The Beautiful and the Common: Inequalities of Value and Revolving Hierarchy among the Kayapó

This paper addresses the nature of hierarchy in indigenous Amazonian and Central Brazilian societies. It takes as its point of departure an analysis of the production and distribution of social value among the Kayapó, considered as representative of the Gê and similar societies like the Mundurucú, Tapirapé, Karajá, and Bororo. This analysis proceeds from the proposition that “production” in such societies is primarily organized as the process of forming social persons and the values associated with their attributes. It proceeds to show how these values are unequally distributed through an exploitative institutional structure based on matri-uxorilocal residence and the subordination of junior affines to senior parents-in-law. Communal institutions (age sets, men’s houses, the chieftaincy, and collective ceremonial) form a superstructure composed of the semiotically hypostatized forms of these exploitative relations. This superstructure, at the same time, makes possible the realization of the values imbued in them, through a series of stylized performances of collective ceremonies, dance, and specialized modes of discourse. This set of stereotypic behaviors includes the collective sexual abuse and control of women’s sexuality by men. It is also embodied in the forms of cosmology and ritual. It is suggested that other Amazonian societies that lack the structures of the large Gê and Bororo villages nevertheless embody most of the same structural principles, albeit in different institutional forms. Este papel trata da natureza da hierarquia nas sociedades indígenas da Amazônia. Toma como ponto de partida um análise da produção e distribuição do valor social entre os Kayapó, tomando este como representativo do tipo “Central-Brasileiro,” abrangindo os Gê, Bororo, Tapirapé, Mundurucú, e Karajá. Este análise basea-se na posição de que “produção” nestas sociedades é organizada primáriamente como o processo de formação de pessoas sociais, e os valores imbuidos nos seus atributos. O análise continua explicando como estes valores são desigualmente distribuidos pela ação de uma superestrutura baseada nas práticas de residência pós-marital matri-uxorilocal e a subordinação de afins juniores aos sogros e sogras seniores. Instituições comunais (classes de idade, casas dos homens, o papel do chefe, e ceremonias coletivas) compõem uma superestrutura composta de formas semióticamente hipostatizadas destas relações exploradoras. Esta mesma superestrutura, à mesma vez, torna possível a realização dos valores imbuidos nestas formas, através de uma série de ‘performances’ de ceremonias coletivas, danças, e modas de discurso especializadas. Este conjunto de comportamentos estéreotipados inclui o abuso e controle da sexualidade feminina por homens. O mesmo conjunto constitui também as estruturas básicas de cosmologia e ritual. Sugero que outras sociedades Amazônicas, que não mostram os traços típicos das aldeias grandes e dos complexos institucionais e ceremoniais dos Gê, portanto compartilham os mesmos princípios estruturais, não obstante por meio de formas de relações sociais differentes

Lo bello y lo común: desigualdades de valor y jerarquía rotativa entre los kayapó

Para explicar la organización jerárquica de los pueblos indígenas amazónicos y del Brasil central, entre los que se encuentran los kayapó, el autor argumenta que dichos sistemas jerárquicos (en ausencia de “economías”) están basados en la reificación y explotación de las funciones femeninas y su rol reproductivo, y que sólo pueden ser entendidos como una “economía política de personas”. Este es un sistema jerárquico “rotatorio” en el que no se produce la apropiación de excedente material, sino de formas objetivadas de valor -“poder” y “belleza”- en un proceso común, conformado por unidades de “tiempo de producción socialmente necesario”, definidas y reconocidas por ritos colectivos de passage. El control masculino sobre la sexualidad femenina a nivel de hogar, sobre el que se basa dicha jerarquía, trasciende a toda la comunidad cuando la estructura de la familia y del grupo familiar extenso se proyectan simbólicamente sobre la comunidad en los ritos de passage, en las ceremonias y en los grupos comunales que las celebran, incluso en el propio cosmograma de la aldea kayapó. ¿Se trata en definitiva de que los lazos emocionales y sexuales personales o individuales entre géneros, que forman el nivel más bajo de la estructura social, no amenacen la organización social kayapó ni su estabilidad y paz comunal?In order to explain the hierarchical organisation of the indigenous peoples of Amazonian and Central Brazil, like the Kayapo, The author argues that such hierarchical systems, (in the absence of “economies”) are based upon the reification and objectification of female functions and women’s maternal role, and can be only fully understood as “political economies of persons” . That is, a system in which a material surplus is not appropriated, but a surplus of objectified forms of value: “power” and “beauty”. It is a “revolving” hierarchical system in which the Kayapo persons produce themselves as such through a common process, conformed by “units of socially necessary production time” formally defined and recognised by collective rituals of passage. The male control upon female sexuality at household level, which is the basis of this system, transcends all the community when the family and the extend family group structure are symbolically projected on the community in rites of passage, ceremonies and communal groups who celebrate it, even in the layout and cosmogram of the Kayapo village. Would this be an attempt to “encompass” personal, emotional and sexual ties between genders, ties that conform the lower level in the social structure, that could be a threat to the Kayapo social organisation, its stability or its communal peace

PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION PROTECTION: DEVELOPING A STRATEGY FOR MULTIPLE PRODUCERS OF REGIONAL SPECIALTY CROPS

Specialty crops grown by multiple producers are often viewed by consumers as differentiated products that command a price premium. Since price premiums are dependent upon differentiation of an item from generic counterparts, specialty crops must have distinctive identities that cannot be copied or mimicked by others. Trademarks are normally employed to differentiate and protect products, but the limitation of trademarks to products from a single source means that differentiation of specialty crops grown by multiple producers may involve difficulties in precluding free riders from adopting the same name. Through a case study of Georgia's Vidalia Onions and an examination of producer price data, this article explores the problem of the protection of product differentiation of regional specialty crops grown by multiple producers.Agribusiness,

Defiant images: The Kaiapo appropriation of video

Este texto apresenta o trabalho de vídeo feito pelos Kaiapó, ressaltando o valor deste como um processo de mediação cultural, principalmente no sentido de mediar uma série de relações entre as sociedades Kaiapó e brasileira . O autor ressalta as diferenças entre os filmes etnográficos e os vídeos feitos pelos próprios indígenas, discutindo, também, como a noção Kaiapó de representação é utilizada durante a confecção do vídeo. Ele utiliza alguns textos de antropologia pós-moderna sobre este tema para rebater a noção de que o trabalho de "representação" é apenas um projeto ocidental. O autor aborda temas como a hibridação cultural e a objetivação, pelos Kaiapó, de sua própria cultura, transformando-a em uma identidade étnica - que acaba por tomar-se uma estratégia de relacionamento com a sociedade nacional.This paper shows the Kaiapo videomaking as a process of cultural mediation, especially concerning the mediation between Kaiapo and Brazilian societies. The author focuses on the difference between the ethnographic films and the videos made by Indians themselves. The article also discusses the uses of the Kaiapo notion of representation in the videomaking process. It debates with some of the post-modernist antluopologists denying the idea that "representation " is a western project. The author discusses the ideas of cultural hybridization, the Kaiapo objectifying their own culture as ethnic identity in a strategic process of relating to the national societ

Glomerulonephritis and autoimmune vasculitis are independent of P2RX7 but may depend on alternative inflammasome pathways

P2RX7, an ionotropic receptor for extracellular ATP, is expressed on immune cells, including macrophages, monocytes and dendritic cells and is up-regulated on non-immune cells following injury. P2RX7 plays a role in many biological processes, including production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β via the canonical inflammasome pathway. P2RX7 has been shown to be important in inflammation and fibrosis and may also play a role in autoimmunity. We have developed and phenotyped a novel P2RX7 knock-out (KO) inbred rat strain and taking advantage of the human-resembling unique histopathological features of rat models of glomerulonephritis, we induced three models of disease: nephrotoxic nephritis, experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis, and experimental autoimmune vasculitis. We found that deletion of P2RX7 does not protect rats from models of experimental glomerulonephritis or the development of autoimmunity. Notably, treatment with A-438079, a P2RX7 antagonist, was equally protective in WKY WT and P2RX7 KO rats, revealing its 'off-target' properties. We identify a novel ATP/P2RX7/K+ efflux-independent and caspase-1/8-dependent pathway for production of IL-1β in rat dendritic cells, which was absent in macrophages. Taken together, these results comprehensively establish that inflammation and autoimmunity in glomerulonephritis is independent of P2RX7 and reveals the off-target properties of drugs previously known as selective P2RX7 antagonists. Rat mononuclear phagocytes may be able to utilise an 'alternative inflammasome' pathway to produce IL-1β independently of P2RX7, which may account for the susceptibility of P2RX7 KO rats to inflammation and autoimmunity in glomerulonephritis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Academic freedom in Europe: time for a Magna Charta?

This paper is a preliminary attempt to establish a working definition of academic freedom for the European Union states. The paper details why such a definition is required for the European Union and then examines some of the difficulties of defining academic freedom. By drawing upon experience of the legal difficulties beset by the concept in the USA and building on previous analyses of constitutional and legislative protection for academic freedom, and of legal regulations concerning institutional governance and academic tenure, a working definition of academic freedom is then derived. The resultant definition which, it is suggested, could form the basis for a European Magna Charta Libertatis Academicae, goes beyond traditional discussions of academic freedom by specifying not only the rights inherent in the concept but also its accompanying duties, necessary limitations and safeguards. The paper concludes with proposals for how the definition might be tested and carried forward

Academic freedom: in justification of a universal ideal

This paper examines the justification for, and benefits of, academic freedom to academics, students, universities and the world at large. The paper surveys the development of the concept of academic freedom within Europe, more especially the impact of the reforms at the University of Berlin instigated by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons why the various facets of academic freedom are important and why the principle should continue to be supported

Integrative analysis of RUNX1 downstream pathways and target genes

Background: The RUNX1 transcription factor gene is frequently mutated in sporadic myeloid and lymphoid leukemia through translocation, point mutation or amplification. It is also responsible for a familial platelet disorder with predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (FPD-AML). The disruption of the largely unknown biological pathways controlled by RUNX1 is likely to be responsible for the development of leukemia. We have used multiple microarray platforms and bioinformatic techniques to help identify these biological pathways to aid in the understanding of why RUNX1 mutations lead to leukemia. Results: Here we report genes regulated either directly or indirectly by RUNX1 based on the study of gene expression profiles generated from 3 different human and mouse platforms. The platforms used were global gene expression profiling of: 1) cell lines with RUNX1 mutations from FPD-AML patients, 2) over-expression of RUNX1 and CBF[Beta], and 3) Runx1 knockout mouse embryos using either cDNA or Affymetrix microarrays. We observe that our datasets (lists of differentially expressed genes) significantly correlate with published microarray data from sporadic AML patients with mutations in either RUNX1 or its cofactor, CBF[Beta]. A number of biological processes were identified among the differentially expressed genes and functional assays suggest that heterozygous RUNX1 point mutations in patients with FPD-AML impair cell proliferation, microtubule dynamics and possibly genetic stability. In addition, analysis of the regulatory regions of the differentially expressed genes has for the first time systematically identified numerous potential novel RUNX1 target genes. Conclusion: This work is the first large-scale study attempting to identify the genetic networks regulated by RUNX1, a master regulator in the development of the hematopoietic system and leukemia. The biological pathways and target genes controlled by RUNX1 will have considerable importance in disease progression in both familial and sporadic leukemia as well as therapeutic implications