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The assumption of a uniform perception of organizational culture among all individuals within an organization is highly questionable. Rather, it is likely that various demographic groups perceive cultural elements differently owing to their diverse backgrounds and experiences. This study utilized an extensive dataset from Germany, encompassing 241,648 participants from 832 companies across diverse industries, to investigate where such perceptual differences are most pronounced: between men and women, across different age cohorts, or between managerial and non-managerial roles. The dimensions under scrutiny included transformational leadership, team cohesion, fairness, compensation, and the employers' caring attitude. Significant disparities were observed between individuals occupying distinct hierarchical positions, with lesser differentials noted between individuals from varying age groups and genders. Moreover, the study explored interactions between these demographic characteristics to ascertain their significance. Significant effects were evident for certain cultural elements in relation to the interaction between gender and position, as well as age and position. These findings yield practical recommendations for effectively managing individuals from diverse demographic groups within organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cumulative culture is a hallmark of hominin evolution, its origins can be traced back to our common ancestor with chimpanzees. Here, we investigated the evolutionary origins of chimpanzee cumulative culture and why it remained incipient. To trace cultural transmission among the four chimpanzee subspecies, we compared population networks based on genetic markers of recent migration and shared cultural traits. We show that limited levels of group connectivity favored the emergence of a few instances of cumulative culture in chimpanzees. As in humans, cultural complexification likely happened in steps, with transmission between populations, incremental changes, and repurposing of technologies. We propose that divergence in social patterns led to increased mobility between groups in the genus Homo, resulting in irreversible dependence on cultural exchange and complexification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the function of aphorisms, brief expressions of wisdom, in literary representations of inter-ethnic contact. The main emphasis is laid on their missiological impacts. Combining the classical and contemporary materials, the paper constructs the history of how these wise sayings, originating from early Christian and philosophical traditions, come to be main narrative devices in the stories that deal with cross-cultural interaction. Through an in-depth discussion of some secondary texts like Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the essay reveals how epigrams serve as the means for moral, spiritual, and cultural exchanges to take place within the literary context. It is missiological to bring out the spiritual influence of these witticisms beyond the aesthetic delight, but also the unifying purpose they have played in historical and universal domains. Hence, Benjamin Lea and Sanneh proffers the discursive avenues in art forms such as translation through intentional transformation. The research, through the incorporation of both literary analysis and theological viewpoints, thus maintains the gravity of apophthegmata in the process of intercultural reflection and reconciliation. Using a comparative methodology, the essay explains that these wise yet pithy forms hold the same utility they have always had in handling the ethical quandaries of cultural integration in both historical and contemporary periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient Chinese beads provide important evidence of cultural exchanges. This study used a scanning electron microscope with an energy‐dispersive spectrometer to analyse the microstructure and chemical composition of faience beads excavated from Laolongtou cemetery in Yanyuan county, China. Based on the analysis results, two glazing methods (efflorescence and cementation) and two bead types (high‐Pb and high‐K beads) were identified. A comparison of the chemical compositions of samples unearthed at the Laolongtou cemetery and samples from north‐western China indicated close regional contact. Bronze wares and burial customs in Laolongtou cemetery also revealed that the Yanyuan region might be a significant node in the Southern Silk Road between the south‐western and north‐western parts of China and even in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "body" refers to the biological concept that the physical structure consists of cells, tissues, and organs. Meanwhile, the integration of the body in the social sphere describes social relations. The concept of body in Paul's letter to the Corinthians refers to social diversity in Christ's unity that upholds a sense of mutual life and complementarity within a Christian context. The body concept in the Lermatang community refers to kinship or family relationships based on mutual respect, appreciation, and love in indigenous communities. Based on the cross-cultural method of both perspectives, the body's meaning in social relations refers to "turning each other on" within a group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant empirical evidence indicates that multicultural experiences (MCEs) are linked to numerous positive outcomes, including increased trust, reduced intergroup bias, and the promotion of large‐scale cooperation. These beneficial effects partly depend on the fact that increased MCEs enhance cultural sensitivity, which may enable individuals to better empathize with others. Therefore, we explored the beneficial effects of MCEs on empathy, along with the potential mechanisms. A sample of 1480 Chinese young adults (M = 21.40, SD = 1.86) were employed to complete anonymous questionnaires on their MCEs, positive emotions, critical thinking, empathy, and multicultural breadth. By controlling for gender and family socioeconomic status, parallel mediation analysis revealed that MCEs can independently influence individuals' levels of empathy through both positive emotions and critical thinking. Thereafter, multicultural breadth was determined as a moderator influencing this model. The results highlighted the role of MCEs in increasing empathy through their relationship with cognitive and emotional processes. This study is significant in expanding our understanding of the consequences of MCEs and has practical value in promoting more interpersonal harmony and social tolerance through enhanced empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural diplomacy is often regarded as a potent method to enhance the bond between nations by facilitating the interchange of cultural values and practices. Previous studies have focused chiefly on political and economic elements, neglecting the role of religious institutions in cultural diplomacy. This paper investigates the function of Wat Chaozhou Kaiyuan si in Guangdong as a means of cultural diplomacy between China and Thailand. This temple is a significant platform for cultural and religious exchanges, fostering enhanced understanding and collaboration between the two nations. Using a case study methodology, this research employed five semi-structured interviews with several individuals, including a head monk from Wat, a monk from Thailand, a monk from China, a diplomat from Thailand, and a diplomat from China. Additionally, field observations were conducted. The data were examined using NVivo through a three-step process consisting of data collection, data coding, and data interpretation. The study produced four noteworthy findings: (1) Buddhism plays a vital role in cultural diplomacy by advancing national objectives through cultural engagement. (2) Cultural diplomacy involves the act of advancing a country's interests by means of engaging in cultural exchanges. (3) We identified the key actors involved in formal cultural diplomacy. (4) Wat Chaozhou Kaiyuan acts as both a platform for cultural diplomacy and a facilitator of foreign cultural interactions, which is discussed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pottery jars from the Warring States to Qin and Han Dynasties in Guangxi region can be classified into three categories: three-legged jars, flat-bottomed jars and small jars. These categories represent different cultural factors, but overall, they exhibit distinct Yue cultural characteristics and can be considered the "Yue-style" vessels. The presence of these cultural factors in Guangxi region highlights the cultural exchange among the ancient Yue people and the cultural interactions between Guangxi and China southeastern coastal regions. The disappearance of ceramic jar symbolizes the fusion of the Han and Yue ethnic groups at the material level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish is the second most common language among US children aged 5–17, with 26.8% speaking it at home. To foster cultural understanding and promote positive relationships, it's crucial to introduce young children to different languages and cultures. Preschool language education can cultivate respect and empathy, building more inclusive communities. Culturally responsive education equips children with skills to value diversity, creating a harmonious cultural climate. This article highlights the importance of learning another language (e.g., Spanish) and introduces Language Learning Circles (LCC) for preschoolers. Research indicates ages 3–6 are optimal for language acquisition, emphasizing the need for early exposure to enhance learning, and cultural appreciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets the development of urban cultural scenes in Palestine within a global frame of uneven development. It draws on field work in Haifa (in the 1948 Palestinian territories) and Ramallah (in central West Bank) to argue that the shift toward neoliberalism in 1985 and its sedimentation through the Oslo Accords in 1993 amount to a "transformed settler colonialism," one more intimately tied to flows of global capital. I use articulation as evoked by Stuart Hall and Gillian Hart to critically assess how historically embedded cultural practices conjoin and splinter around the political economic shifts toward neoliberalism in the post-Oslo conjuncture. The article foregrounds the urban cultural scenes as vantage points into a "relational comparison" that crosses the "Green Line" and remains attuned to the specific dynamics of urban spatial and cultural production in relation to settler colonialism and global capitalism. I situate the artists' responses as practices of articulation that elaborate conjunctural possibilities within the confines of capitalist and colonial structural limits. The article argues that despite their critique of the key processes of neoliberalization and colonialism, Palestinian artists remain subsumed by the processes' structuring logics. Thus, the article makes three contributions: (1) a centering of articulation and relational comparison as a method of understanding the constitutive relationship between colonial and global capitalist modes of accumulation; (2) an analysis of settler colonialism as a historically differentiated structure that changes and transforms in a given spatiohistorical conjuncture; and (3) a foregrounding of the role of Palestinian artists through a focus on conjunctural possibilities and practices of articulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing in part on the work of Édouard Glissant, this article explores how the Raizal population of the San Andrés Archipelago in the Caribbean mobilises the concept of maritorio as an archipelagic geopoetic vessel with emancipatory potential. This concept disrupts dominant land/sea binaries that result from and are rooted in geopolitical mechanisms and colonial fantasies. The San Andrés Archipelago is administratively and politically part of Colombia, but the Raizal people of the Archipelago share a long colonial and postcolonial history with Black Creole people elsewhere in the Anglophone Caribbean, especially the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, based on diverse forms of economic, familial, and cultural exchange and marine mobilities. For many years, the status of the Archipelago was the basis of a dispute between Nicaragua and Colombia at the International Court of Justice, who ruled in 2012 that the islands were in fact Colombian while Nicaragua gained 75,000 km2 of sea. This ruling was devastating for the Raizales, fragmenting their maritorio and further thwarting Black mobilities and cultural exchange across the region. Legal‐geopolitical dislocations applied to the islands and the sea exacerbated structural conditions of racial and environmental injustice, while geopoetic responses by Raizal people to this state of affairs serve to confront colonial dispossession, ecological damage, and the ideological fixities of the Eurocentric nation‐state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unequal patterns of cultural exchange between the Global South and Global North are sometimes labeled "neo-colonial." What, if anything, is wrong with these patterns? Debates surrounding cultural globalization have traditionally divided proponents of free trade and cultural preservation. The article develops an alternative account grounded in a global application of the ideal of social equality. Citizens of privileged societies ought to regard and relate to citizens of disadvantaged societies as social equals. Patterns of cultural exchange play an important role in promoting these relationships. Historically, colonized peoples were often regarded as inferior based on perceived failures to produce cultural achievements. To the extent that unequal global cultural production and exchange persist, the colonial pattern remains. The duty to relate to foreigners as equals implies that Global North countries should stop pressing for cultural trade concessions and instead favor the import of cultural goods from the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Studies (Taylor & Francis Ltd) is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Copyright of Comparative Literature / Primerjalna Književnost is the property of Slovenian Comparative Literature Association 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 study focuses on analysing the asymmetrical relationship between two distinct yet closely connected literary systems. The problem areas of Czech-Slovak biliteracy after 1989 include, for example, the work of the so-called dual authors and their incorporation into the literary context, Slovak literature emerging in Prague, and forms of cultural transfer as evidence of intercultural communication. The study presents the current state of research on the biliteracy of the literary field up to 1989 and then innovatively extends the scope to the situation after 1993, after the division of the common state, when the historically defined intercultural dialogue from earlier periods was replaced by a new type of communication. Although the conditions for the emergence of biculturalism were no longer part of cultural politics, examples of bicultural authors exist in both Czech and Slovak literature (Egon Bondy, Fedor Gál, Ľubomír Feldek). The forms of cultural transfer are important in both directions, albeit with typological differences. The transfer of the discussion of freedom of speech to the Czech space is of a different type than the cultural transfer in the work of Peter Karvaš and Ján Števček or, in the opposite direction, the case of the transfer of mythical narratives from Czech literature to contemporary Slovak prose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the emergence of modernism in Latin America and the genre I-novel in Japan as significant literary movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Topics discussed include the aesthetic differences and similarities between modernism and Japanese naturalism, the impact of global liberalism on cultural exchanges between Japan and Latin America, and the broader socio-political context that shaped these movements.

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to examine music education majors' lived experience of negotiating cultural differences in an international choral trip from the US to China. Eight music education majors from a music college in the eastern U.S. participated in this study. I collected three types of data describing their cultural exchange experience: participants' daily journals, and the research assistant's observation notes during the trip, and a series of focus group interviews after the trip. Through the process of epoché, phenomenological reduction, horizontalization, and structural synthesis, four themes emerged: (a) Explicit knowledge acceptance by superficial cultural engagement, (b) Elatedness over common musical characteristics, (c) Implicit othering attitude, and (d) Moments of self-reflexivity. In the essence of their cultural interactions, participants experienced dialectic tension between musical similarities and differences, surficial and deep cultural engagement, universal and non-universal consideration, and their centrality toward self and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human genomics research with indigenous peoples has often been characterised by tension between the ‘western’ science ideologies and indigenous peoples’ cultural beliefs in relation to their human genetic resources and data. This article explores this tension from the lens of the concept of indigenous peoples’ human genomic sovereignty and tests the applicability of the concept in Africa. The article achieves this by first highlighting the tension between ‘western’ science and indigenous peoples through three case studies from Canada, the USA, and South Africa. It then analyses indigenous peoples’ human genomic sovereignty in the USA and Canada and compares it with the notion of indigenous peoples’ sovereignty in Africa. The article concludes by highlighting lessons that indigenous groups in Africa can draw from the USA and Canada in their quest for human genomic sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the behavioral consistency theory, we examine whether cultural embeddedness on cigarette packages as a sinful behavior window dressing affects environmental information credibility, and further investigate the moderating role of high-quality external audit (Big4 auditors). Using hand-collected data from China, our findings reveal that cultural embeddedness on cigarette packages at the province level is significantly negatively associated with corporate environmental information credibility, suggesting that cultural embeddedness on cigarette packages shapes unethical social atmosphere around firms, triggers managers to cover up environmental misconducts, and eventually mitigates environmental information credibility. Moreover, Big4 auditors weaken the negative relation between cultural embeddedness on cigarette packages and environmental information credibility. Above findings are robust to a variety of sensitivity tests using alternative proxies for cultural embeddedness on cigarette packages and environmental information credibility, and further our conclusions are still valid after using the propensity score matching method, two-stage instrumental variable OLS-TOBIT regression procedures, and Heckman two-stage regression approach to address the endogeneity issues. Furthermore, cultural embeddedness on cigarette packages significantly positively induces greenwashing. Lastly, our main findings are more pronounced for firms without pollution control departments, with lower investment in environmental technologies, with less media coverage and in provinces with lower legal enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delves into the challenges Thai traditional massage establishments face in attracting and retaining Chinese tourists. It aims to assess the impact of service quality components, including staff quality, service attitude, and service environment, on Chinese tourists’ intention to reuse traditional Thai massage services. Additionally, it explores the influence of cultural image aspects, such as traditional cultural experiences, cultural exchange and interaction, and cultural presentation, on this intention. Rooted in a comprehensive literature review highlighting established models like SERVQUAL and the Service-Profit Chain, a causal associative approach with a quantitative methodology is employed. Data analysis techniques encompass descriptive and inferential statistics, revealing positive perceptions among Chinese tourists toward staff quality, service attitude, service environment, and cultural image, all contributing to their Intention to reuse. The discussion underscores the intertwined nature of service quality and cultural image, emphasizing the pivotal role of cultural experiences. Strategic implications advocate for continuously elevating standards, adapting to changing preferences, and adopting an integrated approach for holistic customer experiences. Recommendations for future research include a longitudinal approach, expanding demographic scope, exploring psychological underpinnings, experimental designs, and leveraging digital data. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of the above-mentioned factors, offering practical guidance for the growth and adaptability of the Thai traditional massage industry in catering to Chinese tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a treasure of China's and the world's cultural heritage, contains rich historical and cultural deposits and has left precious relics of the history of human art. Over centuries, the Mogao Caves have been affected by natural and human factors, resulting in irreversible fading and discoloration of many murals. In recent years, deep learning technology has shown great potential in the field of virtual mural color restoration. Therefore, this paper proposes a mural image color restoration method based on a reversible neural network. The method first employs an automatic reference selection module based on structural and texture similarity to choose suitable reference mural images for the faded murals. Then, it utilizes a reversible residual network to extract deep features of the mural images without information loss. Next, a channel refinement module is used to eliminate redundant information in the network channels. Finally, an unbiased color transfer module restores the color of the faded mural images. Compared to other image color restoration methods, the proposed method achieves superior color restoration effects while effectively preserving the original structure and texture details of the mural images. Compared to baseline methods, the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Feature Similarity Index (FSIM), and Perception-based Image Quality Evaluator (PIQE) values are improved by 7.97%, 3.46%, and 13.98%, respectively. The color restoration of the Dunhuang Mural holds significant historical, artistic, cultural, and economic values, and plays a positive role in the preservation and inheritance of Chinese culture, as well as in the promotion of cultural exchange and mutual understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Trakya Journal of Education is the property of Trakya Journal of Education 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.)

Psychology and behavioral sciences lack diversity in their participant samples. In visual perception, more specifically, common practice assumes that the processes studied are fundamental and universal. In contrast, cultural psychology has accumulated evidence of cultural variability in visual perception. In face processing, for instance, this cultural variability may sabotage intercultural relations. Policies aim to increase diversity in research, supporting cultural psychology, and to increase awareness among professional workforces, as well as the general population, concerning how cultural variability may influence their interpretation of another's behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, promotional competitions are a common form of advertising, used by companies to encourage purchase, foster brand loyalty, and build market research databases. While many people enter these competitions casually and infrequently, some people, known as 'compers', enter regularly and diligently. This article explores the affective benefits associated with entering competitions through ethnography with members of the comping website lottos.com.au. I describe how entering competitions afforded compers various thrills, experiences wherein positive ideas about an uncertain future innervated the present. When experiencing these thrills regularly, comping could produce a sense of potentiality, 'unsticking' compers from experiences, often gendered, of dullness, difficulty, or drudgery. I analyse compers' cultivation of this potentiality in relation to the cultural specificities of mainstream Australia, wherein ideas and expectations about the future likewise animate the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the utility of strategic membership researcher status in the case of Sino-German cross-cultural training courses to understand the paradoxical practices that reinforce and mitigate cross-cultural conflicts in transnational contexts. Drawing upon autoethnographic positioning analysis, I connect my own negative emotional experiences with positioning dynamics to reconstruct conflictual social events. This approach not only exposes the implicit field logic but also reveals the arrangement of social relations in an unexpected way. These findings highlight the epistemic potential of combining position-analytic and emotion-analytic reflexivity. In so doing, this article provides a practical, methodological model and furthers scholarship on the utility of autoethnography for the study of social relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issues of migration and refugees are currently major global challenges. They are also important aspects of the teachings of the Catholic Church, as evidenced by the many recent Church documents. These issues also came up in discussions at the Synod on Synodality convened by Pope Francis. This article attempts to analyze 24 synodal syntheses, created by European episcopates, in terms of their approach to contemporary migration phenomena and further consequences, which allows for the identification of the main themes and indications of both the religious and social aspects of the encounter with newcomers. A common theme of the syntheses analyzed was the conviction of the need to sensitize societies to the specific plight of newcomers, threatening to marginalize them. Accompanying newcomers and caring for their integration with local communities resounded in the syntheses both as a task and also as opportunities for host communities to actualize solidarity, fraternity, and cultural exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the late 17th to the early 18th century, Europe witnessed various intellectual debates, and it undeniably received help from places outside Europe such as China. When Chinese history, culture and thought, especially the Confucian classics translated into Latin, were introduced to Europe, they provided resources for comparison and reference for Europe's ideological crisis. Confucius ou la Science des Princes, the Confucian classic translated by François Bernier, is a typical example. From the perspective of the cross-cultural history of ideas, after carefully analyzing the terminology used in Bernier's translation and his understanding of Confucius's thought, this paper will show that Bernier accepted, through the Jesuit translation, the non-religious dimension of politics and ethics in Confucianism, but unlike the Jesuits, he did not see Confucianism as needing Christianity; on the contrary, he believed that politics and ethics could be based on a purely secular philosophy. Based on his secular understanding of Confucius's thought, Bernier reconstructed Confucius's texts as a manual to teach European princes, regarding the prince's virtue, reason and benevolence as the foundation of a country's good government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document "Digital Walls and Global Bridges: The Paradox of China's Internet Censorship and Its International Cultural Exchange" extensively explores the contradiction between China's strict internet censorship and its global cultural exchange efforts. It investigates the impact of China's digital governance on global perceptions of its culture, diplomacy, and soft power through qualitative interviews with individuals from Iran, Romania, and Spain. The study reveals widespread criticism of China's social media platform censorship, noting a significant decrease in trust in the Chinese government among participants. The research calls for further interdisciplinary studies to understand the complex dynamics between media censorship, public confidence, cultural representation, and international diplomacy, highlighting the necessity for China to reassess its policies toward openness and cultural exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the role that cultural diplomacy has played as a tool of nation-building for sub-state public entities led by movements representing stateless nations. It exemplifies this with the case of Catalonia's search for recognition in Germany, 1901–1939. The analysis highlights the ambivalence that characterized the actions of the Catalan sub-state public entities, between resigning themselves to their status as regional actors and aspirations for a different political constitution. We argue that this ambivalence was a strategy to maximize the effectiveness of their cultural diplomacy policies considering state and international contexts reluctant to recognize sub-state entities as political actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses campaign reports and memoir literature to explore tsarist officers' views of masculinity—both their own and that of their opponents—during the conquest of the Caucasus, focusing particularly on the Nicolaevan era. It frames conquest as a form of cultural exchange and argues that tsarist officers' understandings of the gender order of both their own and combatant societies were a critical component of this cultural exchange. In particular, stereotypically feminine traits like mercy and gentleness were important to the cultural script of conquest in the Caucasus. To offer mercy implied the right to punish, a right which had to constantly be reasserted; the assertion of authority was deeply gendered and necessitated the subordination of local men. A case study of ritual humiliation during the conquest of the Caucasus illustrates how this worked in practice: disrupting the customary gender relations of a combatant society to remove opposing men from their authoritative role and installing an imperial officer at the top of the hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of The L N Gumilyov Eurasian National University Political Science Regional Studies Oriental Studies Turkology Series is the property of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University 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 theory of the Clash of Civilisations, which posits the existence of irreconcilable contradictions and conflicts among civilizations, has a positive significance; however, this viewpoint fails to acknowledge the commonalities and interdependence among civilizations. This paper begins by examining the genesis and evolution of the Clash of Civilizations Theory, encompassing a review of its theoretical underpinnings and practical ramifications. It then delves into the ongoing debate surrounding the Clash of Civilizations Theory and the perspectives of prominent scholars. Subsequently, the paper introduces the distinction between cultural differences and the clash of civilizations and analyses the relationship between the two. Subsequently, the concept of cross-cultural communication and reconciliation is introduced, and the ways in which the clash of civilizations may be mitigated by promoting dialogue, understanding, and cooperation among civilizations are discussed. In conclusion, the paper puts forward solutions that are currently being implemented, such as the concept of building a community of human destiny, with the aim of promoting cross-cultural communication and reconciliation. This will provide inspiration and guidance for the creation of a harmonious global society. Furthermore, the paper anticipates the future development of civilizational symbiosis and emphasizes the necessity and possibility of establishing harmonious international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Imagofagia is the property of Imagofagia - AsAECA 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 is a case study that illustrates the complex intersection of art, politics, and diplomacy in the interwar period. Based on Finnish and Soviet archival documents and press publications, it examines the entire process of organising a Finnish art show abroad. The exhibition, held from 28 November to 24 December 1934, in Moscow, was seen as a landmark event, drawing significant attendance and fostering Finnish–Soviet cultural exchange. By analysing various factors contributing to its success, we provide a detailed picture of both artistic and political influences, demonstrating how cultural events can transcend mere aesthetic appreciation to become significant diplomatic tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the official exhibition of Austrian art held in May 1930 at The Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Warsaw. Showcasing 474 artworks by 100 artists, the exhibition spanned the years 1918–1930, a period marked by Austria's efforts to overcome post-war political isolation. The article examines the exhibition's rhetoric and its critical reception in Warsaw within the broader context of Polish–Austrian diplomatic relations, influenced by Austria's challenging political and economic situation and the priorities of the Second Polish Republic. The introductory essay in the exhibition catalogue, authored by Hans Tietze, emphasized Vienna's seminal role as a cultural center at the crossroads of European artistic trends. This approach aligned with the cultural diplomacy of Johannes Schober's government, which aimed to underscore a rhetoric of openness to the cultures of other nations, particularly the successors of the Habsburg Empire. This contrasted with the later identity policy of the Bundesstaat Österreich, which elevated Tyrol as emblematic of the core German–Austrian identity constructed in the new state. The analysis reveals that the exhibition represented the peak of Polish–Austrian cultural relations during the interwar years, suggesting the potential for broader engagement. However, this potential was short-lived, ultimately thwarted by the Anschluss of Austria to Germany in 1938. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Problems of Engineering Graphics & Professional Education is the property of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Literary Criticism & Rhetoric is the property of University of Tehran, Faculty of Letters & Humanities 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.)

With the increasing pollution caused by plastic products, people's awareness of environmental protection has gradually increased. Based on the advantages of China's bamboo resources and bamboo industry, the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan launched the 'Utilizing bamboo as a sustainable alternative to plastic' initiative in November 2022 to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This initiative provides a nature-based solution for global sustainable development, which will have a profound impact on promoting global green development, industrial science and technology, social services, cultural exchanges, and other fields. It has a huge market capacity and application potential. This study aims to understand the research status, hotspots, development trends, and prospects of this initiative. WoS and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for the relevant literature on 'utilizing bamboo as a sustainable alternative to plastic bamboo as plastic' and 'bamboo resources' from the establishment of the database to 2024. Bibliometric methods and VOSviewer were used to analyze 1855 literatures with the above two keywords published in the Web of Science core set database from 2000 to 2024. A visual analysis was performed on the number of publications, national research institutions, researchers, number of citations, and research topics of the literature. For example, China, the United States, and India ranked in the top three in terms of the number of articles published, with 1103, 267, and 167, respectively. China had the highest number of citations, reaching 26,607. At the same time, the literature with 'bamboo' as the keyword in CNKI was analyzed to understand the species of bamboo currently studied. A literature investigation was carried out around the resource cultivation of the bamboo industry in our country, and it was found that the research on 'use bamboo as plastic' and 'bamboo resources' had been valued by scholars at home and abroad, and had formed a relatively stable research group. Using scientific and technological innovation to improve the product quality of 'bamboo instead of plastic', expanding its application scope and market demand, and realizeing the sustainable industry development of 'bamboo instead of plastic' is the current research hotspot and the future development direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on a little-known Timucua visual catechism, the Tercero Cathecismo , which appeared in a 1635 imprint co-authored by the Franciscan Gregorio de Movilla and unacknowledged Indigenous linguists. The Tercero Cathecismo provides a unique lens through which to explore a series of cultural exchanges and negotiations that highlights the complexities, heterogeneities, and subtleties of the Indigenous-missionary experience during the seventeenth century in La Florida. The Tercero Cathecismo is a particularly engaging instance of this experience because it comprises a synthetic, multilayered hieroglyph image explicitly produced for and with the Timucuas in mind. Designed to be traced in the sand, the earth, or on any available piece of paper, this highly reproducible image incorporates European iconographic codes that blend with Native American ones, although in a context of unequal relationships of power. The encoding capaciousness of the hieroglyph enabled primal images from both the European and the Native American worlds to come together. Consequently, its complexity, power, and importance as a vibrant field of cultural crossings is best appraised when approached from a multifocal, multidisciplinary perspective, in which both sides are considered, even if the Timucua side can only be cautiously approached as a hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure of the democratic movement during 2014–2020 prompted tens of thousands of Hongkongers (~40,000) to reluctantly leave their hometown and migrate to Taiwan to seek a freer future. Taiwan's cultural similarity to Hong Kong, together with Taiwan's democracy and geographic proximity, are commonly recognized as pull factors of migration. However, the intensifying cross-strait tensions since late 2021 have witnessed Taipei tighten its approval of Hongkongers' applications for permanent residency mainly in fear of the infiltration of Chinese agents. Based on mixed-methods in-depth interviews (N = 15) and an online survey (N = 147) with Hong Kong migrants, this paper reveals their complex experience in adapting to the Taiwan way of life, becoming frustrated by Taipei's attitudinal change, and contemplating onward migration. The findings reveal underlying cultural differences between Hong Kong and Taiwanese societies—manifesting as a cultural conflict—amid fears of an encroaching communist China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a significant growth in the number of international students enrolled in initial teacher education programmes for early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand (Education Counts, 2024). This reflects the increasing number of teachers from overseas entering the early childhood education workforce. Educational practices and pedagogy differ across cultures and contexts which might prompt a culturally responsive pedagogical reorientation for migrant teachers. In this article, we examine migrant teachers' readiness to teach from a strengths-based cultural perspective. As migrant teachers ourselves, we explore the likely challenges faced by teachers in relation to cultural shifts, understanding of the ECE curriculum, and the resulting tensions underpinning their pedagogical practices. We also offer practical ways to support teachers in their culturally oriented readiness to teach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Due to the challenging demographics in Europe, a new approach to labour migration to the EU is necessary. Such an approach should be more targeted and thus entail a more proactive and integrated stance. Whilst some moves in this direction have been made in recent years, more are required. This article charts one possible route to a more proactive and integrated policy by proposing the creation of European university campuses outside of Europe to act as hubs of academic, cultural, linguistic and labour exchange, similar to the American system. This approach would not only address the current labour force challenges but would also hold the potential to significantly enhance academic and cultural exchange. Many of the required elements are already in place: numerous bilateral universities, for example, already exist, such as the German Jordanian University, as do various European research and cultural institutes. Such campuses, combined with a new circular Blue Card for young non-EU professionals, would have benefits for both the member states and the selected partner countries. The article concludes by proposing the implementation of concrete test cases in the European neighbourhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]