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The need for organizations to remain flexible is crucial. This study aims to assess the way organizational culture, dynamic environments, and strategic choices can be related in the case of the Jordanian ICT industry with emphasis on the mediating effect of the dynamic environment. The paper employed a questionnaire sent to 256 employees from several ICT companies involved in strategic decision-making and planning. The analyses showed that organizational culture significantly affects strategic decision-making, with the dynamic environment serving as an important mediator. More precisely, it explained 50.6% of the variance in decision-making (R² = 0.506) and 52.2% of the variance in perceptions about the dynamic environment (R² = 0.522). Thus, consistency (p = 0.007) and adaptability (p = 0.006) emerged as critical cultural dimensions that enhance effective strategic decision-making. Additionally, the prominent effect of the dynamic environment on decision-making was identified (p = 0.000). Therefore, Jordan’s ICT companies can enhance their strategic decision-making and gain a competitive advantage in a sustainable manner by focusing on organizational culture with priorities on consistency and adaptability. This kind of culture ensures better alignment with strategies and quick responses to market or technological changes, contributing to long-term business sustainability. Acknowledgment Acknowledgments are expressed to Middle East University, Amman, Jordan, for the financial support to cover this article’s publishing fee.

The origin of this ‘Eleousa’ icon is unknown. In 1949, the image was in a private collection in Rome. The icon suffered losses. The board was sawed off at the bottom; the background was re-primed; the layers of paint are incompletely preserved. The iconography of the image is Byzantine and the manner of painting complies with Byzantine canons. However, the holy faces and naked body parts are statuesque and impress the viewer with their materiality. A likely provenance is Sicilian, artist’s familiarity with Byzantine tradition being the strongest evidence. The master was likely influenced by stone sculpture, flourishing in Sicily and Southern Italy in the first half of the 13th century. Such imitation of sculptures in painting was well known to contemporary Roman artists, e.g., Pietro Cavallini and Jacopo Torriti. Происхождение иконы «Умиление» из московского частного собрания неизвестно. В 1949 г. образ находился в частном собрании в Риме. Памятник дошёл до нас с утратами. Доска иконы снизу и её поля опилены, фон заново загрунтован, красочные слои сохранились не полностью. Иконография образа византийская, типы ликов и манера письма исполнены преимущественно по византийским канонам. Однако лики и обнажённые части тела впечатляют своей статуарностью и вещественностью. Мы предполагаем местом создания иконы Сицилию. Решающим аргументом является органическое знание художником византийской традиции. Также можно предположить влияние скульптуры на художника-иконописца, что связано с высоким художественным уровнем каменной пластики на Сицилии и в Южной Италии в первой половине XIII в. Подобное подражание скульптурному образу было характерно для художников Рима, Пьетро Каваллини и Якопо Торрити, но уже во второй половине XIII века.

The collision of opera with Iranian musical culture can be considered one of the most important points of intersection between Western and Iranian culture, which took place under the influence of certain political and social developments in Iran. After the Persian Constitutional Revolution, Iran was affected by political, social and cultural changes. Countless changes were made to help Iran's entry into the modern world, in which elites and intellectuals played a significant role. They insisted on bringing the modern form of theatre to the culture of Iran. This is how operetta first entered Iran under the influence of immigrants from northern European countries. The first operettas of the constitutional era were created under the influence of the Caucasian operettas. During several decades of activity in the field of operetta production in Iran, and with the provision of academic education in the field of Western singing in the music conservatory, conditions were created for the production of the first operas in Iran. The coexistence of music and drama was praised by Iranians from the very beginning and prompted many playwrights to create operettas. Since the first operettas in Iran were created with hints of Iranian music and culture, some experts did not consider it correct to use the word operetta for these performances. This essay, based on the theory of glocalization and relying on the descriptive-analytical method based on library documents, has listed some of the effects of Western operas and operettas on the post-constitutional operettas, with the study of three operettas, namely Rastakhiz'e Shahriaran'e Iran, Parichehr and Parizad and finally Elahe. These operetta artists included musical profiles other than Iranian music in their works by using descriptions under the title of "European song and ballet" and using "Western Instruments" and "the songs close to Caucasian and Turkish music", and tried to step closer to the Western operettas. In such a situation, the juxtaposition of Western operetta and Iranian musical culture had effects on each other, which were examined in the article in three stages: exposure, cultural influence, and acculturation. At first, Iranians had a cultural exposure with Western opera by hearing, reading and seeing it. Using the name "operetta" and influences from Western music and song, they advanced to the stage of cultural influence. And since the presence of operetta in Iran did not pose any threat to Iranian music, Iranians did not take a step towards acculturation. As for the results of this article, we can mention the process of producing a kind of glocalized operetta in Iran. Iranians took the title of operetta as one of the successful globalized examples. They combined this globalized musical show with Iranian classical music and singing. Sometimes they used humorous stories appropriate to the society of that time and sometimes they used epic myths and stories from Iranian classical poetry and created a new type of operetta in Iran. It was under these conditions that the glocal type of Persian operettas was born, influenced by the global type of Western operettas.

This study investigated the influence of culture on dietary patterns among undergraduate students at a tertiary institution in Keffi Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 395 students selected via stratified random sampling. Data were analysed using reliability analysis, regression, and descriptive statistics. Cultural restrictions influenced 60.9% of students, with 49.5% favouring local Nigerian cuisine over Western options (27.9%). Regression analysis confirmed cultural factors as significant predictors of healthier dietary patterns (R-squared = 0.21, coefficient = 0.28, p < 0.05). Cultural traditions extend beyond individual preferences, influencing communal eating habits and overall dietary patterns. Tailoring health education to cultural contexts can promote healthier eating behaviours.

This article examines the development of jewellery in Right-Bank Ukraine and Galicia from the XVI to XIX centuries, focusing on precious ecclesiastical artifacts as evidence of the flourishing of Ukrainian goldsmithing. The relevance of the research stems from its detailed exploration of ecclesiastical jewellery in Right-Bank Ukraine and Galicia, providing a unique perspective on the region's artistic heritage and European cultural integration. The purpose is studying the artistic techniques used by Lviv and Kyiv jewellers in creating church artifacts like domes, icon covers, and other ecclesiastical items. The historical-genetic method enabled comprehensively analysing the evolution of Right-Bank Ukrainian jewellery in the example of church artifacts. Periodization identified three stages of Ukrainian goldsmithing's development in the XVI-XIX centuries. The system-structural method emphasized Western European cultural influence on overall Ukrainian jewellery. The typological approach reflected empirical reality of Right-Bank Ukrainian jewellery development as evidence of flourishing culture. Narrative described and explained the significance of jewellery artifacts at each stage of the formation of Ukrainian goldsmithing. Research materials included art organizations' experience, archaeological documentation, and museum exhibits. As a result of the research, the article presents the work of such Kyiv masters as: Iyeremiya Biletskyy, Ivan Ravych, and Matviy Narunovych. Detailed descriptions of works of art by Lviv and Kyiv masters of the XVIXIX centuries are provided. And information about the Kyiv goldsmith shop is displayed. Conclusions confirm that Right-Bank Ukraine and Galicia were a stronghold of European jewellery styles in the 16th-19th centuries. The study of church artefacts by Ukrainian craftsmen shows a special cultural mentality shaped by centuries-old traditions and the multidenominational nature of Christian faiths. Thus, the materials of the article represent a practical value for historians, ethnographers, and architects who are interested in the construction of Orthodox churches; and jewellers engaged in artistic blacksmithing.

Abstract Children from three years to the age of five are considered pre-primary students when their emotional, social, cognitive, linguistic, and other skills are built and developed, which helped determine the future behaviors of a child. Children are heavily impacted by their surroundings and the people around them throughout this critical stage. In the 21st century, Bangladesh’s pre-primary education system has been heavily shaped and developed, following Western pedagogy. Parental aspiration remains a crucial path in developing the ECE curriculum in Bangladesh. The ECE curriculum is being remodeled under the influence of the national culture, considering the parental aspiration for the betterment of their children. Cultural components, such as customs, beliefs, social norms, regulations, and religions, have signifi-cantly influenced education. This study aims to investigate the pre-primary education system and identify the changing patterns influenced by culture globally and nationally. In this study, a mixed-methods approach has been employed for the data collected. This exploratory study used inductive reasoning to weave latest information into innovative ideas. Since the parental perspective varies in division wise needs and progress enhancement aspirations, the participants were selected from four divisional headquarters of Bangladesh: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rangpur. For the comprehensive development of cognitive and behavioral patterns, children must be exposed to the history and culture of the community by making the curriculum more engaging. Thus, a refined early learning through ECE has been vital to building a dynamic, economic, and strong nation for the future of Bangladesh.

This study aimed to determine the effect of technology on the upgradation of slums in Islamabad, along with the moderating role of upstream influences between them. With this concern, the researcher used a quantitative research design, and to accumulate the data, a closed-ended survey questionnaire was chosen. The sample size considered in this research was 293 participants belonging to the urban planning sector of Islamabad. To evaluate the data and hypothesized model, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. It was also revealed that upward influences moderated the association between technology and slum upgradation significantly, particularly regarding governance, religion, and gender roles. However, this research is limited to Islamabad only; therefore, the implications of this study cannot be generalized. Consequently, it has been recommended that upward influences based on crime and mafia, along with governance, should be controlled to upgrade Islamabad-based slums.

Understanding the spatial variation, temporal changes, and their underlying driving forces of carbon sequestration in various forests is of great importance for understanding the carbon cycle and carbon management options. How carbon density and sequestration in various Cunninghamia lanceolata forests, extensively cultivated for timber production in subtropical China, vary with biodiversity, forest structure, environment, and cultural factors remain poorly explored, presenting a critical knowledge gap for realizing carbon sequestration supply potential through management. Based on a large-scale database of 449 permanent forest inventory plots, we quantified the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of aboveground carbon densities and carbon accumulation rates in Cunninghamia lanceolate forests in Hunan Province, China, and attributed the contributions of stand structure, environmental, and management factors to the heterogeneity using quantile age-sequence analysis, partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), and hot-spot analysis. The results showed lower values of carbon density and sequestration on average, in comparison with other forests in the same climate zone (i.e., subtropics), with pronounced spatial and temporal variability. Specifically, quantile regression analysis using carbon accumulation rates along an age sequence showed large differences in carbon sequestration rates among underperformed and outperformed forests (0.50 and 1.80 ​Mg⋅​ha−1·yr−1). PLS-PM demonstrated that maximum DBH and stand density were the main crucial drivers of aboveground carbon density from young to mature forests. Furthermore, species diversity and geo-topographic factors were the significant factors causing the large discrepancy in aboveground carbon density change between low- and high-carbon-bearing forests. Hotspot analysis revealed the importance of culture attributes in shaping the geospatial patterns of carbon sequestration. Our work highlighted that retaining large-sized DBH trees and increasing shade-tolerant tree species were important to enhance carbon sequestration in C. lanceolate forests.

This article highlights and summarizes the complexity of the scientific relationships established between the Romanian University of Cluj and France in the first half of the 20th century. Newly created at the end of the Great War and placed in Transylvania, a multicultural region that had finally become part of the Romanian state, this academic institution made great efforts in order to gain national and international credibility and relevance. The varied and constant support provided by the French academics played a key role in the accomplishment of this ambitious goal.

This literature review focuses on cultural-related studies and game theory. First of all, it analyzes how social dynamics and strategic interactions can be shaped by different cultural environments. Secondly, it examines how cultural norms can affect strategic decision making and how game theory could predict cooperations and conflicts. Overall, this study aims to highlight the applicability of game theory in the modeling of cultural transformation and its interaction with behavioral economics. Moreover, this study also attempts to underscore the significance of game theory and cultural diversity in communication methods, plus the process of policy formulation. In addition to the above topics, the robustness of cross-cultural social norms, the economic study of different cultural heritage, and the cultural effects of tourism under game theory are also focal points of this study. Finally, this review delves into how game theory can represent social interactions, emphasizing the need to incorporate extensive cultural knowledge in order to enhance the efficacy of game-theoretic model’s applications.

ABSTRACTThis study endeavors to show analogous ideas in Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and Sherko Bekas’s “A Fall Letter.” Bekas, who was a good reader of English poetry, was greatly influenced by Eliot. He familiarized himself with English literature and follows it truly. For the idea for his poem, “A Fall of Letter” Bekas benefits from Eliot’s “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock” and uses it in composing his poem. Eliot’s modern style has been revealed in his works as presenting complicated ideas through a simple language to reassure the modernity in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” as well as the modernity in “A Fall Letter.” A sad and gloomy tone is seen in both poems – Eliot may be speaking to his soul or with a partner, but Bekas expresses the poem through apostrophe. The study culminates with an analytic comparison between the two poems: “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “A Fall Letter” in terms of their themes.

No poet like Hafez has penetrated into the depths and angles of the mind and hearts of Iranians. He is the poet of all ages, and many strata, from mystics and writers to ordinary people, have each found their desired meanings in Hafez's words. Also, Hafez's worldview and humanistic themes in Persian literature have provided a great capacity for the globalization of his character; hence, Hafez's influence and poetry can be seen in many Eastern and Western countries. To this end, in order to better understand the cultural comprehensiveness of Hafez in diverse countries, this study attempts to study the influence and impact of Hafez's words in the literature and culture of Western and Eastern countries by adopting a library method and a comparative study. In fact, the aim of this study is to show the influence of Hafez's words with human themes on poets and writers of various countries including Germany and Czech-Slovakia, Indian subcontinent including Bengal and Pakistan, China, Ottoman Empire and Arab scholars. It is also intended to examine the reflection of Hafez's cultural comprehensiveness in these countries by studying and examining images of Hafez's illustrated manuscript (available at the New Delhi Museum). The results of this study show that Hafez's cultural comprehensiveness has crossed the border from Iran and reached the depths of Western and Eastern countries. In which that in addition to the cultural influence of Hafez's poems on a number of Western and Eastern countries, Iranian and Islamic culture has also penetrated and expanded and the theme of Iranian poetry and culture has been recognized as a symbol of peace and comfort. Research objectives: 1. To study how the principals and ideas of Hafez has penetrated into the countries worldwide. 2. To examine the reflection of the cultural comprehensiveness of Hafez's work in the images of its illustrated version. Research questions: 1. How did Hafez's intellectual and cultural influence originate in different countries? 2. How have Hafez's ideas influenced the intellectual and cultural life of other countries?

Whilst self-driving cars are not vehicles of the future, but technology that is already available, their acceptance and implementation is heavily limited. People consider them as technology that has a lot of risk—be it technological, IT related, or even ethical. The aim of the present paper is to enrich the existing body of literature of risk perception—and in line with this technology adaption—regarding autonomous vehicles and how they are influenced by demographic and exogenous cultural variables. Whilst the effect of cultural variables on risk perception has already been explored by several researchers, the present paper shall be considered an expansion of those works, striving to address a particular segment of risk perception—the specifics of cultural influence on risk perception regarding autonomous vehicles. Whilst risk perception is of a multifaceted nature, the current paper does not aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex phenomenon under scrutiny, but intends to highlight the potentiality of cultural influences besides the often-explored individual variables when it comes to risk perception and the consequent decisions and indicates that the cultural dimensions of Geert Hofstede use to create a better understanding of perceived risks related to self-driving cars.

Past research on pathways to cultural influence on judgment has compared the explanatory power of personal preferences, perceived descriptive norms and institutionalization. Positive education is an education movement inspired by Western positive psychology. The present study examined how these factors jointly predict Hong Kong teachers’ evaluation of imported positive education programs in their schools. In a field study, we measured teachers’ personal endorsement of growth mindset (a positive psychology construct developed in the US) and their evaluation of adopting positive education programs in their schools. We also measured teachers’ perception of the extent of institutional and normative support for positive education in their schools. The results show that teachers’ personal preferences for growth mindset predict more favorable evaluation of positive education programs when institutional and normative support for positive education programs are both weak, or when they are both strong. We interpret these effects from the perspectives of the strong situation hypothesis and the intersubjective theory of culture.

Background: People who migrate and settle in new places encounter other people, different cultures, lifestyles, healthcare services and environments that create conditions that may impact their health in the course of their journey and during the transition to the new environment. Vulnerable populations such as refugees continue to face difficulty in navigating an ever more complex healthcare system in which resources are limited and barriers to healthcare services access are numerous. In the United States (U. S.), these barriers have been linked to the culture of refugee populations and the complexity of the healthcare system. South Sudanese women are an exemplar of a culturally unique vulnerable population with these barriers to healthcare services. Aim: The purpose of this integrative review was to examine published research reports on healthcare access and use by the South Sudanese refugee women who have settled in the United States, as well as their perceptions of the influence of their culture on their access and use of healthcare. Methods: Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review method guided this analysis. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria (seven qualitative, two quantitative). Three main themes emerged from the review: Refugee Healthcare Access and Use, Refugee Women’s Healthcare Access and Use, and Sudanese Refugee Women’s Healthcare Access and Use. These themes confirm both women’s knowledge gaps about healthcare as well as gaps in the literature regarding the healthcare access and use of the South Sudanese refugee women who have resettled in the U. S. Conclusions: This review discovered that there a is dearth of research literature about South Sudanese refugee women’s healthcare access and use in relation to their cultural perspectives.

Abstract Background This study investigated whether the body condition score (BCS) and/or culture influences the quality of life (QoL) of dogs, as evaluated by the owner, and whether the BCS is influenced by feeding and exercise and its owner’s culture. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to 355 selected dog owners (Thai and Dutch). Their dogs had a BCS of 3 (normal weight), 4 (overweight) or 5 (obese) but no other physical problems. Instead of using Likert scales, continuous scales were used. Further, data for the questionnaire items were transformed using an integrated z-score methodology. Results The magnitude of factor loadings was similar to that reported in a previous study, indicating that the questionnaire is not culture specific. QoL scores for general sickness were significantly higher (worse) in dogs with a higher BCS. Thus even though the dogs were apparently healthy, the BCS influenced the perceived QoL of the dog. Immobility was seen more often in dogs with a higher (poorer) BCS than in dogs with a lower (better) BCS; however, there was no clear relationship between immobility and total activity. The higher the BCS, the less owners felt in control of feeding and exercise. The BCS was higher in the dogs of owners who did not like to exercise. The Thai dogs showed more separation-related behaviour problems when their owner left home than did the Dutch dogs. Conclusions The QoL of overweight and obese dogs is mainly influenced by the dog’s physical status. The owners of dogs with a high BCS have less perceived control over feeding and exercise. Our findings indicate that owner attitudes and beliefs essentially cause obesity as a result of a lack of knowledge and perceived control.

The article analyses the collection of books of the 16th–18th centuries, printed in Gothic script in German, from the collection of Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve: theological works, philological, historical and political contributions as well as practical-books. The Yaroslavl collection is regarded to be a mirror of the evolution of the German books from the Middle Ages towards the early modern period. The library of Yaroslavl Theological Seminary is accentuated, whereby the museum serves as the heritage center at the crossroads of cultures.

Despite the impressive increase in popularity of the vegan phenomenon in Romania, there is still a significant number of young people who are not interested to follow this alternative lifestyle. What are the reasons that determine this attitude and how are they articulated by the youth? The aim of this study is to provide an answer to the aforementioned question, having as a theoretical basis the theory of cognitive dissonance and the psychological implications of carnism. I analysed the online anti-vegan discourses in order to discover the arguments used by non-vegans; afterwards, I conducted 4 interviews in which I followed the significations and meanings of veganism and meat. The results corroborated with my initial assumption, all my interviwees being aware of the benefits, and even superiority, of veganism, at the same time formulating the reasons of not following such a lifestyle. These findings are relevant as they reflect the manner in which the social and cultural education can shape a specific behaviour and an attitude towards various lifestyles. As a result of a certain upbringing and under the influence of certain convinctions, individuals establish a dichotomy between the 'normal' and the 'abnormal' lifestyles, this structure being psychologically and behaviorally internalised.

The study’s objective is to identify factors contributing to the positive results of legal reception and generalize the concept of legal reception, revealing the close relationship of law with the culture. During the research, various scientific approaches and methods of knowledge contributed to the achievement of the intended objective. The research is based on dialectical, systemic methods and the comparative legal approach. The result of the study was the conclusion that the result of intercultural interaction is not always favorable and can have both positive and negative consequences: when the national legal system becomes inconsistent, illogical, loses the character of self-execution, up to the fatal outcome – the destruction of the legal culture of society. As the most important condition for the successful reception of law, the authors highlight the compatibility of the cultures of the donor country and the recipient country (interacting cultures). It is argued that the formation of a single global cultural, legal space does not reflect the objectively existing patterns of development of societies, and the incompatibility of different types of legal cultures is the main factor preventing the creation of global legal order in general and hindering the success of the reception of law in particular. The novelty of the research is determined by the fact that the reception of law is one of the forms of intercultural interaction and plays a significant role in the mutual penetration of legal cultures. Although the topic is one of the most popular for domestic and foreign legal science, as a rule, its study is reduced to the description of the facts of reception, in most cases of Roman law, and the number of general theoretical studies of this issue is insufficient.

The article is devoted to the identification of main approaches to soft power in Russian political science. The author analyzes the structural, process-oriented, measuring-instrumental and technological approaches. Within the framework of the latter approach, the following areas are distinguished: 1) the understanding of soft power as a passive attraction; 2) humanitarian and cultural; 3) psychological and ideological. It is asserted that a cautious attitude to soft technologies is widespread in the domestic science.

Our paper focuses on the relevant theoretical economic approaches that allow us to understand the key elements of cultural values. The paper presents a model envisaged to estimate economic and social impact of modernization on cultural values in modern societies. We employ three indices of social and economic development for each level in Russian Federal districts of Moscow and St. Petersburg in order to reveal their impacts on modernization processes. Our data has been collected via the means of a questionnaire and an opinion poll with the purpose of revealing the value guidelines of society in terms of its modernization. Our results reveal the presence of four relevant levels of value orientations: family orientations, global, work, and personal orientations. Our results demonstrate how modernization is perceived in modern societies, in which spheres it is mostly expressed, and how it influences the society. Moreover, we show the determinants of values within four levels of value orientations. Our findings provide estimations of modern attitudes towards social consciousness in the processes of modernization and reveal basic moral principles that could become a background of new system of values used in modernizing modern societies.

The use of therapeutic boundaries is an essential aspect of music therapy work internationally. However, the influence of cultural and training factors on the use of boundaries has not been explored in-depth yet. This paper presents a small qualitative study, which investigates the use of boundaries in music therapy by Greek therapists, by taking into consideration how their use is influenced by their own cultural and training backgrounds. For the purposes of this study, online email interviews with three Greek music therapists working in Greece were conducted. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data that was collected through the interviews. The main findings show that Greek music therapists use boundaries in their music therapy practice according to the professional European standards.However, therapists spoke of flexibility and variations in the use of boundaries to adapt to cultural differences in their own local settings and to meet individual clients’ needs.

The researcher employed personal belief system (PBS) theory as the theoretical foundation for this study because it holds that teachers’ PBSs may influence their teaching behaviours, teaching styles, and pedagogies in classroom practice due to cultural influences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how teachers’ personal beliefs influence how they teach and how their approach may align with or diverge from cultural expectations in a private adult learning facility for English learning in Macau Special Administrative Region, China. The participants in this study were classroom teachers in a learning community who believe in collaborating to create environments for best practices. Two main research questions guided this study: (1) What is the relationship between teachers’ personal belief systems and their classroom practice; and (2) How does a teacher’s educational experience as a K-12 student affect their pedagogy in an adult English language learning program? Three types of data collection methods were employed: interview, classroom observation, and field note taking. The findings showed that teachers utilize their personal belief systems to engage their students through interactive teaching strategies, which was counter-intuitive for both teachers and students who had been taught with Eastern teaching styles. This study contributed to personal belief system theory and broadens the understanding of the perspectives and concepts of English teaching and supervision. The beliefs of teachers influenced their understanding of teaching and their classroom practices.

This study investigated tadpole self-drawings from 183 three-to-six years old children living in seven cultural groups, representing three ecosocial contexts. Based on assumed general production principles, the influence of cultural norms and values upon specific characteristics of the tadpole drawings was examined. The results demonstrated that children from all cultural groups realized the body-proportion effect in the self-drawings, indicating universal production principles. However, children differed in single drawing characteristics, depending on the specific ecosocial context. Children from Western and non-Western urban middle-class contexts drew themselves rather tall, with many facial features, and preferred smiling facial expressions, while children from rural traditional contexts depicted themselves significantly smaller, with less facial details, and neutral facial expressions.

Migrations from Herzegovina and Montenegro to the Herceg Novi region, during the period from the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, were the reasons for investigation (thanks to the preserved archive material) of female "traditional costumes" involved in these migrations. Clothing retained the influence of Balkan, Slav, Oriental and Mediterranean cultures. The function of clothing (for work and ceremonial occasions) was studied, as well as changes within the generation, regardless of whether the individual items were in constant use or only used on one occasion.

This article seeks to define and explain autobiographical memory from a functional standpoint. For this, definitions are analyzed from cognitive and sociocultural perspectives highlighting how they converge in relation to components assumed as constituent of autobiographical memory and tasks attributed to it. A theoretical model about its functioning is reviewed and allows us to understand how the memory systems that constitute it interacting with process control and cultural patterns to generate autobiographical memories essential to maintain a consistent image of the individual and a moderately accurate record of the experiences. Its functions are described: self-definition, social interaction and self-regulation. It raises that autobiographical memories are multimodal, are distributed among memory systems and executive processes, and are mediated by sociocultural contexts