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The paper examines Russia's cultural expansionism that extends beyond the military invasion in Ukraine since 2014. In the first part, I trace Russia's systematic efforts to seize and manipulate Ukrainian heritage, often under the guise of protection. I also touch on the role of museums in this expansion, where they are used to preserve collections through coercive acquisition and to promote a Russian-centric narrative. The second part of the article delves into the historical relationships between Russia and Ukraine, especially in the context of the Soviet era's museum infrastructure. Overall, the text calls for new concepts and international efforts to critique Russia's actions and protect Ukrainian culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the digitization of cultural heritage in Russian libraries, archives, and museums. In order to achieve the research goals, both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were adopted to analyze the current status of legislative principles related to digitization through the literature review and the circumstance of the latest projects related to digitization through the literature and website review. The results showed that these institutions seem quite successful where they provide a wide range of services for the users to access the digital collections. However, the main constraints on digitization within libraries, archives, and museums in Russia are connected with the scale of the work, dispersal of rare books throughout the country, and low level of document usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia is using the Black Sea as a diplomatic tool in its foreign policy to achieve its maritime and foreign policy objectives, which are also linked with the country's strategic culture. This research investigates the significance of the Black Sea in Russia's Maritime Strategy for achieving its foreign policy objectives by using the balance of interest theory. This research employs two conceptual schemas. Firstly, with the help of maritime diplomacy, it analyses a tool to achieve foreign policy objectives in the waters. Secondly, the research uses the concept of strategic culture, which helps explore the diplomatic importance of the Black Sea in Russian foreign policy through the perspective of history and attitudes of decision-makers. This research highlights the case of the Black Sea for Russian maritime strategy, which also has a great economic significance for the region and world. It also highlights the importance of the Black Sea in the Russian maritime doctrine (2022) and links between maritime strategic culture and foreign policy objectives. It concludes that Russia is successfully pursuing its cooperative, coercive, and persuasive maritime diplomacy in the Black Sea region by providing humanitarian assistance, blocking Ukrainian access, and operating a stronghold at Sevastopol port as its naval base. In conclusion, this paper argues that strategic culture plays a vital role in employing the three diplomatic dimensions for achieving maritime objectives in the Black Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ethos (0860-8024) is the property of John Paul II Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin 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.)

Purpose: This paper aims to clarify the meaning of Interactive Network Branding (INB) and demonstrate its importance for business relationship development, within a cross-cultural context of emerging markets (EM). More specifically, it integrates the idea of INB through its three branding dimensions into the first three relationship development stages introduced in the seminal article by Ford (1980). By bringing INB into relationship development, and by considering its embeddedness in a cultural context, the study extends current understanding of business relationships in connection to corporate branding. Design/methodology/approach: The study is empirical and explorative. To reach the research aims, the authors apply a qualitative approach and present findings from four business relationships in two EM contexts, namely, the Croatian and Russian markets. Ten interviews have been undertaken, and the analysis was conducted by applying sensemaking and narrative approaches. Findings: Findings show the influence of INB dimensions on three stages of business relationship development. In both EMs, the external dimension is found to be dominant for the pre-relationship stage while the internal dimension for the early stage. At the same time, mutual INB dimension, which is built on interpersonal interactions, is influencing each stage to a certain manner, while being a dominant dimension in the development stage. Also, the role of each dimension in a specific stage of relationship development is conditioned by the cultural context in which business relationships are embedded. Research limitations/implications: Based on the chosen qualitative research approach and focus on two countries, the findings might lack generalizability. Thus, future research is needed to observe business relationship development through INB dimensions in different cultural environments. Practical implications: This paper provides a new perspective for managers on coping with the development of business relationships and branding in the EM context. Originality/value: This is the first attempt to study business relationship development through branding perspective in general and INB perspective in particular. It builds a deeper understanding of identity, reputation and mutual INB dimension and their manifestation and influence on each relationship stage. In addition, the study has a cultural context, which makes it one of the rare cross-cultural studies related to branding in business marketing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista EntreLínguas is the property of Revista EntreLinguas 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 article investigates the idiosyncrasies of creative work in Russian art institutions through a study of their materialities. As identified in previous research, social inequalities are a significant feature of creative work. I argue, however, that in order to reveal inequalities that are constructed performatively, that is, in the 'here' and 'now', we need to further develop the existing arsenal of methods that is employed in critical creative work studies. In the Russian case, art institutions display a wealth of techniques for constructing and maintaining hierarchies, which of necessity must frequently be re-established due to conditions in the local context. In particular, the following explores two perennial paradigms of cultural production: 'high culture' and 'creativity'. As these paradigms coexist in the economy of the Russian art world, they compete for resources, including funding, public attention and legitimation. In the struggle, a binary of purity/dirt develops the social space of institutions, organisational identities and hierarchies inside and between organisations. This paper primarily focuses on an ethnographic study of cultural producers from the visual arts sector in Russia's two largest cities: Moscow and St. Petersburg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses improvisation as a liminal practice of inhabiting the in-between that marks urban spaces from squats and brownfields to communal gardens, from infrastructural maintenance and urban living labs to political protest and solidarity in times of crisis. It shows how improvisation emerges in the interstices between uncertain flux and ossified rigidities to construct in-between spaces of ambiguous political openings even in ostensibly formal, rigid contexts. To that end, it draws on documents, media reports, interviews and participant observation to analyse the multiple mutations of what eventually became the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre in Ekaterinburg, a cultural flagship in Russia's third largest city. Morphed from an abandoned office block into a memorial multi-purpose complex, the Yeltsin Centre is the product of elites and ordinary people responding to conjunctural openings in seemingly inert structures. While highlighting the political openings made possible by improvisation inhabiting the in-between, the paper also underscores the ambiguous nature of this practice and its limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs the concepts of cultural narrative to examine career choice among post-Soviet Russian teenagers going into higher education. Drawing on insights from cultural sociology more broadly and the cultural autonomy thesis more specifically, we demonstrate how the cultural narrative of a university degree as a 'must-have at all costs' subjugates various career decision-making logics identified, while downplaying individual agency and reflexivity. We argue that, by misdirecting career choice from opportunities to constraints, the dominant narrative serves to limit, rather than diversify, young people's career choice and social mobility potential. We go on to theorise the interplay between culture and social institutions. Drawing on the cultural interpretation of Unified State Exam – a neoliberal educational governance tool – we show how cultural narrative hijacks institutional interpretations and usages, re-grounding neoliberal sensibilities in Soviet-era ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The four articles in this section deal with anthropological study of New Age beliefs and practices in post-Soviet Russia. They are in part the result of a joint German–Russian research project titled New Religious Cultures in Late Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia: Ideology, Social Networks, Discourses, supported by the German Research Foundation and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. In this introductory paper I will briefly discuss the principal outcomes of this research as well as general analytical issues related to the field of New Age studies both in global and local (post-Soviet) contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late 1980s and early 1990s were characterized by the sudden rise of nationalist movements in almost all Soviet ethnic regions. It is argued that the rise ofpoliticalnationalism since the late 1980s can be explained by the development ofculturalnationalism in the previous decades, as an unintended outcome of Communist nationalities policy. All ethnic regions are examined throughout the entire history of the USSR (49 regions, 1917–1991), using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. This paper aims to make at least three contributions to the field. First, it is a methodological contribution for studying nationalism: a “quantification of history” approach. Having constructed variables from historical data, I use conventional statistical methods such as SEM. Second, this paper contributes to the theoretical debate about the role of cultural autonomy in multiethnic states. Finally, the paper statistically proves that the break between early Soviet and Stalinist nationalities policy explains the entire Soviet nationalities policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Culture, attitudes and perceptions have an underappreciated effect on industrial cluster policies particularly in transition economies, where long-established local social norms are confronted with hard-pressed external imperatives. This paper examines the impact of cultural and governmental peculiarities in the Russian context on the development of special economic zones and industrial parks. Based on some stylized facts about the Russian context, in-depth interviews and surveys of the managing companies and tenants of all industrial clusters in Russia, we find cultural and governmental characteristics emerge as major influences on the effective development of industrial cluster policies. We develop an adapted industrial cluster model that accommodates these factors and suggests a policy pathway for mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies using the WHOQOL measures have demonstrated that the relationship between individual items and the underlying quality of life (QoL) construct may differ between cultures. If unaccounted for, these differing relationships can lead to measurement bias which, in turn, can undermine the reliability of results.Methods: We used item response theory (IRT) to assess differential item functioning (DIF) in WHOQOL data from diverse language versions collected in UK, Zimbabwe, Russia, and India (total N = 1332). Data were fitted to the partial credit 'Rasch' model. We used four item banks previously derived from the WHOQOL-100 measure, which provided excellent measurement for physical, psychological, social, and environmental quality of life domains (40 items overall). Cross-cultural differential item functioning was assessed using analysis of variance for item residuals and post hoc Tukey tests. Simulated computer-adaptive tests (CATs) were conducted to assess the efficiency and precision of the four items banks.Results: Splitting item parameters by DIF results in four linked item banks without DIF or other breaches of IRT model assumptions. Simulated CATs were more precise and efficient than longer paper-based alternatives.Discussion: Assessing differential item functioning using item response theory can identify measurement invariance between cultures which, if uncontrolled, may undermine accurate comparisons in computer-adaptive testing assessments of QoL. We demonstrate how compensating for DIF using item anchoring allowed data from all four countries to be compared on a common metric, thus facilitating assessments which were both sensitive to cultural nuance and comparable between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary Russophilia is examined in this article as an outstanding feature of Greek political culture. Recent opinion polls (2016–2017) are used to validate a distinction between two different types of Russophilia: the soft, described as a positive predisposition towards Russia, and the hard-core, which suggests an embrace of Russia by breaking with Greece's ties to the West. Hard-core Russophilia surfaces as a fitting element in Diamantouros' underdog culture, as it uncovers sentiments of isolation, support for traditional values and fear towards Western values of modernity. The paper confirms the analytical capacity of the 'cultural dualism' framework, not as a dichotomy between modernizers and underdogs, but through the identification and measurement of different layers that outline the contemporary profile of hard-core Russophilia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries and cultures differ in their approach to childbirth, as well as in their research practices. This paper examines 10 surveys of women's reports of their labor and birth in seven countries spanning North America and Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Similarities and differences in practice are highlighted, and the methodological difficulties of conducting research in cross-cultural settings are examined. This paper discusses innovative and culturally unique perinatal practices that are not revealed by such surveys and stresses the importance of sharing such ideas globally. ( BIRTH 39:4 December 2012) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leader of the 'new' Russia, Vladimir Putin, has had high popularity since the day he was elected as a president for the first time. Using the New Russia Barometer dataset, the paper tries to explain support for Putin for one of the years of the peak of his presidency (2004). In order to understand the support, I employ two competing theories - performance (in economic and political spheres) and political culture - which were suggested by the existing literature. The analysis, surprisingly, does not lead to significant results for performance in economic sphere, but political culture and performance in politics matter. As a result, I show that Putin embodies a figure of a strong leader that assures Russian population of stability (one of the features that Russians value a lot). At the same time the citizens pay attention to the accountability in the political arena - successes in political performance lead to the increase in support of Putin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic under research is highly relevant as patriotism is a historical phenomenon, and a central role in patriotic education belongs to learning the historical past of our "big" and "small" Motherlands. Front and foremost for this paper is the determination to ensure the historical succession of generations and promote respectful attitude to the historical and cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia and Dagestan. In connection therewith, the intent of this paper is to instill patriotism in the student youth at the border of two cultures, the Russian and the Dagestanian, and on this foundation to foster their patriotic consciousness, strengthen their sense of inclusion and raise their awareness of the historical and cultural community among the peoples of Russia and Dagestan. The leading approach to examining this topic was a theoretical cognition method allowing for a comprehensive review of the problem under research. This paper reveals the essence and content of the notions patriotism and culture; overviews distinct characteristics of the Russian culture in the late 19th - early 20th centuries; describes ethno-social conditions and unique features of the Republic of Dagestan; examines the ties and the relationships between Russia and Dagestan; shows the impact the Russian culture has had on the culture of the peoples of Dagestan within a new cultural space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper sheds new light on the Russian Federation's economic security problem in the face of sanctions and changing geopolitical balance in Central Asia. The novelty of the research perspective and, subsequently, the results and conclusions are expressed by combining an economic perspective with a cultural- political and media-centered approach. There were analysed the range of Russo-Iranian economic cooperation, the factors that make Iran a prospective partner for Russia and the role of the Russian media in shaping the picture of friendly future in bilateral relations. The conclusions are that the Russian "turn to the South" -- towards Iran -- was provoked not only by the sanctions imposed which decreased the economic security level but it also resulted from the previously established patterns of the Russian foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the politicization of local activism in Russia caused by the 2011–12 protest movement "For Fair Elections". The authors propose the theoretical model of an eventful social change at a micro level integrating different approaches such as pragmatic sociology, cultural sociology, eventful approach, and social movement studies. They argue that before the protests, Russian local activism was apolitical as it was based on the ethical opposition between (good) "real deeds" and (bad) "politics", as well as on the anti-ideological belief in the authenticity of "self-evident" facts. The politicization of a-political activism was stimulated by the "eventful protests" of 2011–2012 and was not a break with a-politicism, but new arrangements of "self-evident" facts and ideological campaigning, of oppositional "politics" and getting real things done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even after the 'perestroika' and 'glasnostj' in Russia, and increased communication in the interconnected world, the state of contemporary education there remains relatively unknown to Western scholars. This paper aims to ameliorate this problem by examining some of the signs comprising the system of education in Russia against the problematic of the historically American pursuit of happiness. While formal education in the West explicitly focuses on academic disciplines, in Russia there always existed an element of 'bringing up' as a sign of the value-dimension infusing, sometimes implicitly, both formal and informal (or cultural) education. The paper intends to demonstrate the ubiquity and the importance of the edusemiotic conception of values-education irreducible to inculcation but oriented to self-formation embedded in human experience. An edusemiotic perspective problematizes the aims of education and emphasizes learning from experience, dialogue, coordination, meaning, and values. Values 'reside' in lived experience, and edusemiotics surpasses education reduced to teaching of brute facts. The paper also critically examines education as socialization via social media and affirms spiritual education in contrast to persistent secularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Audiences of low-brow literature are strongly differentiated along categorical lines. • Gender and age, not religion or ethnicity, differentiate low-brow tastes. • High-brow tastes tend to be less gender-specific, than low-brow. • High-brow tastes tend to be less cohort-specific, than low-brow. • Age correlates negatively with the brow-level of the preferred literature. In his paper establishing the foundations of omnivorousness theory, Richard Peterson suggested that the system of tastes is organised as a pyramid "with one elite taste at the top and more and more alternative forms at about the same level as one moves down the pyramid toward its base", with tastes at the bottom "mark[ing] the status boundaries between taste groups defined by age, gender, race, region, religion, lifestyle" (1992, p.254). Whereas high-status individuals are likely to consume a few genres at all levels of the taste pyramid, low-status ones tend to patronise only one genre situated at the bottom. One of the predictions following from this model concerning the omnivorounsness of privileged groups has been tested in numerous studies, but the thesis of low-brow tastes having stronger structural embeddedness has been researched much less extensively. If Peterson is correct, we should find that the consumption of high-brow objects strongly correlates with status characteristics such as education where the consumption of low- and middle-brow does not; by the same token, the consumption of low-brow objects would correlate with gender, age, ethnicity, or other groupings where the consumption of high-brow objects does not. In this paper, we use a dataset from a St Petersburg public library system to analyse 1 300 000 book choices of over 100 000 readers to find out whether these predictions hold. We find that there is indeed a strong negative correlation between the attractiveness of authors for predominantly educated readers and the gender and age specificity of their audience. We discuss three possible theoretical explanations of this finding which can be discerned from the literature: (1) "group" and (2) "grid" interpretations, using the terms from Mary Douglas's cultural theory, and (3) the opposition between relaxational and self-cultivating usages of culture. We argue that the particular differentiation pattern speaks against the "group interpretation" prevalent in other literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims at analyzing the cultural dialogue in the post-Cold War era, the Cold War being perceived as a security dilemma. The study makes a clear-cut distinction between the political differences regarding the United States of America and Russia laying emphasis upon concepts, such as: security and risk. This work tries to highlight if the cultural dialogue between the United States and Russia is a failure or a success. Another important issue is diplomacy related to the Soviet ideology and the American response. The concept of power is of paramount importance being viewed as a cultural device in the post-Cold War era. Politics is presented as an instrument of power. Both the United States and Russia fought to be the most powerful nations having the power to rule the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how cultural sensitivity plays a role in international social services organizational development. The American author applied an analytic framework to a 20-month change management project in a charity for the homeless in Ukraine; learnings may be useful to any leaders and managers working in a multicultural setting. Design/methodology/approach - Using one charity for the homeless as an example, the paper shows leadership and management tactics used to grow an international organization and manoeuvre cultural attributes to better understand and maximize the growth of both the staff and the population they served. Findings - Globalization means organizations face an increasing need for collaboration across cultures. It can also mean cultural gaps within nations exist, as individuals are raised or educated in more diverse settings. The analytic framework referenced can help leaders and mangers be more sensitive to the individuals they serve, including both employees and service users. Originality/value - This paper uses a first-hand account to illustrate how recognizing and leveraging cultural attributes, informed by anthropological insights, can lead to better collaboration, increased creativity, and sustainable change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present contemporary characteristics of youth subcultures which result from the concept of postmodern era. With this end in view, in the introduction some selected research positions have been analysed for which the reference point is the theory of postmodernism and contemporary changes within the culture. In the first place, the characteristics of postmodern period have been put forward which help to describe macrosocial and microsocial structures such as fragmentation, a loss in continuity in terms of time and space, a negation of tradition and authority, the information chaos, a multitude of behaviour patterns as well as moral systems. The systematization of selective distinctive features of postmodernity made it possible to analyse changes within the contemporary cultural movements of the youth in the further part of this paper. To some very crucial characteristics of postsubculture belong: the precedence of personal identity of man over the collective one, political indifference, the heterogeneity of style, and the lack of being authentic and original. The essential part of this study is to depict the Russian cultural specificity in relation to contemporary movements of the young having a cultural nature. The main presupposition is to treat the Russian subcultures as borrowed patterns the West through the process of “culture staging”, for which the influence of the media and globalization is of great importance. On the other hand, changes in the contemporary environment of the young in Russia have been shown in such a way as to take into consideration the fact of dissimilarity arising from the eastern cultural impact and the domination of a monolithic culture in the period of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, the fact of the existence of the Russian “crisis awareness” in relation to social and political changes in the period of political system transformation has great weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews challenges and opportunities that the Department of Library and Information Science of St. Petersburg State University of Culture (Russian Federation) faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Didactic problems were caused by a lack of experience among teachers in organizing undergraduate and graduate digital learning (DL). There were two types of technological problems: a lack of a proper LMS system and a lack of proper computers and software in teachers' and student homes. There wasn't any clear and strict policy of DL but in some way, this has provided flexibility in the organization of the DL process. Besides, the lockdown and the isolation situation were psychologically quite hard to deal with: it caused constant anxiety and the feeling that one is late with everything while working 24/7. To deal with these issues, we developed some new DL strategies, used technologies that were 'in hand': Zoom videoconferencing and Russian social network VKontakte, compensated for the lack of the equipment at home by increasing flexibility of teaching and learning, developed the DL environment that included learning and teaching materials and the digital library. We organized the DL process using didactic strategies such as delivering short interactive lectures via Zoom and then keeping their records. We focused on problem-based and project-based learning online motivating students to work together exploring professional problems through projects and research that needed a deeper knowledge in the field. We also found new ways of assessment and evaluation of students' learning progress with online quizzes and solving cases. To manage anxiety, we strengthened the supervising and mentoring work. With the new challenges and trends of the pandemic, the Department has been preserving its educational traditions that allowed for the improvement of the quality of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Oceánide is the property of Spanish Society for the Study of Popular Culture (SELICUP) 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.)

Purpose |!|#8211; Effectively managing the cultural environment is an important stepping stone towards international business success. Cultural problems, especially between partners coming from diametrically different cultural categories represent one of the key challenges of knowledge management in international business co-operations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of controversial cultural attitudes on collaboration and the use of most diverse knowledge capital of employees being regarded as a key resource for innovation and competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; Based on a comprehensive literature review, the very extensive data collection phase, applying the case study method, was carried out over a 13 month period. It mainly consisted of in-depth interviews requiring 23 of them to reach theoretical saturation, non-participant and participant observation (seven), focus groups (four) and fieldtrip notes in two culturally diverse Russian and Austrian research settings. Theoretical sampling was used to select the participants. The grounded theory method of constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the gathered data. Findings |!|#8211; The attitude towards sharing the precious resource of diverse employees|!|#39; knowledge regarded as a prerequisite to international business success is influenced by national cultures. Protective attitudes for knowledge sharing limit the growth of humans|!|#39; and the company|!|#39;s development. This paper suggests that providing the appropriate knowledge management tools and environment, especially referring to the soft aspects of emotions, will enhance and even change former institutionalised and ingrained patterns of behaviours. Therefore, the paper sheds light on the knowledge sharing contingency depending more on a social-cognitive state rather than a static hierarchical status. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper poses two innovative organizational memory conceptualizations based on respondents|!|#39; needs and demands entailing a synthesis of knowledge management and interpersonal interactions to achieve the highest level of efficiency and high degrees of knowledge sharing and absorption. It bridges the gap of purely knowledge based and unemotional management tools towards a lively and engaging tool. This would appear to be the first time that an investigation of this type has been conducted explaining culturally influenced factors of knowledge management in Eastern and Western European co-operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses patterns of 'arguing' which prevails in Russian speech culture and shows that they differ profoundly from those characteristic of modern Anglo culture(s). The author focuses on the extended arguments (spory) in Solzhenitsyn's novel 'In the First Circle' and shows that many linguistic and cultural aspects of the original are lost in the English translation. She argues that this was inevitable because English doesn't have and "doesn't need" linguistic resources to render various aspects of Russian communicative practices, which are culture-specific and have no counterparts in Anglophone culture(s). The paper shows too that the techniques of semantic analysis developed in the "NSM" approach to cultural semantics help explain why Solzhenitsyn's fictional arguments defy translation, and more generally, how they can be used to identify some deep differences between Russian and Anglo speech cultures and communicative norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conference paper about the publication of the Academic Complete Edition of Lev Tolstoy's Works is presented. It provides an overview of the parts and editors of the edition. It examines the need for the publication of the edition and its significance in contributing to a literature-centered culture in Russia. It explores the relevance of Tolstoy in the present world, and the need to continue publishing the works of Tolstoy.

This paper probes the dichotomy between strategic performance of cultural text and a strong approach to culture that sees fundamental texts as encompassing and determining social action. The central question posed is whether the paradigmatic emphasis on strategy in cultural analysis of protest and social movements misses the compelling influences that cultural texts may exert under certain conditions. Regarding protest movements and political contention, I am especially interested in the 'deep textual grammar' of the conflict, which can strongly constrain and guide social action. By identifying and analysing the deep cultural text of the Chechen nationalist movement for the period 1989-1999, this study shows that, in addition to strategic decisions, movement trajectories are sometimes strongly - almost ritualistically - culturally determined. As a first step towards reconceptualising the role of culture in social movements and to spur further investigation, this paper offers several propositions derived from the Chechen case about the relationship of deep culture and mobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the pivotal 1917–1919 conjuncture in Russia and Ukraine, this paper analyzes the efforts of the divided Jewish nationalist intelligentsia to disseminate new forms of Jewish culture to a mass audience, the reception of these efforts in the former Tsarist empire’s variegated Jewish population, and the intelligentsia’s parallel exploration of other forms of cultural formation less dependent on popular support. Comparing the cultural programs of Hebraism and Yiddishism, it demonstrates important parallels in their cultural visions and highlights their shared belief in the possibility of implanting a secularist, aestheticist intelligentsia culture in the whole of “the nation.” The paper reconstructs both substantial forms of popular openness to this culture and its sociocultural weaknesses. Finally, it examines experiments made by the intelligentsia with alternative routes to cultural transformation: suppression of popular culture, non-market cultural arrangements, cultural revolution through education, and the uses of the state. The paper seeks a fuller understanding both of the roots of interwar cultural programs in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and of the Jewish nationalist intelligentsia’s underlying conception of “culture,” its own authority, and the evolving relationship between these conceptions and the realities of East European Jewish social, cultural, and political life from the 1890s onward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes main types of professional prohibitions in traditional culture of Central Russia. These prohibitions constitute a specific branch of socio-cultural norms. Most attention is paid to specific prohibitions relating to certain gender, certain period of time, certain phase of labour process (its end or its beginning) or certain task (e.g., purchasing, keeping and liquidating of labour inventory) only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers how Russian managerial values are developing in the context of the sweeping economic, political and social changes associated with the transition of Russia to a market economy.By replicating earlier research (Holt et al., 1994; Ralston et al., 1997), it was possible to overcome the weaknesses of previous cross-sectional studies by tracking changes in Russian managers' values over time.The paper concludes that some convergence between the values of Russian and US managers can be observed, but that the form of this convergence is not uniform. In addition, the way in which Russian managers act upon these values in the context of their own national context means that considerable divergence in managerial behaviour is still evident. Implications for international human resource management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the link between organizational culture and effectiveness for foreign-owned firms operating in Russia. Beginning with a model of organizational culture developed in the United States, the paper presents a multimethod analysis of culture and effectiveness in a transition economy. We argue that effectiveness in Russia relies more on adaptability and flexibility than it does in the United States. Furthermore, the legacy of the Communist era forces firms in Russia to deal with a workforce with a unique time perspective and a unique set of subcultures that often undermine attempts at coordination and integration. We first explore these ideas using survey data on 179 foreign-owned firms operating in Russia and compare the results to those obtained for firms in the United States. We then present four case studies designed to ground the results in the Russian context, and to document cultural dynamics not captured by the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this exploratory research study is to provide an understanding of how French managers perceive major characteristics of Kazakhstani and Russian management cultures. Based on literature review about culture, the paper uses the cultural dimensions developed by such researchers as Adler, Hall, Hofstede, Schein, Trompenaars, etc., and summarized by Schneider and Barsoux (1997). A qualitative research method - an adaptation of the critical incident technique developed by Flanagan (1954) - is used to explain the peculiarities of Kazakhstani and Russian management culture that create problems for the French managers interviewed (fifteen in Kazakhstan and twelve in Russia). The results indicate that French managers find many common points in the management cultures of Kazakhstan and Russia: both cultures are perceived as cultures with a higher power distance and as more particularistic cultures where a social orientation prevails over a task orientation. Other common points concern human nature, time and truth and reality dimensions. However, there are important differences noted by French managers. Kazakhstani management culture is perceived by them as about being rather than doing and a more collectivist culture, with an orientation towards higher uncertainty avoidance. In the case of Russia, the most importance difference is about hierarchy and affectivity dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years scholars have examined the allegorical features of the depiction of madness in Lu Xun's "Diary of a Madman," yet to date little research has taken into consideration the intercultural angle embedded in the narrative's intersection of three cultures, namely Russian, Japanese and Chinese. This paper traces the European-Japanese-Sino route of modern neologisms of madness to explore the introduction of such neologisms into the modern Chinese language and how it corresponds with changing patterns of knowledge and power. I use my study of transculturation on the macro scale to frame a reexamination of the lexicon in "Diary of a Madman." I focus especially on kuangren and pohaikuang, the two key words employed by Lu Xun, to see how they contribute to the ambiguity in his attitude towards the power struggle between the East and the West, the old and the new.

The paper presents a unique application of Jungian interpretation on folktales in order to understand the mother prototype in cultures. The cultural context of motherhood and maternal role is crucial to a therapist understanding of the culture backgrounds of patients in cross-culture therapy. The mother figure is the focal point of this interpretive reading and allows the reader to view the mother as culture complex. As an example of applying this interpretation, the research analyzes 10 Russian folktales, including an analysis of archetypes, and an analysis of 4 aspects that represent the mother: the feminine aspect portrayed by the female folktale characters; the introvert masculine aspect portrayed by the masculine characters; the mother's elementary aspect that nurtures the child; and the transformative aspect that drives the child to change. The latter two are represented by interactions between characters. Insights derived from this research contribute to culturally sensitive therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Relations / Medzinarodne Vztahy is the property of University of Economics in Bratislava, Faculty of International Relations 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 formation of the culture of a healthy and safe lifestyle among students is one of the priority areas not only for the system of education, but also for each state. The health of the population is a significant human resource for full and happy life, which is an important indicator of the country's socio-economic development. Thus, the problem of safe behavior of students in the education system is an important and topical state problem. The paper presents the results of a monitoring study of the current state of activities focused on the formation and maintenance of safe behavior of students in educational institutions of the territorial entities of the Russian Federation. As a result of the conducted study, effective practices, work technologies, methods of organizing activities aimed at creating a safe educational environment in educational institutions of the territorial entities of the Russian Federation were identified. The conclusions were drawn that, in general, in the territorial entities of the Russian Federation, preventive work is carried out on the basis of both federal and regional legal acts and other documents stipulating the work on the formation of safe behavior and prevention of deviant behavior among students. Preventive programs and technologies are actively used in the activities of educational institutions in the regions of the Russian Federation which are oriented towards different target groups: minors, parents and teachers. A set of measures is being taken to support the creation and development of a network of mediation services aimed at resolving conflicts in educational institutions, preventing delinquency among children and adolescents, improving relationships and developing educational activities in educational institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research reported in this paper examines the spiritual heritage of the Russian émigrés of the first half of the 20th century. The Russian émigrés is a unique phenomenon in the history of Russia. The October Socialist Revolution 1917, shock of creative intelligentsia at the events taking place in the country, rejection of the Soviet government and exile -- all that became a trigger mechanism for formation of a huge Russian culture layer abroad. While the Soviet government made attempts "to erase" a significant part of the cultural and historic memory of the Russian people, eradicate from the Russian soul the belief in God and was rapidly building a new state with a new ideology, the Russian emigrants became a kind of protector for the great Russian culture and traditions of the Russian people. Largely owing to the Russian émigrés and their huge love for the Motherland the thread connecting the Russia's past and future was not broken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper explores the transnational orientation of second-generation female immigrant teenagers of Russian descent in Israel and their position regarding these two cultures and the respective part they play in the participants’ identity negotiations. Comparisons are made with findings of two previous studies on gender-based adaptation styles of youth of similar origin, who arrived during mid-to-late adolescence. This is in order to investigate the impact of age at arrival on gendered features of identity construction. Comparative analyses are also performed, with pertinent findings, among additional second-generation transnationals, such as Vietnamese and Filipino in the United States. These serve as heuristics in an attempt to disclose common characteristics in second-generation identity construction processes among young female transnational migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Estonian & Finno-Ugric Linguistics / Eesti ja Soome-ugri Keeleteaduse Ajakiri is the property of University of Tartu Press 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.)