Experiencing maritime pilgrimage to St Mac Dara Island in Ireland: Pilgrims, hookers, and a local saint

Self transformation as a personal and shared social experience is shown to be achievable through distance running. Ethnographic materials, extensive interviews, and questionnaire results obtained over a two‐year period show how distance running becomes a meaningful activity that is central to a runner's daily routine as well as a progressive personal identity. The researchers examine the motives and felt self‐accomplishments for a wide range of runners, e.g., “joggers” to “marathoners” to “world‐class” competitors, and then show how each is informed by other realms of meaning, especially the work and the family contexts. The place of running in the context of broader social changes which promote the enhancement of physical well‐being is shown, as are the runners' concerns that the unique running experience may be coopted by organizational and bureaucratic demands.

Suvremeno iseljavanje iz Hrvatske u Irsku s posebnim osvrtom na mlade iz Slavonije

This paper is based on fieldwork that explores the social, cultural, and embodied organization of Shi‘a pilgrimage practices in Shiraz, Iran, specifically the ways in which women interact with the shrine. Pilgrimage ( ziyarat ) in Iran is a daily practice that carries an important role in cultural interactions and gives life to the religious experience. While places of pilgrimage usually contain a gendered division, women tend to hold a role of power in (non-Western) conventional dimensions of the religious practice. This is due to the informal nature of shrines, which, unlike other religious settings, offer a deep-seated intimacy and freedom of movement. In a timeline of six weeks, I investigated the culture of the shrine by focusing on three specific shrines and observed the role of women in relation to expressions of power and agency. An integral part of this research has been the exploration of Shi‘a Islam as a sensorial experience, specifically the practice of touch to the physical pilgrimage sites as a means of becoming closer to God. How are women’s relations with the shrine embodied? What are the various modalities of agency that are operative in these interactions? I have engaged with ethnographic material, which consists of interviews, informal conversations, personal observations and photographs of women and religious spaces. By participating in pilgrimage, and observing the way aestheticized space is created and divided, I have attempted to display the role and power of women in Iranian society.

PurposeThis paper aims to critically review current research on food tourism and discuss future research directions in this field of inquiry.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviewed and synthesized current food tourism research.FindingsThe findings suggest that food tourism has made considerable progress over the past two decades in both academia and its own industry. Key research themes in food tourism include offering unique food experiences, authenticity through food experiences, using food in destination marketing and focusing on food tourism and sustainability together.Research limitations/implicationsThis study identifies and discusses key themes on past, current and future food tourism research. Previous studies have focused on analyzing the nature and extent of linkages between the food and tourism sectors. Future studies should focus on designing and co-creating of unique local food tourism experiences, development of new culinary events, culinary medicine, establishment of stronger stakeholder engagements in food tourism development and the role of social media in promoting food tourism experiences.Practical implicationsThe study offers practical implications for industry practitioners and policymakers.Originality/valueThis paper provides a clear perspective on future developments of food tourism research. In particular, future research studies should follow more a multidisciplinary approach and use both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Modern experience of spiritual search has mixed up all the colors of the religious domain. It is no longer a strict definition of what the term pilgrimage implies. There is a growing number of seemingly secular places visited by both members of traditional religious institutions and New Age movements. However, the Western culture of pilgrimage is still recognized as individual and not accepting religious elements as such. Using reliable sociological approaches and the ethnographical material, the present article challenges this assumption and seeks to create a more productive discussion on the topic. For this, it examines the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi community of Lefke (Cyprus), a place of pilgrimage for Muslims, non-Muslims, Europeans, Americans—all motivated by the goal of visiting a Sufi shaykh. The article analyzes the pilgrimage to Lefke by means of John Urry’s three bases of co-presence and illustrates how the Islamic vocabulary of pilgrimage has also changed in adaptation to the new realities of the post-secular world. As a result, it is argued that Sufism, with its historically proven ability to combine the individual and collective spheres of religious life, can provide a useful framework for understanding the contemporary pilgrimage phenomenon.

The paper investigates the process of the genesis and establishment of infrastructural ideas that contribute to the dissemination of Islamic knowledge in the local Muslim community in the town of Bor, Nizhny Novgorod region in the period of the 1930s — early 2020s. The author analyzes how the infrastructure affects the practices of spreading Islamic knowledge in the local Islamic community and how the local Muslim community changes in the period of creation of infrastructure. The paper focuses on exploring the infrastructures for spreading Islamic knowledge in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods of the community’s life. The study is based on ethnographic material, interviews and archival materials, and presents how the creation of infrastructures changed the practices of spreading Islamic knowledge and the configuration of the local Muslim community. These changes exacerbated issues of power relations and the identifying of behaviour patterns within the community. Simultaneously new ideas were born within the community about community development, new infrastructure for disseminating Islamic knowledge and the formation of Muslim personalities. The Tatar community who initiated and organized the building of the Mosque has lost control over it, and it has become part of urban public space, a source of Islamic knowledge available to any Muslim in the town of Bor.

Purpose. To analyse the role of global art projects in stimulating tourist flows, as well as to assess the economic, cultural and social impact of global art projects on tourism development and related areas. Particular attention is paid to how global art exhibitions, biennials and public art installations influence the formation of attractive tourist destinations, contribute to the development of 'art tourism' and what is the potential of such projects for the sustainable development of local communities. Method. The analysis of domestic and international sources allows us to identify trends in the field of cultural tourism and art projects of various scales; the comparative approach makes it possible to identify common features and peculiarities that stimulate the tourist attractiveness of international art projects in different countries; the findings have become the basis for identifying critical factors for the success of such initiatives in tourism and their importance for the sustainable development of destinations and local communities. Results. The article reveals a pattern of increasing the role of art projects in tourism. According to research by international organisations and scholars, the general trend in cultural tourism is to seek a 'unique experience'. Large-scale exhibitions, biennials, and museum initiatives can attract tourists looking for new experiences. Global art initiatives such as the Venice Biennale (Italy), Art Basel (Switzerland), Documenta (Germany), etc. are becoming important 'points of attraction' in the cultural calendar, creating the preconditions for boosting international tourism and sustainable development of destinations. Scientific novelty. The role of art events in the formation of tourist flows is studied, it is found that a developed infrastructure, information promotion and involvement of local communities and state administrations are key components of the effectiveness of art projects in tourism. The author proposes to clarify the definition of art tourism as a unique type of cultural tourism that focuses on the interaction of tourists with contemporary art projects and art communities. Practical relevance. The results of the study can be used in the development of municipal or regional cultural and tourism development programmes that require synergy to attract investors, build a positive international image and create a sustainable cultural environment. It is noted that close cooperation with local artists, government institutions and commercial partners can significantly increase the tourism potential of art events.

The transition of Beginning Teachers (BTs) into full professional practice in Queensland schools has undergone changes since 2014 with a formal mentoring program, supported by state budget provisions, now a requirement in every government school. This provides a new conceptual and procedural era for BTs, prompting renewed interest in areas such as emotions, confidence, resilience and identity of novice teachers and their mediating influence in the transition phase of the first three years of teaching. This research project, herein referred to as the study, investigated BTs’ experience during their transition phase in the Queensland context. The intention was to identify and examine BTs’ current experiences in this new era, in efforts to drive further understanding of this phase of teacher development. This qualitative study included seven BTs in a large metropolitan high school, comprising five female and two male participants. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine teacher perspectives during this unique phase, identify the areas the BTs deemed significant and consider the impact of these areas on their professional development experience. The participant teachers were at varying stages of transition including the end of the first, second and third years of their career. Each of these teachers had participated in a formal, year-long mentoring program at the same school. The research methodology employed thematic analysis of interviews where the teachers’ unique experiences within the high school context were explored through the transcripts of both individual and follow up, focus group interviews. Findings showed three categories of significant mediating themes emerged from the data analysis: Emotions, Expectations and Collegial Support. Further, the significance of these categories was elaborated regarding increases in confidence and resilience of the BT. The findings of the study have implications for the development of improved BT transition programs which could be informed by an awareness and accommodation of the key mediating themes identified through the three categories; 1) Emotions, 2) Expectations and 3) Collegial Support. Future research could look towards including BT identity formation and development as a significant aspect of the important areas shaping the transition phase.

Fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report more challenges than fathers of typically developing children, which also negatively impacts their psychological well-being. Although not studied to the same extent in fathers of children with ASD, the challenges experienced by fathers of typically developing children have been shown to impact parenting behaviours. Many children with ASD also have intellectual disability (ID), which adds additional parenting stress. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine perceptions of parenting roles and father-child relationship quality in fathers of children with ASD and ASD/ID. Twenty-eight fathers of children with ASD (n=12) and ASD/ID (n=16) completed a telephone interview. A phenomenological approach was used by two investigators to analyse the interviews. Both investigators coded the interviews and then discussed the final themes. Five major themes emerged. One theme that emerged was pre-birth expectations, and the remaining themes related to the post-diagnosis period: adjustments, experiences, co-parenting and quality of father-child relationship. Both fathers of a child with ASD and ASD/ID reported on all themes. Overall, fathers of children with ASD and ASD/ID reported similarly on the themes that emerged. Future research with more diverse samples is needed to continue to understand the fatherhood experience. The findings of this study have implications for the development of parent-focused programmes that are tailored to fathers' unique experiences.

Incoming university students’ unique experiences with and perspectives of statistics may shape their learning trajectories, recruitment, and retention in the discipline. We completed qualitative case studies with three first-year statistics majors. Each student shared their views of “who” statistics is to them, how they imagined a career in statistics, and recalled their prior experiences and motivations for studying statistics. We contrast the students and remark on how their varying experiences relate to perspectives on their chosen field. Results varied in the perceived nature and content of statistics, and experiences engaging with rich data sets were associated with more substantive perspectives of the discipline. Future research will use follow-up interviews to examine the trajectories of students’ changing perspectives, participation, disciplinary identities, and interests.

Lessons learned from employing Medicaid-funded peer recovery support specialists in residential substance use treatment settings: An exploratory analysis

The enduring insignificance of a school for its village: An English case study

In this article, the authors unveil the social context surrounding a publicly funded project to improve the extremely poor housing conditions of a Roma community in Poland. The focus was on one Carpathian mountain village in which a Bergitka Roma settlement has existed for more than 80 years. A brand-new apartment house for the local Roma minority partly replaced the earlier settlement in a village populated by Górale, a highlander group that is the local majority. At present about 70 Roma live in the new building. The ethnographic material was obtained during fieldwork carried out in 1994-2017. Herein the authors reconstruct the most significant moments in this investment from different points of view: the Roma and non-Roma neighbors. Each side interprets the fact in its own, rather paradoxical manner; each side has learned different new things in the process. The ambitious housing policy undoubtedly led to improvement of the Roma standard of living; it did not, however, increase the extent of their integration. The natural geology as well as manmade elements (e.g. a fence and a bridge) create and maintain boundaries. Nevertheless, analysis of the broader social context is decidedly more crucial than an analysis of facts. Ultimately, the sense of such publicly funded housing projects needs to be scrutinized from the diverse perspectives within the local community.

We present for discussion the issue of economic relations between community and the individual and the corresponding position (“more or less well being”). This time, we will discuss the issue of the economic relationship between the community and the individual and the corresponding state ("more or less fulfilled existence") by analyzing the ethnographic materials found in Samtskhe-Javakheti, in particular, in the villages of Adigeni municipality (Adigeni, Zarzma, Kakhareti, Lelovani, Zanavi, Ude, Aral). , according to which, "people's politics" is confirmed as the name of economic and other practical activities that bring "economic wealth". The art of creating names and terms is a kind of natural characteristic of the inhabitants of the ethnos. It works especially when the need for it is dictated by the prevailing situation of the nation, economic and living needs. Here we will find that terms of economic content were created and gained a foothold among the population, regardless of their ethnic, religious affiliation, or other differences. This was the case in Samtskhe-Javakheti as well, as in a group of multi-ethnic communities quite different in this regard. This is confirmed by the research of ethnographic-existing and economic condition-determining means-approaches. The same can be said about the situation within a specific nation or ethnic group, which was influenced by the economic and social processes taking place in the country. In Samtskhe Javakheti as well, the situation similar to the one described above was, in fact, determined by the way of life of the Catholics, Orthodox and Muslim (in particular - Adjarian) Georgians, members of the local community, saturated with common self-awareness, worldview and the resulting beliefs and traditional knowledge. Within the framework of the presented work, another conclusion was made - regarding "the search for the possibility of getting more easily", which was characteristic of all nations, always. materials describing the relevant actions, terms-toponyms telling about the socio-economic situation ("avoidance", "settled", "ghazal", "I took the car", "party members", "the leader had the money in his hand", "medical knowledge"...) It is widely sought in Samtskhe-Javakheti. It became possible to make interesting conclusions regarding common "goods" created by joint efforts and shared responsibility, which were created by motivated actions with national, mental, social, or humanitarian components. Each member of the community had an equal (or, proportional to his contribution to the common cause) right and access to similar goods, which produced quite powerful economic results and, in fact, created a synergistic effect within the local community. Reliable ethnographic materials reflecting the reality leave a huge space in terms of economic research. In the future, the authors intend to collect and analyze historical-ethnographic materials, which will give us significant results for the expansion of the possibilities of understanding the processes taking place in the modern global world from a national-traditional point of view and "translating" them into the reality of Georgia.

This article focuses on a three-day town celebration called Vinobranie (Grape Harvest), which takes place in the public space of the town of Pezinok in Western Slovakia. This eventis over eighty years old and was established the representatives of the town in collaboration with the local wine-growing association, organised with the support of the state railway company. The grape harvest festival is a mosaic of various elements with symbolic contents, representing an impressive whole wrapped in an offer of a varied programme and consumption. The study observes the changing form and structure of the festival from its origins up until the present day, as well as the dynamics of the range of its functions in the local community. The author follows an ethnological perspective. She draws on historical archive documents and ethnographic materials. In her analysis, she applies the concept of festival (Waldemar Cudny’s ‘Festivalisation of Urban Spaces’, 2016).