Cultural Framework Research Articles

Diet and Physical Activity Interventions for People from Minority Ethnic Backgrounds in the UK: A Scoping Review Exploring Barriers, Enablers and Cultural Adaptations.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are a global pandemic, driven by obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity. In the UK, the prevalence of T2D and CVD is higher in minority ethnic groups. Lifestyle prevention interventions can be effective but uptake amongst minority ethnic groups in the UK is low and the extent of cultural adaptations to increase engagement unknown. To explore barriers, enablers and culturally adapted lifestyle interventions in UK minority ethnic groups. Four electronic databases were searched from to January 2013-2023. Two independent reviewers carried out manuscript selection and data extraction. Barriers and enablers were mapped to the Capability + Opportunity + Motivation = Behaviour (COM-B) theoretical model. Intervention adaptations were linked to behaviour change strategies and reported within a Cultural Adaptation framework. Twenty-three studies were included, reporting barriers/enablers, culturally adapted interventions or both. Barriers and enablers mostly mapped to social and physical opportunity, and reflective motivation. Common adaptation strategies considered behavioural influences related to culture, values, religious beliefs and/or traditions. Most impactful strategies were associated with using credible sources of information and reorganising social and environmental contexts. The current umbrella approach to preventative intervention delivery is unlikely to promote sustained participation in behaviour change amongst UK ethnic minorities. Engagement strategies for this population should consider key determinants such as social contexts, beliefs and cultural norms. Important research gaps include interventions investigating tailored interventions for Black populations, and the impact of negative social experiences (e.g., racism) on engagement.

Colonial Entanglements and Ecological Power: Spice Commodification in Dune Movie

This study examines the themes of colonial entanglement and ecological power in the film Dune (2021), focusing on the commodification of the spice "melange" on Arrakis. Using postcolonial ecocriticism and cultural studies frameworks, it explores how the film portrays environmental exploitation and the marginalization of the indigenous Fremen. The analysis reveals how colonial powers, like House Harkonnen and House Atreides, dehumanize and oppress the Fremen, ignoring their ecological knowledge and cultural significance. By drawing parallels to real-world colonial histories, the study highlights the film's critique of environmental degradation and cultural marginalization. It underscores the importance of recognizing indigenous knowledge and rights for sustainable and equitable resource management. This interdisciplinary approach provides insights into the ongoing relevance of colonial power dynamics and resource commodification in contemporary society.Keywords : Dune, Ecocriticism, Colonialism, Exploitation, Cultural Marginalization

The S.E.L.F. Framework for Keeping Children Connected to Their Culture in Out-of-Home Care

ABSTRACT For children entering out-of-home care due to child protection concerns, meaningful connections to family and culture are important and necessary. In this article the complexities of promoting cultural connections for culturally and linguistically diverse children in out-of-home care are explored. Through the use of the settlement, ethnicity, language and faith (S.E.L.F) cultural framework, practitioners and leaders working in the child and family sector can consider the cultural elements of the children in their care. The framework provides questions to explore what culture may mean for families and encourages practitioners to self-reflect on their own cultural assumptions. The framework development has been informed through community of practice reflections and learnings by the authors who have held multiple practice, leadership, and research roles in the child and family sector. IMPLICATIONS The S.E.L.F. framework encompasses curiosity questions that guide the collection of information from children and families to aid in better understanding and enhancing cultural connection practices and to build organisational cultural competency. The framework promotes practitioner critical thinking and reflection on their own cultural bias and assumptions.

UNDERSTANDING THE PORTRAYAL OF TOXIC CHARACTERIZATION IN TAMIL CINEMA FROM A GENDER LENS

The film is an integral part of human lives. The potential of film is beyond the functions of the mass media which are information, education and entertainment. The film media act as an agent of cultural transformation, shaping the perception, forming the ideologies and the like. Watching films with family, friends, and well-wishers has been a channel of emotional association. Watching films with family and friends gives us the liberty to explore our inner self and to share our views about the films and its content with each other. The concept of masculinity and feminity in films is not new but it has its roots in the context of gender and culture. This is a socio-cultural idea which conditions a man and woman with stereo-typical behaviours in order to fit in a predetermined cultural framework. The term toxic refers to the concepts which are harmful to the human wellbeing. This research throws light on the investigation of toxic masculinity and feminity traits and the understanding of these traits among the college going students through films. According to Live Mint (2022) It is revealed that, in the post pandemic period the frequency of theatre goers has increased. The young adults in the age group of 18-29 are the frequent film viewers. Based on the research articles, it is found that in India 15% of the people watch films in the theatre one time in a week. 8% of the people mentioned that they visit the theatre fifteen days once. Understanding the concept of toxic masculinity and feminity in films by the students is the need of the hour. Students are inculcated with the ideologies, behaviours, body language with what they see in the silver screen which subsequently is reflected in their relationships with friends and family members. In this regard, the researchers made an attempt to investigate these concepts from the student’s perspective.

Rethinking Informed Consent as an EPA in Surgery.

Over the past decade, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) have become an important element in the competency-based medical education movement. In this Commentary, the authors explore informed consent as an EPA within resident surgical training. In doing so, they foreground the concept of culture and reexamine the nature of trust and entrustment decisions from within a cultural framework. The authors identify role modeling and professional identity formation as core elements in the training process and suggest that faculty are sometimes better off using these tools than uncritically adopting a formal EPA framework for what is, in essence, a professionally oriented and values-based moral enterprise. They conclude that EPAs work best when they are developed at a local level, stressing the unique culture of specialty and program as well as the care that must be taken when attempting to transfer notions of entrustment from the undergraduate medical education level to graduate medical education settings.

A Cultural Values Framework for Research on Retirement

A Cultural Values Framework for Research on Retirement

Addressing Teenage Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Among Latinx Adolescents and Young Adults

Despite a national decline in teenage pregnancy rates, Latinxs and Black individuals continue to have higher teenage birth rates compared to white teens. In the United States, Latinx females (ages 15-19) are more than twice as likely to have a teenage birth compared to non-Latinx white teens. With an increasingly diverse nation, a shift towards culturally inclusive approaches to care is critical to achieving equitable patient outcomes. Improving access to preventative care, workforce diversity, and insurance coverage will lead to cost-savings and also help restore trust in a system that has failed past generations. In this commentary, targeted recommendations tailored specifically towards Latinx women will be provided including culturally competent birth control counseling, and a focus on reproductive justice. Not speaking English, low socioeconomic status, acculturation, legal status, and being uninsured are all teenage pregnancy risk factors unique to Latinx women. Cultural preferences and attitudes towards contraception must also be considered. Further expansion of Medicaid insurance coverage is also necessary to increase reproductive access among vulnerable populations. A cultural humility framework to reproductive health counseling and services is recommended. Within this framework family engagement is encouraged and women are free from reproductive coercion; they have the freedom to access over-the-counter contraception and receive guidance and support from providers and community health workers who are cognizant of culture and heritage. An integrated community-based approach that is culturally sensitive and in tune with Latinx heterogenicity is necessary to lower teenage pregnancy rates and achieve reproductive justice.

Reliability and separation index analysis of mathematics questions integrated with the cultural architecture framework using the Rasch model

This research uses Rasch model analysis to identify the reliability and separation index of an integrated mathematics test instrument with a cultural architecture structure in measuring students' mathematical thinking abilities. The study involved 357 students from six eighth-grade public junior high schools in Bima. The selection of schools was based on average school exam scores and considered the effectiveness of the learning process that used cultural settings to explore mathematical content. Data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel to calculate the content validity of Aiken's index with four experts and the jMetrik software to measure reliability and the separation index. The research results indicate that the mathematics test instrument passed validation by mathematics experts and measurements with a valid content validity level. Rasch model calibration shows a very high level of instrument reliability. Separation analysis on the logit scale indicates the instrument's ability to differentiate students with different ability levels with good homogeneity in the distribution of test items and individual abilities. Scale quality statistics show good item response variability, low error rates and a high separation index. This study has limitations because it focuses solely on multiple-choice questions. Similar research must be conducted using other types of questions (such as those used in PISA, namely open- constructed and closed-constructed questions) and integrating other mathematical materials within relevant cultural architectural structures.

Honor Killings in Traditional Societies: Revisiting the Case of Türkiye After Istanbul Convention Withdrawal

This research delves into the complex dynamics of honor and honor killings in traditional societies, with a specific focus on Türkiye, which has a Muslim-majority population and secular-democratic politico-legal system. It sheds light on the cultural and societal frameworks that reinforce honor, particularly in the context of gender relations and familial reputation. Using a qualitative methodology, the study analyzes the case of Türkiye, with a significant emphasis on the controversial withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention. Examining discussions in the parliament, legal documents, and secondary sources, such as research reports, supports the case study. The findings reveal a complicated interplay between traditional perceptions of honor, legal inadequacies, and societal attitudes that perpetuate violence against women. The study argues that while legislative reforms have been implemented, cultural and societal norms continue to pose significant challenges to their effectiveness. The conclusion underscores the urgent need for a multifaceted approach, incorporating legal, educational, and societal strategies to dismantle the cultural norms that condone honor-related violence. This article contributes to the discourse on gender-based violence, advocating for a comprehensive understanding and action to address honor killings in Türkiye and beyond.

Continual Improvement (CI) Lean Culture Continuous Quality and Cost Saving in Malaysia Manufacturing & Engineering (M&E) Companies

Lean sustainability is often perceived to only be possible to be maintained via small group application of lean culture that carry out improvement activities. The purpose of this case study is thus to examine the success factors of inculcating lean culture framework by lean practitioners in Malaysian Manufacturing and Engineering (ME) companies that faced inconsistencies in implementing and sustaining lean. The impact of lean culture framework practiced by Small Group Improvement Activities (SGIA) was analysed via productivity improvement methodologies comprises of semi-structured interviews and analysis of 633 Small Group Improvement Activities (SGIA) project reports in establishing a final lean culture framework that can contribute to the longevity of a lean company. The improved lean culture framework that had been extended to other strategic business units (SBU) in ME companies are found to be the positive factor contributing to the sustainability of lean culture and achieving tangible and intangible benefits via small group improvement activities, enhancement standard which include companies’ policy, as well as providing a guideline in problem solving methodology. The findings revealed that enhancement of inculcating lean framework is crucially in need especially in expanding the initiatives across ME companies via a systematic and standardised problem-solving methodology. This study intends to aid organisations, practitioners, academicians, and respective industries in benchmarking the best practises and at the same time further reduce the gap and continually improve the lean culture framework in other compass industries.

Doing Gender, Undoing Race: Token Processes For Women With Multiple Subordinate Identities

Through interviews with 29 Asian American women tech workers, this article demonstrates how cultural frameworks around race and gender shape identity salience and construct a token process for workers with multiple subordinate identities. This approach to tokenism better accounts for multiple systems of inequality affecting workers and demonstrate how certain identities are prioritized—and others neglected—through institutional interventions and cultural ideologies. It also provides an additional lens through which to interpret the emphasis on gender inequality within the high-tech industry: Whereas gender inequality is generally considered a critical step in achieving an equitable work environment, I consider how it is intentionally leveraged within organizations to divert from interventions toward establishing racial equality. Results suggest serious barriers preventing the high-tech industry from reckoning with racial inequality for Asian American women workers; more broadly, they hint at how other racial groups with white-adjacent privileges are similarly exploited to uphold the high-tech industry’s white racial project.

Hawala in criminal court: the role of law and commercial culture in informal financial exchange

A historically informed understanding of ḥawāla and other varieties of informal value transfer systems (IVTS) requires consideration of the normative and cultural elements which structure and facilitate transactions in globalized financial markets. This paper argues that the Sharia-based normative and cultural framework of ḥawāla is created in the social relations of Muslim networks and that, in a criminal law context, this normativity can be used as a tool to discern between legitimate and illegitimate transactions. The new institutional economists’ (NIE) explanation of ḥawāla, which predominates in scholarly work, neglects this common frame of reference built on community, shared belief, and normative rules and expectations. The NIE views economic institutions through the lens of profitmaking and self-interest centred institutional development. Moreover, in a criminal law context, the profit-oriented perspective of law overlooks the normative characteristics that sometimes appear in the transactional characteristics of these transactions. When evidence of these characteristics is presented to the court, they offer a useful tool to differentiate legitimate from illegitimate transfers of value. Legitimate transfers will frequently be facilitated through dense networks in which the normativity and culture of ḥawāla frame the rules and expectations of parties to the transaction. Criminal transactions, on the other hand, typically involve fewer participants, sometimes from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, are profit-orientated, and involve means of enforcement such as the use of violence which traditional networks do not employ. The NIE perspective does not fully account for non-western legal orders or for commercial practices in which exchange remains culturally, historically, and socially embedded.

Wealth/Poverty Opposition in English and Kazakh: A Comparative Study

This research employs linguistic concept modeling to scrutinize the semantic variations between notions of wealth and poverty in English and Kazakh, aiming to discern their contrasting characteristics. The corpora in English and Kazakh encompassing varied genres, styles, and thematic content were examined through word frequency and co-occurrence to elucidate divergent contextual frames for the terms in both languages, unveiling cultural nuances and cognitive associations. The results indicate that in English, wealth is majorly associated with financial prosperity, real estate ownership, and the availability of resources for a comfortable lifestyle. Conversely, in Kazakh-language writings, the concept of wealth extends to encompass elements like family connections and devotion to the homeland, reflecting cultural priorities and lifestyles. A comparable distinction is evident when examining the contextual usage of the term poverty. The findings underscore the significance of exploring linguistic concepts within distinct cultural and cognitive frameworks, opening avenues for further comparative linguistic research.

National culture and corporate investment: does uncertainty matter?

PurposeOur purpose is to explore how culture’s impact on investment is depending on uncertainty levels.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the interplay between national culture, uncertainty, and corporate investment decisions. Focusing on the uncertainty avoidance dimension (HUA) from Hofstede’s culture framework and utilizing the World Uncertainty Index (WUI) as a measure of uncertainty, this research explores how culture’s impact on investment is depending on uncertainty levels.FindingsOur results reveal that high HUA countries lower long-term investment during periods of heightened uncertainty, particularly in riskier investments like R&D, rather than capital expenditure. This relation is more pronounced for smaller firms. The findings suggest that HUA is associated with less risk taking, primarily when uncertainty is high. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the interaction between HUA and uncertainty exerts more significant and consistent effects on corporate investment than other cultural dimensions, religion, and various formal institutions, contrary to prevailing literature.Originality/valueThis study looks at the relationship between national culture and corporate investment under ambiguity, and what are the implications for risk taking. If national culture is related to riskier investments, such as R&D, relative to safer investments, like capital expenditure this would imply that risk taking is explaining the relationship between national culture and corporate investment. This relation should be clear during uncertain times. This is the first study to include the moderating effects of the level of uncertainty on the relation between national culture and corporate investment (or financial decisions in general).

The influence of workplace Confucian culture on employees’ organizational commitment through the modelling role of moral identities

PurposeThis article aims to provide a theoretical unifying framework for workplace Confucian culture and employees’ organizational commitment (OC) through the modelling role of moral identities. The context is education in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachBased on employees’ OC theory, a theoretical model was built. Administrative staff and teachers were asked to participate in the study with the assistance of preschool educational institutions in Vietnam. A survey was performed, and data from 421 participants were collected. The moderated structural equation technique was used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe study has demonstrated the positive impact of workplace Confucian culture applications on employees’ perceptions and participation in corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study also confirms the positive impact of employees’ perceptions and participation in CSR. In addition, another conclusion is the moderating effect of moral values on the relationship between workplace Confucian culture and aspects of CSR.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on Confucian-culture employees in workplaces, suggesting that their perception of CSR may differ from those from other backgrounds. The authors then plan to state the comparison in further research. The main finding of the study is that WCC and CSR affect employee OC, but there are other factors that could be influenced by WCC and CSR. Future research should explore these factors to improve the current model.Practical implicationsConfucian ideology has been constructed and developed for a long time, but this study has examined its practical implications for favourably effecting human behaviour, thereby demonstrating its potential in organizational culture and practical application.Social implicationsThis theoretical framework can be profitably used in educational organizations.Originality/valueThe study adds to the body of research on OC in two ways. The first way is to explain how a beneficial organizational factor – the Confucian workplace culture – contributes to employees’ OC. The second way involves examining the effects of moral identity on participation and perception of CSR.

Community Cultural Wealth: Supporting Migrant Youth in Schools

Latiné migrant youth are a unique population of students with complex academic and social-emotional experiences. Those experiences are enhanced by several factors including strong family connections, commitment to educational success, and overall resilience. There are also systemic issues that may cause instability to migrant youth due to limited access to resources and heightened exposure to unstable environments. In this study, 20 Latiné migrant youth from the rural western United States participated in semi-structured interviews that explored their experiences during the pandemic. Using a phenomenological analysis, these students provide much-needed insight into their experience. The authors used a community cultural wealth framework to examine how migrant youth create their own paths to meet their educational and socio-emotional needs. One of the valuable lessons learned from that study was a better understanding of the ways virtual learning impacts migrant youth. While there are benefits to virtual learning in accessing academic knowledge, school psychologists should consider additional support to increase social-emotional wellness. Impact Statement School psychologists can learn to leverage migrant youth’s community cultural wealth to support their social emotional development. Migrant youth used their aspirational and navigational wealth to negotiate the complexity of virtual learning during the pandemic. Addressing the structural gaps in virtual learning could be a viable model for supporting migrant youth academic and social-emotional needs in the face of future mobility.

Can Subaltern Exist? Reinterpreting the Issue of Subalternity (Case Study of Blimbingsari Village - Jembrana Regency and Pegayaman Village - Buleleng Regency)

The objective of this study is to further elucidate a significant inquiry posed by Gayatri Spivak, namely, the ability of the subaltern to articulate their voice. This inquiry's significance arises within the context of social interactions, where there are discernible patterns of social dominance. Is it possible for a social group to survive without the active participation and expression of its members? This study aims to investigate how a village can persist within a social, cultural, and political framework that actively conceals its presence. The aforementioned pressure is commonly acknowledged as an inherently social phenomenon, indicating the presence of a mechanism of social hegemony. The hegemonic process is enacted through the implementation of village norms, particularly about customary villages (desa adat). The majority of villages in Bali adhere to a dual system of governance, consisting of office villages (desa dinas) and customary villages desa adat. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the focus of this research lies solely on two specific villages, both of which adhere to a single type of governance known as the official village. The two villages under consideration are Blimbingsari in the Jembrana district and Pegayaman in Bali's Buleleng district. Both communities remain independent settlements in Bali to this day. Nevertheless, the dynamics and obstacles that exist are not straightforward. This research tries to listen to the voices of the subaltern and classifies them into four main issues, namely: 1) cultural politics; 2) political economy; 3) Ideology; 4) Conscientization. Through these four issues, an understanding of how these two villages continue to exist amid existing social harmonization is obtained.

“I want my son to die before I do”: A phenomenological study on the views of mothers with disabled children about death after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the experiences of mothers with disabled children directly affected by the 6 February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye regarding the concept of death in the context of social representations. The interpretive phenomenological analysis method, which is a qualitative research method, was used in the study. The content of semi-structured interviews held with 23 mothers was analyzed according to the analysis guidelines of Smith and Osborn. As a result of the analyses, four themes representing the views of the participants on the concept of death, which were “the perception of death, individual factors affecting the perception of death, environmental factors affecting the perception of death, and methods of coping with death anxiety,” as well as fifteen categories under these themes, were revealed. The results of this study present the experiences and needs of mothers with disabled children after the aforementioned earthquakes, their needs in this process, their views about death, and their coping resources within a cultural framework. According to the results, the existing needs and death anxiety of mothers with disabled children have become more prominent after the earthquakes.

Perceived discrimination and psychological distress among Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Hong Kong: The indirect effects of tolerance of uncertainty and common dyadic coping.

By studying Mainland Chinese immigrant women who married Hong Kong men, this study examined the association between their perceived discrimination and psychological distress after the 2019-2020 social movement in Hong Kong. Additionally, this study examined the indirect effects of individual coping strategies (tolerance of uncertainty) and couples' coping strategies (common dyadic coping), guided by the cultural and developmental psychopathology framework. Ninety-nine Mainland Chinese immigrant women who married Hong Kong men participated in this cross-sectional survey. We found a positive association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress (r = .50, p < .01). Reduced uncertainty tolerance and low levels of common dyadic coping both showed indirect effects on the discrimination-psychological distress association. Tolerance of uncertainty had a larger indirect effect than common dyadic coping. Focusing on the psychological adjustment of immigrant women facing discrimination, our findings underscore the importance of preserving individual- and couple-level resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Therapeutic itineraries of snakebite victims and antivenom access in southern Mexico.

Access to antivenoms in cases of snakebite continues to be an important public health issue around the world, especially in rural areas with poorly developed health care systems. This study aims to evaluate therapeutic itineraries and antivenom accessibility following snakebites in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico. Employing an intercultural health approach that seeks to understand and bridge allopathic and traditional medical perceptions and practices, we conducted field interviews with 47 snakebite victims, documenting the therapeutic itineraries of 54 separate snakebite incidents that occurred between 1977 and 2023. Most victims used traditional remedies as a first line of treatment, often to withstand the rigors of a long journey to find antivenoms. The main obstacles to antivenom access were distance, poor antivenom availability, and cost. Standard antivenom treatment is highly valued and sought after, even as traditional beliefs and practices persist within a cultural framework known as the "hot-cold" system. The findings are crucial for informing future enhancements to antivenom distribution systems, health education initiatives, and other interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of snakebites in the region.