Indigenous universities and the construction of interculturality: the case of the Peasant and Indigenous University Network in Yucatan, Mexico

“Interculturality” has become a key concept in the conceptualising and struggling for new relationships between dominant and subordinated identities and knowledges in Latin America. My research is based on a collaborative effort to document and examine how “interculturality” is realised as a “dialogue between equal actors and knowledges” in the creation of Indigenous and Intercultural Universities. It follows a multi-level analysis that begins by interrogating the diverse ways in which different education projects formulate and negotiate their “interculturality” in the Latin American region. It pays particular attention to the political dimensions of “dialogue” by examining the diverse engagements between social actors, discourses and agendas. Secondly, it focuses on the specific design and development of the Peasant and Indigenous University Network (UCI-Red for its Spanish acronym) as a case study. UCI-Red promotes and supports endogenous and sustainable development processes in different micro-regions of the Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico. This is a collective project where Mexican Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) have become engaged and allied with Yucatec Mayan peasants. “Interculturality” has become one of the main principles of their definition of sustainable development and it has been assimilated into their practice of development promotion. After examining the intellectual trajectories and the perspectives on “culture”, “identity” and “learning” of the organisations involved in UCI-Red, I argue that a deeper understanding of cultural difference that goes beyond discursive and objectifying definitions of identity and knowledge is needed. Indigenous knowledge is a notion that involves not only concepts and principles but most importantly embodied forms of knowing, social and symbolic practices, and a particular ideal of personhood. Hybrid forms of learning can and must be constructed in continuity with these overlooked epistemologies if education projects want to commit to a true “dialogue between knowledges”

Influence of hydrogen bonds and temperature on dielectric properties

Dielectric properties are evaluated by means of molecular dynamics simulations on two model systems made up of dipolar molecules. One of them mimics methanol, whereas the other differs from the former only in the ability to form hydrogen bonds. Static dielectric properties such as the permittivity and the Kirkwood factor are evaluated, and results are analyzed by considering the distribution of relative orientations between molecular dipoles. Dipole moment–time correlation functions are also evaluated. The relevance of contributions associated with autocorrelations of molecular dipoles and with cross-correlations between dipoles belonging to different molecules has been investigated. For methanol, the Debye approximation for the overall dipole moment correlation function is not valid at room temperature. The model applies when hydrogen bonds are suppressed, but it fails upon cooling the nonassociated liquid. Important differences between relaxation times associated with dipole auto- versus cross-correlations as well as their relative relevance are at the root of the Debye model breakdown.Postprint (author's final draft

Spatial correlations in nonequilibrium reaction-diffusion problems by the Gillespie algorithm

We present a study of the spatial correlation functions of a one-dimensional reaction-diffusion system in both equilibrium and out of equilibrium. For the numerical simulations we have employed the Gillespie algorithm dividing the system in cells to treat diffusion as a chemical process between adjacent cells. We find that the spatial correlations are spatially short ranged in equilibrium but become long ranged in nonequilibrium. These results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions from fluctuating hydrodynamics for a one-dimensional system and periodic boundary conditions.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Game Transfer Phenomena in video game playing: a qualitative interview study

Video game playing is a popular activity and its enjoyment among frequent players has been associated with absorption and immersion experiences. This paper examines how immersion in the video game environment can influence the player during the game and afterwards (including fantasies, thoughts, and actions). This is what we describe as Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP). GTP occurs when video game elements are associated with real life elements triggering subsequent thoughts, sensations and/or player actions. To investigate this further, a total of 42 frequent video game players aged between 15 and 21 years old were interviewed. Thematic analysis showed that many players experienced GTP, where players appeared to integrate elements of video game playing into their real lives. These GTP were then classified as either intentional or automatic experiences. Results also showed that players used video games for interacting with others as a form of amusement, modeling or mimicking video game content, and daydreaming about video games. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate how video games sometimes triggered intrusive thoughts, sensations, impulses, reflexes, optical illusions, and dissociations

Latitudinal variation of foF2 hysteresis of solar cycles 20, 21 and 22 and its application to the analysis of long-term trends

F2 monthly median values for equinoctial months of solar cycles 20, 21 and 22, were analyzed for 37 worldwide stations. For each solar cycle and for a given , the difference between F2 in the falling branch of the cycle and the corresponding value of the rising branch is evaluated. The maximum difference, considered as the hysteresis magnitude, varies systematically with geomagnetic latitude. The pattern is similar for every cycle, with greater hysteresis magnitudes for stronger solar cycles. It is positive between 45S and 45N, with minimum values at equatorial latitudes and maximum at around 25-30 on either side of the equator. For latitudes greater than 50 negative values are observed. At around 25?30 and at high latitudes the hysteresis magnitude reaches 2MHz for solar cycle with high activity levels, which represents around 20% of F2. The effects of F2 hysteresis on the analysis of long-term data sequences is analyzed. In the case of long-term trend analysis, the hysteresis behavior may induce spurious trends as a consequence of the filtering processes applied to F2 time series previous to trend values estimation. This problem may be solved by considering time series covering several solar cycles. F2 monthly median values for equinoctial months of solar cycles 20, 21 and 22, were analyzed for 37 worldwide stations. For each solar cycle and for a given Rz, the difference between F2 in the falling branch of the cycle and the corresponding value of the rising branch is evaluated. The maximum difference, considered as the hysteresis magnitude, varies systematically with geomagnetic latitude. The pattern is similar for every cycle, with greater hysteresis magnitudes for stronger solar cycles. It is positive between 45S and 45N, with minimum values at equatorial latitudes and maximum at around 25?30 on either side of the equator. For latitudes greater than 50 negative values are observed. At around 25?30 and at high latitudes the hysteresis magnitude reaches 2MHz for solar cycle with high activity levels, which represents around 20% of F2. The effects of F2 hysteresis on the analysis of long-term data sequences is analyzed. In the case of long-term trend analysis, the hysteresis behavior may induce spurious trends as a consequence of the filtering processes applied to F2 time series previous to trend values estimation. This problem may be solved by considering time series covering several solar cycles.Fil: Ortiz de Adler, Nieves del Carmen. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Elias, Ana Georgina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentin