Cultural Ethos Research Articles

Philosophy meets culture: How existential reflection and 'Arema Spirit' shape startup bootstrapping strategies?

​​Existential philosophy provides a framework to understand the motivations and strategic decisions of startup founders in navigating uncertainty and limited resources. This study explores the interplay between existential reflection and the 'Arema Spirit,' a cultural ethos in Malang, Indonesia, in shaping financial bootstrapping strategies. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data was collected from 30 creative startup founders through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and qualitative questionnaires. The analysis emphasizes how founders integrate philosophical reflection with local cultural values to balance autonomy, ethical responsibility, and resource efficiency. The findings reveal that existential reflection fosters strategic independence and resilience while the 'Arema Spirit' inspires ethical and community-oriented decisions. This dynamic is encapsulated in the Bootstrapping Existential Reflection Cycle, an iterative framework connecting existential values, bootstrapping practices, and practical innovation. The study highlights the role of cultural identity in entrepreneurial strategy, bridging philosophy, and practice in navigating startup challenges.

Roots and rewards: Exploring the symbiotic relationship between familism and Chinese family business philanthropy

This study examines the profound influence of familism on the philanthropic behaviours of family businesses (FBs) in China, utilising data from A-share listed FBs from 2012 to 2020. Familism, a core cultural ethos in China, not only shapes family dynamics but significantly impacts broader socio-economic activities, including corporate philanthropy. Our findings reveal that the intensity of familism within FBs correlates positively with their philanthropic donations. This relationship suggests that FBs embed familial values deeply within their corporate strategies, thus enhancing their social reputation and contributing to societal welfare. Importantly, this study enriches the literature in the field of culture and corporate finance by illustrating how familism transcends internal business practices to influence community-oriented activities, broadening the understanding of how cultural values shape corporate philanthropy globally.

Sacralizing the Gyil: Myth and Ritual in Dagara Culture

In the Dagara society of north-west Ghana, the gyil stands out as the principal musical instrument. Its revered place in Dagara culture is deeply rooted in its mythical origins. This article explores the profound connection between the instrument’s myth and the rituals that accompany the construction of a new gyil. The article underscores the crucial role of this myth in elevating the gyil to a sacred emblem in the Dagara cultural ethos. It is essential to understand that this sacredness is not a vague or detached idea. It is actualized and continually echoed through specific ceremonies carried out after crafting the instrument. Such ceremonies infuse the gyil with a symbolic depth that transcends its tangible structure, shaping its roles and symbolic connotations in the wider Dagara societal framework. In sum, the intertwined relationship of myth and rituals sanctifies the gyil, amplifying its importance and enriching its cultural significance within society.

From superhero to Super Sikh: (re)constructing Sikh identity in Super Sikh comics

ABSTRACT Superhero comics established their distinctive literary conventions and narrative patterns which have been further widely adapted to create new superhero characters in different cultural contexts. Although superhero comic books have been extensively read across cultures, the Sikh community has recently discovered their pedagogical potential in disseminating the Sikh theological values and cultural ethos to Sikh children, and familiarising the western public with Sikh history and traditions. This paper analyses how superhero traditions are appropriated to create a Khalsa template of the Sikh superhero, Super Sikh, and the distinctiveness of Khalsa Sikh identity is highlighted and differentiated from the Muslim identity to address the issue of ‘mistaken identity’ hate crimes in the aftermath of 9/11.

Global Health Governance and International Law in India: A Socio-Legal Study

India is a culturally and historically rich nation. India has hosted several ancient civilizations that differed greatly from one another in many aspects of life due to its large geographic expanse, varied climate, and unique environmental conditions. India boasts a vast diversity and cultural ethos that is unmatched in comparison to other regions of the world, encompassing a wide range of faiths, dialects, cuisines, climates, cultures, and social systems. It is a well-established truth that health problems existed wherever there were humans. Given that India is the starting point of early organised communities and historical civilizations, it is evident that healthcare and health were prevalent there long before. Since the beginning of time, historical texts have been filled with references to a wide range of health-related topics. An attempt will be made to conduct a study on court rulings and reports of the Government of India in the proper places in order to support the proposed study and determine how the law pertaining to the right to health is being implemented. Thus, the study's technique, which is an analytical doctrinal approach, has been used.

Assessing the Use and Diversity of the Common Ethnomedicinal Flora of Pangi- A Cold Desert Region of North-West Himalayas

Pangi -a dry temperate region of north-west Himalayas, is known ordnance of aromatic & medicinal plants and conventional knowledge coupled with these plants. Rich traditions and philosophy are deeply imbued in the cultural ethos of the natives while the modernity still eludes them, signalling a good scope for ethnobotanical studies. The inhabitants of the Pangi valley use various plant parts for curing different diseases like cough & cold, fever, burns, joint pains and stomach troubles besides using them for making household articles and in religious rites. The present study deals with twenty major medicinal plants used by the natives of the Pangi valley to cure a variety of ailments as the orthodox health care system practised by the local healers (Vaidyas). On extensive review of relevant research literature it was revealed that the use of these plants was never recorded before and hence the present investigation qualifies as a pioneering endeavour. The traditional herbal medicine is still the most prevalent system in the area while the modern health care systems are slowly creeping in.

Cultural Stereotypes, Female Identity and Postcolonial India: Re-reading Anita Desai’s Voices in the City

Anita Desai’s Voices in the City has been criticized by European critics as a portrait of a joyless, ‘monster city’ called Calcutta and by Indian critics as an artistic failure for its ‘out of place’ female characters. However, the forms of conservatism and domination have been questioned by postcolonial and feminist theories. These theories teach us to respect difference and heterogeneity as against the sexist and colonist tendency to ‘reduce the difference to a single identity. his paper attempts to re-read Voices in the City through the lens of postcolonial and feminist theory to explore that Desai’s female characters who ‘go in the opposite direction’ and ‘not average’ are modern Indian women. They struggle for self-definition by defying the cultural stereotypes rooted in ancient Hindu religious scriptures, mythology, and ancient legal codes. They are reflected in cultural nationalism and socioeconomic spheres of pre- and post-Independence India. As a modern, ‘purely subjective’ writer Desai is aware of the various cultural, social, and economic impediments faced by her women characters in their quest for identity and self-hood and records meticulously the victimization of Hindu, educated, urban, middle-class women in postcolonial India as well as their various modes of protest against patriarchy and fundamentalism thereby “creating a new feminist ideology in Indian literature written in English” and reconstructing female identity in post-colonial India (Mann, 1995, p.156). The paper also tries to find out the relationship between cultural ethos and gender discrimination in India which serves as a background to the narratives of Desai’s female characters.

Guiding organizations toward sustainable success: The strategic role of leadership in environmental corporate governance in the wine industry

AbstractOur natural environment is suffering the consequences of the current highly dynamic and competitive social and economic conditions that force people and firms to mainly focus on economic outputs rather than in reducing their impact on the environment. In this context, environmentally aware leaders can play a key role in driving the development and implementation of sustainable practices within organizations, as well as the development an adequate organizational culture that promotes the engagement of its members. The objective of this research is to empirically evidence the influence of green transformational leadership on green performance, as well as the mediating role of green organizational culture and green engagement in this relationship. The results provide empirical evidence on the positive influence of green transformational leadership on green performance, as well as about the mediating variables raised, which has interesting practical, political and theoretical implications, related to the strategic management of firms, the promotion of environmental sustainability in corporate governance and industry standards, and the broader understanding of sustainable leadership in the academic sphere. Thus, this study provides a roadmap to embrace a leadership model that prioritizes environmental sustainability, advocating for a collective journey toward a sustainable future where leadership, culture, and commitment coalesce into a formidable force for environmental sustainability. It is concluded that there is a need for a paradigm shift where leadership integrates sustainability into the ethos of organizational culture.

The conflicting ethos of culture: semiotic discourse

The conflicting ethos of culture: semiotic discourse

Vocal Techniques and Musical Literacy in the Singing of Chinese Gu Shi Ci Art Songs

Chinese Gu Shi Ci art songs are a genre that combines ancient Chinese poetry with music, reflecting profound emotional depth and cultural ethos. The primary objective is to investigate the integration of vocal techniques and musical literacy in the performance of Chinese Gu Shi Ci art songs. The study conducted at Nanchang University and the China Conservatory of Music involved interviews and observations with five key informants: professors, vocal coaches, professional singers, music educators, and opera performers. Data analysis included transcribing interviews, coding for recurring themes, and cross-referencing observational data. The findings reveal that precise vocal techniques, such as breath control and tone modulation, and a deep understanding of the poems’ contexts significantly enhance performance authenticity and emotional resonance. The study underscores the need for an integrated curriculum in music education that combines technical skills with cultural and literary education. It suggests incorporating historical context modules, technical workshops, interdisciplinary approaches, performance analysis, and practical opportunities to foster a comprehensive understanding of Gu Shi Ci art songs. This approach can deepen students’ appreciation and ensure the rich cultural heritage of these songs continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.

Hair Discipline in Singapore: Aesthetics, Morality, and Gender

ABSTRACT In the 1970s and 1980s, several Asian governments, including those of Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan, enacted varying measures to proscribe long hair on men. Singapore’s government was no exception in this regard, barring even longhaired global male celebrities from entry. Adopting a social semiotic perspective, this article traces the vicissitudes of the male hairscape in Singapore from the colonial period to contemporary times, with a view to uncovering its differential indexical meanings. It argues that the stigmatization of long hair was part of a moral-aesthetic regimen of hair hygiene that fashioned shorthaired men as poster boys of a young, disciplined, and aspirational nation, while longhaired men were discursively constructed as a bad influence and the archnemesis of a desired work culture and social life. Men’s hair, then, was not an innocuous sign with an organic meaning, but a loaded signifier for a cultural ethos tied to shifting social imperatives.

Effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution in resolving investment disputes in developing countries: Analysis of ICSID cases in Indonesia and Nigeria

This article analyzes the impact of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) on improving the investment environment in Indonesia. Indonesia seeks to enhance legal certainty and create a favorable climate for investors, both local and foreign, by incorporating Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) into its legal system. This will provide an efficient and non-judicial method for settling investment issues. This approach is further solidified by the state's adoption of the ICSID Convention via Law No. 5 of 1968, which provides a dependable arbitration mechanism for the resolution of disputes involving foreign investors and the state. The convergence of ADR principles and ICSID regulations not only corresponds to global benchmarks but also reflects the cultural ethos of "musyawarah mufakat" in Indonesia, which advocates for peaceful resolutions. Attracting investment, sustaining economic growth, and participating in regional and global trade frameworks are all dependent on these legal mechanisms being successful. There are far-reaching consequences for Indonesia's long-term economic development, and this research emphasizes the critical significance of legal frameworks in preserving investor trust.

Searching for Chinese Song Dynasty fans related to cultural dimensions

This study examines the formation of fan culture in China during the Song Dynasty, focusing on the cultural expressions inherent in fan making. With the aim of exploring the fan culture of the Song Dynasty, qualitative research methods and descriptive analysis were employed. The cultural dimensions under investigation include connotations, beliefs, lifestyles, aesthetics, materials, and craftsmanship. To conduct this investigation, the researcher visited the Guangdong Provincial Museum and the Guangdong Provincial Arts and Crafts Mall, where a variety of fans were studied and analyzed for their design and usage patterns. The Song Dynasty in China integrated fan-making with the prevailing culture of the era. Through both practical function and distinctive design, the art adorning the fan faces showcased a wealth of calligraphy and painting from Song Dynasty culture. Over generations, this amalgamation evolved into a unique art form. During the Song Dynasty, fan culture thrived, with fan painting transcending mere decoration to become a distinct genre of painting and calligraphy. Artists of the period often utilized the fan's shape as a canvas, showcasing a diverse array of subjects and an exquisite artistic style. Both in design and production, fan makers of the Song Dynasty achieved remarkable levels of artistry. Fans were crafted from a variety of materials and in different shapes, including Paper Fans, KeSiTuan Fans, and Round Silk Fans, each exhibiting round, square, or hexagonal forms, respectively. The paintings and calligraphy adorning these fans were exceptionally refined, frequently executed by renowned artists such as Su Shi, Mi Fu, and Wen Tong, whose works adorned fan surfaces commonly. These artworks not only demonstrated the artists' skill but also reflected the aesthetic and cultural ethos of Song Dynasty society.

Organizational Design and Work Culture

The relationship between work culture and organizational design has drawn a lot of attention in the modern corporate environment as a success factor for organizations. This abstract explores the mutually beneficial link between these two components and explains how their alignment promotes creativity, output, and worker engagement. The framework that governs the division of labour, roles, and duties inside an organization is known as organizational design. It establishes decision-making procedures, communication routes, and hierarchies. In addition to being effective, a well-designed organizational structure may also be adjusted to the changing needs of the market. At the same time, an organization's work culture encompasses the rules, beliefs, and behaviours that are common within it. It represents the general way of thinking, feeling, and doing things in work. A dynamic workplace culture fosters a feeling of community, promotes teamwork, and increases worker happiness. When it comes to organizational design The alignment of work culture and organizational design becomes a critical success factor in the pursuit of organizational excellence. This abstract delves deeper into this relationship and clarifies practical ways that firms can successfully align their structural frameworks with their cultural ethos. The understanding that organizational design and work culture are dynamic phenomena shaped by interconnected influences rather than static entities is at the core of this alignment. Because of this, promoting alignment calls for a comprehensive strategy that recognizes the complex interactions between structure and culture. An essential tactic is to perform a thorough analysis of organizational structure and workplace culture. This means assessing both cultural elements like values, norms, and communication as well as structural elements like hierarchies, workflows, and decision-making processes.

Art and Architecture: North India and South India

The centuries between the eighth and the thirteenth stand out rather prominently from the point of view of the making of cultural traditions in India. The most arresting feature of these traditions is regionalism, which gets reflected in every sphere, whether it be the formation of political power or the development of arts or the transformations in languages and literature or even religious manifestations. In very general terms, the emergence of regional cultural units such as Andhra, Assam, Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, etc. was the outcome of significant material changes. The pace of agrarian changes and the developments in the non-agrarian sector were setting the tone of feudal socio-economic formation. The political structure was deeply affected by these developments. It should, not, therefore, surprise us if the cultural ethos too got permeated by similar strains. The Mudrarakshasa, a play written in Sanskrit by Vishakhadatta and generally ascribed to the fifth century, speaks of different regions whose inhabitants differ in customs, clothing and language. The identity of some kind of sub-national groups is recognized by the Chinese pilgrim Hieun-Tsang who visited India in the first half of the seventh century and mentions several nationalities. The Kuvalayamala, a Jain text of the eighth century and largely concerned with western India, notes the existence of 18 major nationalities and describes the anthropological character of sixteen peoples, pointing out their psychological features and citing the examples of their language. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana, ascribed to the thirteenth century Bengal explicates deshabheda — differences based on regions/territories. This feature is reflected in art and architecture as well. We see the emergence of various regional traditions and it was during this time that different architectural languages such as Nagara, Dravida and Vesara matured. In this research article begin survey by looking at the various types of architectural styles and art traditions.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ART AND DESIGN THROUGH NEW-AGE MEDIA

Culture is a broad-spectrum term commonly used to identify habits of a heterogeneous social groups which develop in a specific geographic location. It is evidently reflected through the various art practices, be it visual or performing arts, or artifacts created by the artisans. They have become an integral part of the cultural ethos. India is a country rich in such diverse treasure of cultural practices through art. Artisans have also migrated beyond their original geographical boundaries to diversify the reach of the art. It is an important cultural asset which helps to preserve the culture and heritage of a community or the skill-sets of the artisans. Our ancestors have been preserving this culture of storytelling through the art forms which show a perspective of life. They also contribute to the livelihood of the craftsmen, thus contributing to the economy of the country. There is beauty in promoting cultural diversity; people learn new skills from other cultural groups and encourage innovation through various art forms and designs. In the contemporary era of technology, modernization and globalization, the traditional art forms are fading away. Sustainability of these valuable these art forms is a concern today. Purposes and functionality of these art practices have also diversified. The study creates new objectives through cultural diversity and designing new products for sustainable development in art and design. The article discusses some aspects of technological intervention in these art practices that can help sustain these heritages. Thus diversification of media, purpose and an involvement of the young generation can help to preserve the social cultural ethos of our country.

Translating Ramayana

Embedded contexts and improvisations in bhasha Ramayanas with its nuances of plurality attribute to its influences of respective linguistic and culture of multinational and multicultural countries: Ram-story of Ramayana, considered primarily a work of smriti , has travelled a long journey in the land of multilingual and heterogeneous cultural spheres. Indian bhashas – Assamese, Thamizh, Malayalam, Oriya, Bengali, and so on – have rendered Rama-katha within the very Indian society under different paradigms which have overshadowed the original, i.e. Valmiki’s Ramayana in Sanskrit. In lieu of assimilation of original text in another language that relevant translation promotes, bhasha Ramayanas presents different renderings or retellings , instead of variants or versions of Valmiki, colored with heterogeneous cultural ethos. Discussing three bhasha Ramayana(s) – 12th century Kampar’s Ramavataram in Thamizh , 15th century Krttivasi Ramayana or Sriram Pacali in Bengali, and 16th century Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi – this essay explores social and literary function of translation strategies in its poly-lingual and multinational world. Questioning the idea of original and relevant Ramayana, it also reflects on how bhasha Ramayanas co-exist in multilingual and multicultural society with its distinguished autonomy and differences. The tripartite comparative project of this article critically investigates their structures, sequential arrangements, bhasha cultural color, and story overlaps. It also calls attention to coalescence of Rama-story through plurilingual renderings with respect to its pluricultural valences in South Asia. Focusing on the polyvalences, it also argues that such retellings problematize the relevance of a genuine translation by questioning translational canonical principles for bhasha texts.

Translation of Poetry: A Study of Translatability of Pragmatic and Cultural Elements

Poetry is a genre that states more in a few words because much of it is cultural content that is assumed to be comprehended by the reader(s). This very characteristic of poetry of being rooted in cultural ethos makes its translation complex and even "untranslatable." Imr-ul-Qais’s Muallaqa is an Arabic classic which has been a symbol of the shared Arab identity, values, and magnanimity. In addition to its unsurpassed poetic brilliance, it is an epitome of the culture of the pre-Islamic Arab world. There are many translations of this masterpiece into English, though each is unique in terms of interpretations, liberties, and constraints. This study examines three prominent translations of Imr-ul-Qais's Muallaqa by Arberry, Johnson, and Mumayiz with reference to Venuti's (1995) dichotomy of domestication and foreignization. The aim is to identify translators’ strategies in tackling the translational challenges, as well as the implications thereof, in order to bridge the linguistic and cultural divide as well as if and what is the nature of the loss of meaning in the process. Results showed that Arberry aims for a poetic rendition in blank verse, focusing on semantic and syntactic fidelity rather than rhyme and meter. Johnson employed transposition and modulation, resulting in a more prosaic translation that lacks the Arabic ethos. Both translators leaned towards domestication, prioritizing English comprehension over retaining the original sentiment. Mumayiz, a native speaker of Arabic, provides a more rhythmic translation, with greater effort to provide English readers with insights into the original text, hence leant more on foreignization than domesticaion.

Quest for Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens: A Socio-Legal Perspective

In Indian cultural ethos, parents’ care and well-being have been children’s priority in the well-understood family system. With the fast-changing life pattern, it has become necessary to deliberate on providing care and protection to parents and senior citizens in contemporary society. When individuals fail in fulfilling their pious and legal obligations towards parents, then it is the state that steps in the way and provides maintenance and looks after the well-being of the senior citizens through a formal legal system. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 is the legislation that provides a legal mechanism for the maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens. This paper exhibits a debate on personal and public laws where certain pious, proprietary, and legal obligations of a son, grandson, and great-grandson, if not obeyed, then the public law enters the family affairs and provides due legal protection to parents and senior citizens. Further, in this paper, the authors attempt to analyse the legal provisions and judicial pronouncements on the maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens within family relations, failing which a formal legal mechanism as provided by the state in the said Act takes care of parents and senior citizens. At the end of the paper, the authors attempt to suggest suitable solutions to provide maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens, from the socio-legal perspective.

RESEARCH ON TOURIST SATISFACTION AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTION IN ECOLOGICAL HEALTH TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN BAMA, GUANGXI BASED ON STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL

This study endeavors to delve into the intricacies of tourist contentment and proclivities in the realm of ecological health tourism activities within Bama, Guangxi. An exploration of the intricate structural relationships is undertaken, unraveling the quintet of variables encompassing tourists' engagement in Bama's ecological health tourism - namely, the effects of activities, the experiential facet of activities, the pecuniary dimension of activities, coupled with tourist satisfaction and behavioral intent. Employing the methodological framework of constructing a structural equation model, this study leverages IBM SPSS 23.0 software to execute correlation analyses across various variables, including demographic information statistics, reliability and validity metrics. Survey research orbits around the quintet of variables. The findings illuminate that the experiential tapestry woven by tourists partaking in ecological health tourism activities exerts a conspicuously affirmative influence on both their satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Conversely, the financial investment made by tourists in ecologi cal health tourism activities manifests a counteractive impact on their satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Evidently, heightened tourist activity experiences and diminished costs conduce to the facilitation of tourists' aspirations for individualistic tourism activities, thereby enhancing travel satisfaction and behavioral intent. Nevertheless, the potency of tourists' activity effe cts on tourist satisfaction remains suboptimal. Consequently, it is proffered that the propagation of health care paradigms be fortified, coupled with the augmentation of activity experience design. Further, the optimization of cost structures and the enhancement of resource utilization efficiency are recommended, alongside ameliorating activity effects and steering behavioral intent. This comprehensive approach is anticipated to immerse tourists more profoundly into the local ethos of longevity culture, thereby fostering the robust and sustainable evolution of longevity tourism in Bama.