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Abstract Background Cultural factors are often mentioned as a possible explanation for the observed differences between immigrant populations compared to general populations with regards to COVID-19 disease burden and vaccination rates, but usually without any further exploration of what this entails. This paper aims to capture the thoughts of immigrants themselves and explore how they think culture may or may not have affected vaccination rates and health behavior during the pandemic. Methods We performed qualitative interviews with 18 immigrants from Poland, Somalia and Sri Lanka living in Norway. Group interviews and individual interviews were transcribed and analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results We identified four main themes the participants thought could influence spread of infection and vaccine hesitancy: cultural factors, transcultural factors, host society factors, and other personal factors. Social habits, religious traditions, attitudes towards and trust in the healthcare system, sense of community and societal duty were understood as cultural factors that influenced health behavior and vaccination hesitancy. However, different cultural factors could have varied impact on immigrants’ behavior related to COVID-19 and possibly other health settings for different immigrant groups. In addition, we found examples of other factors related to being ‘between cultures’, and we found structural and socioeconomic factors not linked to culture. Conclusions Our paper brings awareness to how rules and guidelines may hit harder and interfere more in the way of life in some communities than others. In the continued work towards equity in health promotion and healthcare services, policymakers ought to keep the existence of such cultural differences in mind, to be able to make policies well fitted to ensure good health and quality of life for all.

Abstract This paper comprehends the global research scenario about incorporating cultural components in contemporary urban planning practice. Various urban cultural elements have been analysed under the umbrella of ‘Urban Cultural Dynamics’ (UCD). This study aims to identify hot spots and explore influential sources through a bibliometric investigation of the evolutionary patterns of cultural dynamics in urban planning research. Data was collected from the Web of Science core collection (1965-2021). The data mining tools VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, KNIME, and WordStat were used to analyse hot topics, keywords, influential journals, core papers, top authors, and cooperation networks of countries and institutions. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed in journal analysis. The analysis showed that publications on UCD increased exponentially between 2016 and 2022. Italy (32), China (26), and Spain (18) are the top countries in total publications. Technical universities of Dresden and Munich have the most significant influence on UCD's research, with 103 and 101 total citations, respectively. Landscape and Urban Planning, Journal of Cultural Heritage, and Tourism Geographies are the top three consistently influential journals. The top ten core papers were identified. The keywords and topic analysis charted out the evolution of multidisciplinary UCD research topics. The hotspot analysis revealed the significance of cultural dynamics in sustainable urban development. The results highlighted the need for intercontinental cooperation between developed countries and the third world. The future scope of research on UCD topics is discussed in the conclusion.

This paper aims to study the impact of CEOs' cultural background on corporate innovation. The paper constructs a measure of CEOs' cultural individualism based on their birthplaces and investigates its relationship with firms' patents and citations. The study aims to shed light on the interaction of culture and corporate decisions and focuses on the role of top managers. The paper also investigates the mechanism of how top management can affect corporate innovation output. The paper constructs the measure of individualism using the westward expansion in US history. To do so, the paper uses the US county-level duration of exposure of the frontier territory in the 19th century and links the counties to CEOs' birthplaces. The paper argues the cultural characteristics of birthplaces can affect a person's later management styles and decisions, hence affecting corporate innovation policies. Using regression and difference-in-differences estimations, the paper explores the relation and causality between cultural individualism and innovation output. The paper finds that CEO cultural individualism is positively related with the number of patents produced by the firm and the citations received by the firm. Difference-in-differences tests using CEO turnovers support that the relation is causal. The paper also investigates the economic mechanism of how individualistic CEOs achieve such results. It finds that individualistic CEOs tend to hire more talented employees and improve the workplace environment to attract top inventors. This paper provides firm-level evidence of culture and innovation. Prior studies in this area focus on cross-country evidence and suffer the limitation of confounding factors. Using a county-level measure of individualism and a sample of firms in USA, the paper alleviates the concern and provides evidence with better granularity. This paper also provides a novel mechanism for attracting top inventors, while existing literature tend to focus on risk-taking activities.

This study investigates how the Manipuri weaving community in Bangladesh strives to maintain their livelihoods and ethnic identity while preserving their traditional handloom weaving customs. The community’s main professions are agriculture and weaving. The Manipuri, an ethnic group residing in the Greater Sylhet region of Bangladesh, produces handloom products that are deeply intertwined with their culture and identity. This paper explores how Manipuri weaving processes and products embody their cultural values and contribute to the community’s identity in Bangladesh. Weaving holds significant cultural importance within Manipuri society, particularly for women, and later becomes a crucial aspect of their daily livelihoods in Bangladesh. The paper analyses the practical constraints that bind the Manipuri weaving practices and the preservation of their identity in Bangladesh. The study reveals that many weavers lack literacy and connections with government agencies. Additionally, modern textile factories mass-produce counterfeit “Manipuri” handloom items, distorting the authentic cloth motifs and patterns that hold historical, identity, and cultural significance. Consequently, Manipuri weavers face many challenges in dealing with these imitation products. A qualitative approach was employed in this study.

Framed within the Sociomusicology Theory, this article argued that through the revival of Khoisan indigenous music, South Africa can promote social cohesion, bridging gaps between different ethnic groups and creating a more inclusive society. The Khoisan people, also known as Bushmen or San, are one of the oldest indigenous groups in Africa, and their music is an integral part of their identity and history. However, Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa has been forgotten and marginalised. This can be attributed to various factors including colonialism. In recent years, there has been a quest for revitalising the overlooked and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa. Notwithstanding, minimal attention has been given to reviving the forgotten and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa and this has become a matter of great concern. This article thus sought to understand the importance of reviving the forgotten and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa. In this article, a qualitative content analysis was employed to successfully analyse the purpose of this paper. The findings demonstrated that the extinction of Khoisan indigenous music is attributed to various historical, social, and cultural factors, including colonialism, cultural assimilation, and modernisation. The paper concluded by affirming that the Khoisan indigenous music holds a deep cultural significance for the Khoisan people and South Africa as a whole. It serves as a potent vehicle for the expression and preservation of their great connection to nature, spiritual beliefs, and rich cultural history.

Clifford Geertz’s The Interpretation of Cultures (1973) is widely regarded as one of the most important contributions to the humanities and social sciences in general and anthropology in particular. On its 50th anniversary, the literature drawing on this monumental work is so vast that it is hard to see how anything of significance may still be added to the wide range of insights gained from the in-depth engagement with its main argument. The noticeable differences in opinion between followers and detractors of Geertz’s project notwithstanding, most commentators will agree that The Interpretation of Cultures, having dominated the agenda of Anglophone anthropology for at least two decades after its publication, has had a major and lasting impact on neighbouring disciplines and subdisciplines — notably sociology, social psychology, politics, history, philosophy, and cultural studies. This paper aims to demonstrate that the key conceptual components of Geertz’s enterprise can be located in his case for an interpretive theory of culture, epitomized in the methodological commitment to providing a ‘thick description’. The first half of this paper comprises an inquiry into the core assumptions underlying Geertz’s defence of this endeavour, before moving, in the second half, to an assessment of some controversial issues arising from his approach.

Purpose – Healthcare systems receive criticism from both providers and recipients. The diversity in these systems throughout the world makes innovation and change difficult. However, a structured analysis of healthcare systems is crucial to identify areas for improvement and to share best practices for the betterment of healthcare throughout the world. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses organizational theory as an unbiased tool for evaluating healthcare systems. This theory analyses healthcare systems across five dimensions: environment, culture, social structure, physical structure and technology. This analysis provides an in-depth understanding of the organization's surroundings, formation and function. It offers a lens through which healthcare systems can be envisioned and establishes a vocabulary for communication. Findings – Organizational theory presents a multifaceted approach to initiate assessments aiming to enhance existing healthcare systems and customize them to serve all stakeholders within the focused ecosystem. It alters the dynamics of criticism and presents an opportunity to sustainably address unforeseen healthcare challenges in the future. As the author proceeds to understand healthcare organizations through the perspective of organizational theory, the author also uncovers subtle yet crucial issues such as resource dependence, cultural clashes, organizational silence, bureaucracy, hierarchy, ethics, values, engagement and burnout. Originality/value – This paper was crafted from a collaborative paper for the final of a master's degree. A collaboration was conceptualized using organisation theory as the tool to align processes and achieve successful outcome. The narrative of the collaboration has been edited and paper presented highlighting the importance of the tool of organisation theory in healthcare systems.

Battlefield tourism is a well-established niche in cultural and heritage tourism the world over. This paper explores the contested nature of a specific battlefield in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where two separate museums exist to memorialise the same event, but from two perspectives. The Battle of Blood River (December 16th, 1838) remains a contested event in history books, portrayed from Afrikaner and AmaZulu points of view at the Blood River Heritage Site and Ncome Museum, respectively. People interested in visiting battlefields are slowly dying out, and if South Africa wants to take advantage of growing Battlefield Tourism in the future for surviving generations of those involved in these battles, a new approach will be necessary to sustain and develop this niche of cultural and heritage tourism in the country. This paper uses netnography to analyse the internet footprint of this historical event through the museums’ websites. The paper argues that a more balanced and two-sided perspective should be given at both museums to grow and develop the interest in battlefield tourism across South Africa and encourage mutual visitorship to both museums on the same battlefield site.

This paper discusses the adaptation of Rzeszow Castle in Rzeszow, Poland (also called the Castle of the House of Lubomirski in Rzeszow), which is a key building on the Subcarpathia’s map of monuments. The objective of the project was to identify the latest trends in conservation art, and, subsequently, to create a proposal for a contemporary interior arrangement for the castle and its site development. The aforementioned design work focused on creating new, innovative concepts for the revalorization of historical buildings, oriented towards development and modernity. The work presents bold, novel – and most importantly – workable solutions for a new functional programme for Rzeszow Castle. The main premise of the future modification of the monument was a complete change of use of the building: from administrative and office space (the current court) to a cultural facility with complementary functions. The proposals presented in the paper are aligned with new principles of cultural environment preservation, and primarily emphasize ideas that facilitate the development of culture and art, social engagement, and support new initiatives. The aforementioned new functional programme complements cultural facilities and events offered by the city of Rzeszow - the capital of the Subcarpathia Voivodeship (one of Poland's sixteen provinces). The article is based on thorough scientific and historical research. The characteristics of the building are presented, with focus on its architectural value, and the current state of preservation of the monument is described. The analysis of the functional-utility program became the basis for creating a contemporary and modern interior design. The final version of the interior plan was developed based on field studies and source research.

While investigations into incels online have increased, most have focused on their potential for violence, their misogyny, extremist ideologies, and their mental health. Very little has been devoted to examining the nuances of that subcultural group. The research in this paper examines the hierarchy that has been established within the incel subculture, online, and how that hierarchy is policed using various mechanisms such as reporting “fakecels” to the moderators to have them banned and insults. Findings show that there are clear hierarchical delineations of incels in general, with “blackpill” incels being the most extreme in their worldview and their use of science (albeit cherry-picked) to justify the incel ideology. The researchers also found that there is a hierarchy specific to the online forum from which data were gathered. The paper concludes that understanding incel subculture is salient in addressing the potential threats of violence and treating those individuals who no longer want to identify as incels. Future directions of research would be to examine why boys and men identify as incels.

The belief in totems is very common in Ghana and other regions of Africa. This study looked at the development of Totemism over time in Ghana and Africa. The purpose of this research was to uncover the significance of Totemic climate smart adaption methods used in development discourse in Ghana’s ‘Wasipe’ Traditional Area of the Savanna Region. This has the potential to provide certain societal benefits related to climate-smart adaptation. The study adopted the Ethnographic theory as seen in Dewan and Haverkort’s conceptual approach to measure the relationship between nature and Totemism. At the same time, Ethnographic research provides insight into the cultural and social context in which people live and work. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis were used for the study. The ‘Wasipe’ traditional area was purposively selected for the study because of the cultural background and experiences of the diverse endogenous knowledge systems and practices in the area. The target population consisted of traditional chiefs and opinion leaders who actively participate in the Community’s cultural, traditional and customary activities. Key among the findings include: “Wasipe” traditional area is divided into clans and groups according to Totemic beliefs. They mentioned leopard, tiger, rivers, tortoise, hawk, python, mudfish, electric fish, baobab tree, chameleon, parrot, spear, kapok tree, and some forms of tree species as totems in that traditional area. Totems help them to be able to forecast short, medium and long-term weather changes. It is recommended that multiple layers of actors and stakeholders should be involved in the planning and implementation of Ghana’s adaptation action. The paper concluded that Totemism continues to play a significant part in the day-to-day socio-political economic orientation, defying the effect of Western norms in our societies. This paper has shown that climate-smart adaptation strategies are cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary.

Objective(s): The Covid-19 pandemic indicated that our biological characteristics alone are not enough to deal with diseases. Resilience refers to the dynamic process of positive adaptation to unpleasant and unfortunate experiences which reflects our ability to control the situation and manipulate the situation optimally. This capability includes internal dimensions, the role of experiences and mental patterns, and external dimensions including the coordinates or community's efforts in mastering challenges. However, studies only focus on the concept of social resilience as an external dimension, and the role of culture as an independent component of identity has been ignored. In this review, the need to conceptualize cultural resilience has been put on the agenda. In fact, the capabilities that culture provides through the various components that enable us to have the ability to adapt, change conditions, and improve performance in critical situations are studied. Methods: This was a review of the literature. PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Magiran, and SID databases were investigated using the keywords resilience, community, culture, and hardness in Persian and English papers from 1990 to 2018. The articles were evaluated in multiple stages and finally 32 papers were analyzed. Results: As a result, we conceptualized that cultural resilience could include the following components: belongingness and rootedness, trust, commitment, sense of pride, and attachment. Conclusion: Cultural resilience can be considered as the ability to adapt and deal with a crisis with the help of historical styles, myths, customs, and cultural beliefs.

This paper provides evidence gathered from two suites of non-formal sci-ence activities that were intended to increase engagement in science by culturally diverse groups. Both studies involved the delivery of science ac-tivities that were designed, implemented and evaluated to show culturally contextualised science. The activities were run in two very different con-texts (urban and very rural areas) and were designed to be of relevance to two distinctive cultural groups (those with links to South Asia, and those being educated through the medium of Gaelic, an indigenous minority language in Scotland), while also actively engaging with those beyond the target group. The link between language identity and culture was incor-porated into the design of both sets of activities as well as the qualitative evaluation. The latter considers how the participants’ assessment of the interventions, implemented by writing or drawing on a blank postcard, was designed to provide unstructured responses and explores what the resulting data revealed about the impact of the interventions. The findings suggest that the set of activities that most strongly engaged participants on the value of diversity in the creation of scientific knowledge, as well as increasing their focus on the consequences of scientific activity, were those that facilitated a more exploratory approach to the subject matter. By contrast, activities that had to be done according to a standard scien-tific protocol produced growth in subject-specific knowledge. The present paper explores the principles of the inclusive pedagogies that informed the design of the activities and discusses how these were operationalised in two very contrasting cultural contexts. The key finding was that pre-senting science as social practice, rather than as being socially neutral, is key to promoting engagement, along with the benefits of explicitly dem-onstrating the relevance of science to participants’ daily lives.

Abstract In accordance with the culture and environment, vernacular architecture has provided suitable solutions. People are looking for more environmentally friendly structures in today's globalized world. To comprehend the sustainable qualities of indigenous housing tradition, thus it is important to look back in time. This article has used the idea of sustainable development to evaluate the worth of Gurage, an Ethiopian traditional architecture. The indigenous architecture of the Gurage communities is constructed in line with the community's history, culture, and surroundings. In light of this, the research investigates traditional houses and the socio-cultural practices of the locals that promote resilience. In order to find a scientific basis and encourage its implementation in the future, this paper analyzes the architectural expression in Gurage, holistically in light of the knowledge and experience of the local populace. Using a phenomenological research design and a qualitative research approach that involves observation, key informant interviews (20), and focused group discussions (3) with carefully chosen participants, an explanation for the vernacular architecture of the study areas was established. The outcome of the paper reveals how much the rich vernacular traditions of the study site are still relevant today in creating an environmentally and culturally sustainable settlement. It implies that the traditional building practices and cultural heritage of the Gurage people can contribute to the development of a sustainable settlement that is both environmentally friendly and culturally appropriate. By expressing concern about these issues, it highlights the importance of taking proactive measures to safeguard the environment, preserve cultural heritage, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

This paper aims to tackle the identity struggles that are experienced by the women protagonist characters in The Kitchen God’s Wife. The Chinese American novelist Amy Tan uses her childhood memories with a personal background in writing the plot of her novels. She introduces the conflicts and dilemmas that Chinese American families face in the United States, such as identity, culture, and language. In her works, Amy Tan establishes clear connections between the present and past; she depicts how the recent problems in America are connected to the past sufferings in China. In this novel, Tan illustrates the culturally transforming experiences of a Chinese immigrant woman, Jinge Winnie, with her American-born daughter Pearle. This paper implements textual analysis as a research method to explain the identity conflict within the characters. This study discusses Winnie’s past traumatic experiences in China and their role in shaping her identity. Winnie’s identity issues create enormous conflicts with her daughter Pearl. In addition, Tan introduces a feministic struggle over culture and identity between Winnie and Pearl due to their different perspectives on life in the United States. Their quest is for identity and inner –self. The result of this paper shows to what degree the communication between mother-daughter assists in resolving the identity struggles that they experienced throughout their lives to claim their power in the world.

This paper explores the exceptional intercultural encounter between secular therapists and Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, focusing on two key aspects. Firstly, it explores the distinctive attributes and conflicts inherent in treating Ultra-Orthodox individuals. On the one hand is the secular Israeli therapist, whose base is in Western philosophy that prioritizes individuality, cultural diversity, and tolerance of differences. On the other hand is the Haredi client, entrenched in values from Jewish tradition and religious principles that amplify solidarity and collectivism while rejecting prevalent secular culture. The existing socio-political climate in Israel often positions these two as potentially conflicting cultures. Secondly, the paper seeks to illuminate the uncommon dynamics of the minority-majority power balance within the therapeutic relationship. In contrast to prevalent literature in intercultural therapy, which typically frames the client as a representative of a disadvantaged minority and the therapist as a representative of a dominant majority, this article aims to unravel a nuanced power balance, where those in the minority perceive the dominant culture both as a threat to its way of life and as a despised entity, but paradoxically rely entirely on its financial support. This reveals a complex and intricate interplay of dominance and dependence, shaping a therapeutic relationship that defies conventional expectations.

ABSTRACT: The opportunities for prosperity and sustainable development offered by Electronic Payment Systems (EPS) are of great interest to both authorities and various stakeholders, especially in developing countries. Needless to say, UTAUT2 explains only 40 % of the actual use's variance. This model lacks certain salient constructs that have proven to be relevant. Based on 41 reviewed articles, this current paper aims to provide an innovative model built on robust theoretical foundations, including two new concepts Contextual Acquaintance that encompasses experience, familiarity, and situational normality, and Overall Reliability which gathers consistency of the technology itself and stakeholders’ reliability. This led us to uncover new endogenous mechanisms without burdening the model with multiple variables. Furthermore, this model incorporates for the first time horizontal and vertical dimensions of collectivism and individualism in the context of EPS adoption, providing a more profound understanding of behaviors in multicultural societies. Finally, this paper provides a research framework for scholars to reduce the redundancies observed in this context.

Abstract Considering the pressures of fluctuating external environments, organizations are constantly seeking ways to be responsive and able to improve their performance with lower costs. Employer–employee relationships have changed rapidly in recent years, and there is growing interest in considering human resources as a form of capital, and a strategic factor for business excellence. A focal point for HR professionals is employee loyalty, recognized as pivotal in realizing long-term organizational goals. This paper delves into the concept of Wasta social capital and its pivotal role in fostering employee loyalty and innovation within the unique cultural context of the Arab world. It is argued here that Wasta social capital is the fundamental dynamic that stimulates employee loyalty in the workplace. This conceptual paper provides new insights through understanding the significant role Wasta social capital plays in affecting employee loyalty in a collectivist culture, differing from the conventional business-context factors of loyalty. Obtaining a deeper understanding of employee loyalty and how it is developed in Arab-world business contexts can promote innovation.

Tourism sector in Montenegro, despite an abundance of crafts, has not recognized the importance of their valorisation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine potential problems and weaknesses of craft sector, to explore artisans ' willingness to participate in sustainable tourism, and to provide solutions fo r entering the industry. The goal is to examine the state of craft sector, but also the attitude towards crafts valorization, to identify obstacles and create recommendations, in order to improve sustainable tourism development in Montenegro. The paper includes secondary and primary research, whereby the secondary research will be based on the data of available bibliographic units, while the primary research will be based on the processing of data collected through a survey, and refers to the analysis of Montenegrin craftsmen and employees in cultural institutions, regarding the current state of artisanal production. The results show a low participation of crafts in tourism, but also great interest fo r changes. The problems that artisans face are recognized, and the results show that there is lack of vision and strategy of development. However, there are great potentials. The research will contribute to the inclusion of small bussineses in tourism and valorisation of neglected cultural treasures, by analyzing the current situation, barriers and providing a solution.

In this paper, I analyze and compare Maria Kronfeldner’s and Tim Ingold’s views on the conceptual relationship between nature and culture. I show that despite the differences, their views remain close, particularly in terms of their integrative potential. The ultimate purpose of this examination is to lay the groundwork for further research on the problem of conceptual integration between sociocultural anthropology and evolutionary psychology. The paper comprises four main sections. First, I briefly explore the history of Darwinism to show how nature and culture were conceptualized within this framework. Second, I deal with Kronfeldner’s separationist stance and Ingold’s holistic perspective on the nature/ culture conceptual relationship. Third, I discuss the implications of their views on the choice of research heuristics in the sciences that study human nature and cultures. While I interpret Ingold as supporting methodological integration, Kronfelder argues for a version of integrative pluralism. Lastly, I provide an outlook for further discussions on conceptual integration and integrative pluralism.

With its distinctive form and content, African dance stands apart, carving out a unique identity that sets it apart from other continents. Its inherent rhythm possesses a magnetic quality capable of compelling people to move, transcending language barriers—an attribute that has propelled African musicians, particularly those from Nigeria, to a dominating position on the global music stage. This paper delves into traditional African dance, explicitly focusing on the rhythmic opulence found in the dance of rattles, costumes, and water pots within Seki. This captivating dance drama pays homage to the vibrant culture of the Niger Delta in Nigeria, Africa. Authored by Yibo Koko, the Seki dance drama undergoes a transformative journey, skilfully repackaging the traditional village square theatre into a digitalized theatrical experience accessible both as a live performance and in the dynamic space of new media. The paper employs a robust methodology and theoretical framework, drawing on dance theories, historical surveys, and analytical reviews of Seki performances to unravel the nuanced layers of this artistic expression. In scrutinizing Seki, this paper not only sheds light on the captivating exploration of rhythmic elements, including rattles, costumes, and water pots, but also underscores the broader impact of Seki's performance. The dance drama is a compelling canvas that radiates colours and a flawless rhythm, capturing global attention and playing a pivotal role in restoring the splendour of African ancestry. Through this repackaged theatre experience, Seki becomes a vehicle for exporting African culture, offering a renewed perspective that transcends borders and celebrates the rich heritage embedded in the dance's vibrant tapestry.

The aim of this paper is to examine marriage by capture from the perspective of Christian marriage so that, in the end, the church, government, and all levels of society can determine the correct attitude towards catch marriage. This paper uses a qualitative method with data collection techniques using observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Sampling used purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Capture marriage, one of the marriage methods in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, is a tradition of kidnapping women to make her a bride. This has been practiced by noble descendants for prestige purposes since the era of kingdom rule in Sumba. The results obtained show that marriage by capture has experienced a shift in meaning, where it was once done for prestige and by mutual consent, but now it is an act of violence and crime that is very detrimental and even demeaning to women. In the perspective of Christian marriage, the capture of marriage is an act that opposes the Word of God because marriage should be based on love. The government, churches, non-governmental organizations, traditional leaders, and community leaders have expressed their rejection of marriage by capture. Evidence of this rejection is the existence of policies or regulations and a number of other programs to overcome and eliminate capture marriage. However, so far, the government, churches, non-governmental organizations, traditional leaders, and community leaders have not really implemented every existing regulation.

This article raises an extremely relevant for Russia topic of domestic tourism as a driving factor of regional development at the socio-economic level. The region of study is the Republic of Karelia (RK). The object of the research is both external and internal tourists, and the subject of the study is economically and socially significant innovative forms of domestic tourism in the territory of the RK. In the course of the research the following objectives were set: to identify the peculiarities of ethnic identity of the RK, to confirm the attractiveness for tourists and local residents of the cultural and historical features of the region and its impact on the economy of the region. The paper presents a comparative analysis of two empirical studies using a formalized interview (sociological survey of exploratory type). The results of the work allowed us to conclude that both for tourists visiting the region and for the inhabitants of the region, toponyms and other names have a high level of attractiveness and significance and the support of this has a positive impact on the economic condition of the territories. The paper presents project ideas regarding the practical application of linguistic features of indigenous peoples and cultures, which will be a driving force for the development of innovative forms of domestic cultural and historical tourism in the territory of the Republic of Karelia. For this direction, of course, the drivers are the following representatives of the community of the region under study: public authorities at the regional level; business, showing or wishing to show itself as socially responsible; various active social groups and groups of professionals; bearers of cultural symbols.

Volume 8, Issue 1 of The International Journal of Information, Diversity & Inclusion (IJIDI). This introductory article presents the theme, “A Culture of Knowledge Sharing,” which we have identified as a common thread that weaves the papers featured in this regular issue. These papers cover knowledge sharing in research, literature reviews, and reports from the field discussing topics such as ways Hebrew children’s literature can bridge cultures in Israel, research from Nigeria examining prison libraries as information resources for rehabilitation, and community-based information projects empowering immigrant women in Canada. The papers in this issue highlight how knowledge sharing impacts citizens' information behaviors worldwide. Two book reviews are featured.

Our research aims to show the influence of the spread of Islamic culture in the Fojnica region during the Ottoman rule in 1463 - 1878 on the urban development and change in the appearance of its settlements, raising its status within the Ottoman state, and on improving the quality and enriching every aspect of life. Individual and local community. The analysis of the Islamic culture of the Fojnica region with all its components, as a whole, is for the first time in historiography unified in this paper. This work contributed to more detailed research of the Fojnica region through Ottoman documents such as defter, regesta, travelogue, etc. The sources for this area have not yet been sufficiently explored. It should be especially noted that we were deprived of details for the 18th century because the Fojnica sigils were burned in the Oriental Institute during the last war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. That is why we used the works of Bosnian-Herzegovinian authors based on sources from the archives in Sarajevo and Istanbul, where there is a large number of unpublished materials. In addition, we also carried out field research on the basis of which we confirm that much of the legacy of Islamic culture from the Ottoman period in the Fojnica region has not been explored. We have stated a part of it in this paper. We hope that this work will encourage further research into the Islamic culture deeply rooted in the Fojnica region.

Abstract Cultured meat is a novel technology-based meat alternative with the potential to complement protein supply for a growing world population. An increasing body of consumer research has investigated personal factors explaining consumers’ acceptance of cultured meat. Research on cultural and economic drivers impacting consumer responses across countries, however, is scant. In this light, this article aims to provide a cross-cultural perspective on cultured meat acceptance and guide future empirical research in this domain. First, this article proposes a framework to explain cross-national differences in cultured meat acceptance comprising societal factors (i.e., culture and religion), indicators of the food environment (i.e., meat production and consumption), and economic market parameters (i.e., gross domestic product, carbon dioxide emissions, and population growth). Second, the paper applies a systematic literature review, including 105 empirical consumer studies related to cultured meat. Third, the identified papers are analyzed according to the proposed framework. The findings of this descriptive analysis demonstrate that empirical research to date has predominately been conducted in countries that produce and consume high amounts of meat and are characterized by high gross domestic products per capita. Many of these surveyed countries harbor secular-rational and self-expressional cultural value orientations. Other country types have been less prominently explored, although they represent potentially relevant target markets for cultured meat in the future. Cross-cultural research aiming to explain differences across countries is scarce. To guide future research, the paper develops research propositions relating societal factors, food environment, and market-related factors to consumer acceptance of cultured meat across countries.

At the center of Trstenjak's life and work is man. This is why anthropology has a special place in his scientific interest, not as a specific discipline, but as a search for an answer to the question who a human being is and how to live together in interpersonal relationships, in society and in culture. In the paper, we discuss Trstenjak's scientific and human-experiential ≫reflections≪ of society and culture. We are particularly attentive to his understanding of man as a person and as a being of symbol, not of reason. His approach has a strong and a weak side. The strong one seems to be his fundamental intuition about the person and the symbol that enabled him to have a deep insight into the soul of man, nation, and culture. The weakness of the approach, however, is some of its limitations and ambiguities, so we critically confront Trstenjak's thought with authors who have deepened the theme of the person and the symbol. In the next part of the paper, we discuss his thoughts on the Slovenian man, family and nation. We believe that his thoughts are still relevant and worthy of attention. The paper concludes with a reflection on the importance of Trstenjak's thoughts for our times. This, we believe, cannot be shown without taking into account his reflection on the five great thinkers who for him were a key mental reference and the challenge of how to face the choices of life.

This paper extends Nartey’s model of Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA), examining the visual metaphors (VM) in the representations of Islamic identity. The paper highlights how hand-drawings operate as a positive discourse resisting negative accusations in hegemonic discourses about Islam. This PDA study is an intellectual proximity between semiotics, VMs and cultural studies. Through the constructed framework, I argue that PDA can utilize VMs to construct/construe homogeneity and inclusiveness. Through the findings of this study, we can construe the imageries as a reflection of the physical and cultural environments whose cognition is attained by examining how semiotic signs reflect and are reflected by conscious awareness and perception. A major criticism of PDA is its lack of contextual framing, that’s why this paper provides a contextual framing mixing semiotic visuality and the sociocultural construal of discursive representation of Muslim identity. The interpretation of the findings is contextualized after the adaptation of the philosophical view of Molyneux’s question, the issue of blindness from birth, and the capability of seeing things properly if someone, hypothetically, gains his sight again.

In intergenerational projects, learning a craft is an activity that may be of interest to people of different ages. This paper focuses on knitting as a craft. In most Western societies, knitting is often considered a craft for women, but on Taquile Island, Peru, it is the men who knit. This paper discusses knitting from an intergenerational perspective whilst focusing on gender and culture. To this aim, we introduce an intrinsic case study to examine the role of gender and culture in intergenerational learning. The data used in this study was collected during a visit to Taquile Island. In summary, the study’s findings reveal that (i) on Taquile, members of the community invest in maintaining cultural traditions in opposition to being swept along by (con)temporary social changes; (ii) knitting on Taquile is approached as a practical technique in contrast to Western culture where knitting is connected to the concept of ‘well-being’; and (iii) whilst gender structures may set frames for performance, the Taquile case demonstrates that what is typically considered ‘male’ or ‘female’ may vary.

This paper is a meta-analysis which tackles issues relating to intercommunication, such as: definitions, characteristics, issues, solutions and recommendations. The idea is that students, specialists, managers and leaders, decision-makers must be aware of and understand the importance of communication and culture similarities and differences in an intercultural environment, the challenges posed and the solutions to be found. Thus, communication skills along with other social and digital skills can be the key to success in today’s age of fast changes and globalization. Considering that businesspeople and decision-makers need to engage with partners and customers from around the world, this process requires relevant, impressive skills to manage intercultural perspectives and contexts.

Media relations with culture can play a role in shifting the views of the Besilam Malay community. This study focuses on the impact of television mass media as a pivotal component of modern society. Technological advancements have placed society at a crossroads, presenting a choice between embracing contemporary progress or adhering to time-honored traditions. The pervasive influence of media serves as a catalyst in shaping awareness and perspectives. The tug-of-war between embracing change and preserving heritage is well exemplified in the traditional berahoi ceremony, which recently has taken up only a small part of the whole tradition. The development of the times that continue to follow renewal can influence people's attitudes and thoughts towards culture supported by technology in the media. This paper used a qualitative research model with a heuristic approach to gather information from cultural and religious community leaders around the Besilam community. This study holds significance in illuminating the ancestral traditions deeply rooted within the Besilam Malay community. It aims to shed light on the evolving nature of these traditions and their transformations over time. Additionally, it serves as a call to action, advocating for the Langkat Regency government to prioritize the preservation of these rich cultural customs. A recommendation is proposed to allocate resources from the APBD Budget Policy through the Tourism Office to sustain and promote these traditions, ensuring their continuity for future generations. Modern Globalization Theory, coined by Wallerstein, asserts that social change occurs as underdeveloped nations emulate the practices and advancements of their more advanced counterparts as a means of progress and growth.

This paper aims to empirically analyze how competitive and cultural factors moderate the relationship between electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) characteristics and sales in the US and Korean film industries. A conceptual model was developed based on the cue utilization theory (CUT) to analyze the role of cultural and competitive factors that moderate the relationship between three characteristics of eWOM (volume, valence, and variance) and movie sales. Data of 45 days of 163 films released in Korea and the US were collected and a total of 7,335 samples were analyzed by panel regression. As results, competitive factors enhanced the influence of the eWOM of a focal film and this moderating effect depended on the eWOM characteristics. It also revealed that the effect of eWOM had a greater effect on movie sales in Korea than in the US.

Abstract The purpose of this “perspective” type paper is to revisit and recapitulate an existing alternative approach to measuring economic and sustainable GDP (using the ISEW as a proxy) at both national and regional levels. Motivated by the recognized inadequacies of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in capturing true economic welfare, this study highlights the need for comprehensive indicators that reflect genuine prosperity. While GDP has long served as the primary macroeconomic measure of development, it fails to account for genuine progress, prompting the exploration of alternative measures. In recent decades, sustainable development has become a focal point for global, national, and regional economies, highlighted by the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The inability of GDP to capture sustainable welfare has led to the proposal of various alternative indicators in the literature. This study revisits and recapitulates the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare, first introduced by Daly and Cobb (For the common good: redirecting the economy toward community, the environment, and a sustainable future, Beacon Press, Boston, 1989), which adjusts GDP to better reflect sustainable development. The current “perspective” reviews the application of ISEW across different countries revealing significant insights into the limitations of GDP and the benefits of more holistic measures. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of capturing sustainable economic prosperity at the local level and advocates for the inclusion of cultural aspects as the fourth pillar of sustainable development.

Physical, cultural, philosophical and social approaches are developing in the field of interior architecture to search for the ideal framework for placing the aesthetic, civilizational and cultural context in the folds of the elements and vocabulary of the interior architecture space, by taking into account the contemporary goals of design patterns that ensure the resurrection of the principles of identity and value on the product of the interior architecture space. In ethnology, it contains the knowledge treasures that abound in it from a cultural, social and human point of view to complement each other and give its content the creation of a design situation that achieves the desired goals to add value and meaning and achieve the concept of social sustainability on the sensory and material content of the interior architecture space and its reflection on the occupants of the space functionally and spiritually. Ethnology is considered the most important branch of anthropology as a basic methodology for human societies that helped discover valuable concepts and theories, and its potentials are developing to consolidate the concept of social sustainability in interior architecture on a permanent cultural scale through expanding the interpretation of societies and their interests, which supports the shortcomings in the general development of the contemporary design structure of architecture. The interior can be flexibly adapted to a wide range of conditions surrounding the design situation as a whole and combined with a variety of disciplines and related interests. Through the distinct forms of ethnology in adapting to social, cultural and human phenomena in societies and environments, this paper reviews the multiple approach of ethnology in discovering people’s cultures and lifestyles within a socio-cultural framework to create meaning and value and transfer them functionally and aesthetically to the creative folds of interior architecture, and shed light on achieving the pillars of social sustainability to ensure Contemporary continuity with the requirements of the times, not separating from its origins, improving the quality of life for the occupants of interior architecture, unifying them with their cultural and heritage roots, and transferring their cultural historical content from the past to the present and the future to achieve local and global benefit from learning about the culture of societies and integrating them to create a unique socially sustainable design situation.

The paper discusses the concepts of culture and identity within the context of the Fundamental Law of Hungary. The first part focuses on the relationship between the state and culture, both from a conceptual and an ideological point of view. The second part examines how references to culture and identity appear in the Fundamental Law. It is argued that by juxtaposing the two terms in Article R, the Fundamental Law seeks to broaden the meaning of constitutional identity, to include a historical-cultural dimension, and make it a rhetorical topic useful for the construction of exclusivist arguments.

This paper examines official negotiation methods behind the renovation and simultaneous use of the Staré Hrady castle between 1949 and 1993, as an example of the rescue of a cultural monument in communist Czechoslovakia. It is concerned with the mechanisms of actor-institutional communication at regional level at work within the broader circumstances prevailing in then Czechoslovakia, arguing that this negotiation was in fact the driving force behind the successful reconstruction of this castle after many years of expert-led volunteer work.

Abstract The paper presents and addresses the concept of “spontaneous sustainability”, the informal and unplanned sustainable development of communities, as the basis and framework to support the notion, drives, and agendas of “formal sustainability”. It follows the interdependence between the “spontaneous sustainability” of “distinct” communities and their “cultural” characteristics, including history, spatial continuity, values and behaviors, the associated physical settings, and tangible and intangible products, which enabled them to continue, survive, and develop. The research aims at formulating and validating a “framework” for monitoring and enhancing the “spontaneous sustainability” of “distinct” communities to enable, support and link it, to the broader frameworks of “sustainable development”. The proposed “framework” combines “sustainability” dimensions: environmental, economic, and socio-cultural; and the levels of community contexts, and spatial impact. The “framework” is formulated by integrating selected “urban sustainability” approaches, and systems, with later research that developed the key aspects, criteria, and indicators of those systems, together with research addressing “social and cultural sustainability”, and assessment aspects, criteria, and indicators. The “framework” is developed and validated through a limited questionnaire, involving local experts and specialists, academics, and practitioners, to point out limitations and potential, and to suggest the relative importance of its components, key aspects, and criteria. The validation supported the research propositions, the formulation, and development of the proposed “spontaneous sustainability framework” and emphasized its flexibility to include other approaches and agendas, and potential for further development and application in distinct local communities.

Turandot has long been criticized as artificial, anti-feminist, and most notoriously, Orientalist. The goal of this paper is to show from a survey of its numerous adaptations and transformations worldwide, that it has been proven more productive to treat it as a case for the complexity of the discussion on authenticity of a piece of art in an ever-changing and global world, instead of simply dismissing it as an attestation of Puccini’s inability to produce an authentic montage of a place no different than “a galaxy far, far away” for a Nineteenth century Italian. The paper concludes that over the course of the last two decades, Turandot has transformed from a piece used by the West to appropriate Chinese, to a self-appropriating piece that helped mainly China to assert its “cultural soft power,” and eventually to a vehicle for Chinese domestic audience to understand more about both themselves and the West, and the common thread uniting both cultures: humanity and love.

In the present paper, we discuss the theoretical and methodological benefits of refining the current models which are focused on the influence of culture on human development based on theoretical models and empirical findings which stem from the situated cognition approach on culture. Firstly, to illustrate the current approach on culture and human development, we review the Ecocultural Model of Development, which focuses on the manner in which caregivers’ cultural models are associated with their parental beliefs (i.e., socialization goals and parental ethnotheories), their parental practices and ultimately with the child’s development. Secondly, we explore two models based on a situated cognition approach: the Cultural Task analysis model and the Culture as Situated Cognition approach. Based on the assumptions of these models and findings from our own lab, we discuss how we can theoretically refine current models which focus on the influence of culture on human development, and what methodological approaches these refinements can lead us to. In the paper we also outline several avenues for future research that stem from the reconceptualization of the influence of culture on human development, from a situated cognition perspective. ZUSAMMENNFASSUNG. In dem vorliegenden Aufsatz werden wir die theoretischen und methodologischen Vorteile der Verfeinerung der gegenwärtigen Modelle erörtern, die sich auf den Einfluss von Kultur auf die menschliche Entwicklung konzentrieren, basierend auf Erkenntnissen, die aus dem Ansatz der situierten Kognition zur Kultur stammen. Zunächst werden wir zur Veranschaulichung des aktuellen Ansatzes zur Kultur und menschlichen Entwicklung das Ökokulturelle Entwicklungsmodell erörtern, das sich darauf konzentriert, wie kulturelle Modelle der Betreuungspersonen mit ihren elterlichen Überzeugungen, einschließlich Sozialisationsziele und elterliche Ethnotheorien, ihren elterlichen Praktiken und letztendlich mit der kindlichen Entwicklung verknüpft sind. Zweitens werden wir zwei Modelle erörtern, die auf einem Ansatz zur situierten Kognition beruhen: das Modell der kulturellen Aufgabenanalyse und den Ansatz 'Kultur als situierte Kognition'. Basierend auf den Annahmen dieser Modelle und den Ergebnissen aus unserem eigenen Forschungslabor werden wir erörtern, wie wir theoretisch bestehende Modelle verbessern können, die sich auf den Einfluss von Kultur auf die menschliche Entwicklung konzentrieren, und welche methodischen Ansätze uns diese Verfeinerungen ermöglichen können. In der Arbeit hervorheben wir außerdem mehrere Ansätze für zukünftige Forschung, die sich aus der Neukonzeption des Einflusses von Kultur auf die menschliche Entwicklung aus einer Perspektive der situierten Kognition ergeben. Schlüsselwörter: Kultur; menschliche Entwicklung; situierte Kognition; elterliche Überzeugungen; kulturelle Modelle

This paper seeks to establish the cognitive contextual frames of references (CFRs) in the translation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm from English to Kiswahili. The source text “Animal Farm” and the target text "Shamba la Wanyama" were used to gather the study's data. The paper offers insights on how CFRs can be employed in literary translation to domesticate the target text so that it is relevant to the target language audience. Specific word and phrase meanings were deduced from sentences of both the source text and the target text. The analyzed data revealed that the translator used organizational category shifts, textual category shifts, communicational category shifts, and socio-cultural category shifts. The most common CFRs in the Kiswahili translation of Animal Farm were found to be communicational category shifts. The target text is made relevant to the audience through such manipulations.

This paper explores the relationship between historical research and the field of global mental health. It identifies a gap in the current literature, and argues that an in-depth historical approach is critical for understanding and overcoming current challenges and controversies in global mental health. The authors propose that a thick historical analysis has the capacity to broaden and diversify the discussion about the core concepts in global mental health (such as illness, suffering, care or culture), and to nuance our understanding of the field’s development and impact in specific political and social contexts. The paper analyzes how a systematic historical approach is crucial for understanding colonial and post-colonial power relations embedded in the field of global mental health, and encourages researchers and practitioners to view history as a source of imagination, and of alternative ideas and initiatives in mental health that go beyond existing psychiatric frames of representations, and towards truly radical and egalitarian projects and relations. This exercise in alternative historical imagination does not need to interfere with nor disrupt the urgency of mental health practice today; on the contrary, it is meant to improve the effectiveness of interventions. It can provide practitioners with a new and enriched language to resolve long-standing clinical dilemmas (e.g. related to patient adherence or limited success of certain cultural adaptations), which could not be properly addressed previously

In this paper, I revisit discourses of media globalization through a cultural approach. I do so by contextualizing theoretical possibilities of grasping media globalization by engaging with the conceptual categories of notable scholars. In doing so, I reposition the globalization debate from its decidedly technophilic and economic determinisms to a nuanced, culturally situated discussion. The paper provides a wider context for grasping how the globalization of the media shapes, configures, and reconstitutes everyday practice and conditions of local and globalized practices. Issues raised in this light include historical contexts framing globalization (for instance, is it a question of homogeneity, heterogeneity, cultural imperialism, hybridity, or what?), political economic perspectives on transnational media conglomerates and their work of empire as well as the work of resistance by nation states in regulating global flow.

Background: The care of clients with complex psychosocial problems involves diverse frontline professionals such as general practitioners, psychiatric nurses, police officers, social support consultants and debt counselors. As these professionals have different professional backgrounds and work in different organizations, their health conceptions, or beliefs about what constitutes health and how this should be pursued, may also differ. Having an understanding of various frontline professionals’ health conceptions is relevant, as these may affect interprofessional collaboration in their work with clients with psychosocial problems. Objective: To understand various frontline professionals’ health conceptions. Design: Inductive qualitative approach. Setting: The Hague, the Netherlands. Participants: Various frontline professionals from social welfare, general healthcare and mental healthcare, working with clients with complex psychosocial problems. Methods: Between September 2020 and April 2021, 23 in-depth semi- structured interviews were conducted with frontline professionals in social welfare, general healthcare and mental healthcare. Based on these interviews, this paper analyzes frontline professionals’ health conceptions. After transcription, all interviews were imported into ATLAS.ti for analysis. An iterative process of thematic analysis was used to identify health conception dimensions. Results: The paper found that frontline professionals’ health conceptions differ in three main aspects: 1) health definitions, 2) alignment with clients and 3) contextualization of clients’ health. Conclusions: The main implication of this research is that this inductive analysis of health conceptions provides a first building block in theorizing frontline professionals’ health promotion practices. Tweetable abstract: Knowing about professional's health conceptions gives insight into how health is understood and how good health can best be achieved, which is important in caring for vulnerable clients.

The training of specialists in artistic higher education institutions should be conducted using modern methods, technologies, and developments and be oriented towards a modern audience, but at the same time, training should be based on established principles and views that have been tested by time. Les Kurbas is a personality whose views and principles of acting and directing can be a guide for contemporary artists, and therefore they should be used in the professional training of students of theatre and film education. The purpose of this paper was to cover the aspects of training future specialists in higher education institutions based on Les Kurbas’s directing craft. To fulfil this purpose, the following research methods were used: biographical method, methods of analysis and synthesis, method of comparison, method of abstraction, method of analogy, methods of deduction and induction. The paper covered the foundations of Les Kurbas’s directing craft and its influence on the development of modern theatre and directing, compared his principles and views with those of contemporary artists. The paper revealed the role of Les Kurbas and his work in preserving the identity of Ukrainian theatre and cinema and in the development of Ukrainian culture. A parallel was drawn between modern approaches to training future specialists and the foundations of Les Kurbas’s directing craft. The conclusion was made on the expediency of using the basics of Les Kurbas’s directing craft in the educational process of higher educational institutions. The paper described the specific features of using the basics of Les Kurbas’s directing craft in the preparation of future specialists for professional activity and provided recommendations for their implementation in the educational process. The results of this paper can be used by teachers of artistic higher education institutions when developing lecture materials and special courses, as well as by students for self-improvement and work on themselves and their professional skills, which underlies the successful development of Ukrainian theatre and cinema.

Just as they are to the events themselves, the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics have become central to academic research on the Games and their political, social, and cultural roles. And so the recent string of Olympic Games held in East Asia – two of them under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic – offer the opportunity to think both about region-specific meanings associated with these highly scripted affairs and about the ways they might destabilize broader judgments about the Olympics and their implications. This paper introduces the contributions to this special volume on the Opening Ceremonies at Asia’s recent Olympic Games, aiming to draw attention not only to the specific contributions of each paper but also to the themes that they collectively engage.

The paper focuses on presenting the role of international exhibitions in the political life of various countries as spaces where cultural and political dialogue is organized. As the main examples the cultural cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Paris-Moscow and Moscow-Paris exhibitions organized on the joint initiative of France and the USSR in 1979 and 1981, as well as the exhibitions of American post-war art in the Tate were considered. The article also examines several more examples of such events in order to support the idea that such events were indeed the flow of political dialogues on many levels, from the search for common points in art on the exhibition scene to the covert processes of negotiation and correspondence that made these exhibitions come to fruition. At the same time the paper presents the specifics of cultural relations between the United States and the USSR, and directly within the Western community, without using the comparison of Europe and the USSR as the only obvious political confrontation and antithesis.

This paper tries to synthesize the history of economic thinking regarding the correlation between culture and the economic development during the last centuries. The use of culture to explain the economic performance has not been popular among social science researchers in recent decades. Most economic models are based on the idea that people are essentially rational beings and make decisions in their own interest. What people choose to do depends on their beliefs. But culture can give rise to a set of rational beliefs. In economic history, some economists have questioned the classic concept of the „rational economic man” mentioning the increasing role of non-economic behavior in modern economies. These two positions can be reconciled if we reduce the social norms that govern entire societies based on the actions of individuals who look out for their own interests. Regardless of which models of economic thinking a historical retrospective is based on, an important conclusion is that throughout history, social and cultural factors have been among the important catalysts of the economic life. In the paper, it is argued that some factors such as European culture and European political traditions, etc., have an essential contribution to the economic success of those countries that follow them.

The paper examines the limits of state interference in proscribing cultural norms by considering gender discrimination, right of people to leave their community free of penalties, denying women appropriate education, and forced or arranged marriages for girls and young women. The discussion opens by reflecting on the discriminatory practices of the Pueblo tribes against their women and analysing an American court case, Santa Clara v. Martinez. It is argued that the severity of rights violations within the minority group, the insufficient dispute-resolution-mechanisms, and the inability of individuals to leave the community if they so desire without penalty justify state intervention to uphold the dissenters’ basic rights. Next, a Canadian case, Hofer v. Hofer, illustrates the problematics of denying reasonable exit right to members who may wish to leave their community. Subsequently, the discussion turns to the issue of arranged and forced marriages of girls and young women. While the latter is coercive the former is not. While forced marriages should be denounced as unjust, arranged marriages can be accepted. Finally, the paper considers denying education to women, arguing that such a denial is unjust and discriminatory.

Mauli ola, optimal health and wellbeing from a Hawaiian perspective, is achieved by being pono, or morally just and upright, and maintaining an intricate balance physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally through one’s relations. Cultural practices, including practices that foster a connection to the water, land, ocean, and natural environment, may serve as protective and resilience factors, thereby promoting health and wellbeing. This paper starts by sharing the genealogical foundations of cultural practices in Hawai‘i as the foundations of Native Hawaiian lifestyles and ways of knowing. The paper proceeds with data analyses that aim to better understand the role of cultural practices in relation to connectedness to ‘Āina (the land, nature, and the environment, which nourish our bodies) and Native Hawaiian health based on cross-sectional correlations and qualitative data. The findings demonstrate the importance of cultural practices, specifically ‘Āina practices, and identify ‘Āina protection, restoration, and conservation as major health priorities. The correlations demonstrate statistically significant relationships between cultural practices; a physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional connection to ‘Āina; and health outcomes. These findings continue to support literature and other declarations that support healthcare and medicine that are culturally grounded in Indigenous values and traditional systems of medicine.

The paper aims to offer an overview of the specific situation of culture as an investment priority of cross-border cooperation, part of the European territorial integration process, in the Eastern Neighbourhood Policy. The research is focused on the cross-border programmes involving Romania and its neighbours during the last two multiannual financial frameworks. Two financial instruments are of interest: the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, for the period 2007-2013 and the European Neighbourhood Instrument for 2014-2020. The analysis is based on the European Union’s INTERREG database (keep.eu), filtered for seven CBC programmes, highlighting the role of culture for CBC, the intensity of CBC and the leading territories (cities and countries) in cultural projects involving cross-border partners in the Eastern Neighbourhood.