Greek Culture Research Articles

Service quality assessment in a Greek teacher training program: a cultural perspective

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between prospective teachers’ cultural profiles and service quality expectations in a pedagogical training program in Greece. Design/methodology/approach Using the EppekQual scale and an alternative Hofstede’s cultural scale, 113 prospective teachers in a Greek training program were surveyed. The study uses descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression, validating measurements through confirmatory factor analysis. Findings Prospective teachers exhibit a low-power orientation and a preference for feminine values. Rejecting hierarchy correlates with quality expectations, especially in the curriculum dimension, emphasizing student-centric education. A positive correlation with acceptance/avoidance of uncertainty is observed, notably in learning outcomes and administrative services. The cultural aversion to ambiguity shapes individuals’ prioritization of all quality dimensions. A realistic long-term perspective correlates positively with expectations in learning outcomes, aligning with Greek culture’s emphasis on security. Contrary to expectations, a predilection for feminine values positively impacts service quality expectations, particularly in curriculum, learning outcomes and academic staff dimensions. The hypothesis related to individualism/collectivism is not substantiated, indicating a negative association with the curriculum dimension. Practical implications Tailoring program designs to embrace student-centric and collaborative learning environments is recommended. Acknowledging cultural aversions to uncertainty, program flexibility and clarity are essential. Integrating career planning and mentorship aligns with realistic long-term perspectives. The need for a balanced approach to personal and intellectual development is also suggested. Originality/value This study uncovers specific cultural dimensions that shape quality expectations within a Greek teacher training context.

Searching for the Traces of Greek Civilization in the Iberian Peninsula

The main aim of this study is to highlight the deep relationship between Greek and Spanish culture in order to form the basis for the development of future policies that will lead to the further strengthening of relations between the two countries. In the modern era, countries are increasingly focusing on the creation of specialized mechanisms to shape their cultural policies. The development of cultural policy is an area of countries’ foreign policy and is based on one of the pillars supporting their soft power: culture. The aim of this study is to search for traces of Greek civilization in the Iberian Peninsula starting from the 8th century B.C. when the Greeks were found in ancient Iberia for commercial reasons. Our research then led us to Catalonia, a region of Spain that bases its diversity on its Greek roots. One question we must answer is whether the historical past linking Catalonia and Greece has contributed to the formation of its national identity. Finally, the aim is to look at the dissemination of the Greek element in Spain today, focusing on the dynamics of the learning of the Greek language in Spain, mainly in the field of higher education, since language is an important element of a country’s culture. In this context, an analysis is presented based both on bibliographical research on the evolution of the Greek element in the Iberian Peninsula and primary research on the Greek element, especially in the region of Catalonia. The present study aims to capture the traces of Greek culture in Spain and the ties that unite the two countries from antiquity to the present day in order to lead to new initiatives in the future for the further strengthening of relations between the two peoples.

The philosophy of modern olympism through the eyes of Ukrainian and American athletes

Many scientists in the field of history of physical culture, sports and the Olympic movement are concerned with the philosophy of modern Olympism and its main principles. The article focuses on the fact that the foundations of modern Olympism were laid at the end of the 19th century by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the initiator of the revival of the Olympic Games. It was he who first proposed the philosophical doctrine of Olympism, based on universal moral principles. Pierre de Coubertin believed that Olympism was due to his humanistic potential combines sport with culture and education, serves as a worldview and axiological basis for the upbringing of the younger generation. Ancient Greek philosophers understood that physical perfection, strength and health only in combination with spiritual and moral qualities and education through exercises and competitions formed a perfect personality. Pierre de Coubertin, having drawn inspiration from the Ancient Olympic Games and the principles of the Greek education system, was convinced that the philosophy that created Greek culture can serve the development of modern humanity. Today, Olympism has the status of universal value and is an important factor of culture in general and sports culture in particular. But, as it turned out, athletes on different continents perceive the philosophy of modern Olympism in different ways. Pole dance, a relatively new sport that is rapidly developing and gaining popularity all over the world, particularly in Ukraine, was chosen for the study. The impetus for the study was the fact that Cathy Coates, the founder of the international Pole dance federation, together with supporters of this bright sport, are fighting for it to be included in the Olympic Games program. As a result of the analysis of the extended guide interview of 14 Ukrainian and 16 American athletes, it became clear that their opinions regarding the philosophy of modern Olympism were divided. This is how Ukrainian sportswomen claim that the philosophy of modern Olympism glorifies and unites into a harmonious whole the highest qualities of spirit, will, soul, mind and body, forms respect for universal fundamental ethical principles and puts sport at the service of harmonious human development. American athletes think somewhat differently: they partially agree with the quotes philosophy of modern Olympism, but believe that it has many flaws that need to be corrected (doping, politicization and illegal betting).

The Role of Martyrdom and Victimhood in the Memory of the Greek Civil War Refugees in Czechoslovakia through the Prism of ‘Refugee’ Literature

This article focusses on the narratives of collective victimhood and martyrdom in the memories of refugees from the Greek Civil War (GCW, 1946–1949) to post-1948 communist Czechoslovakia (later, the Czech Republic). It analyses literary production by refugees, that is, ego-documents, popular history books and fiction, assessing refugees’ motivations in writing their own histories. It investigates the role of collective victimhood and its effect on the diaspora's identity, its aims and its functions. It determines that the narratives of martyrdom were an early representation by GCW refugees to portray themselves as heroic partisans and anti-fascist fighters and gain the high ground on the moral side of the conflict. Such perceptions, however, have in some cases persisted among communist-oriented authors to this day. This article distinguishes them from more personal expressions of collective victimhood, allowing for a plurality of interpretations of their refugee experience as well as a greater variety of motivations for capturing it in written form for a broader audience. This study aims to show how fluid and permeable these narratives of collective victimhood have been and how fundamentally they have affected the constitution of the GCW diaspora's identity.

Discussing the Relationship Between Slavery and Racism; How Slavery Causes Racism?

This study aims to demonstrate the Relationship Between Slavery and Racism in terms of how slavery causes racism in four areas; first, the Greek civilisation; second, the son of Noah “Ham” and slavery; third, the scientific movement and racism; and fourth, the slave trade. This study uses inductive, historical, and critical methods to discuss the four headings stated above. The most important conclusion is that the division into those who were Greeks and those who were non-Greeks (barbarians) had led into a belief in Greek superiority emphasised that, and being a member of a superior group gives a right of doing violence towards barbarians. Second, the story of Ham was an excuse for enslaving black Africans and linking blackness with slavery, while this relationship was not known until the seventeenth century. The story supports the idea of discriminating against black slaves and linking colour with social class and prepares Europeans to accept the modern practice of slavery in the Atlantic slave trade. Third, scientists participated in provoking racism to value the European race over other races, considering it as a central race. Forth, The trade slave was the only alternative to a search for cheap labour in order to cover the gap in supply and stem this increase.

“Like we would help brothers or sisters”? Practising Solidarity with Greek Civil War Refugees in Socialist Czechoslovakia and the GDR in the Shadow of World War II

Abstract This article investigates the solidarity campaigns supporting refugees from the Greek Civil War (1946–1949) in post-war Czechoslovakia and the emerging German Democratic Republic. Framed as an important bridge between the interwar and later Cold War forms of socialist internationalism, this case sheds light on its transitory character, revealing the narrative shift from anti-fascist to anti-imperialist contexts and the increasingly institutionalized and ritualized solidarity. Thus, not only was practising solidarity already an integral part of post-war socialist regimes, but it also served a variety of functions, contributing to the legitimization and identity of the Eastern bloc. Based on archival documents and press, the article uncovers the deployment of analogical institutional structures employed by both states, thus opening up the sphere of interaction with their citizens, mobilized to become involved in various ways. The two countries, however, departed from different positions, dealing with opposing legacies of the wartime experience, which influenced the motivations employed in their campaigns. Entangled in discourses of guilt, heroism, and victimhood, yet aligned under the proclaimed values of socialist brotherhood and anti-fascism, building internationalist solidarity in both countries worked alongside and even boosted attempts to overcome the obstacle of the Nazi past, both internally and in their mutual relationship. This article thus contributes to a better understanding of how internationalist solidarity functioned as a platform to build bridges – not only towards the “South”, but also within the Eastern bloc.

Practising (for) revolution: street mobilizations in Athens as political performatives

ABSTRACT The controversial district of Exarcheia in Athens has a long and turbulent history shaped by dissidence, persecution and marginalization that can be traced back to the Greek Civil war of 1946–1949. In this paper I focus on one of Exarcheia's quintessential characteristic, its weekly riots – colloquially referred to as ‘báhala’. Political, media and vernacular discourses have seen the báhala gradually entering the realm of the criminal and the banal, often regarded as apolitical, senseless acts of vandalism. Contributing to the need for a more nuanced study of resistance, this paper takes a de-pathologizing orientation towards street mobilizations in Exarcheia by placing them under a historicizing lens. It argues that despite their loss of vigour or momentum, their frequent demonization or trivialization, their potency remains intact for it is located in their very repetition; a repetition that renders them political performatives that teach participants the partisan logic of the streets and preserve the historical and ethical legacy of the Struggles of the Greek Left.

Perspective of Gender Roles in Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad

The most actively and purposefully practiced agenda for ages has been based on mythical patterns and beliefs, which are useful in encapsulating and hiding the reality of gender. Likewise, feminist writers and philosophers have investigated the causes, methods, and effects of the longstanding systemic oppression of women through myths. This project concentrates on how modern female writers have reconstructed gender identities to benefit women. The Penelopiad, a 2005 novella by Margaret Atwood defies the conventional ideas of femininity by depicting a variety of strong female characters. The patriarchal dominance that accuses this sensitive gender of passivity and the pervasive misrepresentation of women in mythologies served as the main sources of inspiration for this work. Therefore, this project shows how Atwood reconstructs gender identities in The Penelopiad. This work is examined in this research to see what gender roles the patriarchal Greek culture has assigned to both men and women.

Crossing Boundaries: Shock Effect, Optical Unconscious and Messianic Time in Theo Angelopoulos’s Cinematic Language

The films of Theo Angelopoulos narrate a poetic “new humanism,” and this genius director of the 20th century has left an enduring artistic ‘aura’ in Walter Benjamin’s era of mechanical reproduction through his unique use of long-take narration and internal montage. This paper explores the dialectical relationship between long takes and internal montage in Angelopoulos’ films, as well as how the conflicting arrangement of mise en scène affects the audience’s psyche. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s theories of Shock Effect, Optical Unconscious, and Messianic Time, the analysis focuses on Landscape in the Mist, one of Angelopoulos’ Trilogy of Silence, to examine his “boundary-crossing” cinematic language. Benjamin’s shock effect is evident as Angelopoulos breaks the logical constraints using iconic and impactful images, delivering a disruptive shock to an audience accustomed to the anesthesia of art reproductions, prompting critical contemplation. Angelopoulos’ lens possesses a unique magic, consistently influencing the audience’s optical unconscious and prompting reflections on the past and self. Landscape in the Mist tells a story of searching for the father, with the protagonist transcending allegorical boundaries. Angelopoulos’ transcendent cinematography, beyond time and space, inherits the imagery of Greek culture, revealing the anticipation of the past and future in messianic time. The paper concludes with the reflection that on the desire for redemption through a messianic promise, asserting that the present time is the optimal moment for crossing boundaries, no matter how much we yearn to await redemption.

Ancient Greek Ideas about the Pelasgians in the Archaic and Classical Periods

This article uses ancient Greek epic poetry, tragedy, and lyrics to describe how the Greeks treated the Pelasgians in the Archaic and Classical periods and provides a glimpse into the role assigned to them by the Hellenic authors. The evolution of the ancient Greeks’ ideas about the Pelasgians in the Archaic and Classical periods is traced. The place of the ethnonym of the Pelasgians in ancient Greek culture is outlined. The references to the Pelasgians in epic literature are examined. The image of the Pelasgians in tragedy and lyrics is reconstructed. The method of comparative analysis was employed: a thorough review of epic poetry, tragedy, and lyrics allowed for a comparison of the specifics of how the Pelasgians were portrayed. Hypotheses are proposed for the differences in the portrayal of the Pelasgians. Homer’s influence on subsequent works is not evident. The study’s findings provide new perspectives on historiography and resolve the longstanding disputes surrounding the study of the Pelasgians.

Cecil Roth’s Torah scroll shoe soles: collecting Holocaust relics in Greece

ABSTRACT This essay examines two shoe soles cut from a Torah scroll which British historian and collector of Judaica Cecil Roth collected in Greece in 1946. As Holocaust relics, the Torah scroll shoe soles are, in turn, sacred and sacrilegious, texts and objects, Greek Jewish and non-Jewish Greek artifacts. Roth’s recovery of the shoe soles is compromised by occurring under the auspices of the British Army during the Greek Civil War and in the controversial climate of collecting Judaica displaced by the Holocaust. I discuss the ongoing story of the shoe soles: their separation, their use, and their best location.

Frankness, Greek Culture, and the Roman Empire by Dana Farah Fields (review)

Frankness, Greek Culture, and the Roman Empire by Dana Farah Fields (review)

Ioannis Chrysospathis, theodoros Garofalidis and Georgios Hartofilakidis: The pioneers of orthopaedics in Greece

The aim of the present paper was to highlight the work of Chrysospathis, Garofalidis and Chartofylakidis, who dedicated themselves to the emergence of orthopaedics as an independent branch of medical science in modern Greece. The ancient Greek physicians Hippocrates, Galen and Paulus of Aegina laid the foundations for the emergence of orthopaedics and ancient Greek civilisation undoubtedly played a significant role in the evolution of this medical art throughout the following centuries. In modern Greece, Ioannis Chrysospathis fought for orthopaedics to be a separate medical branch rather than a practice within the context of general surgery. Theodoros Garofalidis also contributed to the evolution of orthopaedics in Greece, while Georgios Hartofilakidis brought pioneer knowledge to the Greek area, contributed to the creation of specialised orthopaedic departments and internationally contributed to the study of hip diseases and the art of total hip arthroplasty.

The ancient pattern in the Crimean cultural landscape

The subject of the study is the ancient pattern in the cultural landscape of Crimea, expressed in architecture, sculpture, monumental and decorative arts. The object of the study is the Crimean artifacts of the ancient polis (architectural details, sculpture, vase painting) in comparison with similar objects of mainland Greece. The author pays special attention to the transformations of the ancient style in the Crimean diaspora, associated with the influence of autochthonous cultures: Taurian, Meotian, Cimmerian, Scythian-Sarmatian, and examples of the synthesis of the artistic stylistics of these cultures and the ancient style. The use of the ancient order system as the basis of all subsequent styles, including the Crimean modern, which is a reflection of the synthesis of cultures of the multiethnic cultural landscape of Crimea, is also traced. The continuous continuity of the ancient style up to the present is shown.  The article uses the method of historicism in retrospect of the ancient pattern in the cultural landscape of the Crimea, the comparative method in the comparative analysis of artifacts of the Crimea and mainland Greece, the method of stylistic analysis in classical architecture and decorative arts of the Crimea. The main conclusions of the study are: 1. The Crimean cultural landscape is diverse due to the historical polyethnicity of the region, associated with its geographical location and unique natural complex, which has become a place of numerous ethnic migrations throughout history. This is also connected with the appearance of ancient Greek culture in the Crimea, which left a significant mark on the peninsula. 2. The ancient order architectural system, as well as the use of classical anthropomorphic proportions in sculpture, wall painting, vase painting, became the basis of the classical approach in architecture and fine arts. The constructive expediency, conciseness and harmony inherent in ancient architecture became the reason for its global introduction into subsequent architectural and artistic styles, up to the present time. 3. The ancient pattern in the Crimean cultural landscape is unique in that it embodies the cultural synthesis of Greek classics and local autochthonous cultures.

Tolerance to cannabinoids in mice

The Cannabis sativa plant, for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, and anticonvulsant properties, has been used for thousands of years in Chinese, Indian, and Greek cultures and was introduced into Western medicine in the 19th century. There has been a rise in interest in cannabinoids since the main substances of cannabis were identified, as well as the recognition that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) controls multiple processes in pain treatment and neurologic and mental illnesses. However, the ECS has also been associated with negative effects, including harmful effects on emotional and cognitive functions, the development of tolerance and dependence, and withdrawal symptoms after drug cessation in humans. We recently found that repeated intraperitoneal administration of the two main components of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinolic acid (CBNA), led to the development of tolerance in male mice. In this review, we focus on the evidence demonstrating cannabinoid tolerance in animals. The common mechanisms and main signaling pathways for cannabinoid tolerance, including neuroadaptations primarily at cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, such as desensitization and downregulation, which are mediated by several signaling pathways, are discussed.

Wino w wybranych epigramatach greckich

Poetry and wine not only permeate throughout Greek culture but also emerge as inseparable motifs. The Dionysian gift has accompanied the creators of poetic works since as early as the 7th century BC. It is known that oinos often proved helpful in composing poetry. This awareness is evident, for example, in Hedylus who in one of his epigrams, demonstrated that a certain Socles had no equal in this matter, as he never denied himself wine and, in fact, consumed it in large quantities (Ath. II. 473a; Gow-Page VI). Undoubtedly, wine in poetry was perceived in various and diverse ways. Therefore, based on selected epigrams from the Palatine Anthology that address love, epitaphs and votive themes, these sometimes so different and distinct poetic ways of presenting oinos will be outlined below.

A Study on Critical Exploration of Nietzsche’s View of Liberal Arts Education

At the invitation of the Basel Education Committee, the young Nietzsche, who was a professor at the University of Basel, offered five lectures on education. The collection of these lectures is called “On the Future of Our Educational Institutions.” In this lecture, Nietzsche critiqued German schools at the time, particularly their liberal arts education, and proposed alternatives. The goal of this research is to uncover the significance of Nietzsche's view on liberal arts education as presented in his speech, as well as to investigate its applicability and limitations to liberal arts education in Korea today. Chapter II provides an overview of 19th-century Germany relevant to the lectures, Chapter III analyzes the main contents of Nietzsche's view on liberal arts education as demonstrated in the lecture, and Chapter IV investigates the potential of Nietzsche's views in the context of today's universities. Nietzsche identified the problems of mass education caused by education expansion policies, as well as the fragmentation and practicalization of knowledge caused by education diminution policies, and proposed an educational view based on the ‘metaphysics of genius’ as an alternative. Nietzsche saw the purpose and goal of liberal arts education as acquiring a sense of ancient Greece and the ability to think like a Greek in order to create a new German culture. While Nietzsche’s view on the elite education and the ancient Greek culture implicit in his discourses of liberal arts education is difficult to accept for twenty-first-century universities, Nietzsche's point regarding fragmentation and practicalization of knowledge that arise from viewing universities as academic institutions rather than liberal arts institutions allows us to critically reflect on the nature of liberal arts education in today's universities.

Analisis Pengaruh Falsafah al-Sufasta’iyyah dalam Filem Mentega Terbang Menurut Perspektif Falsafah Islam dan Ilmu Kalam Analysis of the Influence of Sophism Philosophy in the Mentega Terbang Film According to the Perspective of Islamic Philosophy and Kalam

The philosophy of sophists is a thought that was started by a pre-Socratic philosopher named Protagoras (d. 420 BC). This thought became an epidemic of thought for the Greek civilization in understanding the concept of truth and the essence of thing. The sophists thought brought by Protagoras became the foundation stone for the philosophy of skepticism and also relativism thus urging the Greek philosophers to came up with science of logic to prove the reality. Nevertheless, this thought is still found in the past and present. On November 28, 2021, a controversial film titled Mentega Terbang was shown and it touched the sensitivity of Islam in particular. Therefore, this article was written to analyze and criticize the influence of that philosophy on this film through the method of literature review and data content analysis from the film from the perspective of islamic philospohy and knowledge of kalam. The results of the study found the elements and influence of sophists philosophy on this film despite with new variations and narrative. This indirectly proves the role of the knowledge of kalam in facing the doubts and threats of faith in today's age.

Kardynał Bessarion i jego księgozbiór

Cardinal Bessarion (ca. 1400–1472), a theologian born in Trebizond and educated in Byzantium, made a career in the hierarchy of the Byzantine clergy and attracted the attention of the imperial family. He was one of the most active participants of the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438–1439). Following the failure of the church union in Constantinople, Bessarion came to work for the papal curia in Rome. As a cardinal he used his income and contacts to help Byzantine refugees and Greeks living under the rule of the Republic of Venice, especially after the fall of Constantinople. Fearing that the loss of statehood could mean that the heritage of Greek culture would fall into oblivion, Bessarion created a great library containing the masterpieces of Ancient Greek literature, the classical philosophical works, and the texts of the Eastern Church Fathers. In 1468, he donated this collection to the Republic of Venice, and in such a manner founded one of the first public libraries in Europe.

The Christian invention of time. Temporality and the literature of late antiquity. By Simon Goldhill. (Greek Culture in the Roman World.) Pp. xvi + 500. Cambridge–New York: Cambridge University Press, 2022. £34.99. 978 1 316 51290 6

The Christian invention of time. Temporality and the literature of late antiquity. By Simon Goldhill. (Greek Culture in the Roman World.) Pp. xvi + 500. Cambridge–New York: Cambridge University Press, 2022. £34.99. 978 1 316 51290 6