Cultural Universe Research Articles

Cohesion and Joint Speech: Right Hemisphere Contributions to Synchronized Vocal Production.

Synchronized behavior (chanting, singing, praying, dancing) is found in all human cultures and is central to religious, military, and political activities, which require people to act collaboratively and cohesively; however, we know little about the neural underpinnings of many kinds of synchronous behavior (e.g., vocal behavior) or its role in establishing and maintaining group cohesion. In the present study, we measured neural activity using fMRI while participants spoke simultaneously with another person. We manipulated whether the couple spoke the same sentence (allowing synchrony) or different sentences (preventing synchrony), and also whether the voice the participant heard was "live" (allowing rich reciprocal interaction) or prerecorded (with no such mutual influence). Synchronous speech was associated with increased activity in posterior and anterior auditory fields. When, and only when, participants spoke with a partner who was both synchronous and "live," we observed a lack of the suppression of auditory cortex, which is commonly seen as a neural correlate of speech production. Instead, auditory cortex responded as though it were processing another talker's speech. Our results suggest that detecting synchrony leads to a change in the perceptual consequences of one's own actions: they are processed as though they were other-, rather than self-produced. This may contribute to our understanding of synchronized behavior as a group-bonding tool. Synchronized human behavior, such as chanting, dancing, and singing, are cultural universals with functional significance: these activities increase group cohesion and cause participants to like each other and behave more prosocially toward each other. Here we use fMRI brain imaging to investigate the neural basis of one common form of cohesive synchronized behavior: joint speaking (e.g., the synchronous speech seen in chants, prayers, pledges). Results showed that joint speech recruits additional right hemisphere regions outside the classic speech production network. Additionally, we found that a neural marker of self-produced speech, suppression of sensory cortices, did not occur during joint synchronized speech, suggesting that joint synchronized behavior may alter self-other distinctions in sensory processing.

Nuevas formas de distribución de la música popular en la cultura contemporánea

Current changes in the dissemination of information and transmission technologies have greatly intensified the global distribution of music. Internet has become a great ally for the staging of music thanks to the emergence of various technologies for recording and distribution, supported by new formats, expanding the catalog of messages that the individual can receive through multiple music available and reopening an old debate about the role of music in the cultural universe. The music industry in the digital age, particularly recorded music, is immersed in an unstoppable evolution of the classical paradigms of the market. In this paper we analyze the evolution of the recording industry which is setting a scene of several clashes between the industry itself and other cultural agents who are becoming better positioned to new technologies.

Modernity and human rights: beyond a simple association

Beginning with the Jürgen Habermas’ reconstruction of a normative model of European cultural modernity as basis to a contemporary notion of epistemological-moral universalism as condition to critic, to integration and to intervention, which leads to the affirmation that democracy and human rights represent the modernity’s fundamental legacy, I will discuss that such theoretical reconstruction only can be possible from a historical-sociological blindness which is based on the separation between a normative notion of European cultural modernity and the Realpolitik of colonialism – just from this theoretical-political standpoint it is possible to sustain a universalistic normative paradigm which is capable to ground the criticism, the integration and the intervention of all social-cultural contexts, which means that modern culture and normativism can serve as medium and guide of all particular cultures, at least in a strong way. Against that optimistic role of the Habermasian normative model of European cultural modernity, I will argue that democracy and human rights as modernity’s legacy have basically two tasks in the contemporary Realpolitik: first, to restrain the modernity’s totalizing tendency to rationalization and to globalization, i.e. its movement of assimilation of all cultures and societies in a model of epistemological, cultural and economic universalism; and to ground an international institutional politics based on the social-economic reparation for the colonialism, which implies in a universalistic extension of the social rights to all people in the world (for example, the Philippe van Parijs’ idea of basic income).

Identity, legitimacy, and chaste widows

ABSTRACTI will sketch an evolutionary map of the four versions of Chineseness and explore the corresponding changes in the ideologies of the Chinese culture. A focal point is to diagram the shifting currents of moral realism vs. nihilism, cultural universalism vs. particularism and to explain how political legitimacy becomes entangled with personal identity and, as an example, how chaste widows can constitute a potent political rhetoric.

Students drum life stories: The role of cultural universals in project work

This study describes how a primary school teacher and her students explored multiple means of communication through the use of a project on storytelling and drumming to personalize and translate cultural differences into universal human experiences they could understand. It documents how the teacher and two researchers collaborated with planning and implementing the drumming project so that it integrated social studies with multiple modes of literacy. It discusses how the teacher and researchers examined cultural universals within this project to provide students with a frame of reference to engage in an authentic understanding of diverse cultures within their classrooms. Finally, the study examined the students’ work within the actual drumming project.

Queering the transnational turn: regionalism and queer Asias

In recent years, queer studies has increasingly interrogated the racial and colonial unconscious embedded in the earlier studies of non-normative genders and sexualities through the critical frameworks of queer of color critique and queer diaspora studies. This article aims to ‘queer the transnational turn’ by considering what critical edge ‘regionalism’ might bring to the investigation of queer modernities in Asia from both contemporary and historical vantage points. The introductory section of the article provides a broad overview of the ‘transnational turn’ in queer studies, what we diagnose as the ‘area unconscious’ of queer studies in its exclusive critique of Western colonial modernity, and the related binary of cultural particularism versus Eurocentric universalism. Alternatively, we argue that the concept of regionalism can be productively mobilized in order to study the various scales of queer sexualities that traffic within and circulate across Southeast Asia, Australia, imperial China, and contemporary Sinophone cultures (Sinitic-language communities on the margins of or outside mainland China). Through a paired reading of Johann S. Lee’s Singaporean queer novel, Peculiar Chris (1992), and Su Chao-Bin and John Woo’s Sinophone martial art film, the Reign of Assassins (2010), our inquiry accounts for how the spatial–temporal telos of global queering get materially translated across multiple regional hubs of sexual differences. Queer regionalism in Singapore, China, and the Sinophone worlds encompasses relational dynamics, power differentials, and subnational and supranational linkages. Finally, queering regionalism can open up new analytical frameworks for the study of sexualities and corporealities across transcolonial relations and wider temporal and spatial connections.

Urgencias investigativas y reformulación de saberes: La construcción de ediciones críticas en los estudios literarios continentales. El caso de José Martí.

Realizar la edición crítica de las obras completas de un autor determinado es un método idóneo para llegar a conocerlo profundamente. No solo se hace un acercamiento integral al escritor y su producción literaria, sino también a sus contemporáneos y coterráneos; a la época que le tocó vivir y, asimismo, a la que dedica su obra; a sus circunstancias vitales, formación profesional, lecturas, posiciones ideológicas, filiaciones artístico-literarias, entre otros asuntos. El nivel de complejidad de este proceder investigativo, su enfoque interdisciplinario, nos lleva al trabajo en equipo, pues es tal la diversidad de saberes a manejar, que constantemente se imponen el intercambio con otros colegas, el compartir las tareas, y sobre todo, abrir nuestra mente a un universo cultural sumamente amplio. En este artículo se valora la experiencia al respecto en la edición crítica de las Obras Completas de José Martí.

Intercultural Space

Contemporary features of global, technological changes stimulate such processes as mobility of cultures, deterritorialization of space, multiplication of space, convergence and interaction, decentralization and disappearance of physical boundaries in communication and metamorphoses of space, especially of symbolic space which can repeatedly interchange its real and virtual dimension. That is why we shall form the basis for a proposal concerning the creation of an integrated theory of intercultural space which will combine the classical and the virtual understanding of cultural and intercultural space in the context of the contemporary universe of symbolic culture. Attributes of thus understood space have a relatively different and distinctive ontological status and they refer to different characteristics of space but in very intensive, mutual relations. In the proposed theory they are interlinked and their characteristics show a high degree of synergy between “objects,” “relations” and the “scope” of their attributes. Interactions of these attributes take place at various levels of reality; they change the character of attributes but maintain the general logic of mutual clarification and the explanatory power of the integrated theory of space where objects define relations, relations define objects and scope, and scope defines objects and relations.

Legal Culture of the Society as an Integrated Multi-level System

Based on reconsidering of well-established science provisions on legal culture and its structure, the author of the article using a systemic approach proves the thesis that legal culture of the society appears as an integrated multi-level system. In the legal culture the author distinguishes such levels as genetic, archaic, traditional, national, regional and global. The appearance of each new level takes place due to qualitative changes, transformation of the legal culture of the society during a certain historical period of its development. To conclude, the author opines that all levels of legal culture, being subsystems of an organic integrity, interact with each other and change during this interaction. The integrity of the legal culture of a particular society is provided by cultural (ideological) universals that include not only phenomena consciously recognized by the society, but the phenomena that are accepted by the society unconsciously. Universals accumulate legal experience gained during the whole period of historical development in the coordinate system of the vital activities of a particular society.

Editorial: Turn-Taking in Human Communicative Interaction.

One intriguing feature of the human communication system is the interactional infrastructure it builds on. In both dyadic and multi-person interactions, conversation is highly structured and organized according to set principles (Sacks et al., 1974). Human adult interaction is characterized by a mechanism of exchange based on alternating (and relatively short) bursts of information. In the majority of cases, only one person tends to speak at a time and each contribution usually receives a response. What is remarkable is the precise timing of these sequential contributions, resulting in gaps between speaking turns averaging around just 200 ms (Stivers et al., 2009). From psycholinguistic experiments, we know that the time it takes to produce even simple one-word-utterances (min. 600 ms, Indefrey and Levelt, 2004) by far exceeds this average gap duration, hinting at the complexity of the cognitive processes that must be involved (Levinson, 2013). While the behavioral principles governing turn-taking in interaction have been researched for some decades—primarily by scholars of conversation analysis—the cognitive underpinnings of the human turn-taking system have long remained elusive. Recently, psycholinguists have begun to explore the cognitive and neural processes that allow us to deal effectively with the immensely complex task of taking turns on time. Amongst other things, this has highlighted the anticipatory, predictive processes that must be at work, as well as the different layers of processing allowing production planning and comprehension to take place simultaneously (de Ruiter et al., 2006; Magyari and de Ruiter; Bogels et al., 2015). These insights mesh well with the conversation analytic literature that has illuminated the interactional environments in which individual turns are embedded: their sequential organization and the use of conventionalized linguistic constructions allow for the projection of upcoming talk, as well as for the recognition of points of possible completions in the turn which make transition to the next speaker relevant (Sacks et al., 1974; Ford and Thompson, 1996; Schegloff, 2007). The articles in this Research Topic bring together these as yet largely independent lines of research to elucidate our understanding of turn-taking from multiple perspectives and aim to foster future synergies. In addition to exploring the adult psycholinguistic machinery and its workings, researchers have begun to wonder how and when the required cognitive and social processes mature in children, as well as how they compare to those in other species. Levinson (2006) proposed that human beings are inherently social and interactive in orientation. He argues that an “interaction engine” may lie at the heart of children's early predisposition for turn-taking. Likewise, this particular human capacity might explain the strong cultural universals in the structure of human interaction as well as the striking commonalities and differences in communication systems brought about by the course of evolution. The present Research Topic provides a collection of experimental and observational empirical studies using qualitative and quantitative approaches, complemented by articles offering reviews, opinions, and models. They aim to inform the reader about the most recent advances in our endeavor of unraveling the workings of the human turn-taking system in communicative interaction. The contributions are organized into six sections: (1) Foundations of turn-taking, (2) Signals and mechanisms for prediction and timing, (3) Planning next turns in conversation, (4) Effects of context and function on timing, (5) Turn-taking in signed languages, and (6) Development of turn-taking skills.

Die Sprache der Wissenschaft als ein Element der Kultur

Abstract Sciences originate within particular cultures, then they undergo the process of internationalization, developing towards future civilization, in which patterns of spiritual life manifest themselves as particular entities of cultural universals. Linguistically important concepts (such as “beauty”, “language” etc.) are emergent in their character: they can be reconstructed by the analysis of the representative corpora of texts. The methods of this analysis resemble those used in sociology.

POST-INDUSTRIAL CIVILIZATION AND CULTURAL UNIVERSALS: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The report is focused on the transition to a post-industrial civilization, accompanied by super historical, global and local crises. Cultural universals are considered as social institutions that support the continuity and sustainability of social development. For the first time a typology of cultural universals was presented and factors of formation of every type were considered. It was found out that the post-industrial civilization synthesizes all types of universals.

The revealing processes of interpretation: Translating human rights principles into Pintupi‐Luritja

The global language of English has emerged over the centuries as the language of human rights. This language embodies many Anglo key cultural concepts that we take for granted, related to some of our most fundamental epistemologies – such concepts as freedom, dignity, respect, reason and conscience, equality, individuality and the concept of ‘rights’ itself. By making explicit the cultural workings of these English concepts, and by considering English itself as a cultural universe, we can also examine Anangu core cultural concepts from a new perspective. A first step toward this juxtaposition of Anangu and English key cultural concepts is through the process of translating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) into Pintupi‐Luritja. As Edward Sapir said in 1949, ‘vocabulary is a very sensitive index of the culture of a people’. This article will principally examine the first Article of the UDHR to elaborate Anangu cultural forms of morality and conceptions of personhood. That there is no ready parallel of these concepts in this local vernacular, a Western Desert language, both reveals ‘traditional’ socio‐moral priorities and elides contemporary dialogical processes, as conversations begin to explicate, if not to translate.

Black Fifth Graders Make Dioramas of Traditional African Cultures to Explore Racial Identity, Cultural Universals, and Spatial Thinking

This rich, arts- and spatial-thinking-integrated project examined the effects of making three-dimensional dioramas of traditional African cultures on Black fifth graders at an urban school on students’ racial identities, knowledge of cultural universals, and spatial thinking skills. Pretest and posttest attitudes measured with the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity–Teen evidenced an increase in sense of belonging to other Black people. Students learned social studies content and recognized many cultural universals, allowing them to feel connected to the African groups. Student essays showed admiration for African cultures, connections through similar foods, and links through appreciation of animals.

Issues of Cultural Studies in Immanuel Wallerstein’s Works

The article examines Immanuel Wallerstein’s views, set out in a number of his articles, on some processes of cultural development. The multidimensional nature of the concept of culture, the phenomenon of national culture, and the opportunity of constituting a world culture are studied. The article also focuses on the issue of universalization of culture and on correlation of this process with the globalization. Connection between the fundamental topic of his research, the world-system approach and its applicability to an analysis of the modern world, and the interpretation of specific problems of cultural knowledge is shown.

A cross-cultural study on emotion expression and the learning of social norms.

When we do not know how to correctly behave in a new context, the emotions that people familiar with the context show in response to the behaviors of others, can help us understand what to do or not to do. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in how group emotional expressions (anger, sadness, neutral) can be used to deduce a norm violation in four cultures (Germany, Israel, Greece, and the US), which differ in terms of decoding rules for negative emotions. As expected, in all four countries, anger was a stronger norm violation signal than sadness or neutral expressions. However, angry and sad expressions were perceived as more intense and the relevant norm was learned better in Germany and Israel than in Greece and the US. Participants in Greece were relatively better at using sadness as a sign of a likely norm violation. The results demonstrate both cultural universality and cultural differences in the use of group emotion expressions in norm learning. In terms of cultural differences they underscore that the social signal value of emotional expressions may vary with culture as a function of cultural differences, both in emotion perception, and as a function of a differential use of emotions.

Note on Cultural Universals and Variations of Gratitude from an East Asian Point of View

The current paper is a brief selective review of cross-cultural studies on gratitude and related feelings, especially indebtedness. The concept of gratitude has been investigated under the universality hypotheses, which postulates the following: (a) Gratitude is affected by its antecedent variables, including gains of the beneficiary, cost to the benefactor, and the altruistic motivation of the benefactor; (b) Gratitude includes positive feeling, such as attachment and respect for the benefactor, and the wish to repay the benefactor; (c) Gratitude leads to behaviors such as expressions of the gratitude directed at the benefactor, requitals, repayments, generalized repayments and prosocial behaviors directed at others in general; and (d) Experience of gratitude is related to positive attributes, such as well-being. The review of studies on gratitude from cultural points of view suggested that further studies on the following topics should be conducted in the future: (a) Influences of cultural values on gratitude behaviors, including cultural differences in the expression of gratitude; (b) Cultural differences in conceptions of gratitude; and (c) Cultural differences in the association and concurrency between gratitude and other feelings such as indebtedness. Keywords: gratitude, indebtedness, culture, East Asia

Benjamin Constant. Libertad, democracia y pluralismo

With an interpretative focus, this article explains why for Benjamin Constant democracy could only appear where a necessary relation between freedom as defense of individual rights —freedom as independency or negative freedom— and freedom conceived as principle of public participation —freedom as autonomy or positive freedom— is present. This article also underscores the importance that the author gave to those traditions that embodied the configuration of a nation’s cultural universe. The article concludes that one can find in the work of Constant a clear defense of Rule of Law and pluralism that can enlighten the comprehension of political problems in the contemporary world.

A INFÂNCIA INDÍGENA: PESQUISA COM CRIANÇAS NA ALDEIA CANUANÃ (FORMOSO DO ARAGUAIA - TO)

This study aimed to investigate how indigenous children of the village Canuana move between their children's cultures and the cultural universe in which they live; understand the indigenous children through the eyes of infants and to analyze the relationship of children with specific modes of socialization of their community and intercultural influences present in their social context. For this, we chose to ethnographic research in the village Canuana (Formoso do Araguaia - TO), in the years 2012 and 2013, where approximately 1,200 indigenous lives, most of them from Javae ethnic, which aimed an anthropological perspective to unveil this infant universe through the eyes of indigenous children, using as main participant observation. We also have educational games as production drawings, wandering the community guided by children, photographs, games in general. The analysis results pointed to three categories that guided the study: the river, the myths and the bilingual and intercultural education, which were present in the speeches and daily life of that child's universe.

Cultural universality and specificity of student engagement in school: The results of an international study from 12 countries.

A comprehensive understanding of the contextual factors that are linked to student engagement requires research that includes cross-cultural perspectives. This study investigated how student engagement in school is associated with grade, gender, and contextual factors across 12 countries. It also investigated whether these associations vary across countries with different levels of individualism and socio-economic development. The participants were 3,420 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The participants completed a questionnaire to report their engagement in school, the instructional practices they experienced, and the support they received from teachers, peers, and parents. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to examine the effects at both student and country levels. The results across countries revealed a decline in student engagement from Grade 7 to Grade 9, with girls reporting higher engagement than boys. These trends did not vary across the 12 countries according to the Human Development Index and Hofstede's Individualism Index. Most of the contextual factors (instructional practices, teacher support, and parent support) were positively associated with student engagement. With the exception that parent support had a stronger association with student engagement in countries with higher collectivism, most of the associations between the contextual factors and student engagement did not vary across countries. The results indicate both cultural universality and specificity regarding contextual factors associated with student engagement in school. They illustrate the advantages of integrating etic and emic approaches in cross-cultural investigations.