Eastern Perspective Research Articles

Analyzing the Progress in Chinese Tourism Research over the Past Decade: A Visual Exploration of Keywords and Delphi Surveys

Alongside the rapid development of China’s tourism sector, the continuous increase in the number of academic articles and research findings related to tourism in China has expanded the related research topics. Using a visual exploration of keywords and Delphi surveys, this paper systematically summarizes the progress in tourism research in China. The findings show that the research topics of national parks, rural revitalization, virtual tourism, the tourism economy and all-for-one tourism were hotspots in Chinese tourism filed over the past decade. Research methodologies have evolved from qualitative concept clarification to combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. In the future, Chinese tourism research should be explored further to the unique theoretical underpinnings of tourism in China; innovative research should be fostered to achieve theoretical originality; and collaborations between academia and the tourism industry should be facilitated to enhance the practical implications of academic findings. The aforementioned research bottlenecks and corresponding measures, and research vision and prospects indicated in the paper can guide future research, and let Western scholars know the hotspots and future trends of tourism research from the Eastern perspective.

Emotional Subjectivity in English Language Teachers' Professional Development

AbstractThis article examines emotion and its characteristics from both a western and an eastern perspective. It examines religious, philosophical, sociocultural, and neuropsychological viewpoints, as well as the role of emotion in self- and goal-directed behavior. It includes eastern insights from the Bhagavad Gita, as well as from an analysis of Bharatnatyam and Bhaktismriti, which emphasizes emotion as a devotional force and a performative strength. It also corroborates research studies that examine emotion as a research issue for English language teaching and learning. It explores possible dimensions of emotion as a devotional value, an aesthetic performative force, and a strength for self-regulated growth. It aims to present emotional subjectivity as an essential component of English language teachers' self-directed professional development. In the discussion and analysis of the research issue on English language teachers' professional growth, emotion is essentialized as a subjective element beyond the cognitive domain. This research study is beneficial for teacher educators, policymakers, trainers, and researchers since it presents a conceptual framework for emotion and its attributes for professional development.

(The concept of nihilism and its reflection in Kurdish poetry of Sorani dialect)( Hashim Saraj )for example

The current research is an attempt to interpret the concept of nihilism from the ancient Greek era to the postmodern era from different perspectives. The study sheds light on nihilism from the perspectives of ancient Greek philosophy and the western world in general and the reflections of modern philosopher Schopenhauer on this topic. The research describes and explains the reflection of nihilism in kurdish classic, modern, and postmodern poetry. The purpose of the study is also to show the differences and similarities of nihilism from Western perspective to the Middle Eastern perspective by referencing several poets. It is a fact that this context is more influenced by social norms, religious beliefs, and culture. The study also analyses the poems of Hashim Saraj as a modern poet. As a poet, Saraj is influenced by the intellectual waves of enlightenment movement. Although he has a large number of poems about pessimism and despair, he could not neglect the impacts of his culture in his poetry. However, Sarah's pessimism is to reflect a positive aspect rather than a negative one.

You must be myths-taken: Examining belief in falsehoods during the COVID-19 health crisis.

The prevalence of health myths is increasing with the rise of Internet use. Left unaddressed, online falsehoods can lead to harmful behaviours. In times of crisis, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the circulation of many myths is exacerbated, often to varying degrees among different cultures. Singapore is a multicultural hub in Asia with Western and Asian influences. Although several studies have examined health myths from a Western or Eastern perspective, little research has investigated online health falsehoods in a population that is culturally exposed to both. Furthermore, most studies examined myths cross-sectionally instead of capturing trends in myth prevalence over time, particularly during crisis situations. Given these literature gaps, we investigated popular myths surrounding the recent COVID-19 pandemic within the multicultural setting of Singapore, by examining its general population. We further examined changes in myth beliefs over the two-year period during the pandemic, and population demographic differences in myth beliefs. Using randomised sampling, two online surveys of nationally representative samples of adults (aged 21-70 years) residing in Singapore were conducted, the first between October 2020 and February 2021 (N = 949), and the second between March and April 2022 (N = 1084). Results showed that 12.7% to 57.5% of the population were unable to identify various myths, such as COVID-19 was manmade, and that three of these myths persisted significantly over time (increases ranging from 3.9% to 9.8%). However, belief in myths varied across population demographics, with ethnic minorities (Indians and Malays), females, young adults and those with lower education levels being more susceptible to myths than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that current debunking efforts are insufficient to effectively counter misinformation beliefs during health crises. Instead, a post-COVID-19 landscape will require targeted approaches aimed at vulnerable population sub-groups, that also focus on the erroneous beliefs with long staying power.

The Impact and Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Human Resource Management: A Middle Eastern Perspective

This big study looks into how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Resource Management (HRM) connect in the Middle East. In the area where technology is changing very quickly, the study wants to find out how AI integration is changing HR practices in this place. The main part of the study is carefully created surveys for HR people and experts in AI/CS. These aim to find out how AI is used now, what more can be done with it, and ethical questions around its use in HRM. The main results show that AI is drastically making human resources jobs like hiring new workers, managing their paychecks, and checking their performance easier. This lets people working in HR avoid boring tasks and concentrate on big roles. The study also looks into the problems and limits that come with using AI. These include thinking about what's right, keeping your data secret, and needing a human link in HR jobs. This study is very important because it looks at how AI makes HR better. It also shows the careful mix needed between using new technology and keeping people in mind. It gives a future outlook on how AI can change HRM in the Middle Eastern business scene. It offers helpful information for both people who work there and those studying it.

Survival Trends in Pediatric Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A Middle Eastern Perspective.

Pediatric Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (pedDTC) is a rare pediatric malignancy with an increasing incidence over time. To date, there is a paucity of literature specifically addressing pedDTC within the context of Middle Eastern ethnicity. This retrospective study aimed to assess the risk-stratifying factors for overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) in pediatric DTC patients from Iraq and Jordan. The medical records of 81 patients from two tertiary cancer institutes were retrieved. Kaplan-Meier analysis was employed to investigate OS and EFS, and the Cox proportional hazards model was employed to estimate hazard ratios. All patients underwent surgery and radioactive iodine therapy, with a median age of 14 and an interquartile range of 12-15. Lymph node involvement was observed in 55% of cases, while distant metastases were present in 13.5%. After a median follow-up period of 68 months, the 10-year survival rate was determined to be 94%, while the 10-year EFS rate was 58%. EFS was negatively impacted by cervical lymph node metastases and early age of diagnosis (p ≤ 0.01, each). Therefore, pediatrics with initial cervical lymph node metastases and those diagnosed before puberty tend to experience poorer EFS, which may justify the need for more aggressive management plans.

It’s Tandem, not Tinder! Interrogating Authenticity and Trustworthiness of Language Exchange Applications in Adult Learners: A Central Asian and Middle Eastern Perspective

Language exchange is based on teaching (the native language) and learning (the foreign language) in tandem. There are numerous language exchange applications (LEAs) on smartphones that connect language exchange partners from all over the world. This study investigates the trustworthiness of these applications and whether they are genuinely used for exchanging the target language or used as a camouflage for finding friends and building relationships. The study was conducted using a case-study approach focusing on two identical language exchange applications. Research tools included questionnaires and observation. The participants were active LEA users and included male and female language learners. The empirical data collected from LEAs and the qualitative data analysis will first look into application authenticity, user honesty and the most common misuse of the LEAs. It then attempts to gauge users’ attitude towards LEAs. Finally, it puts forward some recommendations for implementing LEAs amongst application developers, educators and adult learners.

MEDIATION OF TRIGUNA DOMINANCE BETWEEN RATIONALITY AND COPING HUMOR

Since the emergence of positive psychology, researchers are trying to establish relationships among positive psychological variables, individual characteristics and environmental factors, in order to find approaches to enhance well-being and psychological health.&#x0D; In this regard, researchers have been adopting Eastern or Western perspective. Researches with Western perspective have always been in the forefront, while Eastern perspectives, although being age-old systems, have emerged in the spotlight in recent decades. These two perspectives well-define cultural differences while also accounting for individual differences, therefore, considered important to study.&#x0D; Despite large number of studies on positive psychological variables, there is a need for establishing the role of cognitive aspects in positive psychological variables, furthermore so, in the light of Eastern perspective.&#x0D; Thus, the present study aimed to explore the mediational role of Triguna dominance in relationship of Rationality with Coping Humor. The study sample consisted of 100 mid-adults (40-65 years).&#x0D; Significant results of correlation and regression motivated to perform mediational analysis. The relationship of Rationality with Coping Humor was found to be 0.12 and 0.22 points higher as mediated by Rajas and Tamas guna respectively. Satva guna had no mediational role in their relationship.&#x0D; Coping humor is a relatively new variable in positive psychology with limited research and theoretical bases. The results of the study can guide researchers in the exploration of the variable and development of the theories and models based on integrated research findings, furthermore so, with an Eastern perspective of Triguna. The study can be implied to various psychological fields, like counselling, rehabilitation psychology, health psychology, and others, to develop interventions and techniques to increase Rationality, Coping humor, and Satva guna while decreasing Rajas and Tamas guna to boost mental health and well-being.

The Russian Antihero, Or

The article is an attempt to reflect on the category of the Russian antihero not only as a literary phenomenon, but also as a philosophical and cultural one. The concept of antihero refers to problems that are important for the formation of modern culture, because it models a certain type of anthropology of characters who critically fit into the traditionally established model of heroism and European identity. The Eastern (Russian) perspective adopted here provides an alternative to both Western anthropology and the Western antihero. The specificity of the Russian antihero can be described, among others, on the basis of distinctively Russian problems, such as the so-called ‘superfluous man’ or ‘broad soul.’ The Russian antihero is open to criticism of Western values, such as reason, ‘disenchantment of the world’ (rationalization), and social activism.

P.C. Chang, Multicultural Confucian Philosopher and Human Rights Champion

This article presents some of the main contributions from the Chinese philosopher and diplomat P.C. Chang regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Chang was one of the key drafters and he influenced the document in crucial ways during the whole drafting process, such as its religious neutrality and its broad range of rights. He combined Western philosophy and Confucian ethics in his contributions. He became vice chair of the Human Rights Commission at the UN and worked closely with Eleanor Roosevelt, the chair of the commission. He emphasized the Eastern perspective and he was highly critical of the colonial legacy, especially from delegates such as the Frenchman René Cassin.

Moderation effects of multiple directorships on audit committee and firm performance: A middle eastern perspective

This study examines the moderation effects of audit committee members’ multiple directorships on the association between the number of audit committee meetings, attendance in the audit committee meetings and firm performance. A panel generalized least square method is used as the analysis tool, on the selected listed firms in the Saudi Arabian Stock Market (Tadawul). Empirical evidence suggests an inverse relationship between the number of audit committee meetings, audit committee meetings’ attendance and firm performance. As for the moderation effects of multiple directorships, a positive effect is documented. The results indicate that the multiple directorships by the audit committee members play a significantly positive role on firm performance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study underwrites a middle eastern perspective on the relationship between the number of audit committee meetings and its attendance and the moderation effects of audit committee members’ multiple directorships on firm performance. The findings of this study provide valuable insights to policymakers and practitioners. The results should provide support to regulatory authorities to legislate effective regulations to make internal governance mechanisms work more effectively in the country.

Perspectives on Narrative Time in Chinese Cinema

Abstract The unique view of time rooted in traditional Chinese culture is distinct from that of Western countries. In the Eastern perspective, eternity and evanescence are unified in the axiom: “The passage of time is like flowing water.” This concept also creates a different perspective on narrative time in Chinese films, compared with Western films. In the Chinese perspective, firstly, traditional laws of time are fully respected, and the four seasons, solar terms, and festivals are often seen as time nodes; secondly, a nationally imagined unity of time and space is followed, and expressions of time are likely to be integrated into artistic images such as objects, weather phenomena, and natural landscapes; thirdly, the cognitive laws of nature are respected whereby the linear or circumferential track is adopted and therefore a sense of leisure comes up in resonance; finally, the time scale is based on perception, and Chinese aesthetic style is thus construed while fulfilling the needs of narrative.

The Purchase Behaviour Towards Consumer Goods During Economic Crisis – A Middle Eastern Perspective

Abstract The primary purpose of this study is to develop a realistic understanding of the factors that influence consumers’ purchase behaviour towards consumer goods in the middle east region during the economic crisis, by focusing on Oman. This study has used linear regression analysis to develop a clear idea of the factors that influence consumers’ purchase behaviour towards consumer goods during the economic crisis. This study has also used Sobel test, to conduct the mediation analysis. The data was collected using a standard five-point Likert scale-based questionnaire, from a sample of 122 individuals who have recently completed their bachelor’s program in one of the four major Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Oman. Unlike the popular belief, this study has found the elements of the marketing mix to not exert significant influence on consumers’ purchase behaviour towards consumer goods during the economic crisis. However, the results found cultural and social factors to exert useful influence on the consumers’ purchase behaviour towards consumer goods. The study recommends that organizations need to focus more on cultural compliance and societal acceptance of their offerings, than focusing on the traditional marketing mix. While helping the organizations manufacturing or marketing consumer goods in the middle east region during the economic crisis, this study would add more value and variety to the available literature. While the findings of this study could also be used by individuals dealing with consumer products in similar markets to redefine their product offerings, by taking the cultural and social issues into consideration, this study could act as a point of reference for future researchers. This study has provided a unique perspective related to the factors that drive consumers’ purchase behaviour towards consumer goods in the middle east region, during the economic crisis. These observations could also be generalized and used in other countries that have similar cultural and social affiliations.

Transcending Western and Eastern Understanding in Cultural Landscape Management: An Insight from Borobudur Temple

In recent decades, the dichotomy between Western and Eastern paradigms in heritage conservation management has been growing alongside the new interpretation of cultural landscape. However, this dichotomy seems inaccurate as it ignores the locality and historical context in which cultural heritage conservation management is implemented. This study used Borobudur Temple as a case study to show how Western and Eastern paradigms are complementary. This study will examine Borobudur's cultural heritage management development from a Western perspective emphasizing materiality to an Eastern perspective emphasizing social significance. Through literature review, this study found that conservation practices have changed to emphasize Borobudur's social and cultural importance to the indigenous community. In the beginning, the conservation practice that focused on a scientific approach was useful in reconstructing the architectural structure of the temple. Then, in recent times, the conservation management that values indigenous people’s spiritual, social, economic, and cultural ties to the Borobudur temple is considered more appropriate. This study enriches Indonesian cultural landscape management literature and shows how Western and Eastern views should be viewed as complementary rather than contradictory. It also prompts cultural geographers to consider more-than-human aspects of cultural heritage sites in conservation management.

Spatial Distribution and Accessibility Measurements for Elderly Day Care Centers in China’s Urban Built-up Area: The Case of Tianjin Nankai District

The elderly community day care model is an emergent solution to the aging problem influenced by the Eastern perspective of family in China. Due to the structural problem of spatial disorder in most of China’s urban built-up areas, the planning and construction of elderly day care centers (EDCCs) is facing great challenges. This study aims to comprehensively compare the spatial distribution and accessibility measurement methods for elderly residents and EDCCs in typical Chinese urban built-up areas based on the accessibility theory and spatial analysis methods from the community living circle perspective. The results show that different spatial distribution analysis methods have their own emphases and limitations, requiring comprehensive application in practice. The potential model method is most suitable for the accessibility measurement in this scenario. The threshold setting of service distance for the urban built-up areas public service facilities in the current Chinese standard needs to be further optimized. The existing EDCCs suffer from serious quantity deficiencies and misplaced supplies in the region. These findings can reveal the EDCCs distribution characteristics of typical Chinese urban built-up areas and provide new insights for urban planners and policy makers who are assessing the equity and efficiency of public service facilities.

Voyages of Explorations: A Comparison of the First Eastern Travel to South America by Elias Al-Musili with Walter Raleigh’s one.

&#x0D; European travelers in the 15th and 16th century begin to embark on series of explorations of the New World. This period is well known as the “Age of exploration” where many figures such as Ferdinand Magellan, explore the Atlantic road and the Pacific Ocean. Not only the American literature if full of such explorations, but also the Arabic one as well. By the year 1905, Antun Rabbat, a well-known Jesuit scholar of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, discovers a manuscript of the first eastern travel to Americas, in the library of the Suryan bishopric in Aleppo. He publishes the first manuscript in Al Masriq journal (Vol.8, nos.18-24 [1905] under the heading (The most an ancient voyage of an oriental to America (1668-83) (Farah XI). The manuscript is translated under the title “An Arabs Journey to Colonial Spanish America” by Caesar E. Farah, a professor in the Middle Eastern and Islamic History at the University of Minnesota. This book shows that, since ancient times, Easterners always have passion and love for travel, however, no one before the Rev. Elias, the Chaldean Christian priest from Baghdad, ventures into the Americas and gives his observations of the cities, villages, provinces and native people and could travel freely to the Spanish Empire in 1675-83. In this regard, i will compare the Eastern journey to south America, Peru, and show Elias’s perspective of the native people, with the Western Journey of Sir Walter Raleigh to Peru. Though there is a wide time gap between the two Journeys, however, my main point is to draw a comparison between the Eastern perspective and the Western one of such journey. Both visited Peru, however they share different points of view. Simply put, I will focus on the purpose of such journey, the description of the prevalent religion among the natives, their habits and the search for the mines of gold.

Fostering and sustaining teacher resilience through integration of Eastern and Western mindfulness

During the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures have brought significant disruptions to education throughout the world. This pandemic has affected the mental state of teachers from having to adapt to provide online classes. Teacher resilience refers to the capacity of teachers to survive and thrive in extremely adverse circumstances and sustain their educational purposes. This study attempts to empirically examine the effect of mindfulness on teacher resilience through integrating characteristics of Eastern and Western mindfulness. A concurrent triangulation mixed methodology was applied in this study. In the quantitative part, the cross-sectional questionnaires were completed by 330 teachers who were working in five universities in Thailand and had faced the crisis of COVID-19. The Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale (MAAS) was employed to quantify mindfulness in Eastern perspective, and the Langer Mindfulness Scale (LMS14) was employed to quantify mindfulness in Western perspective. The Employee Resilience (EmpRes) was used to measure teacher resilience. The estimated structural equation model (SEM) provides strong and convincing support that Western mindfulness positively affects teacher resilience. Novelty seeking and novelty producing which are core factors of Western mindfulness mediate the relationship between mindfulness in Eastern perspective and teacher resilience. Where the survey data were collected, we conducted focus group interviews with five university teachers and executives who had experienced the crisis to understand this relationship in qualitative methodology simultaneously. The findings give additional support to the argument of how mindfulness plays an important role in enhancing teacher resilience. Discussion and practical implications are also included.

Bridging the Invisible Cultural Gap

Bridging the Invisible Cultural Gap

Structural equation modeling of the association between professional and cultural competencies of nurses in Saudi Arabia

AimTo determine the influence of Saudi nurses’ professional competencies on their cultural competency using the structural equation model (SEM). BackgroundNurses are an essential component of the health care delivery system; it is crucial to understand their professional and cultural competencies. However, these concepts remain underreported from a middle eastern perspective. DesignA correlational, cross-sectional design. MethodsData were collected using two self-report instruments from 587 nurses employed in three government-run tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Spearman rho and SEM were performed to analyze the relationships of the studied variables. ResultsThe emerging model showed acceptable model fit indices. Among the six dimensions of professional competency, only three significantly influence cultural competency. Specifically, both care pedagogics and medical and technical care had a moderate, positive influence on cultural competency. Contrastingly, value-based nursing care had a moderate but negative influence on cultural competency. ConclusionsCultural competency is a complex and underused nursing concept influenced by nurses' professional competencies. The knowledge acquired from the presented model can be used by nurse leaders, administrators and educators in developing appropriate policies, programs and strategies.

From knowledge to the heart: conceptualizing practice wisdom in social work from an Eastern perspective

ABSTRACT A truly holistic understanding of practice wisdom must be developed to address the contemporary crisis in social work and to cater to the multiple needs of non-European and non-Christian communities, in particular. I propose that the distinctiveness and professionalism of social work can be found in the intersubjective encounters between clients and self-actualised social workers. In applying the Chinese interpretation of wisdom (i.e. zhi hui), practice wisdom in social work helps social workers connect knowledge to the heart in reflective practice. This humanistic attitude and embodied practical sense can be cultivated only by engaging with clients in unconditional and person-centred social work relationships.