Distinct Identity Research Articles

Cultural management: analysis of strategies, policies, and practices in Ukraine and the EU countries

The focus of this article is on the evolution of cultural policy and strategy within Ukraine in the context of its integration with the European Union. A historical investigation into the shared origins of the Ukrainian population and European peoples is conducted, emphasizing Slavic heritage and communal settlements. The regulatory framework governing the progress of Ukrainian culture in its independent state is delineated. The primary hypotheses and trajectories for the advancement of Ukrainian cultural policy, as articulated in the "Long-term Strategy for the Development of Culture until 2025," are expounded upon. In aggregate, it is ascertained that the outlined objectives within the Strategy currently fall short of addressing the imperatives incumbent upon the nation to affirm its national identity and align with the attainments of European civilization. It is discerned that the absence of a cultural diplomacy framework in Ukraine stands in stark contrast to the substantial outcomes achieved through this paradigm across the majority of European Union member states. Additionally, an exploration of both shared features and distinctions in cultural policy and strategy between the European Union as an entity and select member countries is undertaken. The European Union's strategy, characterized by its dynamic and targeted approach, is notable for its commitment to preserving the integrity of nations and ethnicities. This strategy places considerable emphasis on respecting the distinct national identities and traditions of each country and its constituent nations. Of particular significance is the instance of the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Italy, and Finland, wherein the cultivation of cultural diplomacy has been a focal point. These examples underscore the diverse routes undertaken to achieve cultural recognition and formulate distinct cultural strategies for each nation. This serves as an indication that cultural policy ought to evolve into a responsibility shared among the state, diplomatic representatives, and cultural stakeholders within Ukraine. The ongoing conflict instigated by Russia underscores once again the multi-dimensional trajectory characterizing Ukraine's cultural evolution. It underscores Ukraine's heightened dedication to unity and the rejuvenation of the European principles that were proclaimed during the twentieth century.

Work Devotion as Identity Armor? How Single Professionals with Relationship Aspirations Use Career Decisions to Manage Their Identities

Although scholarship has established how people with a partner, child, or other domestic obligations account for these responsibilities when making career decisions, we lack conceptual apparatus around how career decision making is informed by personal aspirations. Following a cohort of 89 international aid workers over eight years, I draw on in-depth interview (n = 126), survey (n = 551), and job transition data (n = 228) to detail how career decision making serves as a platform for identity management for single professionals who have aspirations for a long-term intimate relationship. I introduce the possibility space, which conveys how the ability to realize relationship aspirations is constrained for work-devoted professionals, especially for straight women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) people. Yet, they resist scaling back work. I detail why, presenting the three types of career decisions they made: (1) work devotion as identity armor, protecting and affirming their current aid worker identity; (2) temporary work alterations as identity diversification, carving out time to hopefully realize their desired relationship while postponing the affirmation of their aid worker identity; and (3) durable work alterations as identity restructuring, removing the aid worker identity from their identity network. This article’s model of career decision making as identity management and the broader theoretical explanation of how different behavioral practices can manage temporally distinct identities offers important contributions to scholarship on identity, the work-nonwork interface, labor market inequalities, and career decision making. Funding: This research was supported by the University of Minnesota’s Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry and Scholarship and a Stanford University Dissertation Support Grant.

Ecological Analysis and Opportunities for Enhancement of the Archaeological Landscape: The Vascular Flora of Seven Archaeological Sites in Greece

Spontaneous plants are an integral part of the archaeological landscape. The indigenous vegetation of the archaeological landscape can play a significant role in preserving the atmosphere of a place, as well as an additional element for education and recreation. Spontaneous vegetation was recorded in seven archaeological sites around Greece. Field surveys were conducted over two vegetative seasons, spanning spring and autumn, and data were gathered from both the surfaces of the monuments and the open field areas adjacent to these monuments. Therophytes were dominant on and around monuments across all sites throughout both the spring and autumn recording seasons. The three most abundant botanical families, in terms of species, found within the archaeological sites were Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Asteraceae. Based on the calculation of species diversity and evenness indices, it appeared that the sites exhibited high values during the spring period. The cluster and principal component analyses revealed that plant species tend to form clusters associated with the hosting archaeological sites, while the archaeological sites create variations that concern the species growing within them. The above is particularly significant as it implies that each archaeological site possesses a distinct and unique floristic identity, which can be utilized as an additional layer for education and enjoyment, enhancing the economic sustainability of these sites.

<u><b>Reconstructing Nigerianisms through Sarcasm and Irony in Selected Nigerian Slangs and Mannerisms</b></u>

Nigerian English, already nativized and domesticated in the socio-political culture of the country, has its distinct lexical features. The study, therefore, investigates the use of irony and sarcasm in selected Nigerian slang and mannerisms using Incongruity Theory to bring to the fore, the distinct Nigerian linguistic features, inherent in them. Neologisms, slang and Nigerianisms were purposively selected through observations in a university environment, churches and public spaces, the internet and the Nigerian music industry; only slang and neologisms that cover the major geo-political zones from socio-political, religious and educational areas are used for the analysis. The study concludes that sarcasm and irony are tools used to construct a distinct Nigerian discursive identity; with irony being used more than sarcasm. Sarcasm and irony are used to achieve intertextuality; non-Nigerians, who are not familiar with the contextual use of these Nigerianisms, might therefore be excluded from the ongoing discourse. Youths, however, also make use of these Nigerianisms to send a subtle message, correct social vices and indirectly document the socio-political events in the country. The research submits that most Nigerian lexical innovations and derivations are humorously construed through irony and sarcasm.

Probe-free optical chromatin deformation and measurement of differential mechanical properties in the nucleus.

The nucleus is highly organized to facilitate coordinated gene transcription. Measuring the rheological properties of the nucleus and its sub-compartments will be crucial to understand the principles underlying nuclear organization. Here, we show that strongly localized temperature gradients (approaching 1°C/µm) can lead to substantial intra-nuclear chromatin displacements (>1 µm), while nuclear area and lamina shape remain unaffected. Using particle image velocimetry (PIV), intra-nuclear displacement fields can be calculated and converted into spatio-temporally resolved maps of various strain components. Using this approach, we show that chromatin displacements are highly reversible, indicating that elastic contributions are dominant in maintaining nuclear organization on the time scale of seconds. In genetically inverted nuclei, centrally compacted heterochromatin displays high resistance to deformation, giving a rigid, solid-like appearance. Correlating spatially resolved strain maps with fluorescent reporters in conventional interphase nuclei reveals that various nuclear compartments possess distinct mechanical identities. Surprisingly, both densely and loosely packed chromatin showed high resistance to deformation, compared to medium dense chromatin. Equally, nucleoli display particularly high resistance and strong local anchoring to heterochromatin. Our results establish how localized temperature gradients can be used to drive nuclear compartments out of mechanical equilibrium to obtain spatial maps of their material responses.

A World by Themselves: Protectionism and the Political Economy of Trade in the Ohio Valley, 1816–1828

This paper explores American tariff politics and the embrace of protectionism within the Ohio Valley in the two decades following the War of 1812. During these years, residents of the western states navigated the emergence of steam transportation, a growing number of state-chartered banks, and intense population growth. This fueled an economic boom that went bust during the Panic of 1819. Western farmers, merchants, and manufacturers blamed harmful patterns of trade for this economic crisis, which bolstered a distinct regional identity that embraced a properly constructed restrictive tariff as a “western” measure. Consequently, the decade of the 1820s featured the most sustained period of conflict over the tariff issue in the antebellum era. This article examines western participation in conflicts over commerce and roots the political economy of trade policy in changing economic conditions that inspired distinct northern, southern, and western perspectives on trade and economic development. I conclude that both protectionist claims to economic nationalism and free trade embrace of international exchange overlook the individual assessments of local and regional markets that set the terms on which participants in the tariff debates of the early republic imagined future development.

Ukrainian-American non-profits in 2014–2022: constructing diasporic Ukrainian identity through personal and collective narratives

ABSTRACT In 2014–2022, the Ukrainian-American non-profits took a leading role in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. While before Russia’s full-scale invasion, these organizations were focused primarily on humanitarian projects, since 2022, they took up the challenge to launch advocacy initiatives, fundraising campaigns, and rallies, provide military and medical assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces, and deliver humanitarian aid to all parts of Ukraine. The paper reveals the key narratives of the Ukrainian-American non-profits, which represent the diasporic Ukrainian identity in the USA. These narratives focus on the Ukrainian-American diaspora agency, Ukrainians and Ukraine, Ukrainian local and global subjectivity, and critical geopolitical issues. Articulated in interactions with local and global online and offline communities, the narratives become multifunctional representations serving to inform, report, inspire, consolidate, and engage the audience. The paper shows how these non-profits are making efforts to narrate a shared past, engage in the present, and visualize the future. Despite the heterogeneity of the Ukrainian diaspora members, represented by different migration waves, their narratives unveil a distinct identity on the individual, institutional, community, and national levels. The discursively constructed diasporic Ukrainian identity is dynamic, heterogeneous, and performative, and it combines ethnic and civic identifications.

Distinct mesenchymal cell states mediate prostate cancer progression

In the complex tumor microenvironment (TME), mesenchymal cells are key players, yet their specific roles in prostate cancer (PCa) progression remain to be fully deciphered. This study employs single-cell RNA sequencing to delineate molecular changes in tumor stroma that influence PCa progression and metastasis. Analyzing mesenchymal cells from four genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and correlating these findings with human tumors, we identify eight stromal cell populations with distinct transcriptional identities consistent across both species. Notably, stromal signatures in advanced mouse disease reflect those in human bone metastases, highlighting periostin’s role in invasion and differentiation. From these insights, we derive a gene signature that predicts metastatic progression in localized disease beyond traditional Gleason scores. Our results illuminate the critical influence of stromal dynamics on PCa progression, suggesting new prognostic tools and therapeutic targets.

A worldbuilding approach for pluriversality in codesign

ABSTRACT Design research has a long history of active engagement with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet, the mainstream adoption and sometimes tokenistic cooptation of design methods, have prompted renewed concerns about a new wave of perhaps unintended neo-colonial practices. Codesign practice tends to be sensitive to these risks, however, when design is driven only by concrete deliverables it often comes at the expense of participants’ distinct identities and exacerbates problematic concepts of homogenising others. Facilitating diversity in how the other is seen, depicted, and engaged remains a challenge. Fostering pluriversality—Escobar’s vision of relational ontology and a world ‘where many worlds fit’—is even harder: it depends on enabling participants as active, autonomous agents as individuals, groups and communities. Empowering the interactions between and across participants requires a conceptual shift in the way we design. In this paper, we present our experiences with tabletop games design workshops to show how creative worldbuilding can trigger emergence and autopoiesis between participants and foster safe spaces where pluriversality is a condition for codesign to happen, rather than a desirable consequence of it.

Soraya Antonius’s Arab awakening: Palestinian identity, activism, and Anglophone literature

ABSTRACT While scholarship on Anglophone Palestinian literature has burgeoned in recent years, there has been no attempt to retrieve and assess the work of Soraya Antonius (1932–2017), author of two remarkable English-language novels depicting British-ruled Palestine from the 1910s to 1948, The Lord (1986) and Where the Jinn Consult (1987). Exploring and contextualising Antonius’s contribution to this literary corpus, this article examines the cultural, political and linguistic forces shaping her writings. It begins by tracing the fusion of Anglophile mimicry and anti-colonial resistance typical of her parents – George Antonius, author of The Arab Awakening (1938) and Katy Antonius, Mandatory Jerusalem’s leading socialite. While her parents funnelled their Levantine-cosmopolitan options into a distinctive Palestinian identity, the Nakba compelled their daughter to take the opposite trajectory, leaving Palestine to pursue cosmopolitan possibilities elsewhere. The article’s second section thus considers her work in 1960s and 1970s Beirut, first as a journalist and editor, committed to developing a critical discourse on Western Orientalism, and subsequently as an activist and spokesperson, advocating the Palestinian cause. Probing how these biographical and professional strands shaped her fiction, the final section demonstrates how the first novel’s Anglophile fascination with the coloniser’s mindset is replaced, in the second novel, with a decided focus on Palestinians’ perspectives. Echoing Albert Hourani’s critique of the ‘Politics of Notables’, Where the Jinn Consult thus offers a loving yet bitter account of her parents’ generation, complacent and ineffectual in the face of looming catastrophe.

The Influence of Maternity Wear Brand Image Innovation Elements on Consumer Behavior: A Grounded Theory Study

This grounded theory study investigates the influence of maternity wear brand image innovation elements on consumer behavior, addressing two main research questions: (1) How to innovate the brand image of maternity wear? and (2) What is the relationship between brand image innovation and consumer behavior in maternity wear? Maternity wear brands play a critical role in meeting the diverse needs of expectant mothers, yet in China, they often lack distinct brand identities and fail to cater to the varied preferences of pregnant women. Through a comprehensive research design, including literature review, grounded theory analysis, and empirical testing via questionnaire surveys, this study identifies six dimensions of brand image innovation in maternity wear: Product, Identity, Corporate, Marketing, Service, and Store image innovation, along with 21 specific indicators such as style and fabric innovation. The findings reveal a significant impact of each dimension of brand image innovation on consumer behavior. Theoretical and managerial implications highlight the study’s contribution in filling a research gap, providing a new framework for brand image research in maternity wear, and offering targeted recommendations for brand innovation efforts. This research expands understanding of the intricate relationship between consumer behavior and brand image, providing theoretical guidance for maternity wear companies to enhance brand appeal, meet diverse consumer needs, and ultimately improve sales and loyalty.

Unveiling the Power of Branding: A Study on the Importance and Effects on Products in Business

This research aims to conduct a comprehensive study on the significance of branding and its profound effects on products in the realm of business. Recognizing that effective branding is a key driver of consumer perceptions and purchasing decisions, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to explore the multifaceted impact of branding on product success, market positioning, and overall business performance. The study delves into the qualitative aspects of branding through interviews, case studies, and expert opinions to unveil nuanced perspectives on how branding shapes consumer perceptions and influences product choices. Concurrently, quantitative analysis is employed to measure the tangible effects of branding on metrics such as market share, customer loyalty, and competitive advantage. Various dimensions of branding will be explored, including the creation of a distinct brand identity, the establishment of brand equity, and the strategic communication of brand values to consumers. The study aims to provide insights into how effective branding strategies can contribute to the success and longevity of products in the competitive business landscape. The findings from this research are expected to provide valuable insights for marketers, business strategists, and decision-makers. By understanding the importance and effects of branding on products, businesses can refine their branding strategies to create a lasting impact, build brand loyalty, and ultimately achieve sustainable success in the marketplace. This study serves as a foundation for informed decision-making and future research within the realm of branding and its implications for business.

The Laws of Transmission: Homosexuality, Inheritance, and the Memory of Criminalisation in E. M. Forster’s The Life to Come and Other Stories

This article deals with the way the themes of transmission and homosexuality intersect in E. M. Forster’s The Life to Come and Other Stories, a collection of short stories published posthumously in 1972. First, it deals with the way in which the stories, which were written prior to the Sexual Offences Act 1967, play with transmission as a form of contagion which triggers moral panics throughout the stories. The article then moves on to study the question of inheritance and pays particular attention to the device of the will which does not only ensure the transmission of material goods but also serves as a tool to assert one’s subjectivity and identity. This shift is particularly important in the context of gay-themed texts since the late 19th century and early 20th century saw the constitution of a distinct homosexual identity. Finally, we will study the way the collection works toward the transmission of the memory of criminalisation in England and Wales.

Subjugated Sexuality V/S Emancipated Self In A. Revathi’s The Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story

This paper gives a brief analysis of the effects of sexual inequality and the miserable state of the hijra community in India. This autobiography demonstrates how hijras are denied access to all the amenities that a typical citizen of a nation should have.The author's goal in writing this autobiography was to demonstrate that people exist and that people have opinions, thoughts, sentiments, and emotions on every facet of society.A person’s gender and sexual orientation are frequently intertwined, and it is common to take these two distinct identities for granted. One is expected to act and behave like a ‘man’ according to whatever socially constructed definition of a man exists, if they are born with a male reproductive organ. If a person is born with a female reproductive organ, they must aspire to the feminine ideals that society and culture have established. Any departure from the dichotomy of male/female is met with scepticism on the one hand and derision or contempt on the other. To recognise and respect such lives, it is vital to create identities that lie outside of the man/woman spectrum. Since their sexuality and gender performances do not fit the pre-existing sex-gender binary, hijras continue to be a mystery to the majority of people. This paper seeks to illuminate the paradoxical identity of the hijra community and examines how gendered behaviours and outward appearances are important to hijars in forging their identities in order to shed insight on their sexuality and gender identifications.

On How There Is Diasporic Identity

This paper aims to examine what is called “diasporic identity.” The complexity related to this research arises due to the inherent uncertainty and indefinability of identity itself, which is further compounded by the additional layer of uncertainty introduced by the concept of diaspora. The diaspora is not a ready-made, indisputable reality; establishing its existence demands substantiating the claim that it possesses a distinct identity. However, merely demonstrating a shared geographical distance from the homeland raises pertinent questions: Why should the negative circumstance of being distanced from one’s homeland serve as a unifying factor, and does this dispersion give rise to an identity transcending national boundaries? Answering these questions involves looking at the historical context of identity and diaspora and introducing concepts that help understand them. The central thesis posited herein asserts that the manifestation of diasporic identity primarily assumes a narrative form, elucidated through both disciplinary discourse and literary works. With specific reference to the Armenian Diaspora, this exposition contends that, in certain instances, reliance solely on academic discourse proves insufficient in establishing a comprehensive comprehension of diasporic identity. It is asserted that literature, with its metaphoric language, emerges as an essential instrument, providing access to the profound layers inherent to the domain, thereby facilitating a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of diasporic identity.

Saraiki, Punjabi And Urdu: Linguistic And Literary Similarities

Along with the historical, cultural, social, anthropological and cultural evolution, there is also a change in human attitudes. The scale of its expression changes and reflects the signs of globalization on human expression attitudes. In this era of globalization where land distances are shrinking. There, translations and fast-paced life have not only developed the languages, but the common vocabulary and genres of poetry and literature have brought the languages closer to each other. This background has brought Pakistan's national language Urdu and regional languages Saraiki, Punjabi closer to each other by influencing linguistic and literary aspects. Although these three languages are complete languages in terms of grammar and spelling and also have their own distinct identity, but due to the geography and script of the same region, they have linguistic and literary commonalities.

Navigating Linguistic Boundaries in Mozambican Literature: Translanguaging and Identity Formation in the Works of Paulina Chiziane

Translanguaging, a dynamic process involving the creative blending of languages, varieties, registers, and diverse semiotic modalities in communication, has increasingly gained attention in the study of multilingualism and identity. This article examines the role of translanguaging in the expression of identity within the works of Mozambican author Paulina Chiziane, winner of the most prestigious Portuguese literature award in 2021. By analyzing 15 instances of translanguaging across five of her novels, this research seeks to contribute to the enrichment of translanguaging conceptualization within the post-colonial context that pervades the African continent. Moreover, it highlights the importance of engaging with linguistic diversity and the role of authors in shaping the understanding of complex cultural and national identities in contemporary literature. The findings reveal that Chiziane’s use of translanguaging effectively communicates her identity as a woman, a Mozambican, a plurilingual individual, and a member of post-colonial society. Moreover, this study demonstrates that translanguaging is a common feature in Mozambican literature and contributes to the construction of a distinct Mozambican identity, or Mozambican-ness. As one of the first investigations into translanguaging phenomena in Chiziane’s novels and within the broader context of postcolonial literature, this article provides a novel angle for exploring Mozambican literary works and advances the theory of translanguaging by highlighting its relationship with identity expression.

Choice of language in the construction of cultural identity by Tamil speakers in India

Abstract Individuals in multilingual societies are associated with several culturally diverse groups, and so their cultural identity is multifarious and subject to constant change across time and space as a result of increasing intercultural engagements. While cultural norms are essentially embedded in one’s language, the choice of language is understood as a significant tool in projecting the cultural identity of a linguistic community. This paper examines how language choice becomes an agency for Tamil speakers in India to construct their cultural identity. Contextualized among native Tamil speakers in Chennai, the capital city of the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu, this study unravels the narratives by which the speakers’ specific language preference in family, friendship, and institutional domains is used to perform identities and maintain a community consciousness. It also examines the role of language ideologies in contributing to their choices. The study finds that despite the penetration of English into all three domains in varying degrees, Tamil remains the ‘pride’ and the preferred language for all. This affinity is driven by ideological discourses surrounding the cultural history of Tamizhakam, from which arise the need to form a distinct Tamil identity.

Investigating Linguistic Variation of Pakistani Online Fiction Book Reviews: A Multidimensional Study

Recent technological advancement on social media and the internet has given popularity to the online book review and acknowledged it as a distinctive register. The research aims to explore the linguistic variation of Pakistani online fiction book reviews with Biber (1988) five textual dimensions. A specialized corpus of these book reviews was developed through online newspapers, magazines and academic journals spanning over 10 years. The compiled corpus was analyzed by employing Biber (1988) multidimensional tagger. To explore the distinct identity of Pakistani online fiction book reviews as a register, the current research aims to explore linguistic variation across three mediums on five textual dimensions of Biber’s 1988 study. The findings of the study reveal Pakistani academic writing as highly informational, nonnarrative, exceedingly explicit, non-persuasive and impersonal in style. This study may be fruitful for journalistic writing courses, social media professionals, and ESP course developers.

광주디자인비엔날레의 아트와의 차별화와 산업과의 연계 제시

Since 2005, the Gwangju Design Biennale, held biennially ten times, has enhanced the competitiveness of the Gwangju region and established a distinctive identity, securing differentiated strength. However, currently facing pressure to maintain distinctiveness from other design exhibitions and art biennales, it confronts various issues and criticisms. This study focuses on redefining the concept of design in line with the era of convergence, emphasizing the role of the Design Biennale in providing direction for design governance, forming the forefront of new experiments and discourses, and securing identity. In conclusion, the research aims to contribute to the continuous success of the Gwangju Design Biennale and the positive impact on Korea's design industry by emphasizing differentiation from art and collaboration with the industry through ongoing organization.