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Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of modern times, pushing back the origins of monumentality beyond the emergence of agriculture. We are pleased to present a summary of work in progress by the excavators of this remarkable site and their latest thoughts about its role and meaning. At the dawn of the Neolithic, hunter-gatherers congregating at Göbekli Tepe created social and ideological cohesion through the carving of decorated pillars, dancing, feasting—and, almost certainly, the drinking of beer made from fermented wild crops.

This article explores the issue of the collective consciousness and self-consciousness in teaching and learning foreign languages. A review of the literature on the current issues of interculturality and plurilingualism in relation to the notions of consciousness and self-consciousness is first detailed. The issue raised allows us to question the impact of this consideration in terms of the consequences of this work on class dynamics. In fact, can the awareness and self-awareness of learners regarding intercultural and plurilingual practices exist outside of a co-construction with other learners, with the teacher? The research methodology is based on an analysis of interactions in the language class which brings into play these intercultural and plurilingual approaches (resulting from the LISTIAC and FLSCAN projects). It reports significant results on the co-construction of consciousness and emerging self-consciousness in the language class about the singular universals of languages and cultures. The discussion shows the value of a collective, and no longer purely personal understanding (for the learner) of consciousness and self-awareness of these plurilingual and cultural experiences.

Sustainable social development (SSD)—defined as the integration of equity, environmental responsibility, and civic cohesion—remains an underachieved goal in many multi-faith societies, particularly in Southeast Asia. Although theoretical discussions recognize religion as a moral and institutional force, empirical studies rarely investigate how specific religious constructs influence SSD through civic and policy pathways. This study addresses this gap by examining how collective conscience, rituals and ceremonies, and moral regulation contribute to SSD, and how these effects are mediated by civic engagement and administrative policy. It also investigates whether the function of religion moderates these relationships. Drawing on Durkheim’s theory of religion and society and Putnam’s social capital theory, the study proposes and tests a comprehensive structural model. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire using Likert-scale items from 385 respondents across major religious communities in the Klang Valley, selected via stratified random sampling. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to validate the hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that moral regulation (β = 0.336, p  < 0.001) and rituals (β = 0.134, p  < 0.001) exert strong direct effects on SSD, while administrative policy and civic networks significantly mediate these effects. Notably, the moderating role of religion produced mixed results, including a significant negative interaction between religious function and administrative policy. These findings extend Durkheim’s and Putnam’s theories by demonstrating how religious structures and policy interfaces co-produce sustainability outcomes in pluralistic societies. The study offers theoretical and policy implications for leveraging cultural and civic capital in sustainable development planning.

Divine examines David Grossman's Sticker Song and how it reflects the truth about Israeli society in showing the losses suffered by its people trying to bypass politics and ignore the idealistic visions that once gave Zionism its momentum. Grossman's song is not merely aimed at advancing the popularity of the country's left-leaning parties--although it is surely supportive of that partisan stance. Rather, it is intended to force a reckoning with the Palestinian problem, an issue most Israelis either prefer to avoid contemplating or reject as unresolvable. Embedded in Grossman's lyrics are reminders that the Jewish state was predicated on visions and ideals--extraordinary acts of the imagination at their time and perhaps for all time. To live without one of these visions disrupts not only Israels identity but also the understanding Israelis have formed of who they are.

Carnival is a cyclical, recurrent festival in Germany's Rhineland with several million revellers every year. This article explores the annual collective effervescence and asks how an entire region is turned “upside-down” for six days. Based on an ethnographic study focusing on street carnival, this analysis investigates the structuring frames of the festivity. Time and space limits and an altered presentation of the body play an important role in this ritual festivity. Carnival as a Rhenish corroboree consolidates group solidarity and affirms the imagined entity of society. Carnival is chaos and order, sacred and profane, and represents happiness as well as melancholy. The article argues that events like carnival are a chance to face up to ambivalence, an elementary experience of today's social world.

Cet article présente le contexte et les enjeux spécifiques – politiques, identitaires, mémoriels – de la médiation littéraire aux Antilles et du rôle joué dans ce domaine par les écrivains. L’appropriation des œuvres dans le cadre d’oralités lettrées a été mise en jeu dans des processus d’identification collective et dans la formation de communautés de lecteurs. On explore ici divers lieux et diverses formes de sociabilité littéraire à travers le temps, de la bibliothèque au « pitt a pawol », de la « veillée » au « pique-nique littéraire ». The Construction of a Literary Scene in the French Caribbean. Mediation and ReappropriationThis article presents the context and the political, identity, memory issues at stake in literary mediation in the French Caribbean, as well as the role played by writers. The appropriation of literary works has been at play in processes of collective identification and in the creation of communities of readers. Various forms and places for literary sociability in different times are explored, from literary evenings (wakes) to literary picnics, from the library to the cockfighting pit.

Les liens qui unirent Walter Benjamin aux membres du College de Sociologie, le collectif créé en 1937 et auquel participerent entre autres Georges Bataille et Roger Caillois, restent aujourd'hui encore tres peu connus. Cet article se propose de les reconstruire, en prenant appui sur les documents qui témoignent de la participation du philosophe berlinois aux séances du College. Il s'agira plus particulierement d'analyser la question sur laquelle convergent la réflexion benjaminienne et la recherche menée par le groupe de Bataille et Caillois, a savoir le rapport problématique que le présent entretient avec les matériaux mythologiques, en tant que derniere trace d'un état originaire du social.