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This study explored the similar and different characteristics of the self-drawings produced by Taiwanese and South Korean children. The 94 participants comprised 4- and 5-year-old Taiwanese (n = 48, 24 boys) and South Korean (n = 46, 29 boys) children with comparable sociodemographic backgrounds. Three aspects of their self-drawings were quantitatively analyzed: basic figure elements, emotional expression, and visual appearance. The primary findings were threefold: (1) for the basic figure elements, the two groups of children produced similar average figure sizes, and South Korean children drew more facial details than did the Taiwanese children; (2) for emotional expression, Taiwanese and South Korean children similarly tended to draw positive emotions; and (3) specific features were observed in the visual appearances of the self-drawings of individual children. To characterize themselves, Taiwanese children emphasized diverse clothing and applied more colors, whereas South Korean children highlighted the look of their faces by drawing cartoon-like eyes and hair bangs. The results are discussed in relation to cultural beliefs and parenting practices as well as the influences of the mass media on the self-drawings of children, and their implications are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French electroacoustic music in the post-war decades has typically been associated with a high modernism that spurned popular or mass culture. This article situates electroacoustic music in the late 1960s and 1970s in relation to the transformation of the cultural field in this period, which unsettled clear divisions between high and low cultures. Attending in particular to the question of subjectivity as it appears in the theoretical writings of the composers Pierre Schaeffer and François Bayle, the article aligns Bayle's thinking with that of contemporary writers including Julia Kristeva and Roland Barthes, who launched a critique of the Enlightenment subject. This theoretical nexus suggests that Bayle's L'Expérience acoustique (1969–1972) posits a form of subjectivity closer to the psychedelic counterculture than to the sober listening of Schaeffer's writings. In unsettling the Schaefferian listening subject, the piece opens itself to a heterogeneous listening, the social consequences of which remain significant today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the state-sponsored efforts of cross-cultural communication between Poland and China in the early 1950s. These exchanges took the form of lavishly sponsored tours of each country's best folkloristic song-and-dance troupes. These tours were based on a shared vision of a global socialist unity that could overcome the 'imperialistic' divisions of race, nation and class. This article demonstrates how in both countries intellectuals and activists engaged in a parallel development of folklore for their political ends, and how the experiences of past suffering and struggle in both countries were used to maximize the emotional and political impact of these contacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into post-trip transformations among Chinese volunteer tourists, challenging the conventional Western-centric lens. Traditionally, research has focused on international examples in the Western context, but this study explores the less-investigated intra-country practices in China. It employs a simplified transformative learning framework, adopting a collective autoethnographic inquiry that involves the first author's participation as a volunteer tourist in 2011, followed by an extended advisory role and authors' cross-cultural reflexivity. The study scrutinizes psychological, convictional, and behavioural shifts while emphasizing the interconnection of transformations with pre-trip motivations, onsite host–guest interactions, post-trip actions, and the pivotal role of local organizations including long-neglected authorities. Significantly, it uncovers the mediating influence of China's distinct socio-political landscape, contending that volunteer tourism in China serves as a top-down response to counter Western cultural dominance. This research underscores the need for a decolonized and context-specific approach to investigating volunteer tourism practices in non-Western contexts. It highlights the dynamic interplay between tourism experiences and the intricate socio-political environment in China, offering a fresh perspective on the transformative effects of local tourism practices in this unique context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMany companies recognize the promises of social network sites (SNSs) for building and maintaining stakeholder relationships. Understanding SNS users’ motives for following company accounts is essential for their SNS strategies. This article investigates cultural differences between Western and Chinese users regarding SNS dependency, motives for following company accounts, and company SNS-related behaviors (following, consuming, engaging). An online survey (N = 388) was conducted in Western-Europe and China. Results show that Chinese users have a stronger SNS dependency and are more inclined to engage with company SNSs than Western users. While transactional motives are important for both groups of users, Chinese users have more relational motives than Western users. In the relation between cultural background and company SNS-related behaviors, two mediation effects were found: SNS dependency and the prominence of the social integration motive are significant mediators. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key role of the Trieste Port in Sino-Italian geoeconomics relations and its impact on the prospects of future Sino-Italian cooperation are examined. The strategic position and significance of the Trieste Port within both the Italian economy and global trade are based on its geographical and historical advantages as a crucial hub facilitating trade between Europe and Asia. Furthermore, a comprehensive exploration delves into the multifaceted geoeconomics relationship between China and Italy, unveiling the evolution from mere trade collaboration to encompassing technological advancements and cultural exchanges. Particularly in light of China's economic ascent and globalisation, China-Italy relations encounter novel opportunities for development alongside challenges that must be adeptly addressed when expanding cooperation. The research offers a fresh perspective on comprehending current international political and economic dynamics while providing insights to anticipate global economic trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Professor Hsin-huang Michael Hsiao's induction into the Fulbright Taiwan Hall of Fame in 2023, this report explores the history and purpose of the Fulbright Program and examines the role of educational exchange in US–Taiwan relations. It analyses the programme's goal of fostering mutual understanding and the mechanism of intergroup contact. Drawing on archival research carried out at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, this report traces the development of the US–Taiwan Fulbright Program, highlighting its contribution to building meaningful interpersonal connections that promote mutual understanding and international goodwill. As we celebrate Professor Hsiao's achievements, this reflection situates the programme within the broader historical context of educational exchange and public diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to understand break rooms through the lens of everyday interaction as places where practices are both created and resisted. Emotion work present in all interaction between people is connected to power relations and cultural meanings that are central to people's investment in their place of work and each other. The study asks how break rooms as spaces are integral to interaction and emotion work and in what kinds of performances and interactions, they invite people. The focus is on how break rooms shape interaction and what the significance of break rooms is for people. The data consist of data collected in workplaces in the 1980s, 1990s and the 2010s. The emphasis of the analysis is in the data gathered in the 2010s. The paper suggests that resistance, critical attitude, emotional coping and developing certain kinds of service skills are key to break room interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guanyin/Madonna and Child painting, housed in the British Museum, exemplifies a distinct amalgamation of Catholic and Buddhist elements. This academic study explores the religious syncretism within this artwork, set against the backdrop of Sino-Western cultural dynamics. By integrating socio-religious analysis with iconographic methods, this research highlighted the interplay between the two religious traditions and the broader trends of cultural adaptation and religious amalgamation. It was proposed that the painting, on display at the British Museum, reflects not only the European depiction of the Madonna of Humility but also the Jesuit missionary influence and the clandestine religious practices of Chinese Christians during periods of persecution. This investigation provided new perspectives on the nuances of religious syncretism and the evolution of religious imagery within the contexts of cultural exchanges and missionary initiatives, augmenting scholarly discussions on the dynamics between religious beliefs and societal frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Dadan, the capital of the kingdom of Dadan and, later on, of Lihyan, was an important trading hub and place of worship in North‐West Arabia during the first millennium BCE. Located in the AlUla valley (Saudi Arabia), with naturally available fresh water, fertile soil and relative ease of travel through it, people gathered there for trade, religious ceremonies and cultural exchange, as attested by the sanctuaries, artefacts and inscriptions in the area around Dadan. In this work, the connection of the main sacred and funerary monuments of ancient Dadan and associated neighbouring sites with the surrounding landscape and skyscape was explored from an archaeoastronomical perspective. The results suggest that the observation of particular astronomical phenomena was considered for the location and orientation of the sacred spaces included in the sample. Together with epigraphic and archaeological sources, these results offer new clues about different aspects of social and religious life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to describe the process of construction of social representations around Venezuelan immigrants in Bogotá, it is part of a broader study whose objective is to analyze the intercultural relations of Venezuelan immigrants, located in the seventh avenue, of the city of Bogotá-Colombia in its new reality, their continuities and cultural redefinitions. It addresses the Venezuelan immigrants who work on this avenue, an environment in which they have become part of a cultural environment, on which they have redesigned part of their own cultural knowledge. Methodologically, it has a descriptive and interpretative parameter, with an ethnographic method, participant observation and interviews as the main techniques. As participants we had 14 Venezuelans, 08 Colombians and 02 tourists, to whom structured and semi-structured interviews were applied. The main result is the fact that the social representations around intercultural relations between Venezuelans and Colombians are loaded with stigmatized meanings, as a result of the flow of Venezuelan migrants to Colombia, which affects their work environment, stay and integration into the host society. It is concluded that, in the opinion of the interviewees, in the context of the stigmatized representations that have marked the interaction process, intercultural relations of integration, tolerance and marginalization are maintained both between Colombians and Venezuelans, as well as among Venezuelan migrants themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of Italian publishers and intellectuals in Buenos Aires during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It examines how their activities relied on the concept of Latinity to strengthen collaboration between Italy and Argentina. By examining key publishing initiatives, it highlights the close ties between the two countries, forged through Italian immigration and a shared commitment to national development. The paper begins by analyzing the birth of an Italo-Argentine book market and the vital role of Italian associations in fostering bilateral cultural exchanges. It then discusses the influence of Italian publishers and intellectuals like Basilio Cittadini, Giovan Battista Cuneo, and Piero Barbera, whose works sought to promote Italy and Argentine's transnational identity as sister nations and advocated for international solidarity. The paper concludes by reflecting on the publishing efforts during the Centenary of Argentina's Independence, which contributed to shaping a transnational and transcultural Italo-Argentine community. This community laid the foundation for enduring cultural connections and dialogue, despite the challenges posed by rising nationalism and political changes in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues for a pluralization of the "platform capitalism" framework, suggesting we should think instead in terms of "platform capitalisms." This pluralization opens the way to a better account of how platforms work in different geocultural contexts, with our focus being on China, India and Japan. The article first outlines several roles the state has taken on in mediating platform capitalisms. We then signal three main axes around which to consider the implications of platform capitalisms for cultural production: state–platform symbiosis; platform precarity; and the informal–formal relation in cultural production. This short provocation, we hope, will help foreground the crucial role of the state in platform capitalisms, such that the state–culture–capitalism nexus might be better acknowledged in research on platforms and cultural production now and into the future. This is particularly important as states themselves increasingly become platform operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the world's most enduring and successful cultural diplomacy organizations, the British Council (BC) has played a prominent role in promoting and exporting British theatre, literature, and language across the globe since its founding in 1934. A key component of the BC's self-proclaimed remit of "forging links between Britain and other countries through cultural exchange," the organization's Drama Division has over its lifetime worked to sponsor and facilitate the overseas touring of a significant number of British theatrical enterprises, exporting both large-scale national company productions with substantial casts and a repertoire of shows, as well as individual actors, directors, and academics embarking on speaking tours. From the stage, renowned actors and star names such as Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Vivien Leigh, Peggy Ashcroft, and John Gielgud were routinely chosen by the BC to appear in series of "theatrical manifestations," serving in dual capacities both as actors in productions and ambassadors for a nation—the word "manifestation" being the BC's own preferred terminology used to refer to the export of a cultural event during the middle of the past century. Yet unlike comparable accounts of the relationship between the Arts Council and theatre, we possess no systematic study of the BC's involvement in this field, meaning that fundamental questions about the nature, range, and impact of the BC's cultural activity remain unanswered. Indeed, until comparatively recently, the history of the BC has failed to generate much scholarly interest at all, but the nature of its imbrication within British theatrical culture in particular remains severely occluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the narrative of the co-created community theatre show Aillaquillen: The Island of Nine Moons, presented at the Liquen Cultural Centre in the town of Villarrica, Chile, in 2022. The show was the result of a practice research project, in which I partnered with local Mapuche activist Alejandra Aillapan Huiriqueo to explore how the intrinsic values of the Mapuche worldview or cosmovision and (new) animism could be translated into intercultural theatrical practice and the performance of an environmental narrative. The intercultural process of co-creation transformed my own approach to my surroundings and culminated in a performance that told a story out of local cultural and environmental necessity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the role of the culture coordinator in general formal education, in primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands. This article describes how they function in their professional environment and in contact with artists, providers of educational programs, and cultural institutions. In order to describe the everyday practice of the work of a coordinator and to bring to light the network in which they operate, a group of teachers kept a logbook for one year, describing per week what they did, and which issues concerned them most. The article concludes that the position of the coordinator is fragile, because of its dependency on personal relations with cultural institutions and as a result of the pressure from regular teaching tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista UNISCI is the property of Unidad de Investigaciones Sobre Seguridad y Cooperacion International (UNISCI) 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: Since accreditation bodies emphasize program-level learning goals, there is often less focus on measuring learning at the course level. This study aims to offer a method for using experiential learning exercises to measure student engagement and learning outcomes in cross-cultural relations courses by highlighting which learning outcomes to assess, how to measure the achievement of these learning outcomes, what students learn and the measurement process. Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from three sections of the (control group) and (experiment groups). Chi-square independence and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were employed to examine the significant association between these groups. Findings: Students perform alike when exposed to various experiential learning methods. However, the lack of experiential learning might hinder students' understanding of the course material. Consequently, the performance in both learning objectives from the control group was significantly lower than students in the experiment groups. Originality/value: This study presents an approach for merging assurance of learning into integrated business courses, and how to use experiential learning exercises as instructional tools for improving and measuring learning. When course-level assessments focusing on developing relevant competencies are well-implemented, they can strengthen related program-level goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arcos: Design, Cultura e Visualidade is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) 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.)

In language use and comprehension, even when practitioners are able to identify the same cultural focal discourse, differences in the interpretation of the cultural information contained therein can arise. This phenomenon of differing interpretations can be explained through Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital, which, due to its accumulation, translates into specific bodily and cognitive dispositions, manifested as particular modes of action. This study aims to investigate typical linguistic materials that store cultural capital. Specifically, it analyzes Liu Yuxi's Bamboo Branch Song (first of two) and six English translations, comparing the differential accumulation of cultural capital associated with the cultural focal point "Qing(?)" across the levels of language skills, norms, and values. The exchange of cultural capital in language activities is inevitable; however, the unsuccessful personal internalization of social habitus can hinder this exchange, causing it to remain at the norm level and resulting in a loss at the value level. This research also highlights the risks associated with the exchange of cultural capital conveyed through language, offering insights into cultural transmission and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through typological analysis and pattern comparison, this study demonstrates that the Seima-Turbino-type bronze spearheads unearthed from the Xiawanggang site date roughly to the end of the third millennium BCE or the beginning of the second millennium BCE. Considering their similarities to the Okunev culture, the Shimao culture, and the iconography of the post-Shijiahe culture, this study suggests that the appearance of Seima-Turbino-type bronze spearheads in the Yangtze River valley resulted from north-south cultural exchange. Understanding this cultural exchange is significant for comprehending changes in China's prehistoric cultural patterns during the Longshan-Erlitou culture period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica 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.)

Scholarly attention on cultural diplomacy has focused predominantly on diplomatic agents’ projection efforts. Conversely, insights into how local audiences actively engage with such practices remain limited. To fill this gap, this article relies on scholarship on emotions in International Relations to examine cultural diplomacy as a practice that seeks to affectively bind subjects to projected identities. To grasp such processes, this framework is applied to Russia’s and the European Union’s (EU) cultural diplomacy in Armenia. Amidst a delicate security environment, this country case helps shed light on subjects’ engagement. To this end, the article draws on fieldwork conducted in Armenia and includes participant observation in cultural diplomatic events, 39 in-depth interviews with participants, cultural practitioners, policy experts and diplomatic agents, social media data, and cultural products. The article finds that both Russian and EU cultural initiatives in Armenia fail to affectively bind local audiences to the two actors’ projected identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era of global economic integration and digital economy development, multilingual English translation plays a crucial role in cultural exchange. Traditional translation models have poor adaptability and fitting ability. To improve the translation effect and quality, this article combines the Text-To-Text Transfer Transformer (T5) and Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML) to study their sustainable improvement and application in multilingual English translation. In this article, the autoregressive learning method is first used to fine tune the pre-trained parameters of T5 model, and a generative multilingual English translation model is constructed. Then, combined with the MAML framework, the model is trained on multiple tasks to achieve rapid adaptation on new task data. Finally, a multilingual parallel corpus is constructed using web crawlers, and the translation model based on T5 and MAML is evaluated for quality using Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU) and Translation Error Rate (TER) as indicators. The experimental results show that compared to the baseline models Open Neural Machine Translation (OpenNMT), Transformer, and Open Parallel Corpus-Machine Translation (Opus-MT), the mean BLEU Score of the model in this article is 6.05%, 2.59%, and 2.05% higher, respectively. The conclusion indicates that the T5-MAML model can effectively improve the quality of multilingual English translation and achieve more natural and smooth translation output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, a grassroots initiative for accommodating asylum-seeking migrants in local homes took off in 2015. This hospitable initiative is about offering asylum seekers the chance to live with locals during the asylum process rather than in a reception centre. Drawing on the voices of local hosts, the article investigates how the racialised and gendered public discourses on asylum-seekers are challenged and reproduced in home accommodation. Moreover, it examines the identity work undertaken by hosts in the context of home, here conceptualised as contested and meaning laden space between the political and the intimate. Empirically, the article is based on qualitative interviews conducted with local hosts who accommodated asylum seekers in Southern Finland. The analysis shows how intersectional power relations structure the hosts' expectations and the relationships formed in complex ways, as they narrate the cohabitation experience in relation to gender, sexuality, class, and cultural differences and in relation to broader societal discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During new excavations carried out since 2022 on the B¨y¨kkale Northwest Slope, which connects the two poles of the Hittite capital Hattusa—the palace area on B¨y¨kkale and the Lower Town—a unique ivory inlay was found in 2023. The antithetical depiction shows a sphinx and a lion in front of a tree of life. Per numerous iconographic details, this find provides unprecedented first-hand insights into the cultural relations between the states in the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, the Aegean, and Mycenae in the Late Bronze Age. As this piece can be well dated to the late phase of the Hittite Empire, both iconographically and through radiocarbon dating, it provides unexpected evidence for the integration of the Hittite heartland into this network of relationships as well as to the end of the Late Bronze Age international network of states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gija people in the East Kimberley community of Warmun (Western Australia) negotiate their engagement with pastoralism with varying degrees of primacy. Through ethnography and oral histories, I explore how Gija people manage pastoralism and its effects through acts of accommodation, adoption, refusal and innovation. I begin by outlining the development of the colonial pastoral industry in Western Australia, state and federal legislation that withheld and underpaid wages to Aboriginal pastoral workers and cattle‐killing practices and protective measures. I use 'Kila', the bovine species killed for local consumption, as an entry point to explore intercultural relations and Gija relative autonomy within this context. Analysing Kila etymologically and through an ethnographic case study involving its procurement, dissection, and distribution, I find that cooperation is implemented to enable the Kila event. Kila emerges as both a nexus for intercultural mutuality and as a facilitator of distinct opportunities for Gija social and cultural maintenance and recreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the complexities of conviviality in a London neighbourhood by using primary qualitative data to analyse the implications of the (in)visibility of difference for superdiverse social relations. It develops the concept of power‐geometries to examine the implications of how social differences are produced, imagined, and experienced in the neighbourhood's public spaces. Drawing on three situated examples from a visual ethnographic research project, it explores the affective intensities of how gender, sexuality, class, and race intersect with ethnicity, religion, and migrant status to shape urban conviviality. The paper argues the way different positions and identities are layered and intersect can shape the development of 'cosmopolitan outlooks' and intercultural relations. In doing so, the analysis refines understandings of superdiversity conceived narrowly within the remit of majority/minority relations. It promotes instead more critically ethnographic explorations of the complex and varied ways difference has meaning in everyday lives in superdiverse places and shapes everyday forms of recognition and equality. The paper contributes to debates on geographies of difference, encounter, and public space by analysing how power relations affect conviviality. It demonstrates how conviviality is an ambivalent process that is punctuated by both prejudices and solidarities and is shaped by structural inequalities and wider political discourses. The paper concludes by highlighting the role of agency and space for dialogue for residents negotiating differences among urban change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Aboriginal Elders have supported Aboriginal health and wellbeing for generations. Aboriginal Elders also play an important role in guiding those who work in health systems to work in culturally safe ways. The Cultural Exchange Program was developed to encourage reflexivity among non-Aboriginal researchers (N = 6) through experiential learning and relationship building with local Noongar Elders (N = 5). This paper examines the transformative impacts of this program for both the Aboriginal Elders and non-Aboriginal participants. Method: The Cultural Exchange Program was developed through an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research (APAR) approach. The Elders and researchers had active involvement and influence over the research process and interpretation of data. Themes were co-created through the APAR approach, including a reflexive thematic analysis and feedback loop. Results: For the Elders, the program promoted a desire to educate and bring about change, facilitated healing through truth-telling, and led to experiences of cultural respect. For the non-Aboriginal participants, the program evoked deep respect for the Elders and their knowledges, surfaced unsettling colonial realities, encouraged an inwards reflection, and motivated social justice change. Conclusions: These results highlight the transformative and healing experiences which can exist at the intersection of reflexivity, truth-telling, truth-witnessing, and relationship building. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: The history and practice of health and wellbeing research has contributed to the colonisation of Aboriginal peoples. There is a need for health and wellbeing professionals to develop reflexive skills to work in culturally safe ways with Aboriginal peoples. Aboriginal Elders can play an important role in guiding those who work in health and wellbeing systems to work in culturally safe ways. What this topic adds: This paper outlines the process and outcomes of a Cultural Exchange Program, which encouraged reflexivity among non-Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing researchers. Aboriginal Elders and non-Aboriginal participants engaged in independent but intertwined transformative journeys, through building friendships, trust, and reciprocity. In line with an Aboriginal Participatory Action Approach, Elders and participants co-created themes as co-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document "Varieties of Taste: Interwoven Histories and Geographies of Theatres and Restaurants in London at the end of the 19th century" explores the links between theatres and restaurants in London at that time. Iconic venues such as the Café Royal, the Savoy Hotel, and the Palace Theatre were founded by personalities such as Daniel Nicolas Thévenon and Richard D'Oyly Carte. These establishments played a key role in London's cultural and gastronomic scene, reflecting Franco-British cultural exchanges. Personalities from the world of theatre and the arts frequented these places, creating an atmosphere of glamour and sophistication. [Extracted from the article]

There was a drought in Central Asia around 800 BC. Therefore, the Scythians migrated from east to west and came to the steppes north of the Black Sea. The Greeks reached the Black Sea to establish a colony. Meanwhile, the Greeks established colonial cities both in the south and north of the Black Sea. As a result of these developments, relations began between the Scythians and the Greeks. After Scythian rule, Sarmatian rule began in the north of the Black Sea. Scythian and Greek relations continued during the Sarmatian rule. There were economic, military and cultural relations between the two societies. Greek colonists bought the goods they needed from the Scythians. They sold the goods they needed to the Scythians. Most wheat was exported from the Scythian country. Other exports included cattle, leather and fur. Chief among these were olive oil and wine. Knowing the Scythian military power and the success of the Scythians in archery, the Greeks took advantage of the Scythian archers to protect the city of Athens. Scythians were very attached to their traditions and customs. They were closed to external cultural influences and mutual cultural interaction. Despite this, there were some Scythians who went to the Greek cultural environment. They had the opportunity to explain their own culture or compare their own culture with Greek culture. In this study, the relations between the Scythians and the Greeks were tried to be revealed in their economic, military and cultural dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing popularity of eSports has attracted significant attention due to its potential influence beyond the realm of entertainment. This paper investigates the effects of eSports on the economy, education, and cultural communication. By exploring how eSports platforms and events provide avenues for generating profit, facilitating learning, and fostering cultural exchange, the study seeks to reveal the diverse impacts of digital gaming on both business and education, as well as its role in global communication This study employs a descriptive-qualitative methodology, examines case studies to evaluate the industry's economic prospects, educational advantages, and the cross-cultural connections promoted by eSports. The results demonstrate that eSports is a versatile platform that not only improves digital literacy and collaboration skills but also acts as a conduit for cultural understanding in an increasingly interconnected world. Furthermore, economic revenues from e-sports continue to grow annually. Grasping these dynamics is essential for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders aiming to harness digital gaming for economic, educational and cultural progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Interuniversitaria de Formación del Profesorado is the property of Asociacion Universitaria de Formacion del Profesorado (AUFOP) 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.)

As a great initiative of socialism with Chinese characteristics, "One Country, Two Systems" not only successfully solved the governance problems after the return of Hong Kong and Macao but also profoundly influenced the national process of the Chinese nation. This paper explores the profound impact of "One Country, Two Systems" on the Chinese nation in terms of institutional arrangements, political integration, economic integration, and social and cultural exchanges. It analyzes its promoting role in the political identity, economic process, and social and cultural identity of the Chinese nation and advocates the establishment of the "Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Fujian Taiwan Zhang Honghua National Community Construction Pilot Zone" to promote the construction of the "One China" for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Through in-depth analysis of the practical effectiveness of "One Country, Two Systems," this article aims to stimulate further thinking and discussion among experts and scholars on the relationship between "One Country, Two Systems" and the Chinese national community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the exhibition history of hand-painted ceramic objects from the "Fajans" factory in Włocławek and the politics of regional contextualization during the period of détente in the 1970s and 1980s. It extends both existing scholarship on transnational art history in socialist Europe and the notion of cultural diplomacy, approached here in the context of regional politics and economic frameworks. The paper highlights the peripheral networks and movements that developed in relation to the socialist cultural politics of working-class artistic engagement and artistic practice as labor. Questions of cooperation between Poland and other socialist states are of particular interest, as are the implications of détente for East Central Europe. The reconstruction of the transnational circulation of "Fajans" objects is based on a comparative analysis of international "Fajans" exhibitions, using documentation from the archives of the Faience Department of the Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land, as well as from the archives of the city of Novi Sad. Based on the researched material and the conceptual framework of transnational art history, the article proposes a concept of regional cultural diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the ethnobotanical diversity of wild plant teas across various populations in the Balkan mountain regions, focusing on cultural and ecological influences. Data were collected through ethnobotanical field surveys conducted in thirteen distinct areas, encompassing approximately 900 interviews with local populations, including Albanians, Bosniaks, North Macedonians, Goranis, and Serbs. The study identifies 143 genera used in traditional teas, with species frequency and distribution patterns analysed concerning elevation and cultural factors. Statistical analyses using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis revealed clear grouping patterns between populations based on ecological zones. The results show a clear correlation between altitude and the herbal use of plant genera, with higher elevations (above 700 m) supporting a greater variety of local species. Cultural practices, such as tea consumption during communal gatherings, also significantly shaped the selection of plants across different populations. For instance, Sideritis species were most prevalent among Albanian and North Macedonian communities, while Thymus and Mentha species were widely used across all groups. Moreover, cultural exchanges can explain the similarity of wild teas reported by Bosniaks (in Bosnia) and North Albanians, located far away from each other but showing similar traits due to possible common origins or the effect of centuries of pastoralism, which may have generated a constant exchange of local plant practices. The study concludes that ecological conditions and cultural exchanges significantly influence the choice, use, and resilience of wild plant herbal traditions in the Balkans. However, modern pressures such as urbanisation and market-driven consumption are increasingly threatening these practices. This highlights the need for conservation strategies that integrate ecological preservation and cultural heritage safeguarding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China embarked on a large-scale endeavour to translate red novels into English. Remarkably, these translations often underwent rewritings, suggesting the state's considerable influence. Drawing on André Lefevere's rewriting theory, this article examines why and how these works were rewritten in English. It first offers an overview of the domestic and foreign contexts of red novel translation, and then presents how these novels were translated, including the involvement of translators in the translation process and the rewriting of characters' images. It is found that red novels were translated not only for cultural exchange but also for social-political and publicity reasons. To this end, the positive and negative characters of red novels are frequently modified, although following different paths: positive characters are generally improved or idealised for a more perfect representation, whereas negative characters are typically degraded or worsened to justify the struggle against them. Nonetheless, both trajectories ultimately serve the same purpose – to reshape the state's national image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arts for Linguistic & Literary Studies is the property of Thamar 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 article explores the nuanced dimensions of the European Union's (EU) public diplomacy efforts directed at South Korea, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative content analyses. Over the years, the relationship between the EU and South Korea has evolved from economic cooperation to encompass broader areas, such as political, diplomatic, security, and cultural ties. While previous research has primarily focused on economic and political aspects, this study addresses the limited exploration of cultural relations and public diplomacy between the two entities. To this end, this study analyzed content from the EU Delegation to Korea's official Facebook page spanning 2017 to 2021, identifying recurring keywords and themes that characterize the EU's public diplomacy strategy. The analysis reveals two main facets of the EU's public diplomacy: projection public diplomacy ("who we are") and advocacy public diplomacy ("what we stand for"). Projection efforts are demonstrated through cultural exchanges, celebrating Europe Day, and participation in events that foster cross-cultural dialogue. Advocacy public diplomacy is evidenced by the EU's advocacy for human rights, environmental concerns, gender equality, and cooperative partnerships. These efforts align with the EU's role as a champion of shared values and norms, projecting its commitment to a fair and sustainable world. The study underscores the EU's multifaceted approach to public diplomacy, bridging cultural understanding, advocating for norms, and fostering collaborative relationships to bolster its soft and normative power influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of globalization, the exchange and integration of different ethnic cultures are becoming increasingly frequent. In this process, how to maintain the uniqueness and value of traditional ethnic sports culture while adapting to the needs of modern society has become a question worthy of in-depth research. Traditional ethnic sports culture, as an important component of various ethnic cultures, not only reflects the unique historical traditions and aesthetic concepts of each ethnic group, but also plays an important role in promoting cultural exchange and cultural diversity. Under the impact of globalization and modernization, traditional ethnic sports culture is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. This article aims to explore the characteristics and Development strategy mechanism of ethnic traditional sports culture based on cultural adaptation, in order to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the inheritance and development of ethnic traditional sports culture. This study delves into the characteristics and Development strategy mechanisms of traditional ethnic sports culture based on cultural adaptation. In the context of globalization and modernization, traditional ethnic sports culture, as an important component of intangible cultural heritage, not only carries the unique cultural memories of various ethnic groups, but also faces the dual challenges of cultural adaptation and inheritance innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature is the property of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature Editorial Office 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.)

In the context of globalization, cultural exchanges within international trade have become increasingly frequent, positioning food packaging as a medium for such exchanges. Changes in cross-border food packaging, brought about by these cultural exchanges, are accompanied by the acculturation phenomenon, which originates from immigrant cultural exchanges. Based on the study of acculturation theory and advancements in the visual design of food packaging, the existing issues related to cross-border food packaging were analyzed. Through visual design case studies of cross-border food packaging, three visual design strategies for cross-border food packaging were developed: juxtaposition integration, assimilation fusion, and autonomous separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of soft power and sports to foreign policy has been an expanding area of research and yet a relative silence exists on the making of effective cultural relations through sport. Revisionist accounts of sport, soft power and diplomacy have provided a refreshing impetus that has enabled sport to have a 21st century voice in national conversations around foreign policy and international relations. An opportunity exists to make the case that sport is part of the essential toolbox for anyone involved in contemporary cultural relations. That sport can contribute to the common good. The purpose of this article is to make such a case. What is cultural relations and why is it needed now as a soft critique of soft power and diplomacy and the role of sport in making the art of the possible, possible? 摘要 软实力和体育两大要素对于外交政策的贡献向来广为研究, 然而, 通过体育建立有效的文化关系的相关研究却相对鲜少。对体育、软实力和外交的修正主义论述足够提供了一种令人耳目一新的动力, 也使体育在外交政策和国际关系的对话中拥有一定的话语权。这足以证明, , 体育是维系当代文化关系的其中的重要工具。这篇文章的核心要旨在于, 体育可以为公共利益做出贡献。本文探讨什么是文化关系, 为什么需要将体育作为软实力和外交的评鉴要素？体育如何践行使可能的艺术成为可能？ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring uprisings, Jihadist extremism, and the neoliberal exploitation of the Global South, Mathias Énard's 2012 novel Street of Thieves (Rue des voleurs) follows the fortunes of Lakhdar, a young man from Tangier who finds himself living as an undocumented migrant in Barcelona's notorious Carrer d'En Robador, the Street of Thieves. Lakhdar's misadventures are shaped by regional and global forces which have compelled Moroccan nationals to seek political and economic asylum in Mediterranean Europe. Although Street of Thieves is strikingly contemporary, this essay explores the novel's medievalism: its contrasting of the grim present with the premodern Islamic world as an era of sophistication, mobility and cultural exchange. The essay focuses on Lakhdar's preoccupation with his fellow Tangier native Ibn Battuta, the fourteenth‐century traveler and writer whose life becomes a frame through which Lakhdar views his own. It argues that contrary to the current tendency to view Ibn Battuta's world as a precursor to modern globalised culture, Énard's novel invokes cosmopolitan Islamic premodernity to comment on the turmoil of the modern Islamosphere and the harm done to the Islamicate world by Western neo‐colonialism and neoliberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International Student Mobility Programs (ISMPs) have become increasingly popular among university students. This study explores the perceptions of undergraduate students from the English Education Study Program at a private university in Yogyakarta Indonesia who have participated in ISMPs, focusing on the advantages and challenges they experienced. Adopting a qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants. The findings reveal that ISMPs provide substantial benefits, including enhanced language proficiency, expanded professional and personal networks, cultural exchange, and self-development. However, participants also reported notable challenges, such as language barriers, differing cultural norms, unfamiliar study materials and assignments, and time zone adjustments. These insights offer valuable guidance for prospective ISMP participants, enabling them to anticipate and address potential challenges while maximizing the program's benefits. Moreover, the findings underscore the need for educational institutions and policymakers to develop targeted strategies to optimize the ISMP experience, ensuring students achieve meaningful academic and personal growth through these programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]