Postmodern Openings

Metalanguage as a Tool for Constructing Linguistic Reality: A Discursive Analysis of Contemporary Grammatical Definitions

Corina Uliniuc — 2025-12-19

This article examines the role of metalanguage in constructing grammatical reality, focusing on the discursive mechanisms through which contemporary grammars define key categories such as the verb, the subject, the clause, and the determiner. Through a comparative analysis of representative French and Anglo-Saxon grammatical works, the study highlights how definitions are shaped by epistemic orientations, theoretical priorities, and discursive strategies that stabilize and legitimize linguistic concepts. The findings reveal that definitions are not neutral descriptions of linguistic facts but interpretative acts that involve abstraction, reduction, and conceptual articulation. These processes contribute to the creation of coherent explanatory models and to the consolidation of disciplinary authority. By integrating recent theoretical insights into categorization, grammaticalization, and language ideology, the study demonstrates that metalanguage functions as a central instrument in establishing the conceptual architecture of grammar. The results suggest that understanding definitional discourse is essential for comprehending how linguistic theories evolve and how categories become institutionalized within scientific communities. The article opens new perspectives for interdisciplinary research on the epistemology of grammar and the discursive construction of linguistic knowledge.

Effects of Six Months of Virtual Reality Exergaming Combined With Basketball Training on Visuomotor Stepping Reaction Time in Children Aged 10–12 Years: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Horatiu Dacian Ghejan — 2025-12-19

Background: Virtual reality (VR) has become increasingly integrated into education, rehabilitation, and performance training, largely due to its improved accessibility and affordability. Beyond providing sensory stimulation, VR offers immersive and interactive environments capable of engaging cognitive processes and facilitating motor learning and reaction speed across both pediatric and adult populations. Within sport and movement science, agility and reaction time are widely recognized as key indicators of neuromuscular coordination and cognitive-motor integration. The emergence of light-based assessment systems, such as BlazePod™, has enabled these capacities to be evaluated in a dynamic and engaging manner. However, despite the growing interest in VR-based exercise, the long-term effects of combining virtual exergaming with structured sport training on reaction-related performance in children remain insufficiently explored. In the present study, BlazePod performance was defined as the number of correct responses completed within a 30-second trial, with higher scores reflecting superior visuomotor performance. Purpose: To investigate the effects of a six-month VR exergaming program combined with basketball training on visuomotor reaction time in children aged 10–12 years, compared with basketball training alone and a no intervention control group. Methods: Sixty-four healthy children were allocated into three groups: VR + Basketball (n = 22), Basketball-Only (n = 22), and Control (n = 20). The intervention lasted six months (three sessions per week). The VR group completed 30 minutes of Beat Saber VR training plus 60 minutes of basketball per session; the basketball group completed 60 minutes of basketball only. Reaction time was assessed pre and post-intervention using the BlazePod system. Repeated-measures ANOVA, Bayesian ANOVA, and paired-samples t-tests were used to evaluate changes over time. Results: A significant improvement in reaction time was observed only in the VR + Basketball group, t(21) = −3.069, p = .006, with mean scores increasing from 17.50 to 19.27. In the BlazePod assessment used in this study, higher scores indicate better performance. Bayesian analysis provided strong evidence for a pre–post effect in this group (BF₁₀ = 14.40). No significant changes were observed in the Basketball-only (p = .204) or Control groups (p = .330). Variability decreased notably in the VR group, indicating more consistent performance following training. Conclusion: Six months of VR exergaming combined with basketball training produced significant improvements in visuomotor reaction time in children, outperforming traditional sport training alone. VR-based exercise may serve as an effective, engaging tool for enhancing cognitive-motor performance in youth.

Considerations on the paper “Aplicații etice în publicitate: reinterpretări ale filosofiei sacrului [Ethical Applications in Advertising: Reinterpretations of the Philosophy of the Sacred]” defended by Ph.D. student Cășvean Ioan Emanuel

Antonio Sandu — 2025-12-19

The doctoral thesis entitled “Aplicații etice în publicitate: reinterpretări ale filosofiei sacrului [Ethical Applications in Advertising: Reinterpretations of the Philosophy of the Sacred]”, developed by Mr. Cășvean Ioan Emanuel under the supervision of Ph.D. Prof. Mihaela Frunză at "Babeș Bolyai" University of Cluj-Napoca, represents a scholarly endeavor of remarkable complexity and pressing relevance. The chosen topic, though considered somewhat unconventional for a philosopher or theologian in a profoundly secularized and hypertechnologized era, is fully justified as a natural extension and in-depth continuation of the doctoral candidate's initial research - focused on the analysis of the sacred – sacrum - in postmodernism.

Anthropologies and Singularities in Marginalia of the Volume “În căutarea esenței umane în epoca hiper-individualismului – Antropologie filosofică, culturală și medicala [In Search of the Human Essence in the Age of Hyper-Individualism. Philosophical, Cultural and Medical Anthropology]”, Lumen, 2025, authors Marius Dumitrescu & Anca Sava

Antonio Sandu — 2025-12-19

This review examines “În căutarea esenței umane în epoca hiper-individualismului – Antropologie filosofică, culturală și medicala [In Search of the Human Essence in the Age of Hyper-Individualism. Philosophical, Cultural and Medical Anthropology] by Marius Dumitrescu and Anca Sava, a significant interdisciplinary work bridging philosophical and biomedical anthropology. The volume introduces the concept of anthropological singularity—a critical threshold where traditional frameworks of human development become insufficient for predicting societal evolution. The authors analyze hyper-individualism as a symptom of profound alienation within hypervisual culture, where algorithms increasingly shape identity and social interaction. Through balanced critique, they articulate possibilities for preserving essential humanity amid technological transformation, avoiding both technophobic rejection and naive celebration of progress. This work offers a crucial conceptual framework for navigating contemporary challenges of transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and human-machine interfaces while maintaining continuity with fundamental human values. The book addresses academics and general readers concerned with authenticity, community, and human dignity in the twenty-first century.

Families in Transition: Millennial Challenges and a Systemic Family Therapy Case Study

Romulus-Dan Nicoara — 2025-12-19

This case study looks at the difficulties faced by a Millennial couple in trying to harmonize their work and family life through systemic family therapy. The two partners, married and parents of three children, reported an intensification of conflicts, an unequal division of tasks and a decrease in intimacy. During nine sessions, interventions were applied that combined structural, strategic, transgenerational and narrative perspectives, with the aim of strengthening the couple relationship, rebalancing responsibilities and introducing rituals meant to improve dialogue. The results highlighted the reduction in the intensity of conflicts, increased emotional closeness and positive changes in children's behavior. The findings highlight that Millennials' values—equality, conscious parenting, and work-life balance—can represent both resources and sources of tension in family life, highlighting the role of systemic therapy in supporting the resilience of contemporary families.