Cultural Experiences Research Articles

A Review on Benefits of Homestay Tourism in Nepal

Homestay tourism in Nepal has become a prominent and sustainable model, offering a range of socio-economic, cultural, and environmental benefits. This review explores how homestays contribute to these areas, highlighting examples from across the country. Since the introduction of homestays in Sirubari in 1997, the model has expanded to over 200 homestays across 60 districts. Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research gate, JSTOR, and Scopus using keywords like “homestay tourism in Nepal” and “benefits of homestay tourism.” Relevant peerreviewed articles, reports, and literature published between 2010 and 2024 were included. Homestays in various regions provide tourists with immersive experiences in ethnic cultures, including traditional festivals and local crafts, which help preserve cultural heritage and build community pride. Economically, these homestays generate essential income for local families, improve access to education and healthcare, and boost local businesses through increased demand for goods and services. Environmentally, homestays adopt sustainable practices such as waste reduction and solar energy use, with tourism revenue supporting conservation projects like reforestation and wildlife protection. By aligning with global trends toward responsible tourism, homestays reduce ecological impact and foster meaningful interactions between tourists and hosts. The review recommends implementing comprehensive training programs for homestay operators to enhance sustainable practices and maximize benefits, ensuring the long-term success and positive impact of homestay tourism in Nepal.

Mujeres Indígenas Universitarias, reflexiones en torno a sus experiencias

In today’s society, the various roles played by women and their impact on their communities has grown in importance. Thus, we need to realize women’s struggles are different and related to cultural diversity, and the experiences stemming from that circumstance. Hence the need to understand the barriers, challenges, and struggles faced by Indigenous women at the university drawing on an intercultural feminist approach. Following Bonilla and Rodriguez’ qualitative methodology, we found several challenges encountered by Indigenous university woman students regarding their recognition as social subjects. Likewise, they face the challenge of harmonizing their cultural identity experiences and social demands, as well as finding their place as autonomous and members of a collective. In addition, attention should be paid to structural, social and academic hindrances in women’s educational process and the roles they hold, which imply greater visibility, creating safe spaces, and exchanging cultural views.

Cross-cultural Validation of Achievement Motivation and General Mattering Measures in Latinx Culture

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric evidence for Achievement Motivation and General Mattering scores among Latinx college students in Mexico and the United States based on degree of measurement invariance. Validating instruments in cross-cultural contexts is essential to ensure that psychological constructs are measured reliably across populations with distinct cultural experiences, such as family dynamics, schooling, mental health, and acculturation. A total of 505 participants, with 263 from Mexico and 242 from the United States, participated in the study (U.S. sample: 71.9% female, ages 18–57, M = 23.65; Mexican sample: 55.9% female, ages 15–56, M = 26.69). The results indicated that the Spanish version of the Achievement Motivation scale had partial strict invariance, and the General Mattering scale had metric invariance when used with these two groups of Spanish-speaking Latinx college students. This study highlighted the need of using accurate, trustworthy, and culturally sensitive measures to comprehend the psychological experiences of Latinx college students.

Culturally responsive curriculum: A systematic overview

A culturally responsive curriculum is a teaching approach centered on students’ cultural backgrounds. It emphasizes cultural diversity and understanding by integrating elements of students’ cultures into the curriculum to increase their learning motivation and engagement. Hence, a culturally responsive curriculum is an educational approach in which students’ cultural backgrounds, life experiences, and social contexts are weaved into the curriculum, resulting in content that is relevant to students’ lives and needs. This article provides an overview of the essence of a culturally responsive curriculum. Teachers, especially, can gain a deeper understanding of the principles and significance of a culturally responsive curriculum by reading this article. Finally, the practice of culturally responsive curriculum in the context of Taiwan’s culture is discussed.

Redesigning the Hospital Environment to Improve Restfulness

Hospital wards are often not conducive to patient sleep, negatively affecting patient health and experience. To assess determinants of in-hospital restfulness and to design and test rest-promoting interventions on the wards in partnership with clinicians, staff, and patients. This rapid-sequential mixed-methods quality improvement study was performed at a large urban academic hospital in St Louis, Missouri, from May 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, with follow-up through hospitalization. Mixed-methods activities involved purposively selected hospitalized adults on the wards, nurses, hospitalists, and hospital staff. Interventions included all adult hospitalizations on the study wards. Sequential stacked bundles of multimodal rest-promoting interventions (general education, focused education on light or noise, safely reducing overnight monitoring or testing, and environmental personalization). Pre-post comparisons of perceived nighttime quietness (via surveys) and sleep opportunity (coprimary outcomes) as well as clinical interruptions overnight, environmental noise, and adoption and satisfaction. Nine patients (4 female) and 14 staff members (10 female; 3 nurse managers or administrators, 10 nurses, and 1 physician) were interviewed, 38 surveys were collected, and more than 100 hours of observation were performed. Interventions were evaluated for 671 patients (mean [SD] age, 60 [16] years; 336 [50%] female). Determinants of in-hospital rest included infrastructure, staff attitudes, priorities, culture, and patient experiences of anxiety, uncertainty, and loss of control. Informed by these determinants, codesign workshops yielded 39 potential interventions, from which 9 were selected for testing. Related interventions were organized into bundles, which were tested in sequential 2-week sprints. Perceived nighttime quietness improved nonsignificantly during the project (wards "always" quiet at night: 51% preintervention vs 86% postintervention; P = .09), with excessive noise events decreasing from 0.65 (95% CI, 0.53-0.77) to 0 per 100 patient-nights before the intervention (P = .02). Sleep opportunity improved significantly (mean, 4.94 [95% CI, 4.82-5.06] hours per patient-night before the intervention vs 5.10 [95% CI, 5.00-5.20] hours per patient-night after the intervention; P = .01). In this quality improvement study, a set of feasible, acceptable, and beneficial rest-promoting interventions were developed. After implementation of these interventions on the wards, a significant improvement in nighttime quietness and sleep opportunity was observed. These results demonstrate how human-centered design methods can generate practical and effective strategies for improving an important patient-related outcome and a core element of patient experience.

Generation and long-term culture of human cerebellar organoids from pluripotent stem cells.

The advancement of research on human cerebellar development and diseases has been hindered by the lack of a cell-based system that mirrors the cellular diversity and functional characteristics of the human cerebellum. Here, we describe our protocol for a human pluripotent stem cell-derived human cerebellar organoid (hCerO) model, which successfully replicates the cellular diversity of the fetal cerebellum along with some of its distinct cytoarchitectural features. Our approach involves the patterning of human pluripotent stem cells, resulting in the generation of both cerebellar excitatory and inhibitory progenitor populations-specifically, the rhombic lip and ventricular zone progenitors, respectively. This patterning strategy leads to the reproducible differentiation of the major neurons of the cerebellum such as granule cells and Purkinje cells within just one month of culture. hCerOs serve as platforms for molecular, cellular and functional assays, including single-cell transcriptomics, immunohistochemistry and investigations into calcium dynamics and electrophysiological properties. Remarkably, the cultivation of hCerOs for up to 8 months enables the healthy survival and maturation of Purkinje cells, which exhibit molecular and electrophysiological features akin to their in vivo counterparts. Overall, our protocol generates and allows for the long-term culture of all major cell types within the cerebellum. Consequently, this significant advancement provides the developmental neurobiology field with a robust platform for exploring both cerebellar development and diseases within an all-human system. This protocol can be easily implemented by a technician with cell culture experience and takes 1-2 months to complete with an option for extended maturation over the course of several months.

Dewey's Art as Experience in Global Perspective: An Introduction

Abstract This essay introduces a special issue devoted to studying the global impact and rich, ongoing legacy of John Dewey's aesthetic masterpiece Art as Experience, ninety years after its initial publication in 1934. After noting the role that the Journal of Aesthetic Education played in assessing the book's influence, this introductory essay surveys the international reception of the book by exploring its history of translation and explaining the difficulties of its reception in certain countries. This survey demonstrates that the international reception of Art as Experience was largely retrospective, coming long after the book's initial appearance and apparently benefiting from the rise of neopragmatism and the international attention given to this new pragmatist expression. The translation and reception history of Dewey's book also reveals the economic and political factors that shape the international circulation of ideas. After five essays that focus on the reception of Art as Experience in cultures where it was translated, the special issue concludes with three more essays that discuss how the book's ideas can be applied to contemporary issues in aesthetics and philosophy more generally, while suggesting ways where the book's goals could also be furthered by treating its limitations.

Reviewing Expert Attitudes Toward Quaternary Prevention using Traditional Medicine: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Traditional medicine is based on knowledge, skills, and practices relying on the theories, beliefs, and indigenous experiences of different cultures that has a healthoriented and holistic view. With a holistic and health-oriented approach, quaternary prevention also seeks to prevent harm to the patient.Patient harm can be prevented by using efficient methods of traditional medicine and limiting the use of ineffective and harmful methods. Methods: The quantitative design of the study was conducted using a phenomenological approach among the faculty members of the Faculty of Traditional Medicine of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participation of 12 individuals selected using purposeful sampling. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The codes were categorized based on their differences or similarities. Results: Six main themes were identified: prevention, patient benefit, quality of service, patient harm, rules and regulations, and financial burden. 18 sub-themes were extracted. Conclusion: Healthcare providers must protect their patients from the harms and costs of unnecessary diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative measures. It is likely that adopting effective executive mechanisms, rules, and regulations focusing on the principle of patient benefit can lead to the implementation of a combination of traditional medicine and modern medicine on an extensive scale, aiming to reduce patient harm.

Envisioning Hopeful Futures: Designing Racially Just Online Learning

This autoethnographic study examines the influence of my positionality in designing a hopeful, racially just online learning. Hope stems from an innate belief in the possibilities for a brighter future. Therefore, hope involves embracing strengths. In this paper, I explore the influence of my positionality on my online course design through autoethnography. I analyze how feminism has impacted my online course design and strategies for cultivating teaching, social, and cognitive presence for racially just online learning. Racially just online learning aims for representational justice, recognitive justice, and representational justice to restore to people their history, culture, language, and dignity. I describe how my online course design is rooted in human-centered learning design with empathy where learners’ cultural capital, lived experiences, and funds of knowledge are valued and honored. In this trusting, caring online community, open educational practices and appreciative inquiry empower learners with learner agency for a hopeful and racially just future.

K-POP아이돌 팝업스토어의 서비스스케이프 구현 전략

This study is grounded in the recent surge in popularity of K-POP idol pop-up stores, highlighting the need to understand how these spaces provide cultural experiences to fans and strengthen fandoms. The primary objective is to propose strategies for implementing both physical and social service scapes in K-POP idol pop-up stores. In the research process, the study emphasizes key elements of the physical scape, including locality, rarity, temporariness, convenience, aesthetics, and safety. For the social scape, the focus is on enhancing the professionalism, responsiveness, and friendliness of staff, as well as promoting customer similarity and appropriate behaviors through a deep understanding of fan culture to boost interactions and a sense of belonging among fans. The research findings confirm that the proposed physical and social scape strategies enhance the attractiveness of K-POP idol pop-up stores and improve visitors' experiences. However, the study acknowledges a limitation in that it does not empirically examine visitors' behaviors or psychological factors. To address this limitation, subsequent research should involve more in-depth analyses and a variety of case studies. The significance of this study lies in providing practical implementation plans for pop-up store operators and assisting K-POP pop-up stores in functioning as venues for cultural experiences. This, in turn, plays a crucial role in strengthening fandoms and enhancing the value of idol brands.

Exploring Opportunities for Global Retirement in Thailand

This research paper delves into the rapidly growing trend of global retirement to the beautiful country of Thailand to shed light on its undeniable appeal as a highly desirable destination for expatriates in search of a truly fulfilling retirement lifestyle. With the population having grown older, especially in the United States, and the number of retirees within it continuing to become increasingly prominent in the developed world, it should come as no surprise that demand for affordable, yet attractive retirement options abroad has surged to unprecedented levels. Among a host of other attractive attributes, Thailand has a very affordable cost of living, an exquisite warm climate, and high-quality medical services that are readily available. Little surprise it is, then, that Thailand has rightly emerged as a profoundly favorable choice for many retirees in pursuit of spending their golden years in a paradisiacal environment. This paper extends the analysis with a view to closely examining a myriad of influential factors that eventually influence the retirees' decision to relocate to Thailand. These range from considerations of minute details of economic aspects, captivating cultural experiences, and complex legal frameworks that regulate the retirement visa procurement process. From interesting case studies, it provides insightful and valuable glimpses into reasons behind their coming, current living conditions, and integration challenges faced by the expatriate retirees amidst the complex Thai tapestry. While Thailand is a country that offers many advantages to the retirees who come to its land, such as extremely rich cultural heritage to immerse themselves in and a very close-knit and supportive expatriate community to lean on, the paper also prudently acknowledges and confronts various potential problems that may arise in such a transformative journey. These include, but are not limited to, economic fluctuations that may present proximate challenges for retirees to the fundamental issue of healthcare accessibility and the mechanism in place to ensure retirees receive the best medical attention. It concludes with a set of well-thought-out recommendations addressed to future retirees, stressing the absolute importance of deep personal reflection and precise advanced planning in preparation for this great adventure to be living abroad. It ultimately gives a face to Thailand as probably the most unmatched up-and-coming retirement haven, while strongly encouraging further research and exploration in the ever-evolving dynamic environment of this Southeast Asian enchanted country. Put differently, the extended text is over-the-top in emphasizing that Thailand can boast of exceptional potential as an emerging and unstoppable retirement haven, while confident calls are made for further research into the field of expatriate experiences within the grand scale of this exquisite, overwhelming, and utterly captivating environment.

Generation Z's Insights on Modern Cultural Factors in Chinese Kung Fu Cultural Experience Museums

Generation Z's Insights on Modern Cultural Factors in Chinese Kung Fu Cultural Experience Museums

Performing Affects: Precarity, Liminality, Belonging, and the Strategies of a Migrant Bandleader within a South African Music Scene

ABSTRACT This paper discusses my experience of migration, exploring the impact of precarity stemming from migrant status on creative choices within the Cape Town music scene. Employing the method of artistic autoethnography, the paper narrates my intra-African migratory and cultural displacement experience, centering on The Jo Kunnuji Experiment, a band I have led for over a decade. The analysis reveals the role of strategic essentialism as a survival mechanism in navigating the politics of discomfort and ultimately carving a distinctive creative niche. Music as a phenomenon for negotiating survival (a social action) thus highlights the economic decisions inherent in the creative process.

A New Path to Language Education Innovation Based on Networked Smart Language Laboratories

This paper discusses the importance of networked intelligent language laboratory as a new path for language education innovation. It elaborates on its background, technical support (Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence technology), advantages (resource sharing and utilization efficiency improvement, personalized learning support, enhanced teaching interaction and feedback, environmental perception and intelligent management), innovative applications (diversified teaching models, intelligent learning assessment, integration of language practice and cultural experience), analyzes the challenges in construction (technical security and privacy protection, teacher role transformation and capacity improvement, education resource integration and quality assurance), and summarizes the research results and looks forward to future development trends, including continuous technological innovation, expanding and deepening applications, and strengthening globalization and cross-cultural communication and cooperation.

Analysis of VR and AR Applications in Various Fields based on HCI Principles

Due to the continuous development of hardware and software, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies are rapidly maturing and becoming popular in people's lives. However, people do not have much knowledge and understanding of them. In order to enable more people to understand Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality and distinguish between them, this article will provide some basic explanations of VR, AR, and HCI. Through specific cases, the application of VR and AR in urban cultural creative design, education field, business field, game field, tourism and cultural experience, and manufacturing industry will be presented and analyzed. In addition, how they are applied based on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles will be discussed separately. Furthermore, the feasibility of this technology and its impact on the industry were discussed. Finally, the limitations of VR and AR technologies were discussed, and some solutions were proposed. The future development directions of VR and AR technologies were also discussed.

Being and Experiencing: Jamasan Tombak Kyai Upas Sebagai Ritual Warisan Mataram Yogyakarta di Kabupaten Tulungagung dalam Perspektif David N. Elkins

This study examines the Jamasan Kyai Upas ritual, a Mataram Yogyakarta heritage still practiced by the Tulungagung community. While traditionally associated with the Yogyakarta Sultanate, the Kyai Upas spear, a symbolic heirloom of Tulungagung, remains a significant cultural element. The study explores the ritual’s historical continuity, its symbolic meaning, and the community’s beliefs surrounding the heirloom. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this research employs Elkins’ (1998) theory of spirituality, which emphasizes being and experiencing as awareness of transcendence and core values in life. Data was collected through interviews to link cultural beliefs (being) and experiences (experiencing) with the ritual. Findings reveal that (1) the Kyai Upas spear connects Tulungagung’s identity with the Yogyakarta Sultanate and (2) the spear symbolizes good fortune and safety for the Tulungagung community, grounded in historical and contemporary contexts.

A multilevel analysis of student and school characteristics associated with 15-year-olds’ reading performances: a Southeast Asian perspective

This paper explores student and school level factors associated with 15-year-old students’ reading performance in five Southeast Asian (SEA) countries. It investigates predictors of reading performance, including student gender, economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS), social well-being, and experiences of bullying at the student level. It also explores the school sector, school climate and the proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students at the school. Using Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM), this study identifies significant relationships between these student-level factors and learning outcomes, illustrating the complex associations that shape academic success. The findings align with prior research, highlighting disparities in reading skills between genders and the negative association of bullying with academic performance. Additionally, the study emphasizes the positive association of ESCS and social well-being on reading achievements, underlining the importance of socioeconomic status and socio-emotional wellbeing in students’ learning success. The associations with school level factors vary across Southeast Asia.

A New Model оf Intercultural Education Based оn Cultural Diversity In Secondary School: Intercultural Learning: Navigating The Multicultural Maze In Literature Instruction

In an increasingly globalized world understanding and appreciating cultural diversity through literature has become paramount in educational settings. This paper explores the intricacies of intercultural learning within the context of literature instruction, positioning it as a crucial component in fostering global awareness and empathy among students. By examining various approaches to integrating multicultural literature into the Curriculum this study highlights the challenges and opportunities educators face in navigating the multicultural maze. It argues for a deliberate, thoughtful incorporation of diverse texts that reflect a multitude of cultural experiences, thereby promoting an inclusive, empathetic, and comprehensive educational experience. Through qualitative analysis and review of current pedagogical practices, this paper aims to provide insights and strategies for educators seeking to enhance intercultural competence and cross-cultural understanding through the medium of literature.

Community Empowerment and Symbolic Messages of the Pemung Bangen Lepa Ajau Traditional Ceremony in Teras Nawang Village

The tradition of traditional ceremonies that are always carried out in a society is an ancestral heritage that is given or transmitted from generation to generation. In this case, the community receives various messages from their ancestors through the traditional ceremony. As we can see in a traditional ceremony of a post-harvest party in Teras Nawang village, Bulungan district, North Kalimantan Province. Pemung Bangen Leppa Ajau is a traditional tradition of the Dayak Kenyah Lepu’ Tau tribe which is one of the indigenous tribes in Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan Province. The Pemung Bangen Lepa’ Ajau Traditional Ceremony contains symbolic messages that are depicted in the 4 elements in the Traditional Ceremony. The decorative elements and ornaments in the Lamin Customary Hall of Uyau I’ot. These decorations and ornaments provide symbolic messages of life for the community. The second element is the Dance performed in the Pemung Bangen Lepa’ Ajau Traditional Ceremony. The third element is the Communal Pre-Event Activities and Traditional Food. The fourth element is the traditional clothing used in the Pemung Bangen Lepa’ Ajau Traditional Ceremony. These four elements are important points in Pemung Bangen Lepa’ Ajau. Through these elements, the community will gain a cultural experience that implies symbolic messages in the procession of the ceremony.

Wanshou(万寿） Palace at Nanchang : Reproduction of the Past and Consuming history in Modern China

This paper discusses the past reproduction and consuming historical phenomenon of Wanshou(万寿） Palace historical and cultural Block in Nanchang under the background of modern China. Wanshou(万寿）Palace, bearing a historical precipitation of more than 1700 years, is a symbolic cultural landscape of Nanchang. Its restoration and block protection are not only the material reproduction of buildings and blocks, but also the continuation of the cultural and spiritual aspects of Wanshou(万寿） Palace. The research uses the qualitative analysis method to deeply analyze the development process of the Tiezhu Wanshou（铁柱万寿） Palace, the architectural art characteristics and the concept and practice of modern China heritage protection. It is found that the Wanshou(万寿） Palace historical and cultural block, through the mutual support and cooperation of the Nanchang municipal government, scholars and the community, has profound practical significance for the reproduction of the past history and consuming history. Effectively combine Wanshou(万寿） Palace culture with modern consumption to provide an immersive cultural experience for citizens and tourists. However, the behavior of consuming history in the process of cultural heritage protection has a two-sided nature. People need to pay attention to the authenticity of culture in the process of protecting historical heritage and inheriting cultural value. This study provides practical planning suggestions and impact assessment for the historical and cultural construction and the sustainable development mode of cultural tourism in Nanchang, and provides valuable classics for the protection of historical heritage and the integration of historical reproduction and modern consumption in other cities.