Cabinets and culture: Victorian anthropology and the museum context

Collections of material artifacts played a central institutional and intellectual role in Victorian anthropology. Ethnological theory argued that evolution in material technology recapitulated broader patterns of social evolution. Arrangement of artifacts into developmental typologies thereby provided heuristic exemplars by which theorists could chart the path of broader institutional change. Museums, in consequence, became centers for professional research and advancement. The central theoretical and disciplinary role of collections was tied to evolutionary theory. As the latter lost its preeminence in the first quarter of the twentieth century, so did museum settings decline in significance.     

Long-tailed macaques avoid conflicts during short-term crowding

Crowding has been viewed as a factor eliciting increased levels of aggression and tension in gregarious animals. The present study tested predictions derived from two models, the “density/aggression” model and the “active coping” model, which have been proposed to explain the responses of primates to crowding. In particular, we investigated the responses of a well-established group of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to short-term crowding. The group was periodically crowded for 2-3 hr into a familiar area. Control observations were carried out when the monkeys were in a six times larger enclosure. Data from 42 individuals belonging to different age-sex classes showed that only mild forms of aggression increased under the crowded condition. Crowding also resulted in a decrease in counteraggression, allogrooming, playing, and exploring the environment, while it produced an increase in huddling with companions. The frequency of reconciliation and redirection was not affected by crowding. These findings do not support either of the models but suggest that macaques adopt a “conflict-avoidance strategy” during short-term crowding. They reduce the risk of severe aggression in an environment where interindividual distances are small by simply decreasing the level of activity. Interestingly, however, when aggression occurs during crowding, tension reduction mechanisms such as reconciliation and redirection are used as often as in control conditions. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Illusory correlation and attitude-based vested interest

The present studies test whether having a ‘vested interest’ in a particular outcome affects perceived covariation. Vested interest was defined as a function of whether Dutch university students were in favour or against the implementation of a threatening policy (receiving lectures in English as opposed to the native Dutch). In both studies subjects were told that this policy would be tried out at either their own or another comparable university, and that the university chosen would be the one with the greatest proportion of support for the plan. In Study 1 subjects (n = 151) were presented with statements expressing pro or contra attitudes and arguments to the policy. These were ostensibly derived from students at both universities but university affiliation was not indicated. In Study 2 (n = 114) similar information was provided but the statements were attributed to students from the two universities, such that there was an equal proportion of opposition/support for the plan at both universities. We hypothesized that illusory correlations would reflect the vested interest of attitude such that students opposing the policy would overestimate the proportion of opponents to supporters at their own university compared to those in favour of the policy. The results of both studies supported our hypothesis and they also revealed attitude to be a more important predictor of illusory correlation than perceived personal consequences for themselves. The prediction that illusory correlations would be weaker in Study 2 than in Study 1, because it provides less scope for bias, was not supported. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Ottoman Women's Organizations: Sources of the past,sources for the future

In this article the author argues that for a full understanding of the women's movement in the Ottoman empire research on Ottoman women's organizations is essential. Based on her own research on the topic so far, she lists the potential sources for such research and their pitfalls and calls for (international) cooperation on the topic.     

A clinical comparative study evaluating the effect of epilepsy versus ADHD on timed cognitive tasks in children.

Both children with epilepsy and children with ADHD may be characterized by slowing on reaction-time measurement. This is of particular interest, as neuropsychological assessment is often requested in the differential diagnosis between children with short non-convulsive epileptic seizures and children with ADHD. In this study we attempt to identify patterns of impairment on timed tasks that are specific for epilepsy, relative to ADHD. This study was an open, controlled parallel-group clinical investigation which included two groups of patients: 60 children with ADHD and 60 children with epilepsy. These children were compared with a control group (n=30) on two types of timed cognitive tasks: tasks with low information load (simple reaction-time measurement) and tasks with high information load (multiple decision reaction-time measurement). The simple reaction-time measurements show significant differences between ADHD and controls (all except for visual RT non-dominant hand) and between epilepsy and controls (only one test). No significant differences were found between epilepsy and ADHD. The two tests with high information load show significant slowing compared with the controls for epilepsy on the Binary Choice Reaction-Time Test and for ADHD on the Visual Searching Test. On both tests also the differences between epilepsy and ADHD are significant. The two tests in combination have a relatively satisfactory potential to classify the children with ADHD (75% correct classification) and the children with epilepsy (55% correct classification). We may conclude that complex reaction-time tests (i.e., timed tasks with high information load) have potential for assessing the differential impact of ADHD and epilepsy on attentional function. These tasks specifically reveal general slowing for children with epilepsy and slowing as an effect of failures of inhibitory self control on unstructured tasks for ADHD.     

Rhetorical Analysis Within a Pragma-Dialectical Framework

The paper reacts against the strict separation between dialectical and rhetorical approaches to argumentation and argues that argumentative discourse can be analyzed and evaluated more adequately if the two are systematically combined. Such an integrated approach makes it possible to show how the opportunities available in each of the dialectical stages of a critical discussion have been used strategically to further the rhetorical aims of the speaker or writer. The approach is illustrated with the help of an analysis of an `advertorial' published by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.     

The social network of solidarity with migrants: The role of perceived injunctive norms on intergroup helping behaviors

Using an ego-centered network approach, we examine across two studies whether and how injunctive network norms—behaviors that are approved by alters—are related to majority members’ decisions to participate in helping actions supporting migrants. We hypothesize that the more people perceive their personal social networks as positive toward humanitarian actions for migrants, the more they consider their opinions on migration issues as self-defining, and the more they are willing to mobilize in helping behaviors. With a name generator approach, we collected personal social network data among majority members of Belgian, mobilized volunteers (Study 1, N = 204) and Swiss, non-mobilized participants (Study 2, N = 247). Results demonstrate the impact of injunctive network norms in promoting and maintaining helping actions for migrants, and the role of self-defining attitudes. Overall, the results highlight the importance of injunctive norms within personal social networks for participation in intergroup helping behaviors.     

Distancing from a stigmatized social identity: State of the art and future research agenda on self-group distancing

Despite equal rights, minority groups such as ethnic minorities, LGBTQ + people, and people with mental or physical disabilities face discrimination on a day-to-day basis in subtle and hard-to-recognize forms. As discrimination slips beneath the surface, it becomes difficult to fight the stigma using collective social identity coping mechanisms. Instead, individual mobility responses such as distancing the self from the stigmatized identity (“self-group distancing”) become more viable as a way to improve one's individual standing. In this overview of the state of the art, we take a social identity lens to reflect on the current empirical knowledge base on self-group distancing as a coping mechanism and provide a framework on what self-group distancing is; when, where and why self-group distancing likely occurs; and what its consequences are at the individual and the collective level. The contributions in this special issue provide novel insights into how these processes unfold, and serve as a basis to set a future research agenda, for example on what can be done to prevent self-group distancing (i.e., interventions). Together, the insights highlight that while self-group distancing may seem effective to (strategically and temporarily) alleviate discomfort or to improve one's own position, on a broader collective level and over time self-group distancing tends to keep the current unequal social hierarchy in place.