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Abstract\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONPurpose:Unaided (e.g., speech and gestures) and aided (e.g., symbol corpuses) communication modes facilitate older adults’ expression and comprehension. Adults aged 65 years and above constituted 18.27% of Taiwan’s total population in 2023; hence, prioritizing high-quality healthcare for older adults becomes critical. Commercial symbol corpuses, such as Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) and Voice Symbols (VS), play a vital role in aiding older adults with expression and comprehension in Taiwan. Previous studies on iconicity and preference of symbol corpuses have primarily been conducted in Western and South Asian cultural communities. However, these findings may not apply to all Asian communities. Hence, studies investigating these aspects in specific communities are needed. Through quantitative nonexperimental observations, we explored the iconicity of and preference for PCS and VS among 30 healthy older adults in Taiwan.Materials and Methods:A total of 12 practice words and test words each, familiar to the participants and socially and culturally validated, were selected for the developed VS–PCS iconicity and preference measurement. Verbal choices were made to select one line drawing in both measurements.Results & Conclusions:The findings revealed that VS is significantly more transparent and preferred than PCS. Accounting for the iconicity of and preferences for symbol corpuses is pivotal for symbol selection.Awareness about the learnability of the symbol corpuses being influenced by iconicity and preference, in addition to considering the needs and capabilities of older adults, within Taiwanese cultural communities is raised.Perceptions of iconicity cannot be generalized from one cultural community to another community, but transparency in symbol corpuses leads to higher preferences in similar cultural communities.Healthy older adults in Taiwan believed VS is more transparent and preferred.Awareness about the learnability of the symbol corpuses being influenced by iconicity and preference, in addition to considering the needs and capabilities of older adults, within Taiwanese cultural communities is raised.Perceptions of iconicity cannot be generalized from one cultural community to another community, but transparency in symbol corpuses leads to higher preferences in similar cultural communities.Healthy older adults in Taiwan believed VS is more transparent and preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early days of the COVID‐19 pandemic, people in England stepped outside their doors once a week to clap the National Health Service. What does this have to do with nationalism? On the face of it, nothing much: clapping exercised local, and not, national solidarities. I will show, however, that local solidarities performed in clapping rituals led to the regeneration of national imaginaries via the symbols on display and the national institutions through which pandemic experiences were channelled. My argument has three parts. First, I show that helping practices during the pandemic shaped local solidarities that found collective expression through clapping. Second, I explain how the local experiences of clapping merged with national imaginaries when performed on a national canvas with symbols that marked an imagined community of national clappers. Third, I argue that clapping was subsumed into a nascent national imaginary via nationally scoped institutions that were exercised to fight the pandemic. Whilst the local has long been appreciated as a site and source for nationalism, I have added how non‐national local practices can also be constitutive of nationalism. A global pandemic led to national imaginaries via the local solidarities that were formed by clapping for carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The result of the 1922 referendum saw the white settlers in Southern Rhodesia vote for ‘responsible government’ rather than become the fifth province of the Union of South Africa. Prior to the granting of responsible government in September 1923, the territory had been governed by the British South Africa Company. It was the company’s arms and flag which were first used in the territory. These remained true to the prescripts of the company’s charter by reflecting its British origins and character. This nascent settler identity would evolve and consolidate around an essentially British character which highlighted allegiance to the Crown. This article shows how these, and the set of national symbols subsequently adopted by the colony, were a visible manifestation of the settlers’ ‘exceptional attachment’ to Britain and a reflection of their identity as being primarily British rather than Rhodesian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alex Garland's 2024 film Civil War exemplifies how film can be considered a modern mythology, using a war movie to tell the story of the hero's journey with a mother archetype as the hero. Through an audience's shared morals and values, an impartial point-of-view, symbolism, the Jungian mother archetype, transformational imagery, ethical dilemmas and collective fears, the film functions in the way mythology does while leaving viewers questions for their own lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intersection of folklore and literature, specifically examining how a methodology developed for interpreting wondertales can be applied to a complex literary corpus, such as Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time). The discussion proposes a case study for the use of allomotifs, or interchangeable motifs, to understand symbolic patterns in Proust's literary work. The paper lays bare a widespread metaphorical field in wondertales, then follows its complications in the Proustian corpus. It suggests that Proust's œuvre, much like folklore, operates within a symbolic universe where binary oppositions, such as good and evil or male and female, are fluid and dynamic. The discussion shows that Proust's literary imagination aligns surprisingly well with the workings of folklore. This hybrid space of the imagination challenges conventional distinctions between folklore and literature, and brings to mind Lévi-Strauss' erstwhile ruminations on the pensée sauvage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Military service members (SMs) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI or concussion) frequently report cognitive and behavioral difficulties. Currently, military clinical guidelines recommend clinician-run, manualized cognitive rehabilitation (CR) to treat these symptoms; however, it is unclear whether this approach adequately addresses the unique needs of warfighters. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) programs represent an innovative, promising approach to treating cognitive difficulties; however, whether these programs can effectively remediate cognitive impairment in individuals with mTBI remains unclear. Materials and Methods A total of 65 SMs with a history of at least 1 diagnosed mTBI were recruited from a military hospital. Participants received 1 of 2 interventions: Clinician-run, manualized CR (Study of Cognitive Rehabilitation Effectiveness [SCORE]; n  = 37), consisting of 60 total intervention hours over 6 weeks, or CCT (n  = 28), in which participants trained with either a commercial CCT (n  = 14) or noncommercial CCT (n  = 14), for a total of 12 hours over 4 weeks. Participants were assessed pre- and postintervention, using a combination of self-report and objective outcome measures: Key Behaviors Change Inventory (KBCI), a self-report measure of functional difficulties; Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), an objective cognitive assessment that measures both information processing speed and sustained and divided attention; and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), an objective cognitive assessment that measures information processing speed. Results Mixed ANOVA revealed no interaction effect between intervention type and time (pre- and postassessment) on the PASAT (P  = .643, ηp2 = 0.003), SDMT (P  = .423, ηp2 = 0.010), or KBCI (P  = .434, ηp2 = 0.010); however, there was a significant within-group main effect (time) on all 3 outcome measures (PASAT P  < .001, ηp2 = 0.54; SDMT P  < .001, ηp2 = 0.25; and KBCI P  = .001, ηp2 = 0.15). On average, participants showed improvement over baseline on the PASAT (SCORE delta = 6.98, SD = 7.25, P  < .001; CCT delta = 7.79, SD = 6.45, P  < .001), SDMT (SCORE delta = 4.62, SD = 8.82, P  = .003; CCT delta = 6.58, SD = 10.81, P  = .003), and KBCI (SCORE delta = −3.22, SD = 7.09, P  = .009; CCT delta = −2.00, SD = 4.72, P  = .033). Additional analysis comparing the relative effectiveness of the 2 different CCTs revealed that while training with either program resulted in improved performance on the PASAT (P  < .001, ηp2 = 0.627), SDMT (P  = .003, ηp2 = 0.286), and KBCI (P  = .036, ηp2 = 0.158), there was no interaction effect of CCT program type and change over time for any measure (PASAT P  = .102, ηp2 = 1.00; SDMT P  = .317, ηp2 = 0.038; and KBCI P  = .719, ηp2 = 0.005). Conclusions We showed that CCT programs do not differ in efficacy compared to clinician-run, manualized CR for treating symptoms associated with mTBI; however, exploratory analyses suggest that each approach may have distinct advantages for treating specific symptoms. Additionally, we showed that the improvement in the CCT intervention did not differ between those who trained using the commercial program vs. those who trained with the noncommercial program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

National flags embody their nations' core values and beliefs but they may be perceived differently in today's increasingly polarized societies. We conducted two studies (N = 768) in the United States to examine partisan differences between Democrats and Republicans, and a third study in the United Kingdom (N = 509) between supporters of the Labour and Conservative parties. Across all three studies, we consistently found that Democrat and Labour participants (compared to their Republican and Conservative counterparts) associated their respective national flags with less positive and more negative affect and concepts. Studies 2 and 3 further showed that these partisan divides were driven by how much people associated their national flags with their political outgroup. For Democrats and Labour participants, associating their national flags with their political outgroup predicted less positive and more negative affect, but associating the flags with their political ingroup predicted more positive and less negative affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I study Guy Debord's critical discourse, particularly his landmark essay The Society of the Spectacle. He underlines here the symbolic desert produced by modern societies. I stress the uniqueness of his perspective, to the extent that such desert stems from a situation of overabundance and excess, and not from a specific void or absence. This desert constitutes a space saturated with images and signs: it asserts the rule of the superfluous and the inconsequential. Moreover, this discourse was rooted in the Glorious Thirties, which were characterized by a strong economic growth. It must therefore be placed within a historical and social context that is quite different from twenty first Century French society. Contemporary France is marred by contrast by unemployment and precariousness as well as by huge socio-economic inequalities. The endless production of media images contradicts therefore the deep shortcomings of social reality. Finally, the concept of the Spectacle, for Debord, did not include yet the overwhelming power of new technologies. These technologies have greatly expanded the influence of images within the social and cultural sphere by making them instantaneous and readily available. The same process has also increased significantly the potential alienation and isolation of man. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Logos: A Journal, of Religion, Philosophy Comparative Cultural Studies & Art (08687692) is the property of Logos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Within the framework of the presented research, the question of the manipulative potential of mass culture as a tool of political influence is raised. The methodology of the work is built based on a combination of elements of comparative, structural and descriptive analysis. The author concludes that popular culture products, even if their creators have purely commercial motives, play the role of a tool for promoting meanings and values and, due to this, are a resource for regulating the behavior and perception of the target audience. The latter turns mass culture into a product of the functioning of the orientational level of the political system. The potential of works of popular culture to develop the effect of emotional contagion contributes to the fact that the impact of broadcast content becomes as wide as possible. The high degree of dependence of the content of cultural narratives on the context and the possibility of free commentary contributes to an increase in the options for their interpretation. The result is the loss by authors and customers of works of full control over the dissemination of transmitted meanings and their interpretation.

Sequences formed by symbols are found in diverse fields, including genome sequences, written texts and computer codes. An interesting question is whether a sequence of symbols contains correlated structures. Existing methods to characterize correlations require a numerical representation of the sequence. In this regard, mapping a sequence of text into a sequence of numerical values is a key step for assessing correlation analysis. This work proposes a methodology to study correlations in a sequence of symbols. In the first step, the sequence of symbols is mapped in a multivariate numerical sequence formed by unit vectors in a vectorial space. The main feature of such mapping is that symbols are equally weighted, thus avoiding the numerical overrepresentation of symbols. In the second step, a multivariate version of the detrended fluctuation analysis is used to quantify correlations in the numerical sequence. Genome sequences (first COVID-19), written English texts and comovements between Bitcoin and gold markets were used to illustrate the proposed methodology's performance. The results showed that the balanced numerical mapping of symbolic sequences and the multivariate DFA provides valuable insights into the correlations in a sequence of symbols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure full participation of people with disabilities in research, accessibility of the instruments employed is essential. This paper describes an exploratory research which included the adaptation of the AIR Self-Determination Scale and the Promotion of Autonomous Decision-Making Scale. The adaptation was designed to enable Hebrew-speaking young adults with physical disability, autism, psychosocial disability, complex learning disabilities, deafness or hearing impairment, or blindness or visual impairment, to complete a self-report questionnaire. It included extensive wording simplifications. In addition, original Likert scales were reduced, and symbols were added to improve accessibility. The forms were modified to a coloured format with more visible headings, including use of a screen reader and additional visual adaptations. The adaptation process included three phases: questionnaire adaptation, examination of face and content validity, and a reliability assessment of the final version. The process was informed by input from young adults with disabilities. We conclude that simplified language, symbols, and visual effects should be considered when adapting questionnaires for people with disabilities. In addition, consulting with individuals with disabilities as experts by experience, should be integral to the adaptation of instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role that symbols play in facilitating or hindering institutional transformation efforts on campuses is underexplored. Through this embedded, multiple case study, we examine interview data from 52 participants at four private postsecondary institutions to investigate how power dynamics influence symbols to advance or hinder these institutional agents' work in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The findings highlight the contested nature of symbols and symbolic acts, which include (a) a disproportionate emphasis on positional leaders as symbols of opportunity, (b) complicating the idea of diversity centers as symbols of commitment, and (c) struggles to engage frameworks and strategic plans as symbols of shared vision and ownership. Specifically, we attend to how power dynamics may play a role in who/what becomes a symbol, and how symbols are interpreted in contradictory ways by different campus constituents, which have implications for how institutions can unite campus efforts toward DEI. Together, these findings present the tensions that universities must contend with as they use symbols to encourage a collective effort to advance DEI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the visual and verbal representation of the Holocaust in Israeli schoolbooks. The relations between images and texts or captions are revealed through a multimodal discourse analysis. Most photographs were transposed to Israeli schoolbooks, unattributed and de-contextualized, from Nazi archives and amateur albums. These photographs have become the icons of the Holocaust, and even the Holocaust itself, or its simulacra, for post-memory generations. Therefore, the perpetrator’s perspective often comes through as objective and factual. Schoolbooks transform these photographs to educational resources, or to means by which the state educates its young to remember. The question is, how do these images construct what the students need to remember or rather, what meaning are students prompted to make of them? In the schoolbooks, the photographs illustrate the Zionist narrative “from Holocaust to resurrection” in which the state of Israel is presented as the alternative to another Holocaust. The annihilation is graphically described in detail, but the annihilated are not narrated. Most are presented only as icons of the “final solution” and specimens of categories. This representation attests to an interest to traumatize, not to inspire mourning or arouse empathy and reverence towards the victims “we don’t want to become again”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the performance of recalling Arabic letters. Some studies suggest that the low recall performance of Arabic letters may be attributed to the inherent visual complexity of Arabic script, while others highlight poor visual attention abilities among Arabic readers.In this context, the presentstudy focuses on investigating immediate memory and the factors influencing its capacity among young Arabic readers. Immediate memory refers to the number of letters an observer can recall in a free recall task. Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of exposure time (50, 100, and 200 ms), letter spacing (0.04°, 0.36°, and 1°), and stimulustype (acquired vs. non-acquired). Acquired stimuli consisted of Arabic and Latin letters, whereas non-acquired stimuli included Amazigh letters. It is noteworthy that our participants had no prior exposure to the Amazigh language. The results revealed significant effects of exposure time, letter spacing, and stimulus type on performance in the free recall task. In light of these findings, the study provides a discussion of factors that may account for the low recall performance observed in previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dreams and temptations: Unveiling the journey to self-discovery This thesis documents the long-term psychoanalytic therapy of an adolescent patient who developed a severe depressive episode and post-traumatic stress disorder following a serious traumatic event - an abduction and experience of sexual violence. Over a period of several years, the therapeutic work is described, which not only addresses the patient's individual symptoms, but also sheds light on profound family dynamics and the development of the therapist's psychoanalytical identity. The therapy focused on processing the traumatic experience and aimed to create corrective relational experiences, strengthen self-representation and promote the ability to self-care and build supportive social relationships. The case study illustrates the complexity and challenges of psychoanalytic work with traumatized adolescents and emphasizes the need for an individually tailored approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkic Studies Journal is the property of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article underscores the unique characteristics of Krolevets woven towels, a cultural treasure long crafted in the artistic weaving centers of Krolevets in the Sumy Region. It details how these distinct features can be introduced to modern 7th-grade students in art lessons, particularly through the hands-on experience of creating a sketch of a Krolevets woven towel fragment. The article explores the possibilities of using information about artistic weaving in art lessons, offering suggested directions for introducing primary, middle, and high school students to Krolevets woven towels. It provides examples of practical tasks for different age groups, adapted from personal teaching experience in the integrated course "Art" during art lessons. The article concludes that by studying the features, structure, and symbols of the Krolevets towel and using this knowledge in their own artistic and practical activities, students connect with the history, traditions, culture, and decorative and applied arts of Ukraine. They understand the uniqueness of folk crafts from various regions and their value to modern society. Student feedback can be achieved by viewing masterworks at art exhibitions and by preparing individual and group sketches for decorating festive events, greeting cards, and invitations using Krolevets woven towel motifs. The possibility of using computer graphics in students' creative work in a remote learning format is also noted. The tasks proposed in this article are not only useful for studying art education topics but also for teaching other school subjects. The development of further recommendations in this area could be a promising avenue for future research, as the use of folk art heritage in education is a significant contribution to preserving our cultural memory, identity, unity, and our self-awareness as a Ukrainian nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropelías: Revista de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada is the property of Prensas Universitarias de Zaragoza and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper analyses various symbols used in the select novels of Mitali Perkins. The primary texts examined for the study include You Bring the Distant Near and The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen. The paper also attempts to prove that the writing itself is a symbolic action using the concept put forward by Kenneth Burke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of AmeSea International Journal is the property of Africa & Middle East Society for Education through Art and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For at least 150,000 years, the human body has been culturally modified by the wearing of personal ornaments and probably by painting with red pigment. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the brain networks involved in attributing social status from face decorations. Results showed the fusiform gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, and salience network were involved in social encoding, categorization, and evaluation. The hippocampus and parahippocampus were activated due to the memory and associative skills required for the task, while the inferior frontal gyrus likely interpreted face ornaments as symbols. Resting-state functional connectivity analysis clarified the interaction between these regions. The study highlights the importance of these neural interactions in the symbolic interpretation of social markers on the human face, which were likely active in early Homo species and intensified with Homo sapiens populations as more complex technologies were developed to culturalize the human face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dreams are a central feature of the extended realism of Ralph Ellison’s second novel, some drafts of which have been published as Three Days Before the Shooting . . . . In this novel, dreams help Ellison’s characters realize or present truths that cannot be presented in the language of straightforward realism. In a quasi- Freudian manner, Ellison’s dream narrations reveal his characters’ and novels’ most fundamental preoccupations. In this article I analyze part of a dream sequence from Book I of Three Days. This dream, had by a white liberal character, is centered on the figure of an iron groom (or hitching-post boy) who cannot be removed from the doorway to a house. I analyze the construction and function of this dream figure and narrative through the lens of (1) Ellison’s ritualist social criticism, (2) his extended-realist, tragicomic, and syncretic aesthetics, and (3) his allusive and narrative poiesis. The iron groom is constructed as a stereotype of blackness, linked to the major black characters of the novel and to figures in Ellison’s first novel. The groom-as-stereotype is subverted through verbal “signifying” and through the development of a tragicomic narrative rhythm. The dream functions to excavate the dreamer’s (and possibly the reader’s) “self-concealed racism” and to point the way toward what Ellison has called “the mystery of our unity-within- diversity.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio sensing is a key envisioned feature for next-generation wireless systems, allowing the use of communication infrastructure and air interface components to also perceive the environment. Enabling efficient use of radio access network (RAN) resources to meet various communication and sensing use case requirements is a primary goal in such systems. This article bridges the gap among RAN architecture requirements, along with radio and signal processing techniques to realize the integration of radar sensing into next-generation cellular systems, e.g., the open RAN (O-RAN) framework. Motivated by the O-RAN disaggregated architecture, this article introduces a framework to analyze sensing processing from the perspective of the radio unit (RU)–distributed unit (DU) functional split and the fronthaul throughput requirements of interfaces between RUs and DUs. Accordingly, the feasibility of adopting sensing in current architectures while meeting fronthaul throughput limitations is demonstrated. Further, it is shown that receiver (Rx) processing techniques tailored for cellular system (e.g., to enable wideband sensing over disjoint bandwidths) can efficiently fit into the DU processing framework. Evaluation results revealing detection performance gains are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems, communication signals are supposed to provide high-resolution sensing services. Toward this goal, multiband sensing has recently emerged as a promising technology that jointly utilizes multiple noncontiguous communication bands to improve the sensing performance of ISAC systems. In this article, we first introduce the multiband signal model in the presence of phase-distortion factors, discussing the challenges and benefits of multiband sensing to reveal its intrinsic properties. Then, we investigate the resolution limit and discuss a specific sensing algorithm design of multiband sensing technology, which is designed to leverage multiband gains to achieve high-resolution sensing performance. Finally, a series of open research topics is discussed, which may bring new insights for future research on multiband sensing for ISAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the influence of literary figures on the poetry of Azad Kashmir shows that there are influences of Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Persian, Arabic, Urdu and other regional languages as well as classical and modern poetry on the literature of Azad Kashmir. There are intellectual and artistic influences on the poetry of Azad Kashmir from to the present period. Some thoughts are prominent, some artistic imitation is visible. There is similar style; there is also the use of similar tone. However, all these influences despite this, the poetry of Azad Kashmir has its own individuality and its own style. Azad Kashmir's poetic capital, while being a part of the poetic tradition of Urdu language, has interesting, unique experiences and individual characteristics in terms of theme, theme, style innovation, new symbols, techniques, untouched and unique creative experiences and many other aspects. Azad Kashmir's own regional symbols and some unique experiences give its distinctive color to the poets of Azad Kashmir. Happily, the influence of movements, ideologies and personalities in the footsteps is less visible in the new generation. The poets of the new generation are actively and diligently engaged in creating their own special point of view, their own tone, their own style, and their own color. In spite of the influence of literary movements, critical schools, literary theories, poetic styles and poet personalities in the poetry of Azad Kashmir, its own color and harmony exist with all the beauty, rather, the colors and styles of the poets of Azad Kashmir are different from those of many other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methodism came to Zimbabwe in 1891. The church expanded through Eurocentric theology taught to the locals. As the mission continued to grow the indigenes became part of the Methodist ethos and theology through the contextualisation of the gospel, the localisation of worship, and the indigenisation of leadership, however, the church did not have a visible identity. When the church finally designed its logo in 1987, there was no deliberate effort to explain the meaning and significance of the insignia to its congregants. Coupled with this lack of knowledge, the logo later became the church’s trademark through kitchen utensils with the logo, clothing material, designed in different fashions of women, men, and youth regalia, billboards, and branding of different items and properties. This paper aimed to contribute to Methodist theology and scholarship by providing literature that explains the meaning and significance of the Methodist logo which is represented by a circle, the map of Zimbabwe, the cross, a scallop shell, and a dove. The paper started by presenting the methodology used to gather data. This was followed by a historical development of the logo. The paper also analysed the significance of the logo as a fundraising tool, a form of identity and a quasi-uniform in the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. In this paper, we argued that the Methodist logo represents the indelible theological insignia that directs its congregants to a deep theology of a church located within the global Wesleyan Methodist and in particular the “connexionality” of Zimbabwe. The paper concluded by forwarding that, logo(s) remain central to the identity of any organisation and members of each organisation need to have an appreciation of their identity and the meaning of their emblems if the organisation has to be theologically impactful to its congregants.

Folk heritage is one of the types of heritage arts, especially the symbol, as it is one of the most important features of folk art, and heritage is that heritage that carries the thought and culture of society in previous eras and must be preserved, understood and formulated with acontemporary artistic vision. Contemporary technical dialogue adds a modern artistic vision to business. The symbol is one of the most important features of folk art, so we rarely find a popular artwork except that the symbol in it relates to a topic in the life of the popular artist, his customs, traditions and society so the researcher believes that it requires the practice of experimentation to combine the aesthetics of textile and added fabric using the remaining fabrics and threads in order to reveal the relationships and the artistic and aesthetic capabilities of that common relationship. Except by using experimentation in art that presents different unfamiliar alternatives and solutions to reach aspects and solutions of a different aesthetic nature The current research seeks to understand and deepen the folk symbols and formulate them in innovative ways to add a kind of renewal not only in the form of the woven, but we see it in the philosophical content of the textile work, where we see it with a contemporary plastic vision based on the spirit of heritage and does not stop at the limit of imitation and repetition, but seeks to find a different template that departs from Borders of the Ordinary seeks to adapt the thought of folklore into contemporary textiles that combine texture and added texture.

This article examines a recurrent and well documented social phenomenon: the usage of national flags is intensified in periods of social instability and in contexts of marked political polarisation. Through a critical review of theoretical efforts that opened avenues to explain this phenomenon, it identifies the main theoretical barriers that have prevented its convincing explanation. One of these barriers is sustained by theoretical perspectives that disregard the search for causalities in social analysis; another barrier is erected by theoretical decisions that detach the study of the function of political symbols from the the analysis of the morphological base of society, and from social conflict and power struggles. This article argues that the explanation of the intensified usage of flags in periods of instability requires a theorisation of the function of these symbols in relation to processes of recognition and (re) constitution of strucutures of social authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Goncharov's coproduct of multiple polylogarithms to define a Lie coalgebra over an arbitrary field. It is generated by symbols subject to inductively defined relations, which we think of as functional relations for multiple polylogarithms. In particular, we have inversion relations and shuffle relations. We relate our definition to Goncharov's Bloch groups, and to the concrete model for L (F) ≤ 4 by Goncharov and Rudenko. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is intended to obtain a description of (a) the meaning of verbal and nonverbal symbols of the values contained in the Momayango Bele process, (b) the meaning of nonverbal symbols in the Momayango Bele process, and (c) the implications for learning local wisdom in schools. The study employed a descriptive method with a type of qualitative research that is used to reveal and describe how the payango tradition determines people's houses in Gorontalo and the extent to which the payango tradition is applied as well as the stages of traditional procedures in building a house. The data were obtained from informants/speakers through the interview, the recording and observation of data obtained then analyzed. Based on the research results, the Momayango Bele procession is a process of measuring and making foundation patterns and laying the first stone for house building in the Gorontalo community. The symbols in the Momayango Bele procession contain complex and deep meanings. The impact of the Momayango Bele procession on the local community is to preserve their cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first two centuries of our era constitute a period devoid of sacred images, and this aniconic phase of Christianity was not only determined by the observance of the Old Testament prohibition. The lack of interest of Jesus and the apostles towards the idea of preaching through images, the absence of information about the appearance of Christ, but also the precarious economic situation of the Christian community before the legalization of Christianity, are important factors that must be taken into account when discussing this absence of cultic representations characteristic of the first two Christian centuries. However, despite the initial aniconism, the development of the new cult in the Greco-Roman world, where images of divinities were omnipresent, led to the emergence of a Christian art. The first spaces dedicated to visual representations of the sacred are the catacombs. On the walls of the underground cemeteries, the adherents of the new religion depicted various symbols taken from the funerary repertoire of pagan imagery, which they adapted to acquire Christian significance, the cross, the fish, the vine and the lamb, included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of fashion has been affected by technology—both in the creation of new ideas and the ability to implement those ideas and distribute them. Digital technology also makes a classic fashion piece—the graphic T-shirt—easily accessible and customizable for group use. A T-shirt combines an effective method of group solidarity with visual marketing. This article analyzes what makes something "art," the development of customizable products, and how digital technology enables development and distribution, as well as how one Gannon University club created their own design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles Bally, Saussure's successor in the Chair of General Linguistics in Geneva, imagines how semiology, as sketched out by Saussure, could shed light on fashion, a sociological phenomenon. Bally defines fashion both in its own terms and in specifically linguistic ones, and revisits semiological concepts such as indexes, signs and symbols. Saussure and Bally offer different perspectives on what semiology should deal with, and the difference revolves around the notion of arbitrariness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of the article is to bring Mead’s and post-structuralists’ views closer together. Here, Symbols and discourses play an important role. Method A theoretical investigation has been conducted in Mead’s and post-structuralists’ ideas with emphasis on Michel Foucault. Moreover, various concepts such as discourse, self, subject and object may help us to reach a convergence between these two. Theoretically, the place of language and meaning as well as using various aspects of discourse and theories related to post-structuralists, in sum, will give some theoretical observations. Results When an individual is placed in a dynamic and symbolic environment, it comes out of certainty and then accepts various and even rival meanings. The issues of ‘self’, ‘subject’ and ‘society’ are Mead’s points of departure to enter into the universe of discourse that begins with two origins of ‘I’ and ‘Me’. According to Mead, representation of the ‘self’ clarifies two concepts of ‘Mind’ and ‘Reality’. Placement of the individual in collectivity, leads the person to the situation where she may see herself as an object (external) and thus, here symbols play a basic role. Even mind is formed through symbols that have been replaced with different objects and construct it. In fact, symbols enter into the mechanism of human behavior and form his/her thought. G. H. Mead believes that significant symbols and gestures assume the social process of experience and behavior in which they develop. According to Mead, the “world of discourse” implies a context in which these significant symbols and gestures have meaning. Here, Mead talks of ‘generalized other’ in the sense that an individual accepts attitude of others towards her and finally all these specific attitudes are flourished in the form of single point of view. It is obvious that Mead links the world of discourse with the concept of ‘generalized other’. All this social process is a space where symbols have a common and the same meaning for all members of the group. At the same time, social participation is formed in these conditions. The formation of mind which is a matter related to the subject, actually has an external feature based on accepting attitude of others which in turn relies on symbols. All these happen through language that provides communication and social presence. In fact, significant symbols arouse mental streams and, in this way, an individual is able to think and also, she responds to herself. Therefore, it can be said that thinking is formed through the presence of symbols as well as the social process. Conclusions On findings, it can be said that Mead’s concept of ‘social self’ has always been constructed in a social process as well as the universe of discourse and therefore, the concept of ‘self’ will accept various meanings. According to Foucault, individual or ‘subject’ has been involved in discursive sphere and eventually an integrated discursive whole is remained. Foucault has dealt with a displaced, limited and disintegrated subject and therefore, a ‘suspended’ subject as well as ‘discursive events may emerge. Emphasizing on discourse, Foucault considers improvisation of concepts to be formal, and then believes to the suspension of these discourses, in order to reach the ‘discursive events’ that constitutes his desired human sciences. In this way, making concepts and announcing them and finally, emergence of ‘discursive act’ becomes important. Therefore, discourses and their constituent concepts having functional features, each of which plays a role in the whole discursive feature. Because of the historical importance of functions in the making of concepts, Foucault is indifference about structures, that is to say, he studies the formation process of those concepts and also complexities hidden behind them. Mead believes that in the formation of self, the issues of experience and social behavior are of great importance. At the same time, social functions are essential features that play an important role in their creations. Mead says that an individual does not respond to every kind of stimulus, rather, she responds only to some of them and language shows the process of the motivation released by the individual. Symbols are used as mediators by language, and as a result of this use, the social self of the individual is shown. By emphasizing the formation of the discourse, Foucault emphasizes the phenomenon of language and highlights discourses. Language has become a complex phenomenon. Before Foucault, Mead discussed about the object and paid attention to the formation of the subject and the mind through objects (symbols). Here we see that G. H. Mead’s intended object, which creates the mind and thinking through symbols, coexist with Foucault’s multiple and unstable subject. Both find each other in the outside world through symbols. There is an important point that is emphasized throughout this article. In fact, we have two notions of symbol and discourse; understanding the former is simple and the latter is complex. The article tried to demonstrate that there is a relationship between these two concepts that may be established by theories and concepts discussed from both sides of social interactionists and post-sturctrulists. The kind of thought of Mead and Foucault are as such that they have referred to these concepts. Studying issues mentioned above may show that we have come from simplicity to complexity. This has happened through the use of language and also the quality of this usage. The complexities of establishing social relationship in the contemporary world are largely related to the issue of language. The importance of language dates back to making symbols which are apprehensible in the relationship between individuals. But, while observing the use of language today, in market place, in regulations and rules, in working conditions, etc. these complications may be visible. As G. H. Mead and Foucault emphasized, not only discourses but even symbols have become complicated Foucault defines the ‘subject’ as a social construct and Mead, introduces the ‘mind’ as a social phenomenon. The Mead’s social self and Foucault’s discursive subject reach to each other. In the end, it can be stated that we have come from symbols to discourses but the symbols still stand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho's works are generally known for inspiring readers and using literary symbols to narrate complex philosophical concepts. Out of the seventeen works of Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept describes the conflicts faced by two lovers who are brought together by fate after eleven years. Re-joined, they set out for an excursion together as the issues in their relationship emerge again. Though Coelho explicitly uses water as a literary symbol in the novel, this paper closely analyses how the female characters in the same novel are also symbolised, making them symbols of self-submission. It thereby probes the complexity of the connection between female characters and water as literary symbols within the same context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter explores the wild and wonderful visual world of iconic imagery including current day memes, acronyms, emojis and other common forms of visual communication. The study reviews a range of visual examples and their meanings beginning with the Renaissance through to futures and asks the questions Does imagery have an effect on reality? Can imagery be engineered to have a desired effect on futures? Data collection involves archetypal imagery that has appeared in the past, its meaning and influence on societies to the present-day explosion of optical bombardment through social media, screens and advertising, and their impact and influence on current culture. The data includes a look at conscientious, principled futures generated imagery and its possible connection to the creation of futures. Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) provides a comparative methodology for this investigation though enabling a comprehensive understanding of various possible interpretations of an image's intention and perception based on analysis of graphic symbology. It does this in the form of a series of scenarios developed from the CLA. Analysis within the CLAs is sometimes aided by artificial intelligence. This is done by asking questions in ChatGPT and expanding/consolidating and/or chopping/changing the responses. From a surface peek at visual data to the depths of underlying meaning within the collective human psyche this analysis seeks to provide a provocative poke at our everyday overlooking of these day-to-day visual assaults. The study aims to offer refreshing insights into the power of an image and its ability to possibly affect thinking, feeling and action across the continuum of time into futures and what this may mean in this current pivotal era of consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recitations inherited from the Prophet Muhammad to his companions have evolved over time to become a branch of knowledge along with the works written later. From the early periods of recitation education, recitation practice has been fundamental, and works related to the field have also been utilized. In both past and present recitation education, the methods of recitation and memorization are emphasized, and instruction is carried out by learning from a proficient teacher. Written works on recitations assist in the systematic and comprehensive study of this field. When we look at the primary works used in recitation education, we can see that the use of symbols, especially related to the imams, holds a significant place. Hence, the use of symbols in the science of recitations stands out as distinct from other sciences within the Islamic scholarly tradition. In this research, symbols used in recitation education are examined within the context of foundational works. Firstly, after evaluating the historical process of recitation education in general, the various methods developed within recitation education are discussed, and the utilization of symbols in the works central to this education is investigated. The presentation of symbols used in recitation education is approached holistically by determining how these symbols are integrated into the works used in recitation education, whether there are any unique applications present or not. Therefore, a systematic presentation of the symbols used in recitation education is made in order to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Descriptive methods are employed in the research to examine the symbols used in recitation education through the works at-Taysîr, Ḥirz al-Amānī, Tayyiba al-nashr and Zubda al-‘Irfan, revealing similarities and differences in symbols among these books. It is concluded that the use of symbols in the science of recitations began with al-Shatibî and diversified with Ibn al Jazari. Though there are similar symbols, different symbols are also utilized, indicating a transition from letter and word symbols related to the imams to those associated with concepts used in education over time. The use of symbols is prevalent in works on authentic recitations used in recitation education, as well as in some works discussing shaz qira’ats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]