Cultural Landscape Research Articles

Motivations behind Active Sport Tourists Participating in Natural and Cultural Landscapes

Recreational running, both on roads and in mountains, is one of the most practiced physical activities worldwide, and so, the motivations behind participating have been quite extensively described in the literature. However, the cultural and environmental motivations behind these athletes traveling to other countries or destinations to compete have not been properly addressed yet. The aim of this research is to analyze the motivations of sport tourists and to compare the motivations that cause mountain runners and city runners to compete. A cross-sectional study with a total of 244 athletes, divided into a group of city marathon runners (N = 118) and a group of mountain ultra-marathon runners (N = 126), was conducted. Athletes completed the Sports Tourism Motivation Scale (STMS), composed of 37 items and nine dimensions, through an online survey. Participants were asked questions related to their age, running experience, distance to events, numbers of nights in hotels and volunteering. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in four out of the nine dimensions of the STMS between city and mountain runners’ motivations and, likewise, statistical differences were found in some dimensions of the scale related to participants’ sex, age, running experience, numbers of nights in a hotel, travel distance and volunteering. In conclusion, the reasons why runners participate in mountain and city running events are different; likewise, some sociodemographic variables should be taken into account when organizing such sporting events in a sustainable way, in order to provide organizers with the most suitable information and attract the most participants.

Ethnicity Detection with Convolutional Neural Network (CNN): Bangladesh Perspectives

Ethnicity detection, or the automatic determination of people's ethnic backgrounds using visual data, has become important in a number of disciplines, including social sciences, demographics, and computer vision. With a focus on Bangladesh's complex cultural landscape, we describe in this paper a novel method for ethnicity detection using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). We gathered a dataset of photographs depicting members of the three main ethnic groups living in the Chittagong hill neighborhood: Chakma, Marma, and Tripura. Utilizing the DenseNet121 model's robust feature extraction skills, we customized the architecture to meet the needs of our particular ethnicity detection application. A wide range of performance indicators were used to train and assess our unique CNN model. The outcomes illustrate accurate ethnicity detection technology's potential for identifying and resolving social inequities while showcasing a promising level of accuracy. To address possible biases in the model's prediction, ethical considerations are also covered. Overall, this work advances knowledge of Bangladesh's ethnic variety and demonstrates the potential of CNNs for ethnicity detection. The results provide up new avenues for investigation and applications that advance a more diverse and inclusive society.

The ‘death’ and ‘rebirth’ of museums in colonial Hong Kong: three decades of community endeavours to restore reputation and culture, 1933–1962

ABSTRACT For nearly three decades, from 1933 to 1962, Hong Kong was deprived of a proper museum. This article explores the prolonged absence of public museum services in the colony and their arduous restoration. It investigates the reasons behind this extended hiatus and scrutinises the efforts made by the Hong Kong colonial government and the local community to reintroduce public museum services. The article argues that the resurgence of museums in Hong Kong was primarily propelled by community initiatives. While the colonial administration displayed indifference towards museum provision, Hong Kong's civil society considered it essential for enhancing the colony's reputation and cultural landscape. Through a public campaign for cultural democratisation, they compelled the government to establish a new museum. Their lobbying and preparatory efforts showcased the significant determination and agency of the local community in shaping the cultural outlook of the colony despite their limited political representation.

Cultural Practices as a Tool for the Tourist Destination Development

The aim of the article is to analyse the functional peculiarities of cultural practices under the conditions of transforming tourist destinations in Ukraine. Results. On the basis of the conducted analysis, it is proved that the preservation of the uniqueness and attractiveness of tourist destinations depend on effective management and strategic priorities. It allows preserving the integrity of the cultural and tourist space with qualitatively new and attractive cultural practices. It is revealed that the tourist destination formation is one of the main tasks in the system of cultural policy development of modern states. The study analyses the role of tourist destinations as custodians of cultural heritage at all levels, such as global, glocal and local. It is established that such destinations form a unique cultural space for the entire country. They act as cultural receptacles and centres of cultural life that attract both local residents and tourists from other countries. It is noted that the symbiosis of cultural and tourist practices allows to form a national image with its unique cultural potential. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the theoretical understanding and determining the practical role and significance of cultural practices in the process of transforming tourist destinations. Conclusions. Ukrainian reality and world practices testify to active cultural transformations of tourist destinations. As custodians of cultural heritage, tourist destinations form the cultural space of the entire country. They are a concentration of cultures, a centre of cultural life of the state’s citizens, and a centre of tourism for representatives of other countries. An important tool for the qualitative transformation of the tourist destination functionality are cultural practices that are able to provide emotional recovery, establish rational communication and dialogue between all participants in the cultural process. As a cultural practice, intercultural dialogue is the most important value in solving the global problems of nowadays. The formation and development of a cultural landscape with unique cultural practices are the most important factors for preserving and restoring tourist destinations together with their values, which depend on national identity.

Errors associated with moose-hunter counts of occupied beaver Castor fiber lodges in Norway

In Norway, Sweden and Finland moose Alces alces hunting teams are often employed to survey occupied beaver (Castor fiber and C. canadensis) lodges while hunting. Results may be used to estimate population density or trend, or for issuing harvest permits. Despite the method’s increasing popularity, the errors involved have never been identified. In this study we 1) compare hunting-team counts of occupied lodges with total counts, 2) identify the sources of error between counts and 3) evaluate the method’s management potential. The study was conducted in Bø Township (266 km2), Telemark County, Norway during 1995. Hunters reported the number of occupied lodges seen daily while hunting moose (25 September - 31 October). Teams (n = 12) under-counted occupied lodges in the township by 62% because 1) the probability of observing an occupied lodge within areas actually hunted on was 0.77, 2) 37% of the moosehunting units were not hunted on and 3) 21% of the occupied lodges occurred in cultivated landscapes outside of moose-hunting units. Hunters had difficulty distinguishing between occupied and unoccupied lodges. Measures of precision and bias should be determined before using the method for practical management. Moose-hunting team surveys may be better suited for obtaining indexes of population change than estimates of occupied lodge number.

From living heritage values to value-based policymaking: exploring new indicators for Abu Dhabi’s sustainable development

This exploratory study offers an analysis of Abu Dhabi’s living heritage ecosystem. It borrows from approaches predominantly used in the healthcare field and develops a value-based framework that provides a broader understanding of heritage and its integration into innovation, economic development, and societal change in Abu Dhabi. This framework includes three steps: (1) identification of the individual heritage values (‘heritage drivers’) through ethnographic interviews; (2) aggregation of the dynamics impacting the practical realization of these values and relative identification of value-based policymaking areas; and (3) suggestion of an approach that builds indicators to assess the impact of living heritage policies contributing to the achievement of the UN SDGs and their relevance to grassroots ‘heritage drivers’. This study also addresses the existing methodological gap in qualitative surveys focusing on Abu Dhabi’s cultural landscape, which is characterized by ongoing transformations. The UAE’s current social, economic, and political conditions continuously shape Abu Dhabi’s approach to using its rich tangible and intangible heritage as a catalyst for new articulations between the ‘local’ and the ‘global’. Even if the epistemological approach suggested in this paper is far from exhaustive, the interdisciplinary aspect of this research has practical implications that may be useful for international researchers and policymakers working in a variety of fields.

Ethnic identity construction through multimodal linguistic landscape at Ban Arunotai in Thailand

ABSTRACT Thailand is a country where ethnic diversity and multilingualism are deeply embedded in the cultural landscape, and understanding the construction of ethnic identity provides crucial insights into its social dynamics. This study investigates how ethnic identities are constructed and negotiated through multimodal resources within the linguistic landscape of Ban Arunotai, a multiethnic village in Chiang Mai. Utilizing a comprehensive multimodal framework, the research analyzes how public signage combines linguistic, visual, auditory, and spatial elements to articulate and reshape identity. The findings reveal a hierarchical structure of languages and modes, where dominant languages are visually prioritized, while minority languages serve more localized, symbolic functions. Moreover, a shift from static, monolingual systems to fluid, multilingual repertoires among speakers reflects broader sociocultural changes shaped by translanguaging practices. By framing public signs as dynamic resources in the active formation and reinforcement of ethnic identities, this study offers significant implications for understanding identity politics and social integration in multilingual settings.

Exploration of the Landscape Gene Characteristics of Traditional Villages along the Jinzhong Section of the Wanli Tea Road from the Perspective of the Village Temple System

Traditional villages along the Jinzhong section of the Wanli Tea Road possess unique geographical locations and cultural heritage, showcasing a rich variety of cultural landscapes. Among these, village temple buildings play a crucial role as the core of spiritual and belief life in traditional villages. In the context of rapid urbanization and modernization, a new perspective is needed to thoroughly explore the deeper connotations of cultural landscape characteristics in traditional villages along the Wanli Tea Road, particularly by examining the composition and inherent features of their landscape genes. This study employs landscape gene theory, using the village temple system as a lens to identify and analyze the landscape genes of traditional villages along the Jinzhong section of the Wanli Tea Road. Based on the results, a genealogy and a map of landscape genes are constructed to clearly and effectively present the typical characteristics and expressions of these genes in a logical and visual manner. The findings indicate the following: (1) The village temple system in traditional villages along the Jinzhong section of the Wanli Tea Road is closely related to the formation and expression of their landscape genes and can play a critical role in the protection and transmission of cultural landscapes. (2) As important nodes along the historical trade route, the landscape gene characteristics of these villages reflect their unique natural environments and historical development trajectories, illustrating the deep intertwining of commercial activities and local cultural landscapes. (3) This study establishes a replicable research framework that is not only applicable to local studies but also provides valuable references for broader cultural landscape research.

Characterizing the cultural landscape of traditional Chinese settlements through genome maps

Plentiful traditional settlements are the key part of Chinese cultural heritage due to their prominent traditional cultural features and rich historical information. The rapidly growing social economy of China raises a pressing need for understanding their rich traditional knowledge and wisdom. In order to explore this issue, Cultural Landscape Genes of Traditional Settlements (CLGTS) has been proposed by Chinese scholars since 2003. Since that, it has been attracting wide attention and has made significant strides in many areas, such as urban planning and the development of tourism. However, CLGTS still faces significant difficulties in addressing the connections between the cultural elements and the entire spatial image of traditional settlements. To fill this gap, this work proposed Landscape Genome Maps of Traditional Settlements (LGMTS) based on CLGTS. First, this work clarified the definition of Landscape Genomes of Traditional Settlements (LGTS); then, this work deeply clarified the connotations of LGMTS, and addressed the relations among CLGTS, LGTS, and LGMTS. Based on these findings, this work further established the classifications of LGMTS and explored its functions. Finally, through a case study, the potential of LGMTS to catch the critical cultural features of traditional settlements was shown.

Investigation of Features Influencing on the Artworks of African American Female Artists Between 1960s and 2000s

The rich tapestry of cultural diversity is intricately woven by artists who have traversed various cultural landscapes, often producing distinctive artistic expressions. Among these artists, African American female painters stand out with their unmistakable styles and themes, a testament to their unique narrative. To explore the elements that shape the work of these artists in the United States, an extensive review of literature was conducted, distilling the essence of their creative output. The analysis encompasses personal and societal dimensions, unveiling a tapestry of influences including personal experiences, societal encounters, artistic styles, environmental nuances, technological advancements, sources of inspiration, and collaborative relationships. Through meticulous research and surveying, this investigation identified the paramount features that resonate most profoundly with the artistic vision of eight eminent painters. This study highlights the top three as being most influential in their creative journey. Future research endeavors should focus on conducting a more systematic case study of African American artists in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of their features. This will involve finding primary information and reference materials to make a deeper investigation into the influencing features on Africa American female artists between the 1960s and 2000s.

Materialization of spatial identity in Slavonia and Baranja’s linguistic landscape changes

The linguistic landscape is an essential aspect of determining how language materializes in our surroundings. It is especially important in multilingual communities, as it reflects their identity. The linguistic landscape changes over time due to various factors, such as changes in politics, economics, and the national minority population. Study aims to explore how language manifested in the cultural landscape of Slavonia and Baranja, how it changed over time. Linguistic signs can also reflect the spatial identity of the population in the investigated periods (and its changes). Research compares the linguistic landscape of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries with the contemporary period. We used old postcards as sources for the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and conducted fieldwork for the modern period. The research involved analysing a vast corpus of linguistic signs in the cultural landscape. Research showed that the linguistic landscape, both in the past and present, is visible through various inscriptions on shops, craft stores, state institutions, and street names. Official inscriptions on public institutions in Croatia are written in the Croatian language, and in ethnically diverse areas, these inscriptions are bilingual, but not to the extent allowed by the Croatian Constitution. Homogeneity or heterogeneity of the linguistic landscape users determines its appearance. Croatian is the primary language in most of inscriptions. However, the status and dominance of other languages have changed, depending on the complex political and linguistic past of the region. The study has confirmed that the linguistic landscape reflects both the spatial identity as well as the heterogeneity and multilingualism of the linguistic landscape in urban and rural areas.

PROSPECTS OF EFFECTIVE USE OF TOURISM POTENTIAL AND ITS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF UZBEKISTAN

This article discusses the prospects for the effective use of tourism potential and its opportunities in Uzbekistan. With its rich cultural heritage, historical monuments, and diverse natural landscapes, Uzbekistan has the potential to become one of the leading tourist destinations in Central Asia. The paper highlights the current state of the tourism industry in Uzbekistan, identifies challenges, and presents strategies for maximizing its potential. Key factors include infrastructural development, digital transformation, the promotion of eco-tourism, and investment opportunities. The study concludes that with the right policies and initiatives, Uzbekistan can significantly boost its tourism sector, contributing to sustainable economic growth.

Large, but Dispersal-Limited Populations of the Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Persist on Abandoned Military Training Areas Three Decades After the End of the Cold War.

Military training areas can host important biodiversity, due to the preservation of diverse, nutrient-poor historical cultural landscapes and an insect-friendly disturbance regime. In Europe, many training areas were abandoned after the end of the cold war in 1991 and the withdrawal of the Allied and Soviet forces. Many of these are now protected areas, and current management strategies vary from rewilding to active habitat management such as grazing or mowing. In a capture-release-recapture approach, marking 2418 individuals, we assessed the population size and movement patterns of the dry ecotype of the Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Rottemburg 1775 on three former military training areas in Germany that varied in size and management (natural succession, mowing, and sheep-/goat grazing). Euphydryas aurinia is a rare and declining butterfly species listed in Annex II of the European Union Habitats Directive. Jolly-Seber models revealed a large population of ca. 19,000 individuals on the largest study site and a smaller population at a second site, whereas recapture rates were too low to predict the population size reliably at a third site. Population densities were 190-194 butterflies ha-1 at the unmanaged, large site and 56-71 butterflies ha-1 at a smaller site grazed with sheep. Thirty-nine percent of the recapture events occurred within the same 1-ha-study plot. The average minimum flight distance between the study plots was 313 m for males and 328 m for females. The maximum lifetime flight distance was 1237 m within 3 days. No dispersal was detected between study sites. Thirty years after cessation of the military use, the large former training site still held what likely is one of the largest populations of the species dry ecotype in Central Europe, including in areas where management ceased already in 1991. This suggests remarkable persistence of the species in areas without regular management, contrary to current opinion. However, regular flight distances seem not to be sufficient to connect the isolated habitat patches. It remains unknown how long the large population at the abandoned military area will persist without active habitat management. Careful, but active habitat management and restoration of habitat connectivity should thus be considered.

The influence of the Avar Khanate on the ethno-political situation in South-Eastern Europe

This article provides an in-depth examination of the ethno-political impact of the Avar Khanate in Southeast Europe from the 7th to the 10th centuries. The Avars, through their military prowess and strategic settlement practices, brought about significant changes in the political and cultural landscape of the region. Their influence extended beyond warfare, as they played a crucial role in reshaping the ethnic composition and political equilibrium of Southeast Europe. The article delves into various aspects of Avar life, including their war economy, settlements, and agricultural and craft activities, highlighting how these factors influenced neighboring peoples and cultures. The Avars' interactions with the Byzantine Empire and other neighboring entities are also explored, emphasizing their role in shaping the region's long-term historical trajectory. By analyzing these multifaceted influences, the study provides valuable insights into the ethno-political legacy of the Avar Khanate, offering a nuanced understanding of their lasting impact on the region. The research underscores the importance of the Avars in the broader context of Southeast European history, contributing to a deeper comprehension of the historical forces that have shaped the region's development over the centuries. This comprehensive analysis not only enhances our knowledge of the Avar Khanate but also sheds light on the broader ethno-political processes at play during this critical period in Southeast European history.

From China to Malaysia: Understanding The Cultural and Economic Dynamics of Imported Chinese Films

The connection between China’s diplomatic engagements abroad and its trans-border film trade holds considerable importance. Inherent in this dynamic is cross-cultural interaction and inter-cultural communication. Malaysia’s support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative has fostering a growing cultural exchange, particularly through the trade of Chinese films, some of which have aschieved significant box office earning success in Malaysia. Despite occasional media attention, there is a notable lack of scholarly literature addressing the impact of these films on Malaysian audiences. This study examines the cinematic consumption of the films imported from China by Malaysian distributors for exhibition to its cinemagoers, using Song Hwee Lim’s framework of conceptualization of transnational cinema. It seeks to better understand the phenomenon of the imported Chinese films for audience appeal, cultural influence and impact on box-office earnings. By collecting and analyzing relevant data from distributors through in-depth interviews with their representatives, this study identifies the approaches of film promotion and marketing activities that are reshaping the cultural experience of filmic storytelling in the Malaysian context. The implications of this study extend beyond film distribution, offering insights into how transnational cinema can shape cultural narratives and influence the cultural landscape in a globalized context. By examining the interplay between Chinese films and Malaysian audiences, the research highlights the role of transnational cinema in fostering cultural exchange and understanding, as well as its potential to impact the future direction of filmic storytelling within a multicultural society. Keywords: Transnational cinema, Chinese film, Malaysian cinema, film distribution, cultural trade.

Theorizing Social Media from Capitalism and Culture Industry Perspective

This article proposes PRANC as a theoretical framework to help rethink, understand, and deconstruct the monopolizing influence of mass media in this social media age. From Marxist perspective, mass media centered on and dominated capital accumulation through excessive culture production such as television drama programs. Mass media was also manipulated and controlled from the center with producer-consumer dichotomy. However, I argue in this article that through its affordances social media disrupts a centeralized information production and dissemination discouraging mass media’s monopoly on capitalism and culture industry. Social media also serves as a platform with which societies challenge dictatorship, expose, and withstand various forms of oppression as has been witnessed in different parts of the world over the last decade. Portability of communication technologies enabled users to carry along their devices that enables them have access to social media anytime anywhere, while retrievability allows users to search and recover information shared on social media. Affordability is another social media feature that promotes broader participation in sociocultural and political activities, while networkability is the ability of agile social media to empower marginalized voices to stand united for a common good fighting oppression. On the other hand, customizability of social media enables users to conceal and shape their identities to protect themselves from attack due to the content they share or due to their engagement with contents users share. Social media viewed from PRANC framework offers a new opportunity for the powerless communities to struggle for their rights. It fosters inclusivity, democratizes cultural landscapes, and redefines how culture is produced, disseminated, and consumed in the digital age, challenging capitalism and culture industry. Keywords: PRANC, portability, retrievability, affordability, networkability, customizability, capitalism, culture industry, creative culture

Visual Impact Assessment Method for Cultural Heritage: West Lake Cultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China

Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) is a critical tool in managing cultural heritage, evaluating the impacts of development and construction projects on the visual aspects of heritage values. However, VIA is often constrained by subjectivity, low public participation, and a lack of generalizability. This study aims to develop a methodological framework for a more objective and comprehensive assessment of visual impacts on cultural heritage. The study establishes criteria for indicators based on the value attributes of cultural heritage, develops an assessment indicator system, and integrates visual sensitivity assessment through multi-factor calculations with visual perception assessment using the AHP method and questionnaire surveys. This constructs an assessment framework that combines both objectivity and subjectivity. The Shangri-La Hotel East Building project at the World Heritage site of the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, China, is employed as a case study to empirically demonstrate the framework’s practicality and effectiveness. The results indicate that the Shangri-La East Building significantly impacts the attributes of the West Lake. The conclusion demonstrates that the indicator system, grounded in the attributes of cultural heritage, enhances the framework’s applicability across different contexts. The integrated assessment framework, which includes both a quantitative assessment of visual sensitivity and a public-participation-based assessment of visual perception, is shown to be effective in predicting the visual impacts of proposed projects on heritage values. The study also underscores the importance of Heritage Impact Assessment as a preliminary evaluation.

Housing and utility complex in the system of sociocultural institutionality

The article examines the issue of the housing and utility services as a sociocultural institution. It has been noted that the larger the urban settlement, the more difficult it is to organize orderly interactions necessary for the sustainability of the urban structure, convenience for residents, safety, expressiveness of the cultural landscape, etc. Housing and utility services perform an important function of forming a positive image of a city, making it competitive in attractiveness in comparison with others cities. The research problem lies in the fact that the housing and utility services are generally considered from the standpoint of economics and management, despite the fact that the activities of this complex have a pronounced socio-cultural orientation. This allows us to talk about the relevance of the study of housing and utility services as a sociocultural institution in order to identify factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the activities of public utility organizations, or lead to institutional dysfunctions. The main research method chosen is structural and functional analysis, which allows us to consider housing and communal services from the point of view of the implementation of sociocultural functions and the search for the causes of possible dysfunctions. Consistently the institutional features of housing and utility complex are revealed. In conclusion, the main reasons for possible institutional dysfunctions of the object under consideration have been determined: violations of functionality are possible, firstly, as a result of general crisis conditions in the economy and politics; secondly, as a result of natural disasters; thirdly, as a result of a lack of understanding of the importance and complexity of housing and communal services by state and municipal authorities. Also, the gap in this area may be affected by shortcomings in the organizational culture of specific enterprises in the public utilities sector.

Spatial Expansion, Planning, and Their Influences on the Urban Landscape of Christian Churches in Canton (1582–1732 and 1844–1911)

Canton (present-day Guangzhou, China) has a long history as a trading port and serves as a window for studying the history of Sino-Western cultural exchanges. Canton was a city built under Confucian orders, leading to significant differences (when compared to Christian cities) in urban functional zoning, layout, urban landscape, and methods for shaping spatial order. Therefore, the churches constructed by Christian missionary societies in Canton merit particular attention in missionary history research and urban planning history. Based on local gazetteers, historical maps, export paintings, Western travelogues, and archives at that time, from a cultural landscape perspective, this article compares and analyzes the spatial expansion of Christian churches and their influences on the urban landscape in Canton in two stages. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the spatial layout of the churches indicated an active integration into Canton City. After the Opium War, churches were not only used for religious purposes but also served as symbols asserting the presence of Christians and Western powers (which made the situation more complicated). Missionary societies attracted believers through the construction of public facilities, building Christian communities centered around churches, thereby competing with authorities for spatial power and influencing the urban functional system and spatial layout controlled by the authorities. Comparatively, the Roman Catholic Cathedral has profoundly changed the traditional landscape order in Canton, while the Protestant Dongshan Church interacted more closely with the city.

Navigating Cultural, Health, and Information Landscapes A User-focused Approach to Immigrant Health in a Nordic Context

Navigating Cultural, Health, and Information Landscapes A User-focused Approach to Immigrant Health in a Nordic Context