Judith Becker – författare

"A fascinating thesis and a timely synthesis. . . . Becker urges the reader to view certain arcane cultural rituals as being in the mainstream of spiritual development and argues that the resulting trance-like states may relate to the basic fabric of emotions and consciousness, which are our ancestral, animalian heritage. This is both a risky and courageous undertaking that challenges both cultural and neuroscientific studies." —Jaak Panksepp, author of Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal EmotionsIn Deep Listeners, Judith Becker brings together scientific and cultural approaches to the study of music and emotion, and music and trancing. Becker claims that persons who experience deep emotions when listening to music are akin to those who trance within the context of religious rituals. Using new discoveries in the fields of neuroscience and biology, Deep Listeners outlines an emotion-based theory of trance using examples from Southeast Asian and American musics. A companion CD includes excerpts from several of the musical genres under discussion, and a 16-page color insert presents vivid documentation of the global experience of "deep listening."

The twentieth century has spawned a great interest in Indonesian music, and now books, articles, and manuscripts can be found that expound exclusively about karawitan (the combined vocal and instrumental music of the gamelan). Scholar Judith Becker has culled several key sources on karawitan into three volumes and has translated them for the benefit of the Western student of the gamelan tradition. The texts in her collection were written over a forty-five-year time period (ca 1930–1975) and include articles by Martopangrawit, Sumarsam, Sastrapustaka, Gitosaprodjo, Sindoesawarno, Poerbapangrawit, Probohardjono, Warsadiningrat, Purbodiningrat, Poerbatjaraka, and Paku Buwana X. The final volume also contains a glossary of technical terms, an appendix of the Javanese cipher notations (titilaras kepatihan), a biographical listing, and an index to the musical pieces (Gendhing).

The twentieth century has spawned a great interest in Indonesian music, and now books, articles, and manuscripts can be found that expound exclusively about karawitan (the combined vocal and instrumental music of the gamelan). Scholar Judith Becker has culled several key sources on karawitan into three volumes and has translated them for the benefit of the Western student of the gamelan tradition. The texts in her collection were written over a forty-five-year time period (ca 1930–1975) and include articles by Martopangrawit, Sumarsam, Sastrapustaka, Gitosaprodjo, Sindoesawarno, Poerbapangrawit, Probohardjono, Warsadiningrat, Purbodiningrat, Poerbatjaraka, and Paku Buwana X. The final volume also contains a glossary of technical terms, an appendix of the Javanese cipher notations (titilaras kepatihan), a biographical listing, and an index to the musical pieces (Gendhing).

The twentieth century has spawned a great interest in Indonesian music, and now books, articles, and manuscripts can be found that expound exclusively about karawitan (the combined vocal and instrumental music of the gamelan). Scholar Judith Becker has culled several key sources on karawitan into three volumes and has translated them for the benefit of the Western student of the gamelan tradition. The texts in her collection were written over a forty-five-year time period (ca 1930–1975) and include articles by Martopangrawit, Sumarsam, Sastrapustaka, Gitosaprodjo, Sindoesawarno, Poerbapangrawit, Probohardjono, Warsadiningrat, Purbodiningrat, Poerbatjaraka, and Paku Buwana X. The final volume also contains a glossary of technical terms, an appendix of the Javanese cipher notations (titilaras kepatihan), a biographical listing, and an index to the musical pieces (Gendhing).

There has been much academic debate over recent years on Europe defining itself over against the "Other." This volume asks from the opposite perspective: What views did non-Europeans hold of "European Christianity"? In this way, the volume turns the agency of definition over to non-Europeans. Over the last centuries, the contacts between Europeans and non-Europeans have been diverse and complex. Non-Europeans encountered Europeans as colonialists, traders, missionaries and travellers. Most of those Europeans were Christians or were perceived as Christians. Therefore, in terms of religion Europe was often identified with Christianity. Europeans thus also conveyed a certain image of Christianity to non-European countries. At the same time, non-Europeans increasingly travelled to Europe and experienced a kind of Christianity that often did not conform to the picture they had formed earlier. Their descriptions of European Christianity ranged from sympathetic acceptance to harsh criticism. The contributions in this volume reveal the breadth of these opinions. They also show that there is no clear line of division between "insiders" and "outsiders", but that Europeans could sometimes perceive themselves as being "outsiders" in their own culture while non-Europeans could adopt "insider" perspectives. Furthermore, from these encounters new religious and cultural expressions could emerge. There has been much academic debate over recent years on Europe defining itself over against the "Other." This volume asks from the opposite perspective: What views did non-Europeans hold of "European Christianity"? In this way, the volume turns the agency of definition over to non-Europeans. Over the last centuries, the contacts between Europeans and non-Europeans have been diverse and complex. Non-Europeans encountered Europeans as colonialists, traders, missionaries and travellers. Most of those Europeans were Christians or were perceived as Christians. Therefore, in terms of religion Europe was often identified with Christianity. Europeans thus also conveyed a certain image of Christianity to non-European countries. At the same time, non-Europeans increasingly travelled to Europe and experienced a kind of Christianity that often did not conform to the picture they had formed earlier. Their descriptions of European Christianity ranged from sympathetic acceptance to harsh criticism. The contributions in this volume reveal the breadth of these opinions. They also show that there is no clear line of division between "insiders" and "outsiders", but that Europeans could sometimes perceive themselves as being "outsiders" in their own culture while non-Europeans could adopt "insider" perspectives. Furthermore, from these encounters new religious and cultural expressions could emerge.

Master's Thesis from the year 2007 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 8,0= 1,6, Maastricht University (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), language: English, abstract: Even though the accession negotiations between the EU and Turkey are projected to last at least another ten to fifteen years, or in the worst case even twenty years, Turkey could become an important member state for the EU and an asset to its foreign policy . For this to happen, the foreign policies of the EU and Turkey will have to be supplementary, even and especially now in the phase of negotiations. Thus, the relationships between Turkey, on the one hand, and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the other hand, have to be friendly to be an asset for the EU. However, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and enlargement, especially with regard to Turkey, are mainly researched separately, because they are two distinctive EU policies. Are the interests and aims of the EU and Turkey in their relations to the countries of the Southern Caucasus compatible and can they lead to synergies?

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Politics - Region: Far East, grade: 85% = 2,0/A-/GPA 3.7, Peking Universität (School for International Studies), course: International Securtiy in East Asia, language: English, abstract: Germany achieved what Korea still can achieve, namely peaceful unification. There are several similarities between the divided Koreas and the formerly divided Germanys. In both cases, the division grew out of the Second World War and the following Cold War. The divided nations have totally different systems of government. North Korea, as a communistic one-party state, is similar to the GDR and South Korea, as a democratic republic, is similar to the FDR. Major differences are apparent in the economic development between North and South Korea, which again corresponds to the situation in Germany at the end of the 1980s. In light of these similarities, an important question to answer is the following one: what lessons can the Korean Peninsula learn from German unification? Thus, this essay will proceed as follows. Firstly, the developments in Germany, leading to the opening of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent unification will be described and analyzed. Secondly, the economic and socio-cultural outcomes of the unification will be briefly analyzed. Thirdly, recommendations for the Korean Peninsula will be formulated and finally, the essay will conclude its findings.

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 85% = 2,0/A-/GPA 3.7, Peking Universität (School for International Studies), course: Southeast Asian Regional Studies, language: English, abstract: The relations between the EU and ASEAN are characterized by many achievements and many drawbacks in the last decades. Additionally, even though the relations date back to the beginning of the 1970s, they have not fulfilled the expectations of many people in both Europe and Southeast Asia for two main reasons. Firstly, the context in which these relations take place has significantly changed with the end of the Cold War and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Naturally, the aims and objectives of the relationship have to be much broader than thirty years ago, because they have to take into account these changed international circumstances since they do not take place in a vacuum. Secondly, both ASEAN and the EU developed internally, for example through different rounds of enlargements. These internal developments of the two partners have to be taken into account as well, just as the changed international environment.Since 2001, owing to the reasons mentioned above, new initiatives were proposed to reinvigorate the relationship and to make it more effective in facing the new, profoundly changed international arena. Can these initiatives achieve the aim of improving the relationship and consequently prepare it for the challenging future? The essay will proceed as follows. Firstly, the ‘spider-web’ of relations between the EU and ASEAN will be portrayed to give an impression of the complexity of the relationship. Secondly, the main developments since 2001 will be introduced and analyzed to be able, thirdly, to conclude if the relations are healthy enough to face the challenges of the future.

Essay from the year 2008 in the subject History of Germany - Postwar Period, Cold War, grade: 70, London School of Economics, language: English, abstract: Did the Cold War start in Eastern Europe or was Eastern Europe irrelevant to the origins of it? Did it actually start in the Middle East? This essay will analyze the relations of the USSR and the US from the beginning of 1945 until the pronouncement of the Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947) to determine which of the two regions was more important or if they were equally important for the onset of the Cold War.

Das neuzeitliche Europa war durch eine vielfältige religiös-konfessionelle Differenzierung bestimmt. Infolgedessen sahen sich die Konfessionen und Religionen beständig herausgefordert, ihre eigene Identität jeweils in Abgrenzung von konkurrierenden Entwürfen religiöser Weltdeutung und Sinnstiftung zu definieren und sich politisch gegen die Vertreter solcher Entwürfe zu behaupten. Mit der Verbreitung des Ideals der religiösen Toleranz erfuhren die Mechanismen der Exklusion, auf denen die Konstruktion religiös-konfessioneller Identitäten herkömmlich beruhte, signifikante Veränderungen.

In der ersten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts reisten Basler Missionare mit starken, durch die Erweckungsbewegung geprägten, religiösen Überzeugungen und Werthaltungen nach Indien. Die Begegnung mit Inderinnen und Indern veränderte sie: Sie entwickelten eine Kontaktreligiosität, indem sie ihre Überzeugungen und Werthaltungen modifizierten und indische Einflüsse adaptierten. Judith Becker legt den Fokus auf die Frage nach conversio, Bekehrung und Konversion, und sanctificatio, den daraus folgenden Werthaltungen, denn Bekehrung und christliches Leben sahen die Missionare als Zentrum ihrer Arbeit. Dabei zeichnet Becker nach, wie sich diese Auffassungen veränderten. Sie nutzt die in der neueren Konversionsforschung entwickelten Ansätze und Methoden. Zugleich verwendet sie postkoloniale Ansätze und fragt nach der Repräsentation von Menschen und Religionen in Indien. In den Missionsberichten findet sich sowohl eine Exotisierung Indiens als auch die Betonung der Gleichheit aller Menschen und aller Christen. Dabei treten deutliche Unterschiede zwischen in Europa und in Indien verfassten Erzählungen zutage. Solche Missionare, die mehrere Jahrzehnte in Indien lebten, exotisierten nur selten."

What happens when people of different cultural, religious, political and social backgrounds live in close contact with each other? This volume focuses on the encounter between European missionaries and indigenous people and aims to illuminate how life in a contact zone changed concepts, attitudes and practices. It collects examples from nearly all world regions from early modern times to the middle of the twentieth century.The contributions discuss the concept of contact zones, defining them both as spaces where people of different backgrounds actually met and as "imagined contact zones" between European Christians and those living abroad who insisted on forming one community and thus exchanged ideas, and as "personalised contact zones" in individuals who transcended boundaries and integrated different backgrounds and attitudes. In each case people, concepts and attitudes changed in the encounter. Practices were modified and new practices emerged. Values and conceptions were transformed. When individuals embodied the contact, however, they often were expelled from the contact zone, especially when they were not recognised as "European". The volume thus also sheds light on the limits of the contact. By focusing on the results of the intercultural encounter, however, it mainly demonstrates the impact of life in a contact zone on those involved.""

Im Hören auf das Evangelium entstanden in konkreten Situationen immer neue Bekenntnisse in der internationalen Gemeinschaft reformierter Kirchen. Bekenntnisakt wie erreichter Lehrstandpunkt sind – in Verbindung mit kirchlicher Ordnung immer wieder neu zu vollziehen bzw. zu überdenken, getreu dem Grundsatz: ecclesia semper reformanda (Die Kirche hat sich stets zu erneuern). Eine gegenwärtige Generation hat dabei im Dialog mit dem Glaubenserkenntnis vergangener Tage die Chance, das eigene kirchliche Herkommen zu überprüfen. Gerade aus solcher Rückbesinnung und Erfahrung von Vätern wie Müttern im Glauben lernt sie, den Weg der Kirche nach vorne auszurichten – in bewusster Verbundenheit mit den reformatorischen Entscheidungen in der Erkenntnis des Evangeliums. Dazu ist historisches Rüstzeug unerlässlich.

Dieses Open-Access-Buch richtet den Fokus auf die digitale Transformation der Vor-Ort-Apotheken in Deutschland. Die Digitalisierung verändert das Gesundheitssystem grundlegend. Die Autorin beleuchtet die Perspektiven der Apothekenmitarbeiter*innen: Wie erleben sie den digitalen Wandel? Welche Faktoren beeinflussen die Akzeptanz neuer Technologien, z. B. die Einführung des E-Rezepts? Und wie unterscheiden sich die Einstellungen zwischen Apotheker*innen, PTA und PKA?Im Zentrum der Untersuchung steht das eigens entwickelte Digitalisierungsakzeptanzmodell (DiTAM), welches professionssoziologische Ansätze mit der Technikakzeptanzforschung verbindet. Auf Basis eines Mixed-Methods-Designs mit Interviews und einer quantitativen Vollerhebung in einer deutschen Großstadt zeigt die Studie: Digitale Tools, die zur Professionalisierung beitragen, stoßen auf hohe Zustimmung – insbesondere bei Apotheker*innen. Maßnahmen hingegen, die als Einschränkung professioneller Autonomie wahrgenommen werden, finden deutlich weniger Akzeptanz.Die Ergebnisse liefern nicht nur wichtige Impulse für die sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung, sondern auch konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen für Politik, Berufsverbände und Apothekeninhaber*innen, um die digitale Transformation in der Praxis erfolgreich zu gestalten.