The linguistic image of fish in Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese. A comparative study

The coming out (CO) process is fundamental for identity integration among LGBQ+ people, and its impact can vary greatly depending on personal and contextual factors. The historical, cultural, and social contexts in which LGBQ+ people develop their sexual identity can mediate the relationship between CO and health outcomes. The present study aimed at clarifying the CO process in three generations of Italian LGBQ+ people (young adults: aged 20–40 years; middle adults: aged 41–60 years; older adults: aged 61–80 years) by providing data on: (a) sexual orientation milestones, such as age of first awareness, age of first self-label, and age of first CO, as well as the rate of disclosure during different life stages; (b) the rate and average age of CO to significant others; and (c) CO within the religious context and its effect on participants’ minority stress experiences. A total of 266 Italian LGBQ+ people participated in the study, with ages ranging from 20 to 80 years (M = 41.15, SD = 16.13). Findings indicated that, on average, the older adult group became self-aware, self-labeled, and disclosed their sexual identity at a significantly older age than the other groups. Older adults were also more Catholic and had CO more frequently to their Catholic community, relative to young and middle adults. CO within the Catholic context was associated with distal and proximal minority stressors, such as discrimination, vigilance, and internalized sexual stigma. Catholic community reactions to participants’ CO were distinguished through thematic analysis in three main types: unconditional acceptance, invitation to change, and open rejection. The present research extended current knowledge on CO and minority stress experiences in different generations of LGBQ+ people. Several differences emerged between generational groups on sexual orientation milestones, highlighting the potential impact of historical and cultural contexts in determining sexual minorities’ experiences related to sexual identity. It is recommended that mental health professionals working with LGBQ+ clients implement targeted interventions based on their clients’ multiple salient aspects, including age and religious background. Clinicians should also be aware of the potentially detrimental effects of CO within an unsupportive context, rather than encouraging CO tout court.

Sexuality is a multidimensional aspect of human life that includes sexual behaviors, sexual feelings, and sexual orientation (see the separate Oxford Bibliographies in Sociology article “Sexualities” by Nancy Fischer). Sexual expression is influenced by psychological factors such as attitudes, emotions, and the learned residues of past experience, as well as social factors such as social norms and laws, and one’s social identities and relationships, including (potential) partners and social networks. Sexuality and sexual expression also have a biological base, as genetic inheritance and the resulting anatomy and physiology of the human body set the parameters of human sexual behavior, both solo and partnered. Thus, we need a biopsychosocial perspective to incorporate the relevant influences on an individual’s sexual expression and lifestyle. Sexuality and its expression play critical roles throughout an individual’s life. Scholars have often focused on sexuality in a single stage of life—childhood, adolescence, adulthood, later life—or within a specific type of relationship—noncommitted (i.e., casual or “hookups”), premarital, marital, divorced, cohabiting. In reality, sexuality undergoes a continuous process of development from birth to death. Thus, in addition to a biopsychosocial perspective, we need a perspective that has the breadth to encompass this lifelong process. The life course perspective (see the separate Oxford Bibliographies in Sociology article “Life Course” by Deborah Carr) is based upon four key assumptions: 1) lives are embedded in and shaped by historical context; 2) individuals construct their own lives, within the constraints of historical and social context; 3) lives are intertwined through social relationships; and 4) the meaning and impact of a life transition depends on when it occurs. Applied to sexuality, this perspective recognizes the impact of biology via inheritance at birth; biological processes such as puberty, menopause, and aging; and influences related to the body. The historical and social context, particularly extant norms and laws relating to sexual practices, intersecting social identities, and relationships is also important. Sexual expression is further influenced by families, social networks, and intimate relationships. Moreover, within the constraints related to their biological, social, and historical contexts, individuals exercise agency and play an active role in constructing their sexuality. Lastly, life events, and their timing, have a major impact on an individual’s current and later sexuality (e.g., consider the effects of pregnancy at 15 versus 25 versus 45 years of age). Combining an interdisciplinary biopsychosocial perspective on sexuality with a broad life course perspective on the influences on individuals’ lives yields a powerful and nuanced analysis of sexual expression throughout life.

The now obscure edited volume The Decorative Arts of the Mariner, published in 1966 and edited by Gervis Frere-Cook, former Naval Lieutenant Commander and Director of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, presents a dazzling array of maritime ornament and artefacts, from the Oseberg Viking ship through Maori canoes, scrimshaw and steamship smokestacks to the mid-twentieth-century prow emblems of the Norwegian Fred Olsen Line.1 As one of its contributors argues, 'There is a basic beauty in the ship and in the sea that lends itself naturally to decorative purposes.'2 Many of the objects featured are of high technical and conceptual quality, and would now be classified as sculpture. The way in which the material in this 1960s volume is framed, however, and the terminology used, tells us much about the neglect into which maritime culture has fallen. To be 'decorative' is to be instantly marginalized as not serious: a luxury or indulgence rather than an integral part of society's cultural, economic or political functions and processes. The outmoded term 'mariner' also suggests a romantic past, in both senses of that word (with obvious echoes of Coleridge). It seems nostalgic for a golden age of sail, and for a past whose maritime bearings were at that moment fading from public view.A different sense of the maritime material environment is captured in the extended sculptural imagery used by J. C. Beaglehole in his preface to the collected edition of James Cook's diaries, published two year later in 1968, to evoke the extensive array of travel literature that arose in Britain in the eighteenth century. Beaglehole describes the books of this period as objects in themselves, likened metaphorically to:a fleet of first-raters lying now passively in harbour, their sails furled, their gun-ports closed, their splendid figure-heads and gilded sterns reflected palely in calm water, dutifully attended by their octavo frigates, their duodecimo sloops and cutters.3Again the visual presence evoked is compelling indeed and is now allied with the force of connoisseurial and technical language. The sculptural maritime realm seems to be historicized, archaic and inaccessible. How to harness the expertise of a former age and capture the visual and material impact of maritime sculpture while also attending to its social context is one of the challenges this subject presents, and one which this special issue sets out to address. The term 'maritime' itself encompasses the sculptural elements of both naval and merchant vessels, while the title of this special issue captures the breadth and variety of sculptural activities connected with the sea: deliberately setting out from a broad base which subsequent sculpture studies will refine and finesse.Maritime history and culture have been largely neglected in art historical scholarship during the last thirty years or so, in Britain and elsewhere. This is partly due to a broader social and cultural shift of focus away from maritime heritage, so dominant during the period spanning the late eighteenth and the early twentieth centuries, coupled with an uneasiness in Europe and the US about its imperial and colonial connotations, in particular its connections with slavery. In the light of new art historical approaches which embrace the complexities of understanding cultural forms within their contexts, however, the maritime is surely ripe for new exploration. Its visual and material cultures in particular deserve closer scrutiny as the focus of sustained research. If maritime cultures can be seen as both central and peripheral (as Geoff Quilley has commented on marine painting),4 then this strength can also be exploited: central to national identity but also marginal and 'other'. The space of the sea, whose borders with the land are in constant flux, and which is the arena for the movement of people and things across geographical and cultural boundaries, resists easy conceptualization and categorization. …

Christian Language and its Mutations explores how Christian language alters in various social, cultural, historical and religious contexts. Having delineated the core language of Christianity, David Martin analyses how it mutates in different historical and social contexts, notably: peace and war; the arts - particularly painting and music; the sacred space (the city) and the sacred text (the liturgy); education; and the global situation of Christianity and contemporary secular society - evangelicalism, rational religion, Pentecostalism and Base Communities. Presenting a unique perspective to show how and why Christianity alters according to context, this book will prove insightful and accessible to students, clergy and general readers alike. David Martin is Honorary Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, UK. He is the author of some two dozen books, including many landmark titles in the sociology of religion.

Menstruation is experienced differently among school-going adolescents in various cultures and social contexts. This scoping review summarises the emerging evidence on adolescent girls' perceptions and cultural beliefs about menstruation and menstrual practices. A search was conducted via relevant databases and journals for the period 2004 to 2020. Two reviewers independently evaluated the methodological quality of the identified articles. The 35 articles included in the review represented adolescent girls' perceptions and cultural beliefs about menstruation and menstrual practices. Narrative analysis revealed that cultural perceptions and beliefs, economic and institutional resources and primary sources of information influenced the experience of menstruation and its management. Menstruation remained shrouded in secrecy and shame for many girls, leading to absenteeism from school. These findings underscore the need to further explore cultural practices and beliefs about menstruation that influence school attendance and long-term educational prospects of adolescent girls.

In this article, the historical and social context of Petrus Dathenus’s Form for the Solemnisation of Marriage at the end of the sixteenth century and the early seventeenth century in the province of Holland is examined, in order to grasp the meaning of this Marriage Form of the Dutch Reformed Church. In order to do so, the Dutch Classical Reformed Form is related to information of primary and secondary sources about matrimony. A discussion of the marriage banns, parental consent, engagement, the wedding location, the views on marriage, husbands and wives’ responsibilities, and divorce, demonstrates that examination of the historical developments and contemporary rules and manners improves our understanding of the Form. Nevertheless, being a liturgical document, the Form did not always represent the social context, but rather interacted with the social context as a normative source.

Purpose – This study examines how the tolerant culture of the Senggarang community, rooted in its traditions and values, influences religious tolerance education in early primary education in Tanjungpinang City, Indonesia, by utilizing Bourdieu’s theory of habitus and cultural capital to clarify the impact of cultural practices in multicultural communities on early childhood education oriented towards tolerance. Design/methods/approach – This study employs a qualitative phenomenological approach, utilizing direct observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis to explore the influence of cultural practices on tolerance education. Field research engaged diverse informants from Senggarang, including elementary school teachers from early elementary education, local community members, and officials familiar with the area's historical and social dynamics, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the community's tolerance-related practices. Findings – The findings reveal that the tolerant cultural practices in Senggarang, deeply rooted in historical and social contexts, significantly influence tolerance education among students. Children aged 6–7 years in early primary education adopt tolerance as part of the behaviors they learn through communal activities such as interfaith holiday celebrations and support for religious events. Cultural values that promote interfaith respect, evident in traditional interactions and mutual cooperation (gotong royong), are internalized by children through family and community engagement. These practices align with Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and cultural capital, demonstrating how inherited cultural norms and daily practices shape children's dispositions toward tolerance. Educators and the school environment further reinforce these practices by embedding tolerance education through routines and collaborative activities among diverse students. Research implications/limitations – This study provides valuable insights into how community culture influences school-based tolerance education. However, its findings may be less applicable to areas with different social and historical contexts. Future research could further examine the role of cultural capital and habitus in multicultural education contexts across various regions in Indonesia. Practical implications – The study highlights the importance of incorporating local cultural values into education to foster early tolerance, offering a model for using cultural practices as teaching tools in diverse communities. Originality/value – This study highlights how community culture and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and cultural capital enrich our understanding of tolerance education in first-grade primary school students (ages 6–7), encouraging further exploration of local cultural values to shape inclusive educational practices in multicultural societies. Paper type Research paper

Aim. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the spiritual values of sport evolved over time, from antiquity to the present. Religion and sport are interdependent in different social and historical contexts. The terms meanings over time are different and fine context differentiation is required. Methodology. Research is based on participatory observation, document study and meta-analysis. Results. From ancient times, sport was a way of venerating the gods, a way of expressing corporality, a means of expressing spirituality. In the current social context sport is not religious but personal and it is a means of social recognition by venerating the winners. In a political context, the great leaders politicized the games transferring the glory and grandeur of the games to their personal worship. In the Christian Age,the values of sport ashygiene, corporality, physical beauty displayed were replaced by new ideology with obedience, religious manipulation and obscurantism. In these conditions, sport and physical manifestations took place in a useful utility form: work, military training, horse and water transport, etc. Conclusions. In a historical and social context, sport has moved from a component of gods’ veneration rituals, expression of corporality and social representation, to a phenomenon of great magnitude, without religious valences and with great economic and social impact.

According to Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, the fundamental tool for understanding the development of thought is logic, and Hegel’s philosophy of logic is approached in three stages: abstract logic, concrete logic, and the logic of spirit. Abstract logic examines the most basic conceptual framework of thought, while concrete logic explains how these concepts transformed into more complex thought processes. The logic of spirit analyzes how thought processes evolve in a societal and historical context. Comprehensive research on Hegel’s principles of reality and intercultural communication has not been found in the literature. Therefore, religious beliefs and cultural communication phenomena have been examined based on Hegel’s philosophy of logic. The research findings are as follows: The principles of reality are based on three basic principles: materialism, causality, and reciprocity. Understanding the interactions between religions and cultures, which represent different conceptual structures is significant in the light of these principles. The research results show that Hegel’s dialectical process explains how conflicts between different systems of thought give rise to more complex levels of thinking. This principle plays a crucial role in resolving conflicts arising from religious beliefs and cultural diversity. The principle of transforming reality emphasizes that thought is not merely a theoretical activity but also a process that impacts social reality. In this context, religious and cultural communication is not merely a mental activity but also a process that shapes reality. The principle of the unity of opposites stresses the need to see the diversity between different religions and cultures as complementary elements with the potential for mutual understanding and enrichment. I addition, the principle of the historical process and social evolution highlights the importance of considering historical and social contexts in understanding the interactions between religious and cultural beliefs and practices. This study demonstrates that Hegel’s principles of dialectical progress, transforming reality, the unity of opposites, and the historical process can be used as a functional methodology in the behavioral sciences.

Building a “Maritime Community with a Shared Future” (MCSF) is a maritime development concept with Chinese characteristics proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. It is based on the rich cultural tradition and unique historical value of China’s maritime civilization. It aims to solve real ocean problems and has outlined the future direction of human ocean development from the perspective of China. The essence of the MCSF is an issue of both ocean cultural and development concepts. It is a conceptual issue that transcends specific national boundaries and regions and is based on how all of humankind, with common interests and common values, can develop in harmony with the oceans. It is not a covert discourse strategy adopted by China in order to realize its “maritime power” ambition, as occasionally described by some Western countries. Starting with an analysis of the essential nature and implications of maritime culture by Chinese researchers, this article clarifies and summarizes the interaction, exchange, and integration of Chinese maritime culture in East Asia from a historical perspective, and extracts the unique characteristics and values of Chinese maritime culture. From the perspective of human–sea interactions, the three historical stages, as well as the existing problems of transforming and upgrading human–ocean culture, are analyzed. The article also contrasts Chinese and Western maritime cultures and proposes to absorb the outstanding achievements of both Chinese and Western maritime civilizations into a common framework in order to fundamentally reverse the antagonistic human–sea relationship that has existed historically. Finally, we propose giving full play to the fundamental role of marine cultural exchange and integration and, through international cooperation on specific issues in the field of global ocean international relations, propose specific and feasible practical pathways to promoting the realization of the MCSF.

This article looks at three early cases dealing with the equitable doctrine of undue influence, arising out of donations to religious groups and institutions. It will explore each of the three cases in turn, by placing them in their appropriate historical, social, religious and political context. By better understanding the cases we also get a better insight into the modern law of undue influence and the societal context in which it operates, and what are today the right questions for lawyers and judges to ask when dealing with undue influence, particularly undue influence within a religious context.

This study investigates de facto language policy in Estonia. It investigates how language choices at the micro (or individual) level are negotiated within the macro (or social and historical) context: how official language policy and other features of the discursive environment surrounding language and its use in Estonia translate into real-world language behaviour and practices at a local level. This is achieved through the monitoring of language use in daily interactions of a group of university students with staff members in public and private organisations. This research also engages with the concept of practices as a meso-level of repeated activity, recently introduced into applied language studies, linking individual instances of (linguistic) behaviour with the macro social and historical context within which they occur. Such practices allow us a more complete understanding of how macro translates into micro (as in traditional top-down language planning), but also how the micro can resist the macro, and thus how behaviours in local contexts reshape wider perspectives on language issues (bottom-up language planning). This picture of language use “on the ground” forms part of a wider critical analysis of how “doing language” is managed in contemporary Estonian society, and how this management of language can be improved in order to achieve both the maintenance of (linguistic) diversity and the reduction of social inequality. In addition to contributing knowledge in language policy and planning (LPP) by offering a study on Estonia with a critical focus on local contexts, this article also moves the field forward by incorporating the latest thinking about language and its social contexts. Not only is this the first study to focus on the micro in Estonian in LPP, it is the first to apply a micro–meso–macro model specifically to LPP, overall. This multilayered approach, which includes the meso-political level of practices, allows us to advance LPP studies in powerful and productive ways. It provides a way of arriving at an informed understanding of why people use language in particular ways in multilingual contexts, thus permitting the formulation of LPP that can be effective and ethical in its outcomes.

This article examines the notion of “culturally responsive leadership” through a historical case study of the life of Gertrude Elise MacDougald Ayer, the first African American woman principal in New York City. I begin by situating Ayer’s leadership practice in light of the social and political context of Harlem in the 1930s and early 1940s. Then I compare her leadership approach to findings from historiographies of African American educators before 1960, as well as current case studies of African American women leaders. In the end I conceptualize the “culturally responsive” urban school leader as public intellectual, curriculum innovator, and social activist and argue that leadership for social justice must be analyzed in light of the historical, political, and social contexts in which it is practiced.

This paper seeks to examine the contexts in which the Old Irish law tracts were transmitted in the period following the church reforms and Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century, focusing primarily on the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. Within these time frames two major themes will be appraised: 1) the English attitudes towards the practice of Irish law, and 2) the roles of the medieval lawyers and/or their patrons in political life. The central aim of this paper is twofold; firstly to shed light on the historical and social contexts in which the legal materials were later transmitted, and secondly, based on this, to posit some theories as to the possible incentives behind the transmission of the law tracts in these periods.

The aims of this study are to explore the relationship between culture and discourse communities. Qualitative research is used for this study as it provides a deep understanding of the social and historical contexts in which culture is produced, reproduced, and reconstructed. Using historical analysis, globalization, and subcultures, the paper discusses the revolutionary character of culture and how historical conditions as well as social interactions collectively give rise to cultural identities. Through the use of diverse case studies, such as global youth culture, African American culture in America, and post-colonial cultural changes, this essay outlines the role of discourse communities in the creation of culture. The findings show that culture is not a fixed product but rather a dynamic entity constantly evolving through the interactions of people and communities in given historical and social contexts.