Cultural Ideologies Research Articles

A Study on the Inspiration of the Tao Te Ching on Chinese Cultural Self-Confidence

“The Tao Te Ching” is the core representative work of Taoist thought, which has had a profound influence on Chinese culture. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Taoist thought, Confucianism, and Legalism jointly formed a great ideological trend of contention. Since Dong Zhongshu proposed the idea of “abolishing the hundred schools of thought and only respecting Confucianism” in the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has become the mainstream cultural ideology, and Taoist thought exists only as a supplementary tributary ideology. The great collision of Eastern and Western cultures brought about by the Opium War has caused widespread doubts about Chinese mainstream culture represented by Confucian culture. In the face of the fact that the West is ahead, Chinese people have fallen into unprecedented confusion about their own culture. In 2014, Chinese leaders proposed the concept of Chinese cultural self-confidence, and pointed out that the three sources of Chinese cultural self-confidence are excellent traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. This article argues that the concept proposed by the Chinese government is not comprehensive for building Chinese cultural self-confidence. Revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture are the summary of China’s own special experience. Other countries do not have similar environments, and traditional culture is dominated by Confucianism. Confucianism cannot even be fully convinced within China. In the era of globalization, if China wants to gain some value recognition in the world to establish confidence, it must propose a doctrine with global value. I believe that the ideas and philosophies contained in the “Tao Te Ching” can effectively communicate between China and the world, help China gain worldwide recognition, and have great significance for enhancing Chinese cultural self-confidence.

Effective Integration of Ideological and Political Education and Student Management in Colleges and Universities Based on the Coupled Coordination Model

Abstract In keeping with contemporary demands, the integration of political and ideological education with student management empowers students to actively embrace the establishment of a superior ideological culture in a more open and laid-back learning environment. The creation of an extensive index system enables the integration and collaboration of political and ideological instruction and student management duties in colleges and universities. The theory of system coupling is used to discuss the level of synergy and consistency of system development. The subjective empowerment method uses the FIAHP technique to determine the subjective weight of the standard. The objective weight of the indicator is determined by using the pull-out grade method. The LPE-SMW coupling coordination model is constructed by combining the weights of the two indexes to solve the weights. The coupling coordination level is evaluated and examined in order to confirm the efficacy of the coupling coordination model in examining the development and integration between political and ideological education and student management in colleges and universities. The coupling degree of coordination in the eastern region is approximately 0.65, and the degree of coupling coordination of the LPE-SMW in the central region has a mean yearly increase of 0.43% over the 20 years, according to the results of the smoothness test of each variable of the LPE-SMW linking coordination degree model, which shows differences at the 1% level. The linking coordination model offers a fresh approach to the creation of successful integration between political and ideological education and student management in higher education by offering a thorough examination of the relationship between the two.

Evaluating the Potential of Cultural Diplomacy as “A Weapon of Enduring Peace in the Gulf Region”

Diplomacy, as a tool to further the state’s interests, has endless possibilities; it has a reason in all facets of the state because it works without the fear of failure. Diplomacy has a role in every domain of the state: external relations, governance, commerce and trade, economic development, lawfare, culture, and sports. Diplomacy can make things happen, because it may start from an impossible objective, but remains operative until it has made it possible or at least probable. Cultural diplomacy may effectively promote a country’s soft image if deployed intelligently and passionately. Because, it is one of the oldest methods of diplomacy, where every citizen is a diplomat when he/she interacts with people of other cultures. Since ancient times, traders, travelers, students, and nomads, were inherently the ambassadors of the state. Cultural diplomacy has a wide canvas and hence is an effective communicator. From cuisines to dresses, language to rituals, tourism to trade, and music to dramas. Through effective cultural diplomacy, one can enter into the hearts and minds of the people beyond borders. It has a popular appeal among the people within and without. The colonial masters during the period of colonialism effectively promoted their culture, sometimes under the banner of cultural diplomacy, and at times through the use of force. In contemporary times, each of the Gulf states is effectively exploiting its cultural strengths to attract tourism, investment, and residents. While KSA is thriving on its ideological culture, Qatar is prevalent as a regional hub of sports. UAE is successfully interpolating modernity, and Oman is making the best use of its topographical advantage to promote its culture. This paper aims to highlight the significance of cultural diplomacy as a soft power and evaluate its potential as a weapon of enduring peace and stability in the Gulf sub-region of otherwise conflict-ridden Middle East. To maintain originality and objectivity, inductive reasoning with qualitative analysis is deployed in this research. Additionally, a new strategic appraisal tool 1 SIMPLE has been developed especially for this paper.

Research on the Spatial and Temporal Distribution and Evolution Characteristics of Ancient Architectural Heritage in Southeastern Zhejiang

Southeastern Zhejiang boasts a large number of ancient architectural heritage sites and features, representing a rich cultural heritage. However, this region lacks a unified and effective planning system and coordination mechanism. Each county and city operates independently, resulting in low levels of resource sharing and utilization. There is a lack of a long-term, comprehensive, and effective planning and management framework. Therefore, this study focuses on 268 ancient architectural heritage sites in southeastern Zhejiang. By employing correlation analysis methods on the ArcGIS platform, this study summarizes the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and evolutionary patterns of ancient architectural heritage. The study aims to provide guidance for subsequent comprehensive research, protection, and planning, thereby achieving the sustainable development of the region’s ancient architectural cultural heritage. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Southeastern Zhejiang’s ancient architectural heritage has formed an overall spatial distribution pattern known as the “three cores and three belts”. Targeted sustainable development strategies for ancient architectural heritage can be proposed accordingly. (2) The overall spatial distribution of ancient architectural cultural heritage in southeastern Zhejiang is highly correlated with the natural environment. It is important to consider the correlation between the overall spatial distribution of ancient architectural cultural heritage and the natural environment in the region during subsequent development. (3) The distribution of newly added architectural heritage in southeastern Zhejiang is influenced by factors such as water resource reforms, immigration policies, administrative changes, and cultural ideologies. Throughout history, southeastern Zhejiang has exhibited different spatial distribution structures, laying the foundation for the study of its genealogy and lineage of ancient architectural heritage. The contribution of this research lies in providing targeted references for the coordinated development and systematic revitalization of ancient architectural cultural heritage for the future of southeastern Zhejiang.

Writing in solidarity: Gu Cangwu, Cultural Revolution, Cold War

ABSTRACT This article will shed light on the remarkable yet overlooked influence of the Cultural Revolution on renowned Hong Kong writer Gu Cangwu during the Cold War period. Through scrutinizing his untapped works in the 1970s, the article will argue that Gu Cangwu incorporated a Communist perspective in his observations of pivotal local, national, and global events in his poems and writings. Gu’s untapped works show his attempts to use Cultural Revolution ideology and Chinese nationalism as a source of resistance to British colonialism amid Hong Kong’s Defending Diaoyu Island Movement in 1971, a movement in which international recognition of Communist China at the United Nation sparked Gu’s nationalistic fervor and encouraged him to embrace critical realism. The article also puts Gu’s sympathetic portrayals of the Cultural Revolution and Vietnam War in juxtaposition with his decadent narratives of the 1972 Hong Kong landslides, showing that his effort to build local solidarity with Chinese nationals and the people suffering in the global conflict of the Cold War was based on a stance in opposition to capitalist-imperialist-colonial aggression. More significantly, transcending the simplistic Cold War binary between communist totalitarianism versus liberal capitalism and foregrounding the specific experience of the Cold War in the Hong Kong context, the case of Gu Cangwu demonstrates that the production of Hong Kong literature in the 1970s occurred at the intersection between local ideological contestation and global Cold War tensions.

Exploring Ideologies the Educational Function in Primary English Textbooks (SNC-2020): A Multimodal Analysis

This investigation aims to decode the implicit ideologies in the chosen images and their function to support the process of getting an education in the Primary English Textbook (SNC2020) of grades (1-3) from the academic year (2021-22). This is qualitative research, data collected from the Primary English Textbook (SNC-2020) of grades (1-3). The latent qualitative content analysis under Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) by (Machin & Mayer, 2012) decodes the illustrations. The findings reveal various Pakistani Cultural and Ethical themes and ideologies such as Studious Attitude at Home and Culture, Sharing and Creative Art, Assisting Elders with a Good Attitude, Pakistani Family Culture, Good and Bad Manners, Intellectual Mother and Ethical Education of a Child, Conversation Manner and Costume Culture, Home Culture and Intellectual Activities and Scheduled Routine of a Child. Moreover, the children are displayed in a proper posture while studying, and this teaches them the manner to sit and study. The children are involved in the creative art of making the card, and they write on it. This gives them the idea to enjoy along with studying. Thus, the socio-linguistic assessment is used to design an instructor’s training program and aid curriculum designers in improving the shortcomings in the textbooks.

한국과 뉴질랜드 초등학교 교사들의 경험을 통한 교실에서의 다문화수용성 질적 비교 연구

New Zealand (NZ) and South Korea (Korea) have undergone different historical trajectories in the courses of nation building, which are reflected in their education goals. NZ has focused on incorporating Māori and Pasifika elements within largely European based curriculum to allow for a harmonious national identity that underscores diversity as a strength. Meanwhile, Korea has only in the last few decades put concrete efforts to shed the monoethnic cultural ideology in the schools. This qualitative study looks into how multiculturalism is perceived and acted upon by teachers in NZ and Korea respectively. The results suggest that there are marked differences on how the concept of multiculturalism is embodied in everyday teaching situations. In the NZ case, the concept was a natural extension of cultural processes, allowing the teacher to exercise autonomy in designing and carrying out relevant activities. Therefore, ‘multiculturalism’ was not an operational key term used as a daily vernacular. In contrast, teachers in Korea tended to rely on formulaic methods to incorporate multiculturalism in their pedagogical practices, which largely stems from top-down, state-led policies.

A Morpho-Syntactic Analysis of Personal Names in Oǹdó

Names are important in the Yorùbá culture. It is like a lens that clearly reflects the people’s social background and their cultural ideologies. Names are means by which a person is identified. It is considered among Yorùbá to be of life longer, even than the bearer of the names, hence the need for a name to be protected from being destroyed. All these are what scholars have said about names in the standard dialect of Yorùbá. This essay explains the form and structure of personal names in the Oǹdó dialect. By this we mean an attempt is made to explain the morpho-syntactic analysis of personal names in Oǹdó. Oǹdó dialect spoken in communities such as Ile̩-Oluji, Oǹdó, Ìdànrè, Ajùé, Òdìgbó, Òkè-Igbó, etc. The data collected were from the native speakers through interviews on the personal names. The analyses reflect that Oǹdó's personal names are morphologically derived through the de-sententialisation process. In terms of syntactic structure, most of the names are generated from simple basic sentences, compound sentences and negative sentence.

Analyzing the Integration Interpretation of Civics and Family Poetry Culture in University Language Programs Based on Deep Learning Models

Abstract In this paper, firstly, we start from the imagery in the poem, excavate the resources of the ideology and politics in the university language poetry, and put forward the feasible path of the integration of the ideology and politics of the university language course and the poetry culture of the family training. The research on poetry culture in university language is conducted using a deep learning model. Based on the deep learning model, keywords in the poetry text are extracted and extended, taking into account the issue of word splitting and lexical annotation. The sequence coding of word vectors is needed so as to construct a poetry generation model based on RNNPG, and then the research and analysis on the concept of ideology and politics of the poetry culture in the university language are carried out. The results show that in terms of model performance, the RNNPG model is 1.17 overall, and the overall generation effect is more ideal compared to other single discriminator generation models. The acceptance level of sophomores is generally above 0.29, which is better than that of freshmen, and the teaching of ancient poems under the perspective of “curriculum politics” is especially necessary to improve their cultural taste and aesthetic interest. This study is conducive to the personalized development of students and the formation of correct concepts.

On the Well Imagery and Its Cultural Implications in Zibuyu

Zibuyu is one of the three major collections of classical Chinese fantasy novels in the Qing Dynasty. The imagery of wells in many of its works is eye-catching. Wells were originally used for drawing water, and participated in all aspects of the daily life of the ancients. The imagery of the well in Zibuyu expresses through absurd writing that the well can carry all things because of its illusory nature, its static nature can be a permanent reference item, and its allegorical nature can carry Daoism and virtue. By exploring the rich ideological culture of ancient China reflected in the well imagery in Zibuyu, it will help to inherit and spread the excellent traditional Chinese culture and provide a unique perspective for the protection of cultural heritage.

Ideology in Swedish ELT

Grounded in scholarship on multilingualism, this multimodal case study aims to identify factors related to ideologies of language and culture in an English language classroom in a public lower secondary school in Sweden for an enhanced understanding of learning conditions for multilingual students. Using a triangulation of methods, participant observation, materials analysis, and interviews, the study examines teaching practice, materiality, language use and teachers’ perspectives on multilingualism and their own teaching practices in the multilingual classroom. The study finds a predominance of factors rooted ideologies of monolingualism and monoculturalism. Teaching practice was marked by the traditional approach to teaching English with a focus on Britain/the U.K. as a homogenous monocultural and monolingual nation and a Swedishness norm dominated teaching practice and classroom interaction: extensive usage of the Swedish language, examples of teaching strategies related to a contrastive Swedish-English grammar approach and a study of target language culture from a national Swedish perspective. An application of Nancy Hornberger’s model of the continua of biliteracy to the data identifies teaching practice in the classroom as close to the privileged ends. The analysis of interviews suggests that the traditional approach was normalized and that teachers had limited awareness of pedagogical strategies for the inclusion of multilingual students.

Protocol and Order during the Mourning Period for the Late President Moi: Understanding Official Discourse of the Disciplined Forces and Cultural Ideologies

This paper is a reflection on both the language and acts of protocol and honour witnessed during the days of mourning and funeral service of the second President of the Republic of Kenya, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, between the fourth and the twelfth of February 2020. Interviews with some military officers were used to shed light on the meanings of the texts and acts of honour and protocol. These include; the Presidential Proclamation, the flags traditions, the military marches, and the gun ceremony by army. The army was in charge of most of the ceremonies and activities that took place during that time of mourning. This discourse and honorary acts are contrary to another underplayed disgruntled discourse that those who suffered under the KANU regime had. Is it a cultural thing not to say ill of the departed? Was the media down playing these contrary views because of what they called ‘negative Kenyan groupthink’? Discourse analysis theory was used to help shed light on the intricacies of language and meanings in the discourse of the disciplined forces and other discourses backgrounded in these events yet are part of human experiences and activities. The gist of the paper is how discursive elements in the chosen texts and acts (for this article, the military) have practical, ritual, symbolic, semiotic, and cultural functions. In discussing this one event, the paper endeavours to show the importance of language in revealing social and cultural ideologies and how this knowledge helps in understanding peoples’ lives. As a social practice, language informs the social structure; who the people are, their behaviours and way of life

Ahmed Ibn Fadlan and Bayard Taylor: Travel Writers or Translators?

In this article, two works of travel writing, Resala (922) by Ahmed Ibn Fadlan and Travels in Arabia (1889) by Bayard Taylor, are explored to show how the genre as a whole serves as one way of translating culture in order to better understand and discover it. It examines how ideology affects cultural translation in travel writing and how this leads to othering. We begin with close readings of the texts for major content themes, including religion, sex, traditions, etc. These are analyzed for instantiations of inaccurate cultural translation, ideology, and othering. The use of pronouns, nouns, and adjectives is looked at to explore their othering effect. The results show that inaccurate cultural translations are sometimes influenced by ideology and usually lead to othering. The analyzed samples of travel writing rather reveal the predominant mindsets and leanings of their authors and cultures of their origin than those they attempt to introduce to their readers.

Mzansi Magic

Mzansi Magic

Tracking the transmission of culture: a cultural discourse analysis of narratives of circulation in the US undergraduate public speaking course

ABSTRACT Ethnography of communication studies conducted by communication scholars, including those informed by cultural discourse theory, typically approach the cultural transmission of discursive resources using a narrow conception of language socialization. In this conception, expert speakers instruct or otherwise compel novice speakers to speak in locally recognized, normative ways and thereby achieve or affirm membership in the collective. I perform the cultural discourse analysis of narratives of circulation to extend this approach. In particular, I study narratives representing the movements of the Anglo-American speech genre known as public speaking in a US undergraduate course and a series of focus groups. Speakers narrated movement along four paths: from beyond the classroom into the classroom; inside the classroom (with the class acting as primary agent of dissemination); inside the classroom (with student speakers acting as secondary agents of dissemination); and from the classroom beyond the classroom. The analysis suggests three extensions of the existing approach to cultural transmission and, thereby, of cultural discourse theory: accounting for cultural ideologies (or metacultures) of transmission; producing more comprehensive accounts of transmission’s participation structure; and accounting for the local meanings of mobile resources both in context and in motion.

Charlas culinarias (culinary chats): A methodology and pedagogy expanding a food consciousness

ABSTRACT Charlas culinarias as methodology and pedagogy, simply put, is about democratizing knowledge to impact the formation of a food consciousness. It is through the development of a food consciousness that allows students to take their familial culinary knowledge and practices and reflect how they form part of larger complex, complicated, and contradictory food systems. Over the years, I’ve learned that for students to think critically about Belasco’s claim that “food matters” and that “it has weight” and “it weighs us down,” they must develop a food consciousness (2008, 2). This consciousness increases their ability to understand the impact that “food voice” has in shaping their cultural views and social opinions. They recognize that their food choices are never neutral, but governed by social, political, economic, and cultural ideologies that continuously re-shape their individual, familial, and cultural sense of self. While food has the power to define us, with the development of a food consciousness, students also understand how people can and do (re)write the importance of such power by how they express what food means within the construction of their own food narratives.

A Comparison of Chinese and British Tea Cultures from the Perspective of Cross-Cultural Communication and the “Tea Language” Translation

As the Chinese saying goes, “The seven necessities of life: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea”, which shows the important place the tea occupies in the hearts of the Chinese. With the advent of globalization, countries all over the world have gradually become an organically integrated economic and cultural whole, and China’s tea has travelled across the ocean to the west, developing a unique and exotic western tea culture. Despite the fact that British tea comes from China, there are significant differences in tea culture between the two countries. This paper explores the deeper reasons behind the differences between Chinese and British tea culture through a comparative analysis and put forward some strategies and methods for the translation of “tea language” based on these cultural differences. The differences between Chinese and British tea culture are discussed in terms of the development of tea culture, tea drinking etiquette and the spirit of the tea ceremony, which are created by the differences in cultural background and ideology. Analyzing Chinese and British tea culture from different aspects enables us to make better use of tea culture and observe tea drinking etiquette in cross-cultural communication, reduce the language barrier formed in translation and understanding, and reduce the cultural conflict, thus promoting the exchange and development between Chinese and British tea culture and making tea culture shine on the world stage.

Does the follow-your-passions ideology cause greater academic and occupational gender disparities than other cultural ideologies?

Five preregistered studies (N = 1934) demonstrate that the prevalent U.S. ideology to "follow your passions" perpetuates academic and occupational gender disparities compared to some other cultural ideologies. Study 1 shows that the follow-your-passions ideology is commonly used by U.S. students in making academic choices. Studies 2-5 find that making the follow-your-passions ideology salient causes greater academic and occupational gender disparities compared to the resources ideology (i.e., the idea that one should pursue a field that leads to high income and job security). In Study 4, the follow-your-passions ideology causes greater gender disparities even when compared to a cultural ideology that aligns more with the female gender role (i.e., communal ideology). In Study 5, a moderated mediation analysis supports the hypothesis that gender disparities are explained by women's versus men's greater tendency to draw upon female role-congruent selves when the follow-your-passions ideology is salient compared to when the resources ideology is salient. Drawing upon female role-congruent selves remains a significant mediator even when accounting for alternative mediators (e.g., appropriateness of ideology for one's gender). The follow-your-passions ideology may not seem explicitly gendered, but it causes greater academic and occupational gender disparities compared to some other cultural ideologies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Santa’s Got a Gun: A Case Study of Cultural Stereotypes Embedded in a Map

In the 20th century, the General Drafting Company was one of the “Big Three” American road map makers. When it came to the Company’s Christmas card maps cultural biases overrode their commitment to accuracy and high standards. Starting in 1930, General Drafting produced a series of Christmas card maps that featured Santa Claus. Cultural and regional stereotypes are highlighted in the 1930s maps; the 1950s maps also reveal a prominent American nationalist worldview. Although Santa Claus generally serves as an avatar for the benevolent “Traditional American” who is generous and jolly, the Santa of General Drafting maps portray him differently. Santas are seen harvesting natural resources, hunting animals, and being shown deference by non-Americans while disparaging the Soviet Union. Most disturbingly, Santa is shooting a Native American in the back, and enslaving other Santas in Siberia. The abhorrent behavior is being cloaked by the kindly image of Santa Claus to make his (America’s) actions more palatable. These Christmas card maps are compelling and unique examples that illustrate how accurate cartography can be supplanted by deeply engrained cultural stereotypes and ideologies.

NATIONAL-STATE IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL CONFRONTATION: THE PROBLEM OF THE STABILITY OF SOCIAL SYSTEMS

The problem of national-state identity is considered as one of the pillars, along with the state, ensuring the stability of modern social systems. It is shown that the national-state identity is formed, first of all, on the basis of the commonality of spiritual values shared by the majority of members of society. These values belong, in turn, to the spheres of culture and ideology. The role of these areas is not the same. The function of culture is the accumulation and reproduction of values through the transfer from generation to generation of values as ideas of what is due and taboo, which gave advantages to the social system and its members in survival and development. Ideological values are attractive goals, a project of a social and state structure that reflects the interests of social groups. The stability of social systems and nation-states is possible provided that ideological values do not conflict with the values of culture. In modern conditions, the process of reproduction of cultural values is hampered by a number of global reasons, and these values themselves have become the object of destructive ideological influence on the part of both rival states and global elites. The role of state cultural policy and state ideologies has come to the fore in the issue of ensuring the sustainability of nation states and the corresponding social systems. In conclusion, the conditions for the effectiveness of this policy are formulated in the most general form.