Despite decades of mass immunization campaigns, Pakistan remains one of the last countries where wild poliovirus continues to circulate. While logistical and biomedical challenges have been widely studied, less attention has been devoted to the religious, cultural, and familial narratives that shape vaccine acceptance and resistance. This study examines the impact of these narratives on polio communication strategies in Pakistan and proposes a contextual model of culturally embedded health communication. This study employed a case study design, collecting data from 30 in-depth interviews, three focus group discussions, and document/media analysis across three polio-affected Cases (regions): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi, and Quetta. Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo, was conducted through the lens of the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Cultural Framing Theory, and Faith-based Communication Frameworks. Findings reveal that religious beliefs, such as divine will and concerns about haram content, play a central role in vaccine hesitancy, alongside cultural norms, patriarchal family structures, and distrust in government. Lady Health Workers (LHWs), often the face of vaccination campaigns, act as frontline negotiators, adapting their messages to local contexts despite limited institutional support. Current communication strategies rely heavily on biomedical messaging and overlook opportunities for framing in religious and family-based contexts. The study proposes a “Faith-Family-Frontline” communication framework to guide more resonant, trust-building public health messaging. This model provides a pathway to enhancing vaccine uptake and eradicating polio in culturally diverse environments. • Explores how religion, culture, family, and frontline workers influence polio vaccine communication in Pakistan. • Analysis reveals divine fatalism, mistrust, and gendered decision-making as key barriers. • Integrates Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Cultural Framing, and Faith-based Communication frameworks. • Finds existing campaigns overly biomedical and detached from local worldviews. • Proposes a “Faith-Family-Frontline” model for culturally grounded vaccine communication.

Living apart, ageing well: Exploring the cultural narratives of flourishing among older adults ageing alone in South India

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are transforming visual production across multiple domains, including entrepreneurship. However, their influence on constructing cultural imaginaries and legitimating symbols remains insufficiently examined. This study analyzes how text-to-image systems visually represent entrepreneurship and success, using a focused sample of 24 images generated with the Midjourney platform. Through critical visual discourse analysis, the research identifies recurring aesthetic codes, symbolic patterns, and temporal framings that demonstrate how generative AI replicates established cultural narratives of entrepreneurship. The results indicate a consistent depiction of solitary, self-assured individuals who embody control, ambition, and transcendence. In contrast, representations of collaboration, diversity, and social contribution are largely absent. The visual grammar emphasizes formality, isolation, and monumental composition, while temporal orientations favor immediacy and permanence rather than process and collective effort. These algorithmic representations reinforce narrow ideals of entrepreneurial legitimacy and perpetuate masculine-coded notions of success and authority. To synthesize these findings, the study introduces a conceptual model of the sociotemporal automation of legitimacy in generative AI entrepreneurial imaginaries. This model connects algorithmic infrastructures, aesthetic and temporal representations, and cultural circulation through the feedback loop of human-AI co-production. The paper contributes to understanding the aesthetic mechanisms by which generative AI consolidates dominant entrepreneurial ideals and considers implications for critical visual literacy, responsible AI deployment, and inclusive innovation policy. • Generative AI systems reproduce dominant visual stereotypes of entrepreneurship. • Midjourney portrays entrepreneurs as solitary, self-assured, and transcendent figures. • Visual narratives emphasize control, ambition, and permanence over process or collaboration. • Diversity, collectivity, and social contribution are largely absent from AI-generated depictions. • The study theorizes the “sociotemporal automation of legitimacy” in generative AI imaginaries.

ABSTRACT This article examines how national and Afro-diasporic Brazilian museums negotiate the heritage of slavery through exhibition storytelling. Focusing on three museums in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, we explore how museum practitioners engage in memory work that challenges hegemonic narratives of slavery, often centred on violence and silencing. Drawing on exhibition analysis and expert interviews, we observe the persistence of a ‘narrative of shackles’ that defines and binds the memory of slavery and foregrounds its trauma through material artefacts of violence and narratives of suffering. In contrast, museum spaces employ strategies to reframe and resist this established narrative, emphasising the museum’s complicity in colonial violence, Afro-diasporic historical and contemporary resilience, and joyful and celebrational narratives. By analysing exhibitions that are not solely dedicated to trauma but embed slavery within broader cultural narratives, the study contributes to debates on the ongoing struggles to negotiate difficult heritage in institutional memory spaces and the possibilities and limitations afforded to museum producers to negotiate colonial legacies in the present.

A socioecological model of skilled birth attendant perspectives on gastroschisis in southwest Uganda.

As the number of people with a migration background in Germany continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly critical to provide dementia care that addresses their needs. This study investigates the specific needs and barriers faced by people with a Turkish migration background in accessing dementia-related services, as well as the challenges experienced by healthcare professionals. By directly comparing family caregivers with and without a Turkish migration background, and by including healthcare professionals with and without a migration background, this study addresses an important research gap and explores how cultural narratives shape perceptions of good dementia care. We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 professionals and 15 family caregivers of Turkish and German descent in Germany from November 2023 to June 2024. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify key themes related to care experiences, service accessibility, and cultural perceptions of good dementia care. Family caregivers with a Turkish migration background often had limited knowledge of dementia, experienced cultural stigma, and preferred to care for their relatives at home due to strong familial and cultural expectations as well as financial barriers. They made little use of formal support services, often due to language barriers, fear of social judgment, and lack of culturally appropriate care options. In contrast, caregivers without migration background were generally better informed, more open to external help, and more likely to access professional care services. These differences were also influenced by the educational level of the interviewees, with higher levels of education linked to better knowledge and greater use of support structures. Interviews with professionals supported these findings. The need for diagnosis tools for foreign-born people and the need for culturally sensitive care based on biographical information was emphasized. This study highlights the urgent need for culturally sensitive dementia care in Germany with the aim of addressing the knowledge gaps, language barriers, and ethical conflicts encountered by people with a migration background. Incorporating individuals' cultural needs into healthcare can improve access, alleviate the burden on families, and ensure that care is addressed to their needs.

Technologies such as AI, autonomous drones, gene-editing tools, and climate engineering are profoundly transforming human life in the third decade of the 21st century. Experience of previous technological leaps points to ambivalent effects that at times may be considered "tragic." This paper examines the relationship between technology and tragedy, contributing to the fields of technology ethics, technology assessment, and the philosophy of the human-environment relationship. The relationship between technology and tragedy is double-edged. On the one hand, technology can serve to eliminate tragedy, e.g. by ensuring safety by design, albeit never with guaranteed success. On the other hand, tragic experiences of technological consequences may result from the discrepancy between initial expectations and actual outcomes. A technological consequence is often framed as "tragic" if it was initially associated with high expectations of existential improvement (first necessary condition). Furthermore, a consequence can be labeled "tragic" in perspective only. Tragic is a personal or cultural narration, experiences that a technology's promise of progress is at least partially reversed to produce the opposite (second necessary condition). As elaborated in this paper, tragic consequences can manifest in two ways: First-order tragedy refers to direct reversals of intended effects (e.g. a technology designed to alleviate hunger exacerbates it). Second-order tragedy involves gradual qualitative changes in life, such as diminished human agency or reduced participation - as if humankind were to become "part of a techno-economical system" and lose the freedom to shape life. This is the "tragic of the machine". Ultimately, some "tragic technologies" narrations may also reflect the one-sided projection of experiences of tragedy onto technology.

This article examines cultural and idiomatic narratives in South African Indigenous music, with specific reference to Johnny Dimba’s “Dear Msakazi” and Buselaphi’s “Umendo.” The analysis is informed by conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), which conceptualises metaphor not merely as a stylistic or rhetorical device but as a fundamental cognitive and cultural mechanism through which individuals and communities structure experience and produce meaning. This theoretical perspective is particularly suited to analysing isiZulu song texts, where metaphor functions as a culturally embedded resource for articulating communal values, identity, and socio-political critique. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative research design grounded in close textual and thematic analysis of selected song lyrics, focusing on cultural codes, implicit meanings, and the negotiation of social realities embedded in musical expression. The findings indicate that the songs function as archives of cultural memory and collective identity, employ metaphorical and idiomatic language to convey emotional depth and social commentary, and reflect ongoing tensions between tradition and modernity within urban African contexts. The article concludes that Indigenous African music constitutes a dynamic cultural arena in which communities negotiate identity, validate lived experiences, and engage critically with socio-political realities, thereby contributing to both cultural continuity and broader public discourse.

The power of success stories: Social mobility beliefs of children and adults.

Background Youth substance use is considered a high-priority issue in Sweden, yet research on youth treatment trajectories remains limited. This study adopts a narrative approach to explore how young people interpret substance use treatment, and how treatment aims, assumptions, and language resonate with their identity-work. Methods We conducted 25 interviews with participants aged 15–20 years who had recently been enrolled in treatment. The data was interpreted using narrative thematic analysis. Results Four treatment trajectories were identified: (1) the disruptive, focused on leaving treatment; (2) the misdirected, dominated by coercion and mismanaged interventions; (3) the empowering, emphasizing personal growth; and (4) the supportive, centered on improvements in mental health. The participants drew on different narrative resources to navigate tensions between organizational imperatives such as control and responsibilization, cultural narratives about youth and substance use, and their own evolving identities. While most participants eventually quit using substances, some reported experiences of stigma, distress, and coercion in treatment. The findings highlight the diversity among youth in treatment and the importance of individualized, agency-promoting interventions. Conclusion More differentiated approaches are needed. We suggest that Swedish youth substance use treatment would benefit from a stronger focus on self-care, acceptance of gradual change, and client-defined goals.

ABSTRACT This article advances a methodological shift in narrative identity research by addressing the field’s protagonist bias – the tendency to rely on first-person autobiographical accounts as the primary evidence for identifying cultural master narratives. We integrate Erikson’s psychosocial identity framework, Vygotsky’s ‘tool and result’ methodological insight, and sociolinguistic approaches to narrative to develop a three-stage analytic logic: (1) identifying small-n narratives through scenes conveyed in discourse; (2) grouping these into Big-N narratives that cohere thematically across scenes; and (3) assessing candidate master narratives. We demonstrate this approach through a case example from an interview-based study on rural youth outmigration. Our approach broadens narrative sampling beyond first-person accounts, avoids assumptions about parallelism between personal and cultural narratives, and offers a method for tracing how master narratives circulate, gain normative force, and shape identity beyond protagonist storytelling in autobiographical interviews.

Costume design is an essential visual narrative element in the film, which aids in the character building, cultural representation, and theme expression. This paper analyzes the history of the costume aesthetics in the Bollywood films of the same genre over the time featuring an emphasis on the determination of the shifts in the style depending on the genre. The qualitative research method is applied, and the chosen films are analyzed comparatively in visual and textual forms. The research compares the films Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Jodha Akbar (2008) as the works of historical genre, and Umrao Jaan (1981/2006) and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) as the films of contemporary cultural narratives. The results demonstrate that there is a major shift in the mode of costuming, where the designs are stylized, spectacle oriented, to being research based and authentic as well as character-centred. The costume design in historical films has developed not only theatrical spectacles to the depiction of the actual historical events based on the research and the use of modern technologies in the movie industry. The same can be applied to the modern narratives, where imagining femininity becomes less decorated and ideal, and more symbolic, minimalistic, and psychologically based. Modern Bollywood cinema costume design is becoming an important narrative element, which displays the characterization of change, socio-cultural processes, and gender identity. The paper notes the increased significance of authenticity, symbolism and narrative integration in costume design due to technological developments, professional experience and shifting audience demands. The notion of the genre-bound style shift highlights the way the aesthetics of costumes would be changed as a part of the genre structure when accommodating a larger cultural and cinematic shifts. On the whole, the work underlines the idea that the costume design ceased to be only ornamental but a focus of the development of the history of visual language and narration of modern Bollywood movies.

ABSTRACT This study evaluates the revitalisation potential of four key heritage tomb gardens in Delhi – Humayun’s Tomb, Safdarjung’s Tomb, Lodhi Garden, and Mehrauli Archaeological Park – through a comparative analysis of their spatial, ecological, and touristic attributes. It highlights the disparities in preservation, accessibility, and visitor engagement across these sites. Drawing on field observations and tourism data collected in 2020–2022, the paper underscores the need for site-specific strategies that integrate green infrastructure, inclusive design, and cultural narratives. Recommendations include heritage trails, interpretative signage, and institutional coordination to foster sustainable development, urban regeneration, and deeper public engagement with Delhi’s rich historical landscape.

Driven by the pursuit of high-quality economic deve­lopment, China’s consumption structure is undergoing a profound shift from subsistence-oriented to development-oriented consumption. In this context, the communication value of food brands is increasingly rooted in cultural narratives. Using the Wuxi Su Nan Ingredients brand as a case study, this research explores how artificial intelligence-powered narratology and empathic design can effectively integrate intangible cultural heritage (ICH) cuisine into brand communication. Through an analysis of user needs, the study first identifies consumers’ multi-layered demands. It then proposes an AI-driven empathic narrative strategy, which is evaluated through A/B testing. The results demonstrate that narrative designs based on this strategy significantly outperform the original approach across all dimensions of user satisfaction. This study offers theoretical insights for food brands transitioning from rational communication to emotional storytelling.

ABSTRACT This qualitative investigation examines the potential of the GCC Heritage Corridor as an innovative framework for transforming regional tourism by capitalizing on the shared cultural heritage of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. Employing document analysis, participant observation, and visual analysis, the study explores how the corridor can redefine tourism paradigms by emphasizing unifying cultural narratives, including Bedouin traditions, Islamic architectural heritage, and maritime history. Thematic and content analysis of policy documents, cultural events, and promotional materials indicates that the corridor not only cultivates a cohesive regional identity but also addresses critical challenges such as heritage preservation and interregional competition. The findings underscore the corridor’s capacity to enhance tourism attractiveness, stimulate economic development, and facilitate cross-cultural exchange. The study concludes that a collaborative, heritage-centric approach to tourism development can position the GCC as a distinctive cultural destination on the global stage. Key recommendations include fostering stronger regional partnerships, prioritizing investments in heritage conservation, and embedding the corridor within comprehensive tourism strategies. This research advances the discourse on cultural heritage as a catalyst for regional tourism and provides actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders within and beyond the GCC.

Abstract Lycanthropy is characterized by the belief of transformation into an animal, most often in the context of severe psychosis. This case report details a 35-year-old male from urban India with long-standing schizophrenia who developed kynanthropy, specifically the delusional conviction of transforming into a dog, precipitated by discontinuation of antipsychotic medication. His presentation included referential and persecutory delusions, auditory hallucinations, and vivid somatic perceptual disturbances interpreted as bodily transformation. The patient’s symptomatology was shaped by local cultural narratives of animal symbolism, influencing both the content of his delusion and initial help-seeking behaviors. Management involved reinstating antipsychotic therapy alongside culturally sensitive psychoeducation and family support. This report highlights the critical interplay of neuropsychiatric, cultural, and social factors in the emergence and management of clinical lycanthropy in India, emphasizing the need for awareness of such phenomena among clinicians, culturally informed care, and targeted interventions to address delays in psychiatric treatment.

This study investigates how Chinese breast cancer survivors reconstruct damaged identities and negotiate cultural norms to build resilience within a specific socio-cultural context. Using narrative inquiry and a life-course perspective, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 female breast cancer survivors in Beijing. The study employed thematic narrative analysis to identify cross-cutting patterns while preserving individual story integrity. Rigor was ensured through data saturation and member checking. Resilience is manifested as a transformative narrative practice across three dimensions: (1) body narrative, survivors transition from chaos narratives to quest narratives, reclaiming identities by ascribing meaning to physical scars; (2) relational narrative, survivors negotiate the tension between Confucian gender expectations and self-care, shifting from stoic endurance to accepting vulnerability; and (3) social narrative, survivors bridge the gap between "silent island" of isolation and collective empowerment by establishing narrative communities that challenge social stigma. These findings reveal a duality of resilience-constrained by cultural structures yet empowered with agency. This study proposes a tripartite social work interventions framework, recommending that social workers act as narrative witnesses, cultural mediators, and community architects. By integrating local cultural wisdom with narrative techniques, social workers can effectively facilitate identity reconstruction and the social integration of breast cancer survivors.

Dharih, in the modern Tafilah region of southern Jordan, is best known as a signature site for the Nabatean and Roman periods, but the French-Jordanian team that carried out archaeological research there from the 1980s until the 2000s also uncovered evidence of human occupation through the 4th and 3rd millennia b.c.e., in the Early Bronze Age. In Transjordan, this time relates to the development and crisis of early urbanism and to the consequent regional reorganization in the non-urban period. This paper presents the Early Bronze Age evidence uncovered at Dharih, provides a chronological assessment of the finds, and analyzes the 4th and 3rd millennium b.c.e. occupation at the site within a regional context. It discusses how these previously unpublished records for the Early Bronze I–IV (ca. 3800/3700–1950/1920 b.c.e.) may help place the site and its surrounding area into regional patterns of material culture and current narratives for those periods.

ABSTRACT This study critically explored the representation of social workers in healthcare through artificial intelligence (AI) generated imagery, revealing how visual technologies perpetuate both epistemic and temporal erasure. Using a critical discourse analysis framework, the research examined images produced by generative AI tools: Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Express Text to Image Generator. The findings demonstrate a consistent misrepresentation of social work, with images dominated by biomedical symbols, normative aesthetics, and hierarchical structures, while relational and culturally responsive aspects of social work practice are rendered invisible. This is compounded by the epistemic authority embedded in AI systems, which privilege dominant cultural narratives and exclude the nuanced knowledge central to social work. The discussion highlights how these representations benefit institutional power structures and technology companies by maintaining a narrow, medicalised view of care. Ultimately, the authors argue that AI-generated imagery not only misrepresents social work but actively redefines it, raising urgent questions about professional identity, visual ethics, and the legitimacy of knowledge in digitally mediated healthcare environments. It is recommended that the social work profession and those in healthcare need to lead and take ownership of the professional response to ensure that generative AI tools represent the values and ethics of the profession. IMPLICATIONS Current generative AI images do not reflect social work identity within hospital and health settings, and broader practice contexts. National social work advocacy is needed to promote image generation for a more diverse, accurate breadth of social work identity.

ABSTRACT This study examines how pontianak-themed choreography might expand the aesthetic and narrative possibilities of Malaysian contemporary dance. It asks: What choreographic interventions become possible when the pontianak—a central figure in Malaysian popular imagination but largely absent from contemporary dance – is mobilized as a creative catalyst? Since independence in 1957, contemporary dance in Malaysia has evolved through exchanges between traditional forms and Western techniques, with attention focused primarily on nation-building and postcolonial identity. This research shifts that discourse by foregrounding a mythic, gendered, and transgressive figure whose presence unsettles conventional frameworks of Malaysian performance. To contextualize the pontianak’s cultural force, the study traces its prominence in Malay cinema, its ban from 1974 to 2004, and its strong revival in recent film culture. Despite this popularity, the creature remains excluded from contemporary dance. Through a case study of A Delicate Situation by Australian choreographer Lina Limosani – the only known Malaysian-linked contemporary dance work centered on the pontianak—supported by literature analysis, surveys, and interviews, the study identifies cultural taboos, personal beliefs, and structural limitations that restrict its adaptation for the stage. The research demonstrates how mythic figures can diversify choreographic vocabularies and challenge dominant cultural narratives within national dance ecologies.