Foreign Community Research Articles

Space and identities in two princely vitaes of Medieval Russia (late 13th – early 14th centuries)

The author of the article analyzes ideas about space (mental maps), reflecting certain identity aspects of two princely lives from medieval Rus' - the Life of Alexander Nevsky (after 1263) and the Life of Mikhail of Tver (c. 1320). He underlines important differences in the approaches of hagiographers, but also some common features of their discourse, in which some political and religious criteria for distinguishing their own and foreign communities can clearly be identified. He concludes that the Life of Alexander reflects the crisis of identities characteristic of the critical age after the Mongol invasion, whereas the Life of Mikhail reflects the balance between regional and supraregional identities.

‘We are not simply Indians’: Intersecting ethnic identity diversity among the Chinese communities of Kolkata

Kolkata, known for its cultural diversity, reflects the inequalities of its informal sector, reminiscent of a feudal system. The city is home to various foreign communities, including Armenians, Jews, Parsis, and particularly the Chinese. Historically, Kolkata saw a significant influx of Chinese immigrants, followed by phases of exclusion. Despite challenges, the Chinese community has thrived for over two decades, contributing to the city’s cultural richness. This research explores how Chinese individuals in Kolkata, unfamiliar with local social structures, perceive and categorize others, defining their ethnic identity. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study finds that many Chinese in Kolkata identify as Indian-Chinese or Chinese-Indians. The community’s evolving belief systems reflect their ongoing search for a cultural identity. Through this exploration, they work to define their core values and roles within society, constantly adapting to the cultural landscape of Kolkata.

The Performance Concepts of Adu-Tandiang in Pariaman Society: Fighting, Competing, and Fighting/Competing as Main Characteristics

This paper analyses the subject of adu-tandiang, which includes adu (fighting), tandiang (competing), and adu/tandiang (fighting/competing); three concepts of performance that are found in the performing arts and rituals of Pariaman society. This study uses an emic approach and grounded theory method to obtain supporting data about the concepts of adu, tandiang, and adu/tandiang. The research results show that the performing arts and traditional rituals in Pariaman are basically dynamic and always have adu-tandiang concept. The characteristics of performances with elements of adu, tandiang, and adu/tandiang are dynamic, and reflect the nature and character of the Pariaman people themselves, as a result of their history as a coastal community and facing many encounters with foreign communities. Therefore, the concepts of adu, tandiang, and adu/tandiang are generalisations of principles that characterise almost all performances in Pariaman society.

Food insecurity amongst asylum seekers and people without status in Israel

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic caused massive disruptions globally, with food insecurity a primary concern amongst vulnerable communities. As one of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in Israeli society asylum seekers and undocumented populations were amongst the first to be affected by the pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. The objective of the study was to evaluate the severity and causes of food insecurity among asylum seekers and other undocumented communities because of COVID-19.MethodsA multi method approach was used. The quantitative component included an online questionnaire regarding access to food, aid and choices, and the 6 item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) The qualitative component included 4 focus groups and thematic analysis. The study was conducted in November 2020, by the Ministry of Health's Nutrition Division and the Tel Aviv Municipality's foreign community assistance and information center (Mesila). The convenience sample was drawn from the low-income neighborhood population of South Tel Aviv. Logistic regression, multivariate analysis and content analysis, were performed.ResultsFour hundred eighty-five people completed the quantitative survey, with average age 33.2 ± 5.4 years and 349 (72.0%) experienced food insecurity. In the multivariate analysis, being older (p = 0.04, Odds Ratio OR 1.1, Confidence Interval CI 1.05–1.15) and being single (unmarried) (p = 0.03, OR 2.1, CI 1.2, 3.5) predicted food insecurity. Qualitative findings identified three main themes: children preferring Israeli/ Western foods to traditional foods; financial stresses were compounded; a preference for receiving assistance with purchasing food (vouchers), rather than food handouts.ConclusionIn conclusion, vulnerable populations (asylum seekers and other undocumented communities) were severely affected and are in danger of food insecurity. Culturally relevant and contextualized solutions are needed to address the acute hunger within the community. These include establishment of a cross-ministerial forum, a social grocery store, increased liaison with food rescue bodies, complete nutritional support for children in educational settings and increased guidance regarding food choices and budgeting.

International collaboration leading to high citations: Global impact or home country effect?

Scientific research has become more collaborative, which brings a number of advantages including higher citation rates. This study examines the factors contributing to higher citations by distinguishing between the quality of work and the home country effect. Using international co-authorship as a key variable, we analyze citation patterns across a diverse range of fields over a 10-year period, and differentiate between citations accrued in the authors’ countries and citations received in other countries. The results demonstrate the presence of both global impact and a home country effect. Specifically, publications with international co-authorship receive significantly more citations from abroad, which strongly implies that international collaboration fosters high quality research and positively impacts citation rates, especially when considering the relatively smaller foreign community size once the authors’ home countries are excluded. On the other hand, it is also observed that domestic citations from authors’ countries increase faster than foreign citations and the effect is more pronounced over a longer period of time, which suggests that home country effect plays an important role in accumulating citations through the increased visibility in the domestic research community. The study confirms the pivotal role of international collaboration in research impact and highlights the significance of network building.

Microbiological and nutritional quality of banku a fermented maize and cassava-based food consumed in West Africa

Banku is a food made of fermented maize flour and fermented cassava dough. It is produced and consumed by the Togolese, Nigerian and Ghanaian peoples living in Côte d’Ivoire. Not only is this food less known by the original inhabitants of the Côte d’Ivoire but the nutritional and sanitary quality of this food is not defined. However, its preparation remains empirical and is done in unhygienic conditions. Thus, objective of this study is to promote banku through its nutritional and sanitary characteristics in order to ensure consumer safety. Two localities (Grand-Bassam and Gonzagueville) of Côte d’Ivoire where there is a strong foreign community were chosen to take the various samples. The analyses were carried out by biochemical and microbial properties during the production of banku. The results showed that the fermented maize flour had the highest titratable acidity with a value of 0.31 ± 0.01%. The phytate content was lower in the mixture of fermented maize flour and cassava dough with a value of 8.81 ± 0.57 mg/100 g DM. After cooking, the mesophilic aerobic germs load in the banku indicated (5.6 ± 0.4) × 103 CFU/g which is below the standard prescribed by CODINORM. The promotion of banku in Côte d’Ivoire would contribute to food self-sufficiency and growth of the country’s economy. The nutritional and microbiological properties are in accordance with the CODINORM (2001) standard. Banku can be safely consumed in Côte d’Ivoire and worldwide.

Ми з Вами! (We Are with You!)

Abstract Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes. Millions have decided to leave the country and sought safety in other countries, while millions more have been displaced within Ukraine. Poland expressed solidarity with Ukraine and its citizens, both in Ukraine and in Poland. On top of state-level actions, Polish society and foreign communities in Poland came together and organized numerous solidarity actions. The influx of people from Ukraine also started a discussion about the treatment of refugees in Poland and possible changes to the functioning of the state and the society. This article examines the solidarity actions towards Ukrainian refugees, focusing on both symbolic actions and humanitarian and economic aid. It also briefly analyzes possible challenges that might have an impact on future relations.

Struggles for identity formation: second-generation South Asian diaspora overseas

ABSTRACT The second-generation South Asian diaspora, made up of individuals whose parents were born as immigrants in a foreign country, often faces unique and complex challenges in forming and reconciling their identities. This article attempts to shed light on the difficulties faced by second-generation South Asians in foreign communities, highlighting the greater identity problems compared to the third and fourth generations. The identity problems of second generation South Asians arise from their position at the crossroads of two cultures. They struggle with the tension between their ancestral roots and the dominant culture of their adopted country, which can lead to a profound sense of confusion. Unlike third- and fourth-generation people, who have a more solid sense of identity, second-generation people often find themselves caught between two worlds, leading to a range of psychological, social, and cultural challenges.

Anxiety and its risk factors among non-Japanese residents living in Japan undergoing COVID-19 situation: A cross-sectional survey.

In the context of collective efforts taken in Japan to control the spread of COVID-19, the state of emergency and social distancing have caused a negative impact on the mental health of all residents, including foreign communities in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the level of anxiety and its associated factors among non-Japanese residents residing in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. A web-based survey in 13 languages was conducted among non-Japanese residents living in Japan during the COVID-19 situation. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory assessed the level of anxiety-State (STAI-S) scores prorated from its six-item version. The multivariable logistic regression using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) method was performed to identify the associated factors of anxiety among participants. From January to March 2021, we collected 392 responses. A total of 357 valid responses were analyzed. 54.6% of participants suffered from clinically significant anxiety (CSA). In multivariable logistic model analysis, the CSA status or the high level of anxiety was associated with three factors, including having troubles/difficulties in learning or working, decreased sleep duration, and decreased overall physical health (p<0.05). Our study suggests several possible risk factors of anxiety among non-Japanese residents living in Japan undergoing the COVID-19 pandemic, including the troubles or difficulties in learning or working, the decrease in sleep duration, and the decrease in overall physical health.

Cultural conflict - civilizational transition and civil transformations - factors of influence and crisis of the cultural identity of the Arab Gulf countries (confrontation / assimilation - influence / change)

The research deals with the issue of cultural confrontation experienced by the local culture of the peoples of the Arab Gulf countries in front of the civilizational tide and structural transformations in social life, which coincides with cultural globalization and the revolution of technology and information that transcended borders and barriers. The Gulf Arab states have witnessed major structural transformations in line with the civilizational development in the fields of life brought about by oil wealth. The study sought to identify the most prominent sources of challenge and change, the great variation in the demography of the population, where the population weight coming from abroad with its diverse culture and life practices that lead to a change in public behavior and cultural environment in the new reality, so the study stands on the size of the impact contributed by human migrations coming to the Arab Gulf countries by addressing the following variables: - Demographic difference between citizens and residents. - The density of educational institutions for communities and international schools. - The heavy presence of traditional non-Arabic media institutions and others directed at foreign communities. She presented an analysis of the implications of this, and monitored the manifestations of change, transformation and conflict experienced by local cultures, based on Julian Steward's theoretical model, which focuses on the dynamic interaction between man and the environment, technology, social structure, and organization of work. To understand the reality of the social space of the peoples of the Arab Gulf countries, And the impact of internal interactions and external influences on this space and know the shape of structural transformations in the local culture of these peoples, and determine their characteristics, and read the future of these changes by trying to understand the course of transformation.

Community structure of sea cucumber (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) resources in the Kepulauan Seribu National Park, Indonesia

Abstract. Helmiyani NA, Suryanti S, Purwanti F. 2024. Community structure of sea cucumber (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) resources in the Kepulauan Seribu National Park, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 344-354. Kepulauan Seribu National Park has several types of commercial sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). Many local and foreign communities take sea cucumbers from nature without paying attention to habitat conditions. This phenomenon causes a decrease in the availability of sea cucumbers. This research was carried out to help stabilize the sea cucumber ecosystem and its availability to be considered for its sustainability. This research was conducted in May-June 2023, at Kelapa Dua Island and Panjang Kecil Island in the Kepulauan Seribu National Park, Jakarta, Indonesia. Sampling was carried out using the field observation method, where the location points were determined by adjusting where the sea cucumber habitat was located. Sampling points were carried out on two islands, each island was assigned 4 station points, with the total number of stations on both islands being 8 station points. Sampling was carried out using perpendicular transect lines, divided into 3 zones. The data analyzed includes the Index of Diversity, Evenness, Dominance and Density. Based on the results 12 species were obtained from both islands, with the genera Holothuria, Stichopus, Bohadschia, Actinopyga, and Synapta. The highest density is at station 3 Kelapa Dua Island, with a density value of 0.57 (ind/m2), and the lowest density is at station 1 Panjang Kecil Island with a value of 0.14 (ind/m2). The results show a moderate diversity value, a low Dominance value, and a small evenness value, while the water quality result value can be said to be good because it has a value according to the survival quality standards for sea cucumbers in marine waters.

CULTURE SHOCK AND CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION IN MAGGIE GEE’S VIRGINIA WOOLF IN MANHATTAN

Maggie Gee’s Virginia Woolf in Manhattan (2014) depicts the resurrection of Virginia Woolf in contemporary New York. Having been encultured into the norms of Victorian period and the early twentieth century, Virginia is overwhelmed by an initial sense of estrangement in the modern, multicultural world, whose façade has been shaped by advanced scientific and technological developments and the changes in traditional socio-economic and cultural relationships. When Virginia decides to be deculturated from Victorian culture, she starts to adjust herself to the new world, in which she has a chance to develop herself in a more liberated woman. This study refers to theories on culture shock and cross-cultural adaptation to show that Gee’s Virginia, who moves from the early twentieth-century society dominated by conservative Victorian norms, achieves cross-cultural adaptation into a foreign community by adjusting herself to the rules and values of the global and multicultural twenty-first century world.

On Translation of Report on the Work of the Government 2023 from the Perspective of Skopos Theory

The Report on the Work of the Government covers all aspects of China's politics and livelihood, and has become an authoritative source of information for domestic and foreign communities to understand China's national development as well as its policies. Therefore, the translation of RWG is of great importance. This paper introduces the Skopos Theory and discusses its applicability to RWG. Taking the 2023 RWG as an example, it further discusses its stylistic features and translation strategies from lexical, syntactic and rhetorical perspectives. These skills are of great practical importance in the translation of RWG, making the translation more readable and comprehensible, and can be used for other similar political reports. The Skopos Theory, Report on the Work of the Government, translation strategies

The Enlightenment of Ideological and Political Education for Youth in Foreign Communities

The ideological and political education of community youth in foreign countries has profound enlightening significance for the ideological and political education of community youth in China in serving young people, cultivating community spirit, cultural education, community education, neighborhood interaction, and co construction and co education.

Формування національного бренду України в міжнародній діяльності

The article delves into the influence of Ukraine's national brand on the formation of the image of domestic enterprises in the international arena. Factors that determine this influence are exam-ined, including the country's reputation, perceptions of the quality of its products and services, as well as the level of trust in Ukrainian brands. The insights gained from this article can be valuable to marketing professionals, researchers in international relations, and brand managers operating in the era of globalization and internation-al trade. Understanding the influence of the national brand on enterprises will enable the develop-ment of more effective strategies for international expansion and enhance the competitiveness of Ukrainian companies in the global market. The purpose of the national brand is to create a percep-tion of the country as having powerful and unique production capabilities, rich research potential, cultural traditions, and natural and recreational resources. The development of Ukraine in the international arena directly depends on its positive percep-tion by the foreign community. Foreign states, citizens of other countries, investors, whose attitude is positive, also have an influence on the solution of internal socio-economic problems. A positive image of Ukraine contributes to strengthening the effectiveness of the state's foreign and domestic policy. The war in Ukraine, has had a complex and multifaceted impact on the image of domestic en-terprises in the world. For example, support from the international community, including sanctions against russia and assistance to Ukraine, can have a positive impact. It signifies solidarity with Ukraine and can mitigate some of the negative perceptions associated with the conflict. Ukraine's pursuit of closer ties with the European Union and other international partners has opened up new trade opportunities. This can positively impact enterprises that can take advantage of these trade agreements. In summary, the war in Ukraine has had a mixed impact on the image of domestic enterprises in the world. It has created challenges and negative perceptions in some cases, but it has also shown the resilience and adaptability of Ukrainian businesses.

The Tethered Fates of Japan's "Foreigner" Communities: Zainichi Koreans, Residency Provisions, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: This article explores how the fates of Japan's "foreign" communities—both "oldcomer" Zainichi Korean residents and "newcomer" foreign residents—have, especially since the 1990s, become tethered to one another. The authors argue that the postwar Zainichi Korean campaigns for legal, social, economic, educational, ethnic, constitutional, and welfare benefits have laid a foundation of "residency provisions" that the contemporary newcomer foreign community have also come to heavily rely on. However, access to such residency provisions by non-Japanese has increasingly come under attack from nativist and xenophobic groups such as the Zaitokukai and political parties such as the Japan First Party. More recently, waves of COVID-19 pandemic border closures and "states of emergency" incited a cultural and political environment in which "foreigners" became inextricably linked to the virus as a threat. Political and public support for border closures and stricter immigration controls coalesced with divisive and xenophobic movements that had primarily targeted Zainichi Koreans. The authors maintain this resulted in a shift towards exclusionary discourses directed at Japan's "foreigner" communities more generally. As social outgroups in contemporary Japan, Zainichi Koreans and newcomer foreigners are semantically, socially, and—most importantly—politically excluded through the Japanese/foreigner divide that continues to permeate Japanese self-consciousness. In conclusion, the case study of "IKUNO Tabunka Flat" is introduced as a model of Zainichi Korean grass-roots multiculturalism that attempts to overcome social division and isolation in Ikuno's "foreign" communities and assist in the creation of a more substantive and meaningful multicultural community in contemporary Japan.

The state policy of the Russian Empire in the fight against the syphilis epidemic among foreign communities in the northeastern districts of Eastern Siberia in the 19th century

The article considers the chronology of historical events, highlighting the formation of the state policy of the Russian Empire in the fight against the spread of syphilis among foreign communities in the northeastern districts of Eastern Siberia. Archival materials are systematized, according to which the personnel, material and technical, financial support of organizational, treatment and preventive measures to combat the syphilis epidemic is assessed. The study of the materials allows to draw a reasoned conclusion that the government of the Russian Empire pursued a systematic, persistent policy of fighting to eradicate syphilis among foreign communities. In order to study and evaluate the state policy of the Russian Empire to eradicate syphilis among the foreign communities of the northeastern districts of Eastern Siberia in the 19th century, we used the historical method, which is based on the study of archival materials from the State Archives of the Irkutsk Region, indicating the organization of the fight against the epidemic syphilis among foreign communities of the northeastern districts of Eastern Siberia in the 19th century. Concern for the preservation of the population in the north-eastern districts of Eastern Siberia, newly annexed to the Russian Empire, according to the archival materials of the State Archive of the Irkutsk Region, has become an urgent task for both the government as a whole and the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, the heads of the Yakutsk Region, Primorsky Region and Kamchatka. The state policy of the Russian Empire in the fight against the syphilis epidemic was focused on resolving issues of staffing the northern districts with medical ranks, providing them with social benefits in order to retain them for work in Eastern Siberia, identifying sources of funding and organizing the construction of syphilitic hospitals, resolving issues of ensuring the supply of medicines, pharmacy supplies, hospital supplies, clothing, food for sick people.

From South Asia to Southern Europe: a comparative analysis of Sri Lankans’ residential segregation in the main Italian cities using high-resolution data on regular lattice geographies

The present work proposes a spatial analysis of the residential segregation and settlement models of Sri Lankans in the eight main Italian municipalities. Hosting more than half of the total Sri Lankan population residing in Italy, the selected urban areas allow Sri Lankans’ residential model to be globally framed across the country. The purpose of this work is threefold. First, it provides a general assessment of the allocation pattern of a foreign community that has seldom been studied and yet is characterized by peculiar settlement choices. Second, it attempts to compare the settlement patterns of Sri Lankans across different urban contexts. Third, it aims to detect the possible spatial polarization of Sri Lankans in specific neighbourhoods and to verify its spatial correlation with other key variables that constitute proxies of urban neighbourhoods’ socioeconomic inequalities. The study runs multiple aspatial linear models to assess the global variation in concentrations of Sri Lankans related to several socioeconomic predictors. Furthermore, it implements geographically weighted regressions to explicitly model the spatial dependence between Sri Lankans’ location quotients and several predictors. It refers all the considered variables to a single geographic reference grid, enabling the homogenization of different areal unit arrangements and comparisons across space. Except for Milan and Rome, the findings suggest that Sri Lankans tend to reside in central neighbourhoods characterized by a high foreign presence and a decreased trend of Italian population. Conversely, the impact of the cost of living and the state of the built environment is heterogeneous across space, with a sort of centre-periphery duality in Southern cities and more fragmented situations in the other urban contexts. This evidence proves the relevance of local scale analysis and the need to build up urban observatories on spatial inequalities and segregation processes.

Exploring the Settlement Models of the Main Foreign Communities Residing in Italy (2003–2021)

In the last few decades, the foreign resident population in Italy has grown considerably, showing a tendency towards a stable settlement. The spatial distribution of this population is an important key to better understanding the integration process in the host society. This paper aims to explore the diachronic evolution of the settlement models of the foreign population and the main ethnic groups usually classified as residents in Italy in the period 2003–2021. Towards this aim, we computed statistical global indices referring to evenness, concentration, and clustering dimension of residential segregation and ad hoc indices that regard territorial dimensions. One of the major novelties of the contribution lies in the attempt to compute these indices not only in reference to the major population group—i.e., the Italians—but also between foreign communities and considering the gender structure. The indices are then synthesised by a multivariate analysis (principal component analysis and cluster analysis). The results of this study show that (a) higher differences in terms of settlement models are found by comparing different minority groups rather than by comparing minorities to Italians; (b) the settlement models of each foreign citizenship remain almost stable over time despite their growth in both absolute and relative terms.

COVID-19 shock 2020: impact on foreign and Kuwaiti workers and contrasts with employment, earnings and consumption during normal times

ABSTRACT This paper uses micro-level data from the 2013 official Kuwait Household expenditure survey covering 2961 households; and three 2020 COVID-19 shock-related CEO, labor force and household surveys to juxtapose the consumption profiles of foreign workers in Kuwait. The paper contributes to a growing literature on foreign workers by focusing on foreign workers’ employment and earnings and consumption profiles following the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper compares differential consumption responses of 250 foreign and Kuwaiti households during the COVID-19 shock with profiles that existed during 2013, which was a shock-free year. Moreover, since foreigners represent nearly 70% of the population, OLS regressions were applied to the 2013 microdata and the 2020 household survey to inquire if standard consumption functions deployed in the economic literature hold in the case of foreign households in Kuwait and vets how their consumption responded to income shocks. Our data and empirical analysis corroborate that Kuwait’s foreign community bore the brunt of COVID-19 in terms of employment, earnings and living conditions. Moreover, our results broadly indicate congruence with Friedman’s permanent income hypothesis, and that for given income levels, consumption heterogeneity holds for foreign workers according to age cohorts, giving support to the life cycle hypothesis. The findings carry significant implications to Kuwait’s dichotomous labor markets, and to households’ income and consumption policies especially to Kuwait’s transformative policy to realize sustainable growth.