Cultural Homogeneity Research Articles

Deepening the role of excitation/inhibition balance in human iPSCs-derived neuronal networks coupled to MEAs during long-term development

Objective. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how the balance between excitation and inhibition (‘E/I balance’) influences the spontaneous development of human-derived neuronal networks in vitro. To achieve that goal, we performed a long-term (98 d) characterization of both homogeneous (only excitatory or inhibitory neurons) and heterogeneous (mixed neuronal types) cultures with controlled E/I ratios (i.e. E:I 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 100:0) by recording their electrophysiological activity using micro-electrode arrays. Approach. Excitatory and inhibitory neurons were derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We realized five different configurations by systematically varying the glutamatergic and GABAergic percentages. Main results. We successfully built both homogeneous and heterogeneous neuronal cultures from hiPSCs finely controlling the E/I ratios; we were able to maintain them for up to 3 months. Homogeneity differentially impacted purely inhibitory (no bursts) and purely excitatory (few bursts) networks, deviating from the typical traits of heterogeneous cultures (burst dominated). Increased inhibition in heterogeneous cultures strongly affected the duration and organization of bursting and network bursting activity. Spike-based functional connectivity and image-based deep learning analysis further confirmed all the above. Significance. Healthy neuronal activity is controlled by a well-defined E/I balance whose alteration could lead to the onset of neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia or epilepsy. Most of the commonly used in vitro models are animal-derived or too simplified and thus far from the in vivo human condition. In this work, by performing a long-term study of hiPSCs-derived neuronal networks obtained from healthy human subjects, we demonstrated the feasibility of a robust in vitro model which can be further exploited for investigating pathological conditions where the E/I balance is impaired.

Cell-Laden 3D Hydrogels of Type I Collagen Incorporating Bacterial Nanocellulose Fibers.

There is a growing interest in developing natural hydrogel-based scaffolds to culture cells in a three-dimensional (3D) millieu that better mimics the in vivo cells' microenvironment. A promising approach is to use hydrogels from animal tissues, such as decellularized extracellular matrices; however, they usually exhibit suboptimal mechanical properties compared to native tissue and their composition with hundreds of different protein complicates to elucidate which stimulus triggers cell's responses. As simpler scaffolds, type I collagen hydrogels are used to study cell behavior in mechanobiology even though they are also softer than native tissues. In this work, type I collagen is mixed with bacterial nanocellulose fibers (BCf) to develop reinforced scaffolds with mechanical properties suitable for 3D cell culture. BCf were produced from blended pellicles biosynthesized from Komagataeibacter xylinus. Then, BCf were mixed with concentrated collagen from rat-tail tendons to form composite hydrogels. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images confirmed the homogeneous macro- and microdistribution of both natural polymers. Porosity analysis confirmed that BCf do not disrupt the scaffold structure. Tensile strength and rheology measurements demonstrated the reinforcement action of BCf (43% increased stiffness) compared to the collagen hydrogel while maintaining the same viscoelastic response. Additionally, this reinforcement of collagen hydrogels with BCf offers the possibility to mix cells before gelation and then proceed to the culture of the 3D cell scaffolds. We obtained scaffolds with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells or human fibroblasts within the composite hydrogels, allowing a homogeneous 3D viable culture for at least 7 days. A smaller surface shrinkage in the reinforced hydrogels compared to type I collagen hydrogels confirmed the strengthening of the composite hydrogels. These collagen hydrogels reinforced with BCf might emerge as a promising platform for 3D in vitro organ modeling, tissue-engineering applications, and suitable to conduct fundamental mechanobiology studies.

HUKUM ADAT MINANGKABAU SEBAGAI BASIS DAN PERSPEKTIF DALAM PEMBENTUKAN SISTEM HUKUM NASIONAL

Minangkabau Customary Law is a traditional legal system that has been developed and passed down through generations within the Minangkabau community in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Rooted in local customs and culture, Minangkabau Customary Law has significant potential to serve as a basis and important perspective in the formation of an inclusive and sustainable national legal system. This research aims to explore the role of Minangkabau Customary Law in the formation of the national legal system and its potential contributions in creating social justice, preserving cultural diversity, and strengthening local autonomy. The research methodology employed is literature analysis, drawing on relevant primary and secondary sources including legal documents, academic writings, and practical experiences in the application of Minangkabau Customary Law. The findings of this research indicate that Minangkabau Customary Law encompasses interconnected principles such as musyawarah-mufakat (consensus-building), gotong royong (community cooperation), and restorative justice. These principles hold universal values that can be adapted and integrated into a broader national legal system. In the context of forming the national legal system, Minangkabau Customary Law can serve as a source of inspiration to develop legislation that aligns with societal interests, protects individual and group rights, and maintains a balance between national and local interests. Furthermore, Minangkabau Customary Law has the potential to preserve cultural diversity in Indonesia. In an era of globalization that often promotes cultural homogenization, the implementation of Minangkabau Customary Law can serve as a strong foundation to promote and safeguard cultural diversity at the national level. Through an approach that respects and acknowledges cultural differences, the national legal system can become an instrument that strengthens cultural identities and ensures the continuity of valuable cultural heritage.

The strength of attachment: regionalism, nationalism and vote choice

Radical right parties have grown in popularity recently, leaning heavily on state-level nationalism, anti-immigrant sentiment and the promise of a homogenous nation state. There has also recently been increased devolution of power to subnational communities, who historically have resisted homogenisation and infringements on their autonomy. This implies a tension between the interests of subnational units and those of radical right parties. Using data from the 2016 and 2018 European Social Surveys and a new measure of regional identity strength constructed from the Regionalist Parties Dataset (Massetti and Schakel 2016) for 10 European countries, this study shows that people living in regions with strong legacies of regionalism are less attached to their national state. Second, the article demonstrates regional identity strength is negatively associated with voting for radical right parties due to their opposition to radical right parties’ exclusive state-level nationalism. Lastly, this relationship can eclipse the effect of immigration attitudes on vote choice as radical right parties’ rhetoric around immigration generally focuses on the importance of cultural homogeneity. Evidence supporting these hypotheses is found using both cross-national data and case evidence from Italy. This study underscores the importance of examining the role older social cleavages play in structuring party politics in the transnational era.

Serial measurements of SIRS criteria to identify unique phenotypes of sepsis: A Microbiologic Approach

Introduction: The utility of serial scoring systems in identifying distinct sepsis phenotypes remains unknown. Methods: Eligible adults were classified into culture-positive (Cx+) and culture-negative (Cx-) groups alongside pre-defined culture subgroups. Average SIRS & SEP (novel scoring system) scores were calculated at t = 0 and hours 3,6,12 & 24 before and after t = 0. The primary outcome was a difference in SIRS/SEP scores amongst those that were Cx+ or Cx- at any time point. Secondary outcomes were comparing total and component SIRS/SEP scores in microbiologic subgroups over serial time points. Results: 4,701 Cx+ and 3254 Cx- patients met eligibility criteria. Statistically significant differences were seen in the average SIRS score between Cx + and Cx- groups at hours six (Cx+ 1.40+1.04 vs Cx- 1.35+1.01) & 12 (Cx+ 0.95+0.95 vs Cx- 0.90+0.90) after t = 0. The hematologic, urologic, and neurologic subgroups had significant differences at numerous time points before and after T = 0. Similar findings were observed with the SEP scores. Cx+ and Cx- groups (including subgroups) consistently doubled both SIRS/SEP scores before t = 0 with an eventual return to baseline values after T = 0 but at different gradients. Conclusion: Significant differences in SIRS/SEP scores were seen in Cx+ & Cx- patients at sequential time points. This microbiologic approach in homogenous culture cohorts has the potential to identify distinct phenotypes of sepsis efficiently and practically. Consistent increases in SIRS/SEP scores before t = 0 and sequential decreases after t = 0 may allow for early detection, intervention, and provision for real-time monitoring of therapeutic responses in patients with concerns for sepsis.

Automatically showing microbial growth kinetics with a high-performance microbial growth analyzer

It is difficult to show microbial growth kinetics online when they grow in complex matrices. We presented a novel strategy to address this challenge by developing a high-performance microbial growth analyzer (HPMGA), which employed a unique 32-channel capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector as a sensing element and fixed with a CellStatz software. It was capable of online showing accurate and repeatable growth curves of well-dispersed and bad-dispersed microbes, whether they grew in homogeneous simple culture broth or heterogeneous complex matrices. Moreover, it could automatically report key growth kinetics parameters. In comparison to optical density (OD), plate counting and broth microdilution (BMD) methods, we demonstrated its practicability in five scenarios: 1) the illustration of the growth, growth rate, and acceleration curves of Escherichia coli (E. coli); 2) the antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Oxacillin against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus); 3) the determination of Ag nanoparticle toxicity on Providencia rettgeri (P. rettgeri); 4) the characterization of milk fermentation; and 5) the enumeration of viable pathogenic Vibrio in shrimp body. Results highlighted that the HPMGA method had the advantages of universality and effectivity. This technology would significantly facilitate the routine analysis of microbial growth in many fields (biology, medicine, clinic, life, food, environment, and ecology), paving an avenue for microbiologists to achieve research goals that have been inhibited for years due to a lack of practical analytical methods.

Differentiating between psychological, spiritual, and religious dimensions of wellbeing among Orthodox Christians: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of lay perceptions

ABSTRACT This study explored lay perceptions of wellbeing dimensions. Six young adult Orthodox Christians participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of spiritual and psychological wellbeing. Data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis and produced three themes: articulating wellbeing experiences, relating the two domains, and journeys in wellbeing. This study highlights the role of culture in wellbeing, provides differentiation between lay and academic formulations, and contextualises spiritual wellbeing for an understudied religious group. Future research should refine cultural homogeneity in the sample and explore how specific theological concepts may underpin wellbeing experiences.

When opposites attract—Impact of cultural distance and polarised success in the future of economic unions

Aggregations between nations may be originated from many reasons: military, political, religious and especially economic. Basing ourselves on neoclassical economic theory and identity theory (i.e. local versus global), the aim of this research is to focus on international economic unions. Thus, we consider as economic polarizations, to investigate the levels of cultural homogeneity within the single polarization, to verify: i) whether in the single aggregation there is, in addition to economic harmonization, also cultural homogeneity and ii), if cultural homogeneity goes hand in hand with the economic success of the aggregation, with the help of Hofstede Model on 5 international economic unions. We also determine the crucial weight of cultural heterogeneity on the success of economic unions. The results also offer relevant theoretical and managerial implications for future aggregations.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Crisis Narratives and Social Construction of Risk: Comparative Case Studies of China and India

COVID-19 is the greatest challenge the world has faced since World War II. By investigating two case countries—China and India, this study explains the variance based on the theory of the ‘social construction of risk’ concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Does an individual country’s culture, style of governance, construction of risk, and communication affect the management of COVID-19? Findings reveal that the variations of risk construction and communication of narratives play a pivotal role in building the public perception of crisis. Cultural homogeneity and collectivism, the constitutional setting for policymaking risk narratives and communication, are crucial determinants of effective crisis management, and many states lacking these factors suffer profound difficulties. Regarding these, China is more successful than India in creating the social construction of the risk of COVID-19 crisis narratives. The policy implication of this study helps the government find a better approach to persuade its citizens to comply with the public health policy in case of an emergency.

Tourism, Value Appropriation, and Ecological Degradation

This article highlights the main characteristics of the rapid development of tourism during recent decades, as well as the limitations of the existing literature concerning this development. An alternative (Marxist) theoretical framework is then developed for the explication of the development of commodified tourism, the role of ecological and cultural (value) appropriation in the determination of capitalist profitability, and its developmental implications. As argued, this value and resource appropriation and the exploitation/appropriation dialectic have adverse socioeconomic and ecological implications, while leading to the rapid growth of tourism against other sectors. On the other hand, the cultural homogenization and ecological degradation brought about especially by mass tourism imply a self-limiting development of tourism itself. Concluding that the current mode of tourism development is ecologically and socially unsustainable, we end with a broad outline of a different perspective of decommodified tourism within a post-capitalist development.

Distinct Lipid Phenotype of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) Isolated From Overweight/Obese Endometrial Cancer Patients as Assessed Using Raman Spectroscopy.

Obesity is strongly linked with increased risk and poorer prognosis of endometrial cancer (EC). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated fibroblasts that form a large component of the tumor microenvironment and undergo metabolic reprogramming to provide critical metabolites for tumor growth. However, it is still unknown how obesity, characterized by a surplus of free fatty acids drives the modifications of CAFs lipid metabolism which may provide the mechanistic link between obesity and EC progression. The present study aims to evaluate the utility of Raman spectroscopy, an emerging nondestructive analytical tool to detect signature changes in lipid metabolites of CAFs from EC patients with varying body mass index. We established primary cultures of fibroblasts from human EC tissues, and CAFs of overweight/obese and nonobese women using antibody-conjugated magnetic beads isolation. These homogeneous fibroblast cultures expressed fibroblast markers, including α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin. Analysis was made in the Raman spectra region best associated with cancer progression biochemical changes in lipids (600-1800 cm-1 and 2800-3200 cm-1). Direct band analysis and ratiometric analysis were conducted to extract information from the Raman spectrum. Present results demonstrated minor shifts in the CH2 symmetric stretch of lipids at 2879 cm-1 and CH3 asymmetric stretching from protein at 2932 cm-1 in the overweight/obese CAFS compared to nonobese CAFs, indicating increased lipid content and a higher degree of lipid saturation. Principal component analysis showed that CAFs from overweight/obese and nonobese EC patients can be clearly distinguished indicating the capability of Raman spectroscopy to detect changes in biochemical components. Our results suggest Raman spectroscopy supported by chemometric analysis is a reliable technique for characterizing metabolic changes in clinical samples, providing an insight into obesity-driven alteration in CAFs, a critical stromal component during EC tumorigenesis.

The Korean Wave as the Globalization of South Korean Culture

The purpose of this study is to trace the growing attractiveness of the Korean Wave to understand the domestic culture of Korea that is becoming a global trend. The study is focused on the factors facilitating the formation of the phenomenon and proves that this trend has become one of the country's main export commodities and a “soft power”, as the promotion of Korean culture is a matter of national importance and pride for Seoul. The Republic of Korea has been absorbing the elements of Western culture and transforming them into a new phenomenon, representing a kind of coexistence and crossbreeding of the Western lifestyle and the traditional Eastern values. The context for the study is the cultural homogenization of the West and the East. Is it a blessing or an evil? What are its challenges and achievements, advantages, and disadvantages? What are the reasons for South Korean cultural expansion? The method utilized in the rerearch is narrative analysis to provide an overview of Korean pop culture that has been able to connect Western and Asian values into something unique.

Culture of Primary Neurons from Dissociated and Cryopreserved Mouse Trigeminal Ganglion.

Corneal nerves originate from the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, which enters the cornea at the limbus radially from all directions toward the central cornea. The cell bodies of the sensory neurons of trigeminal nerve are located in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) while the axons are extended into the three divisions including ophthalmic branch that supplies corneal nerves. Study of primary neuronal cultures established from the TG fibers can therefore provide a knowledge basis for corneal nerve biology and potentially be developed as an in vitro platform for drug testing. However, setting up primary neuron cultures from animal TG has been dubious with inconsistency among laboratories due to a lack of efficient isolation protocol, resulting in low yield and heterogenous cultures. In this study, we employed a combined enzymatic digestion with collagenase and TrypLE to dissociate mouse TG while preserving nerve cell viability. A subsequent discontinuous Percoll density gradient followed by mitotic inhibitor treatment effectively diminished the contamination of non-neuronal cells. Using this protocol, we reproducibly generated high yield and homogenous primary TG neuron cultures. Similar efficiency of nerve cell isolation and culture was further obtained for TG tissue cryopreserved for short (1 week) and long duration (3 months), compared to freshly isolated tissues. In conclusion, this optimized protocol shows a promising potential to standardize TG nerve culture and generate a high-quality corneal nerve model for drug testing and neurotoxicity studies.

Sequence and context for the Cocina cave neolithic pottery: An approach from social networks analysis

Cocina cave has been considered one of the main sites when explaining the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic in the Iberian Mediterranean façade. But the current review of its stratigraphy has evidenced important post-depositional disturbances affecting those layers where Neolithic pottery is present. These taphonomic problems question the usefulness of this record in any detailed approach to a potential process of acculturation of the local Mesolithic groups.Despite this negative preservation, and using decorative traits as a proxy, we have isolated two ceramic contexts with inner coherence. Over these contexts, we have developed a Bayesian approach to compare them with other well-dated regional contexts. To contextualise the obtained sequence, we decided to extend the analysis to a wide set of Neolithic known contexts from an area that covers most of the coastal Iberian Mediterranean region, from the Ebro basin in the North to the Segura basin in the South. These contexts have been organised in chronological windows, and a Social Networks Analysis (SNA) has been applied. Results confirm the insertion of Cocina in the regional Neolithic dynamics. After the first stage, with an important degree of cultural homogeneity, the analysis also outlines the existence of a cultural frontier among Neolithic groups North and South of the Xúquer basin, at least from the mid-seventh millennium cal BP.

Marital preferences and stable matching in cultural evolution

Building on previous literature that examines the influence of intergenerational transmission in cultural evolution, we highlight the importance of the marriage market in the determination of cultural homogeneity (“melting pot”) versus heterogeneity (“diversity”). To do so, we characterize cultural evolutionary processes under different distributions of marital preferences and stable matching schemes. In our setting, cultural substitutability (Bisin and Verdier, 2001) is neither sufficient nor necessary for cultural heterogeneity. We introduce a new concept, elasticity of cultural substitution, to capture the degree of increase in vertical socialization efforts in response to minority population decline. With perfect or inelastic vertical transmission in homogamous families, cultural heterogeneity is sustained only if all proposers are homophilic or all members of a cultural group are homophilic. With imperfect vertical transmission in homogamous families, the presence of heterophilic agents may destabilize cultural heterogeneity, and the proportion of heterophilic agents and elasticity of cultural substitution determine whether cultural heterogeneity can be sustained. We discuss the model's implications for the long-lasting impact of temporary gender imbalance on cultural evolution as well as the cultural assimilation and preservation of minorities and immigrants under distinct governmental and religious attitudes toward intermarriage.

Primary Culture of Dental Pulp Stem Cells.

The human dental pulp represents a promising multipotent stem cell reservoir with pre-eminent regenerative competence that can be harvested from an extracted tooth. The neural crest-derived ecto-mesenchymal origin of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) bestows a high degree of plasticity that owes to its multifaceted benefits in tissue repair and regeneration. There are various practical ways of harvesting, maintaining, and proliferating adult stem cells being investigated for their use in regenerative medicine. In this work, we demonstrate the establishment of a primary mesenchymal stem cell culture from dental tissue by the explant culture method. The isolated cells were spindle-shaped and adhered to the plastic surface of the culture plate. The phenotypic characterization of these stem cells showed positive expression of the international society of cell therapy (ISCT)-recommended cell surface markers for MSC, such as CD90, CD73, and CD105. Further, negligible expression of hematopoietic (CD45) and endothelial markers (CD34), and less than 2% expression of HLA-DR markers, confirmed the homogeneity and purity of the DPSC cultures. We further illustrated their multipotency based on differentiation to adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. We also induced these cells to differentiate into hepatic-like and neuronal-like cells by adding corresponding stimulation media. This optimized protocol will aid in the cultivation of a highly expandable population of mesenchymal stem cells to be utilized in the laboratory or for preclinical studies. Similar protocols can be incorporated into clinical setups for practicing DPSC-based treatments.

Pluriversal Worlding: Design, Narratives, and Metaphors for Societal Transformation

This essay examines the concept of pluriversality, which refers to the human power to build worlds differently and envision different models for inhabiting the planet. The Pluriverse, ‘a world where many worlds fit’, is a decolonial vision created by the Zapatista movement that contrasts with the supposed universality of the Western Modern world. Our planet is still home to many ‘worlds’ that have resisted the cultural homogenization promoted by colonialism and imperialism. Pluriversality proposes a path for transformational world-building that begins with the belief that alternatives to capitalist modernity are possible. This essay investigates the relationship between the narratives and metaphors a society adopts and the kind of world we design. Pluriversality is focused on creating and nurturing new models of life and reweaving our reality, not on destroying the old. Recognizing and making visible and viable alternatives that enable healthier relationships with nature and each other, particularly the ones created by Indigenous and marginalized communities and peoples of color, is at the core of what pluriversality is about.

The future of defence rights in the light of the mcdonaldisation of criminal justice systems

Alongside the process of globalisation, from which no state can escape today, there appears to be an underlying “Americanisation of the world”, which is reflected essentially in the worldwide export of American industry and capital, but also of ideas, customs, and social habits. Among these habits, the American sociologist George Ritzer has highlighted the spread of fast-food chains which, according to him, is less a sign of the generalisation of a way of consuming than the implementation of a way of thinking. Indeed, Ritzer observed that contemporary societies have gradually abandoned the traditional way of reasoning in favour of more rational ways of thinking, similar to fast food chains, which rely on efficiency, calculability, predictability and the use of new technologies. Described as “McDonaldisation”, in reference to the famous multinational fast-food corporation, this phenomenon of rationalisation is affecting “more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world” due to cultural homogenisation resulting itself from globalisation. Indeed, the American justice system as well as “the rest of the world”, such as many European legal systems, are also concerned by it, particularly regarding their criminal procedures, which are increasingly under the influence of this process of “McDonaldisation”. The relatively recent use of guilty pleas for individuals and legal persons, the use of sentencing guidelines and the increase in predictive justice in criminal matters reflect the key aspects of “McDonaldisation” mentioned above, namely efficiency, calculability, predictability, and the use of new technologies. However, this streamlining trend harms the defence rights placed at the heart of criminal procedures in general, such as the right to a fair trial, the right to an independent and impartial tribunal, the presumption of innocence and the individualisation of punishment.This paper therefore examines the future of these fundamental rights in the light of the “McDonaldisation” of criminal justice in America and in various European States and focus on the new principles that now guide it.

Can Cultural Homogenization be an Open-Ended Process? Reconstructing the Narratives of Brunei’s Homogenization Process

This paper examines the cultural homogenization process in Brunei Darussalam. While the success and outcomes of cultural homogenization, in general, have been thoroughly examined and highlighted, recent research trends have also been focusing more on the processes of cultural homogenization on the ground, i.e., the responses and reactions of ordinary people who are, supposedly, at the receiving end of the homogenization process. In the case of Brunei Darussalam (hereinafter Brunei), cultural homogenization strategies were introduced as early as the 1950s, primarily for state-building purposes. Similar to conventional writings, official narratives of Brunei’s homogenization also focus more on the outcomes of the process. Thus, focusing on the Dusun ethnic group as its case study, this article questions the ways the Dusuns view and respond to the homogenization process. This study utilizes the interview data gathered from thirty-four Dusun respondents to examine how they perceive, understand, and react toward the process and related policies. The findings of the study suggest that the Dusuns generally accept the homogenization with a sporadic indication of contestation mainly due to the observable decline of ethnic culture and language. Modernization has also been identified as a notable agent, integrating successfully with the homogenizing process, and driving the latter to the desired outcomes.

Introduction: Against citizenship: Visual belongings and transnational affects

This special issue “Against Citizenship: Visual belongings and transnational affects” gathers contributions that address the affective and transnational networks that position themselves against or confront the “fantasy” of an egalitarian citizenship, understanding that this notion is not only intrinsically segregating, but aleatory and artificial, in the same way that the creation and existence of states are. The framework of the issue is the possibility given by cultural practices to articulate and perform post-national, denationalized or transnational forms of citizenship in a world characterized by globalization, post-colonial societies and migratory movements. Through these cultural practices a variety of political communities try to solve the restrictions that the State imposes to differentiated types of citizenship or even to cross its limits, be them geographical or juridical, and a create a different sense of belonging and recognition. The struggles for the rights around intersections, such as race, gender or disability, that are fundamental to the internal exclusion of the “citizens” of a state, are key in questioning the political debt that citizenship has with its supposed cultural homogeneity, as post-colonial countries have experienced in the last years. In this sense, notions such as identity, belonging and affect motivate the needs and roadmaps of communities excluded from citizenship, but seeking precisely to provide radically opposite definitions and possibilities which guarantee the attenuation of vulnerability and, above all, the right to be, live and exist.