Modern Culture Research Articles

The Ecological Dimension of Modern European Culture

In the article modern European culture is analysed in an ecological dimension through the model of cultural ecology/ecology of culture. The paradigm of cultural ecology is considered as a way to study the changing relations between culture and the environment in the post-industrial world. The phenomenon of cultural ecology is examined through the prism of genesis in the European and Russian research traditions. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate how modern theoretical concepts of cultural ecology are fulfilled in the EU cultural policy. It is shown that the ecology of culture is the preservation of culture through conservation of nature and overcoming natural disasters. It is demonstrated that trends in the ecologisation of the cultural policy of the EU and the management of European cultural heritage are aimed at joint evolution/coevolution of culture and nature. These trends cancel out their traditional alternative. The need for a unified consideration of environmental and social factors of cultural heritage conservation in the European Union is illustrated by cases of the negative impact of tourism on a number of locations. Modern European culture as a social phenomenon is consistently evolving in the direction of optimising interaction with the nature. The conclusion is drawn that the status of modern European culture in the paradigm of cultural ecology corresponds to modern development of the information society in the version of its Green dimension.

The Use of the Detective Genre in 19th-Century English Prose

The detective genre in 19th-century English literature emerged as a response to the social, cultural, and legal transformations of the Victorian era. Rooted in urbanization, the rise of crime, and advancements in legal systems, the genre offered both entertainment and moral reflection for its readers. Key figures such as Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, and Arthur Conan Doyle played pivotal roles in shaping the genre, introducing enduring archetypes and innovative narrative structures. Detective fiction not only captivated audiences with its intricate plots and logical deductions but also reinforced societal values by exploring themes of justice and morality. This study examines the genre's foundational characteristics, its influence on Victorian readers, and its enduring legacy in modern literature and culture.

Phytochemical Analysis of Dried Hevea brasiliensis (Will. Ex Adr. De Juss.) Muell. et Arg Leaves Collected from the Ovitrap with Mosquito Larvae

In the modern culture the paddy fields are converted into rubber plantations and its plays a good breeding source for mosquitoes especially during rainy seasons. Our present investigation is to find out the phytochemical constituents present in Hevea brasiliensis dried leaves collected from the ovitrap as a preliminary study to find out the mosquito repellent activity. The obtained result suggests that the control showed the presence of terpenoid, phenol, alkaloid and tannin. Similarly methanol extract showed the presence of phenol, tannin and steroid; chloroform extract showed the presence of terpenoid, flavonoid, tannin and steroid; acetone extract showed the presence of alkaloid, tannin, steroid and aminoacid and aqueous extract showed the presence of steroid and aminoacid. Moreover, the results suggest that the dried leaf collected from the ovitrap contains various phytoconstituents which can be utilized for industrial use.

Generation Z's Insights on Modern Cultural Factors in Chinese Kung Fu Cultural Experience Museums

Generation Z's Insights on Modern Cultural Factors in Chinese Kung Fu Cultural Experience Museums

National Identity Crisis of Indonesian Education in the Global Era

This study examines the national identity crisis in Indonesian education globally. This type of research is literature with a qualitative approach. Data collection by reconstructing data from books, archives, magazines, documents, journals, documentation, newspapers, etc. Using the philosophical hermeneutic analysis approach of Hans-Georg Gadamer through the stages of interpretation, holistic, and heuristic. This study shows that education is needed to strengthen national identity in the vortex of social change. Globalization is like a "three-edged sword," namely it can weaken or even eliminate a culture (transcendence), can help revive a culture (transference), and can cause a mixture of cultures (transformation) between globalization and local culture. In addition, the factors causing the national identity crisis based on a global perspective from a sociological vision are specific culture (web culture), antisocial nature, and low criticality of adolescents in facing the development of technological culture. From an anthropological perspective, namely the hegemony of global culture by international powers, the weak resilience of society in facing the onslaught of global culture, the noble values ​​of culture are starting to erode and may even disappear at some point, and modern culture is replacing old traditions. This research is limited to a narrow-scope analysis of the national identity crisis, while there is still a need for other essential aspects that need further study. Education should not only examine the intellectual side but there is a need for a balance of science and knowledge so that the output is not only intelligent in intellectual terms but also has value, one of which is national identity and love for one's products and culture.

The modern architecture culture of Harbin based on memes

Cultural memes, which have the same heritability and variability as particulate biological genes, provide culture units that can be shared and transmitted across different periods, allowing cultural computing to be performed in a fine-grained manner. This paper extracts regional architectural cultural memes from the basic information of Harbin city’s modern architectural heritage and constructs an urban historical architectural cultural meme matrix. By using the social network calculation method, we analyse representative architectural memes, such as material memes, structural system memes, and architectural style memes, which represent the evolution of urban architectural culture, construct a network of urban architectural cultural memes, and explore their clustering characteristics and centrality characteristics. The research shows that Harbin’s urban architectural culture in the development and evolution of the process has a holistic cultural characterisation beyond architectural meme monoliths and architectural memeplexes and has formed a highly coupled and complex cultural system. The clustering coefficients of the architectural meme networks in the cultural pattern of urban architecture in different periods are all between 0.575 and 0.676 (more than 0.5), suggesting that the cultural similarities within the clusters of architectural heritages in the city have the characteristics of continuous heredity. The methodology and conclusions of this study can provide a methodological reference for the design of contemporary urban architecture cultural patterns and provide data supporting the development and improvement of urban historic district conservation planning.

Contradictions of a Society in Transition: A Look at Henry Musenge's Novel Changing Shadows

This article seeks to highlight the contradictions that characterise a society in transition in relation to cultural change. It focuses on Henry Musenge’s novel Changing Shadows. The novel depicts a people in a dilemma with regard to the appropriate culture between the traditional ethnic culture and the new modern culture. Some members in this society wish to adhere to tradition and at the same time, attempt to demonise the new emerging culture. On the opposite extreme end, others regard the traditional culture as backward and outdated; one that should be disposed of completely, and eagerly wish to embrace the new modern culture. And still, others wish to embrace both cultures – or the hybrid of both cultures. The contradiction lies in the fact that, on one hand, there is a (national) call to uphold (selected) traditional values and practices as these are said to enforce national identity and national pride and on the other hand, there is a ‘public’ call for change and a call to embrace the new modern culture: Thus, ‘tradition is good’ versus ‘tradition is bad, evil, retrogressive and outdated’. This bi-polar approach to culture happens in one society and consequently degenerates into internal divides in the same society. The challenge is that these two cultures in many respects tend to be mutually exclusive; the practices are conflicting. This calls for the need for society to revisit and be guided properly seeing that the ambivalent/dual-structured cultural disposition creates confusion and contradictions. This article is largely guided by the sociological approach which posits that literature should serve as a mirror of society as well as to provide solutions for society. However, it is also guided by theories surounded cultural studies and multiculturalism.

The Frontier Nature of Nostalgic Memory

The research is devoted to nostalgia, understood as an existential and a form of historical memory. The timeless relevance of the problem, which is becoming particularly acute in the space of modern mass culture, the culture of the globalized world, is highlighted. The problem is expressed by the contradiction between the orientation of modern culture towards the future and nostalgic intentions in various spheres of social life. This problem includes the question of the role of nostalgia in the life of the subject. The purpose of the study is to determine the ontological foundations of the modern “cultural turn” to the past in social psychology, and to identify the levels, features and models of nostalgic experiences. Four levels of nostalgia representation in culture are highlighted: individual, group, national and universal. The most recognizable features of nostalgia as a form of memory are considered, such as the existential grasp of being in a nostalgic experience, the non‑narrative, symbolic, mythological nature of fixed images of the past, striving for metaphysical authenticity, awareness of the impossibility of returning to the object of longing and simultaneous awaiting of the future, as well as transcending the boundaries of individual being. It is concluded that nostalgia can be both a tool for preserving the existing social order – and changing it, manifesting itself in the form of a static or dynamic model of experiencing longing for the past. The article is intended for researchers of the problems of mass culture, historical memory, and identity of a social subject.

The stakes of “Imitation”: debating modern poetics and national identity in late ottoman literature

ABSTRACT In the late nineteenth century, Ottoman culture witnessed a concerted effort to develop a national literature on par with modern European literature and culture. This was also the time when Ottoman intellectuals began to develop a systematic approach to literary analysis. Debates on the imitation, translation, and adaptation of Western forms were central to this period. This article examines the evolution of the concept and practice of imitation as part of these debates. This detailed analysis of the theoretical discourse surrounding the concepts of imitation and authenticity contributes to the broader field of literary theory and comparative literature. By introducing the theoretical rigor inherent in Ottoman-Turkish intellectual practice and highlighting its specific conceptual tradition, the article not only bridges the gap of non-Western critical thought in contemporary literary history, but also offers a fresh perspective on the much-debated East–West paradigms and cross-cultural approaches in literary studies and beyond.

Subjectness of metamodernity: signs of the times (in the wake of a previous discussion)

The article is devoted to the analysis of the manifestation of subjectness of metamodernity. The relevance of the study is due to the need to revise some of the features of metamodernism in connection with the realities of modern culture. Although metamodernism is not a philosophical system, the author substantiates the idea that, oscillating between modernist logocentrism and postmodern nihilism, metamodernism adheres to the principles of Kantian “transcendental idealism” and, striving for transcendence, overcomes immanence. The basis of metamodern aesthetics is also an object-oriented ontology, which, without destroying the hierarchies that will threaten the human place in the world, offers the means with which one can create an updated map of being, taking into account all its complexity and diversity. Going beyond postmodern detachment and alienation, metamodernism appeals to ethics, aesthetics, authenticity, hope, and the awakening of sensuality. Metamodernism is characterized by holism, connectionism and assimilation. These features are shown using examples from the field of fine arts, literature, cinema, as well as modern educational practices.

‘I will not eat with you’: Shylock and the Value of Vegetarianism in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (1598)

ABSTRACT Beyond a mere dietary preference, eating meat and vegetables in Shakespeare’s drama is also indicative of the consumer’s identity, social status and religious beliefs. This article probes the dietary language in early modern culture with a particular focus on Shylock’s seemingly violent flesh-eating rhetoric in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (1598). If eating meat connotes early modern sacrifice rituals and masculinity, then vegetarianism becomes a source of communal virtue, spiritual wealth and the celebration of religio-cultural diversity. Shylock’s vulgar rhetoric, his references to meat-eating (both animal and human), and his preference for a rotten, Christian pound of flesh are all situated within a context of religious conflict. Yet Shakespeare’s depiction of Shylock’s violent, carnivorous language is ultimately in ironic service of the moderate individual who is always willing to set aside self-interest and social biases for the sake of peaceful coexistence.

Biblical apocrypha and the in-betweenness of maskilic translation

ABSTRACT In recent years, the role of translation in the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah) has become the focus of increasing scholarly attention. Often, the maskilic engagement with translation is viewed as an unambiguous route to modernity and to modern Jewish literature. But while the maskilim’s utilization of translation as a means for cultural innovation is now almost a truism among literary historians, their hesitations surrounding the importation of foreign works into the Hebrew literary sphere have been largely overlooked. This article discusses the translation of biblical apocrypha in the early Haskalah. It argues that the tangential position of translation in general, and the translation of biblical apocrypha in particular, posited this literary activity as an especially productive platform for unpacking concerns surrounding the means, forms, and languages of interreligious dialogue. For the maskilim, translation was not merely a device for literary and cultural modernization, so much as it was a way of reflecting on the promise and perils of modernity.

Home Services Recommendation System using Machine Learning for Urban Areas

The Kotlin-based on-demand home service system streamlines household tasks by offering services such as repairs, cleaning, gardening, and plumbing. In today's fast-paced world, it provides quick solutions for maintaining a clean and hygienic living environment. The Housekeeper Finder app is a prominent player in this space, utilizing advanced machine learning algorithms to deliver personalized service recommendations based on user preferences. It includes essential services like cooking, laundry, and elder care, along with a robust feedback system to improve service quality. Users can easily book services from anywhere, leveraging GPS technology to connect them with nearby providers. The "Domestic Android Application for Home Services" further enhances accessibility through location-based service requests and mapping capabilities for a seamless user experience across platforms.A s cities transition into Smart Cities, integrated information systems open new avenues for urban service recommendations, fostering liveability and sustainability. Recommendation systems analyse user behaviour to provide tailored suggestions using techniques like collaborative filtering and hybrid methods. In response to the challenges of modern work culture, the e-commerce landscape now offers easy access to essential services via mobile applications, ultimately transforming how households address their needs and promoting safer, cleaner living space.

Too woke or not too woke, that is the question: Brand responses to culture wars

Culture wars are conflicts between two groups with polarized beliefs about politics and other cultural phenomena. Of late, culture wars have moved to brands, marketing, and corporate activism. In modern brand culture wars, opposing groups will assemble on social media with the express purpose of either damaging a brand’s value or defending brands. Brands are then left in the precarious situation of navigating between two powerful factions in determining strategy moving forward. This manuscript explores the relationship between brand communities and corporate brands, addressing culture wars on a variety of hot-button topics. We scraped data from X—formerly known as Twitter—to analyze the impact of culture wars on social media behavior and sentiment. Drawing from the analysis of the data from X, as well as an examination of extant literature, we then propose a typology and offer a decision tree to guide brands dealing with culture wars levied at their corporations.

The mimesis of the on-screen interface and the essence of technology: a philosophical analysis

The work is devoted to the philosophical analysis of a number of culturological factors related primarily to visual genres and forms of culture, the subsequent impact of which on the rapid development of scientific and technological progress in the last decades of the XX – first decades of the XXI century directly or indirectly influenced the features of the functioning and appearance of the interface of screen devices in their now familiar form. The historically alternating cultural requirements for transformations of visual images in relation to their perception were investigated in diachrony. Through the analysis of visual culture, the authors consider modern technology as a unity of three components: technological, socio-cultural and anthropological. These components allow us to present the technique as an integral phenomenon for philosophical consideration. The research methodology is based on the use of empirical material from the field of modern technology development, and also includes an analysis of historical, philosophical and cultural sources related to the study of technology. When comparing the mimetic forms of traditional culture with the mimetic ways of reflecting the screen-type interface, a comparative typological approach is applied. The scientific novelty of the research lies in an attempt to compare the mimetic forms of traditional culture with the mimetic ways of reflecting the screen-type interface. By comparing these forms, the authors go out to study a broader phenomenon of modern society and culture – the phenomenon of technology. This research contributes to the development of the philosophy of technology in Russia. One of the tasks of the philosophy of technology is to study the subject of technical activity, which functions today as a new technical environment, in the context of digital and nanotechnology. Technical activity is the basis for the emergence of new knowledge about society. Technology acts as a form of materialization of ideas in practice, affects the development of technical sciences, all branches of knowledge in the modern world. Screen culture acts as a part of technical development based on the digitalization of technologies, but at the same time, it allows us to present technology as a unity of technology, man and society.

Experiences With mHealth Use Among Patient-Caregiver Dyads With Chronic Heart Failure: Qualitative Study.

Chronic heart failure has become a serious threat to the health of the global population, and self-management is key to treating chronic heart failure. The emergence of mobile health (mHealth) provides new ideas for the self-management of chronic heart failure in which the informal caregiver plays an important role. Current research has mainly studied the experiences with using mHealth among patients with chronic heart failure from the perspective of individual patients, and there is a lack of research from the dichotomous perspective. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences with mHealth use among patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers from a dichotomous perspective. This descriptive phenomenological study from a post-positivist perspective used a dyadic interview method, and face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers. Data were collected and managed using NVivo 12 software, and data analysis used thematic analysis to identify and interpret participants' experiences and perspectives. The thematic analysis included familiarizing ourselves with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report. A total of 14 dyads of patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers (13 men and 15 women) participated in this study, including 3 couples and 11 parent-child pairs. We constructed 4 key themes and their subthemes related to the experiences with mHealth use: (1) opposing experiences with mHealth as human interaction or trauma (great experience with mHealth use; trauma), (2) supplement instead of replacement (it is useful but better as a reference; offline is unavoidable sometimes), (3) both agreement and disagreement over who should be the adopter of mHealth (achieving consensus regarding who should adopt mHealth; conflict occurs when considering patients as the adopter of mHealth), (4) for better mHealth (applying mHealth with caution; suggestions for improved mHealth). This study reported that the experiences with mHealth use among patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers were mixed, and it highlighted the human touch of mHealth and the importance of network security. These results featured mHealth as a complement to offline hospitals rather than a replacement. In the context of modern or changing Chinese culture, we encourage patients to use mHealth by themselves and their informal caregivers to provide help when necessary. In addition, we need to use mHealth carefully, and future mHealth designs should focus more on ease of use and be oriented more toward older adults.

WARS FOR THE CAPITAL IN THE KYIVAN CHRONICLE

For centuries, Russian scholarship has been trying to appropriate the history of the medieval Rus’ state and its literature. At the same time, most Russian historians, from the 19th century to the present, have had to acknowledge that the definitions of Rus’ and Rus’ land in the chronicles of that time refer to the territory of the Kyiv, Pereiaslav and Chernihiv principalities or in some cases, only to the Kyiv land. That is why today’s Russia stubbornly repeats that there is no Ukraine and no Ukrainians, only ‘Malorossia’ and ‘Malorossians.’ Ukrainian scholars must actively work to dispel these myths. A renewed reading of history, especially of the medieval period, should lay the foundation for the full-scale cultural modernization of the Ukrainian nation and state. As a document of its time, the Kyivan Chronicle deserves special attention from Ukrainian scholars. It preserved dozens of testimonies about conflict situations related to the attempts of the Rurik dynasty princes to take over Kyiv. After the death of Volodymyr Monomakh’s son Yaropolk in 1139, the rule of Kyiv changed hands 40 times by the end of the 12th century. In the single year of 1173, the change of power took place 4 times. The chroniclers portrayed Iziaslav Mstyslavych, Yurii Volodymyrovych, and Andriy Yuriiovych as the most active participants in the Kyivan Wars. However, the last of them fought not ‘for’ Kyiv, but openly ‘against’ it. He was brought up on the border of two traditions — the one of Kyivan Rus and the Eastern — but clearly preferred the latter. He spent a long time in the Rus’ land, where he had certain rights and prospects, but then returned to Zalissia and became an autocrat there. He tried to fill his capital with symbols of greatness, directly imitating the sacred landmarks of Kyiv. He managed to capture and destroy Kyiv in 1169, but his next attempt in 1173 was unsuccessful. Galician and Volyn regiments came to support the people of Kyiv against the ruler of Zalissia.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES: FROM ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE TO MODERN ENGINEERING

The history of architecture has been molded with the development in modes of construction, reflecting the social, economic, and technological advancement of different civilizations. This paper discusses the chronological development of the various methods of construction from ancient architecture to modern engineering and cites some key milestones shaping today's construction processes. The study embraces developments throughout four major periods: early developments during the era of 'Masters of Structuring Matter', geometric and structural novelties developed during Gothic and then during the Renaissance, revolutionary industrial development throughout the 19th century, and technological and sustainable approaches of the 20th and 21st century. The paper highlights how iconic constructions, like ziggurats, Greek temples, Roman infrastructure, Gothic cathedrals, and modern skyscrapers, specify technology, culture, and architecture as being interdependent because of the characteristics which involve structure and materials. Results show that learning construction practices from the past not only brings new light to today's design but also presents new demands toward sustainable and resilient building techniques in facing challenges during modern times. Future research is likely to be more directed toward integrating traditional methods with advanced technologies for the development of new, environmentally friendly construction solutions.

Downloading Creativity Mods: Improving Our Problem-Solving Skill Transfer

Gaming has become ingrained in our modern culture, with many students playing more than 10,000 hours of video games by the time they graduate from high school (McGonigal, 2011). One hundred and 54 participants were randomly assigned to one of three game conditions: perspective-shift game, puzzle game, or video. Our findings suggested that only 30-min of game play that required strategic perspective-shifting significantly increased creativity, however, these results were not driven by participants self-identifying themselves as either gamers or non-gamers. This study directly addresses the gap in evaluating the far transfer of skill sets developed during gameplay to other tasks or contexts.

Living in a Digital World: Different Reflection on the Online Taoism Spreading

With the rise of the Internet and social media, Taoism’s ideas, symbols and other information have gradually come into the public’s view through Internet platforms. However, Taoist culture, as an excellent traditional Chinese culture, faces challenges and uncertainties when adapting to the new cultural communication methods in the digital age. In order to comprehensively understand the current status of Taoist culture’s online communication in the digital age and to promote the modernization of traditional Taoist culture, this study uses questionnaires and interviews to collect the views of two groups, Taoist priests and the general public, on online Taoist culture communication. The study found that although the Internet has facilitated the popularization of Taoist culture, its dissemination is relatively shallow and suffers from fragmentation of information and shallow understanding. Regarding online communication channels, Taoist priests support the integration of Taoist culture with digital society with an open attitude. However, the public wants to improve the accuracy and systematization of online communication. The study suggests that the participation of Taoist officials should be strengthened, and that the government and society should respect the objective laws of Taoist cultural development and reduce intervention to promote the transmission and development of Taoist culture in the digital age. This study helps to clarify the current situation of Taoist thought’s online dissemination and provides inspiration for authorities to promote the development of excellent traditional Chinese culture.