Cultural Entities Research Articles

Субкультури населення українського Приазов’я: від минулого до сьогоденя

The sub-culture of the Ukrainian Azov region comprises certain subcultures of the corresponding social or demographic group as well as ethno-national entities, which is a peculiar and specific way of differentiating the culture in which, along with the main classical tendency, there are particular ethno-national cultural entities, which in form and in content differ from the leading cultural tradition, being at the same time its direct genetic extension. They are represented not only by their subjective attachments to certain social groups and cultural entities but also due to their birth and residence on a particular territory, their belonging to a certain national or ethnic community, the use of a particular language, adherence to certain traditions, customs, behavioral norms and so on. Thus, the population of the Ukrainian Azov region creates a rather colorful mosaic that is distinguished by certain features. This demonstrates the relevance of the chosen research topic. According to the sociological research conducted by the author, the subculture of the Ukrainian Azov region population has its own peculiarities. As a rule, it is an integrated segment of the titular culture of the Ukrainian society, but it differs significantly from the culture of communities in other regions of Ukraine. The specific way of ethno-national cultures differentiation has revealed itself within the region’s society, influenced the changes within the dominant culture, created a special form of organization of people, defined a set of norms and values, which in one way or another are opposed to the dominant traditional culture being interpreted as “alien, negative, the one which breaks its integrity.” The sub-culture of the Azov region has acquired these characteristics under the influence of many factors, including multiculturalism. It is wrong to state that all the 104 nationalities and ethnic groups inhabiting this territory have a significant impact on the specific character of the subculture because their influences are not identical. The largest ethno-national groups are Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks, Belarussians, Armenians, Jews, Bulgarians, others acount for groups of hundreds, dozens and fewer. The research has also proven that the population of the Azov region has been Russianized, though most of the Ukrainians surveyed consider their culture dominant. It can be said that the region is now experiencing an “ethnic renaissance”. But its manifestation is not clearly demonstrated. The studies show that there is no such thing as a “pure” language or culture in the region today. Here is the blend of the three largest ethnic groups: Russian, Ukrainian and Greek, which created its own specific subculture, resulting in the emergence of the “Azov region type” of society in the territory of the modern Azov region.

Семантичний зсув символічної архітектури (частина 1)

The article is devoted to analyze of the signification mode of symbolic architecture. An attempt is carried out to detect the difference between the symbolic form of the ritual and the symbolic architecture, as well as the semantic shift that this distinction causes the organization of symbols to generate. Application of strategies of semantic analysis to the material of aesthetics G. Hegel allows not only to expand the horizons of applied semantics, but also to understand the patterns of formation of artistic culture and aesthetic process in general. Using strategies of semantic analysis to the material of G. Hegel’s aesthetics allows not only to expand the horizons of applied semantics, but also to understand the patterns of formation of art and aesthetic process in general. Symbolic architecture does not serve anything, in contrast to the functional one. It is self-sufficient in the sense of human self-production as a cultural entity in the process of the signification regime reorganizing of early forms of culture and the implementation of the semantic shift of the Neolithic revolution. Self-sufficient architecture has such irrationally gigantic sizes, since the form of monumentality was designed to "localize the Numinous". The sav- age efforts of the cyclopean clutches were a kind of Potlatch, curbing the evil force of the "The Accursed Share", reducing the conflict potential of the community, whose conditions of survival were changing in the agrarian wave movement. The gift magic could no longer cope with the new situation, and therefore the sacrifice of production time, and just the human sacrifice (René Girard), was the answer to the new civilization challenge. Nevertheless, the monumental architecture remained a signification mod of symbolism. After all, the latter was a non-differentiation of material, cultural and social, as well as production-consumption-pleasure. That was, self-sufficient architecture was a cultural practice of mimetic restoration of itself (without primacy of contemplation). What actually was expressed in the semantic shift of the symbolic order, which did not involve poly-ontology, the presence of the referent. It was not a reflection, but part of the very action mode. The special part that concentrated, localized the scattered sacred in the pre-civilization state of affairs. The semantic shift manifested itself in another way of organizing the very symbol, primarily in another dominant order of signs. After all, symbolic architecture is still syncretic cultural practice, but which itself was the medium of other cultural practices. The development of symbolic architecture became a basic ritual that pro- vided a balance of other cultural practices.

Croatian public libraries in time of crisis

Croatian public libraries faced complex processes in society at the turn of the 20th into the 21st century – a time of transition and transformation in Croatia. During this period, Croatia shifted towards democracy and modernization. Its constitution (now seen as a geopolitical and cultural entity), extraordinary conditions of war disaster in the Homeland War 1991–1995, and conditions of the post-war period all presented unique challenges for public libraries in Croatia. In addition, Croatian libraries have also been influenced by characteristics of the information society that occurs trans-nationally and trans-societally (among all globalization processes and permeating all aspects of life with information and communication technology). Croatian libraries had to transform their traditional role of lending books and acting as cultural heritage institutions to follow international modern library trends in the information age as multifunctional information, educational, cultural and communication centres of their local communities. The aim of this article is to give a historical review of public libraries’ accommodation to these turbulent changes in Croatian society, as well as in the world in the last few decades.

INTERREGIONALISM TRENDS AND ANALYSIS OF EUROPEAN UNION AS A GLOBAL ACTOR

The European Union is the most integrated regional block in the World which presents an ideal example for the other regions. The regional integration of the EU not only includes economical components but also political, cultural and identical components which have a vital role on the way of EU’s identity and interests’ formations. In this article it has aimed to answer a research question namely, “Why the EU has to pursue pure interregionalism in its foreign and trade policies and what extent could EU pursue pure interregionalism?” The possible answer of this question will be elaborated in the fields of identical considerations of the EU as a social, political and cultural entity or actor in the international society and economical considerations which stresses the decreasing competitiveness of the European market compared to its counterparts. The EU may be assessed as the initial example of the actor of the post-modern or post-Westphalian multilateral framework which stresses the decentralization of governance and inclusion of the many actors such as multinational corporations, international organizations, sub-national institutions and NGO’s in the multilateral decision-making process. Consequently, the EU may find its identity and interests in a post-modern conception of the state and it has to impose this regional identity of formation process to other parts of the globe to legitimize its existence not only around the world, but also on its own demos. On the other hand, EU has to impose its core standards such as labor and environment standards to other counterpart regions for continuing its welfare system without decreasing its competitiveness. As a result, The EU could achieve this strategy more efficiently in an international relations practice which mostly lean on pure interregionalism. Because it is easier to perceive three or four regional blocks rather than hundreds of states

(ضغط التخوم على بلاد بابل وآشور (دراسة في التشكل السياسي


 It is meant borders of any country areas with the word boundary, and It is the main determinant of form and the mold of the political entities across human civilizations.
 The effect of the pressure of boundary and challenges clearly cleared in the course of the history of Mesopotamia, through provoking the forces inherent creativity within the old Iraqi man who had a positive nature and who showed different responses contributed to the emergence of cultural entities and their growth and prosperity.
 These challenges and impacts and results has varied from one part to another, depending on the geographical nature of the neighboring tribes, with different pressure boundary between Babylon and Assyria, just like the variation of the implications and consequences and impact upon forming and molding of the intellectual and psychological character of the Babylonian and Assyrian man which contributed to the differentiation of the political conformation between the two sides.

Pint-size powerhouses: a qualitative study of children’s role in family decision-making

PurposeChildren are becoming consumers at younger ages; a variety of influences and experiences shape their as well as their family’s consumer habits. With the changing economic scenario, power has been shifting toward the new emerging economies. These nations are rapidly developing, where the children population is high, parents are young and have money to spend. This study aims at exploring family’s consumer decision-making process to understand the influencing role of young Indian children in a family setting.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes young children and their parents through semi-structured interviews with the families. The phenomenological interviews with six families in the National Capital Region of India capturing 23 informants were conducted.FindingsChildren’s influence is omnipresent, in all the product categories as well as buying stages. For products of their direct use like books, clothes and snacks items, they are very much involved and their level of influence is highest from both the parents’ and children’s perception. Role of siblings and joint collaboration with the grandparents are also parts of the findings.Research limitations/implicationsThis study attempts to actively listen to young children’s voices. However, it is acknowledged that in some families, the parent’s presence may have affected the results.Originality/valueThere are just few studies that have tapped the family’s consumer decision-making intricacies. There exists an enormous research gap which needs to be filled by more empirical research into the arena of family consumer decision-making. Also, India has a distinct cultural entity as compared to Western nations; to understand how children influences in such traditional setting is insightful.

New insights into the Epipaleolithic of western Central Asia: The Tutkaulian complex

Bracketed by the Zagros, Hindukush, Altai, and Himalaya Mountains, Central Asia was a likely a migration route for early people moving into North and East Asia. Because of its central geographic setting, the area also channeled cultural and technological influences and exchange between adjoining regions in early prehistory. In this paper we analyze techno-typological characteristics of stone tool assemblages assigned to Early and Late Epipaleolithic industries from two key archaeological sites in Tajikistan – Tutkaul and Obi-Kiik. We compare –these industries with preceding Upper Paleolithic assemblages from the same region, as well as with cultural entities from the Levant and Zagros which share technological traits. Our study reveals key similarities, suggesting that the Tutkaul and Obi-Kiik techno-complexes belong to a single Epipaleolithic culture – which we refer to as the Tutkaulian – split into a three-stage developmental sequence. We argue that the Tutkaulian, defined by bladelet-based primary reduction and an abundance of geometric microliths, with a chronological progression from trapeze-rectangle to lunate forms, has its origins in the local Upper Paleolithic culture (Kulbulakian) emerging through repeated episodes of cultural exchange with earlier or synchronous Levantine and Zagros industries.

Ashkenaz and France in the Middle Ages – were they one cultural entity? R. Hayim Ha-Kohen as a test case

Rabbi Hayim Ha-Kohen was a Tosafist, active in France and Ashkenaz in the twelfth century. In the scholarly literature he is considered a French scholar, but, as will be demonstrated in this article, this assumption is erroneous. Though he was born in Germany, he travelled to France in order to study under Rabbeinu Tam, then returned to Germany to teach in Mainz. After a few years, he migrated back to France, where he was active until his death. This fact is significant for three reasons: (1) like Ashkenazi scholars, and in contrast to French scholars, Rabbi Hayim opposed immigration to the Land of Israel; (2) he taught and interpreted the order Qodashim – and specifically the tractate Zebahim – in line with Ashkenazi scholars; (3) his son wrote a commentary on Ashkenazi piyyutim that contains many French words. That the prayer rite was Ashkenazi but the language French reflects the family’s migration pattern.

Dijital İnsanî Bilimler: Yeni Bir Yaklaşım (Digital Humanities: A New Approach)

Dijitallesme ve bilgisayar teknolojilerindeki gelisme kulturel miras sektorune yeni acilimlar kazandirmistir. Kuresellesmenin de etkisiyle beraber kulturel mirasa erisimin kolaylasmasi, katilimciligin saglanarak uygulamalarin uluslararasi perspektiften degerlendirilmesi zorunlu hâle gelmistir. Tum bu gelismeler dijital insani bilimler adiyla yeni bir alanin, yaklasimin olusmasina katki saglamistir. Bu alanda yapilan calismalarla gunumuzde dunyanin herhangi bolgesinde var olan kulturel miras hakkinda bilgi sahibi olup etkilesimde bulunmak olanaklidir. Dunyanin onde gelen universitelerinde soz konusu alana ait kursuler olusturulurken Turkiye’de bu kavramin henuz yeni duyuldugu bilinmektedir. Her ne kadar son yillarda kulturel bellek kurumlari tarafindan kulturel mirasin dijitallestirilmesi calismalarinda sayica artis olsa da; dijital insani bilimler kapsaminda yapilan calismalar cok azdir. Bu problemden yola cikarak bu calismada dijital insani bilimler alaninin ne oldugu, neyi ifade ettigi, tarihsel gelisimi ve uygulama alanlari literatur baglaminda anlatilarak alanin tanitiminin yapilmasi amaclanmistir. Ayrica Turkiye’deki soz konusu alan kapsaminda yapilmis calismalar degerlendirilmis ve dijital insani bilimlerin bilgibilim alaniyla yakinsamasi hakkinda dunyadaki yaklasim ve uygulamalardan bahsedilmistir.

Apropriasi Transkultural Pada Konfigurasi Karakter Son Goku Dalam Manga Dragon Ball

Configuration of characters in a story is a representative manifestation that is able to communicate the order and value of cultural distinctiveness inherent in him. Along with the phenomenon of globalization, through the practice of appropriation, the various exclusive elements and knowledge of certain groups of society are reconstructed into new cultural entities, even if they do not originate in the space and time in which they created. The configurations Son Goku in manga (typical Japanese comic) Dragon Ball is a transcultural myth of elements in the classic Chinese novel Journey to The West mixed with the popular modern serial story of Superman from the American DC Comics and King Kong, as well as the mythology of lycanthropy from Europe. Through further investigation, the source taken in the Son Goku configuration is suspected of having a relationship with elements and knowledge of different spaces and past times (archaic), so that he is not just a popular myth, he is a collection of texts from various cultural civilizations that are scattered all over the earth.

The Implicit Cultural Policies of US Late-night Comedy Shows

This paper argues how comedy is used as an implicit tool by US late-night shows to create an informed citizenry. It explores how late-night shows have transcended its original format to emerge as an alternative form of journalism and realized its potential to disseminate political knowledge and debunk political lies through the framework of a cultural entity. These shows successfully package humor as information shortcuts, making it easier to remember facts and leaving a greater lasting impact on both media-savvy and informationally-ignorant audiences. The effectiveness of these shows is strengthened as the use of comedy provides instant gratification, compared to a delayed gratification provided by other hard news sources. This paper further discusses weaknesses of such shows by exploring whether the political allegiance and self-selective set of knowledge of its audience influences the outcome of the viewing. It also argues that US late-night shows create a political/cultural laicity through the use of laughter.

Syndrome d’Hikikomori ou de claustration à domicile : À propos d’une observation Tunisienne

BackgroundHikikomori syndrome originally described in Japan as a psychosocial and cultural entity affecting especially adolescents. These younger people stop going to school or workplace and spend most of the time withdrawn into their homes for months or years. Hikikomori-like cases named under other nomenclatures such as “social withdrawal” or “housebound syndrome” have recently been reported in other countries of varying sociocultural and economic backgrounds such as Hong Kong, Oman, US, Spain and France. Thus, Hikikomori has now crossed the limits of a culture-bound phenomenon to become an increasingly prevalent international condition. In Tunisia, young people who meet the definition of “Hikikomori” are not necessarily the same as “Hikikomori” in Japan. Our objective was to illustrate a case of Hikikomori in Tunisia, as well as the diagnostic difficulties it posed. MethodsWe described the case of a young people who presented a state of home confinement for two years and who was assessed by psychological tests and clinical interview at the aim to found a mental disorder. ResultsA 18-year-old adolescent lived with his parents. He was brilliant in his studies. He had no personal or family psychiatric history. At the age of 16 and after severe acne, this adolescent had locked himself in his room and stopped studying to spend his days and almost all of his nights surfing the internet. After two years of confinement, he was hospitalized after a suicide attempt by drug ingestion. The clinical evaluation did not find any thymic or psychotic disorders. The evaluation of the personality concluded to limit functioning with narcissistic arrangements. ConclusionAs in our case, Hikikomori has more frequently in male adolescents. Diagnostic difficulties are posed in front of the various mental pathologies which can begin at this age and which can cause or associate with the confinement at home like depression and schizophrenia. Thus, Hikikomori is still a hidden epidemic in many countries. It is affecting a generation made vulnerable by socio-cultural and technological changes. Furthermore, following further advances in Internet society, more and more people may come to live a Hikikomori-like existence, which may or may not be seen as a pathological condition at that time.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 Sport Stadium Controversy: Exploring the Role of Star Architects and Global Brands

The Olympics is a contested site of sovereignty in terms of power balancing between the political (government), economic (global capitalism), cultural (iconic architects) entities and citizens. The paper focuses on iconic Olympic stadia designed by star architects in the era of global capitalism and explores the shifting and multifaceted identities of the iconic architects in global cultural industries. Taking the 2020 Tokyo Olympic stadium as a case study, the paper unpacks the relationship between the material and symbolic infrastructure of iconic architecture, which involves political interests, economic capitals and site-specific memories. The paper argues that the Olympic stadium is an ideal site to examine the strategically constructed images and values of iconic architects and spectacular architecture, and that reveals the narrativisation and commodification of star architects and iconic buildings necessarily make themselves into ‘a global brand’. In this context, the paper concludes that national grand architectural projects, such as the construction of Olympic sport stadia, cannot operate outside the regime of global and local politics, and beyond the logic of neoliberal transnational capitalism.

El Condor mine: Prehispanic production and consumption of hematite pigments in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile

The mineral richness of the Atacama Desert permitted the development of a diverse array of mining activities, including the production of metals, lapidary, and pigments, which developed into significant sociocultural practices for desert dwellers throughout the occupation of the region. El Cóndor mine is an important hematite source located in the middle section of the Loa River, exploited from the Formative Period (ca. AD 300) until Inca times (ca. AD 1500). In contrast to other mining sites of Atacama region, the El Condor mine complex contains specialized infrastructure where different kinds of activities were carried out: extraction pits, processing areas with multiple anvils and grinding tools, and semicircular structures used for domestic activities. Pigment production was initially developed as a small-scale craft that intensified during later periods (ca. AD 1200). It was most extensive following the Inca expansion (ca. AD 1400), as evidenced by wider networks of distribution and consumption, as well as infrastructural changes. El Cóndor mine constitutes a notable example of a large-scale hematite operation that articulated important networks of exchange, and as such provides a case study for evaluating the organization of mining activities during late periods of the pre-Hispanic sequence in the Atacama Desert. We then emphasize that the circulation of pigments constitutes an important social practice and a salient economic activity, fulfilling a political role through the production and reproduction of social relations between different cultural entities that could be compared to similar cases from other regions in the world.

Pilgrimage and Religious Tourism in Central Asia as a Form of Intercivilization Contacts

The article considers the pilgrimage phenomenon as one of important forms of intercivilization contacts which represents ancient religious tradition. This tradition saved its invariable historical and cultural entity throughout the millennia and nowadays became an integral component of the modern world. In different religious cultures, pilgrimage is a travel with one main goal — fellowshipping with God by worshipping the shrine which meaning is revealed through rituals. They are in turn subdivided into two cultural and historical types: religious and secular, each developed under the influence of historical and cultural conditions of the emergence and existence. The difference between rituals lies in the social and cultural conditions of their formation, sacralized objects of worship. It can be traced visually on the example of pilgrimage in pagan, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim cultures. Despite some features and differences, in its organization and realization, the pilgrimage plays a significant role in mass exchange of knowledge and cultural experience between the people of different religions. Pilgrimage promotes expanded idea of the overall world view, determines cultural worthiness.DOI 10.14258/izvasu(2018)2-23

Life history of a large flake biface

Bifaces, primarily handaxes and cleavers, are the hallmark of the Acheulian techno-complex lithic industry. They spread across Africa and Eurasia during the Early to Middle Pleistocene. While many attempts have been made to define and describe the typology and technology of these tools, most focus on a single stage in their manufacture and usage, from quarry to discard. These attempts are fragmented, primarily due to the fact that at no single site are all stages of biface manufacture and use represented. An additional factor that appears to impede attempts to present the full “life cycle” of bifaces is the view of all Acheulian assemblages as belonging to a single cultural entity. While all assemblages belong to the same techno-complex, distinct stages and phases should be recognized, each different in typology, technology, and probably also in chronology. This research focuses on the large flake stage of the Acheulian. Data accumulated over many years of research from different regions are analyzed together in an attempt to present a holistic view of the life cycle of a biface. The study of particular Acheulian sites from the Levant and Western Europe enables us to reconstruct all stages of the biface, from raw material exploitation to final discard. The result is a model more comprehensive and precise than those suggested previously for understanding the Large Flake Acheulian.

Albanian Language Is the Key of Proto-Indo-European Languages

The aim of this paper is to research for the role and the operation of Albanian language in Balkans. The Albanian language is spoken by seven million people in the south-western of Balkans. Albanian is a language of the extensive Indo-European family and is thus related to a certain degree to almost all other languages of Europe. Albanian is officially spoken in the Republic of Albania and Kosova. Traditional Albanian settlements can be encountered sporadically elsewhere in Arbansi of Zadar (in Croation); in some cities of Serbia; Macedonia; Montenegro and in the Bulgarian-Greek-Turkish border region. A few Albanian speakers are also to be found in the Ukraine (village in the regions Melitopol' and Odessa) and notably in villages in Bulgarian (in Mandrica). As a geographical and cultural entity, and as a nation, Albania has often been enigmatic. The first document in Albanian language is: Paulus Angelus, 1462 I baptize thee in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Aktywizacja i integracja mieszkańców gminy Konopnica w odniesieniu do mocnych i słabych stron (analiza SWOT)

Artykuł dotyczy aktywizacji i integracji mieszkańców podmiejskiej gminy Konopnica położonej we wschodniej Polsce. Jednym z elementów funkcjonowania sfery społecznej jest sieć organizacji pozarządowych i różnorodnych form współpracy ze środowiskiem NGO, których rozwój przyczynia się do aktywizacji mieszkańców gminy. Działania skupione są na zachęcaniu miejscowej ludności do angażowania się w prace zespołów sportowych, grup artystycznych, kulinarnych oraz kulturalno-edukacyjnych. Środki na działania aktywizujące pozyskiwane są z Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich (PROW na lata 2014–2020).

Signs associated with figurative representations Aurignacian. Examples from Grotte Chauvet and the Swabian Jura

Signs in Upper Palaeolithic art provide an important criterion of assessing cultural affinities or differences. The Swabian Jura in southern Germany and Grotte Chauvet in the Ardèche region in southern France – both inscribed in the list of the UNESCO world heritage - supply the most important examples of Aurignacian art known so far. Of a particular interest in this respect are characteristic types of signs which can be associated with depictions of animals. This paper examines the distinctive ways in which this association is realized in these two regions, including the question which type of signs was employed. Despite of the small data base and the lack of sophisticated statistical tests, this study may help to provide first hints to the question if the Aurignacian groups of the Ardèche and the Swabian Jura, whose areas are linked by important river systems, used similar or different sets of signs and in which animal contexts these signs were used. These results may give indications to what extent these groups were part of the same or different cultural entities and subsequently shared feelings of a common ethnicity and belief-world or not.

The “interior” and the “exterior” in historical China: A re-clarification of the concepts of “China” and the “periphery”

ABSTRACTThe key questions discussed in this article are: What was “China”? What were the “peripheries”? What was the “interior” and what was the “exterior”? The author points out that from Qin-Han dynasties onward, while China’s core remained stable, its peripheries were in constant change. In certain historical periods, some regions became parts of China whereas in other times, they were “foreign”. As such, it is unwise to view and write about China’s past from the present’s perspective. While its borders constantly changing, the “China” established from the Qin-Han periods showed its continuity and stability in areas of political institution, cultural memory and societal construction. While dynasties rose and fell, “China” as a political and cultural entity persisted through the ages. Lastly, the author critiques the current discussions of Sinicization, empire and colonialism in overseas communities and stakes out his own stance on those issues.