Cultural Environment Research Articles

Americans’ attitudes towards the U.S. women’s national soccer team

ABSTRACT The United States Women’s National Soccer Team has been the recent subject of public celebration and critique, reflecting responses to the team’s competitive successes and activist efforts amid heightened political polarization in the U.S. Yet while studies have considered fandom of the team or trends in media, no research has examined patterns of public attitude towards the USWNT. We use data from a 2023 national survey of U.S. adults (N = 2,032) to examine public attitudes and their demographic predictors, positioning patterns in context of the cultural and political environment in professional sport. Findings show moderately positive views of the team, with just over half of respondents agreeing that they view the team positively and feel positively about team players as role models. Gender, education, and political orientation predict attitudes in regression models, with men, those with lower levels of education, and political conservatives holding more negative attitudes.

Educational Inequality and Household Dynamics in India: Exploring the Role of Caste Capital

The article uses caste capital as a conceptual tool to analyze educational inequalities by looking at the household-level differences and school differentiation among different caste groups in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Caste capital is the social, cultural, and economic assets associated with the hierarchical ranking of a group, which privileged groups could utilize to take advantage of disprivileged others. This includes an informed and conscious effort to create a cultural environment that values and prioritizes education for social and economic advancement. Based on a field survey at the household level, the findings indicate a strong connection between caste, household type, and school choice. The pattern of educational inequality becomes evident whereby individuals from higher caste backgrounds with more affluent households tend to have better educational opportunities. The findings show how caste hierarchy intersects with school choice, creating a hierarchy of educational opportunities producing and reproducing educational inequalities.

EXPLORING MUSICAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT: PERSPECTIVES FROM STAGE THEORY, SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY, AND A LIFESPAN APPROACH

Music has a profound impact on a person's identity and has a complicated and deep relationship with the self. A psychological concept called "musical identity" includes a variety of elements derived from "personal, social, emotional, and musical competencies." It represents how people behave in a cultural and social context and is influenced by their involvement in music and practice. The study of how people acquire their musical knowledge and skills examines the cognitive, emotional, and social facets of this process. The stage theory by Trevarthen and Malloch, which hypothesizes discrete transitions in musical development across the lifespan, is a well-known framework in this area. Another approach is the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) application by Evans and McPherson, which emphasizes the significance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in forming musical identity. Using a lifelong perspective, Lamont emphasizes the impact of social settings and cultural environments on the negotiation of musical identity. Her work emphasizes the significance of early musical encounters, the influence of formal and informal musical interactions during infancy, and the development of musical identity during adolescence and maturity. Understanding these frameworks advances our knowledge of how musical identities are formed and has implications for music education, therapy, and the encouragement of lifelong musical participation.

From words to wealth: Decoding the language markers and compositions of shop names in Banda Aceh

This qualitative study examines the names of 100 local and independent businesses to study the linguistic diversity and features of the linguistic landscape in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The names here refer to those written in specific languages used in Aceh (Indonesian, Acehnese, English, Arabic, and other indigenous languages spoken in the province). The data was collected from five main roads, capturing the shop names for analysis. The results show that English is the dominant language choice, composing a majority of 45% of signage, showing the influence of globalization and the desire for international appeal. While English appears to convey prestige, some businesses blend it with Indonesian or Acehnese, connecting with local culture and engaging diverse audiences. This deliberate language choice reflects a commitment to cultural preservation and authentic customer experiences. Meanwhile, diverse linguistic combinations, emphasizing global influences, cultural preservation, and strategic branding, were also revealed. The most prevalent linguistic structure of signs is product+X (57%), which highlights product types, followed by place+X (14%) which emphasizes regional or cultural identity. In addition, a name/person’s name+X establishes a personalized connection (6%). Finally, in language markers, shop names reveal globalization’s prevalence and demonstrate efforts to convey a global image. The revitalization marker reflects the commitment to the Acehnese language and cultural pride. Identity markers, which include place, name, abbreviation, product, plant name, and brand, establish trust, familiarity, and resonance, creating a dynamic linguistic and cultural landscape where businesses steer global influences and local heritage to connect authentically with customers. To conclude, shop names in Banda Aceh illustrate a vibrant linguistic and cultural environment where businesses use global influences and local heritage to create meaningful bonds with customers.

High-resolution fully-polarimetric synthetic aperture radar dataset

Abstract Objectives Fully-polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data contain a rich body of elementary scattering physics information that is critically valuable for a broad range of applications and scientific purposes. However, there is a lack of available high-resolution (< 0.3048-m) data available for PolSAR phenomenology research. This article introduces a high-resolution PolSAR data set collected and provided by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The data sets were collected to support studying high-resolution scattering physics from different types of clutter and applications such as polarimetric-based terrain classification. Data description The data set presented consists of 39 200 m × 200 m complex-valued PolSAR image sets with 0.12-m (~ 4.7-inch) resolution and is the result of two different collection campaigns, one campaign in 2013 and the other in 2015. The data sets were collected with SNL’s airborne fully-polarimetric X-band (9.6 GHz center frequency) radar system and contains a variety of natural and cultural clutter environments with scene content ranging from agricultural fields to urbanized areas collected throughout the greater Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. region.

Sports News Media and Coming Out of Lesbian Athletes: Perspective from Non-Western News Outlets

ABSTRACT In May 2019, Dutee Chand became the first Indian athlete to publicly come out as a lesbian while still actively competing. This study conducts a textual analysis of the Indian news media’s coverage of Chand’s announcement, focusing on three major English-language dailies: The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, and The Times of India. As one of the first studies to explore the Indian media’s response to Chand’s coming out, it sheds light on how lesbian athletes are portrayed in non-Western sports media, this one specifically within the Indian context. Chand's public embrace of her sexuality, in a cultural environment often hostile to LGBTQIA+ identities, has broader implications for understanding the media representation of sexual minorities in sports. The findings reveal that Indian news outlets depicted Chand as a rebellious figure but balanced their coverage by supporting her stance and conforming to prevailing social and cultural norms that resist public expressions of non-heteronormative sexualities.

The Impact of Turkish Cypriot Folktales on Middle School Students' Social Skills

Folktales, as products of oral culture, play a significant role in supporting children's language development during their preschool and primary school years. They facilitate children's adaptation to social and cultural environments and contribute significantly to their cultural and educational lives. Additionally, folktales enhance children's social skills, including critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, planning, analysis, and coping with stress. This study aims to investigate how Turkish Cypriot folktales influence the social skills of middle school students. This research highlights the potential of folktales in enhancing children's social skills. A mixed-methods research design was employed to measure the impact of Turkish Cypriot folktales on middle school students' social skills. The study group consists of 56 students attending a private school in the Northern Cyprus. The quantitative data collection tool used was the "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills in Children (MESSY)" scale, and two open-ended interview questions created by the researchers were administered. According to the quantitative data, the intervention of teaching social skills with Cyprus Turkish folktales did not statistically make a difference on the experimental group students. However, the qualitative data revealed that according to the expressions of the participating students, Cyprus Turkish folktales have increased their awareness of social skills such as problem-solving, planning, analysis, and coping with stress.

Si Maqian's Sense of Revenge from the Biography of Wu Zixu

Abstract: In literary history, Si Maqian often appears as the image of a loyal and patriotic character who endures humiliation. The positive tendencies in his personal emotions are infinitely magnified under human control, but the negatively inclined emotions are always shunned because they do not conform to the Confucian laws used by the king for ruling. If we look at Si Maqian as a complete human being, it is impossible for him not to resent the fact that he was alienated by the king and tortured in the palace. This paper mainly discusses Si Maqian's sense of revenge as revealed in the Biography of Wu Zixu, and this study has made the character of Si Maqian more vivid and concrete, taking him away from the saintly state of melancholic concern for his country. It provides a more choice and reference for the future analysis of Si Maqian's authorship; it provides more possibilities for the future analysis of the cultural environment of the Han Dynasty.

THE FUNCTIONING OF COMONYMS IN MODERN SONG TEXTS OF THE TATAR AND MARI PEOPLES

The article is devoted to the analysis of the modern musical and song tradition of the contacting ethnic groups of the Middle Volga region. The main attention is focused on the study of song texts in the Tatar and Mari languages contained in the names of rural settlements of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Mari El. The preservation of a common trend for all ethnic groups, expressed in the unification of thematic groups, the preservation of common features of national and cultural specificity in the performance of musical works, has been established. An archaic pentatonic characteristic of the Tatar song model, borrowed into the Mari folk song, has been recorded. It is confirmed that the basis of the modern Tatar and Mari musical and song culture of the village is the genre of village chant, marking the place of existence of the song and informing about the attribution of the song to a certain locality. There is a direct connection between the village and the rustic motif (chant). The implementation of the village tune is carried out mainly in everyday languages through lyrical songs and “takmak”. “Takmak” (analogous to Russian chastushka), as a legacy of the musical influence of the Turkic-Tatar population of the Middle Volga region, retained its influence on the musical tradition of the Cheremis (Mari) people, which allowed to establish a certain kinship of modern folkish songs of these peoples in rural society. The marking of the geographical affiliation of the song works is provided by toponyms describing the location of a particular locality. Song collections of a consolidated type in the Tatar and Mari languages are presented in printed and electronic versions. A comparative analysis of modern songs, including comonyms, revealed the manifestation of similar features when they are implemented in a natural cultural environment. Most modern folkish songs, both Tatar and Mari, are based on traditional motifs of the small homeland, nostalgia for the rural nativity, love of nature, autobiographical history, memories of past youth and childhood, indicating the characteristic features of the geo-landscape for this territory, as well as linguistic and cultural images based on the motives of sociocommunication – the presentation of the settlement, its residents, outstanding natives, self-presentation, promotion of village traditions, relationships of the multiethnic composition of the village, etc.

Risk Taking in Adolescents and Relevant Factors

Adolescence is a second sensitive period and an important stage for a person to become independent from the family and form self-awareness. Adolescents at this stage of development tend to explore different areas when establishing independence and autonomy. Due to hormonal changes, adolescents may increase the number of risky behaviors, which may have positive or negative effects. This article will examine the key factors that influence adolescent risk-taking behaviors from three distinct perspectives. Firstly, the article will examine the influence of the adolescent's surrounding environment on their risk-taking behavior. It will delve into how the environment shapes the adolescent's personality and if blind obedience leads to risk-taking behavior. Secondly, it will delve into the impact of whether parents encourage their children to develop independent personalities and their role in resolving parent-child conflicts. Lastly, it will delve into how the adolescent's internal patterns shape his or her risk-taking behavior. For example, teens who have a great sense of self-worth are less prone to be swayed by and mindlessly follow their classmates. Low personal self-control is associated with the engagement in risky behavior of adolescents. Future research on adolescent risk-taking behavior should be longitudinal, with more factors integrated and studied at the same time. Moreover, future research should include adolescents growing up in different cultural environments, rather than studying one of them alone.

Expectations regarding school decreases emotional distress among college students in Western China: the buffering role of physical exercises

BackgroundCollege students in Western China face unique economic, cultural, and educational environments, yet limited studies have specifically investigated the factors or interventions concerning emotional distress within this population.AimThis study aimed to explore whether school belongingness mediates the relationship between expectations regarding school and emotional distress among college students in Western China, and whether physical exercise moderates this mediation.MethodsEmploying a cross-sectional design, 1,063 college students in Xinjiang, China were recruited for this study. A self-administered electronic questionnaire assessed expectations regarding school, school belongingness, physical exercise, anxiety, and depression. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze mediating and moderating effects.ResultsExpectations regarding school was negatively associated with emotional distress. School exclusion and school acceptance fully mediated the effect of expectations regarding school on emotional distress. Physical exercise moderated the mediating effect of school exclusion, but not that of school acceptance.ConclusionExpectations regarding school and school belongingness, particularly the exclusion component, emerge as pivotal factors influencing emotional distress among college students in Western China. Furthermore, physical exercise presents itself as a promising targeted intervention for alleviating emotional distress within this demographic.

Health and Healthy Lifestyle Habits in Primary Education: An Analysis of Spanish Autonomous Curricular Decrees Under the Current Education Law (LOMLOE)

The Spanish basic education curriculum, specifically the section on primary education, addresses global challenges and recognizes schools as essential in health education. Healthy lifestyle habits are fundamental due to their impact on health and well-being, especially in children. This study analyzes the integration of health and healthy lifestyle habits in Spanish autonomous curricular decrees using a qualitative documentary analysis and a comparative approach with a statistical/descriptive basis. The corpus includes the 17 autonomous curricular decrees derived from the Organic Law 3/2020 (LOMLOE). The data, derived from the 17 autonomous curricular decrees, were examined using lexical and grammatical analyses, then processed with Atlas.ti 23 software. The results reveal that the dimensions and categories related to health and healthy lifestyle habits focus mainly on physical aspects. In common areas or fields, physical education and knowledge of the natural, social and cultural environment are the most relevant areas for integrating health and healthy lifestyle habits into the framework in this study. However, the current curriculum proposal lacks continuity between curricular elements. In summary, this study represents a step forward in the recognition of the extent to which health and healthy lifestyle habits are established in the curriculum.

Chronotopes of exile and loss in Philip O'Sullivan Beare's Zoilomastix (c. 1626)☆

AbstractThis essay explores the relationship between an early modern exile and his native environment, as depicted in Philip O'Sullivan Beare's unfinished natural history Zoilomastix. Writing by turns in Latin, Spanish and Gaelic from the safety of the Habsburg court, O'Sullivan Beare marshalled Ciceronian rhetoric and Plinian wonder to argue for the conservation of interwoven natural and cultural environments. One of the earliest examples of national historiographies written from exile by erudite Irish figures, Zoilomastix has most often been read in terms of its political theology. Though understandable, such readings obscure O'Sullivan Beare's idiosyncratic treatments of self, state and nature. Additionally, such readings only partially consider the author's attempts to engage with the debates on ethnicity, natural law and resource capture which directed the actions of the English state. Adopting the dialogic framework of Mikhail Bakhtin's chronotope, this essay therefore explores the extent to which the genre of natural history was utilized to inform and influence contested narratives. It argues that O'Sullivan Beare's autobiographical account, and its relevance to the forthcoming ‘loss’ of his Gaelic world, has much to tell us in a time of ecological crisis.

Contested and nervous spaces: exploring the environment of healthcare provision for international migrants in the Gauteng province of South Africa

ABSTRACT Background Notwithstanding the global goal of inclusive universal health coverage, and the notion of migrant-sensitive health systems, limited healthcare access or the exclusion of migrants from national health systems persists. South Africa has a rights-based constitution, but there is an inability or a failure of the health system to recognise and address the health needs of migrants. Objective To explore the intersection of the environment of healthcare provision for migrants and the everyday practices and behaviours of health workers and patients in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Methods The conceptual frameworks of health system responsiveness and social exclusion informed this institutional ethnographic study at 13 healthcare facilities in Gauteng province. We developed an observation guide to explore the intersection of culture and environment and its influence on healthcare provision to patients, especially migrants. Following ethics approval, we observed the facilities for 234 person-days. We used thematic analysis to analyse the data. Results Busy, frantic or nervous spaces, and contestations between patients and health workers, and among health workers formed part of the social and cultural environment of healthcare provision. The presence of migrant patients during busy periods served as a detonator for rude or discriminatory remarks, exacerbated by staff shortages and language barriers. Simultaneously, migrants exercised their agency by rebutting or confronting rude health workers. We also observed encouraging examples of kindness, caring and professionalism of health workers. Conclusion The study has implications for achieving a migrant-sensitive health system in South Africa.

Adverse childhood experiences and ICD-11 complex posttraumatic stress disorder in Poland: a population-based study

ABSTRACT Background: Research on the prevalence of ICD-11-based complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in nationally representative samples is lacking, with no such studies conducted considering national Polish samples until now. Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to explore profiles of study participants in terms of either PTSD or CPTSD symptoms regarding to ICD-11 diagnosis with the aid of latent profile analysis. We also investigated the relationship between the types and cumulative number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with the probability of CPTSD rate in a national sample of Poles. Methods: A representative sample of Polish adults (n = 3,557) participated in this study. ACEs were assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, while the core features of PTSD and CPTSD were measured using the International Trauma Questionnaire. Results: The findings showed a 11% prevalence rate of probable CPTSD in the studied sample of Poles. Sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect and having the experience of a mentally ill household member were the most significant predictors of potential diagnosis. Furthermore, significant differences concerning lifestyle data were observed in the group of participants with CPTSD. Conclusions: The current rate of probable CPTSD in Poland is substantially higher than the respective data reported for other countries. We also noted that the ICD-11 diagnosis of CPTSD may not apply to all cultural environments. Finally, it was observed that the ACEs – CPTSD association may depend both on the ACEs types as well as on their overall cumulative character.

Practice research in free improvisation

This article focuses on interaction processes during the performance of free improvisation in the jazz idiom, and their correlation to the construction of individual musical identities. In this article, I regard musical identity as an artistic, dynamic and personal process characterized by continual communication, construction and negotiation with the surrounding social and cultural environment. Interaction, just like improvisation, is a fundamental defining element in jazz and free improvisation, playing a crucial role in shaping the musical identity of each musician during their performance. This is presented here as analogous to the moulding of individual identity in our everyday social interactions. This research is based on the author’s active participation in improvisation sessions and interviews with professional jazz musicians based in Lisbon, Portugal. Additionally, it explores how the context of free improvisation, when musical restrictions are minimized, intensifies the focus on the interactive improvisational process. This attribute makes free improvisation an ideal terrain for research on interaction and its relation with musical identity.

Development and Empirical Validation of an Information Technology Acceptance Framework

This paper explores the constructs affecting IT acceptance in modern organisations using theoretical frameworks such as the TAM and the UTAUT models. Realising the drawbacks of such dichotomous models for capturing the dynamics of contemporary IT enablers and use processes, the present study plans to offer and test new antecedent and moderating constructs that may provide a more accurate picture of today’s IT deployment and utilisation. The type of research in the study is the quantitative research method, which is adopted in the study where the researcher adopted a structured questionnaire to be administered to 200 participants across the different sectors of the economy, such as health, education, and business. Hypotheses of primary concern are those related to the construct of IT acceptance, including perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, system transparency, perceived risk, and ethical concerns. The analysis of the data gathered is done using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) because of the possibility of analysing the associations between several variables. Behavioural construct analysis revealed a significant positive correlation with IT acceptance behaviours, with the value of R for the new construct being 0.935 and the R square value being 0.874, which means that newly derived constructs explain a fair percentage of IT acceptance behaviours. The findings, therefore, point out the lack of conventional frameworks in addressing the complex nature of IT use in various organisational and cultural environments. Full-spectrum system requirements in newly developing domains, such as AI, machine learning, and blockchain, require new fundamental concepts regarding user trust, system openness and ethical considerations. This work extends the IT acceptance literature by providing a better view of the determinants of IT uptake in modern organisations. In totality, the validated constructs have practical implications for organisations desirous of adopting new IT systems, particularly highlighting the role of trust and perceived risk and the need for transparency or the adoption of transparency to guarantee user satisfaction rates and consequent adoption of new IT systems. In conclusion, the study points to the need to develop new models that address today’s diverse IT contexts to inform the next generation of IT acceptance and adoption research.

Complementary food hygiene practice and associated factors among mothers with children aged 6–23 months in Dessie Zuria, South Wollo Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia, 2023

BackgroundImplementing appropriate complementary food hygiene practices is essential to lower the incidence of food-borne disease and malnutrition in children. However, this aspect is often overlooked in resource-limited settings, and information regarding these practices is not fully available and is not assessed enough. Therefore, this study aimed to assess complementary food hygiene practices and their associated factors in Dessie Zuria, South Wollo Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia, in 2023.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from 17 April to 18 May 2023, among 366 mothers with children aged 6–23 months. Dessie Zuria was purposively selected, and a systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Data were collected using pretested and structured questionnaires. Finally, the data were entered using EPI-info and then exported to SPSS version 26. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with complementary feeding hygiene practices. Both crude odds ratios (COR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with a 95% confidence level (CI) were computed, and a p-value of <0.05, in the final model, was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe proportion of households practicing complementary food hygiene was 22.22%. Factors associated with these practices included access to media such as television or radio (AOR = 10.51, 95% CI: 2.8, 39.28), starting complementary feeding before 6 months (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.84), and the child’s age being 6 to 11 months (AOR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.7).ConclusionThe prevalence of complementary food hygiene practices was poor. Healthcare professionals should promote starting breastfeeding at the age of 6 months. In addition, media companies ought to make an effort to create a positive social and cultural environment that encourages complementary feeding practices for young children.

Grit Difference in the Association Between Academic Stress and adolescents' Meaning in Life: The Roles of School Burnout and Self-Compassion.

Given the cultural and educational environment with Chinese characteristics, academic pressure on adolescents' meaning in life maybe weak or insignificant, which is contradictory with previous studies conducted in Western countries; yet the influencing mechanisms in the association of academic stress with the meaning in life is rarely explored. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 616 adolescents aging from 12 to 18 in Jiangsu Province, China. The Macro process method was conducted to test the proposed theoretical model. The direct effect of academic stress on adolescent meaning in life was not significant, whereas the indirect effects through school burnout and self-compassion were significant. Specifically, adolescents who suffer from academic stress are more likely to report increased school burnout and reduced self-compassion, which affects their meaning in life. Besides, grit significantly attenuated the influence of academic stress on school burnout. There are indeed some psychosocial mechanisms including school burnout, self-compassion, and grit in the relation between academic stress and the meaning in life. Those findings imply that the advancement and implementation of relevant intervention projects focusing on improving the meaning in life could be realized by reducing their academic stress and school burnout and promoting their ability of self-compassion and grit.

Environmental Factors Affecting Growth of MSME’s Owned by Entrepreneurs with Disabilities in Rural Areas in Kenya: A Case of Meru County

Purpose: In the recent past, the government of Kenya has paid much attention to entrepreneurship primarily because of the positive relationship between entrepreneurship, job creation and economic growth. In Kenya, over 1.3 million Persons live with disabilities with most of them being generally economically deprived and over-represented among the poor. The aim of the study study was to investigate the external business factors affecting growth of MSME’s owned by entrepreneurs with disabilities in rural areas in Kenya: a case of Meru County. Methodology: The target population comprised of 2021 entrepreneurs with disabilities. The researcher used a combination of stratified sampling, census and purposive sampling method to select the respondents. Data was collected by administration of questionnaires designed based on the research objectives. The data collected was then coded, entered, and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings: The findings showed that if all factors; political-legal environment, social –cultural environment and technological environment had a positive and significant effect on growth of MSME’s. Political –legal factors had the greatest effect at 0,882, followed technological at 0.799 while social factors had 0.633. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that the government should provide adequate and timely funding to vocational and technical training institutions. Government funding programs such as Women, Youth and Uwezo fund should increase the minimum loan amount, simplify loan application process and ensure timely disbursement of funds as well as establish strategies of lending to individuals. Finally, a mentorship office should be established in every constituency to offer sector specific programs including activities geared towards exposing EwD’s to successful entrepreneurs.