Concepts Across Time and Place
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Philosophical Roots of Interdisciplinary Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gad Marcus
This paper takes a philosophical approach towards interdisciplinary education by looking at the core of interdisciplinary theory. While taking into account the many different meanings and and ways of interdisciplinary education, this paper argues for an intrinsic quest towards knowing right and wrong to be the very foundation of a fruitful interdisciplinary education. The main philosophical argument of this paper however is, that the human condition of a constant search for truth described in Plato's Cave Analogy has not changed. Furthermore, together with its analogy in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge, we can learn that the foundation of any interdisciplinary approach towards teaching and learning should be embedded in what I call an intrinsic quest towards knowing right and wrong. This kind of a quest should then be the consequence of an open, honest, and disinterested humanism which this paper describes further. Since this paper was written as part of a bigger research, although being a philosophical paper embedded in Western and Jewish philosophical thought, it also includes and builds on qualitative and quantitative data.
Mergers and Acquisitions Synergies Framework : Considering Culture and Behavior View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Greg Burton
Companies pursue mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in hopes of realizing synergies from the successful combination of two or more business organizations. Failed mergers and acquisitions are costly. Many failed mergers result because management neglected to consider the cultural implications of the merger. Culture should be a primary consideration in mergers and acquisitions. This research presents a M&A Framework for managing the cultural aspects of mergers and acquisitions and introduces the Mapping M&A Polar Grid Template.
Featured Chain Letters: Their Evolution through Time
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Evangelia Korou
The present work was prepared in the context of the course “Folk literature, erudite literature and virtual orality of the Postgraduate Program “Folklore and Literature- George. A. Megas” (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), taught by Mr. George Katsadoros. The purpose of this paper is to examine a new type of narrative- if chain letters could be characterized as so- that is transmitted anonymously via the Internet and sometimes promises good luck and sometimes bad luck to the recipient and potential sender. The issue is of particular interest if one considers the evolution of such messages over time, as well as their relevance to the internet hoaxes that circulate on the Internet and often manipulate its users, although information about the dangers of the internet can be described as more than adequate today. Next, there is a mention of the causes and motivations of persuasion but also about modern chain messages on social media that create “human chains” and mobilize consciences about current issues. The samples of chain letters that are included in this work were collected with the help of my friends, whom I thank for their valuable help.
David Hufford’s “Empirical-based Approach” on Supernatural Phenomena as Applied to Experiences in Neo-shamanistic Rituals: An Interplay between Folkloristic and Psychiatric Approaches
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sakis Barbalexis
This paper, based on my ethnographic research on neo-shamanistic traditions and practices in North-East Scotland from 2014 to 2020, interprets spiritual experiences of supernatural phenomena by applying the “Experience Source Hypothesis” interpretation method, as proposed by American folklorist David Hufford in 1982. Hufford asserted that all supernatural phenomena that are seemingly difficult or impossible to comprehend and untangle scientifically, can be unravelled empirically, with the systematic analysis of the persisting motifs and patterns found in the narrations of those experiences. He also argued that, in his view, folk belief, cognitive science, and psychiatry are in fact, and contrary to common belief, complementary, and not opposing, forces. In this paper, I discuss one specific such incident that had taken place throughout my fieldwork within the context of a shamanistic ritual in October 2015, through the lens of Hufford’s experience-centred interpretation method. Moreover, I also showcase how Hufford’s empirical approach can co-exist and interact with other scientific interpretation methods in the study of folk belief. To achieve this, I consider other spiritual experiences within the same context, that can be interpreted through cognitive sciences and psychiatry, and specifically, with the use of the theory of the “uncanny”, as first introduced by Sigmund Freud and later further developed by Rudolf Otto.
