Unified Community Research Articles

Kearifan Lokal “Mambongoti Bagas” dalam Suku Batak Toba di Pematang Siantar

This research delves into the uniqueness of the local wisdom "Mambongoti Bagas" in the Toba Batak tribe in Pematang Siantar. The main focus of the research is to examine the essence, purpose, and implications of the practice of "Mambongoti Bagas" in the context of Toba Batak community life. This research aims is to explore the meaning and values contained in the practice of Mambongoti Bagas, as well as to understand its influence on traditional knowledge systems, patterns of community behavior, cultural heritage, and its important role in preserving and conserving the cultural identity of the Toba Batak tribe. The results of this research reveal that Mambongoti Bagas is a sacred place with deep symbolism. This sacred place symbolizes community unity, spirit of mutual cooperation, respect for ancestors, and awareness of environmental sustainability. In addition, Mambongoti Bagas also functions as a center for traditional learning where values such as respect, cooperation, and social care are instilled in the community. During the research, the transmission of this local wisdom from generation to generation was revealed through stories, oral teachings, and participation in traditional ceremonies. In conclusion, this research confirms the importance of preserving and conserving Mambongoti Bagas as a valuable asset in maintaining the sustainability of the cultural identity and local wisdom of the Toba Batak community.

Kurang Tegasnya Pendeta Mendisiplin Anggota Jemaat dalam Kasus Penyebaran Berita Palsu atau Hoaks

This research investigates the challenge posed by the perceived lack of assertiveness among pastors in disciplining members of the congregation amidst the proliferation of fake news or hoaxes. It delves into the multifaceted roles of pastors within the church context, the nuanced concept of discipline as it pertains to congregational dynamics, and the pervasive phenomenon of hoaxes in contemporary society. Emphasizing the critical importance of pastors taking proactive measures to address and counteract the dissemination of hoaxes to safeguard the integrity and unity of the church community, this paper employs a comprehensive descriptive research methodology. Through an in-depth exploration of the characteristics and implications of hoaxes, the functions and responsibilities of pastors, and the significance of discipline within the ecclesiastical setting, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the complexities of managing misinformation within religious communities. By synthesizing theoretical frameworks and empirical observations, the paper offers actionable recommendations for pastors to effectively combat hoaxes while fostering an environment of truth, trust, and integrity within the church.

The Legal Regulation for the Management of the Coastal Area in Lima Island by the Traditional Law Community Unity in Ohoi Warbal

The Legal Regulation for the Management of the Coastal Area in Lima Island by the Traditional Law Community Unity in Ohoi Warbal

Cooperation of the Commune and Parish in Poland in XXI Century as the Implementation of Community Activities

The commune and the parish are units of two divisions: government and church administration. Both were created for the better functioning of structures and the implementation of central activities: government and the mission of the Church. Their functioning is based on meeting the needs of the local community. In turn, their goals, although seemingly divergent, often overlap, because the main mission of both types of units is the good of community members. Therefore, it was deemed necessary to address in this article the issue of methods of cooperation at the lowest level between local government authorities and parish priests operating in the commune. This article presents a theoretical introduction, analyzing the ways in which both spheres operate, with an emphasis on places of cooperation in order to create a unified community, which is defined as both a commune and a parish. The aim of this article is to outline a framework for future empirical research that could clearly indicate the factors shaping the methods and forms of cooperation between these two entities.

Safeguarding Transplanted and Indigenous Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK

This film examines the complexities of identifying and defining Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) among migrated, resettled, and native/indigenous communities in the UK (originating from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The ultimate goal is to discern strategies that not only recognise but also amplify this heritage's role in fostering social cohesion and moulding an inclusive national identity. We utilised a methodological approach encompassing observational studies of cultural practices, interviews with cultural practitioners, and the conduction of two public focus groups. Focusing on the Liverpool City Region (LCR) as a case study, we illuminated the transformative impact of a confluence of diverse cultures, resulting in adopting 'Transcultural Heritage' concept. This term, while not new, was explored, and we found that it denotes a heritage shaped by the interplay of diverse cultural influences, bolstering community unity. Our findings underscore the resilience-enhancing power of ICH and its role in community building. However, awareness of these traditions, both native and imported, remains limited. Engagement with ICH is diverse, with practices ranging from private familial rituals, often closely guarded, to public displays such as lion dances or Syrian culinary traditions. Preliminary efforts by community groups and local authorities to document existing practices have been noted. Importantly, our research highlights 'Transcultural Heritage' as a paradigm that could potentially redress identified challenges, fostering a society that upholds mutual respect and inclusivity throughout the UK.

ASPECTS OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE LEADER APPROACH TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA CASE STUDY: NORTH-EAST DEVELOPMENT REGION

Rural development is the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU), with the role of helping the rural areas of the EU and implicitly Romania to address the economic, environmental, and social challenges they face. The purpose of the research included in this paper is to demonstrate the contribution of the LEADER approach to rural development in Romania, with an emphasis on the North-East Development Region. At the same time, the aim was to highlight the innovative nature of this approach: what it means, how it can be applied, and how it was applied. The data studied through the analysis carried out show that the Romanian territory and, implicitly, the North-East Development Region is poor, fragmented, depopulated, or in the process of depopulating, with few opportunities for young people. The innovative character of the LEADER Programme in Romania and implicitly the North-East Development Region results from the degree of novelty that an investment financed through it brings to the targeted territory, without being limiting and without necessarily presupposing a technological innovation, because the innovation must be evaluated relative to the local situation. The main instrument through which the principles of the LEADER approach can be implemented is the Local Action Group. It is the main driving force behind the activities to be carried out in the territory and which will lead to their implementation. The Local Action Groups set up in the North-East Region provide a common communication framework for local communities to develop and implement Local Development Strategies by initiating, developing and financing projects at local level. They contribute to the unity of local communities and their participation in local development. LEADER approach has brought and how its innovative character is highlighted. The questions that informed its development were: Is this concept considered as a model for sustainable rural development in Romania and the N-E Region? Is LEADER a truly innovative approach. In order to achieve the proposed goal, a multi-step working procedure was developed to allow the collection of target data and additional data derived from the initial target data. Thus, the working procedure was structured in the following steps: problem identification and conceptualization, literature review, document structuring, strategy selection, operational planning, data calculation, and interpretation. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this work. Thus, from a quantitative point of view, the following research methods were considered relevant for obtaining data: administrative data analysis. As a qualitative method, a bibliometric analysis was carried out, i.e., the literature on sustainable rural development through the use of support measures was analysed by means of the VOSviewer programme, using the Web of Science collections database. Without the implementation of the LEADER Programme in Romania and implicitly in the North-East Development Region, rural areas may be deprived of funding that determines the improvement of conditions in that area, but efforts in the field of implementing sustainable rural development measures must be continued so that the effect of this funding is really visible. Thus, the results of the research carried out in the North-East Development Region of Romania add additional value to the information published in previous studies through proposals for rural reform and concrete examples of innovative projects implemented there.

Implementation of Tolerance Values ​​in Realizing Community Unity and Unity in Jayapura Village, Siak Regency

The research was motivated by the many ethnicities, religions and cultures that exist in Jayapura village, Bungaraya sub-district, Siak district. The formulation of the problem in the research is how to implement the value of tolerance in realizing unity and integrity in Jayapura Village, Siak Regency, what are the forms of obstacles and efforts to implement the value of tolerance in social life in Jayapura Village. Meanwhile, the aim of this research is to determine the implementation of the value of tolerance and obstacles and efforts in social life in Jayapura Village. Data collection techniques are observation, interviews and documentation. There were 6 informants in this research, including the village head, youth leader, religious leader/community figure, teacher and local community. The data analysis technique in this research uses qualitative methods with a descriptive approach. The results of the research show that there is quite strong tolerance in respecting other people whose conditions are different, respecting other people, accepting differences, and not forcing others to be the same as themselves. Supporting factors for implementing the value of tolerance are the togetherness factor, an attitude of mutual help and support, community activities, and the heart factor. Then too, there are still inhibiting factors in the form of time and awareness from the community in Jayapura Village, Bungaraya District, Siak Regency.

Ofsted: Time for urgent reform and a better system

Helen Osgood, national officer for Education and Early Years at Community union, responds to the ruling from the inquest into Ruth Perry's tragic death that the Ofsted inspection at her school had been a contributing factor in her subsequent suicide a year ago. Helen shares her thoughts on ways Ofsted could be reformed to create a better system for education settings and children.

MetaProbiotics: a tool for mining probiotic from metagenomic binning data based on a language model.

Beneficial bacteria remain largely unexplored. Lacking systematic methods, understanding probiotic community traits becomes challenging, leading to various conclusions about their probiotic effects among different publications. We developed language model-based metaProbiotics to rapidly detect probiotic bins from metagenomes, demonstrating superior performance in simulated benchmark datasets. Testing on gut metagenomes from probiotic-treated individuals, it revealed the probioticity of intervention strains-derived bins and other probiotic-associated bins beyond the training data, such as a plasmid-like bin. Analyses of these bins revealed various probiotic mechanisms and bai operon as probiotic Ruminococcaceae's potential marker. In different health-disease cohorts, these bins were more common in healthy individuals, signifying their probiotic role, but relevant health predictions based on the abundance profiles of these bins faced cross-disease challenges. To better understand the heterogeneous nature of probiotics, we used metaProbiotics to construct a comprehensive probiotic genome set from global gut metagenomic data. Module analysis of this set shows that diseased individuals often lack certain probiotic gene modules, with significant variation of the missing modules across different diseases. Additionally, different gene modules on the same probiotic have heterogeneous effects on various diseases. We thus believe that gene function integrity of the probiotic community is more crucial in maintaining gut homeostasis than merely increasing specific gene abundance, and adding probiotics indiscriminately might not boost health. We expect that the innovative language model-based metaProbiotics tool will promote novel probiotic discovery using large-scale metagenomic data and facilitate systematic research on bacterial probiotic effects. The metaProbiotics program can be freely downloaded at https://github.com/zhenchengfang/metaProbiotics.

How Modern Machinery Replaces Laborers: A Comparative Study of Their Livelihood Before and After Implementation

With modernization, the agricultural sector has increasingly adopted modern machinery, raising concerns about its impact on farm laborers, whose roles are being supplanted by these advanced technologies. This study examined the effects of mechanization on the livelihood of farmers in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Employing a phenomenological qualitative approach and convenience sampling, the research focused on five Filipino farmers who participated in in-depth, semistructured interviews using a validated, researcher-developed interview guide. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s 7-Step Method. The findings reveal that the prevalence of modern machines has significantly contributed to unemployment and financial hardship among farm laborers, posing challenges to their livelihoods. Additionally, the farmers highlighted the importance of education in the agricultural sector and the erosion of the "bayanihan spirit" (communal unity) due to the introduction of modern machinery. This study underscores the dual-edged nature of mechanization: while enhancing efficiency, it also inflicts substantial socio-economic costs on farm workers. Consequently, it calls for a deeper understanding and proactive measures to address the adverse effects on laborers affected by agricultural mechanization.

Stanje i perspektive razvoja ruralnog turizma na Zlatiboru sa aspekta socioloških indikatora održivosti

Through the examination of social phenomena within a community, sociological indicators of sustainability represent an important area for tourism. The work is based on the analysis of answers in survey of the local population of the municipality of Čajetina regarding the development of tourism on the mountain and the impact that tourism has on the local population. The aim and purpose of the research is to examine and determine the impact of sociological indicators of sustainability on the development of tourism itself, using the example of Zlatibor. Indicators are means used to select existing information and collect new data on a specific topic that is examined through the work. Sociological indicators represent the integrity of the local community from the aspect of the subjective well-being of the local population in the tourist destination. Based on the conducted research and survey results, the importance and application of sociological indicators of sustainability will be determined on the example of rural tourism in Zlatibor. The conclusion is that the development of tourism has a positive effect on the local population, which represents a "push-up" effect of the further development of rural destinations.

Unionist Screws: Depictions of Northern Irish Unionists in British and Irish Cinema

This article explores the representation of Northern Irish unionists in British and Irish cinema by investigating a dominant way that the community has been portrayed in fiction films: as prison officers and orderlies. Specifically, Northern Irish unionists have been portrayed as prison officers and orderlies employed in the Maze and Armagh prisons during the period of republican unrest which culminated in hunger strikes in 1981, and a mass prison escape in 1983. The films that depict, to varying degrees, these characters as belonging to the Northern Irish unionist community include Some Mother’s Son (1996), H3 (2001), Silent Grace (2001), Hunger (2008) and Maze (2017). In these films, the typical representation of Northern Irish unionists reflects both the community’s general ‘othering’ in cinema and the film-makers’ primary interest in Irish nationalism when depicting Northern Ireland. Thus, unionist characters are usually depicted abjectly and feature only as adjuncts to narratives that are principally about Irish nationalists. This study aims to build upon a range of critical work in this area and to add to broader debates that have identified this cinematic deficit whereby Northern Irish unionists are depicted more critically and less frequently than Irish nationalists.

Language and the Church in Kenya: Unity, Diversity or Unity in Diversity?

Religion is an important aspect of the life of man and the society. This is because it is an important tool for relations within the society. Religion brings unity among people and the society at large. The unity of the church is of utmost importance for Christian religion and is, therefore, non-negotiable given that it determines the church. However, cultural and language differences exist even within churches of the same belief. So, in the church, should diversity violate unity and vice versa? The function of language in the church in the light of unity and diversity is therefore important. Which language should be used for the sake of the unity of the church in a diversified multilingual Kenyan environment? English, Kiswahili, local languages or an amalgamation of the three? Given that preaching is a social act, the study to which this paper is based adopts a descriptive design and discusses the social functions of language in religious sermons, showing how diversity in language is used in church to foster or hamper unity. The study demonstrates that different languages are used to elicit different social responses, thereby achieving different social functions and effects in the coordination of church activities. The ultimate goal being that respect for each other leads to recognition of the other, culminating into deep Christian confidence. Language is, therefore, used to bring a diversified people together as a unified community of faith, hence promoting unity in diversity in the church.

Co-Producing access(ible) Knowledge: Methodological Reflections on a Community-Based Participatory Research

This paper is a methodological reflection on a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project that used the photovoice method to unravel the educational experiences of disabled college students in China’s higher education institutions. Although CBPR endeavors to nurture equitable community engagement in research processes, there are practical challenges to address the full participation of people with divergent disabilities and access needs. Drawing upon the critical disability studies literature, and particularly upon the activist scholarship of disability justice that revolves around interdependency, collective access, and cross-disability solidarity, we provide an open discussion on the complexities, tensions, and challenges of envisioning and creating access for participants with different disabilities in a visuality-centered CBPR. Our findings suggest that access creation in CBPR should go beyond the checklist style of accommodation and instead be approached as relational, dynamic, and iterative processes that require ongoing reflection, (re)learning, and negotiation among researchers and participants. We implemented nonvisual photography to adapt to the visuality-centered bias in the photovoice method. Nonvisual photography empowered participants with visual disabilities to evoke multiple sensorialities in their photo-taking, displaying, and interpretation. Moreover, the participants without visual disabilities also learned and practiced collective access and interdependency through co-transforming the CBPR into an accessible space for all. The heterogeneity among participants with divergent disabilities and access needs challenged CBPR’s envisioning of a unified community with recognized commonalities. The inclusion of participants across disability groups created an opportunity for all participants to draw meaning from the ableist social and political circumstances that forged them as a community and to develop a sense of belonging and bonding in and through CBPR. In that light, disability justice and access should be reimagined and incorporated into CBPR.

A unified framework of community hiding using symmetric nonnegative matrix factorization

Community detection can help us to deeply understand community structures and reveal potential social relationships among members. However, as people's concerns over the excessive mining of personal information have grown, the idea of community hiding has been proposed for privacy protection. Most existing community hiding methods based on heuristic approaches and genetic algorithms ignore the generative process of the network and cannot provide a better explanation of the rationality of the hiding mechanism. In addition, they are not simultaneously applicable to the global community, target community, or target nodes. In this study, we address the community hiding problem on three scales: global community hiding (macroscopic), target community hiding (mesoscopic), and target node hiding (microscopic). We propose a unified community hiding framework (CH-SNMF) that can be applied to all three scales. The basic idea is to use symmetric nonnegative matrix factorization to describe the network generative mechanism. It has a potential clustering capability that can mine key links and link sets during the network generation process. Therefore, they can be used to disrupt community structures with minimal perturbation budgets. The experimental results show that CH-SNMF outperforms many advanced baseline methods and effectively protects organizational and individual privacy.

Together In Lesema: Living Islamic Law among Customary Dani Muslims Polygamy Practice in Papua

The practice of polygamy (nage apik) within the Dani Muslim Community in Walesi Village of Jayawijaya Papua exhibits distinctive and unique characteristics. This article aims to reveal the practice among the Dani Muslims who apparently place their wives in the same house (called lesema). A qualitative approach using Spreadley’s ethnographic method serves as the primary data collection tool through observation and in-depth interviews with the informants. A review of relevant literature is conducted to contextualize the article within the existing literature. The data are analyzed interpretively by considering the ethical and emic principles. This article finds that first, polygamy for Muslim Dani is not only a way for continuing the descendants but also for asserting authority over the territory and taking responsibility for maintaining the community’s continuity. Second, living harmoniously in lesema is a practice aimed at preserving communal unity without barriers while also serving as a space for transferring knowledge on how to be a Dani woman. Third, polygamy within the Muslim Dani is seen as an extension of their cultural practices, accepted as a necessity and a solution to social issues within the community. The practice furthermore provides a new perspective on understanding the characteristics of Indonesian society regarding the role of women in households. It also illustrates how Islamic law intertwines with local traditions based on the history, level of understanding, natural characteristics, and lifestyle of its community.

“MALLAPPESSANG OLOK-KOLOK”: PERJUMPAAN ISLAM DAN TRADISI LOKAL DALAM MEMORI KOLEKTIF MASYARAKAT BUGIS

This article presents the findings of a qualitative research study that delves into the collective memory of the Bugis community concerning the intersection of Islam and local traditions. Collecting data through observation, interviews, and document analysis, this study shows that the Mallappessang olok-kolok (Releasing animals) tradition has sparked controversy in the community. The study analyzed the oral storytelling-based community’s tradition narratively. Mallappessang olok-kolok constitutes a “tolok bala” tradition, a local ritual designed for averting disasters. The Bugis society practices it by releasing animals into the forest to hope for healing from an illness. Some view the practice as contrary to Islam’s continuity from animism and dynamism and its implementation as unreasonable. On the other hand, others consider the tradition adheres to Islamic teachings. Releasing animals into the forest to feed wild animals expresses human harmony with nature. The act is also viewed as bonding with ancestors, following ancestral guidelines, and fostering community unity as families, relatives, and neighbors actively participate in the ritual. The narrative of this different perspective then rolls into a discussion or dialogue between Islam and local culture, which then impacts the existence of respect for the presence of these traditions. The conversation between Islam and local culture is a sign of progress in the thought of Islamic society that accepts traditions as heritage and science impacting on strengthening human relations with nature.

The Role of Gratitude in Psychological Well-Being across Gender and Educational Strands

This study utilizes a quantitative approach to examine the impact of gratitude on psychological well-being across respondents of different genders and educational backgrounds. The research methodology employed is correlational and descriptive. Data was gathered from 164 participants with the use of the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). The study began with conducting a descriptive analysis to estimate the distribution of gratitude. This was followed by performing correlational analysis and multiple regression to investigate the association between gratitude and well-being. The findings demonstrate a strong inverse relationship between gratitude scores and DASS-21 outcomes, highlighting gratitude as a valid indicator of psychological well-being across many demographic groups. Cultural and experiential characteristics, rather than gender or educational level, appeared to have an impact on the differences in how gratitude is expressed. The study’s methodology, which utilizes self-report measures, has several limitations. To address these limitations, future research should adopt a longitudinal strategy and employ different data-gathering methods. The findings underscore the significance of gratitude in fostering psychological well-being, emphasizing its capacity as a moral gauge, motivator, and enforcer in social settings. This emphasizes the importance of gratitude in promoting communal unity and personal well-being, underlining its value in academic discourse on happiness. Considering the increasing worldwide prevalence of mental health issues, these observations provide significant viewpoints on the cultural dynamics of gratitude and its potential application in educational and therapeutic environments. Keywords: Gratitude, psychological well-being, gender, educational strands

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anemia in Adolescent Girls in Donggala District, Central Sulawesi

This study aims to assess the prevalence and risk factors of anemia in adolescent girls in Donggala District. It employed an observational analytical study design with a cross-sectional approach. The research was conducted in Senior High Schools (SMA) and Islamic Senior High Schools (Madrasah Aliyah) in Donggala District in May 2023. The sample included 428 respondents. Hemoglobin levels were measured by the laboratory staff of the Central Sulawesi Health Department. Respondents provided data through Kobocollect: https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/uZVqfjnh. Respondent characteristics included age, the occupation of both parents, family income, upper arm circumference, hemoglobin levels, body mass index, menstrual status, consumption of iron supplements, anemia education and knowledge, medical conditions, smoking status, physical activity status, and the frequency of iron-rich food intake (fish, eggs, meat, and milk). Data analysis was performed using percentages and RR (95% CI) with SPSS 22.0. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Poltekkes Kemenkes Palu with approval number 0016/KEPK-KPK/I/2023, and research permission was granted by the Central Sulawesi Provincial Government, Regional Unity of Community and Political Affairs, with approval number 070/0409/Bid.III-BKBPD/2023. The research results indicated a prevalence of anemia risk among adolescents in Donggala District at 9.8%. Risk factors included upper arm circumference <23.5 cm, a history of kidney disease, limited knowledge of anemia, and infrequent meat consumption. The researchers recommend that adolescents increase their food intake to improve upper arm circumference, manage dietary patterns for those with kidney disease, enhance knowledge about anemia, and increase meat consumption frequency.

Screening for Hypertension in Asymptomatic Individuals in Nepal: An Expert Consensus Statement

Hypertension affects a substantial proportion of the general population in Nepal with prevalence ranging from 20 to 30 percent. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for undiagnosed hypertension and is possible through hypertension screening. The aim of this paper is to provide unified consensus recommendations for the effective screening of hypertension in Nepal. In two National Advisory expert consensus meetings, a total of 42 experts participated, discussed and voted on the key statements for formulating the consensus. Each key statement was scored on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 9 and a mean score was calculated. The consensus statement was accepted if the mean score was seven or more with the voting of more than two-thirds of the experts. The main consensus recommendations are the following. First, screening for hypertension should start among adults from 18 years of age. Second, effective screening of hypertension can aid in the early diagnosis, control, and improve the cardiovascular disease outcomes. Third, in asymptomatic adults, re-screening is necessary every 3 to 6 months and every 3 to 5 years for initial blood pressure levels of 130-139/80-89 mmHg and <130/85 mmHg, respectively. Fourth, hypertension screening is cost-effective in a resource-limited setting. The use of consensus recommendations will help in a unified community screening of hypertension among the asymptomatic adult population of Nepal. Screening of hypertension should be promoted by all the stakeholders in healthcare services.