Cultural Crossroads Research Articles

All roads lead to (New) Rome: Byzantine astronomy and geography in a rapidly changing world

During the first few centuries CE, the centre of the known world gradually shifted from Alexandria to Constantinople. Combined with a societal shift from pagan beliefs to Christian doctrines, Antiquity gave way to the Byzantine era. While Western Europe entered an extended period of intellectual decline, Constantinople developed into a rich cultural crossroads between East and West. Yet, Byzantine scholarship in astronomy and geography continued to rely heavily on their ancient Greek heritage, and particularly on Ptolemy’s Geography. Unfortunately, Ptolemy’s choices for his geographic coordinate system resulted in inherent and significant distortions of and inaccuracies in maps centred on the Byzantine Empire. This comprehensive review of Byzantine geographic achievements—supported by a review of astronomical developments pertaining to position determination on Earth—aims to demonstrate why and how, when Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Ottoman Empire commenced, Byzantine astronomers had become the central axis in an extensive network of Christians, Muslims and Jews. Their influence remained significant well into the Ottoman era, particularly in the context of geographical applications.

Navigating Cultural Crossroads: Supporting International Students’ Mental Health Through the Lens of Transnational Identity Development

This article explores the unique mental health needs and help-seeking behaviors of international students studying in the United States, emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive interventions. Key topics discussed include the role of acculturation in mental health, the impact of social support and perceived discrimination, and cultural influences on service utilization. The article highlights the need for comprehensive support systems that foster inclusion, address discrimination, and enhance well-being. Additionally, it introduces the concept of transnational identity development, examining how international students navigate their identities across cultural boundaries and the implications for mental health. Recommendations for counselors include culturally sensitive assessment, targeted acculturation support, collaboration with community services, and the use of narrative therapy to explore transnational experiences and redefine identity. We also provide a case study illustrating the application of these strategies in supporting an international student’s mental health through the lens of transnational identity development.

Opening of the Fredro-Sheptytskyi Family Saga: at the Crossroads of History, Culture, Religion and Patronage

Review on: Ihor Nabytovych. The Saga of the Artist Family: Alexander Fredro, Sofia Sheptytska, Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi. Kyiv: Dukh and Litera, 2023. 792 p. (Series «Figures of Culture»)

Anatolian genetic ancestry in North Lebanese populations

Lebanon’s rich history as a cultural crossroad spanning millennia has significantly impacted the genetic composition of its population through successive waves of migration and conquests from surrounding regions. Within modern-day Lebanon, the Koura district stands out with its unique cultural foundations, primarily characterized by a notably high concentration of Greek Orthodox Christians compared to the rest of the country. This study investigates whether the prevalence of Greek Orthodoxy in Koura can be attributed to modern Greek heritage or continuous blending resulting from the ongoing influx of refugees and trade interactions with Greece and Anatolia. We analyzed both ancient and modern DNA data from various populations in the region which could have played a role in shaping the current population of Koura using our own and published data. Our findings indicate that the genetic influence stemming directly from modern Greek immigration into the area appears to be limited. While the historical presence of Greek colonies has left its mark on the region’s past, the distinctive character of Koura seems to have been primarily shaped by cultural and political factors, displaying a stronger genetic connection mostly with Anatolia, with affinity to ancient but not modern Greeks.

РЕЛИГИОЗНЫЕ ВЕРОВАНИЯ В СОГДЕ В ЭПОХУ РАННЕГО СРЕДНЕВЕКОВЬЯ

This article examines the religious landscape of Sogdiana in the early Middle Ages, when this region of Central Asia served as a crossroads of cultures and religions along the Silk Road. By examining archaeological finds, written sources and historical data, the authors of the article analyze how Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam coexisted and interacted in Sogd, contributing to the formation of the unique religious identity of the region.

Navigating cultural crossroads in multilingual Malaysia: Motivation, support, and intercultural communicative competence

Navigating cultural crossroads in multilingual Malaysia: Motivation, support, and intercultural communicative competence

A Tapestry of Human-Induced and Climate-Driven Environmental Change in Western Uganda: The Ndali Crater Lakes Region

Abstract Recent archaeological and paleoenvironmental research in the Ndali Crater Lakes Region (NCLR) of western Uganda provide important new insights into anthropogenic impacts on moist forests to the East of the Rwenzori Mountains. This research significantly changes previous interpretations of paleoenvironmental records in western Uganda and helps to distinguish climate change from human impacts. By drawing on multiple sources such as historical linguistics, archaeological evidence, and environmental proxies for change, a new picture emerges for a region that was a cultural crossroads for early Bantu-speakers and Central Sudanic-speakers between 400 BCE and 1000 CE. Detailed archaeological data and well-dated sites provide fine-grained evidence that closely fits episodes of significant environmental change, including a later and separate phase of forest clearance, soil degradation, and lake pollution caused by the saturation of the landscape by Bigo-related populations between 1300 and 1650 CE. Fresque de changements environnementaux induits par l’homme et le climat dans l’ouest de l’Ouganda : la région des lacs du cratère de Ndali

Navigating I-positionings in higher education Service Learning as hybrid scenarios: a case study

This paper is part of a larger study on learning processes and identity change in university students participating in Service Learning (SL) programmes, considered as hybrid activities containing practices and values from at least two settings: academic activity and professional intervention. Our SL programmes, carried out in formal schools serving children from Roma and migrant backgrounds, challenge dominant views on educational and psychological processes, offering a critical view of learning and development, where traditionally unrepresented “others”, along with their cultural knowledge, bring their own voices to the arena. Our aim is to show the transformations taking place within this SL by analysing the dialogicality contained in the field notes written by a participating psychology student, Nina (pseudonym), as an illustration of the complex dynamics of learning and identity change we encounter. By analysing Nina's reflections while acting in this SL project, we attempt to delve into these processes of transformation from the perspective of an agentive participant. In her case, we tried to unfold the complex way in which different cultural traditions entered into dialogue in her I-positions as she emotionally connected and engaged with the surrounding motives, finding her own way through cultural crossroads through affect and practice.

Middle Ohio Valley Maize Histories: New Dates from the Crossroads of the Midcontinent

AbstractThe transition to maize agriculture frames important cultural shifts in the Eastern Woodlands. However, the tempo and mode of this transition are unclear, particularly when analytical techniques are not standard across the region. In this article, we present evidence of directly dated maize macrobotanical fragments from the Turpin site in southwest Ohio that date between cal AD 552–649 and 684–994. These dates add to current dialogues on the spread of maize in the American Midcontinent and help further situate the Middle Ohio Valley as a cultural crossroads through which people and ideas flowed. We echo suggestions that, to refine our understanding of the introduction of maize into the region, we must develop pan-regional analytical standards and create multiple working hypotheses at a variety of scales.

Between Comparative and Postcolonial Studies: the Past and Future of Italian Approaches to East Slavic Literary Intersections

This contribution reflects on the state of comparative studies devoted to East Slavic literatures in Italy. Between the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, Italian scholars of Slavic studies and the editors of Italian journals have made a number of interesting proposals on the subject. However, hyper-specialization has often hampered efforts to put theory into practice. I foreground some of these important methodological contributions by Italian scholars on comparative Slavic studies and discuss them both in the international context and with reference to other methodologies and research fields, most notably postcolonial studies. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February 2022, comparative studies at the crossroads of Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian cultures have become a thorny issue. Scholars should seek to strike a balance between a philological approach and the ethical need to respect the different cultural orientations of East Slavic nations.

Teaching Resource of Chengdu Popular Music for Fostering Literacy and Cultural Education in China

Chengdu’s popular music, with its profound historical and cultural significance, serves as an educational resource at the intersection of music, literacy, and cultural education. This research aims to propose guidelines for the teaching resource of Chengdu popular music for fostering literacy and cultural education. Located in the culturally diverse Sichuan Province, Chengdu boasts a rich tapestry of musical traditions, from folk to hip-hop, making it an ideal research site. Two key informants, experts in folk and hip-hop music, provide valuable insights into Chengdu’s musical evolution. Data analysis involves thematic analysis of questionnaires and interviews, offering a comprehensive understanding of the city’s music culture. The study reveals Chengdu’s historical role as a cultural crossroads and the evolution of its pop music into a distinctive force within China’s music landscape. Advocating for the integration of Chengdu popular music into educational curricula, this research emphasizes the need for well-structured teaching resources to capture its cultural authenticity. The benefits of cultural education include fostering diversity appreciation, enhancing cultural understanding, promoting literacy skills, cultivating emotional intelligence, strengthening cultural identity, and inspiring creativity and expression. Chengdu popular music offers a transformative approach to fostering cultural literacy, empowering students to thrive in a globalized world.

Weeping for Parents (ku qin)

The psychology of Lou Tseng-Tsiang (1871–1949) – the famous Chinese diplomat and Beiyang Government politician who became a Benedictine monk in Belgium in 1927 – is not always easy to grasp. This article focuses on the family mausoleum and its garden that Lou built in 1920 for his parents in Beijing, opposite the Catholic cemetery of Zhalan. Not only a remnant of the material culture of the Christianised elite during the early Republic, it is also the most tangible expression of the Confucian principle of filial piety that guided Lou throughout his life. The chapel has an explicit Catholic orientation and is European in style, but contains several dozen epitaphs by then high-ranking politicians, both revealing Lou’s networks and expressing his status at a key time in his life. This in-depth study is based on archival research, fieldwork and Lou’s writings, from a multidisciplinary and transcultural perspective that includes history, religion, architecture and literature. Despite its poor state of conservation and urbanised environment, the mausoleum sums up Lou’s destiny and legacy, at the crossroads of traditional Chinese culture and European modernity, Empire and Republic, Confucian moral thought and universal Catholic faith.

Сотрудничество стран ЦА в области обеспечения региональной безопасности

Central Asia, a region marked by its historical significance and strategic importance, has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years regarding regional security cooperation. This comprehensive article explores the multifaceted landscape of security cooperation among the five Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It delves into the fundamental concepts of security systems, the role of regional organizations, and the challenges and future prospects of security in the region.Understanding these challenges and exploring future prospects is essential for charting a path toward enhanced stability, cooperation, and prosperity in the region.The article provides a holistic view of the region's security dynamics, beginning with a historical context highlighting Central Asia's role as a crossroads of cultures and interests. It underscores the significance of regional security cooperation in the face of shared challenges and geopolitical complexities.In-depth analyses are conducted on various aspects, including security organizations, diplomatic efforts, regional security challenges, and future prospects. The article explores the complexities and challenges faced by Central Asian nations while navigating a dynamic geopolitical landscape. In conclusion, this article underscores the pivotal importance of cooperation among Central Asian countries and their engagement with regional organizations in maintaining stability and peace.

Cultural Crossroads and Subaltern Realities in Diasporic Discourse: Exploring the Sense of Belonging in Lahiri and Mistry’s Narratives

This study examines the theme of cultural navigation and the sense of belonging in Jhumpa Lahiri's novel The Namesake and Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. Focusing on the Indian diaspora, the study meticulously explores the multifaceted dimensions of subalternity embedded in the characters' experiences of cultural displacement, identity negotiation, and socio-economic adversities. This research paper aims to elucidate the complex dynamics of belonging in a diverse and interconnected global community by conducting a comparative analysis of the many ways in which these narratives portray the journeys of people bridging many cultures. In navigating the complex fabric of two separate cultures, this paper explores the challenges, triumphs, and transformations of the protagonists. It investigates the literary techniques employed by Lahiri and Mistry to portray the psychological and emotional aspects of cultural adaptation, illuminating the characters' changing self-perceptions. It also examines how society and family dynamics shape the identities of the characters, highlighting the conflict between the desire for integration and clinging to one's traditional origins. Through a thematic analysis, this study seeks to uncover the authors' perspectives on cultural hybridity, shedding light on the broader implications for individuals striving to reconcile their heritage with the demands of contemporary life. The study also looks at how the characters' sense of place affects their sense of belonging, examining how the writers employ location as a narrative device to highlight the contrasts between cultures. This comparative approach aims to provide various insights into the ways in which Lahiri and Mistry articulate the multifaceted nature of cultural identity and how it changes over time and contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between culture, identity, and belonging in contemporary literature.

Sicily at the crossroads of Eastern and Western culture and history

Sicily at the crossroads of Eastern and Western culture and history

Ternate Sultanate Palace: A Multifaceted Hub at the Crossroads of Culture and Politics

Historically, sultans have always had living space (lebenschraum habitus). In the Sultanate of Ternate, the living space of the sultans was the kadaton (palace) which since its birth was organized according to the philosophical cosmology constructed in a person’s customs. The palace (kadaton) as the basis of political legitimacy means that the palace is not merely the residence of the king and his relatives, but it is also seen as the state itself (exemplary state), so that in the history of its development, the palace has become an institution of power that politically has the same weight as the institution nobility itself. This research aims to 1) to reveal the Myth of the Seven Princesses: Source of Legitimacy, and 2) to reveal how the Sultan’s palace strengthened the Cultural and Political Center. This research used descriptive qualitative method. The result of this research revealed that the Sultanate of Ternate attempted to build and maintain its power base based on three factors. First, geopolitics, which causes the palace to have a traditional identity position that is closely related to the source of magical beliefs. Second, the doctrine of power, the palace has a central doctrine which makes the king the representative of God’s power (micro cosmos). Third, the basis of aristocratic power centered on cultural hegemony.

Distant Country, Paradise, Wilderness, or Mysterious World: The Changing Image of the South Sea (Nan’yō) Islands in Japanese Science Fiction

For Japan, “Nan’yō” is a geographical concept as well as a historical and cultural one. Taking the mid-Meiji period, post-World War I and II periods, and the beginning of the 21st century as its nodes, this paper examines various texts and compares the historical background of the South Sea Islands as imagined in Japanese science fiction, with a focus on both literature and films. The works of the four periods, through a distant view, close view, reconstruction and retrospection of the South Sea Islands, respectively, portray “Nan’yō” as a distant country for ambitious expansion; an earthly paradise of colonial ideals; a dangerous and exotic foreign land; and a mysterious world overrun with primitive civilization, with the aborigines are portrayed as ignorant and backward, and sometimes even being cast as unfamiliar and potentially threatening Others. Unlike the typical (anti-)utopian narrative, the Japanese “Nan’yō fantasy” is based on the political discourse model of civilization-backwardness, in which the differing attitudes towards the natural environment and primitive tribes reflect Japan’s ambivalence in defining its self-positioning within the cultural crossroads of the East and the West. This portrayal of Nan’yō is a product of the close interconnection between the mass media and the spirit of the times: a reflection of personal ideals and national destiny, as well as a collective vision interacting with social reality.

Ferdynand Ruszczyc: A Polish Painter at the Crossroads of Cultures

The oeuvre of beloved Polish painter Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) reflected the patriotic Neo-Romantic landscape trend of the fin-de-siècle prevalent in Germany and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden). It should be considered in the context of Nordic visual culture for two reasons: (1) until the affiliation of Central and Eastern European nations with the Soviet Union in the wake of World War Two, nations bordering the Baltic formed a single, fluid territory of cultural exchange, and (2) Ruszczyc’s oeuvre displays significant commonalities with dominant patriotic and Neo-Romantic trends of progressive artists around the Baltic Sea, where landscape became a vehicle for expressing dreams and emotions, as well as love of homeland. This article situates Ruszczyc’s national and artistic identity at the crossroads of cultures and artistic impulses, regional as well as international. Ruszczyc was born in Bohdanów near Vilnius (now Belarus) to a Polish father and a Danish mother. Like many Polish artists from the Russian partition, he was educated at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, where he studied with Ivan Shishkin (1832–1898) and Arkhip Kuindzhi (1878–1910). He also travelled to Sweden. Ruszczyc was influenced by the Russian art circle Mir Iskusstva (World of Art, est. 1898) and is often compared with Nordic (e.g., Akseli Gallen-Kallela; Finnish, 1865–1931) and German (e.g., Otto Modersohn; 1865–1943) artists. His visions of nature are sometimes raw monumental images of the northern landscape or fairy-tale fantasies containing symbolic allusiveness and a mythical, poetic element that evoke intimate memories of the land of his childhood. In his paintings, Ruszczyc presented the changeability of seasons, orchards, soil and streams, clouds formations, and tree trunks with palpable emotion. By exposing the material substance of nature, his paintings also reveal its mystical aspect, its ability to transform in accordance with the cyclical, cosmic rhythm of growth, maturation, death, and rebirth.

Medicinal plants of the upper Aswa River catchment of northern Uganda - a cultural crossroads

BackgroundThis paper presents a comparative inventory of medicinal plant taxa and their uses by smallholder farming communities of four cultures in the Aswa River catchment of northern Uganda, situated in the eastern Sudanian savanna parkland ecotype of sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the study was to document the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants by the Lango, Acholi, Teso (Atesot) and Ethur (jo Abwor), in an historical moment before civil conflict and mass displacement of the respondent communities disrupted the inter-generational transmission of traditional technical knowledge within the study area.MethodsFollowing community consultations in four districts of northern Uganda during 1999–2000, interviews were conducted with holders of specialist knowledge on plants used as medicine on basis of a plant specimen allocated a voucher number and identified by the national herbarium. Use reports reflecting specific medicinal applications were compiled in aggregate to obtain a Relative Importance Index ranking. The commonality of medicinal taxa cited between each cultural interface was assessed by the Jaccard Index of Similarity, and the similarity of specific medicinal usage by taxon using Rahman’s Similarity Index.ResultsThe data collected from 112 respondents comprise 280 medicinal use reports describing 263 applications for 62 medical conditions, citing 108 taxa from 44 botanical families of which Fabaceae comprised 20% of all use reports. No earlier mention could be found to corroborate 72 use reports (27% of the total), representing medicinal indications as yet undocumented, and potentially worthy of investigation. The RI values ranged between 15 and 94%, with 13 taxa having RI values above 50%. The JI ratios indicate the highest degree of similarity in the plant taxa used as medicine (21%) between the Lango and Teso cultures who share a common origin; however, Rahman’s Similarity Index indicates the highest similarity of specific medicinal usage by taxon between the Lango and Acholi, who share a common language group through cultural assimilation over time. ConclusionsAs a comparative study, the results imply that cultural exchange and assimilation may be a greater driver of inter-cultural similarity of ethnopharmacological use of a given taxon, as compared to shared historical origins.

A Study of The Aspects of Turkey’s Organizational Behavior

In order to better understand the actions and reactions of those employed at a certain workplace or on the market, economists tend to use the knowledge accumulated by other social sciences, such as psychology, to study the behavior of these individuals when in a group. Though it already existed earlier, this field of interest, organizational behavior, has been at the forefront of the interest of Turkish researchers since the 1950s, the time of democratization and Westernization in the country. Turkey, this Middle Eastern nation, is a crossroads of cultures; therefore, three main layers of civilization influence the comportment of the Turkish persons cooperating in a larger team: their Turkic ethnic heritage, their Islamic religious heritage, and their commitment to European values. These three might seem contradictory at first sight, but they can be easily used to raise performance