Cultural Dialogue Research Articles

Intercivilizational Dialogue in Central Asia: Views of Russian and Tajik Scientists

The article provides an analysis of the features of the dialogue of civilizations in Central Asia. The region is considered as an intercivilizational hub where Persian, Hellenistic, Babylonian, Chinese, Indian, Mongolian, Arab, and Turkic civilizations interacted and competed. As a result, a special type of culture arose that influences peoples, their national psychology, religion, and linguistic characteristics. Historically, the region was a contact zone of settled agricultural and nomadic civilizations. The impetus for the development of the region was given by its transit potential, in particular the Great Silk Road. The authors believe that at the present stage, dialogue is possible based on an understanding of the historical community of different peoples living in the region, and one’s own civilizational identity, which is based on traditional values. The political culture of the Central Asian countries has developed its own democratic principles, which are not always identical to Western ones. At the present stage, new dialogue platforms are emerging where active intercivilizational dialogue is conducted. Along with the dialogue are Afghanistan, Iran, China, Pakistan.

Multivocality and Its Implications for the Representation of Heritage: A Case Study of the Slavery Heritage in Mikindani, Tanzania

This article, by using evidence from the old town of Mikindani in Tanzania, explores multivocality in the memorialization of the slavery heritage in Mikindani. It also looks at how multivocality perpetuates dissonance and shapes cultural negotiations and the people’s strategies for coping with violent memories. It employed the notion of heritage dissonance and integrated heritage discourse and a qualitative case-study design. Thirty-three respondents were interviewed and three focus group discussion sessions were held. The findings support the argument that multivocality is an inherent part of heritage that shapes the dissonance regarding what should be conserved and heritage meaning-making processes. Multivocality and the resultant dissonance are further shaped by a complex mix of demographic dynamics, socio-cultural contexts, including religious values, identity struggles, the community’s articulation of the theoretical apparatus, political contexts, including power relations, the local or state political standing, the cultural heritage management (CHM) approach in place, and economic contexts, including the forward-looking nature of the younger people based on the tourist potential of the heritage. Although the resultant dissonance may be passive, it is embedded with the inert social tensions that may not necessarily be harmful to the heritage, but which provide potential spaces for conducting cultural negotiations that strive to defuse the boundaries of identities and the moral superiority–inferiority dogma. This article notes that multivocality should neither be ignored nor evaded, as it could be embraced as a medium for unlocking the sedimentation of a single discourse, understanding and addressing different experiences and expressions and resolving conflicts. The article also provides practical suggestions to the CHM authorities in Mikindani and related sites, as well as suggestions for further research.

Cultures of Artificial Intelligence. AI Assemblages and the Transformations of Everyday Life

Artificial Intelligence is one of the keywords of our time, and AI systems are currently initiating numerous transformations in various areas of everyday life. How can cultural anthropology at the interface with digital anthropology contribute to understanding these transformations and to shaping social and cultural negotiation processes around AI? To answer this question, this article develops the concept of AI assemblages, which aims to illuminate the dynamics of sociotechnical relations between human and more-than-human actors or elements surrounding AI systems. Assemblage thinking allows to reflect upon and describe numerous ‘small’ transformations of everyday life connected to AI without uncritically reproducing grand narratives of sociotechnical change and upheaval. On a more general level, analyzing AI assemblages is a way to study cultures of AI, that is, to study “a whole way of life” (Williams) in which routines, relationships, and cultural orders are increasingly shaped by AI systems. Three examples illustrate this perspective: AI assemblages in memory culture (virtual survivor testimonies in Holocaust remembrance), in popular culture (social media and their algorithms), and in academic culture (generative AI in academic research and teaching).

Intangible Space of Continuity and Changes in Ondel-Ondel’s Costume Elements and Performance

The research discussed Ondel-ondel, a significant and tall doll from Betawi, since the costume elements could be changed anytime, anywhere, and in any shape, Ondel-ondel appeared more alive and appealing in different looks. Initially, Ondel-ondel seemed too unchanged, but it was prettier than before. There were many Ondel-ondel performances in Jakarta's streets that were not accompanied by music. Ondel-ondel transformed not only the costumes but also the myth from repellent to entertainer. The changes were exciting to discover the concept or idea of its background, relationships, impacts on the environment, and other meanings for society. The research applied a descriptive qualitative method. Based on a historical approach with semiotic analysis and interpretation as a research method, Ondel-ondel costume elements underwent continuity and changed alongside the social, political, economic, and cultural contexts linked to the role of power of its respective time. Within the continuity and changes in each Ondel-ondel model, there was a compromise and social dynamic in society, which gave the costume elements a unique trade. This compromise created a cultural negotiation space in the community and helped to develop a typical environment that distinguished itself from others. The result is four Ondel-ondel models, each representing society's compromise and the social dynamic between the authorities, the community, and the Ondel-ondel players. When the transformation of the ondel-ondel's appearance creates an intangible space between maintaining its ideology. Meanwhile, on the other hand, the changes in ondel-ondel portray how the changing times also alter the appearance of the ondel-ondel.

Oprah and Ozempic: a commentary on Oprah Winfrey’s “shame, blame and the weight loss revolution”

ABSTRACT In this essay, we examine Oprah Winfrey's body as a site of cultural negotiation of body positivity, fat acceptance and the thin ideal. We analyze the intersection of race, body size, and media representation, focusing on how Oprah, as a black woman celebrity, navigates societal pressures related to body image. The rise of accessible weight loss medications ushers in a resurgence of the thin ideal, complicating the discourse around weight loss and body neutrality. Using fat studies and black feminist theories, we examine how Oprah's celebrity status is entangled with the acceptability of fat women, black women, and fat black women. By Analyzing Oprah's special “Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” we demonstrate that Oprah's language embraces body positivity yet, the framing of the show symbolically annihilates those who are content with their large bodies. The special's focus on weight loss, coupled with the absence of positive portrayals of fat bodies, underscores a broader pattern of symbolic annihilation. Hence, we explore the converging pressures of Oprah's celebrity, desire for thinness, and attempt to represent multiple viewpoints about the weight loss “revolution.”

ACQUISITIONS OF PIANO PEDAGOGY OF 18TH-CENTURY CHINA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CULTURAL DIALOGUE WITH EUROPEAN CIVILISATION

The subject of the paper is the gains of Chinese civilisation in the 18th century in the field of musica speculativa and musica practica, achieved through a cultural dialogue with European civilisation. The intentions of the scientific discourse are focused on the activities of the Italian missionary Teodorico Pedrini (1671–1746) and his contribution to the formation of pedagogical traditions of piano performance in China. Analysing the cultural situation of that historical era, the author of the paper identifies the fundamental points of teaching methods and didactic means of piano pedagogy, which then determined the strategies of the piano teaching theory in the Celestial Empire.

Levirate Marriage & Theo-doctrinal Embargo a Kenyan Experience

African scholars have found themselves in a theo-doctrinal embargo, especially after the 19 th and 20 th century European missionary explosion, that ushered a vibrant protestant Christianity in East Africa that was largely dismissive of cultural dialogues with Christianity. One of the most contested subject, that went beyond the missionary era, and reverberates across the twenty-first century, is the levirate marriage (hereafter, levirate marriage). Outside the missionary armpits, African scholars have continued to debate its efficacy to the christian teachings. In view of this, the theo-doctrinal embargo that has evidently persisted across the mainstream churches and some African Instituted churches (AIC) in Kenya motivated the eventual research and publication of this article. Whereas the mainstream churches maintain that wife inheritance, especially where the male inheritor has another wife is sin, some AICs have tended to support the levirate marriage even where the male inheritor has another wife. They do this by quoting some Old Testament texts, as their reference point. The mainstream churches have insisted that wife inheritance narratives was permitted in the Old Testament in cases where the male inheritor was single and the deceased was childless. This article seeks to examine the biblical understanding of levirate marriage and its place in the Kenyan context. Overall, the article analyzed Scriptural texts dealing with the subject of Levirate marriages and reflected it from an African Christian perspective. The materials in this article were gathered through extensive reading of published works, interviews and via general observation of the practices therein.

Implikasi Konseptual Sila Kedua Pancasila Terhadap Harmoni Sosial

This research explores the conceptual implications of the Second Principle of Pancasila for social harmony in Indonesia. Pancasila, as the state's philosophical and ideological foundation, emphasizes the importance of "just and civilized humanity". However, the implementation of these values ​​often faces obstacles such as differences of opinion and personal interests, as well as the inability to resolve conflicts peacefully. Through a qualitative approach with literature studies and conceptual analysis, this research highlights the complexity of implementing the Second Principle and efforts to strengthen social harmony. The results show that education about Pancasila values, strengthening law enforcement institutions, and building a culture of inclusion and dialogue are important to improve the implementation of the Second Principle and create a more just and civilized society.

The Cultivation of College Students’ Innovative Ability in the Field of Interdisciplinary Culture

Interdisciplinary culture has an influence on the cultivation of college students’ disciplinary thinking and the improvement of their comprehensive quality. However, the single discipline culture can easily lead to educational routines of disciplinary thinking, which is inconducive to the cultivation of college students’ thinking expansion and innovation ability. Divergent, associative, comparative, and structural thinking is a powerful tool for innovation, which should be strengthened by opening disciplinary boundaries, breaking disciplinary barriers, and carrying out disciplinary cultural dialogue to form an interdisciplinary cultural field, so as to cultivate students’ cross-disciplinary thinking habits and innovation ability.

The semantic role of traditional music culture in the nomadic mentality of the Kazakhs

Relevance. Value orientations formed by centuries of historical and cultural experience characterise the deep level of collective and individual consciousness, mentally they are people's life and practical attitudes, emotional preferences, and stable images of the world, peculiar to a given community and its cultural tradition. Mentality also plays a decisive role in developing and forming ethno-cultural identity. Purpose. The article aims to consider some peculiarities of the nomadic mentality of the Kazakhs, manifested in the content of music and traditional art of the Kazakhs, as well as in the world of feelings, emotions and beliefs, bonded by the idea of unity of nature and man. Methodology. The study analyses the content of music and traditional art of the Kazakhs. Results. The nomadic mentality of Kazakhs is deeply embedded in their musical culture, influencing its genesis and continuing to shape its expression today. Besides, nowadays, in the century of global transformations and integrations, the understanding of the nature of a traditional nomadic mentality can become one of the ways to a meaningful movement towards modernization and a dialogue of the world cultures, based on the respect of the national cultural values. Conclusions. Thus, the article highlights the importance of making musical cultural traditions a powerful tool for self-development and preservation of ethnic and cultural identity. The necessity of this tool has become even more comprehensible in the 21st century, the age of unification of cultures. Keywords: nomadic mentality; traditional Kazakh culture; language and mentality; value orientations; art; being; transformation; post-civilisation.

The Ethical Line Connecting Hieroglyphics to Hyperlinks

In this day and age, societies are disrupted and their order is unraveled at an unprecedented pace due to accelerating technological and societal change. Millions of people and countless communities are faced with hitherto unknown and complex conditions, on a breathtaking scale. This reality requires creating more societal knowledge, faster than ever before. Such knowledge-creation will be significantly enhanced if it relies on civilizational dialogue and shared wisdom across religious, national, ethnic, and political lines. This article points to a surprisingly inspiring story in contending with such challenges – which is the biblical story about the gladiatorial clash in ancient Egypt between Pharaoh, the demi-god representing polytheism and ancient Egypt’s caste-based society; and Moses, the teacher-leader of the enslaved Hebrews, representing monotheism and the ethos of natural universal human rights. That clash was a turning point in human history because the victory of monotheism over idolatry allowed for the inception and evolution of constitutional and legal systems that were based on the notion of fundamental equality among all humans. Moses is one of the most influential historical figures in human history, whose legacy continues to inspire billions of Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others. The issues that underlie his bout with Pharaoh – justice vs. idolatry, equality vs. privilege, and freedom vs. bondage – continue to challenge and shape our modern societies. Therefore, Moses’s outlook remains the cornerstone of any modern worldview that embraces diversity and advances tolerance.

Out of Apartheid’s (Racial) Corner: One Man’s Journey from Bare-Fists to Bible-Puncher

Raymond Mentor tells the story of personal transformation, from being a feared gangster to a preacher, through the sport of boxing. Placing boxing in the context of South Africa’s history of forced displacements, Mentor’s relationship with the sport gives us rare insights into how uprooted communities (re)built their lives while negotiating questions of racial and more localised identities. The reading of Mentor’s life through boxing, against the background of the internal configurations of daily life under apartheid, provides a counter to the broad brush of liberation history that privileges the struggle against apartheid while also highlighting ways of living that allowed imaginative negotiation of the violent street culture of apartheid’s newly constructed racial communities.

‘And that was her choice’: Dutch general practitioners’ perceptions of the autonomy of patients with non-western migration backgrounds who experience domestic violence

ABSTRACT Women in the Netherlands with non-western migration backgrounds experience domestic violence at the intersection of culture and gender, and visit their general practitioners (GPs) with health concerns related to the violence. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with GPs, this paper illuminates how GPs navigate the process of decision-making around intervention in domestic violence, with particular attention to the role of autonomy. Patient autonomy is a core principle in Dutch general practice. The term refers to the principle that GPs must respect that competent adults can make autonomous decisions about the care they do and do not want, and that GPs must respect patients’ views, choices, and ways of life. The interview data shows great variation in how GPs respond in situations of domestic violence against women with non-western migration backgrounds. Deploying ‘somatechnics of perception’, this paper explores how GPs’ perceptions of their patients’ autonomy are both the agent and effect of a complex and embodied negotiation of gender, race, culture, ethnicity, medical ethics, and morality. In highlighting how these patients’ autonomy is rendered (un)intelligible and (il)legible in contextually specific ways, this paper sheds light on how GPs in the Netherlands can better assist women with non-western migration backgrounds who experience domestic violence.

Reception of A. Varlamov's Creativity in Chinese Literary Studies and Criticism

The subject of the research is the reception of A.N. Varlamov in Chinese literary criticism. The object of the study is critical articles, literary works devoted to the work of A. Varlamov, and an interview with the author. The novelty of the article is determined by the fact that the works of Chinese researchers are analyzed in order to characterize critical judgments about the work of a modern Russian author, taking into account national specifics. The article highlights the main aspects in the field of studying the work of A. N. Varlamov by Chinese criticism and literary criticism. It is determined that Chinese researchers pay attention to the consideration of religious themes in the writer's prose, and also analyze Varlamov's creative method, defining it as neo-release. The main conclusions of the study are the definition of aspects of the study of religious themes in Varlamov's novels, such as eschatology, the level of morality and religiosity in Russian society, the spiritual salvation and rebirth of man, sectarianism. According to critics, Varlamov's work shows sectarianism as a viral idea of the Russian people, poisoning the collective consciousness and historical memory. The creative method of A. Varlamov is assessed by critics as neo-releaseism, the features of which are marginal heroes, a combination of mysticism and realism, artistic time-space. Chinese literary scholars also note mythological prototypes and folklore elements that are important for Varlamov's works. The main contribution of the author to the study of the topic is that the points of view of Chinese literary scholars and critics are considered, which expand the reception of Varlamov's work in world art, complementing a single receptive field, organizing a dialogue of cultures.

Religion, Race, and Letterpress: Orthodox Christians in Nineteenth-Century New York City through the Lens of Kawkab America

Abstract Kawkab America (Star of America) is the first Arabic-language newspaper in America, published in New York City from 1892 to 1908. Founded by Orthodox Christians from Ottoman Syria, the newspaper reported on historical and contemporary events across the globe. In this article, I analyze the representations of religion in Kawkab to reconstruct the ways a Middle Eastern immigrant community perceived religious diversity in nineteenth-century America. Kawkab engaged the contemporary discourses about “world religions” by expanding this category’s boundaries. And by downplaying the theological distinctions between Christian denominations, it represented Syrians as members of an ecumenical Christianity. To further reinforce the value of the Orthodox community as worthy American subjects, the newspaper also commented on morality and piety as universal, cross-confessional norms, which Syrians abided by and guarded. Kawkab’s use of these literary strategies testifies to Syrian Christians’ negotiation of religion, race, and culture in a transnational, diasporic space.

Translating metaphors in Chinese satirical literature: A foreignization approach

The paper delves into the complexities of translating metaphors in Chinese satirical literature, emphasizing the cultural and linguistic nuances involved. It highlights the importance of metaphors in expressing satire and the challenges posed by cultural differences between Chinese and English. The paper advocates for a foreignization translation approach to preserve the original’s cultural essence and satirical tone, balancing it with explanations to aid understanding in the target language. This method ensures the retention of literary value while facilitating cross-cultural dialogue and appreciation of the source culture’s literary aesthetics.

Religious transmission and cultural negotiation in first‐generation Muslim migrant parents in Italy: A qualitative study

AbstractThis study investigated the interplay between acculturation and religion in the religious transmission of first‐generation Islamic parents in Italy. Based on the model of the Big Four Religious Dimension (BFRD) the study took a multidimensional approach to religiosity to gain a detailed understanding of the different facets of religiosity and their contribution to the overall process of cultural adaptation and intergenerational transmission of religious values. Eleven first‐generation Muslim parents (nine women; mean age: 48 years) participated in a semi‐structured interview. Results showed that the tension between the desire to ‘raise good Muslims’ and for their successful integration in a non‐Muslim context challenges different facets of religiosity opening spaces for cultural negotiation which leads parents to reconsider how religious rules and identity are passed on to second generation and to develop a more conscious approach to religiosity in migration. The ability to connect religious values and identity with the context of life was greater when parents have developed a balance between the dynamics of integration in the Italian or cross‐cultural spaces of everyday life and the spaces reserved for Muslims and had a high level of cultural capital. Practical implications for implementing policies of cultural and religious pluralism are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Who’s streets, our streets: the evolution of street asphalt art and the transformation of liminal spaces for social change

ABSTRACT The betwixt and in-between spaces in urban environments help define the zeitgeist. In transforming liminal spaces into memorials, public art provides an opportunity to assert the voice of the people and helps to catalyze social change. In recent years, the informal and formal claiming of urban liminal spaces has been central to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. This article explores the use of informal placemaking and how claiming liminal space can lead to transformative social reactions for sustained social change in subtle and direct ways. By situating asphalt art within the cultural activism literature where “art, activism, performance, and politics meet, mingle and interact” (Verson, 2007, p. 172), one of the roles of asphalt art can be understood. Existing scholarship in this area “has focused on the role of creative practices such as culture jamming, subversion, public art, performance, and rebel clowning” (Buser et al., 2013, p. 606). This article considers the relationship between asphalt art’s creative praxis in the processes of urban placemaking and how meaning is constructed in urban space that presents opportunities for new political, social, and cultural dialogues to resonate the causes some liminal spaces represent that bring activities and existing narratives that develop new civic narratives.

Reflection of Aesthetic Concepts of Russian Realism in Chinese Visual Art

This paper examines the impact of Russian realism on Chinese visual art, focusing on how Chinese artists have adapted and reinterpreted Russian aesthetic concepts. The study highlights the role of cross-cultural exchanges in enriching both traditional Chinese art and the broader understanding of realism. Through a detailed analysis, the author explores the reflection of Russian realism's social criticism and humanistic ideals in Chinese artistic practices, and how these influences have fostered new artistic forms and themes within China.The research employs comparative analysis of artworks and artistic traditions alongside historical and cultural contexts of both Russia and China. This approach underscores the importance of international artistic exchanges in creating a more diverse and multicultural art world. The study's novelty lies in uncovering the mechanisms of cultural integration and innovation through artistic exchanges between the two countries, detailing how Russian realism has not only shaped Chinese art but also spurred the creation of unique forms that reflect contemporary societal and cultural demands.Significantly, the fusion of Russian realism and traditional Chinese aesthetics has led to a new artistic direction in China that melds global artistic trends with local cultural values. This synthesis has facilitated deeper cultural dialogues and mutual understanding, enriching the artistic traditions of both Russia and China. Artists have been provided with new opportunities to explore innovative ideas and forms, thus strengthening cross-cultural ties and expanding the boundaries of artistic interaction. The paper emphasizes the transformative power of this artistic merger in enriching the global art space and fostering a more inclusive and varied artistic milieu.

The role of ethical leadership in resilient corporations

This paper suggests that to ensure resilient and sustainable organisations, ethical leadership needs to go beyond strict rule compliance, using a four-pronged approach: 1. Collect and monitor broad indicators, quantitative and qualitative, that may signal an increase in ethical risks; 2. Create an open and safe dialogue culture where voicing risks and concerns is actively encouraged. 3. Develop a values-based corporate culture where duty of care, in its widest conception, guides policies and decision making by all members of the organisation. This implies actively supporting those who (i) show genuine concern and care for the organisation; (ii) care for one another and for their staff; (iii) care for stakeholders, including clients and those that may be negatively affected by its operations; 4. Create trust in this values-based culture by ensuring a gradual, people-centred response to inappropriate conduct, away from the traditional rules-based legalistic approach that has fuelled distrust in the system's ability to heal internally.