Everyday Culture Research Articles

“When the Kalmyks saw me, they thought I was their black devil”: Inverting Centres and Peripheries in Colonial Travelogues Written by East Africans


 Travelogues are a rich medium through which to explore observations of everyday culture and rituals, perceptions of the world order, and narrative strategies of othering. In this paper, I turn my attention to travelogues written by East Africans (coastal Swahili Muslims, diasporic Shi’i and Parsi South Asians, and Christian Ugandans) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although the authors come from different religious groupings, cultural-linguistic backgrounds and socio-economic milieus, they travel the same routes within East Africa and, occasionally, also to Europe or even as far as Siberia. I argue that the texts (including journals, retrospectives, and ethnographies) must be read as documents of East African cosmopolitanism. Mobility enables the authors to subvert the imperial world order by re-framing it narratively according to their own religious identity. This gives rise to reflections on humanity, equality and the beauty of knowledge, but not to the exclusion of racial and religious bigotry within and between the non-European communities in East Africa. In my analysis, I tease out narrative patterns, observational styles, and literary tropes present in the texts across religious boundaries. As all the texts were either commissioned by Europeans or edited by their translators before publication they do not document naively ‘authentic’ perspectives of East Africans, but reflect the complexities of communication within strict racial hierarchies. In concluding, I discuss the potential of religion to invert colonial centres and peripheries: European metropoles become places of exotic fascination while the familiar practices of co-religionists can turn the ‘hinterland’ into centres of learning.

Translanguaging as Inclusive Pedagogical Practices in English-Medium Instruction Science and Mathematics Classrooms for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

AbstractIn English-medium instruction (EMI), English-as-a-second-language students will learn all/some subjects through English. Although there are a considerable number of studies which explore classroom interaction in Hong Kong (HK) secondary EMI schools, few studies have investigated EMI lessons which involve South Asian ethnic minorised students. These students share different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and they may not share a common first language with the teacher and other classmates. This study conducts a multimodal conversation analysis of science and mathematics lessons at a HK EMI secondary school, triangulated with interview data, in order to explore how the EMI teacher mobilises various resources to make discipline-specific knowledge accessible and cater for the different needs of all students in the classroom. This study argues that the process of enacting inclusive practices is a process of translanguaging which requires the EMI teacher to mobilise various available multilingual and semiotic resources and draw on what students know collectively for transcending cultural boundaries from the students’ everyday culture to cultures of school science and mathematics.

Hotspots for textual dynamics: cultural semiotic approach to digital archives

Abstract Digital cultural archives and databases are promising an era of heritage democratization and an enhancement of the role of arts in everyday cultures. It is hoped that mass digitization initiatives in many corners of the world can facilitate the secure preservation of human cultural heritage, with easy access and diverse ways for creative reuse. Understanding the dialogic processes within these increasingly vast databases necessitates a dynamic conceptualization of data they contain. The paper argues that this can be found in Juri Lotman’s cultural semiotic notion of text and text’s functions in culture. It elaborates on the three key characteristics of text – expression, boundary, and structure – as manifested within the digital semiosphere. At the same time, the textual dialogues within digital archives are increasingly conditioned by metadata, which is hereby conceptualized as metalanguage inducing a modeling effect on archived texts and defining their possible sphere of dynamics. To balance the explanations of creative operations of digital archives, the paper also demonstrates their auto-communicative mechanisms for facilitating cultural continuities and stability.

Русофония постсоветского травелога: медиальная поэтика Петра Вайля и Александра Гениса

The article examines aspects of mediality in the relationship between Russophonia and travelogues in the works of the contemporary Russophone writers Alexander Genis and Peter Vail. Both emigrated from the Soviet Union to the US and have been active in various media, including radio and television, not only literature. Both leave postmodernity and the notion of a national language and culture behind. Instead, their travel sketches explore aesthetic as well as entertaining formats, continuing the dialogue with literature but also merging it with other media. Their primary reference system for the Russian language provides stability with intermedial and plurimedial effects. “Mediality” denotes the interplay of several media in the communication process with the audience.First, the article looks at their co-authored book Amerikana (1991), in which they describe American everyday culture by way of a subtle comparison to Soviet life. Next, it examines Vail’s Slovo v puti (2010), focusing on his intertextual sketch “Armenia,” which reproduces the idea of eclectic time layers. Finally, the analysis shifts to the phenomenology of slow movement through cities, villages and nature in Genis’s Strannik (2011).Genis’s and Vail’s travel sketches connect the US, Europe and Russia, and also their different medial perceptions of the 20th and 21st centuries. They preserve the Russian language as a reliable lingua franca used by émigrés of all nationalities from the former Soviet Union. By suggesting an anachronistic subject determined by biography, history, hedonism and desire for knowledge, documentary literature departs from the post-Soviet aphasia (S. Oushakine), which described society after the shockwaves around 1991. Digital formats seem ideal for a globally interactive Russophonia as well as for the highly intermedial genre of autobiographical travelogue. Nevertheless, both authors avoid digital media.

Educating ‘Temple Cultures’ Heterogeneous Worship and Hindutva Politics in Kerala

Contrary to the popular imagination of Kerala as a secular, rational left bastion, the state is witnessing Sangh Parivar’s active presence in the domain of temples and everyday culture. This study attempts to examine the anxiety of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its sympathisers about the ‘true’ knowledge on temple culture, and their efforts to teach everyday Brahmanical rituals and other forms of worship such as srividya and kuladevathas. I argue that Sangh Parivar is interested in heterogeneous worship practices in Kerala as part of their ideological expansion. Their obsession for the didactics of temple culture is a response to the modern secularisation process and ambition to educate the Other Backward Classes and Dalits in Brahmanical knowledge, for they are not traditionally inclined to the Brahmanical temples. Finally, the study aims to document the ethnographic details of Sangh Parivar activities in the world of worship and temple culture.

Этнокультурный компонент содержания образования в межкультурном контексте

The work is devoted to the problem of co-learning of languages ​​and cultures in a multiethnic region. Introduction. Addressing the problem of ethnocultural education in the context of the ongoing changes in the life of society is due to reasons that require timely response and adjustments to the process of education and upbringing, especially among young people. The purpose of the study is to generalize the theoretical and practical approaches to teaching a foreign (German) language, taking into account local ethnographic material. Methods. The work represents the author's reflections on the problems of ethnocultural education. Research results. To solve the problem of filling the content of ethno-oriented education based on knowledge of the elements of everyday culture, traditional culture, linguistic picture of the world, it is necessary to include in the process of teaching a foreign language topics, issues related to the sphere of everyday life of northerners, their living conditions, family relations, rules of behavior, traditions, rituals. Conclusions. Currently, educational institutions are changing the approach to teaching foreign languages ​​towards the development of communicative and intercultural competence of students, which involves the co-learning of languages ​​and cultures of both the country of the target language and the native land. This can be facilitated by a balanced selection of the content of the «Foreign language» subject at the expense of the ethnocultural component as a reserve that forms intercultural competence for socialization in the world space.

PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF ECODESIGN IN CONTEMPORARY NATIONAL ART

Ecodesign is a direction in design and architecture aimed at protecting the environment, creating a comfortable human environment in harmony with nature. The article deals with the issues of introducing the ecodesign of modern national art into the scientific and pedagogical sphere, the pedagogical foundations of ecodesign, its scientific, theoretical and practical content in various aspects. The purpose of this study is to show the aesthetic and ecological nature of ecodesign in traditional and modern national art, as well as their application and importance in the education system. Considering the pedagogical aspects of the combination of natural purity and artistic beauty of ecodesign in national art as an indicator of the everyday culture of an ethnic group, the authors use a variety of methods and techniques: analysis, systematization, questioning, narration, interpretation, processing of scientific literature and various sources. The results of the research will be presented to specialists in the field of art education and other professional fields in the form of scientific, pedagogical and practical materials. The pedagogical aspects of ecodesign in the education system are aimed at educating future generations in the spirit of harmony of nature and man, the integrity of ethnos and culture, the realization of the inseparable unity of art and life.

Mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the sociocultural conditions in cities and villages in Mordovia

Introduction. The article presents an empirical study on the actual problem of supporting single-parent families in modern sociocultural conditions. The purpose of the work is to conduct a comparative analysis of the features of everyday life, current problems and mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the social and cultural conditions in cities and villages in Mordovia. Materials and Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is presented by a set of concepts and theoretical approaches in accordance with the subject and problem of the study, the methodological tools of family sociology, cultural studies, and psychology. It used the methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, secondary analysis of empirical data, and questionnaire. Results and Discussion. The authors conducted a questionnaire of parents from single-parent families in Saransk and Bolsheignatovsky district of the Republic of Mordovia. The subject of the study is everyday life, family culture and mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the conditions of urban and rural socio-culture. As a result, the conditions and factors that influence the spread of problems of single-parent families, their everyday features, are empirically revealed in comparison of social and cultural conditions of the city and the village. The article analyzes the support mechanisms that single-parent families can use in the city and in the countryside, taking into account their opinions. Conclusion. It is empirically proved that the life, family subculture and problems of modern single-parent families are mainly defined by the socio-cultural features of the area of residence. The families are influenced by the location and the infrastructure of the locality, the employment of a single parent, and the forms of interpersonal communication in the socio-cultural conditions of the locality. It was revealed that in Saransk there are state, charitable organizations, where single-parent families can address when having problems. The research novelty of the study is that a comparative analysis of the features of everyday life, current problems and mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the urban and rural social and cultural conditions of modern Mordovia is carried out at the theoretical and empirical levels.

Beyond the hype

The paper explores art and the city beyond the ‘hype’ of large cultural investment, urban creative titles and cultural place branding programmes. It emphasises the importance of exploring the neglected perspective of the role that everyday culture can play in cities, especially in moments of crisis. It investigates Athens and the economic crisis that affected urban life in the last decade to consider the impact this has had on everyday cultural practices, arts institutions and the experience of the city. Drawing on de Certeau’s concept of everyday practice and using the case study of Athens Fringe Festival, we highlight how ordinary artistic practice and everyday creativity in the city can shape new patterns of cultural participation, urban dialogue and, possibly, cultural citizenship, in a moment of crisis. The paper concludes by arguing for the need to re-orient academic scholarship and future research agendas on art and the city towards everyday creative practice, moving beyond conventional city marketing and institutional, cultural regeneration discourses and strategies.

DRINKS OF THE PEOPLES OF DAGESTAN 
 IN THE 19TH – EARLY 20TH CENTURIES

The purpose of the article is to analyze the drinks of the peoples of Dagestan in the period under study, which represent a certain independent subsystem within the general food system. The article was written based on the material of the ethnographic expeditions of 1985-2005. in the districts of Dagestan.The relevance of the research topic is due to the environmental crisis, initiated by the growth of industrialization, increased antagonism. an appeal to the historical experience of the peoples of Dagestan makes it possible to identify positive examples of an eco-oriented attitude towards the natural environment of the Dagestanis in the period under study. The heightened interest in the national origins of modern culture, in particular, in everyday culture, which has emerged recently; the location of Dagestan in the contact zone, in which local traditional forms and phenomena are intertwined with European and Near Eastern ones, also actualize the topic raised in the article.The ethnographic materials of the author became the sources for the study. Field ethnographic materials on the peoples of Dagestan are considered from the point of view of a special and comprehensive study of drinks as a specific subsystem within the general nutrition system. The generalization of information from sources on ethnography made it possible to get an idea of ​​the place and composition of the drinks of the peoples of Dagestan, about the stability of traditions, about the dependence on natural and geographical conditions and economy.Methodology of the work. The research is based on the principle of historicism, which makes it possible to analyze the traditional drinks of the peoples of Dagestan in the context of socio-cultural changes. Also, the method of logical research has become important in the article, the task of which is to reveal the role that the individual elements of the system play in the whole. Along with general scientific methods, private research methods were used in the work: identifying a specific, descriptive method, a method of generalization. The field of application of the research results is in educational and research activities.

Воспитание человека в историческом пространстве виртуального мира компьютерной игры

This paper is devoted to computer games as a means of educating people. The paper emphasizes that computer games are firmly embedded in the everyday culture of modern society, while they carry a number of threats. However, in addition to the negative aspects, computer games have some positive features that are reasonable to implement within the framework of educational and educational programs. In a sense, a computer game is compared to a book, the content of which a person gets used to and experiences it. Certainly, we recognize that you can't put an equal sign between a computer game and a book, so this comparison is conditional. Thanks to visualization, a computer game can transmit information in a form that is not available to text or speech. It seems that if you do not study computer games in a pedagogical sense, their strengths will remain unclaimed and the whole essence of these games will be reduced to entertainment. English version of the article on pp. 664-670 is available at URL: https://panor.ru/articles/character-building-and-education-in-the-historical-context-of-the-virtual-world-of-computer-games/70041.html

LEISURE OF THE PEOPLES OF DAGHESTAN: TRADITIONS AND INNOVATIONS

The purpose of this article is to show, using the example of Daghestan, the traditional forms of leisure and their transformation at the present time. The sources for its writing were the studies of Russian ethnographers, as well as the field material of the author. Traditional forms of leisure, like other components of everyday culture, are closely related to the lifestyle, worldview and religious beliefs of peoples. The natural-geographical, economic conditions of Daghestan, the peculiarities of the norms and stereotypes of interpersonal, social relationsб developed over the centuries, as well as the dynamics of the ethno-cultural characteristics in the modern time - these and other factors underlie the formation of a pronounced, recognizable originality of leisure culture Daghestanis. Both in everyday life, and on holidays, not only collective leisure, ritual meals, fun, and relaxation were needed, but also mutual assistance, material and physical participation in the organization and conduct of leisure activities. The article notes that in our days, an awakened interest in traditional culture is expressed in the return to folk forms of leisure, in their revival. Examples are given that confirm the thesis that a changing way of life ultimately leads to the transformation of forms of leisure. It is emphasized that the main part of the traditional leisure was aimed at the all-round development of the personality, physical improvement, as well as entertainment. Over time, almost all traditional forms of leisure were transformed or completely lost, and in their place came other models, not always the best, but generally corresponding to the modern way of life of the people.

Everyday Life of Population of Siberian Province in Context of Peter’s I Reforms in First Quarter of 18<sup>th</sup> Century

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of the culture of everyday life of the Siberian province population in the first quarter of the 18th century, the characteristics of the development of traditional forms of material culture of Siberians, and new features of everyday life that arose under the influence of the implementation of Peter's reforms on the territory of Western Siberia. Changes in the material culture, leisure and life of the population of the Siberian province in the first quarter of the 18th century are considered, the traditions of building houses, making clothes, the level of medical care and health care, leisure activities of the population of Western Siberia in the first quarter of the 18th century are described. The study was carried out on the basis of an analysis of the complex of legislative and office-work sources of the State Archives in Tobolsk. Among them, an important place is occupied by decrees regulating the organization of medical care for the population, documents reflecting the actions of local authorities in relation to the occupation of Swedish prisoners of war in Tobolsk by distilling. The authors of the article show that Peter's modernization processes in the field of culture, customs and everyday life had little effect on the traditions of building houses, making clothes, and everyday activities of the majority of the peasant population of the Siberian province and local non-Russian peoples. It is concluded that the main changes affecting the area of everyday culture are associated with the implementation of the military and administrative reforms of Peter I, the appearance of captured Swedes on the territory of the province, the implementation of the provincial reform, a change in the local administration system, the emergence of medical professional personnel and health care institutions.

The power of reflective practice: evaluating the impact of a psychoeducation and reflective practice group for surgical nursing staff and health care assistants in a trauma centre

AimsTo offer a psychoeducation and reflective practice group for nursing staff (NS) and health care assistants (HCAs) working on a Trauma and Orthopaedics Ward in Southmead Hospital, Bristol. To explore the staff experience of having a reflective space, and how this impacted on their attitudes and knowledge and confidence in psychiatric presentations.BackgroundReflective practice can raise the quality and consistency of nursing care, but it is not part of everyday culture and practice. Southmead Hospital is a trauma centre and the surgical NS and HCAs care for multiple patients following self-harm or suicide attempts. They report at times not having the mental health knowledge and confidence to appropriately manage patients on the ward and are at high risk of occupational stress and burnout. Our mental health liaison team (MHLT) identified this need and offered to provide a space to address these concerns and evaluate the impact of this intervention.MethodAfter liaising with the ward manager, I developed and provided a fortnightly forty-minute psychoeducation and reflective practice group for NS and HCAs on one Trauma and Orthopaedic ward in Southmead Hospital. Topics were rotated and included suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviour, mind and body link, the stress -vulnerability model and verbal aggression.The staff were asked to complete anonymous paired pre-and post-course questionnaires about their attitudes and confidence regarding mental health difficulties. This questionnaire included both quantitative components (e.g. 1–5 Likert scales) and qualitative components (free text boxes) which were analysed and coded accordingly.ResultQuantitative results showed that staff felt it was important to learn about mental health conditions and have a reflective space. Their confidence and knowledge improved in understanding and managing psychiatric presentations. Qualitative results revealed several common themes – (i) Space; staff valued a protected, structured, safe space, (ii) Relationships: staff valued sharing with colleagues and supporting each other, (iii) Sharing and learning; staff valued a space to think about patient's formulations, discuss common experiences, express their own emotions and learn from each other and (iv) Psychoeducation; the staff welcomed ideas of ways to communicate with patients and specific skills to use on the wards.ConclusionTrauma and Orthopaedic NS and HCAs perceived a range of benefits from participating in a psychoeducation and reflective practice group. Further research is required to evaluate whether reflective practice groups help to reduce staff burnout and can change the ward ethos to improve the patient experience.

Towards an ‘Everyday’ Cultural Political Economy of English Football: Conceptualising the Futures of Wembley Stadium and the Grassroots Game

ABSTRACT The proposed sale of Wembley Stadium in 2018 raised the possibility of a windfall that could be reinvested into the grassroots tier of English football. This bid was ultimately withdrawn but, as this article demonstrates, the episode highlighted the co-constitutive relationship between the everyday cultural base of English football, and those political and economic discourses, strategies, and trajectories that have been pursued within the sport and wider society. Developing a theoretical approach conceptualised here as ‘everyday’ cultural political economy, this article considers the cultural histories, objects, spaces and practices whose futures were both at stake in this transaction – namely, Wembley and the grassroots game – and the material effects that austerity and a skewed distribution of wealth have had upon the everyday cultural production of English football. The proposed sale of Wembley, it is argued here, failed to sufficiently account for and mitigate the impact that these political and economic effects have had upon the ‘everyday culture’ of grassroots football. The concluding remarks of this article call for a strategy that foregrounds the cultural base of English football and those quotidian practices that have come to be recast by the unequal power relations extant to the contemporary game.

“The Night of the AdEaters”: Pelevin and Baudrillard

The relevance of this work is substantiated by the fact that advertising as a special language of communication of modern society becomes the subject of research in different human sciences. Culturology, as complex field of humanities knowledge that encompasses sociocultural experience of the people reflected in traditions and norms, customs and laws, representations, assessments and actions, also studies various cultural phenomena. The author pursues the goal to interpret the phenomenon of popularity of advertising as a specific marker of consumer society. For achieving the set goal, analysis is conducted on the phenomenon of durability and popularity of the French show The Night of the AdEaters”. Research methodology is comprised of descriptive and systematic analysis of empirical facts in examining the role of advertising in postmodern society. Comparative method is used for drawing parallels between the works of J. Baudrillard and V. Pelevin from the perceptive of their criticism of consumer society. The author analyzes and characterizes modern consumer society, transformation of human values, and the important role allotted to advertising plays in this society. The conclusion is made that advertising becomes a part of everyday culture, impacts people’s life, contributes to formation of values system, mentality, worldview. In human mind, advertising transforms information into the image, and dictates the demands and interests, demonstrates ideals, helps formulating the goals.

РАНГ – ЎЗБЕКИСТОН КОРЕЙСЛАРИ МАДАНИЯТИДА СЕМАНТИКА ВА СИМВОЛИКА (ТЎЙ МАРОСИМЛАРИ МИСОЛИДА)

The colors, their combination have always been important in the culture of any ethnic group. Their symbolic meaning played a tremendous role in everyday culture, in various religious and professional (agricultural and handicraft) ceremonies and rituals of the life and calendar cycles. But they acquired the most important value in wedding rituals. In this article the color semantics and symbols in the wedding rituals of Koreans in Uzbekistan are considered on considerable ground for the first time. The author examines the origins of veneration of distinct flowers, their functional significance in costume and bride’s jewelry and at various stages of the wedding rite.Index Terms: tradition, myth, semantics, symbolism, wedding ceremony, category, fire, hearth, porridge-pub, color triad, integration

Power and Globalization in Africa: Perceptions of Barriers to Fair Economic Development in Kenya

Abstract This article seeks to reveal the primary barriers to fair economic development based on Kenyans’ perceptions of power and globalization. This search was initially sparked by the seeming disinterest of First World scholars to understand the reasons why poor countries benefit so little from the global market as reflected in a subsequent lack of a wide-ranging existing literature about the subject. The literature suggests that global capitalism is dominated by a powerful small elite, the so-called Transnational Capitalist Class (TCC), but how does this relate to Kenya and Africa in general? We know that the TCC has strong connections to financial capital and wealthy transnational corporations. It also pushes neo-liberalism, which becomes the taken-for-granted everyday language and culture that justifies state policies that result in a further class polarization between the rich and poor. Using Kenya as a case study, this article draws on original qualitative research involving face-to-face interviews with Kenyan residents in different sectors who spoke freely about what they perceive to be Kenya’s place in the world order. My interview results show that, on top of the general lack of economic power in the world order, the main barriers to Africa’s performance are neo-colonial and imperialist practices, poor technology, poor infrastructure, general governance issues, and purchasing power.

Rethinking digital ethnography: A qualitative approach to understanding interfaces

Contemporary everyday cultures are increasingly pervaded by digital platforms, making a rethinking of observational research into sociocultural phenomena necessary. Observational practices that remain confined to physical localities face various impasses in the era of digital platforms. Combining participant observation in workplaces where digital platforms are accessed with technical walkthroughs of their interfaces, I make a case for renewing interface ethnography. On one hand, technical walkthroughs reveal the sociocultural assumptions embedded in interfaces and the ways in which their affordances generate symbolic meanings. However, on the other hand, participant observation foregrounds emic perspectives on digital platforms within communities of practice. Based on an ethnographic study of a Norwegian software firm, I argue that the integration of the walkthrough method with participant observation enables researchers to trace the twofold meaning construction inherent in communities of practice whose skilled labor is orientated toward digital platforms. This fusion of methods expands the scope of ethnographic knowledge across the digital-physical continuum.

The changing nature of the cultural tourist: motivations, profiles and experiences of cultural tourists in Budapest

ABSTRACT This paper reflects on the changing nature of the cultural tourist, including motivations, profiles and experiences. The paper firstly reviews broadening definitions of cultural tourism, which now include more intangible, interactive and creative experiences. The research focuses on urban cultural tourism and the city of Budapest in Hungary. The primary data examines how motivated tourists are by different activities including culture; how far tourists are interested in heritage sites and museums compared to everyday culture and creative activities; it analyses variations in cultural activities according to age, gender and nationality; and the types of experiences that are desired the most by tourists. Cultural tourists still appear to be highly educated, but educational experiences are less important than escapism or entertainment. Cultural contact is important, but creative experiences are not. There are only small variations between genders and nationalities, but larger ones according to age groups. Older tourists prefer heritage sites and museums, whereas younger ones prefer night-life, music events and festivals. Overall, the findings are important for urban capital cities that have concerns about overtourism and the night-time economy, as well as the desire to re-establish themselves as cultural tourism destinations.