Considering Comparison
Considering Comparison

Author: Oliver Freiberger

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-01-02

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 019092912X

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The comparative method is an integral part of religious studies. All the technical terms that scholars of religion use on a daily basis, such as ritual, hagiography, shrine, authority, fundamentalism, hybridity, and, of course, religion, are comparative terms. Yet comparison has been subject to criticism, including postcolonialist and postmodernist critiques. Older approaches are said to have used comparison primarily to confirm preconceptions about religion. More recently, comparison has been criticized as an act of abstraction that does injustice to the particular, neglects differences, and establishes a mostly Western power of definition over the rest of the world. In this book, Oliver Freiberger takes a closer look at how comparison works. Revisiting critical debates and examining reflections in other disciplines, including comparative history, sociology, comparative theology, and anthropology, Freiberger proposes a model of comparison that is based on a thorough epistemological analysis and that takes both the scholar's situatedness and his or her agency seriously. Examining numerous examples of comparative studies, Considering Comparison develops a methodological framework for conducting and evaluating such studies. Freiberger suggests a comparative approach - which he calls discourse comparison - that confronts the omnipresent risks of decontextualization, essentialization, and universalization. This book makes a case for comparison, arguing that it is indispensable for a deeper analytical understanding of what we call religion. The book is intended to enrich the practice of both aspiring and seasoned comparativists, stimulate much-needed further discussions about comparative methodology, and encourage more scholars to produce responsible comparative studies.

Considering Comparison
Considering Comparison

Author: Oliver Freiberger

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-01-02

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0199965013

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The comparative method is an integral part of religious studies. All the technical terms that scholars of religion use on a daily basis, such as ritual, hagiography, shrine, authority, fundamentalism, hybridity, and, of course, religion, are comparative terms. Yet comparison has been subject to criticism, including postcolonialist and postmodernist critiques. Older approaches are said to have used comparison primarily to confirm preconceptions about religion. More recently, comparison has been criticized as an act of abstraction that does injustice to the particular, neglects differences, and establishes a mostly Western power of definition over the rest of the world. In this book, Oliver Freiberger takes a closer look at how comparison works. Revisiting critical debates and examining reflections in other disciplines, including comparative history, sociology, comparative theology, and anthropology, Freiberger proposes a model of comparison that is based on a thorough epistemological analysis and that takes both the scholar's situatedness and his or her agency seriously. Examining numerous examples of comparative studies, Considering Comparison develops a methodological framework for conducting and evaluating such studies. Freiberger suggests a comparative approach - which he calls discourse comparison - that confronts the omnipresent risks of decontextualization, essentialization, and universalization. This book makes a case for comparison, arguing that it is indispensable for a deeper analytical understanding of what we call religion. The book is intended to enrich the practice of both aspiring and seasoned comparativists, stimulate much-needed further discussions about comparative methodology, and encourage more scholars to produce responsible comparative studies.

Power System Operation and Optimization Considering High Penetration of Renewable Energy
Power System Operation and Optimization Considering High Penetration of Renewable Energy

Author: Shengyuan Liu

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2024-09-19

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 283255444X

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The energy landscape is shifting toward renewable energy sources to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid presents various challenges, including uncertainty and variability of renewable energy sources, grid stability, and management of energy storage. Power system operation and optimization play a crucial role in managing the energy supply-demand balance, reducing operational costs, and improving the reliability of the power system. This call for papers aims to bring together the latest research and practical applications related to power system operation and optimization in the context of high penetration of renewable energy sources. We welcome contributions from researchers and practitioners from a broad range of disciplines to shed light on the challenges and opportunities associated with renewable energy integration in power systems. The objective of this Research Topic is to explore the latest advances in power system operation and optimization with a focus on the high penetration of renewable energy sources. We invite potential authors to submit articles for publication on the Research Topic of Frontiers in Energy Research on Power System Operation and Optimization Considering the High Penetration of Renewable Energy.

Considering Pragma-Dialectics
Considering Pragma-Dialectics

Author: Peter Houtlosser

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-04-04

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 1135250545

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Considering Pragma-Dialectics honors the monumental contributions of one of the foremost international figures in current argumentation scholarship: Frans van Eemeren. The volume presents the research efforts of his colleagues and addresses how their work relates to the pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation with which van Eemeren’s name is so intimately connected. This tribute serves to highlight the varied approaches to the study of argumentation and is destined to inspire researchers to advance scholarship in the field far into the future. Replete with contributions from highly-esteemed academics in argumentation study, chapters in this volume address such topics as: *Pragma-dialectic versus epistemic theories of arguing and arguments; *Pragma-dialectics and self-advocacy in physician-patient interactions; *The pragma-dialectical analysis of the ad hominem family; *Rhetoric, dialectic, and the functions of argument; and *The semantics of reasonableness. As an exceptional volume and a fitting tribute, this work will be of interest to all argumentation scholars considering the astute insights and scholarly legacy of Frans van Eemeren.

Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research: A User's Guide
Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research: A User's Guide

Author: Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (U.S.)

Publisher: Government Printing Office

Published: 2013-02-21

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1587634236

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This User’s Guide is a resource for investigators and stakeholders who develop and review observational comparative effectiveness research protocols. It explains how to (1) identify key considerations and best practices for research design; (2) build a protocol based on these standards and best practices; and (3) judge the adequacy and completeness of a protocol. Eleven chapters cover all aspects of research design, including: developing study objectives, defining and refining study questions, addressing the heterogeneity of treatment effect, characterizing exposure, selecting a comparator, defining and measuring outcomes, and identifying optimal data sources. Checklists of guidance and key considerations for protocols are provided at the end of each chapter. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews. More more information, please consult the Agency website: www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov)

Considering Cannabis: The Mass Suffering of Humanity Depends On It! Author: David Putvin
Considering Cannabis: The Mass Suffering of Humanity Depends On It! Author: David Putvin

Author: David Putvin

Publisher: Hybrid Global Publishing

Published: 2017-08-04

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 1957013621

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Cannabis is a preference that should involve many considerations. Education and advice is everywhere we turn. Problem is, not all of us are getting Cannabis advice from knowledgeable experts who regularly recommend Cannabis compounds to people. This book covers many topics that often go unspoken, but it does not provide dosage recommendations for any specific medical conditions. This book is designed to provide logical consideration; not medical advice. Life is life and every one of us should have the freedom to home grow Cannabis. In life, all humans are patients who will encounter various forms of deterioration and pain in every stage of their life. With that in mind, Cannabis compounds are always something to consider because we should all expect to encounter pain and potential diseases throughout our life. We all manage our personal pain and diseases according to our personal navigation of life. Many people still think that Cannabis should be avoided completely, but not everyone realizes the list of substances and illnesses that we do avoid when Cannabis is pursued effectively. We should all consider ourselves candidates for Cannabis compounds. Strict religious beliefs are the only excuse not to, but even religious people should no longer deny that consuming Cannabis is extremely beneficial for treating actual diseases and deteriorations throughout the body. Medical professionals should be prescribing Cannabis to most of us. If someone believes psychoactive effects would not be “good” for them, well, not all compounds are psychoactive. There are Cannabis compounds that are considered non-psychoactive and those specific compounds can be used to provide targeted benefits to any system in the body. Cannabis might not cure every condition completely, but it can effectively prevent, cure or improve most pains and deterioration that we will be likely to encounter somewhere between our early stages of development and old age. People of all ages and cultures have confirmed that medical benefits exist whether Cannabis is recreational, medical or totally criminalized. Knowledgeable medical professionals do NOT provide anti-Cannabis advice to anyone unless there is a very specific need to do so. Projecting known lies about Cannabis is manipulative, corrupt and sometimes intentionally ignored completely. Once you recognize the reality of Cannabis, it should become very easy to recognize that people providing anti-Cannabis advice become instantly invalid the moment they begin to discredit the reality of Cannabis for people who have received guidance from medical professionals. Anti-Cannabis advice is typically based on religious ideology; not logic. This book is a great solution for helping us better understand our own pursuits of Cannabis. This book is also a great option for medical professionals to share with their patients who would benefit by Considering Cannabis during their existence. I look forward to learning what follow-up Cannabis advice I might provide in the future, but for now, I am extremely optimistic for the potential impact of this book.

Drudgery Divine
Drudgery Divine

Author: Jonathan Z. Smith

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1990-09-18

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 9780226763620

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In this major theoretical and methodological statement on the history of religions, Jonathan Z. Smith shows how convert apologetic agendas can dictate the course of comparative religious studies. As his example, Smith reviews four centuries of scholarship comparing early Christianities with religions of late Antiquity (especially the so-called mystery cults) and shows how this scholarship has been based upon an underlying Protestant-Catholic polemic. The result is a devastating critique of traditional New Testament scholarship, a redescription of early Christianities as religious traditions amenable to comparison, and a milestone in Smith's controversial approach to comparative religious studies. "An important book, and certainly one of the most significant in the career of Jonathan Z. Smith, whom one may venture to call the greatest pathologist in the history of religions. As in many precedent cases, Smith follows a standard procedure: he carefully selects his victim, and then dissects with artistic finesse and unequaled acumen. The operation is always necessary, and a deconstructor of Smith's caliber is hard to find."—Ioan P. Coulianu, Journal of Religion

First Language Influences on Multilingual Lexicons
First Language Influences on Multilingual Lexicons

Author: Paul Booth

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-02-26

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 0429631871

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This collection brings together recent research on the influences between first and additional languages with a focus on the development of multilingual lexicons. Featuring work from an international group of scholars, the volume examines the complex dynamics underpinning vocabulary in second and third languages and the role first languages play within this process. The book is organized around three different facets of research in this area – lexical recognition, processing, and knowledge; the effects of first languages on second language reading and writing, collocations, and translation skills; and, vocabulary testing – drawing on examples from a variety of languages, including European languages, Arabic, and Japanese. Setting the stage for further research on the interplay between first languages and multilingual lexicons, this volume is key reading for students and researchers in applied linguistics, language learning and teaching, bilingualism, second language acquisition, and translation studies.