policy of ‘independence’ modify American policies towards Europe and the Atlantic alliance? How Americans judged Gaullism largely depended on whether they were liberal or conservative; as the liberal mindset was dominant during 1960s, the Franco-American disagreement must be partially understood as a clash between an American foreign policy steeped in liberal values and a French foreign policy steeped in the conservative tradition. As importantly, de Gaulle’s foreign policy contributed to a paradigm shift in American perceptions of the transatlantic relationship from the notion of an evolving Atlantic ‘community’ toward a more realistic Atlanticism primarily attuned to the national interest.LEI Universiteit LeidenReiman-De Bas Fund (administered by the Bernhard Fund) Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) John F. Kennedy Library Roosevelt Study CenterPolitical Culture and National Identit

Understanding the entrepreneur as socially constructed.

The objective of this thesis, which combines two levels of analysis, is to explore the entrepreneur as a social construct and the socially constructed nature of entrepreneurship. It builds upon a limited number of extant studies considering the socially constructed nature of entrepreneurship by focusing upon achieving a Verstehen' of these 'constructions' as articulated in stories; thereby enhancing conceptual understanding. It achieves this by concentrating upon the key issues of constructionism, namely narrative and identity; and by triangulating these by using a qualitative approach and a variety of methodologies. These include social constructionism, semiotic analysis, biographical analysis, in-depth interviews, content analysis and action research. This approach is justified because, despite an increasing body of research into aspects entrepreneurial, our basic understanding of the many social facets which influence our perception of the entrepreneur remains unclear. Clarity of definition often eludes us, although we can describe and explain it in context. Consequentially, such constructions are subjective, descriptive, often nebulous and heavily reliant upon stereotype. By examining interrelated social constructs such as gender, class and ethnicity, which are embedded in and influenced by other constructs such as childhood, family, society, culture and so on this thesis extends our knowledge of entrepreneurial process. It allows us to understand subjective issues such as ethics, value, morality, legitimacy, traits, character and personality which become visible when articulated via narrative forms and storytelling mechanisms of myth, metaphor and fable. The findings suggest that our perception of entrepreneurs may owe more to narrative convention than to the lived experience of entrepreneurs. The review of academic literature, novels (fiction), biographies, autobiographies, newspaper articles, and a semiotic analysis of images and photographs associated with the entrepreneur found that although entrepreneurs are eulogised, not all practice moral entrepreneurship - thus signalling the many forms and functions of entrepreneurship, including the immoral, amoral and criminal. In identifying a universal storybook formula the thesis shows how entrepreneurial practice is influenced by heroic stereotyping and how entrepreneurship can be understood as a communicational construct; a living, evolving narrative; and enacted story. This formula spans different media with a consistency of themes and elements which demonstrates its socially constructed nature. The multi-methodology allows one to develop deeper understanding. The contribution of this thesis is the exploration of the philosophical, ideological and epistemological issues underpinning the ontology of entrepreneurship. This thesis by adapting a process of deconstructionism, analysis and reconstruction contributes by adopting a holistic approach uniting the constructionist and Verstehen' approaches as a heuristic tool through which to achieve a greater understanding of entrepreneurship as a socio-behavioural process. Moreover it considers entrepreneurial narrative as socially mediated behavioural scripts constructed from a wide range of inter-disciplinary knowledge best understood when assembled and read as a process. In taking cognisance of the individual entrepreneur as a person and in then examining psychological, sociological, demographic and linguistic factors affecting the application of entrepreneurship, the thesis maps entrepreneurial process as socially constructed. Mapping how social constructionism shapes perception necessitates looking at the practices and processes which constitute it as a socially negotiated interaction. This thesis extends knowledge of how social constructions are formed and perpetuated in society and displays originality by focusing on how social construction impact on the entrepreneurial process. The entrepreneur is often encountered in a literary format as a heroic male personage. Masculine ideology, rhetoric, mythology, and doxa reinforce this message marginalising female entrepreneurs with whom the construction may not resonate. Entrepreneurs are presented as 'likeable rogues' a perception reinforced by a semiotic pictorial format of 'bad boys' embedded in images of masculinity, class and criminality. This thesis bridges many theoretical approaches to entrepreneurship by using narrative and communication techniques to reveal how academic conceptualisations adhere to but differ from more popular concepts. The research develops a practical narrative based theory of entrepreneurship. This study presents the socially constructed nature of entrepreneurial knowledge and process in a way not done before. However, its most substantial contribution is that it takes the notion of entrepreneurial narrative, discourse, and constructions to a new level in taking cognisance of the plethora of plots, sub-plots and storylines which constitute the socially constructed narrative that is entrepreneurship

The U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 1: Invasion – Insurgency – Civil War, 2003-2006

The Iraq War has been the costliest U.S. conflict since the Vietnam War. To date, few official studies have been conducted to review what happened, why it happened, and what lessons should be drawn. The U.S. Army in the Iraq War is the Army\u27s initial operational level analysis of this conflict, written in narrative format, with assessments and lessons embedded throughout the work. This study reviews the conflict from a Landpower perspective and includes the contributions of coalition allies, the U.S. Marine Corps, and special operations forces. Presented principally from the point of view of the commanders in Baghdad, the narrative examines the interaction of the operational and strategic levels, as well as the creation of theater level strategy and its implementation at the tactical level. Volume 1 begins in the truce tent at Safwan Airfield in southern Iraq at the end of Operation DESERT STORM and briefly examines actions by U.S. and Iraqi forces during the interwar years. The narrative continues by examining the road to war, the initially successful invasion, and the rise of Iraqi insurgent groups before exploring the country\u27s slide toward civil war. This volume concludes with a review of the decision by the George W. Bush administration to “surge” additional forces to Iraq, placing the conduct of the “surge” and its aftermath in the second volume. This study was constructed over a span of 4 years and relied on nearly 30,000 pages of handpicked declassified documents, hundreds of hours of original interviews, and thousands of hours of previously unavailable interviews. Original interviews conducted by the team included President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretaries of Defense Leon Panetta and Robert Gates, Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and every theater commander for the war, among many others. With its release, this publication, The U.S. Army in the Iraq War, represents the U.S. Government\u27s longest and most detailed study of the Iraq conflict thus far.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/books/1018/thumbnail.jp

Approaching algorithmic power

Contemporary power manifests in the algorithmic. Emerging quite recently as an object of study within media and communications, cultural research, gender and race studies, and urban geography, the algorithm often seems ungraspable. Framed as code, it becomes proprietary property, black-boxed and inaccessible. Framed as a totality, its becomes overwhelmingly complex, incomprehensible in its operations. Framed as a procedure, it becomes a technique to be optimised, bracketing out the political. In struggling to adequately grasp the algorithmic as an object of study, to unravel its mechanisms and materialities, these framings offer limited insight into how algorithmic power is initiated and maintained. This thesis instead argues for an alternative approach: firstly, that the algorithmic is coordinated by a coherent internal logic, a knowledge-structure that understands the world in particular ways; second, that the algorithmic is enacted through control, a material and therefore observable performance which purposively influences people and things towards a predetermined outcome; and third, that this complex totality of architectures and operations can be productively analysed as strategic sociotechnical clusters of machines. This method of inquiry is developed with and tested against four contemporary examples: Uber, Airbnb, Amazon Alexa, and Palantir Gotham. Highly profitable, widely adopted and globally operational, they exemplify the algorithmic shift from whiteboard to world. But if the world is productive, it is also precarious, consisting of frictional spaces and antagonistic subjects. Force cannot be assumed as unilinear, but is incessantly negotiated—operations of parsing data and processing tasks forming broader operations that strive to establish subjectivities and shape relations. These negotiations can fail, destabilised by inadequate logics and weak control. A more generic understanding of logic and control enables a historiography of the algorithmic. The ability to index information, to structure the flow of labor, to exert force over subjects and spaces— these did not emerge with the microchip and the mainframe, but are part of a longer lineage of calculation. Two moments from this lineage are examined: house-numbering in the Habsburg Empire and punch-card machines in the Third Reich. Rather than revolutionary, this genealogy suggests an evolutionary process, albeit uneven, linking the computation of past and present. The thesis makes a methodological contribution to the nascent field of algorithmic studies. But more importantly, it renders algorithmic power more intelligible as a material force. Structured and implemented in particular ways, the design of logic and control construct different versions, or modalities, of algorithmic power. This power is political, it calibrates subjectivities towards certain ends, it prioritises space in specific ways, and it privileges particular practices whilst suppressing others. In apprehending operational logics, the practice of method thus foregrounds the sociopolitical dimensions of algorithmic power. As the algorithmic increasingly infiltrates into and governs the everyday, the ability to understand, critique, and intervene in this new field of power becomes more urgent