Creating a Unified Identity

Çatalzeytin is a sparsely populated coastal settlement in the province of Kastamonu in the Western Black Sea Region of Türkiye. Today, it is a small-scale settlement that contains more than forty villages and has not developed due to geographical conditions. However, during the Ottoman period, it was an important settlement that stood out economically with its forestry and maritime activities. Its built environment once comprised traditional wooden houses, educational buildings, religious structures, and public institutions characteristic of the region. Today, the settlement has largely lost the tangible cultural heritage elements that make up its historical fabric due to a variety of factors. The aim of this study is to examine the historical development of Çatalzeytin by dividing it into periods after its establishment at the beginning of the 18th century, to determine the tangible cultural heritage elements that have survived/not survived to the present day and to make a conservation-oriented assessment based on the spatial transformation process of the settlement. The settlement was examined in four periods based on administrative structure: the period before the establishment, the period with village status from the beginning of the 18th century to 1911, the sub-district (nahiyelik) period from 1911 to 1954, and the district period from 1954 to 2000. A review of the existing literature reveals a lack of comprehensive research regarding both the identification of Çatalzeytin’s tangible cultural heritage and its spatial transformation. The scope of this study is limited to the settlement center of Çatalzeytin district, and rural areas are excluded from the evaluation. The method of the study includes field work, archival research, literature review, and mapping. During this process, historical maps, aerial photographs, official documents, newspaper reports, and photographic archives were examined. Historical photographs of the settlement were obtained from the archives of the local Çatalzeytin Mektubu Newspaper published since 1982 and the Ciye Çatalzeytin Documentary published as a special supplement of the same newspaper. The physical development of Çatalzeytin has been shaped by spatial organizations that have changed in parallel with administrative status changes throughout history. In the pre-establishment period, it is assumed that the settlement exhibited a very small-scale character closely related to the coastline. Upon attaining village status in the early 18th century, a settlement pattern based on rural life and maritime/forestry activities emerged. A sloped coastal settlement developed, with traditional wooden houses and a marketplace centered around a religious building. During the sub-district period (1911–1954), as administrative functions expanded, public structures such as squares, mosques, government offices, and schools were constructed, giving rise to a centralized civic core. Following its designation as a district in 1954, modern public buildings, social facilities, health and education structures, and land reclamation projects along the shoreline appeared. During this period, physical growth accelerated, and parts of the traditional urban fabric were replaced by unqualified constructions. Unregulated construction activity, especially after 1980, weakened Çatalzeytin’s unique historical and environmental identity, particularly its relationship with the coast. Since the 2000s, it has been observed that it has largely lost its unique identity and silhouette with the unqualified multi-storey buildings parallel to the coastline. As a result, it has been observed that the original historical fabric has largely disappeared, except for a small number of wooden houses; these wooden houses have been destroyed since they were not officially registered as cultural assets, and in return, the construction activities of unqualified multi-storey reinforced concrete structures have rapidly increased. The main reasons for this negative process are the absence of conservation regulations, population decline due to outward migration, property ownership disputes, and the inability of historic structures to meet contemporary living standards. All these factors have contributed to the erasure of physical traces that reflect the settlement’s historical continuity, which in turn has negatively impacted the preservation of social memory. Therefore, a comprehensive and holistic conservation approach must be adopted to ensure the sustainability of the settlement’s existing historical fabric. In addition to registration and documentation efforts, initiatives must be developed to engage and raise awareness among the local population. Otherwise, Çatalzeytin’s architectural and cultural memory is at serious risk of irreversible loss.

While existing scholarship examines research ethics with refugee communities in the Global South, a dearth of literature focuses on how social work researchers’ intersecting personal and professional identities impact the research relationship between refugee research participants and researchers. From the perspectives of two social work researchers, one Black female from Uganda and one white male from the United States, this paper unpacks the implications of facilitating social work research with refugees in East Africa based on our unique identities. Rooted in critical self-reflections of our research projects at two sites (Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda and Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya), this paper illustrates the intersection between sociopolitical context, power, privilege, colonialism, culture, and identity in social work research with refugees. Furthermore, we explore how these factors impact refugee research participants’ expectations of our research projects. We individually and collectively explore how participants’ expectations were connected to our personal and professional identities.

IntroductionTeachers can perceive themselves as a true teacher and act as one only if they have a strong professional identity. This study aimed to identify factors that shape the unique professional identity of basic medical sciences teachers in Pakistan.MethodsA qualitative study was performed using the concepts of phenomenology and purposive sampling. A 20-item text-based interview was conducted by sharing a Google Form link with basic medical sciences teachers from select institutions. Iterative data collection and analysis were performed until data saturation was attained.ResultsA total of 40 participants took part in the study. Nine categories were identified and grouped into two major themes: four personal and five environmental factors. Personal factors included characteristics, preferences, religious values, and professional development. Environmental factors included community of practice, students' feedback, administrative support, work environment, and societal apathy. Among these factors, aptitude, family preference or work-life balance, hard work, dedication, and effect on parenting were more evident in women. By contrast, passion, experience, complacency, and unique identity were the prominent factors.DiscussionCommunity of practice [31 (77%)], passion for teaching [21 (52%)], students' feedback [18 (45%)], work-life balance [16 (40%)], and religious values [13 (32%)] were the primary positive contributors to the identity of basic medical sciences teachers. By contrast, poor administrative support [8 (20%)], negative work environment [11 (27%)], job dissatisfaction [7 (17%)], societal apathy [4 (10%)], and lack of opportunities for professional growth [6 (15%)] negatively impact the professional identity of basic medical sciences teachers.

Bimaristans are a building type which emerged in the Islamic world equivalent to nowadays hospitals. Most of the Islamic architecture studies focus on mosques, then mausoleums. This makes the research field open for more studies on building types like baths, wekalat, etc. Bimaristans remain within the scope of structures that need more studies through comparatives and analytical analyses. This paper introduces comparative analysis between bimaristans in Cairo and Aleppo, with particular focus on those constructed during the Mamluk’s era. This comparison highlights the points of similarity between the concepts that influenced the designers by that time with respect to their different locations, surrounding context and historical background. Such factors caused to make distinguished differences that gave each location its unique identity. This research depends on inductive-deductive methodology; inductive by reading and explaining the architectural drawings of both case-studies, and deductive from the theories and researches that justifies the reasons lied behind the end architectural product. Consequently, analyses the comparative results. The study provides architects and scholars with a clear image about the unique private identity of each zone, although they stand on the same believes using analytical analyses of bimaristans. Hence, contemporary architects in the Arab world can recognize the spiritual concepts behind the architectural and planning dimensions of bimaristans’ discrete design, that they may use or re-use to regenerate new forms that reflect their local identity and satisfy local cultural needs. Also, the study clarifies the role of local artists in articulating such concepts using carved geometrical reliefs, in addition to the documentation role of decorating relieved texts on those structures.

This paper examines four YouTube videos on Sakela, a dance performance of the Rai community, in two major contexts: enormous shifts and deviations in the performances of youths and the signature of unique ethnic identity. Sakela in its primitive art form of Rai culture has a ritual connection with the transcendent forces for human health and agriculture. However, there have been many deviations and changes in its highly contextualized aesthetic manifestations like festive performances, ceremonial presentations, recreational activities, political demonstrations or urban, and diasporic discourses. Against this backdrop, the paper addresses the primary questions of why these performances recur in different forms and what role the restoration of behaviour plays in forming the ethnic identity. The study approaches these questions with the objectives of analyzing the restored behaviour in the Rai youths’ Sakela and identifying the performances as preserving the signature of ethnic identity. The examination of primary data in the qualitative study includes the analysis of selected YouTube video contents comprising Sakela performances, using the content analysis method. Primary data are selected to quantify the phenomena of Rai youths’ restored behaviours in Sakela dance, their cultural meanings, and their relationships to ethnic identity. To validate the collected data, the study draws theoretical insights from Richard Schechner’s theory of restored behaviour. Schechner's theory promulgates that people are always performing anew out of old in a continual rehearsal. The behaviour is replicated and thus performances gradually emerge. Such behaviors ranging from small gestures to ritualistic performances become part of lives but they are no longer sticking to the original source. Pursuant to this conceptual framework, the paper argues that Rai youths’ Sakela demonstrates the signs of restored behaviour, the symbolic and coded aspects of their culture. It also posits that embodied ethnic traits evident in the performance ensure the persistence of membership in their community. Thus, Sakela continues to be the signature of ethnic belief system and unique identity in the lives of Rai youths. In all its aspects of the repetition of never the same, the embodiment of ethnic identity keeps on sticking to youths’ Sakela.

ABSTRACTThere is a bricolage of competing local and global ideologies, value systems, and practices vying for the attention of urban South Asian consumers. We term this as “postmodern complexity”. Drawing from a three-year ethnographic research expedition on Sinhalese Sri Lankan families, we illustrate the process by which these families mediate postmodern complexity during new family formation. Our findings support an emergent framework to understand the processes in which families negotiate the influence of competing discourses and illustrate that the process is a perpetual experimentation spanning across three overlapping stages. We argue that negotiating postmodern complexity in our families is a hybrid and creolised resolution that is tailored to each family’s unique identity needs. Families can draw from a multitude of meanings that are anchored in consumption in order to create a unique family identity that is most appropriate to their identity pursuits.

There is a bricolage of competing local and global ideologies, value systems, and practices vying for the attention of urban South Asian consumers. We term this as “postmodern complexity”. Drawing from a three-year ethnographic research expedition on Sinhalese Sri Lankan families, we illustrate the process by which these families mediate postmodern complexity during new family formation. Our findings support an emergent framework to understand the processes in which families negotiate the influence of competing discourses and illustrate that the process is a perpetual experimentation spanning across three overlapping stages. We argue that negotiating postmodern complexity in our families is a hybrid and creolised resolution that is tailored to each family’s unique identity needs. Families can draw from a multitude of meanings that are anchored in consumption in order to create a unique family identity that is most appropriate to their identity pursuits.

Purpose– The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has a unique identity. This study is based on a long period of research undertaken between 1995 and 2014. Permanent residents, the Chinese of Macau and all other MSAR residents constitute a body of model “citizens” which makes their legal identity understandable in the MSAR’s present social and economic context. Macau’s legal identity is based on centuries of trade and commerce. In Article 5 of the first chapter (I-5) of the MSAR’s Basic Law, the “way of life” in Macau’s society and economy are recognized as part of the MSAR’s legal framework. However, social change may play an important role in Macau’s development. The purpose of this paper is to look at the legal corpus as though it was a physical body with rights and duties, but also capabilities based on the nationality and residence statuses of its citizens, its companies and other entities (which will be studied more specifically in following articles).Design/methodology/approach– This study has used the combined approaches of fieldwork carried out between 2010 and 2015, interviews, and questionnaires.Findings– Way of life and the concept of One Country, Two Systems are key points that contribute to Macau’s contemporary identity. Way of life in the Basic Law constitutes a complex matrix formulation based on a series of particular facts and cultural traits, which leads to a better legal definition of important concepts such as nationality and residency in the particular case of Macau. The Basic Law is the constitutional law of the MSAR, but “Chineseness” still dominates the locals’ identity from day to day. More than 65 percent of the interviewees in the survey asserted their “Chineseness.” However, both Chinese and Portuguese, will continue to be official languages of Macau until 2049. The MSAR’s Chinese society speaks Cantonese and increasingly Putonghua, but it does not seem concerned by communicating using the Portuguese language. Clayton’s thesis emphasized the “unique cultural identity” of the MSAR and wrote that what made the Chinese of Macau “different from other Chinese, is the existence of a Portuguese state on Chinese soil.” Portuguese cultural tolerance is not mentioned, but it is a historical fact that has influenced Macau’s legal identity. The MSAR’s government has done its best to harmonize Macau’s multicultural society and it has particularly protected the Sino-Portuguese way of life in Macau.Practical implications– To apply the law and maintain the existing harmony in its society and economy, legal actions have had to be taken by the Macau government and courts. The courts of the MSAR are structured in three levels and have final powers of adjudication, except in very narrow political areas. The judicial system includes the following courts, from the highest to the lowest: the Court of Final Appeal, the Court of Second Instance and the Court of First Instance (Tribunal de Primeira Instância).Originality/value– This research is unique inasmuch as studies of legal identities focussed on large regions such as the MSAR of China are rare.

This study explores the interconnected concepts of branding and identity, emphasizing their substantial influence on the tourist image of cities. To examine the practical application of branding strategies, the research focuses on European cities, a region that has solidified its position in the global tourism market, recording 747 million international arrivals in 2024. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to identify current trends in tourism branding within European cities through the application of GIS technologies, while also critically assessing the challenges and limitations faced by key urban destinations, specifically London, Paris, and Amsterdam. The findings indicate that London (ranked 1st ), Paris (3rd), and Amsterdam (10th) hold prominent positions in the Brand Finance Global City Index 2024, which evaluates cities based on their ability to attract investment, talent, and visitors. These rankings underscore the strategic role of branding in shaping global perceptions, fostering economic growth, and enhancing urban competitiveness on an international scale. By offering distinct branding approaches, these cities continue to reinforce their unique identities within the tourism sector. This study examines the distinctive branding characteristics of three major European cities: London, Paris, and Amsterdam, each of which has cultivated a unique urban identity that contributes to its global reputation. London is recognized for its royal heritage, juxtaposing historical landmarks with modern architectural developments. The city is also a global fashion hub, hosting the prestigious London Fashion Week and offering renowned shopping districts. Paris, widely regarded as the capital of love, fashion, and culture, is intrinsically linked to romantic literary figures and celebrated poets. Like London, Paris is home to Fashion Week, along with a vast array of luxury boutiques that reinforce its status as an epicenter of elegance. Amsterdam, characterized by its bicycle-friendly infrastructure, iconic tulip fields, and picturesque canals, represents a notable example of urban rebranding, adapting its identity to modern tourism trends. The study employs GIS-based analysis in QGIS, alongside statistical and informational resources, to explore the branding dimensions and tourism dynamics of these cities. A key challenge identified across all three locations is overtourism, which generates a range of socio-economic and infrastructural concerns. In London, overtourism exacerbates the housing crisis, prompting local authorities to develop new residential complexes within the Grey Belt. In Paris, the prevalence of pickpocketing, particularly around tourist landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, has raised security concerns, necessitating enhanced police patrols and surveillance infrastructure. Amsterdam, meanwhile, faces challenges linked to its tolerant drug policies, which have fueled drug tourism. While local regulations exist to manage recreational drug use, stricter policies may be required to mitigate the negative effects associated with this phenomenon. This paper underscores the complexities of urban branding and tourism management, demonstrating how cities must continuously adapt to evolving visitor expectations, economic shifts, and policy challenges to maintain their global appeal. The relevance of this study stems from the increasing significance of city branding as a strategic tool in the global competition for tourist flows and international visibility. As cities seek to enhance their appeal and differentiate themselves in the highly competitive tourism sector, understanding the branding characteristics and challenges faced by leading European urban destinations becomes essential. Our research provides valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of tourism branding, offering an in-depth analysis of the branding strategies employed by London, Paris, and Amsterdam, as well as the socio-economic issues that accompany their global prominence.

This paper examines the existence of Parsulukan Babul Falah in Simaninggir Village as a spiritual center that survives amidst the current of modernization. The purpose of this paper is to understand the background of the interest of outsiders in the activities of the tarekat and to identify the unique cultural identities and values that have developed within it. This paper uses a descriptive qualitative method with an ethnographic approach through observation, interviews, and literature studies. The author involved 10 informants from various circles, including murshid, congregation, caliph of parsulukan, and the local community. The results show that the main attraction of Parsulukan Babul Falah lies in the combination of two major tarekats, namely Naqsabandiyah and Sammaniyah, which provide a profound spiritual experience through the practice of suluk, zikir khafi, and regular religious studies. Parsulukan Babul Falah has seven unique identities that distinguish it from other tarekat centers and make it popular in Mandailing Natal. The identity includes the lineage of scholars, the role of the mursyid in treating people, the certificate of the lineage of Sheikh H. Arifin Hasibuan as a caliph, religious studies every Monday, the tradition of aek tawajuh, language adjustments by the mursyid and the principle of no change in teachings. This paper provides an important contribution in understanding the relationship between the tarekat, local culture and collective identity in the context of the Islam of the Mandailing Natal community.

The Batak linguistic group in North Sumatra, Indonesia, encompasses a diverse array of languages, each representing a unique cultural identity. This research embarks on an in-depth comparative analysis of these languages to unveil their linguistic relationships and explore their cultural significance within their respective communities. The research employs a multi-faceted approach, involving data collection from native speakers, fieldwork in community settings, and collaboration with language experts. Linguistic data, including phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic features, are meticulously analyzed. Comparative methods are applied to elucidate linguistic bonds and distinctive nuances within these languages. Our analysis confirms the presence of strong linguistic bonds among the Mandailing Batak, Toba Batak, and Karo languages. Shared phonological features, agglutinative morphology, SVO word order, and culturally significant lexicons underscore their common Batak heritage. The existence of tonal patterns and tonal variations enriches the linguistic landscape. Simultaneously, distinctive linguistic nuances in each language highlight their unique identities and cultural significance. This research emphasizes the significance of preserving linguistic diversity and cultural heritage within the Batak communities. The findings provide valuable insights into the preservation of cultural practices, historical knowledge, and ancestral narratives. It serves as a call to action for the continued preservation and revitalization of these languages, recognizing their profound connections to culture and identity.

This research aims to validate the Consumer-Based Model of Authenticity by applying it to the realm of large historical art cities destinations. Building upon existing literature models that explore authenticity, cultural motivation, and loyalty, we apply a conceptual model that contributes to a comprehensive understanding of these significant factors. By incorporating these dimensions, our aim is to advance the theoretical framework and empirical knowledge pertaining to authenticity within the context of historical art cities, destinations known to be subject to phenomena such as ‘touristification’ and gentrification, in which authenticity is both jeopardized by mass tourism and at the same time an effective strategy for building resilience in heritage cities in regard to their cultural and environmental integrity. A survey was conducted on a sample of 129 respondents. The questionnaire was administered via Prolific to both tourists who have previously visited Rome and those who have never visited the city. To test the conceptual model, factor analysis and SEM were employed through R software. From a theoretical perspective, the research findings offer insights that contribute to a deeper comprehension of the nature of authenticity in the resilience of heritage cities’ context. This study explores the interconnections between the factors influencing authenticity and their subsequent impacts within a heritage city as a destination. By investigating the antecedents and consequences of authenticity, this research sheds light on the intricate dynamics and relationships at play in the realm of heritage cities. Understanding the interconnections between authenticity and resilience offers valuable insights into preserving the unique cultural identity of heritage cities while adapting to tourism challenges. The study provides destination managers with a valuable tool to systematically measure the impact of marketing and communication policies on the perceived authenticity of visitors over time. It offers insights into the extent to which these strategies can influence tourists' future intentions to visit. Furthermore, authenticity acts as a powerful approach to protect historical art cities from the negative effects of mass tourism and touristification. By preserving their unique identity and cultural heritage, authenticity promotes sustainable development economically and environmentally. This research empowers destination managers to assess the effectiveness of their efforts in enhancing perceived authenticity and its subsequent influence on tourists' decision-making processes.

The rise and fall of instrumentalism It is fashionable for Western observers, securely ensconced in their own national identities forged in toil and blood several centuries ago, to pour scorn on the rhetorical excesses and misguided scholarship of nationalist intellectuals in nineteenth-century Europe or twentieth-century Africa and Asia. Those whose identities are rarely questioned and who have never known exile or subjugation of land and culture, have little need to trace their ‘roots’ in order to establish a unique and recognizable identity. Yet theirs is only an implicit and unarticulated form of what elsewhere must be shouted from the roof-tops: ‘We belong, we have a unique identity, we know it by our ancestry and history’ It matters nothing that these are so many ‘myths’ and memories; with them, the English and French are ‘nations’, without them, just so many populations bounded in political space. It was once thought that ethnicity was a transient phenomenon. This had much to do with the substitution of an ‘instrumentalist’ view of ethnic groups for one that was ‘primordialist’. Put briefly, the primordialists consider ethnicity (along with religion, race and territory) to be a basic and natural unit of history and humanity. Ethnicity is merely an extension of kinship and the normal vehicle through which common goals might be pursued. As an historical ‘given’, it is frequently granted a deterministic role: Max Weber, for instance, regarded ethnicity as having played a decisive part in shaping the patterns and directions of economic forces in ancient Israel, China and India, as well as in the Protestant kingdoms of the Reformation period.

Aadhaar is one of the largest biometric identity systems in the world which aims to assign a unique digital identity to each resident of India. A resident can authenticate himself using his Aadhaar number and a biometric. Biometric is a very sensitive data, and registered devices were introduced to eliminate the use of stored biometrics. Each registered device is supposed to have a unique identity and to follow suggested best practices to ensure security. With the proliferation of digital services, the use of registered devices is expected to grow more in near future. Although registered device is a good initiative, attribute-based access and communication may not be very efficient at present. In the present world of ubiquitous computing, IoT and 5G, a device may need to provide an assurance that it possesses a certain set of requisite attributes rather than some serial or a model number. Furthermore, owner of the device may not want to reveal device identity to protect his privacy since device identity may be correlated with owner’s identity. In this paper, we present an efficient scheme of privacy enhanced attribute-based registered devices for fine-grained access control using attribute-based signature.KeywordsRegistered devicesAadhaarPrivacy

Do osteopathic medical students maintain their osteopathic identity in a dually accredited training hospital system?