Cultural Features Research Articles

A parameter to featuring the cultural landscape genes of traditional settlements in China: a perspective of geographical information

Creative transformation and innovative development of traditional cultures is a pressing social need in China because of the deep reform and rapid socio-economic developments. It is crucial to understand the natural features of cultural landscapes of traditional settlements because they are indispensable components of these heritages. Although there are significant findings on the cultural features of traditional settlements, people still face substantial difficulties in using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to directly handle their cultural factors due to a lack of theoretical models or described methods. To address this issue, at first, this study analyzed the component elements and contents of Cultural Landscape Genes of Traditional Settlements (CLGTS) from the perspective of Geographical Information (GI). Then, the concept “Feature Parameter of Geographical Information of CLGTS (FPGI-CLGTS)” was proposed based on the above. Simultaneously, the connotations, identification rules, and mathematical meanings of FPGI-CLGTS were also explored deeply. Next, this study developed the identification methods of FPGI-CLGTS. Finally, this study examined FPGI-CLGTS through an experiment on the spatial layouts CLGTS of six samples in Hunan, China. Through this study, FPGI-CLGTS has enormous potential to reveal the critical cultural features and values of traditional settlements.

Scent, Art and Astronomy: New Light on Tang Incense Spheres and Their Global Connections

This paper explores the cultural and scientific connections between China, India and Iran through examining a specific type of incense burner with a gimbal device. Similar artefacts have been found in Tang China (618–907 ce), Seljuk (1037–1194 ce) and Mamluk (1250–1517 ce) Central/West Asia, and Renaissance Europe, while textual references complicate the historical narrative. Additionally, the structural resemblance of the object to an armillary sphere and its inner gimbal device add scientific significance. By examining these objects in connection with each other, and thoroughly analysing the relevant sources, this paper argues for an earlier and continuous circulation of these artefacts. It pays close attention to the cultural significance and material features of Tang incense spheres, revealing them as multicultural items potentially influenced by Persian and Central Asian production or importation.

Cultural Dynamics in the Levantine Upper Paleolithic, ca. 40–33 ky BP: Insights Based on Recent Advances in the Study of the Levantine Aurignacian, the Arkov-Divshon, and the Atlitian

The chrono-cultural sequence of the Levantine Upper Paleolithic went through several major revisions during approximately a century of focused research, each revision contributing to shedding light on the mosaic of cultural entities and the complex social and cultural dynamics composing the Levantine Upper Paleolithic. The current state of research suggests the co-inhabitance of two cultural groups: the Early Ahmarian and the Levantine Aurignacian. Two other cultural entities, the Arkov-Divshon and the Atlitian, are regarded as younger manifestations and were tentatively suggested to relate to the Levantine Aurignacian. This paper presents a research synthesis of two case studies: Manot Cave, located in western Galilee, Israel, and Nahal Rahaf 2 Rockshelter in the Judean Desert. The application of high-resolution excavation methods, alongside detailed documentation of the stratigraphy and site-formation processes and wide-scale radiocarbon-based absolute dating, marked these sites as ideal for chrono-cultural study through the analyses of flint industries. The results indicate a clear distinction between the Levantine Aurignacian and the Arkov-Divshon/Atlitian industries and a chronological overlap between the Arkov-Divshon, Levantine Aurignacian, and possibly with the Early Ahmarian. Subsequently, we suggest another revision of the currently accepted chrono-cultural model: not two, but at least three cultural entities co-inhabited the Levant at ca. 40–30 ky cal BP. This study further suggests an evolvement of the Atlitian flint industries from the Arkov-Divshon and stresses the foreign cultural features of the Levantine Aurignacian. These results were used to construct an updated model of migration and possible interaction patterns.

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROCK MUSIC IN UKRAINE: THE SEARCH FOR CULTURAL IDENTITY

The aim of the article is to carry out an attempt to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the musical-aesthetic, socio-cultural, cultural-historical prerequisites for the development of rock music in Ukraine, which influences the musical-aesthetic thesaurus, forms the aestheticosphere, value orientations and, ultimately, determines the national-cultural identity of a young person. It is worth proving that musical culture, including the rock industry, has become the embodiment of musical ideals and mental and ideological attitudes of the Ukrainian music lover, which in turn influenced the processes of national identification and left a characteristic imprint on the ethnonational mentality and musical culture as a whole. The methodology of the research consists in the synthesis of art and cultural approaches to the study of the phenomenon of rock music in the Ukrainian art space, in the use of dialectical methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization and interconnection of cultural identity with the musical culture of the Ukrainian nation. The scientific novelty lies in the theoretical comprehension of the vocal and instrumental art of rock music in Ukraine as a phenomenon of musical cultural genesis and a form of national and cultural identification, in the implementation of cultural and artistic reflection on this genre and style variety. For the first time, the retrospection of Ukrainian rock music is presented in the context of cultural and historical processes of national identification. Through the prism of the author's approach, rock music appears as the embodiment of artistic and aesthetic ideals and mental and ideological trends, leaving a characteristic imprint on the processes of national and cultural identification, ethno-national mentality and the musical culture of Ukraine in general. The studied material allowed us conclusions that the formation and development of domestic rock music covers four stages. The four stages of the functioning of domestic rock music, which we have studied, contributed to the search for national and cultural identity, focused on the national aspect of the rock industry. In turn, this influenced the formation and cultivation of national features in rock music and musical culture as a whole, namely: in the introduction of the Ukrainian language as "fashionable" in the youth rock environment, in authentic intonation inclusions in arrangements, rock compositions, in the names of works and bands; in the use of folk traditions, folklore themes, regional motifs, dialects in vocal and instrumental rock sound of Ukrainian origin. These musical, aesthetic and cultural features of the national rock music contributed to the establishment of national and cultural identity, the popularization of the Ukrainian segment and the entry of the national musical culture into the world art space. The materials of this article were tested by the author in the process of teaching the course "Modern Popular Estradna Music" in the structure of secondary and higher music education and as a special course in out-of-school art education. A manuscript of the textbook of the same name has also been prepared, where domestic rock music is presented as a trigger and a business card of the national, cultural and musical identification of Ukraine.

Is culture essential to race?

I argue that culture is not essential to race by considering the strongest and most persuasive contemporary articulation of the view that culture is essential to race—that provided by Chike Jeffers I then argue for the possibility of conceiving of race without adverting to culture by presenting the minimalist conception of race I developed in Rethinking Race as an example of a conception of race that makes no reference to culture. I next show how the ancestry-related features of culture that might be thought to be racial but fall outside of the minimalist race can be captured in a minimalist conception of ethnicity. I finally explain why we are better off conceiving of race in a way that does not advert to culture and conclude.

“Hip Hop and the Televisual Global South: Atlanta and Sintonia”

In recent years, audiences in the United States and around the globe have witnessed an explosion of television and streaming content focused on hip hop. Such content contemplates, historicizes, promotes, and represents the art form, artists, industry, and regional genres that have together emerged as a central feature of contemporary popular culture. This article explores the spatial and thematic links to the theoretical Global South in Atlanta and Sintonia. Analyzing the series’ respective portrayals of race and inequality from the margins, I examine how hip-hop/ funk and the Global South function as narrative tools and symbolic spaces through which notions of a shared precarity stemming from global flows of capital are constructed, consumed, and challenged. By considering the series’ connections to the Global South, this article contributes to a growing body of work that aims to move beyond research that centers the west and the nation-state.

Developing an inclusive culture in the organization

The article discusses the features of an inclusive culture at two levels: the economy and the organization, and defines the concepts of «inclusive culture of an organization» and «inclusive leader». The author aims to analyze the main aspects related to the formation of an inclusive culture, which involves the development of the principles of equality and diversity. The work provides data confirming the need to introduce the principles of inclusiveness into the practice of Russian enterprises and organizations and presents conclusions about the impact of an inclusive culture on the effectiveness of the organization.

Linguistic and cultural features of the concept of «Beauty» in russian, english and karakalpak languages

This article describes the ways of expressing the concept of "beauty" in Russian, English and Karakalpak paremiological units, describes the corresponding linguistic means and reveals their linguistic and cultural features. The definition of the concept as a linguistic and cultural concept is given and a conclusion is drawn based on examples of the implementation of the concept of "beauty" in Russian, English and Karakalpak examples.

Digital economy and education in China: globalisation and cyber sovereignty

The article studies the socio-cultural specifics of digitalisation of public administration system, economy, and education of China. With the help of historical and philosophical, comparative, and hermeneutic methods alongside with the analysis of secondary sources and statistical information, the authors examine the socio- cultural features of Chinese strategy of digital breakthrough and the impact this strategy may have on the global world. The following problematic areas of digitalisation have been identified: transparency of public administration system that is relevant to the Zeitgeist and demanded by the population versus strict state control over various spheres of life; the global Internet versus cyber sovereignty; maintaining a balance between internationalisation and localisation of Chinese education. Several potential spheres of influence on the international community have been highlighted: world-class standardisation; demand for Chinese education (including education in the field of public administration) in the global market for educational services; development of artificial intelligence due to national peculiarities of China (a huge volume of domestic data, the possibility of mass implementation of developments, financial capabilities of the country). Special attention is given to the problem of cyber sovereignty. Within its framework, three main types of security that the Chinese information sphere concentrates on are analysed: computer, cognitive, information and psychological

Development of Students’ Economic Literacy during their Education

Setting the problem. Modern society needs economically educated and well-mannered community members. Currently, the teacher should able to work in conditions of uncertainty. He must be prepared for professional activity in constantly renewing and transforming educational environment. The success of a teacher in carrying out his professional activities cannot be ensured only by having developed professional competences. One needs knowledge and skills in other areas, e.g., managerial, economic, legal, digital. All this allows to carry out economic education of students while teaching them a specific academic discipline. The purpose of the article is to identify the theoretical foundations and to propose one of the approaches in developing the economic competence of a teacher during university training that allows to develop economic literacy among students. Methodology (materials and methods). The study of scientific works, regulatory documents in the field of education, a survey of teachers, students, parents, heads of educational organizations made it possible to identify and justify the need to develop the economic competence of a teacher in the framework of university training. It also helped to specify the content and features for the implementation of this competence development. The article shows various approaches to developing students’ economic and financial literacy that the teacher uses in his professional activities. Research results. The article examines the prerequisites and identifies the features of the economic culture and literacy on the level of society and a person. Solving this problem can allow the new generation of Russians to develop the ability to quickly respond to changes in the world, to form a holistic understanding in the system of economic relations, and functioning mechanisms of socio-economic institutions. The article reveals the essence and the structure of economic competence and literacy of a teacher, that will allow him to form students’ economic literacy in the course of his professional activities, when teaching a specific academic discipline. Conclusions. The study has proved the need to develop economic literacy among students in the process of teaching a specific subject at school as it will help successful socialization in modern society.

THE SOMATIC CULTURAL CODES IN THE STUDY OF ENGLISH, RUSSIAN AND UZBEK PHRASEOLOGISMS

This article is devoted to the study of somatic phraseological units, which allows us to identify their main factors in the Uzbek, Russian and English languages. Linguists and researchers have studied the cultural codes in phraseology and highlighted their various classifications. The issue of categorizing phraseology into cultural codes plays an important role in revealing the national landscape of the world. FBs belonging to one of the cultural codes can also be related to other cultural codes, thus revealing the integrity and hierarchy, i.e., gradation, inherent in the semiotic system of language. This research paper focuses on the issues related to somatic phraseology in Uzbek, English and other cultural codes in Russian, identifying their equivalents and providing appropriate translation. The purpose of this paper is to study somatic units and identify their similarities and differences in Uzbek, Russian and English. A distinctive feature of somatic phraseology is the presence of many similarities in the figurative orientation of collocations in the languages. This feature sharply distinguishes SPhU from other thematic groups. The use of names of body parts in PhU is explained by the fact that when naming a new object, a person, first of all, relies on the association with what he knows and is familiar with. First of all, a person compares himself/herself with himself/herself, and his/her body parts with the things that surround him/her. Studying and comparing PhUs of two or more languages helps to reveal specific features of culture and mentality of different peoples. Sometimes it is possible to identify differences in the thinking of speakers of a particular language. Our study also revealed historical parallels characteristic of the languages being compared.

Governance Capture in a Self-Governing Community: A Qualitative Comparison of the Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Serbo-Croatian Wikipedias

What types of governance arrangements make some self-governed online groups more vulnerable to disinformation campaigns? We present a qualitative comparative analysis of the Croatian and Serbian Wikipedia editions to answer this question. We do so because between at least 2011 and 2020, the Croatian language version of Wikipedia was taken over by a small group of administrators who introduced far-right bias and outright disinformation. Dissenting editorial voices were reverted, banned, and blocked. Although Serbian, Bosnian, and Serbo-Croatian Wikipedias share many linguistic and cultural features, and faced similar threats, they seem to have largely avoided this fate. Based on a grounded theory analysis of interviews with members of these communities and others in cross-functional platform-level roles, we propose that the convergence of three features---high perceived value as a target, limited early bureaucratic openness, and a preference for personalistic, informal forms of organization over formal ones---produced a window of opportunity for governance capture on Croatian Wikipedia. Our findings illustrate that online community governing infrastructures can play a crucial role in systematic disinformation campaigns and other influence operations.

How would you describe a mentally healthy college student based on Chinese culture? A qualitative research from the perspective of college students

BackgroundPromoting college students’ mental health remains a significant concern, necessitating a clear understanding of what constitutes good mental health. Variations in the conceptualizations of mental health across cultures, typically derived from academic and authoritative perspectives, have overlooked insights from laypeople. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of mentally healthy college students within Chinese cultural contexts, emphasizing perspectives provided by college students themselves.MethodsUndergraduates with self-reported mental health scores ≥ 7 were randomly selected for in-depth interviews. The sample (N = 17, 59% female) had a mean age of 20.82 ± 1.33 years and represented diverse regions, backgrounds, and academic fields. Thematic analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data, involving initial coding to identify 168 manifestations of mental health among college students, followed by categorizing them into 18 characteristics through focused coding. These characteristics were then organized into five themes via core coding. The Delphi method was utilized to validate the themes with 3 experts, ensuring the trustworthiness of the final findings.ResultsEighteen characteristics of mentally healthy college students emerged from the interviews, categorized into 5 themes: (1)Value Pursuit (i.e. Having a sense of responsibility and mission and being willing to dedicate oneself to the country at any time.); (2)Life Attitude (i.e. Staying positive and having the ability and quality to cope with hardships.); (3)Interpersonal Ideals (i.e., Showing filial respect to parents appropriately.); (4)Behavior Ability(i.e., Studying diligently and learning well.); and (5)Self-cultivation (i.e., Possessing good qualities advocated by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism coexist harmoniously.). Most of these characteristics directly reflect traditional Chinese culture or culture that has changed with the times. At the same time, some are a reflection of modern Chinese new culture.ConclusionsOn the whole, the characteristics of mentally healthy college students are diverse and with rich connotations, focusing on the individual’s relationship with the country, family, and others, and are good expressions of Chinese cultural features, such as the balance of Yin and Yang, the coexistence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and highlight moral attributes. In essence, these traits hold profound importance in advancing the mental health of Chinese college students.

The Characteristics of the Political Culture of Modern Vietnam

The article examines the complex of historical and cultural conditions which have determined the current state of Vietnam's political culture. The author uses Talcott Parsons' definition of “political culture” and analyzes its main elements in relation to Vietnam. The article presents key aspects of the formation of the political culture of Vietnam, features of the political culture of modern Vietnam, as well as views on the legitimacy of the rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Factors contributing to the preservation of the authoritarian political system were identified, the prospects for possible democratic transition were assessed.

Significant Aspects of Teaching Legal Negotiations to Law Students in Russia

The paper deals with the overview, prioritization and analysis of the elements that are inalienable in legal negotiations and teaching modules of the course on negotiations. An experienced legal negotiating coach keeps in mind a number of vital elements of the course, such as personal ch aracteristics of learners, stylistic patterns and cultural features. The data collected in the research supports the fact that cultural shifts reflected in the statements of negotiators have a direct impact on the negotiation result and often lead to misunderstandings and inability to reach an agreement. For instance, Russian businessmen often unconsciously apply inflexible aggressive integrated strategy of negotiations. Thus, the negotiation course module devoted to cultural awareness and appropriate negotiating strategies development should contain, inter alia, information connected with authentic reactions of negotiators belonging to a particular ethnic group, and this information should be scrutinized and deeply considered. Consequently, it will be useful to apply the priming teaching technique through the comparison and analysis of students’ responsive statements with native speakers’ responsive statements in one and the same simulation which will facilitate mastering successful negotiation skills leading to a package deal beneficial for all parties.

Organizational Ethos: Empact on Work Performance of Employees

The objective of this study is to explore how organizational ethos affects employees' work performance. This study is based on meta-analysis research design and the literature review. Organizational principles, practices, and distinctive features of culture all contribute to the dimension of corporate culture. The foundational element of an organization's ethos is its value system. The corporate ethos fosters professionalism among the employees. Workplace performance was found to be positively impacted by four organizational ethos sub-elements: managing change, attaining goals, coordinating teamwork, and cultural strength. Organizational ethos has a significant impact on the operations, personnel, and productivity of a wide range of services. This study demonstrates that if employees are dedicated and has the same values as their organizations; their performance in attaining organizational objectives will be achieved. To enhance the overall performance of the workforce and the services, managers and executives are encouraged to foster a strong organizational ethos. The study's findings show that organizational ethos has a major impact on employee motivation, develops personal growth, influences communication, and enhances organizational values, group decision-making, and conflict resolution.

Эволюция роли библиотеки в контексте сохранения национальных языков

<p>The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the library institution in the preservation, dissemination and development of national languages. The author attempted a retrospective, comparative, axiological analysis of changes in the image of the library in accordance with the cultural characteristics of different eras. The main attention was aimed at identifying the linguistic and cultural features of library texts. It has been revealed and substantiated that in the ancient East the library served as a sacralized archive of texts mainly in the ancient Sumerian and Assyrian languages. Linguistic texts of ancient Eastern libraries connected sacred meanings and everyday life. In antiquity, lively dialogue and the dialectical development of thought came to the fore, so the library became a place for debate. The libraries of Alexandria, Pergamon, and private collections contained scrolls in different languages, but many of them were professionally translated into Greek. In medieval culture, the library became a library of one book, the Bible, which was copied in Greek and Latin. In the late Middle Ages, books in vernacular languages appeared in libraries, which contributed to the development of the latter. In modern times, the library becomes a way of education and mass dissemination of national literary languages. In the information age, the library acquires the global features of a «universal library»; the boundaries of the virtual and real space of the library are erased. A modern library acquires many functions: it provides information to users, is a place for holding various educational events, and educational games. In modern Russia, the library institution plays a huge role in preserving the languages of the small peoples of our country. Thus, libraries in all eras play an important role in the formation, preservation, dissemination and development of national languages.</p>

РАЗВИТИЕ КРЕАТИВНОГО ТУРИЗМА В РЕСПУБЛИКЕ ТАТАРСТАН С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ ТУРИСТСКО-РЕКРЕАЦИОННОГО ПОТЕНЦИАЛА

Recently, the widespread digitalization of society and the development of the creative economy have led to changes in the structure and value of the goods and services provided. The basis of the creative economy is innovation. To create any new ideas, it is necessary to use a non-standard approach and solutions. The development of creative industries, in turn, has a beneficial effect on economic growth and raises the interaction between consumers and producers to a new level. Creative technologies in tourism are a relatively new direction, as they focus on unique and unusual forms of travel and entertainment. The article discusses the main forms and directions of creative tourism, and also focuses on cultural features that may also interest and attract tourists. The basis for the development of creative tourism on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan is the tourism and recreational potential, which makes it possible to organize completely new routes and fully reflect the rich culture of the republic. Also, the development of creative industries, combined with its potential, will have a beneficial effect on the development of local crafts and deeper mutual understanding and respect for culture and traditions. The article analyzes the tourism and recreational potential using the scoring method of Yu.A. Khudenkikh and assesses the degree of his influence on the development of creative tourism in the Republic of Tatarstan. An analysis is given of existing events that can have an impact and attract new tourists to the territory of the republic.

Engineering culture under stress: A comparative case study of undergraduate mechanical engineering student experiences

AbstractBackgroundEngineering culture research to date has described the culture as rigid, chilly, and posing many barriers to entry. However, the COVID‐19 pandemic provided an important opportunity to explore how engineering culture responds to a major disruption.PurposeThe purposes of this study are to understand how elements of engineering culture emerged in mechanical engineering students' perceptions of their classroom experiences during the pandemic and how their experiences varied across two national contexts.MethodThis qualitative comparative case study examines undergraduate mechanical engineering students' perceptions of their experiences taking courses during the pandemic at two universities—one in the United States and one in South Africa. Semistructured interviews were conducted across both sites with 21 students and contextualized with 3 faculty member interviews. Student interviews were analyzed using an iterative process of deductive coding, inductive coding, and pattern coding.ResultsWe identified two key themes that characterized participants' experiences during the pandemic: hardness and access to resources. We found that students at both sites experienced two types of hardness—intrinsic and constructed—and were more critical of constructed forms of hardness. We found that the South African university's response to facilitating student access to resources was viewed by students as more effective when compared with the US university.ConclusionsWe found that hardness remained a central feature of engineering culture, based on student perceptions, and found that students expressed awareness of resource‐related differences. A key distinction emerged between intrinsic and constructed hardness.

Tang Chang’an poetry automatic classification: a practical application of deep learning methods

Abstract As the capital of Tang Dynasty, Chang’an was one of the most prosperous cities in the world at that time and had a profound influence on Tang poetry. Poets described Chang’an to illustrate the cultural features of the Tang Dynasty while also invoking emotions in readers. The study of Tang Chang’an poetry has important literary and historical value. In order to understand the interpretation and emotional expression of Tang Chang’an poetry more conveniently and clearly, we conducted a study using deep learning to classify Chang’an poetry into four classes: imperially assigned poetry (应制), emotional poetry (感怀), parting poetry (离别), and other poetry (其他). We suggested a comprehensive framework of text classification based on deep learning, including a text input module, feature encoder module, and classification module. We applied several mainstream deep neural network structures to extract features in different ways, which comprised convolutional neural network (CNN), Fasttext, bi-direction long-short-term memory network, and Attention mechanism. Based on our experimental findings, the CNN-based method achieved the best performance for the task. Our inference was that, in Chinese ancient poetry, the analysis of semantic content is more facilitated by local textual features rather than contextual features. We combined this inference with the theory of image in Chinese ancient poetry to analyze the suitability of the deep learning techniques for the study of Chinese ancient poetry.