Cultural Transition Research Articles

The Impact of Radical Change on Leadership Development in Large Companies

Purpose: This study aims to identify and describe changes in leadership development programs caused by the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Design/methodology/approach: Participants were selected purposefully. The core part of the qualitative study involved 25 individual in-depth interviews. Findings: The data indicates that leadership development is not perceived as a core business process. In most cases, certain learning interventions were withheld but not terminated or managers ordered a digital culture transition. Data shows that given the progressing change, there is a need for further reflection on whether technology-mediated leadership behaviour would not be a standard. Research limitations/implications: Qualitative research does not permit broad generalizations. Although the data collected allows indicating how leader-nurturing process owners perceive change that impacts leadership development, there is no possibility to indicate the intensity or importance of the reactions. Originality/value: This study enriches the research on leadership management in big enterprises. It provides meaningful insights by examining the attitude and reactions of managers responsible for nurturing leaders. The findings of this study extend the understanding of the leadership development goal and its impact under specific conditions.

Blazing a Trail to First Generation Success

While higher education is rich in diversity and rewards, it can be particularly arduous for first-generation college students. This paper reports the results of a qualitative research study investigating the college experiences, identity development, and issues faced by this student subpopulation that moved from sixth-form and completed the undergraduate programme at a midsized public university in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. These students have faced and managed to overcome a host of academic, socio-economic, emotional, and cultural challenges. The parents' low socio-economic status is the biggest barrier to the academic success of these students. They viewed their status as a source of strength. The biggest cultural transition faced by the participants involved bringing their student identity home. It is hoped that the results of this study will offer some fresh perspectives into the continuing discussion on first generation students.

Food, fields and forage: A socio-ecological account of cultural transitions among the Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh in India

Traditional food systems of many ethnic communities in India directly depend on their symbiotic relationship with the surrounding natural resources and the local socio-ecological and cultural dynamics. However, in the light of development activities resulting in drastic socio-ecological changes, these communities are oftentimes found stranded with over-simplified and unsustainable food systems. Using an ethnographic methodology, we present the case of Gaddis – an agro-pastoral community of Himachal Pradesh in India. In this paper, we documented the on-going trade-offs in traditional livelihoods of the Gaddis and their land use patterns that cause a significant transition in the traditional food systems. Based on our observations, we argue that mapping the shifting political ecology of resources enables a better understanding of transitioning food systems and the consequent eco-cultural changes. While doing so, we emphasize the need for revisitng the existing praxis of tribal development in India with an urgent focus on holistic socio-ecological approaches.

Sedimentary Pediastrum record of middle–late Holocene temperature change and its impacts on early human culture in the desert-oasis area of northwestern China

Although the pattern of Holocene temperature variations in central Asia is complex, it is clear that temperature played a fundamental role in influencing humidity conditions and regional human activity. We reconstructed temperature changes using Pediastrum species data, verified by clumped isotopes (Δ47), in the carbonates of sediment cores recovered from Bosten Lake in Xinjiang Province, northwestern China. Combined with archaeological data, the results indicate an unusually warm climatic interval that peaked at ∼4.7–4.3 kyr and promoted human occupation of the Altai Mountains. The climate cooled during 4.2–4.1 kyr and 3.6–3.5 kyr, as indicated by the decrease or absence of Pediastrum simplex. These cold events may have triggered the southward human migration out of the Altai region, resulting in the widespread distribution of archaeological sites at lower latitudes, in the Tienshan Mountains, and in the desert-oasis areas of the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang. Our data support the notion that a series of cultural transitions across the monsoonal Loess Plateau and Tibetan Plateau of China may have been linked to temperature changes during the middle to late Holocene.

Gender Differences in Depression in the General Population of Indonesia: Confounding Effects.

Background Research findings on gender differences in depression are inconsistent. This study investigated gender and depression in the Indonesian population and considered possible confounding effects. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Participants completed the following self-report measures: demographic characteristic questions, the Cultural Orientation Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Gender differences in depression were examined using a generalized linear model. Results After withdrawals, 265 men and 243 women remained. Women and men did not differ in overall scores and four-factor depression symptoms even after adjusting for cultural orientation and demographic confounding factors, except for the depression symptoms “crying,” “cannot get going,” and “people were unfriendly.” Gender differences in depression became significant after adjusting for stereotypical symptom variance. Men reported being lonelier than women. Conclusions Possible confounding effects on the association between gender and depression are methodological issues, cultural orientation transition, and stereotypical symptoms. Low depression scores found for gender may reflect dimension-counterpart coping strategies.

Work experiences of qualified immigrants: a review of theoretical progress

PurposeQualified immigrants (QIs) and their work experiences have been studied using a wide variety of theoretical approaches with divergent characteristics. This paper reviews theoretical progress and proposes directions for future research and practice.Design/methodology/approachUsing relevant keywords, articles indexed by Web of Science in management, business, industrial relations and applied psychology were systematically searched for and analysed. In total, 60 theoretical articles published during 2008–2018 were included. The theoretical progress and future theoretical and practical challenges were organised based on the notions of equality, diversity and inclusion.FindingsEight theoretical approaches utilised to study QIs' work experiences were recognised: (1) human capital theory, (2) career capital theory, (3) theory of practice, (4) intersectionality, (5) social identity theory, (6) sensemaking, (7) cultural identity transition and (8) the career-centred approach. The contributions and limitations of each theoretical lens were then scrutinised. Overall, research on QIs still lacks a comprehensive theoretical framework. As a step towards that, the paper proposes considering the role of organisations and labour market intermediaries, strategic view over the immigrant workforce, agency–institution play, identity–capital play and host–immigrant play.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus is on theory development and empirical papers with no clear theoretical foundation are excluded.Originality/valueThis review is the first attempt to summarise and direct the divergent research on the topic. The main contribution is setting an agenda for future research, particularly by proposing the elements of a comprehensive theoretical framework for studying QIs in the workplace.

Student mental health and transitions into, through and out of university: student and staff perspectives

ABSTRACT Student mental health is an issue of paramount concern and it is recognised that transition may have a negative impact. However, little work has captured transition-related experiences of students and staff. This study examined perspectives on perceived challenges with transitions into, during and out of university, and perceptions of what support would be beneficial for transitions. Students (n = 67) and staff (n = 40) from universities across the United Kingdom participated in focus groups on transitions and student mental health. We used thematic analysis to identify themes. For students, themes focused on equipping them to cope, enabling support networks, developing an inclusive culture and lengthening transition periods. For staff, themes centred on fostering student preparedness, community and social support, challenges faced by support services, and a ‘whole university’ approach. There were many similarities in student and staff perspectives, and by comparing and integrating these perspectives, specific recommendations have been identified. These focus on working in partnership, skills development, peer mentoring, funding, staff training, and providing additional support for the transition out of university. This study has implications for practices in Higher Education, to ensure students are appropriately supported throughout university in a way which could ultimately benefit their mental health.

CULTURE SHOCK AND CAMPUS PROGRAM IN ELT FOR THAI UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF ISLAM SULTAN AGUNG AND UNIVERSITY OF AHMAD DAHLAN

The existence of culture shock is undeniably true for foreign students studying in other countries. This phenomenon becomes more common nowadays. It also happened with some Thai students who are studying at University of Islam Sultan Agung Semarang and University of Ahmad Dahlan Yogyakarta. The main objectives of this article are to find out the cultural transition and to analyze the influence of culture shock and campus programs in ELT for Thai Students. This research was under a mix-method combined between qualitative and quantitative research by using purposive sampling. Twentyfour (N=24) Thai university students participated in the study. The analysis technique applied an exploratory mixed-method research design by separating the result both quantitative and qualitative. The online interview along with questionnaires was used to collect information from the students by using zoom and Google form. Data collection was performed from October to December 2020. Based on the questionnaire and interview as the primary data collection, this mini research reveals two findings. Firstly, shock culture and campus programs have a great contribution to the cultural transition in ELT. Secondly, the Thai students coped with the shock by adapting their experiences in academic programs and campus traditions. Campus programs also played a critical role in lessening culture shock.

In a Football Bubble and Beyond

The objectives of this study were: (1) to explore cultural transition pathways of Swedish professional football players relocated to another European country, (2) to identify shared themes in their transition narratives. We interviewed three professional players who in their early twenties relocated to Italy, Turkey, and Switzerland, and then analyzed their stories using holistic and categorical analyses following the narrative oriented inquiry (NOI) model (Hiles & Čermák, 2008). The holistic analysis resulted in creating three core narratives (i.e., re-telling of the participants’ stories) entitled: Preparing for the worst-case scenario and saved by dedication to football; Showing interest for the host culture and carrying responsibility as a foreign player; and A step for personal development: from homesickness to being hungry for more. The categorical analysis resulted in 12 shared themes from the players’ stories arranged around three phases of the cultural transition model (Ryba et al., 2016). In the pre-transition all the participants were established players searching for new professional opportunities. In the acute cultural adaptation phase, they all prioritized adjustment in football (e.g., fitting in the team, performing). In the socio-cultural adaptation phase, they broaden their perspectives and realized that finding a meaningful life outside of football was just as important to function and feel satisfied as football success.

Population dynamics in the Japanese Archipelago since the Pleistocene revealed by the complete mitochondrial genome sequences

The Japanese Archipelago is widely covered with acidic soil made of volcanic ash, an environment which is detrimental to the preservation of ancient biomolecules. More than 10,000 Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites have been discovered nationwide, but few skeletal remains exist and preservation of DNA is poor. Despite these challenging circumstances, we succeeded in obtaining a complete mitogenome (mitochondrial genome) sequence from Palaeolithic human remains. We also obtained those of Neolithic (the hunting-gathering Jomon and the farming Yayoi cultures) remains, and over 2,000 present-day Japanese. The Palaeolithic mitogenome sequence was not found to be a direct ancestor of any of Jomon, Yayoi, and present-day Japanese people. However, it was an ancestral type of haplogroup M, a basal group of the haplogroup M. Therefore, our results indicate continuity in the maternal gene pool from the Palaeolithic to present-day Japanese. We also found that a vast increase of population size happened and has continued since the Yayoi period, characterized with paddy rice farming. It means that the cultural transition, i.e. rice agriculture, had significant impact on the demographic history of Japanese population.

Disrupting social marketing through a practice-oriented approach

Purpose This paper aims to explore four disruptions that practice theory makes to traditional social marketing approaches to school physical activity (PA) intervention. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on existing literature from sustainable consumption, sociology of health and illness and the authors’ experiences working with primary schools in the UK to plan and execute social marketing approaches to PA, targeting interconnected social practices from which PA emerges or fails to emerge. The paper explores a practice-oriented theoretical framing, engaging with calls from interdisciplinary areas for PA interventions to shape the PA emerging from a school’s everyday routines, rather than promote PA participation at an individual level. Findings The paper argues first that a practice perspective would focus on situation research rather than audience research, with practices rather than people as the focus. Second, the purpose of practice-oriented social marketing would be to achieve transitions in practices rather than behaviour change. Third, the planning and management approach of practice-oriented social marketing would account for unintended consequences and complex interconnections between practices. Finally, an evolved evaluation approach to practice-oriented social marketing would take a longer term approach to understand how cultural transitions are emerging. Originality/value This paper contributes to an important stream of critical social marketing scholarship that seeks to advance social marketing away from its individualist routes. It sets an agenda for further research that considers the ontological and practical possibilities for practice informed approach to social marketing.

Transition of Ainu Culture After World War II

Transition of Ainu Culture After World War II

Atlantic meridional overturning circulation modulation of late Pleistocene to middle Holocene Asian summer monsoon variability and palaeoanthropological implications

AbstractAsia contains more than half the world’s population, and their lives are significantly related to summer monsoon moisture supply. Here, we investigate features and dynamics of late Pleistocene–middle Holocene Asian summer monsoon variability in the Nihewan Basin, North China, which was a critical home for early humans in East Asia throughout the Quaternary. We present new mineral magnetic records between ∼16 and 6 ka from the Yujiagou archeological site in the northern Nihewan Basin, which contains >40 000 stone tools, 2 pottery pieces and 19 686 mammal fossils. Magnetic properties of the Yujiagou section are dominated by pedogenic fine-grained magnetite/maghemite concentration, which ranges from superparamagnetic/single domain up to fine pseudo-single domain sizes. We use multiple environmental magnetic proxies, which measure pedogenic magnetite/maghemite concentration, to document that summer monsoon precipitation was low before ∼14.5 ka and high during the Bölling–Allerød warm period (14.5–12.8 ka), and shifted to low values at the onset of the Young Dryas cold period ∼12.4 ka, followed by a sustained long-term increasing trend from 12.4 to 6 ka. We relate these monsoon precipitation changes to the consistent Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation variability, which modulated North Hemisphere temperatures and displacements of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and Walker circulation over the Pacific Ocean. The observed large-amplitude deglacial Asian monsoon changes may have played a role in several key evolutionary changes in Asia implicated by the Yujiagou archeological evidence, including Paleolithic to Neolithic culture transition, Asian pottery development, and early human dispersals from Asia to America.

Reconstructing Human-Centered Interaction Networks of the Swifterbant Culture in the Dutch Wetlands: An Example from the ArchaeoEcology Project

In archaeology, palaeo-ecological studies are frequently used to support archaeological investigations, but linking and synthesizing datasets and concepts from ecology, ethnography, earth sciences, and archaeology has historically been rare. While advances in computational approaches and standards of data collection have enabled more collaborative approaches to understanding the past, these endeavors are only now beginning to pick up pace. Here, we propose a method to collect data of these assorted types, synthesize ecological and archaeological understanding, and move beyond subsistence-focused studies to those that incorporate multifaceted economies. We advocate for the use of ‘human-centered interaction networks’ as a tool to synthesize and better understand the role of culture, ecology, and environment in the long-term evolution of socio-ecological systems. We advance the study of human-centered interaction networks by presenting an archaeoecological (archaeological-ecological) perspective on the Neolithic transition of the Swifterbant culture in the northwestern Netherlands (approximately 4700–4000 BCE). We employed network science to better understand the relationships of animal and plant species to the uses that people made of them. The analysis of the Swifterbant system reveals a highly connected set of interactions among people, plants, and animals, as could be expected on the basis of the hypothesis of an ‘extended broad-spectrum economy’. Importantly, this broad spectrum extends beyond the subsistence sphere.

The role of social identity strategies in the cultural transitions of international students: social creativity, social mobility and place identity

The role of social identity strategies in the cultural transitions of international students: social creativity, social mobility and place identity

Changes in Psychopathology and Mental Health Resilience.

Accelerated culture transition and contemporary post-truth mass cognitive distortions contribute to cognitive insecurity and substitution of facts with opinions. In this paper the impact of these changes on normal psyche and on psychopathological manifestations and mental health care is described. The consequences include drop of mental resilience, pathomorphosis of some clinical pictures, blurring of diagnostic boundaries, mimicry of psychopathology, and overdiagnosis. Their repercussions on mental health care and professional integrity are discussed, and particularly the need for shift of mental health care focus from protection to resilience is disputed.

The newly discovered bronze age site of Koken: Merging micro-regions with major study zones in the high steppes of Kazakhstan

Bronze Age eastern Kazakhstan sat at the intersection of two distinct cultural interaction spheres: the Eurasian Steppe and the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor. Despite its importance, the region has not been extensively researched by archaeologists. Recent fieldwork in the Kokentau Mountains in eastern Kazakhstan has uncovered a multi-period archaeological sequence, presenting an opportunity to document this crucial area in detail. We present preliminary data obtained from initial settlement and cemetery excavations at the site of Koken that contribute to ongoing research about economy and interaction in the Eurasian Bronze Age. The site's long occupational history, supported by radiocarbon dates, reveals shifting cultural patterns stretching from the Mesolithic to the historical period. Current and future research in the Kokentau Mountains can clarify the timing and local trajectories of Bronze Age economic and cultural transitions through the integration of evidence from ritual, craft production, and habitation contexts at a resolution rare for this region and time period.

Pentecostalismo en y desde América Latina

In this paper we propose to make a brief and descriptive chronology of the sociological production on Pentecostalism in and from Latin America, in order to offer a panoramic view of the phenomenon. For this purpose, we will divide the exposition into three stages: a) Pentecostalism as a religion of cultural transition (1967-1979); b) Pentecostalism in the passage from dictatorships to democracies (1980-1999) and c) Pentecostalism of globalization (2000-2017). In each of these periods we will mention the main lines of research, debates and analytical tensions in the sociological study of Latin American Pentecostalism.

Assembling the sense of home in emigrant elite athletes: Cultural transitions, narrative and materiality

ObjectiveDespite a growing body of literature on cultural transitions, little is known regarding how emigrant elite athletes experience and intra-act with the non-human environment in the host country, and how this affects their sense of home. This study explores the relationships between the material world and the embodied narratives, both personal and socio-cultural, regarding the process of assembling a new sense of home. Design and MethodsSeven Colombian emigrant elite athletes (4 female and 3 male), that emigrated pursuing the Olympic Dream, participated in this study. The philosophical concept of assemblage, from New Materialism approach, was used as a companion and extension of narrative dialogical analysis to analyse life-story interviews. ResultsEmigrant athletes define home as a place of refuge where they can express emotions, behave, and communicate in ways that ‘feel natural’. During cultural transitions, these athletes assembled a sense of home in two environments: the housing and the sport facilities. The relationships with (a) architectural spaces, (b) objects, (c) food, (d) technological apparels and (d) sport materiality facilitated or hindered the process of assembling a new sense of home in the host country. ConclusionsThe transformation of housing and the sport facilities into Home is a crucial process to improve the quality of emigrant athlete’s cultural transition. A deeper appreciation of materiality in research and applied practice is needed.

Soft Drink Consumption Patterns of Middle School Students in North Okkalarpa

Background: Urbanization and economic development in Myanmar have brought about culture and dietary transition from a traditional to a westernized diet. The health of the nation, especially the youth, may influence the changing dietary patterns: i.e., the higher the soft drink consumption, the higher the prevalence of soft drink-related diseases.