Global Culture Research Articles

Tantangan Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam Membangun Karakter Generasi Milenial

Islamic Religious Education (PAI) plays a vital role in building the character of the millennial generation, who face significant challenges in the digital era, such as the influence of global culture, low digital literacy, and the spread of negative information on social media. This study employs a qualitative method with in-depth analysis of various literature sources and social contexts. The findings indicate that PAI can provide a strong moral foundation for young people through understanding Islamic values, fostering noble character, and increasing spiritual awareness. However, millennials often struggle to internalize religious teachings due to exposure to foreign cultures that contrast with Islamic values. Other challenges include a dependency on technology, which has the potential to reduce their mental resilience. In conclusion, adaptive strategies are needed, such as integrating technology in learning, professional development for teachers, and digital ethics education to help millennials navigate the complexities of the digital era without losing their identity and moral integrity.

Cultural globalisation: From the globalisation of modernity in traditional dances to the practice of hybridisation in contemporary dance in Cameroon

ABSTRACT This article argues that while cultural globalisation may be perceived as a loss of national cultural identity and a threat to modern society, contemporary Cameroonian dance artists use cultural globalisation as a “counter-flow” to challenge Western cultural hegemony and cultural standardisation. Rather than being passive representations of globalisation in the form of Westernisation, Cameroonian dances evolve in response to this influence. The modernisation of traditional dances such as the Ku'ŋgaŋ, the Pénemfon, and the use of hybridisation in contemporary dance, as exemplified by the works of André Takou Saa and Merlin Nyakam, actually promotes globalisation as a counter-current phenomenon. This is perceived by some as a loss of cultural identity, yet it enables the creation of new forms of bodily expression, contributing to the enrichment of Cameroon’s national culture and illustrating that dancing cultures are dynamic.

Local–Global Cobrand Positioning and Consumer Evaluations in Emerging Markets

Cobranding initiatives between a local and a global brand have become a prominent practice. This research contributes to the cobranding and global branding literatures by investigating the effects of positioning strategy of the cobranded product (global consumer culture positioning vs. local consumer culture positioning) on consumer evaluations in emerging markets. In five experiments, the authors show that using global consumer culture positioning for the cobranded product leads to heightened word-of-mouth intentions and more favorable product valuations. This effect holds for both local and global product categories. Building on signaling theory, the authors show that brand credibility mediates the effect of positioning strategy on word-of-mouth intentions. Further, when the local (vs. global) brand is the announcement source, using a global rather than a local consumer culture positioning leads to enhanced word-of-mouth intentions. Yet, for consumers with stronger ethnocentrism, when the global brand makes the announcement of a cobranded product positioned on local consumer culture, word-of-mouth intentions are higher. Altogether, the findings have nuanced implications for local branding, global branding, and young consumers in emerging markets.

Understanding and Preferences of Islamic Finance Among Gen Z

This study explores the understanding and preferences of Islamic finance among Generation Z by referring to Surah Al-Kahf verse 46. Generation Z, as a growing cohort in the digital era and globalization, has an increasingly important role in global economic development. Qualitative research methods are used to gain in-depth insight into the financial perspectives and beliefs of this generation, while verse 46 of Surah Al-Kahf was chosen as the theological basis for interpreting Islamic financial values. Results showed that, despite exposure to global culture, Generation Z showed significant interest in the concepts and principles of Islamic finance, as described in Surah Al-Kahf verse 46. Their understanding of these values influences their preferences for financial products and services. The implications of these findings for the financial industry and policymakers are presented, highlighting the importance of understanding and accommodating young people's preferences in more inclusive sustainable economic development, in line with the teachings of Surah Al-Kahf verse 46. This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of how Islamic financial values, as stated in the Qur'an, can guide the transformation of the global economy towards greater sustainability and inclusiveness.

The Ideological Dilemma in Using Games in Global Citizenship and Development Education

The objective of this paper is to contribute to discourse informing the use of computer games in Global Citizenship and Development Education. In doing so, it addresses the incompatibility and conflict between the values imbedded in games and those informing development education practice. It is aimed at both formal and informal educators who see the potential in using games in their practice and want to reconcile this dilemma. It is also aimed at policy makers and influencers who want to shape the structures governing such digital spaces in the public interest. The research involved an interdisciplinary literature review across the fields of Education, Game Design, colonialism and social activism. The analysis takes a postcolonial perspective and is informed by the theory and practice of critical pedagogy in youth work and development education. The study was conducted as part of Doctoral research and project work with NGOs over a seven-year period to 2024. In this context it is important to note that this is a rapidly changing and evolving sector. The development of computer games and immersive technologies over the past 20 years has been transformational, in their interactive capabilities and global proliferation, particularly with the emergence of “The Metaverse”. Such expansion has been critiqued as a process of Colonialism, where young people’s time, creativity, identities and attention is being commodified, monetised, packaged and sold to the highest bidder. The structure of the games industry, their content and the ecosystem surrounding gaming are all ideologically driven. Such ideology aligns with one of three systems: the neoliberal hegemony emanating from transnational corporations and market economies; the state control being exerted by China and others; or a blind commitment to opensource being advocated by many industry innovators, developers and users. When using games in an educational context, and particularly when addressing Social Justice and Global Citizenship, the values and cultures underpinning all three of these ideologies are problematic. It is the contention in this paper that such spaces can also be developed as informal educational spaces informed by values aligned with critical global citizenship and development education. Now is the time for development educational practitioners, conscientious games designers and policymakers to collaborate, to act, to legislate, to experiment and carve out a safe, progressive, dynamic, decolonised digital space for engagement with issues of global citizenship and development education

Why We Need Diverse Methods for Assessing Cultural Identity: Introduction to the Special Issue

In this introduction to the special issue on diverse methods for cultural identity, we begin by addressing the evolving complexities of defining oneself amidst modern globalization and immigration. We then preview the current collection of papers, which collectively showcase the complexity of cultural identity by exploring how people, especially adolescents and young adults, navigate a plethora of cultural influences—whether through direct migration or the pervasive impact of global cultures—as they psychologically manage diverse and sometimes conflicting allegiances and worldviews. The studies featured in this issue employ a range of methodologies, from qualitative analyses to mixed-methods approaches, to expand our knowledge of the constitution of contemporary cultural identities beyond common quantitative metrics of self-categorization and group belongingness. For instance, research on Jamaican American adolescents highlights how cultural identity is formed through reciprocal socialization processes and systemic factors such as racism. Similarly, studies involving Hmong American youth and Guatemalan adolescents reveal tensions and creative harmonizations in identity management, challenging notions of a homogenized global culture. We conclude by underscoring the need for future research to take a nuanced, intersectional approach to the study of cultural identity, to explore creative measurement tools that are sensitive to local meaning-making among diverse groups around the world, and to attend to the impact of power dynamics in shaping one’s sense of self in relation to their cultural group(s).

CULTURAL GLOBALIZATION OF TOURISM AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN KARBALA GOVERNORATE

The research aims to identify the extent of the impact of cultural globalization of tourism on the behavior of the local community in Karbala Governorate. It underscores the importance of knowledge exchange as a key strategy in addressing the challenges posed by cultural globalization. The study assumed a positive and significant impact relationship of cultural globalization of tourism on the behavior of the local community. To achieve its objectives, a questionnaire was designed that included (17) paragraphs to collect data from the research sample of (75) individuals. The descriptive analytical approach was adopted when the data was collected. Hypotheses were tested using a set of statistical methods with the help of the statistical program (SPSS. V.23). After conducting the statistical analysis; the research concluded that there is a significant statistical correlation between the cognitive dimension and the behavior of the local community, and accordingly, there is an impact. The most important recommendation was to work on exchanging ideas, opinions, information, and experiences to increase knowledge of the importance of tourism and its development. This call for knowledge exchange invites the audience to be part of the solution, fostering a sense of engagement and shared responsibility.

The Periodical as Political Educator

Abstract This essay discusses how forms like political magazines, cultural journals, and party newspapers produced by twentieth-century anticolonial, left, and oppositional movements instituted practices of alternative pedagogy and political education across the Global South. These “revolutionary papers” served as a pedagogical infrastructure encompassing a critical curriculum drawn from ongoing movements, alternative histories, and regional literary production, to be used for collective practices of debate and inquiry. The essay introduces a series of digital teaching tools featured in the issue that study revolutionary periodicals such as the Cairo-based Afro-Asian literary magazine Lotus and underground pamphlets from the Mau Mau movement in Kenya. These teaching tools are accessible, interactive resources that provide archival, literary, and historical insights on movements and associated print cultures and are designed as pedagogical aids for the classroom and for political education in community settings. Along the way, the essay reflects on anticolonial periodicals as a resource for ongoing debates around decolonizing the university, and the possibilities presented by digital humanities approaches for the study of anticolonialism and Global South cultures.

Islamic Medievalism and Mobility in Mathias Énard's Street of Thieves

ABSTRACTSet against the backdrop of the Arab Spring uprisings, Jihadist extremism, and the neoliberal exploitation of the Global South, Mathias Énard's 2012 novel Street of Thieves (Rue des voleurs) follows the fortunes of Lakhdar, a young man from Tangier who finds himself living as an undocumented migrant in Barcelona's notorious Carrer d’En Robador, the Street of Thieves. Lakhdar's misadventures are shaped by regional and global forces which have compelled Moroccan nationals to seek political and economic asylum in Mediterranean Europe. Although Street of Thieves is strikingly contemporary, this essay explores the novel's medievalism: its contrasting of the grim present with the premodern Islamic world as an era of sophistication, mobility and cultural exchange. The essay focuses on Lakhdar's preoccupation with his fellow Tangier native Ibn Battuta, the fourteenth‐century traveler and writer whose life becomes a frame through which Lakhdar views his own. It argues that contrary to the current tendency to view Ibn Battuta's world as a precursor to modern globalised culture, Énard's novel invokes cosmopolitan Islamic premodernity to comment on the turmoil of the modern Islamosphere and the harm done to the Islamicate world by Western neo‐colonialism and neoliberalism.

Acceptance of Korean Food Culture among Young Generations in Malaysia: Health and Authentic Taste Perspectives

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu, has significantly impacted global culture, and has affected people around the world. This influence has also become a trend in Malaysia, where Korean cultural products are widely embraced, especially by the younger generation. The authenticity of Korean flavors is essential for maintaining its unique culinary identity while health-conscious markets around the world have led to a surge in demand for Korean food Therefore, this study aims to assess the consumer acceptance of Korean food in Malaysia, particularly in Sungai Petani, Kedah, and Pulau Pinang. The Korean Wave, which represents the global popularity of South Korean culture since the 2000s, has exerted a considerable influence on various cultural aspects, including cuisine. Through a quantitative survey, data were collected from 150 participants in the northern area, specifically targeting Generations Y and Z through convenience sampling. The collected data was then analyzed for descriptive statistics, and the correlation to test the hypotheses. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between consumer acceptance of Korean food, health perspectives, and authentic taste variables. The findings of this study suggest that increased exposure to Korean culture through the Korean Wave boosts consumer acceptance and purchase intentions for Korean food culture in Malaysia. This information is valuable for marketers and restaurateurs seeking to capture the growing demand for Korean cuisine. This study offers a localized perspective on the global phenomenon of Korean cultural influence and provides practical recommendations for future research.

Integrating Traditional Craftsmanship in Modern Product Design

In today's rapidly advancing globalisation, the protection and inheritance of regional culture is particularly important. Art design, as an important form of cultural expression, is responsible for transmitting and reviving regional culture. Han embroidery in the Jingchu region is one of the intangible cultural heritages in China, which is a display of skills and a carrier of emotions and philosophies of Jingchu culture. With this in mind, this study explores the specific case of Jingchu Han embroidery and analyses how regional culture expresses and transmits emotions in art design. By analysing the historical background of Han embroidery, its technical characteristics, and its application in modern art design, this paper reveals how regional cultural elements can achieve emotional penetration and stylistic influence in art design. The study also focuses on how the emotional aspects of Jingchu Han embroidery can be borrowed and innovated in modern design practice to enhance artworks' cultural depth and emotional resonance. Jing Chu is one of the important birthplaces of China's history and culture, with a rich cultural heritage and unique regional characteristics. Han embroidery is an important part of Jingchu culture. It is not only a kind of traditional handicraft but also a medium for the people in the Jingchu area to express their emotions and transmit their culture. In modern art design, elements of Han embroidery are widely used, showing its unique artistic charm and cultural value. However, academic and practical circles are still exploring how to express better and convey regional culture's emotions in art design.

Exploring the Connotation and Function of Guqin Art from the Perspective of Origin

In 2003, UNESCO officially included the art of guqin in the second batch of the World Representative List of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting the extraordinary status of guqin in global culture. As the oldest plucked instrument in China, the guqin has always been an outstanding representative of excellent traditional Chinese culture, carrying rich cultural connotations and profound historical heritage. This article aims to analyze the production of guqin from its origin, explore its cultural connotations and functions, and understand the charm and value of ancient guqin art.

The spirit of sports as ideology: a theoretical framework

ABSTRACT The discourse surrounding the spirit of sports, especially under the purview of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), often centers on the philosophical implications of doping and fair play. This research aims to reframe the discussion by employing the lens of historical materialism and Marxist theory, considering sports not merely as isolated physical endeavors but deeply interwoven with societal and ideological transformations. This approach traces the evolution of sports from ancient times, where it served religious and communal functions, to its current status as a component of global capitalist culture. By analyzing the spirit of sports through the theoretical frameworks of Althusser and Žižek, this study explores how sports act as ideological state apparatuses (AIEs), shaping and being shaped by the prevailing economic and social structures. The core argument posits that the spirit of sports is both a reflection of and a contributor to the ideological superstructures that define different historical epochs. The analysis highlights the transition from viewing sports as communal and ritualistic engagements to mechanisms of capitalist ideology, emphasizing competition and profit. Through this historical and ideological critique, the research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the spirit of sports, challenging traditional perspectives that isolate sports from their socio-economic and ideological contexts. The findings suggest that any discussion about the spirit of sports, particularly in anti-doping debates, must consider the broader ideological forces at play, thereby opening pathways for a more nuanced understanding of sports ethics.

Technological Culture and the Challenge of Erosion of Yorùbá Moral Values

The advent and rapid evolution of technology have significantly impacted global cultures, including the culture of Yorùbá people, an ethnic group primarily located in southwestern Nigeria. The Yorùbá people are known for their rich cultural heritage, which includes a strong emphasis on communal living, respect for elders, and a deep sense of spirituality and moral uprightness. However, the pervasive influence of technological advancements, such as the internet, social media, and mobile technologies, has posed a significant challenge to the preservation of these values. Social media platforms, in particular, have played a role in reshaping perceptions of morality, success, and identity, often promoting values that conflict with traditional Yorùbá principles. This paper examines how technological culture contributes to the erosion of Yorùbá moral values, traditionally passed down through generations. A self-structured questionnaire grounded in the Ọmọlúàbí Code of Ethics was used as instrument. One hundred Yorùbá youths in Ede community, Osun State, Nigeria were sampled across the three major religious groups in Nigeria and copies of the questionnaire given to them. The findings reveal a significant relationship between the increasing use of technology and the perceived erosion of Yorùbá moral values. The younger generations, who are more engaged with digital platforms, exhibit a noticeable shift in moral perspectives, often aligning more with globalized digital culture than traditional Yorùbá ethics. Now, while technological culture poses challenges to the preservation of Yorùbá moral values, it also offers opportunities for innovative cultural engagement and education. The study, therefore, recommends a balanced approach, advocating for the integration of traditional values within modern technological frameworks. This study also recommends that film censoring should be taken more seriously by the government in order to disallow contents that seem to downplay good moral values and that broadcasting houses should promote/project indigenous cultural and moral values.

Inclusive assessment in health professions education: Balancing global goals and local contexts.

In this article, we draw upon diverse and contextually different experiences of working on inclusive assessment, with the aim of bridging and enhancing practices of inclusive assessments for health professions education (HPE) within universities. Instead of juxtaposing our views from three countries, we combine our perspectives to advocate for inclusive assessment. Creating an inclusive assessment culture is important for equitable education, even if priorities for inclusion might differ between contexts. We recognise challenges in the enactment of inclusive assessment, namely, the notion of lowering standards, harming reliability and robustness of assessment design and inclusion as a poorly defined and catchall term. Importantly, the lack of awareness that inclusion means recognising intersectionality is a barrier for well-designed inclusive assessments. This is why we offer considerations for HPE practitioners that can guide towards a unified direction of travel for inclusive assessments. This article highlights the importance of contextual prioritisation and initiatives to be considered at the global level to national, institutional, programme and the individual level. Utilising experience and literature from undergraduate, higher education contexts, we offer considerations with applicability across the assessment continuum. In this state of science paper, we were set the challenge of providing cross-cultural viewpoints on inclusive assessment. In this discursive article, we focus on inclusive assessment within undergraduate health professions education whilst looking to the wider higher education literature, since institutional policies and procedures frequently drive assessment decisions and influence the environment in which they occur. We explore our experiences of working in inclusive assessment, with the aim of bridging and enhancing practices of inclusive assessments for HPE. Unlike other articles that juxtapose views, we all come from the perspective of supporting inclusive assessment. We begin with a discussion on what inclusive assessment is and then describe our contexts as a basis for understanding differences and broadening conversations. We work in the United Kingdom, Australia and Malaysia, having undertaken research, facilitated workshops and seminars on inclusive assessment nationally and internationally. We recognise our perspectives will differ as a consequence of our global context, institutional culture, individual characteristics and educational experiences. (Note that individual characteristics are also known as protected characteristics in some countries). Then, we outline challenges and opportunities associated with inclusive assessment, drawing on evidence within our contexts, acknowledging that our understanding of inclusive assessment research is limited to publications in English and currently tilted to publications from the Global North. In the final section, we then offer recommendations for championing inclusion, focussing firstly on assessment designs, and then broader considerations to organise collective action. Our article is unapologetically practical; the deliberate divergence from a theoretical piece is with the intent that anyone who reads this paper might enact even one small change progressing towards more inclusive assessment practices within their context.

Thresholds to sustainability: Globalization's impact on the institutional quality-ecological footprint nexus in Africa

This study explores how globalization influences the relationship between institutional quality and the ecological footprint in Africa. Utilizing dynamic panel threshold models with data from 49 African countries (2002-2022), we investigate how different types of globalization—economic, social, cultural, and political—affect this relationship. Our findings reveal that the impact of institutional quality on the ecological footprint varies significantly depending on globalization thresholds. Specifically, below certain thresholds, improved institutional quality increases the ecological footprint, whereas above these thresholds, it tends to reduce it. For economic globalization, the threshold is 53.510; for social globalization, 48.332; for cultural globalization, 28.446; and for political globalization, 69.663. These results highlight the need for targeted environmental policies that consider the specific effects of each globalization dimension to effectively manage Africa's ecological footprint. The study contributes to the literature by addressing the complex link between institutional quality and globalization and provides practical insights for policymakers to design more effective sustainability strategies in the African context.

Rhythm, noise and action: decoding R.D. Burman’s soundtracks of Bombay cinema

ABSTRACT The sustained use of ‘Western’ style orchestration in Bombay film music can be attributed to the trajectory of two kinds of musical practices, one tethered to the leisure economies developed by the colonial rule from the 19th century onwards, and second, the robust and frequent presence of travelling jazz bands from the early twentieth century. As a period of intense transformation, the decade of the 1940s saw musicians from different parts of the subcontinent move to Bombay to find work in the film industry. This process often involved adapting to new performance contexts, genres and instruments. Studios in the Bombay film industry became fecund spaces where musicians and arrangers trained in Western classical music came in heady contact with the jazz men of Bombay’s nightclubss. Focusing on the late 1960s as another transitional moment, this article traces R.D. Burman’s affective encounters with these ‘mobile musicking bodies.’ Biographies of his key musicians give us detailed accounts of their training and involvement in diverse sites of musical performance, before they arrived in the Bombay film industry. This detour informs my analysis of R.D. Burman and his team’s innovative film scores, underlining vocal effects, side rhythms and inclusion of edgy off-key sounds. Moving away from a song-driven approach, I focus on title tracks, background scores and extended instrumental set-pieces of crime and action genres that are now getting recirculated on the internet by R.D. Burman’s fans. Through a methodology that will combine textual analysis, internet ethnography and close listening, the article will argue that these new soundscapes carried the inscriptions of global music cultures and ‘extra-musical’ noise.

Doing ethics with microbes: toward a queer feminist posthuman framework for bioethics.

The Centre for the Social Study of Microbes (CSSM) at University of Helsinki, Finland is a Wellcome-funded hub for creating new approaches to human-microbial relations. Most urgently, the complex relations between microbes, antimicrobial resistance (in its human-health centered definition, understood as infection and disease now uncurable by antibiotics, threatening human life and wellbeing), animals, environments and climate emergency require new theoretical and methodological approaches. These include a variety of research interest from global fermentation practices and cultures to microbial bioremediation techniques, from aquatic microbes to urban gardens. A key orientation of CSSM is also combining ethnography with artistic and performative practice such as felting, painting, installation, sculpture and audiovisual means, to gain a deeper, more sensory and embodied perspective of our shared lives with microbes. As their agency exists outside textuality, new experimental methodology is needed to engage with it. Thinking with microbes invites many ethical issues that often remain unaddressed in medical and scientific approach. As one of such contributions, we suggest a new framework for bioethics. In a conceptual analysis, a queer feminist posthuman framework aims for radical reorientation of human exceptionalism for more-than-human justice while keeping existing social justice issues between groups of people, such as vulnerabilities cascading around gender and sexual variance, in the same framework. Both a theoretical and practical initiative, seeking to forge solidarity between justice movements, this framework could ground policies relevant to a broader bioethical and philosophical research community, and social scientists studying microbes. This open letter discusses this work at the CSSM.

Embracing Global Voices: An Exploration of Thai Teachers’ Attitudes and Practices on Culturally Diverse ELT Materials in a Northern Thai University

In recent times, the advancement of technology and globalization has significantly impacted educational practices worldwide, making teaching and learning increasingly complex and interconnected. In the field of English Language Teaching (ELT), these changes have challenged traditional approaches and necessitated the integration of more culturally diverse materials to reflect the global usage of English. Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward cultural diversity and their representation of cultures in ELT materials at a Thai university. Situated in Thailand’s diverse cultural landscape, the research explores how teachers’ cultural backgrounds, institutional policies, and student feedback influence the selection and depiction of cultural content. Utilizing a qualitative approach that employs semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and classroom observations, the study seeks to uncover the extent to which global cultures are represented in their ELT materials. In addition, it aims to identify trends in teachers’ practices and perceptions, highlighting a potential shift towards a more inclusive curriculum that mirrors the global context of English language teaching and learning. Consequently, this study contributes to the broader discourse on the importance of cultural diversity in education, offering practical recommendations for educators and policymakers in globalized educational environments.

Circum-Atlantic and global linguistic flows: Language through time and space

ABSTRACT The current volume explores the geopolitical dimensions of circum-Atlantic and global linguistic flows. This introduction establishes why it is important to understand language within its historical and geospatial contexts, pointing to the many ways in which human communication shapes, and is shaped by, the physical and symbolic movements of individuals and institutions. This volume aims to contribute to sustained interest in linguistic flows while also providing a space to explore various interdisciplinary approaches to human communication. While part of the purpose is to complement ongoing developments in the study of the language and culture of globalization with a focus on linguistic flows as a frame of reference, this volume simultaneously represents an attempt to foreground questions of human communication, particularly transnational, transcultural, and translingual issues of language, within and across diverse geopolitical contexts including, but not limited to, the circum-Atlantic world.