Cultural Affinity Research Articles

Exploring Cultural and Personal Trauma in Heather Raffo’s Play Noura

The paper delves into the examination of trauma portrayals in Heather Raffo's “Noura” (2019). Raffo examines the challenges faced by two Iraqi women, Raffo and Maryam, in relation to parenthood following the capture of Iraq by “ISIS”. The paper is concerned with the various depictions of trauma that Raffo accomplishes in the text then delves in the way she cocooned her characters’ identity in order to recover their traumas. Initially, Noura is a trauma tale, illustrating the recurrent and repetitive nature of trauma from mother to daughter. The narrative reflects the interactions and dynamics between the mother and daughter and their function as substitutes for memory and recounting personal narratives. Moreover, examining the capture of Mosul by “ISIS” highlights Noura's account as a portrayal of historical trauma. Subsequently, Noura is analyzed via the lens of cultural trauma, shedding light on the several personas that Raffo adopts throughout the story. As each character has their own unique perspective on how the fall of Iraq affected their life, Raffo has used a variety of identities to show how trauma can take many forms depending on cultural context. The personal anguish portrayed by Raffo, as well as her own connection to both Iraqi and American identity, which is explored through the main character and the storyline, is also revealed. This analysis sheds light on the experiences of Iraqi women in America, highlighting how their cultural affinity with these stories serves as a catalyst for creative expression.

EXPRESS: Diversity Matters: How Film Critic Ratings Vary with Critic and Movie Cast Racial Profiles

The author explores how racial alignment between film critics and movie casts affects critic ratings and their market implications. Testing the hypothesis of cultural affinity, this research finds that critics’ ratings tend to decrease as the proportion of Black cast members increases, but this effect is mitigated when the critic is Black. A text analysis of critics’ review excerpts suggests the presence of two tenets of cultural affinity: cultural literacy and cultural identity. An online survey further demonstrates that, in the absence of self-selection, Black respondents perceive greater affinity toward movies featuring predominantly Black casts and assign higher ratings to trailers featuring racially similar casts. Two additional analyses show that critic ratings have market consequences: as the proportion of Black cast members rises, critic ratings diverge more from audience choices (box office revenue) and audience ratings, though this effect is mitigated when the critics are Black. These findings underscore the importance of racial diversity in promoting culturally representative content in the marketplace.

Exploring the influence of environmental, utilitarian, and hedonic factors on consumers’ intention to purchase and recommend handicraft products

ABSTRACT The growing environmental concern influences how people shop, with an increasing proportion of buyers actively making purchases based on environmental considerations. This study examines how environmental consciousness influences craft customers’ intentions to purchase and recommend products. The study also investigates the influence of purchasing intention as a mediator of attitudes towards handicrafts and recommendations. Factors impacting customer behaviour toward handicrafts were investigated using an extensive literature study. An online survey collected responses from 267 craft customers, which were then analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method. The study revealed cultural affinity, product attributes, and social influence as significant sponsors for attitudes toward handicrafts, with price having little impact. Because craft consumption is a relatively unexplored area of research in developing countries, the current study will assist emerging economy handicraft businesses in focusing on the identified elements to garner positive consumer attitudes toward craft products, resulting in increased sector expansion. The increase in popularity and sale of handicrafts will help preserve local culture and tradition while providing sustainable economic opportunities for artisans and handicraft organizations.

An empirical analysis of the intra-industry trade flows with a spatial-gravity model for a cluster of EU-advanced economies and MEDA-transitional economies

This study uses spatial-gravity models to examine intra-industry trade flow based on technological intensity for a cluster of the main EU-advanced economies (Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece) and MEDA-transitional economies (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey) from 1990 to 2020. We have inserted into the models in an original way the variables of cultural affinity to grasp the effects of the liability of foreignness. We also consider the upheavals began with the “global economic crisis” (2007–2008), including the “sovereign debt crisis” for EU countries (2009–2011), and the “Arab Springs” for MEDA-transitional economies (2011–012). Results show the SAR-AR specification used to estimate our models is correct, and variables to catch the liability of foreignness make for more suitable regression. We have found significant trade flows with one order of lags, as a proxy for a persistence effect in trade flows, as well as other explanatory variables such as industry middle productivity, openness, stock market capitalization, and the exchange rate. While tariff barriers, remittance in- and outflows, and dummy variables that capture the effect of partnership agreements and the upheavals are less significant, nonetheless, these two effects have been found to be significant in the low-tech and service industries. We also found that improvements in the governance climate in EU-advanced economies have a negative effect on intra-industry trade flow, whereas improvements in the governance climate in MEDA-transitional economies have a positive effect, but only for high-tech production and services. We conclude that it is important for the European Union to have traced new guidelines to Euro-Mediterranean (Euro-Med) common action through cooperation in order to avoid the deterioration of political and economic relations between the countries in the Euro-Med region.

Do birds of a feather deter better? Cultural affinity and alliance deterrence

Do birds of a feather deter better? Cultural affinity and alliance deterrence

RUSSIAN PEASANTS IN THE ALEXANDROPOL DISTRICT: EMERGENCE, ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNAL LIFE, AND FORMS OF LAND TENURE FROM THE NINETEENTH TO THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY

The objective of this study is to examine the emergence of Russian peasants in the Alexandropol district of the Erivan province, as well as their communal life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The study of Russian ethnic groups in foreign environments presents several challenges. One significant question is whether to preserve or alter certain aspects of migrants’ traditional way of life. In new surroundings, some traditions may change, while others may disappear. The significance of this work lies in the examination of local groups of Russians residing in a different ethnic environment. This prompts inquiry into the nature of cultural and economic interplay between Russians and the local populace. The study of cultural and domestic interactions between different ethnic communities has become a significant area of focus in modern historiography as nationalities continue to come closer together. This field of study holds scientific importance and provides practical knowledge. To ensure a comprehensive review, it is important to consider factors such as the number of settlers, duration of residence, settlement features, cultural affinity with the local population, and other relevant factors. This paper examines the migration of Russian peasants to Alexandropol district and their economic and social development as they adapted to new natural, socioeconomic, and political conditions. In the literature produced prior to the revolution, the issues of interest to us were not adequately addressed. Some information on the history of Russian settlements can be found in articles by ethnographer S. Maximov and historian K. Borozdin.1 Small historical and ethnographic descriptions of the Russian settlers in Eastern Armenia can be found in local periodicals in the form of articles, travel notes and correspondence. These works, descriptive in their content, are valuable because their authors observed the life of Russian peasants directly. For example, S. Bunyatov, a priest, lived among Russian peasants for five years and wrote on the basis of his personal impressions.2 The publications on Russian settlers contained in the Memorial Books of the Erivan Province are of some value.3 During the Soviet era, the study of the Russian population of Eastern Armenia began only in the 1960s and was mainly devoted to the religious study of the sectarians of Transcaucasia.4 In recent years, historical works devoted to the issues of tsarism’s resettlement policy toward the Russian peasants of Eastern Armenia have appeared. A. Haityan, along with other issues, tried to trace the process of the formation of Russian villages in Eastern Armenia.5 The monograph by D. Ismail-Zadeh also deserves attention. The author gives a general characterization of the economic and social life of the Russian peasants of Transcaucasia, but the issues of interest to us are reflected only in a general way.6 Thus, in the works of both pre-revolutionary and Soviet authors, the issues of studying Russian peasants in Eastern Armenia and, in particular, in Alexandrolop district, have not the subject of a special study. This study intends to fill the existing gaps on the subject. This paper draws extensively on the archival documents of the National Archives of Armenia, many of which have been introduced for the first time in this study. The documents contain a wealth of information on the history of Russian resettlement in Transcaucasia, the policy of the authorities toward them, relations between Russians and native Armenians, and data on the state of agriculture, including crops and livestock numbers. It is imperative to approach these documents with a critical lens, as they were compiled by officials and reflect the government’s views on the settlers and their role in the new region. 1 Maksimov 1861; Borozdin 1891. 2 Bunyatov 1898; Bunyatov 1902. 3 Pamyatnaya knizhka Erivanskoy gubernii na 1892g., Pamyatnaya knizhka Erivanskoy gubernii na 1904g. 1903. 4 Kozlova 1966; Klibanov 1965. 5 Aytyan 1989. 6 Ismail-Zade 1982.

Elite Perceptions of a China-Led Regional Order in Southeast Asia

How do Southeast Asian states perceive a China-led regional order? To answer this question, we conducted a survey of elites from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, countries that are “least likely” to acquiesce to a China-led regional order. Our survey indicates that although most elites view China as influential and have a cultural affinity with it, they do not perceive China as having the authority to preside over the regional order. They do not identify with China's political values and the normative order it propounds. Our survey also reveals the salience of ASEAN as the region navigates great power rivalry. We explain these views by drawing from the concept of legitimate authority. Our findings are significant; if China cannot persuade its Southeast Asian neighbours of its right to lead, it will be even harder for China to exercise global leadership.

Korean Templestay as a Sustainable Global Cultural Product: The Case of Manggyeongsansa

While the trend of de-religiousization has accelerated globally, Korean Buddhism has become very hip around the world. While it was traditionally known as a symbol of a solemn and old religion, with its innovative transformation, Korean Buddhism has gained wide popularity in friendly and trendy atmospheres, especially among people in their 20s and 30s in Korea and abroad, regardless of religion. Thus, Korean Buddhism has a cultural affinity beyond religion, nationality, age, and gender. At the center of this popularization of Buddhism, there exists “Templestay”. Templestay is defined as staying in a Korean temple and experiencing traditional Korean culture, the spirit of Buddhist practice, the natural environment, and the daily life of temples. Templestay was selected as one of the world’s top five most successfully developed tourism and cultural resources by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and one of the top 10 icons representing Korea according to the Republic of Korea’s Presidential Council on Nation Branding. Thus, Templestay is not just a Buddhist cultural experience but has been officially recognized as a sustainable global cultural product representing Korea with a history of 1700 years, where a global cultural product is defined as a cultural product that is shared on a global level. Considering Templestay’s wide global popularity, as well as its significant impact on the national economy, tourism, and cultural succession, with over 7 million participants, it is important to investigate Templestay from the perspective of sustainable management, such as CSR, CSV, and ESG. However, while a few studies exist on Templestay, the theoretical aspects of Templestay as a subject of sustainable management have not been sufficiently developed, since most research on Templestay has focused on the perspectives of religion or visitor experiences. Thus, by focusing on Manggyeongsansa Templestay, which was selected as one of the best Korean temples among the 150 temples offering Templestay in 2023, the findings from this case study provide significant implications and practical guidelines for the sustainable management of global cultural products to address fundamental issues from an angle that has not been covered sufficiently.

The Dragon's Overwatch: Chinese Private Security Expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean

This scholarly disquisition furnishes a comprehensive exploration of the burgeoning presence of Chinese private security companies (PSCs) across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), delving into the strategic repercussions for regional security architectures and national sovereignty imperatives. Employing a meticulous qualitative methodology encompassing a thorough literature review, policy document analysis, and an examination of Chinese-language sources, the research elucidates the salient drivers catalyzing this phenomenon. These precipitating factors span cultural affinities, economic motivations, geopolitical ambitions, and the exigent security challenges besetting Chinese commercial entities operating within the LAC region. The operational modes of Chinese PSCs are subjected to forensic scrutiny, illuminating their diverse service offerings, geographical permeation across the region, and the obstacles they confront. Furthermore, the inquiry contextualizes the issue within the broader geopolitical milieu, accentuating concerns regarding transparency lacunae, regulatory deficiencies, and potential avenues for Chinese intelligence and military machinations, thereby potentially destabilizing the regional equilibrium. Ultimately, the research culminates in a series of substantive policy prescriptions aimed at mitigating risks, fortifying regional stability, and safeguarding national sovereignty through capacity-building initiatives, constructive engagement with Beijing, enhanced transparency mechanisms, and robust regional cooperation frameworks.

Food culture, lifestyle & traditional food festivals: a narrative on the public health relevance of the traditional yam recipes in the Afikpo New Yam Festival

Food culture has over the years remained the centre for socio-cultural linkages among people in a community, with generational transmission giving birth to cultural affinity and cultural heritage. Besides its primary aim of nourishment, enhancement of growth and body functions, it also defines religious and traditional belief systems. Several communities, tribes and nation states such as China, Italy, Japan, India, Europe and Americas, have been associated with unique food cultures. In North and West African countries like Tunisia and Nigeria respectively, food cultures abound. In South-East Nigeria, the Igbo tribe conduct yam rituals as food cultural festivals. Afikpo, a community in the Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria, celebrates an annual yam ritual called Ikeji Festival, part of which, as the new yam is harvested, is preparation of traditional yam recipes. This article reviews the nutritional content of the various traditional yam recipes consumed in such ceremonies and the associated drinks. A literature search revealed that yam, an energy-giving food with a carbohydrate content of 15 – 40.6%, could be prepared with vegetables, legumes, fish, meat, melon seeds, red palm oil, African black beans, pumpkin fruit pulp, eggplants, African oil bean, piper guineese, plantain, solanum americanum, vitex donians, pterocarpus santalinoids, which are sources of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, dietary fibres and polyunsaturated fatty acids, all of which have been documented as beneficial in the management of chronic diseases. Alcoholic and various soft drinks are consumed with the yam recipes during the ceremony and there are possibilities that if awareness is not created, overindulgence could constitute to abuse.

Multilevel sources of strength and school-based racial discrimination: Competing factors associated with mental health among African American college students.

Despite increasing diversity on predominantly White college campuses, African American college students remain subject to racial discrimination, creating a complex array of mental health stressors. In this study, we adopted a strengths-based approach to mental health in this population and investigated (a) whether school-based discrimination contributes to negative mental health outcomes; (b) whether internal, interpersonal, and campus sources of strength contribute to positive mental health outcomes; and (c) whether internal sources of strength moderate the mental health effects of discrimination. Secondary analysis was performed on public data from African American college students (N = 1,444; Mage = 24.67, SDage = 7.87) who participated in the Healthy Minds Study between 2017 and 2020. Healthy Minds Study is a cross-sectional survey examining mental health factors in U.S. university student populations. School-based racial discrimination was negatively associated with flourishing and positively associated with depression. Flourishing was positively associated with all sources of strength, including academic persistence, religiosity, racial identity, race-based affinity space involvement, and campus climate for diversity. Depression was inversely associated with persistence, religiosity, and affinity space involvement. Except for persistence, internal sources of strength did not mitigate the negative effects of discrimination on mental health outcomes. Policies are needed that hold accountable campus members who perpetrate race-based aggressions, tangible support systems involving African American mentors and cultural affinity groups, and strengths-based audits of students seeking mental health care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Palaeolithic Implements, their Cultural Affinity and the Cognitive Assessment of Early Hominids in Manipur.

Palaeolithic Implements, their Cultural Affinity and the Cognitive Assessment of Early Hominids in Manipur.

Dynamic clustering of Asian regionalisms: Empirical testing of United Nations multilateral treaty participation by social network analysis

This paper investigates the evolving clustering and historical progression of “Asian regionalisms” concerning their involvement in multilateral treaties deposited in the United Nations system. We employ criteria such as geographic proximity, historical connections, cultural affinities, and economic interdependencies to identify twenty-eight candidate countries from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia for this empirical testing. Using a social network analysis approach, we model the network of these twenty-eight Asian state actors alongside 600 major treaties from the United Nations system, identifying clusters among Asian states by assessing similarities in their treaty participation behavior. Specifically, we observe dynamic changes in these clusters across three key historical eras: Post-war reconstruction and transformation (1945–1968), Cold War tensions and global transformations (1969–1989), and post-Cold War era and globalization (1990–present). Employing the Louvain cluster detection algorithm, the results reveal the evolution in cluster numbers and changes in membership status throughout the world timeline. The results also identify the current situation of six distinct Asian clusters based on states’ inclinations to engage or abstain from multilateral treaties across six policy domains. These findings provide a foundation for further research on the trajectories of Asian regionalisms amidst evolving global dynamics and offer insights into potential alliances, cooperation, or conflicts within the region.

До питання про мовно-культурну асиміляцію переселенців з бойківщини на донеччину в україні

The article is devoted to a study of the dynamics of linguistic and cultural assimilation of migrants from the Boyko region to the Donetsk region in Ukraine and the establishment of relevant factors that contributed to this process or delayed it. The research was carried out on the material of two centres of compact resettlement of the Boykos, who found themselves in different linguistic, cultural and social conditions. The author focuses on the role of the presence/absence of the dominant dialect of the recipient microsociety, the degree of linguistic and cultural affinity between the migrants and the host microsociety, the conflictogenicity of the situation, the language of education and the language of the city in the process of the assimilation of the migrants and their descendants.

Nepal-India Political Relations: A Comprehensive Analysis of Historical Dynamics, Contemporary Challenges, and Future Prospects

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical dynamics, contemporary challenges, and future prospects in Nepal-India political relations. The diplomatic ties between the two nations, rooted in shared history, cultural affinities, and geographical proximity, have witnessed both cooperation and discord over the centuries. While historical documents highlight periods of mutual respect, the study delves into the complexities of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1950, solidifying diplomatic bonds. However, recent years have seen a shift in this narrative, marked by territorial disputes, economic imbalances, and evolving geopolitical dynamics. Contemporary challenges include territorial disputes leading to diplomatic intricacies and economic imbalances raising questions about the equitable nature of the bilateral relationship. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining historical analysis, policy examination, and stakeholder perspectives to offer timely and relevant insights. Key informant interviews with political leaders, diplomats, and professionals provide a diverse understanding of the multifaceted issues at hand. The study identifies territorial disputes and unequal diplomatic treaties as major challenges, contributing to tensions in Nepal-India relations. It emphasizes the need for a peaceful discourse to resolve border encroachments and calls for a revision of existing treaties in light of changing regional and international circumstances. Additionally, socio cultural affinities between the two nations are explored, with strategies proposed for bridging gaps and fostering a sense of shared identity. The research concludes with strategies for future cooperation, advocating for a balanced diplomatic relationship that considers the changing global landscape. The equidistance principle is discussed, urging both nations to adapt their mindsets and refrain from micromanaging each other's domestic politics. The study underscores the importance of recognizing the historical ties between Nepal and India, emphasizing the potential for multifaceted alliances in the future.

Presidential Discourses on Regionalism in Azerbaijan: Turkic Solidarity and the Silk Road

Abstract Drawing on theories of comparative regionalism, this article examines the construction of regionalist frames in Azerbaijan covering the period from 1993 to mid-2023. By examining more than 60 text passages from presidential speeches and statements, the study identifies two framings of regionalism that have dominated presidential discourses in Azerbaijan: the discourse of Turkic solidarity or unity (in the political-security domain) and the narrative of an East-West corridor or the revival of the Silk Road for transport of cargo and hydrocarbon resources (in the economic domain). By constructing these discursive frames, Azerbaijani state leaders crafted an alternative regional order reconstituting the geographic category of “South Caucasus” into a new, spatially broader area. In this formulation, “South Caucasus” is viewed as a central pillar of the Silk Road, and Azerbaijan as one of its focal points or nodes. While the study underscores a key role that actors and ideas play in the formation of regions and regional institutions, it also highlights how social construction of regional identities is embedded in and shaped by historical experiences and country-specific political-economic conditions such as historical memories, experiences of war, collective identities and cultural affinities, geographic location, domestic political economic structures, and international linkages.

Ecofeminism and the Cultural Affinity to Genocidal Capitalism: Theorising Necropolitical Femicide in Contemporary Greece

Resilient necrocapitalism and the zombie genre of representations of current dystopias are persistent in their political purpose in producing changes in the social order to benefit plutocracies around the world. It is through a thanatopolitical lens that we should view the successive losses of life, and this zombie genre has come to represent a dystopia that, for political purposes, is intended to produce changes in societies which have tolerated the violent deaths of women. This article focuses on contemporary Greece and proposes a theoretical framework where femicide is understood as a social phenomenon that reflects a global gendered necropolitical logic which equals genocide. Such theoretical assemblages have to be situated within intersectional imperatives and tacitly as the result of the capitalist terror state performed in an expansive and direct immediate death, exacerbated by the lingering slow social death of the welfare state. The article contends that the scripted hetero-patriarchal social order of the necrocapitalist state poses a unique political threat to societies. With the silence of the complicity of the state, what is necessary is the creation and spread of new political knowledge and new social movements as resilient political tactics of resistance. This article foregrounds an ecofeminist perspective on these issues and considers ways through which new pedagogies of hope can counter the gendered necropolitics of contemporary capitalism in Greece.

Love better by fighting smarter: How intercultural couples develop dyadic cultural affinity through romantic conflict management

Guided by the conflict face-negotiation theory and the culturally based romantic relationship model, this study employed in-depth interviews with twelve intercultural couples (n = 24) to explore relational dynamics and nuances of couples handling conflicts and developing dyadic cultural affinity through their conflict management experiences. Aligning with extant literature, our findings uncovered five conflict management styles employed by intercultural couples: avoiding, competing, compromising, yielding, and emotional expression. Additionally, three primary relational outcomes emerged from the data: reaching temporary satisfaction, recognizing positive changes, and identifying recurrent problems. The findings further demonstrated how intercultural romantic partners developed dyadic cultural affinity by progressively gaining deeper mutual understanding through their conflict interactions, building consensus, and consequently nurturing a shared sense of cultural affinity as a couple. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Variability of Social Inclusion Patterns Involving Personal, Family and Social Characteristics in Latino Migrant Families in Spain

ABSTRACTMigration entails important changes for families. Despite existing evidence on the process of adaptation, little is known about the degree of social inclusion in a context of high cultural affinity. We examine the variability of social inclusion patterns, indexed by personal, family and social conditions, in 263 Latin American families, with at least one child under 12 years, migrating to Spain. Three profiles of social inclusion were identified using cluster analysis: High inclusion (32%), characterized by a good financial and job situation, low perception of economic difficulty, good social support and medium scores in attraction to neighbourhood and community belonging and high scores in neighbourly relationship. Partial inclusion (35%) was characterized by ratings of extreme economic difficulties and lack of job, high scores in perceived economic hardship, high scores in all types of social support (instrumental, emotional and affectionate support and positive social interaction) and high scores in attraction to neighbourhood and community belonging, and medium scores in neighbourly relationship. Finally, Low inclusion cluster (33%) was characterized by moderate economic difficulties and lack of a job, high scores in perceived economic hardship, low scores in all types of social support and low neighbourhood cohesion in all the factors. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that a model comprising family composition, size of social networks and years of residence in the community increased the probability of belonging to the Partial or Low inclusion profiles compared with the High inclusion one. In conclusion, the heterogeneity in the patterns of social inclusion and their intersection with family conditions suggests the need for targeted intervention actions to reduce the risk of social exclusion.

Cultural affinity and international trade in motion pictures: Empirical evidence using categorised internet search activity

It is well established that cultural affinity between countries affects international trade patterns. To date, most research on this topic has only considered cultural affinity between a pair of countries as a single measure that is static over time. In this paper, we introduce a novel bi-directional and time-varying measure of cultural affinity and examine its relevance to sectoral trade with an application to the motion picture industry. Using Google Trends search topics related to countries, and specific to the ‘Arts and Entertainment’ category, we construct a measure of ‘relative search interest’ (RSI) as a proxy for cultural affinity. We incorporate this proxy into a structural gravity model of motion picture trade and find that a one percent increase in RSI is associated with a 0.2–0.4 percent increase in box office revenue flow. Our analysis suggests that RSI in other categories can provide useful insights in other industries.