Family Values Research Articles

Candidacy Decisions for Long-term Ventilation.

Decisions to initiate long-term ventilation (LTV) in children with severe neurologic impairment have recently been subject to candidacy determinations by home ventilation teams that exclude patients based on their neurologic status alone. Determinations of whether decisions are inappropriate require careful analysis of specific clinical circumstances and attention to the family's values. In this Ethics Rounds, we present a case of a previously healthy child who sustained an acute severe anoxic brain injury and was assessed by the medical team to have a high likelihood of remaining minimally conscious or unconscious. It was determined that he was not a candidate for LTV based on the severity of neurologic impairment. The family disagreed and declined withdrawal of ventilatory support. Drawing upon our backgrounds in intensive care, pulmonology, and bioethics, we offer commentary on utilizing a candidacy-based approach for LTV decisions in children with severe neurologic impairment from variable perspectives, including clinical determinations of inappropriate care, ablest biases and discrimination, and obligations to maintain a just process.

The examination of family value hierarchies in Russian and Chinese cultures

The examination of family value hierarchies in Russian and Chinese cultures

Transmission of entrepreneurial values in enterprising families: a systematic literature review

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to systematically review existing literature concerning the transmission of entrepreneurial values within the context of family entrepreneurship. Specifically, the study aims to address two primary inquiries: First, which entrepreneurial values transferred across generations have been discerned in family entrepreneurship literature? Second, what mechanisms for the transmission of these values have been identified within family entrepreneurship literature?Design/methodology/approachWe utilized the Web of Science database to identify relevant articles. We employed a broad set of Boolean search terms related to family, entrepreneurship and values. Ultimately, 77 articles were selected for detailed analysis based on their relevance to the topic.FindingsOur review identified a diverse array of entrepreneurial values that can be categorized into three themes: family values, family business values and societal entrepreneurial values. Furthermore, mechanisms facilitating the transmission of these values were classified into eight distinct types, i.e. relational embeddedness, vicarious learning, explicit communication, imprinting, educating, parenting styles, community-zeitgeist and genetics. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research on entrepreneurial value transmission in enterprising families.Practical implicationsUnderstanding how entrepreneurial values are transmitted within family firms can inform practices such as succession planning, leadership development and fostering a culture of entrepreneurship across generations.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the theoretical development of family entrepreneurship by consolidating and synthesizing existing knowledge on entrepreneurial value transmission. It provides a comprehensive overview that can guide future empirical and conceptual investigations in this field.

Intercultural Experience as a Unique Facilitator of Immigrant Entrepreneurship

ABSTRACTThis study seeks to unpack some underlying factors for immigrant entrepreneurial success. Specifically, we develop an integrative framework for immigrant entrepreneurship utilizing three key pillars or building blocks: home–host cultural asymmetry (related to cultural distance), home–host cultural integration (related to cultural interface), and immigrant entrepreneurship (related to adaptive learning). Through a phenomenon‐driven research approach, our study finds (1) when the home‐cultural heritage and family values interface with host country's cultural values, such interface is likely to have significant effects on the process of immigrant entrepreneurship; (2) immigrant entrepreneurs may go through the same sequential stages of cultural shock and cultural adaptation that other immigrants do; (3) we further find that immigrant entrepreneurs' business success may depend on a process of effective intercultural integration, with the process of intercultural integration that may shape the microfoundations of immigrant entrepreneurship and the choice of entrepreneurial strategy. Our study contributes to the growing research streams on immigrant entrepreneurship: the specific intercultural integration for immigrant entrepreneurship and the unique microfoundations of immigrant entrepreneurship.

THE SPECIFICITY OF AUTHOR'S REPRESENTATION OF MODERN FAMILY MODELS AND MATERNAL CHARACTERS IN NOWADAYS UKRAINIAN LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

The article considers the specificity of the author’s representation of modern family models and maternal characters in nowadays literature for children and youth on the example of works of Ukrainian writers. The relevance of the research is emphasized, which is caused by the transformation of socio-cultural stereotypes in the maternal sphere. Classical and modern approaches to understanding the concepts of family and motherhood in the socio-psychological context, in folklore and fiction are outlined. The collection “Mom on Skype” highlights informal family models: children without fathers; children with a father/in the father’s new family; children in a full family after the mother’s return. The problematic and thematic proximity of the stories and the commonality of motifs are emphasized. The artistic means of creating images of children and mothers are characterized. Attention is focused on understanding the fact of a mother’s remote stay as a stressful situation that affects the child’s personal and psychological development. The book “Maya and Her Mothers” records the transformation of ideas about family and family values. The diversity of children’s families (a child and two mothers, a child in a family of guardians, a child in a family with a stepfather or stepmother, a test-tube child in a full-fledged family) is noted as the author’s fixation of a cross-section of modern society in its gender, social, and mental manifestations. The contrast between the motifs of the work and the collection “Mom on Skype”, their characters, their harmony, the absence of internal contradictions and conflicts are emphasized.

Parental involvement in Mexican-origin adolescents' romantic relationships: An examination of parents' cultural orientations and parent-youth relationships.

Romantic relationships are normative in adolescence, and parents can play a role in supporting or restricting adolescents' romantic experiences. This study examined parents' involvement in adolescents' romantic relationships in a sample of 226 Mexican-origin families. Findings indicated that, on average, mothers were more supportive of adolescents' romantic relationships than fathers, and parents were more supportive of daughters than of sons. Fathers' (but not mothers') Mexican cultural orientations were associated with greater restrictions on adolescents' romantic relationships. For mothers of boys, higher levels of familism values were linked to lower levels of support, and for fathers of boys, more traditional gender role attitudes were associated with less support. Also, more parent-youth conflict was associated with greater support from mothers but greater restrictions from both mothers and fathers. Finally, less granted autonomy in early adolescence was associated with greater parental restrictions. Discussion focuses on the nature of mothers' and fathers' involvement in adolescents' romantic relationships. Implications for research and practice highlight the importance of recognizing cultural and relational factors that shape mothers' and fathers' parenting around adolescent dating.

Demography leads to more conservative European societies

ABSTRACT Using the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (a total of 66,188 participants from 15 European countries) and the European Gender and Generation Survey (a total of 121,248 participants from 12 countries), we investigated i) whether differences in political attitudes and attitudes toward family values (i.e. attitudes toward homosexual couples, attitudes toward female reproduction) are associated with differences in the average number of children, and ii) whether such an association between fertility and attitudes affects the population share of these attitudes in subsequent generations. We found that in most of the countries analyzed, right-wing (conservative) individuals have, on average, more children and grandchildren than left-wing (liberal) individuals. We also found that the proportion of right-wing individuals increases from generation to generation. Since political attitudes are presumably evolved traits that are socially and genetically transmitted from one generation to the next, these findings may suggest that demographic differences can lead to shifts in prevailing political attitudes. Thus, to some extent, demography may explain longer-term political trends.

Clinical and anamnestic factors affecting the progression of uterine fibroids

Background. Uterine fibroids (UF) is the most common tumor of the female reproductive system. In UF progression environmental factors are of great importance, which, without changing the genome, affect the activity of processes of hereditary information realization, the so-called epigenetic factors.Objective. To identify the most significant factors enhancing uterine myoma growth and the factors having protective effect.Material and methods of research. The study is a cohort retrospective non-randomized study in which 48 women took part: group 1–28 women with large-sized UF, group 2–20 women with small-sized UF. Retrospective analysis of medical records, questionnaire with the help of a questionnaire including 50 questions about the nature of lifestyle was carried out.Results of the study. The studied groups were comparable in age, marital status, education and living conditions. The average age of the patients in the first group was 48,21±5,24 years, in the second group 46,20±3,75 years. Based on the data obtained, the factors influencing the growth of uterine fibroids were identified and ranked. The main factors accelerating the progression of UF are high obesity (OR7.34 95% CL 1,035–178.2, p<0.05), a history of cesarean section (OR4.85 95% CL 1,006–36.51, p<0.05), the presence of UF in the mother (OR4.12 95% CL 1,022–21.21, p<0.05), eating pork more than 3 times a week (OR4.12 95% CL 1,134–17.51, p<0.05), short courses of using oral contraceptives (OR4.12 95% CL 1,02–21.21, p<0.05), rare consumption of fish and seafood (OR3.88 95% CL 1,06–16.57, p<0.05), low physical activity (OR4.12 95% CL 1,134–17.51, p<0.05), duration of dynamic observation for more than 5 years (OR3.506 95% CL 1,042–12.75, p<0.05). Protective factors that slow down the growth of uterine fibroids can be called taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve dysmenorrhea (OR0.28 95% CL 0.075–0.989, p<0.05), limiting sugar intake (OR0.187 95% CL 0.035–0.814, p<0.05), no pork consumption (OR0 95% CL 0.0–0.5097 p<0.05), consumption of fish and seafood 3 or more times a week (OR0.149 95% CL 0.0189–0.7756, p<0.05), the presence of 3 or more births in the anamnesis through the natural birth canal (OR0 95% CL 0.0–0.563, p<0.05), regular sexual activity (OR0.280 95% CL 0.0745–0.989, p<0.05), alcohol exclusion (OR0.495 95% CL 0.01893–0.7756, p<0.05), underweight (OR0.95% CL 0.0–0.3809, p<0.05).Conclusion. It is necessary to encourage women not to postpone motherhood, to popularize having many children, family values, to modify the lifestyle of women with already detected uterine fibroids by increasing motor activity, limiting the consumption of pork and sugar, increasing the consumption of fish and seafood.

Multiculturalism in the Novel of Si Anak Pintar by Tere Liye

Multiculturalism is a form of appreciation and respect for other people regardles of ethnicity, tribe and culture. This research describes the element of multiculturalism in the novel of Si Anak Pintar by Tere Liye. This research uses an interpretative descriptive method by presenting interpretations in descriptive form. The data analysis technique uses reading and note-taking techniques, with four steps, namely: (1) data classification, (2) interpreting the data, (3) interpreting the findings, and (4) writing a report based on the findings. The research results show that the novel of Si Anak Pintar by Tere Liye contains elements of multiculturalism, namely: a sense of solidarity and brotherhood, gender equality, open trade, family values, respect for morals, feeling content in life, and sharing social control.

Gender Stereotypes About Career and Family Are Stronger in More Economically Developed Countries and Can Explain the Gender Equality Paradox.

Using data from Project Implicit collected between 2005 and 2020, comprising 1,489,721 observations in 111 countries, we find that implicit and explicit gender stereotypes about career and family are more pronounced in more economically developed countries. Besides, these gender stereotypes are strongly correlated at the country level with gender differences in values (such as family values), self-reported personality traits (such as agreeableness or dependence), and occupational preferences (such as health-related occupations), and may account for the fact that these gender imbalances are "paradoxically" stronger in more economically developed countries (the so-called "gender equality paradox").In line with social role theory, our findings suggest that there are in developed countries strong gender stereotypes about career and family, which may at least partly explain the persistence or even the "paradoxical worsening" of a number of gender differences in these countries, despite generally high levels of gender equality in other areas.

Sharenting Ethics in Indonesian Family Communication Through Cultural Values of Digital Parenting

This research examines the phenomenon of sharenting (sharing-parenting) in the Indonesian cultural context, focusing on how traditional values influence digital parenting practices. This research uses a comprehensive literature study methodology to analyse the intersection between local wisdom and digital communication ethics in care. This study reveals that Indonesian parents practice sharenting through three main cultural pillars: harmony, unggah ungguh, and tepo seliro. These values significantly shape how information about children is shared on social media, creating patterns that differ from Western individualistic approaches. The findings show that parenting practices in Indonesia's digital era are firmly rooted in collective cultural values, where sharing information about children is not simply seen as personal documentation but as part of communal responsibility. This research identifies unique challenges in balancing traditional values with digital privacy concerns, especially in how Indonesian parents interpret and implement privacy boundaries within their collective cultural framework. This study contributes to developing a culturally sensitive ethical framework for digital parenting in Indonesia, emphasizing a balance between traditional values and modern digital practices. Findings suggest practical sharing guidelines in Indonesia must integrate collective cultural values while addressing contemporary digital privacy concerns. Furthermore, this research proposes practical recommendations for implementing culturally appropriate digital literacy programs and developing policies that protect children's interests while respecting traditional family values.

Who dominates? Multiple constructions of women's subjective social status and their cohort dynamics in transitional China

The way women construct their subjective social status has garnered significant attention. However, the roles of husbands and fathers in this process have been underexplored, with even less focus on how these roles have evolved across generations. This study aims to answer two important questions against the backdrop: First, which is the most dominant factor in shaping married women's subjective social status, their own objective class or those of their husband or father? Answers to this question reveal the impacts of assortative mating and intergenerational mobility. Second, how does the construction pattern change across birth cohorts? Cohort dynamics help reflect the evolution of gender roles and family values in China. Using pooled data from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2010–2017 and the diagonal reference model, our study finds that Chinese married women previously tended to construct their own social status based on the objective class of their husbands. However, this trend is reversed for younger cohorts. Father's objective class status carries roughly the same weight as women's own, but its impact becomes moderately stronger in younger cohorts. Taken together, the above findings reveal a unique pathway of family modernization in transitional China. Married women, although increasingly independent of their spouses, still remain closely connected with their natal families.

Relationship between Filial Piety and Life Satisfaction among Young Adults in Malaysia and the UK: The Mediating Role of Perfectionism

Filial piety and perfectionism are associated with life satisfaction and are influenced by family values. This study examined the roles of filial piety beliefs and perfectionism in life satisfaction among 379 young adults aged 18 to 25 in Malaysia (n = 199) and the United Kingdom (n = 180). In both samples, reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs showed positive correlations with life satisfaction, while maladaptive perfectionism correlated negatively with life satisfaction. There was a positive correlation between adaptive perfectionism and life satisfaction only in the Malaysian sample. In both samples, adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationship between reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction, but in opposite directions. That is, higher reciprocal filial piety was related to higher adaptive perfectionism and greater life satisfaction; higher reciprocal filial piety was also related to lower maladaptive perfectionism and better life satisfaction. Furthermore, maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationship between authoritarian filial piety and life satisfaction in both samples; higher authoritarian filial piety was related to higher maladaptive perfectionism and reduced life satisfaction. However, specifically in the Malaysian sample, higher authoritarian filial piety predicted greater adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Findings highlight the importance of considering traditional family values, individual differences, and their interaction when evaluating subjective wellbeing.

The Effect of Gendered Power Relations on Food Production among Female-headed Households in Mbarara District, Southwestern Uganda

Gendered power relations refer to the way males and females exercise influence at the household level in terms of decision-making, planning, resource utilization and executing family affairs from time to time(Agarwal, 1997; Manser & Brown, 1979). These relations define how females and males interrelate while taking steps to handle issues of managing and utilizing resources as well as handling overall family welfare at the household level(Bohren et al., 2024; Weeratunge et al., 2016). Drawing from the traditional African society perspective, gendered power relations are that aspect that defines family norms, roles and values (Heise et al., 2019; Ponthieux & Meurs, 2015). Gender power relations influence food production in many developing countries, as land which is a major factor of production is largely seen and viewed as a preserve of men to control(Croppenstedt et al., 2013; Rao, 2006). The situation is even more complex among female-headed households, where despite females being household heads, society seems not to trust them with the absolute power they deserve to manage and utilize resources for food production(Agarwal, 1997; Fonjong et al., 2013). This puts the female heads of these households in a more vulnerable state as well as their families (Yoosefi Lebni et al., 2020). In effect, their livelihoods are affected as manifested in terms of inadequate household income, food insecurity, health status, as well as compromised psychological well-being (Myers, 2020; Yoosefi Lebni et al., 2020).

Ценностные ориентации в семье: социально-психологический анализ

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective</strong>. Socio-psychological analysis of value orientations in the main subsystems of the modern family (marital, parent-child, sibling). <br><strong>Background</strong>. The scientific literature notes methodological heterogeneity in the study of intra-family values with the actual request of practice to determine the consistency of value orientations in various subsystems of the family. This becomes especially relevant in the modern historical situation for a deeper understanding of the processes of value-semantic integration and differentiation within the family. <br><strong>Study design.</strong> The differences in actual and reflexive values in the dyads of married couples, parents and children, and siblings were investigated. The validity of differences was tested using statistical criteria for comparing mean (Student, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney). To analyze pairwise similarity, correlations of value profiles (po-Spearman, r-Pearson), indices of value-orientation congruence in actual (VOC-A) and reflective (VOC-R) assessments were calculated. <br><strong>Participants</strong>. The study included 4 samples: married couples (<em>n</em> = 58 couples), college youth (<em>n</em> = 193; 44,6% males; 55,4% females), 3 generations of women from the same family (<em>n</em> = 20 triads), and respondents with a sibling (<em>n</em> = 63; 38% males; 62% females). <br><strong>Measurements</strong>. The method “Value orientations-36” (modification of Sh. Schwartz's method) (Kunitsyna, 2005). In the sample of couples and three generations of women actual values were measured. In the sample of young people and respondents with siblings − actual (answers for themselves) and reflexive (young people answered for their mothers, and respondents for their siblings). Adapted PEA questionnaire (Volkova, 2006) to assess the quality of relationships in couples and siblings. <br><strong>Results.</strong> The specificity of value orientations in family subsystems (marital, parent-child, sibling) was revealed. Thus, the differences in family couples reflect the persisting social perception of the division of marital roles: men value independence and self-assertion more, and women value interpersonal relations. Differences in children's actual and reflexive evaluations testify to the selective intergenerational continuity of value orientations in the family. In the three-generation sample, it was found that the dyads of mothers and daughters are closer to each other in terms of value profiles than grandmothers and granddaughters; the dyads of older and middle-generation women are most similar to each other. The values of value-orientation unity in the dyad are higher with higher satisfaction with the child's upbringing. Differences in the values of siblings are related to the values of achievement and ethical and aesthetic orientation. Profile correlations show the similarity of the general structure of values in all subsystems. The indices VOC-A and VOC-R express the degree of value integration in family dyads and are similar in content to the intercorrelations of individual value hierarchies. <br><strong>Conclusions</strong>. In vertical (parent-child) and horizontal (marital and sibling) dyads, the similarity of value orientations is quite high. Comparison of the profiles of family dyads from unrelated samples allows us to speak about the general consistency and selective continuity of value orientations in the modern Russian family. The general orientation of value orientations of spouses, parents and children, and siblings is characterized, on the one hand, by a high importance of family values (in such aspects as the safety of relatives and trustworthiness of interpersonal relations), and, on the other hand, by a pronounced focus on independence and achievement. This configuration can be a source of contradictions and disunity of family members. At the same time, intergenerational and intragenerational cohesion is supported by the continuity of values of moral orientation and normative behavior, with no differences in all dyads.</p>

Constraints on Female Labor Force Participation in Qatar: Understanding the Effects of Marriage, Family, and Traditional Values

Abstract This paper examines constraints to female labor force participation in Qatar, a country where state revenue from natural resource rents means any citizen can secure a public sector job should they seek employment. Using data from an original survey and focus groups, we find that although Qataris are generally in support of female labor force participation – both in principle and for their own relatives – concerns remain about the impact of women working for marriage, family, and traditional values. These concerns may be especially salient for younger Qatari men – a constituency particularly impacted by erosion of traditional gender norms at a time when they are establishing their own households. We also find that Qataris with a larger percentage of male children tend to be less supportive of women working outside of the home, suggesting forms of family-level variation in investment in patriarchal values and child rearing practices.

The Golden Bachelor: Age and Romance in Contemporary Reality Television.

The Golden Bachelor completed its first season in late 2023. Its companion show, The Golden Bachelorette premiered in September of 2024. The reality dating franchise features contestants over the age of 60 and represents an advance in the visibility of older adults in popular media, particularly the dating show genre, while also perpetuating age-related stereotypes. This review will focus on The Golden Bachelor and how it brought aging and associated conversations about dating, intimacy, and grief into popular discourse. While the show significantly revises how older adults are portrayed in popular media, it tempers this potentially subversive move by doubling down on its other socially conventional elements - beauty, monogamy, able-bodiedness, and traditional family values. The Golden Bachelor represents a step forward in visibility of older adults while also being a reminder of the problematic ways that aging is portrayed in popular media. It opens opportunities for dialogue and learning but also reveals the narrow scope of identity that reality television is prepared to depict. Ultimately, The Golden Bachelor revealed both a widespread interest in popular media that engages substantively with older adults and a still-unfulfilled need for this representation to be comprehensive, diverse, and inclusive.

FAMILY-ORIENTED PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Family-centered physical therapy programs for children with autism involve the child, family members, and professionals working together. They aim to provide support, education, and resources that enable the family to understand and cope with the special needs associated with the rehabilitation of a child with autism. By involving the entire family in the therapy process, such programs help improve communication, enhance the quality of life for the entire family, help the child develop skills to participate in various activities with peers, strengthen family ties and provide a more holistic approach to child care. Aim. To substantiate the structure and program of family-oriented physical therapy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Materials and methods. Analysis of literature sources, including clinical guidelines and recommendations, as well as scientific research on the rehabilitation of patients with autism spectrum disorders; systematic analysis and synthesis, methods of analogy, abstraction and generalization. The experience of rehabilitation and physical therapy of children with ASD, gained by the NGO Agape, which is engaged in the rehabilitation and habilitation of children with disabilities in Khmelnytskyi, was also taken into account. Results. A child's atypical development and disabilities affect the entire family. Caregivers and family members may develop feelings of vulnerability and guilt, or they may feel unable to care for their child. In addition, the patient-centered and biopsychosocial approach assumes that decisions about therapy are made by caregivers, as they are the best experts on their needs and abilities. There has also been a shift in emphasis from impairment of body structures and functions to the child's participation in family life and activities with the family, as well as from what the child cannot do to what the child can do. Supporting the child and family through this complex process of rehabilitation and physical therapy with this in mind, and recognizing the family's interests and values, is crucial and helps families feel stronger and more confident as they face daily challenges. Family-centered physical therapy takes all of these approaches into account. Family-centered physical therapy is a set of activities aimed at involving the family and the family environment in the child's physical therapy process to provide support, necessary skills and resources to both the patient and the family at each stage of therapy, ensuring the best possible results. All phases of physical therapy involve the child and family members in the evaluation, goal and objective setting, education, implementation of the planned intervention program, counseling and monitoring, and adjustment of the goal, objectives and physical therapy program. Conclusions. Family-centered service programs encourage therapists to move from focusing on an isolated impairment and the needs of the child alone to understanding disability within the social model of services and the context of the family and community. A family-centered physical therapy program for children with ASD involves close collaboration between physical therapists, the child, and parents and other family members. This ensures an individualized approach to therapy, increased effectiveness of the sessions, and improved quality of life for the child and the entire family. Active involvement of parents and providing them with the knowledge and skills to conduct sessions at home helps to achieve sustainable results in the child's development and strengthens family ties, increasing the overall level of satisfaction.

Reproductive behavior of youth: theory and key factors

The reproductive behavior concept has been considered, which is the key to personal behavior formation in the context of childbirth and family formation. The analysis of approaches to reproductive behavior has been carried out, due to which main factors influencing reproductive behavior patterns formation have been highlighted. Material provision, the possibility to give children quality education and decent living conditions, the place of family and children in the system of values, as well as cultural norms in the complex influence behavior development in relation to family planning and childbirth. Currently, there is a problem of combining parenthood and the image of a successful careerist, so there is competition between the value aspects. The value of family and parenthood remains high, while the need for children decreases. In addition, psychological motives for having children prevail over economic and social ones. The topic of reproductive letting down contains many sides that need to be subjected to analysis. The difficulty lies in the fact that not only we operate with actual objective data, but also deal with personal and psychological characteristics, which complicates the analysis procedure, so it is necessary to further study the issue.

On Freedom-Loving Roosters and Beloved Goats: Animals, Humans, and Iraqi Narrative Prose 1948–1954

Abstract This article explores the relationships between humans and animals in Iraqi prose fiction from the 1940s and 1950s. It argues that Iraqi authors wrote about animals to underline not only the inhumane conditions in the nation’s rural regions but also the inhumanity of urban existence, which was associated with greed, deception, the absence of family and ethical values, and social death. More specifically, the article studies two short stories: ʿAbd al-Malik Nūrī’s (1921–1992) “The South Wind” (“Rīḥ al-janūb”), and Shalōm (Shālūm) Darwīsh’s (1913–1997) “A Convoy from the Countryside” (“Qāfilah min al-rīf”). Both stories suggest that animals have emotions, and in both, the act of urbanization involves a woman’s sacrifice of an animal. The pairing of these two stories accentuates the need for class-based, anti-sectarian and ecocritical readings of Iraqi narrative prose. Reading texts written by Iraqis of various religions liberates such texts from impositions created by nationalists and from their insistence on allegorical meanings. What determines the humans’ fate in these stories is not their religion but rather their environment, their dwelling in southern Iraq, their relation to capital (and lack thereof), their family relations, and the very meaningful roles animals play in their lives.