Search

Copyright of Foreign Literature Studies is the property of Foreign Literature Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cultural differences have a strong influence on the work and study climate in crosscultural environment. A difference in power distance has been shown to be a major factor in decreasing motivation, especially when the superior follows a hierarchical leadership style but the subordinates expect equality. This can lead to high turnover rates in companies and low learning outcomes in schools if not taken into consideration. In this paper, we use examples to demonstrate how the problems appeared in two case studies of Chinese companies operating in Europe. The findings have been categorized into five themes: hierarchy, authority, closed communication, promotion, and unequal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the impact of communication technology and human-related factors on teacher, student and course performance, in particular on teacher's clarity, perceived value of the course and student learning. Design/methodology/approach: Communication technology factors are analyzed in terms of social media use, while human-related factors are considered through teacher expertise and communication skills, more specifically non-verbal communication (NVC). The research model is tested on a sample of 303 students from two European universities, one in Southwestern and another in Southeastern Europe. Findings: Findings reveal dominance of human factors over technology ones. Culture moderates some of the relationships examined. Research limitations/implications: Notwithstanding the relatively limited sample of students according to their national culture, this work offers valuable insights into the impact of technology use in classroom and teacher communication skills. Practical implications: Teacher NVC and expertise override their use of technology-mediated communication in classroom. Findings have raised important questions whether social media applications should actually have place in nowadays education systems. What seems clear from this research is that technology advancements cannot replace teachers, although further research is necessary to re-examine their impact on different student outcomes and in different cultural contexts. Originality/value: The originality of this paper lies in comparing the impact of technology vs human-related factors on classroom performance. An additional contribution is provided by considering the moderating role of national culture within the proposed research model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marketing (0354-3471) is the property of SEMA - Srpsko udruzenje za Marketing i Ekonomski fakultet Beograd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Societies and communities are destined and determined to change when they are open to crossing cultures. The phenomenon acknowledges diverse cultural adaptations, leading to new global goals for global interaction. Similarly, several studies demonstrate the existence of contact and engagement among diverse communities across Europe, fostering intercultural dialogue. As a result, the study seeks to investigate those spaces, specifically religious centres in Europe, that may serve as potential places of contact for diverse communities using the theories of 'contact zones', 'hybrid identity', particularly 'organic hybridity', 'interfaith and interreligious encounters' and 'interculturalism'. The empirical study examines the intercultural interactions and exchanges occurring in the Jewish and Buddhist religious centres in Groningen to recognise how public spaces, particularly religious centres demonstrate the emergence of interculturality in Europe. Through interviews with officials, the study investigates cultural contacts and exchanges among disparate communities in the Buddhist and Jewish religious spaces of Groningen, The Netherlands. These interviews are further analysed using Arthur W Frank's 'Dialogical Narrative Analysis' approach. Therefore, the paper examines the emergence of interculturality through experiences of contact among diverse European cultural or religious communities, using the framework of contact zones, hybrid identity, interfaith and interreligious studies, and interculturalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pragmatic competence in L2 English is claimed here to be crucial for successful communication in a variety of communicative contexts across Europe. However, due to language background, cultural and identity differences among users of English, there is a need for reflection and data-driven examination of how the language is used in specific situations. This paper adopts a cross-cultural perspective on the study of the use of English in the European Union with focus on its role in tourism. The role of English as the language of communication in Europe is discussed, followed by a proposal as to the way in which its actual usage can be studied. The data-driven approach to pragmatic behavior is advocated as the basis for the development of pragmatic competence in learners of English with focus on those who wish to engage in tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale research projects, conducted in a cross-European context, are increasingly attractive to educational researchers and policy-makers. However, this form of comparative research across cultures brings problems concerning the standardization of data collection and analysis, particularly where ethnographic research is concerned, as it prioritizes a full range of qualitative research strategies. This paper outlines the use of a universal model and the approaches recently taken by two research teams and contrasts these with another recent nine-partner comparative European study that used ethnographic methods. We then describe the analytical procedures used in the project, which encouraged participant observation and individual researcher interpretation in order to generate grounded accounts and outline how they were culturally sensitive and meaningful to research teams who used varied analytical approaches. However, this raised difficult issues for the 'final' analysis and the production of a loosely coupled research report. Our pragmatic solution was a process of 'qualitative synthesis' whereby individual partner reports were collated by the Project Director and treated as data and a grounded theory approach was applied to generate tentative theory in respect of creative learning. The paper concludes by arguing that data generated by a loosely coupled approach to qualitative comparative research which uses a wide range of data collection methods can be effectively analysed with a qualitative synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the methods used within the Dignity and Older Europeans (DOE) Project and in particular the approach involved in developing the bibliographical database, the philosophical methods used in creating the theoretical model of dignity, together with the empirical methods involved in data collection with older people, health and social care practitioners and the younger and middle-aged adults, will be described. The paper will attempt to provide the reasoning for the chosen methods and highlight some of the difficulties involved in carrying out comparative cross-cultural research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to changes in Polish society resulting from a significant inflow of immigrants to Poland, the need to develop the cultural competences of various professional groups who have contact with immigrants in their work has increased. These groups should include healthcare professionals, especially because of the significant increase in the number of culturally diverse patients. Therefore, medical education in Poland has had to rapidly adapt to this novel situation. For instance, the teaching process should be now more focused on the development and evaluation of the cultural competences of prospective health care workers. However, there is still a lack of standardized, valid and reliable instruments to assess cross-cultural competences among healthcare professionals. The purpose of the present paper was to describe, for the first time, the translation, adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory. Methods: Across two studies, we examined psychometric properties of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory (CCCI) such as reliability (i.e. internal consistency, test-retest reliability, factor structure) and validity (i.e. theoretical, criteria, convergent). In the first study, 408 participants (75% were healthcare professionals) completed the Polish version of the CCCI and the Positive/Negative Attitude Towards Culturally Divergent People Questionnaire. In the second study, 317 participants (97% were healthcare professionals) completed the CCCI twice, with an interval of at least 22 days. In addition, across two study sessions, participants completed questionnaires constructed to measure (a) cultural intelligence, (b) need for cognitive closure, (c) emphatic sensitiveness, (d) emotional intelligence, (e) self-esteem, (f) social desirability, and (g) personality. Finally, to additionally examine the theoretical validity, 36 professional cross-cultural competence trainers completed the CCCI during a one-session study. Results: Our findings confirm the reliability and validity of the CCCI. More precisely, in study 1 we proved the theoretical validity and reliability (i.e. internal consistency) of the CCCI. While the assumed structure did not fit the data well, all items were significantly related to the general factor, thus providing strong support for the usage of the total score of the CCCI. In study 2, we additionally estimated the test-retest reliability and theoretical, criterion and convergent validity. Across two studies we were able to successfully confirm these psychometric properties. The reliability was satisfactory and ranged from .83 to .86. We also observed a high and significant positive correlation between CCCI and the Cultural Intelligence Scale, which measures a concept similar to the one measured by CCCI. In addition, a significant relationship between intercultural competences (CCCI) and other variables such as personality, empathic sensitivity, emotional intelligence, self-esteem (positive correlations) and the need for cognitive closure (mainly negative correlation) were demonstrated. Conclusions: The obtained results support the usage of the CCCI questionnaire in scientific research, such as, for example, among healthcare professionals (nurses, doctors) and students of medical fields (nursing, medicine). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tolerance is everywhere. The Council of Europe endeavours to build it, schools are required to teach it, and neighbours are asked to extend it. It features in citizenship ceremonies, city-marketing campaigns, and religious texts and is attached to a variety of different objects, people, and behaviours. Yet despite its ubiquitous circulation as a moral good, critiques of tolerance as a way of relating have called for its rejection in favour of alternative projects such as respect and equality. In this paper I contextualise recent critiques and ask what possibilities remain for a politics of tolerance in multicultural Europe. In so doing, I argue that critiques are insufficiently attuned to the different contexts in which tolerance becomes productive and offer a starting point for further empirical research on its embodied practice. Using an example of dialogue, I argue that tolerance can be intrinsic to the development of alternative relations when positioned as part of an ongoing struggle to multiply ways of thinking and acting. I finish by reflecting on the relationship between tolerance, agonism, and dialogue, to outline a more pragmatic politics of difference, arguing that it is not enough to call for alternative projects without attending to the difficult and incremental learning that such projects demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to summarise the findings of a qualitative cross-cultural study of participation in managerial decision making. Design/methodology/approach - In this paper theme-focused interviews were conducted with middle managers in five European countries and the transcripts were analysed using elements of the grounded theory method. In the context of the current study, grounded theory served as a suitable method for detecting both general patterns and country-specific particularities. Findings - The findings of the present study suggest that country-specific models of participation exist which is embedded in broader country- and culture-specific concepts. In addition, decision type, time-related issues and conflict emerge from the study as the main general context factors influencing managerial choices on the use of participation. The comparison of the current qualitative findings with earlier quantitative research suggests a good match with two of the studies (that investigated participatory behaviour in context) but not the third (that investigated participatory values). Research limitations/implications - The exploratory character of the study imposes certain limitations on its findings which could be addressed in future research by studying other countries and cohorts and possibly by employing additional or different types of methodology. Practical implications - The qualitative study findings are of interest to organisations engaging in business relations abroad as well as to individual expatriates in each of the five European countries included in the study. Originality/value - In contrast to earlier quantitative studies with a similar focus, this research initiative explores the meaning and enactment of participation from a holistic perspective, taking context factors into account and integrating the findings into earlier research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of EurAmerica is the property of EurAmerica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

What Western academic literature described as ethnic or cultural Tibet in fact implies something composite and processually constructed: Tibet then often appears as a typical example for explanations of collective identity (and ethnicity). Such approaches increasingly are applied in present-day anthropology and historical studies, highlighting the historical conditions and the politically, socially and ideationally constructed features of identity. In Tibet, identity-building was strongly related to the spread of Buddhism. The new religion was introduced in the time of the Tibetan Empire (seventh to ninth century), but it was only its later spread (from the eleventh century) that led to the effective, all-embracing establishment of Buddhism in the Highlands. It was interlinked with regionally different forms of political manifestations—the founding of Buddhist kingdoms at the periphery and the emergence of monastic hegemonies in the central regions. These developments correlated with processes of conversion, which in its narrative model is described as an act of conquest, taming and civilizing the physical universe and which in theory actually never ends. Apart from considering current anthropological discussions of the phenomenon of religious conversion, this paper will include a comparative view of the history of Christianization in early medieval Europe (especially in Western Europe—the Frankish kingdom and the barbarian zones North of the Rhine and the Danube, fifth to tenth century). Inter alia this also raises questions about the initial social forces and interests promoting the new religion's adoption, and to what extent formal similarities with the Tibetan case are ascertainable in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘burqa’ bans that have recently been put into effect in several Euro-Atlantic countries are a testament to how public space has been rendered into a terrain of increasing securitization and legal control. The new laws are complex in that they are entangled with entrenched historical attitudes, present-day geopolitics, political expediency, and the politics of race, immigration and national identity. However, they provoke a questioning of what it means when states legislate vision and visuality and of why the visual rather than another domain has become the privileged stage to both communicate the alleged conflict between the ‘West’ and ‘Islam’ and enact the former's disciplining of the latter. In this paper, I examine the trope of the burqa from the perspective of the cultural history of vision, arguing that situating the garment as a visual text in contesting regimes of art and representation, shaped by their respective pre-modern religious narratives, will provide a critical, yet unacknowledged, perspective on facial veiling which, moreover, offers up the possibility of learning to read the sign across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The implementation of guidelines and training initiatives to support communication in cross-cultural primary care consultations is ad hoc across a range of international settings with negative consequences particularly for migrants. This situation reflects a well-documented translational gap between evidence and practice and is part of the wider problem of implementing guidelines and the broader range of professional educational and quality interventions in routine practice. In this paper, we describe our use of a contemporary social theory, Normalization Process Theory and participatory research methodology-Participatory Learning and Action-to investigate and support implementation of such guidelines and training initiatives in routine practice. Methods: This is a qualitative case study, using multiple primary care sites across Europe. Purposive and maximum variation sampling approaches will be used to identify and recruit stakeholders-migrant service users, general practitioners, primary care nurses, practice managers and administrative staff, interpreters, cultural mediators, service planners, and policy makers. We are conducting a mapping exercise to identify relevant guidelines and training initiatives. We will then initiate a PLA-brokered dialogue with stakeholders around Normalization Process Theory's four constructs-coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring. Through this, we will enable stakeholders in each setting to select a single guideline or training initiative for implementation in their local setting. We will prospectively investigate and support the implementation journeys for the five selected interventions. Data will be generated using a Participatory Learning and Action approach to interviews and focus groups. Data analysis will follow the principles of thematic analysis, will occur in iterative cycles throughout the project and will involve participatory co-analysis with key stakeholders to enhance the authenticity and veracity of findings. Discussion: This research employs a unique combination of Normalization Process Theory and Participatory Learning and Action, which will provide a novel approach to the analysis of implementation journeys. The findings will advance knowledge in the field of implementation science because we are using and testing theoretical and methodological approaches so that we can critically appraise their scope to mediate barriers and improve the implementation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In a recent issue of this journal, studied an interesting data set involving the analysis of consumer-driven associations to the word ‘‘Traditional”, from a food perspective, in six European countries. As part of their analysis, they demonstrated the sources of association between the words studied and the country of origin of those interviewed using correspondence analysis. In this paper, we focus on this association by assuming that the country of origin is a predictor of the words associated with “Traditional”. This analysis is performed using another member of the correspondence analysis family – non-symmetric correspondence analysis. This paper will also explore the use of both these correspondence analysis techniques on their data and consider the dendrogram and the semantic differential plot as alternative approaches to visually summarising the association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which was conducted to determine whether culture and institutions interacted in generating different evolutionary trajectories of societal organizations in pre-modern China and Europe and to determine whether contemporary attitudes, institutions and behavior in China and Europe reflect pre-modern trajectories. Researchers found that pre-modern China and Europe evolved along distinct trajectories and that indigenous culture and institutions in both countries interacted to impact the countries as a whole and their development.

Our paper is on the linguistic future of the United Europe considering two important theories: that of multilingualism and on the other hand, that of a lingua franca. The two theories have several supporters but, for the moment, neither of the two theories has prevailed. This paper intends to discuss the idea that, in a democratic Europe, all the peoples should be able to communicate among each other, regardless the channel of communication. Globalization of economic changes involves the risk of language and cultural standardization. The European Union is in opposition to this idea, suggesting a multilingual model, based on the consideration of the diversity. Higher education has to play an important part in the cross-cultural preparation of the younger generation and give them the linguistic background for international communication. We are trying to present in the present paper, some means of developing the multi-linguistic skills of the students and, educate them as European citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to understand the inter-cultural relationships between the notions of Europe, the professions and interprofessional education (IPE) in developing an argument for the necessity of interprofessional education for meeting the complex challenges for the professions and society in the 21st century. The concept of “strange loops” is used to explore the paradoxes and recursions in understanding what Europe, the professions and interprofessional education really are. After questioning perceptions of the professions in a changing Europe, I challenge interprofessional education to greater heights. IPE has to accompany all professional exchanges across borders as a critical, constructive process that focuses on differences in theory and practice within the different professional fields to overcome their problems of adjustment to changing user needs and cultural requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: First, this paper investigates (i) gender differences in associations of social stratification, family roles, and heavy drinking, and (ii) country differences in these associations. Second, it seeks to explain country differences in the associations of social stratification and family roles with alcohol consumption by societal level variables. Methods: Survey data of 25 to 49-years-old from eight European countries were used. Logistic regressions were used to analyse gender differences in the association between family roles (marriage, having children), social stratification (education, employment), and heavy drinking (>20 g/day for women; 30 g/day for men). Gender differences were tested by means of interactions between gender and social stratification/family roles. Structural measures of work desirability, social welfare, and gender equity were used to explain differences in associations across countries. Results: The associations between social stratification, family roles, and heavy drinking varied across gender and countries. A country's social welfare system was associated with heavy drinking only among women. Women in countries with a strong social welfare system, such as Nordic countries, tended to drink more heavily if employed, having lower formal education, and a non-traditional family role. In countries with weak social welfare systems or work desirability, heavy drinking was associated with high education, while effects of family roles and employment were small. Conclusions: It appeared that the social welfare system and gender equity of a country determines to a large extent how education, employment, and family roles are associated with heavy drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine attitudes towards the advertising of certain controversial products/services and reasons for being offensive across four different countries, Malaysia, New Zealand, Turkey and the UK. Design/methodology/approach - This was achieved by analyzing the responses to a questionnaire that was distributed to a convenience sample of university students in the four countries. A total of 954 were sampled for this study. The results indicated that geography is not a major determinant of attitudes, and that religious and historical factors play a very important role. Findings - Of the 17 products presented, 11 resulted in similar answers for New Zealand and the UK, and seven were similar for Malaysia and Turkey. However, it was apparent that the two countries mostly populated by Muslims had some differences as Malaysia has a multicultural society that must make some allowances for other ethnic groups. It also appears that racism and racist images are of concern to all those sampled. Originality/value - The opening up of regional markets and the development of regional and global media, such as satellite television and the internet, will mean that marketers will try to take advantage of the associated benefits of a standardized approach to advertising and promotional activities. For those involved in international marketing, it is important that they are aware of possible differences and cultural sensitivities when entering a new market or undertaking a standardized mass-media campaign across a region, whether it be Australasia or Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines leisure focal theory from a cross-cultural perspective by utilizing adolescent samples from rural Norway, Scotland and Sweden. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the robustness of the model across countries. Results revealed effects of both culture and rurality on the patterns of adolescents' leisure transitions, and these were discussed in relation to the original theoretical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a cross-cultural empirical study that investigated differences in the clarity of corporate attitudes towards ethical 'grey areas' and their influences on managers' ethical decision making. The study encompassed managers in France, Germany, Britain, Spain and the USA working in over 200 companies operating in these countries. Comparisons are made at both individual manager level and at corporate level. At the former level significant differences are found among nationalities of managers themselves. For the latter, differences are found among companies according to the nationality of their home country rather than the host country. Despite identifying national differences in areas of gift giving and receiving, loyalty to company, loyalty to one's group, and reporting others' violations of corporate policy, the study presents evidence that clarity of corporate policy has little influence on managers' reported ethical decision making. The perceived behaviour of managers' colleagues is far more important in predicting attitudes towards decision making of managers across the nationalities surveyed. This has implications for the efficacy of the growing popularity of corporate codes across Europe. Companies should place more emphasis on intervening in peer dynamics rather than trying to legislate for managers' ethical conduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At first sight North American Indian and ancient European games appear to be fairly different social activities. Observed closer though, these games and their texture reveal a surprising variety of common features. This paper represents a first attempt to analyse relevant structural similarities (homologies) systematically by focusing upon ball gaines, in particular. The historical cross-cultural (or transatlantic) enterprise is based on two exemplary accounts of folk football and racket, respectively; i.e., they signify "le take off' of the present ethnographic report which employs a theoretical framework provided by the French Annales-historians and N. Elias theory of civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the fast growth of consumption, the promotion of purchasing green products could be a way to minimize the environmental impact and achieve the sustainable consumption. Considering that there is a lack of studies about green purchase behavior and its determinants in all European Union countries (EU), the aim of this paper is to evaluate the main determinants of green purchase behavior by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior. Referring to Hostefe's cultural dimensions we revealed how cultural aspects contribute to purchase behavior. The results showed that there were observed big differences in terms of green purchase behavior in the EU countries and it did not depend on economic development significantly. The subjective norms and interaction of knowledge and confidence in green products significantly determined the green purchase behavior in all countries. According to the cross-culture studies, all cultural dimensions did not have significant influence on green purchase behavior. However, cultural dimensions are related to factors which directly influence green purchase behavior. Therefore, due to the process of the EU cultural convergence and economic crisis, it could have indirect impact on green purchase behavior. These findings have important implication for marketers and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the paper "Industrial Buyer Attitudes Towards Goods Made in Eastern Europe," by Joseph B. Chasin and Eugene D. Jaffe. The purpose of the authors was to determine the image among potential U.S. buyers of products available for export from Russia and Eastern European countries. Useable responses to a questionnaire survey were obtained from 82 executives with responsibilities for purchasing in companies in the New York City area in fields likely to use such products. Less than a third of' the companies had had any business dealings with any Eastern European country in the past ten years, most of them with Russia and the rest chiefly with Hungary and Rumania. The images were measured by comparing respondents' ratings of Eastern European producers on various criteria with those for U.S. suppliers. The criteria consisted of five product attributes: quality, workmanship, style, dependability and advanced technology, and five marketing values: credit/terms, value for the money, on time delivery, reputation and maintenance/service.

The aim of the present paper was to test the cross-cultural validity of the Positivity-Scale ( P-Scale ), a new questionnaire designed for the measurement of positivity (i.e., general tendency to evaluate self, life, and future in a positive way). Participants ( N = 3544) from Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland, and Serbia answered eight items of the P-Scale and responded to items from other well-validated measures. Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the assumed one-factor structure of the P-Scale and demonstrated its gender invariance in each country and cross-cultural validity. Correlation analyses revealed significant and positive associations of the P-Scale with self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism, and a latent factor variable of positivity , and a negative relation to depression. The findings provided support for the convergent validity of the P-Scale across countries. Possible applications of the P-Scale are suggested. Implications for further research on conditions and outcomes of positivity in different cultural contexts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify critical value-creating elements of luxury services expressed in ratings and reviews posted on third-party sites and examine cross-cultural differences. To this end, the research analyzed online ratings and reviews of luxury hotels posted on TripAdvisor from customers of four European regions (East, North, South and West). Design/methodology/approach: Eight hundred thirty-eight online user-generated ratings and reviews of luxury hotels were analyzed quantitatively using MANOVA and qualitatively using text analysis. Findings: The study findings support (a) that product and physical evidence are the most critical experiential elements of luxury hotels' offerings and (b) cultural differences among tourists from various regions of Europe in their hotel ratings and reviews. Specifically, Eastern and Northern Europeans are more generous in their review ratings than western and southern Europeans. Moreover, eastern Europeans value the hotel's physical evidence/environment whereas western Europeans prioritize the core product (room and food) followed by the physical environment/servicescape. Southern Europeans and Northern Europeans value most the personnel, followed by the physical environment and the core product, respectively. Practical implications: Cultural differences provide several implications with regard to luxury services segmentation, social media management, service marketing mix development and hotel promotion. Originality/value: The value of this study originates from studying post–purchase customer behavior in luxury services from a cross-cultural perspective. Moreover, identifying critical aspects of value-creating customer experience in a luxury context adds to the available literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Swiss Journal of Sociology / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper discusses the development and implementation of a technology-based, cross-cultural and cross-institutional undergraduate marketing course titled "Two Markets, Two Universities," offered by the University of Massachusetts Boston and the University of Pannonia in Veszprem, Hungary. It outlines the course strategy, structure and results as well as the challenges in offering a cross-cultural and cross-institutional course to undergraduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about papers presented at the conference "Flows of Images and Media: Annual Conference 2009 of the Cluster of Excellence 'Asia and Europe in a Global Context'" held in October 2009 at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Topics discussed relate to the concept of "transculturation" as it applies to historical and cultural flows between Europe and Asia.

Copyright of Croatian Journal of Ethnology & Folklore Research / Narodna Umjetnost is the property of Institute of Ethnology & Folklore Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers a cross-national argument related to the equity of education and its characteristics in the Europe. It explores equity of student outcomes in the twelve countries in the region and provides a typology of equity in national systems of education. It highlights the use of data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for evaluating the literacy of fifteen-year-olds in various educational subjects. Furthermore, it discusses whether the equity of educational systems in these countries is associated with particular educational policies or structures.

Attempts to revitalise the centres of British towns and cities in the 1990s drew on the concept of the 24-hour city and, by extension, into liquor licensing reform. The protagonists for the 24-hour city, and many magistrates and local authorities, assumed that a relaxation of British licensing laws would bring about a more civilised mode of alcohol consumption and deliver a ‘continental ambience’ to urban life that would extend into the night. This paper brings forward evidence from a cross-cultural comparison of four European cities to demonstrate that a ‘continental’ style of alcohol consumption is supported by a variety of controls and enforcement measures. It concludes that British free market attitudes to licensing reform will undermine the government's professed aspirations for an ‘urban renaissance’ of cultural inclusion and animation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports the findings of a study comparing the methods used to select university graduates in British, Dutch and French organizations. Interviews; Ability and personality tests; Application forms.

The article presents information about the publication of the journal "Hagar: Studies in Culture, Polity and Identities." It also presents an overview of the papers that appear in the May 2005 issue of the journal. The journal was established by members of the Humphrey Seminar at Ben Gurion University. It focuses on multidisciplinary research and intellectual pursuit. The present issue contains the papers presented at a forum on the topic "Muslims in Europe." Muslims in Europe are now seen as a population, a concept and a political reality. The West has now discovered the richness and subtlety of Muslim culture and identity. There is a comment on the essay "Political Liberalism, Group Rights, and the Politics of Fear and Trust," by Claus Offe, which appeared in the journal, vol. 3, No. 1. The comment is authored by David Abraham in the paper "Solidarity and Particularity: E pluribus unum?" Abraham examines the idea of group rights and argues for strengthening the political sphere. The journal has changed its subtitle from "Israel Social Science Review" to "Studies in Culture, Polity and Identities." One of the upcoming issues is focused on the topic "Bodies and Borders."

The article presents the author's views on the use of mythology to trace the conceptual transcultural and locational uncertainties of the origin of Europe. He expresses that the seduction of Europa by Zeus reflects the physical elusiveness of the continent's actual location which was complicated by the amendments and revisions. It is believed that the myth understands the local histories and knowledge in intersecting with global issues. Furthermore, papers for "Italian Cultures: Writing Italian Cultural Studies in the World" that will be published in the July 2008 issue is called for.

We explore the problem of distinguishing the relatively constant versus culturally variable dimensions of mental suffering and disorder in the context of a cross-cultural study of Internet gaming-related distress. We extend the conceptual contrast of "core" and "peripheral" symptoms drawn from game studies and use a framework that synthesizes cultural and neurobiological understandings of emotional distress. In our framework, "core" symptoms are relatively constant across cultures and therefore presumed to be more closely tied to a neurobiological base. By contrast, we treat as "peripheral" symptoms those that are more culturally variable, and thus less directly tied to the neurobiology of addiction. We develop and illustrate this approach with a factor analysis of cross-cultural survey data, resting on previous ethnographic work, through which we compare online gaming distress experienced in North America (n = 2025), Europe (n = 1198), and China (n = 841). We identify the same four-factor structure across the three regions, with Addiction always the first and most important factor, though with variability in regional factors' exact item composition. The study aims to advance an integrative biocultural approach to distinguishing universal as opposed to culturally contingent dimensions of human suffering, and to help resolve debates about whether problem gaming represents a form of addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the Creative Europe programme, and due to the inexplicable lack of current academic information on the topic, this exploratory cross-cultural study seeks to advance the understanding of the relationship between European adolescents and cinema through a sample of 937 secondary students from eight countries of the European Union. Specifically, the research contributes to the identification of young people’s conceptions of the artistic value and functions of cinema, their knowledge of cinematography and their opinions about national, European or foreign cinema. In addition, it explores the extent to which these factors are alike and differ according to nation. The results of this work are relevant for academics from different disciplines, regulators, educators and members of the audiovisual industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:: To characterize suicide in early China, as a means of extending knowledge of this behaviour.Methods:: We examined Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and collated and considered relevant details.Results:: In early China, loss of authority/status, loved ones and fortune were triggers for suicide. The expression of the intention to suicide, either by word or action, was observed and elicited a placating response. Less frequent, but nevertheless clearly recorded, were accounts of suicide completed to satisfy the wishes of others.Conclusions:: The suicide and related behaviour of early China shares many features with late Western societies, but one form (to satisfy the wishes of others) is currently undetected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European biomedical ethics is often contrasted to American autonomy-based approaches, and both are usually distinguished as 'Western'. But at least three 'different voices' within European bioethics can be identified: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the findings and policy implications of a cross-national study that examined the relationship between unemployment and mental healthcare in several European countries. Particular focus is given the concept of the medicalization of unemployment in Europe, and whether healthcare and unemployment policies are factors in the medicalization of unemployment.

The article discusses the history of witchcraft in Tanzania in relation to the connection between anthropology and history. Topics include the cross-disciplinary nature of research in relation to global approaches to the study of witchcraft, the historicity of specific cultural instances of witchcraft in Europe and in Tanzania, and violence related to witch hunts and accusations of witchcraft in Tanzania.

Focusing on Europe, this article aims to disentangle the patterns of cultural clustering and to throw more light on concepts such as 'civilizations' and 'cultural zones.' Cross- cultural analyses unanimously find that various historical background and socioeconomic indicators are strongly correlated to societal values, however, a systematic investigation on what makes societal cultures similar and different hasn't been conducted. The author first outlines the factors and mechanisms that may explain value similarities, then the author tests their importance using dyadic data on 40 countries from the WVS. Multiple factors are associated to the cultural similarities: the historical background - i.e. countries' political-institutional traditions, religion, language, and imperial legacies - and also socio-economic development, geographical distance, European integration, and climatic differences. The substantial overlap among them, however, diminishes the absolute importance of any of the explanatory factors. The multiple determinants of value differences speak against a classification of national cultures into cultural zones based on single formative factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals, communities, and societies ascribe a diverse array of values to landscapes. These values are shaped by the aesthetic, cultural, and recreational benefits and services provided by those landscapes. However, across the globe, processes such as urbanization, agricultural intensification, and abandonment are threatening landscape integrity, altering the personally meaningful connections people have toward specific places. Existing methods used to study landscape values, such as social surveys, are poorly suited to capture dynamic landscape-scale processes across large geographic extents. Social media data, by comparison, can be used to indirectly measure and identify valuable features of landscapes at a regional, continental, and perhaps even worldwide scale. We evaluate the usefulness of different social media platforms-- Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram--and quantify landscape values at a continental scale. We find Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram data can be used to quantify landscape values, with features of Instagram being especially suitable due to its relatively large population of users and its functional ability of allowing users to attach personally meaningful comments and hashtags to their uploaded images. Although Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram have different user profiles, our analysis revealed similar patterns of landscape values across Europe across the three platforms. We also found variables describing accessibility, population density, income, mountainous terrain, or proximity towater explained a significant portion of observed variation across data from the different platforms. Social media data can be used to extend our understanding of how and where individuals ascribe value to landscapes across diverse social, political, and ecological boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the European Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD). The European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD includes a new identified facet, Family/Family life.Methods: A convenience sample of older adults was recruited (N = 921). The assessment protocol included demographics, self-perceived health, depressive symptoms (GDS-30), cognitive function (ACE-R), daily life activities (IAFAI), health status (SF-12) and QoL (WHOQOL-Bref, EUROHIS-QOL-8 and WHOQOL-OLD).Results: The internal consistency was excellent for the total 24-item WHOQOL-OLD original version and also for the final 28-item European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD version. The test-retest reliability for total scores was good. The construct validity of the European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD was supported in the correlation matrix analysis. The results indicated good convergent/divergent validity. The WHOQOL-OLD scores differentiated groups of older adults who were healthy/unhealthy and without/mild/severe depressive symptoms. The new facet, Family/Family life, presented evidence of good reliability and validity parameters.Conclusion: Comparatively to international studies, the European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD version showed similar and/or better psychometric properties. The new facet, Family/Family life, introduces cross-cultural specificity to the study of QoL of older adults and generally improves the psychometric robustness of the WHOQOL-OLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]