Modern Identity Research Articles

Exploring conflicts between traditional Shona practises and post-colonial modernity in gender roles in Stephen Chifunyise’s Oh My Grandfather

This article explores the intersection of gender roles, traditional Shona culture, and colonial legacies in Stephen Chifunyise’s play Oh My Grandfather (2018). Set in post-colonial Zimbabwe, the play highlights generational conflicts within the Matanga family, reflecting broader societal struggles. It explores how patriarchal Shona traditions continue to dictate gender dynamics, which are largely oppressive toward women. The article focuses on the roles of Morgan and Dorcas, who navigate between these traditional expectations and modern, Western values, creating what Homi K. Bhabha terms a ‘Third Space’ of cultural hybridity. The article discusses how Chifunyise critiques rigid gender norms while advocating for a balance between preserving cultural heritage and embracing modern ideals, such as gender equality. By highlighting characters like Dorcas and Tandi, who resist oppressive traditions, the play suggests that cultural practices can evolve without perpetuating injustice. Ultimately, Oh My Grandfather provides a nuanced exploration of the complexities of cultural identity in contemporary Zimbabwe, advocating for an integration of tradition and modernity that promotes a more equitable society.

Nurturing Professionals: De Facto Maternal Roles in British New Woman Novels, 1880–1900

Abstract This article situates the modern ideals of female motherhood and professionalism in the fin de siècle creation of the professional New Woman in Britain, and posits that future feminist discourses would find value in identifying similar strands of commonality with underrated historical feminist movements. Presenting snapshots of nineteenth-century British novelistic plots, this article shows how altered settings and character types in early, mid, and late Victorian novels do not diminish the Western investment in marriage and procreation as the future of culture, civilization, and hegemony. The article then analyzes how late Victorian narratives reconceptualize maternity as civic duty. Consequently, the physicality of biological motherhood and the complex Victorian epistemologies about sex and sexuality are relegated to animality with distinctly classist and racist connotations. Unwanted birth, along with its discomfiting relationship with infanticide in Victorian society, is subtly pushed into the sexualized realm of the lower classes or foreign, other races. Finally, this article explores the figure of the maternal professional woman, de facto non-biological mothers to childlike figures in the interest of civic duty that emerged, fairly clearly, from the discursive construction of the proto-professional New Woman in the fin de siècle. In this way, this article argues that the ideal of the New Woman gave rise to the modern notion of female professionalism that is nurturing and maternal, and involved the rearing of both biological and non-biological children.

Fluid Modernity and Virtual Communities: An Analysis of the Popularity of MBTI on Social Media

This paper, rooted in Zygmunt Baumans theory of modernity, examines the formation of virtual communities and the characteristics of liquid modernity as manifested in the widespread phenomenon of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) on social media. As a psychological assessment tool, MBTI has pervaded social media platforms, engendering virtual communities characterized by high fluidity and consumerist tendencies. Through participatory observation and online ethnography, this study delves into the MBTI virtual communities on the "Xiaohongshu" platform, exploring their consumerism-driven formation mechanisms and cultural attributes. In modern society, virtual communities exhibit dynamic stability and structural elasticity, with identity constantly being reshaped and redefined within these virtual spaces. The popularity of MBTI underscores the anxieties surrounding identity in contemporary society and reflects the liquid nature of modern identity formation. Under the influence of technology and consumerism, virtual communities have emerged as a significant social form in modern society.

Social Problems of Islam in Modern Indonesia in Muslim Academic Periodicals

The purpose of the article is to analyse the modern Muslim intellectual tradition in Indonesia in the context of analysing the social problems of Islam. The novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the main trends and directions in the development of Muslim social thought in modern Indonesia. Methodologically, the article is based on the principles proposed in intellectual and social history, which allows us to perceive Muslim intellectuals involved in the study of the social problems of the Ummah as an imagined community, and their ideas as invented traditions. The article analyses 1) the theoretical and methodological foundations of modern Indonesian sociology of Islam, 2) national specifics and regional features of the development of Islam in Indonesia in modern Muslim thought, 3) the problems of transformation and contradictions of the radicalization of Islam through the prism of understanding and interpreting this dimension of the modern social history of Islam. It is assumed that Muslim intellectuals make a significant contribution to the consolidation of modern identity by analysing both the social characteristics and characteristics of the Ummah, as well as the threats faced by the Indonesian model of Islam in a secular society in the context of the actualization of the ideas of radical Islam. The author's main conclusions include several points: 1) professional Muslim intellectuals make a major contribution to the development of modern Muslim sociology, 2) specialised journals published by Islamic universities play a leading role in the production and relaying of social knowledge based on Islam, 3) modern Muslim intellectual tradition is the subject to fragmentation, but, in general, the scientific tradition of the Ummah actualizes moderate trends in Islamic Sociology, based on the principles of interdisciplinarity.

Defying the gravity of “dominant parent” Sino-foreign JVs Chinese state leadership and control of Eurasia Aviation Corporation, 1931–1943

In 1931, Deutsche Luft Hansa and China's Nationalist government came together to form the Sino-German airline Joint Venture (JV), the Eurasia Aviation Corporation. Eurasia plied the skies over China and beyond, as part of its mandate to project newfound state power in a global infrastructural race to prove its technocratic capabilities and modern identity. By tracing the founding, development, and dissolution of Eurasia Aviation Corporation, this paper seeks to overturn the paradigm of the “dominant parent” enterprise where the foreign side controlled the destinies of Sino-foreign JVs. Using epistles and contracts between Luft Hansa, the Executive Yuan, Eurasia, and the ministries that had purview over the Sino-foreign JV – as well as using aerophilatelic catalogues, route networks, and Chiang Kai-shek's lectures ( Chinese Citizenry and Aviation) – this paper proposes that Nationalist state actors were capable of formidable and strategic stewardship over the business that transcended the quasi-equity on paper.

The microbial cataclysm that forever changed life’s history

After a full century of search, evidence of Darwin’s “missing” pre-Cambrian fossil record was finally discovered in the mid-1950s. Unsurprisingly, given the then widely held belief that Precambrian life was not only unknown but unknowable, the initial report engendered widespread skepticism. Nevertheless, new finds soon followed, discoveries that set the science on its present course by establishing the role of O2-producing phototrophic cyanobacteria as prime components of the Precambrian biota. Remarkably, however, many of the newly found ancient specimens were all but indistinguishable from cyanobacteria living today, a similarity that although bolstering their interpretation as authentic fossils raised questions about their apparent lack of evolutionary change. As the Precambrian fossil record has become increasingly better documented over recent decades, the seeming identity of modern and fossil cyanobacterial taxa has been repeatedly confirmed by workers worldwide. To accommodate these extraordinarily long-lived taxa, a new category of evolutionary rate-distribution, hypobradytely, has been added to G.G. Simpson’s classic listing and a second group of hypobradytelic Precambrian organisms, the microbial components of sulfuretum biocoenoses, has been discovered. Both of these groups originated early in earth history, the origin of O2-producing cyanobacteria ∼2700 Ma ago producing an enormous upheaval of the world’s ecosystem -- the microbial cataclysm -- as they supplanted long-established oxygen-intolerant anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria to become the predominant primary producers, the fundament of the global ecosystem. At least three principal characteristics of these early-evolved hypobradytelic prokaryotes, both cyanobacteria and sulfuretum bacteria, have contributed to their striking differences in tempo and mode of evolution from those of the later-evolved Phanerozoic biota: (1) Their lack of outgroup biotic competition; (2) their within-group competition-minimizing ecologic preferences; and (3) their phenotype variability-limiting asexual mode of reproduction. Clearly, both the tempo and mode of evolution evolved as the cyanobacterially induced microbial cataclysm forever changed life’s history.

Examining the Relationship between Cultural Globalization and Marriage Spaces: The Mediating Role of Modern Identity

Aim: The purpose of writing this article was to investigate the relationship between cultural globalization and marriage spaces, relying on the mediating role of modern identity. Methods: The research type was descriptive and survey methodology was used. The total sample size consisted of 271 students of Al-Zahra University (S) who were married between the years 2020 and 2023, and this number was able to fill out the Mirzaei’s (2021) Cultural Globalization and the Kianpour et al. (2015) and Afsharian (2021) Modern Identity Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted using SPSS and AMOS softwares. Results: In terms of effecting the dimensions of the dependent variable (spouse selection spaces), the highest rate was related to the relationship between individualism and the unsupervised spousal selection space (0.77); this means that the higher the level of individualism, the higher the number of unsupervised marriages and vice versa. The lowest level of correlation was also seen between the variables of using Iranian music and the atmosphere of passive supervision in choosing a spouse (0.16). Also, relying on the Sobel test, it was determined that the value of this statistic in all variables is greater than ±1.96, and this means that the modern identity variable has played a significant mediating role in the relationship between cultural globalization and spouse selection spaces. Conclusion: Considering the limitless expansion of communication and the internet and virtual space that is accessible to everyone, the religious-traditional fabric of Iranian society, as well as the decrease in the marriage rate and the increase in the divorce rate in the current era, it seems that the authorities should adopt appropriate policies and providing basic and important schemas by experts and university professors is more and more able to return the atmosphere of marriage and choosing a spouse to the past and its traditional state and also to overcome such alarming statistics related to the categories of marriage and divorce. In other words, it is necessary to think of measures to pay attention to the rich traditional culture so that the identity of Iranians does not suffer from contradictions and conflicts.

Analysis of cultural and identity transformations in the modern world

The issue of identification is becoming critical in the context of globalisation. On the one hand, globalisation stimulates the processes of cultural rapprochement and mutual infiltration. On the other hand, it is sharply criticised because of the desire to preserve one's culture and, accordingly, one's identity from "Westernization." The development of digital media exacerbates the problem of self-identification and socialisation of people through integration into virtual reality and the formation of online identities. This requires identifying the main trends of modern cultural and identity transformation and their careful analysis in the context of globalisation and the formation of the information society. The main methodological approaches of our study include constructivism, which allows us to identify the critical areas of identity construction in the global world, and structuralism, which identifies its main elements. Primary research methods: analysis of documents and sociological survey data, correlation analysis and case studies, synthesis, deduction, induction, generalisation, and systematisation. The study found that migration is a critical factor in modern identity transformations. Thus, it contributes to the launch of diametric processes: on the one hand, it influences the emergence of a hybrid identity as a product of cultural synthesis, and on the other hand, it actualises the processes of ethnic, religious, cultural, and national identification. Cultural globalisation promotes the exchange and borrowing of cultural values between peoples. At the same time, it increases resistance to Westernization by introducing practices of cultural isolation and a return to traditional values (cultural and religious). The formation of internet identity brings to attention the problem of constructing a virtual identity that is significantly different from the real one.

MODERNIST HERITAGE OF KARACHI: AN ARCHIVAL OF A COLLECTIVE MEMORY FROM AN ART DECO LENS

“To look at emotion and desire in architecture is not to discount the simple fact that most buildings have a practical purpose. But that practical purpose is rarely pursued with perfect detachment or indifferent calculation. To build and to inhabit are not small actions, and it is hard to undertake them with coolness.” Rowan Moore's text ‘Why We Build’ talks about desires shaping and giving form to the spaces we inhabit (Moore R. 20213). Practicality is always underlined by a necessity that gives rise to a desire. In my grandparent's house from the ’50s, all the interior spaces of the house were clustered around a sehen1. The spaces were connected by a seamless concrete floor, commonly present in most houses built in the ’50s and ’60s. This had a very practical purpose to it. Every summer the whole house was hosed down with water. Because of a seamless floor that connected all the rooms to the lounge and the lounge to the sehen, water could easily flow outside into a drain in the sehen. It proved to be sustainable in many ways as it lowered the temperature of the whole house for most of the day. There is a very simplistic desire behind a concrete floor. Domestic spaces of such a typology are nostalgic and a part of a collective memory of houses and apartments from the 50s and 60s. Many houses in Karachi within areas like North Nazimabad, P.E.C.H.S., and Bahadurabad are examples of a regional language that developed in these two decades. When it comes towards nostalgia and memory we often find the built spaces that preserved a memory were heritage from the colonialist period. A built reminiscent of power and dominance. But there is another kind of collective memory that talks about the simplistic details shared earlier. This detail is a part of a typology that speaks to another kind of heritage. A heritage that we reclaimed in post-colonial times. Using the lens of Art Deco homes, the paper studies the transformation of a global movement into a local aesthetic. By recording the narrative of the inhabitants of these structures, this research can create a conversation about the sensitivities we have towards these vernacular techniques that developed a modern and brutalist-inspired heritage for the city of Karachi. The city’s heritage is more than the colonial architecture found in the old town. These modernist structures present another kind of heritage, unique to the architectural vocabulary of Karachi, and represent a climatic sensibility that developed over the 20th century, building a modernist identity of Karachi’s architecture. Keywords: Modern Architecture, Art Deco, Post-Colonial, Collective Memory Nostalgia

TRANSGENDER SHARIA, LEGAL AND SOCIAL STATUS

Transgender is a modern Western term. The word "Transgender" is a combination of two words. Trans means "to move" or "to change", while gender means "sex". The following definition is taken from a United Nations document. A Men or women who deviate from their birth sexual identity and convert their gender Identity. For example, they want to be male or contradictory from a woman, or to be a woman or a male or contradictory or non -sexually man or adopt another modern identity. Some of them resort to medical procedures such as hormone therapy or surgery. They are also called transsexual. And some of them only express gender expression different from their birth gender, i.e., they change shape, cell, clothes, and features. They are also called Cross Dresser. Transgender laws around the world are not designed to protect people who are born transgender or intersex. Because they are born in the same condition medically and physically and statistically their number is very less. In the developed world they do not have the same problems that we have here. Transgender laws in the developed world are designed to protect those who voluntarily change their gender and are not limited to gender choice but extend to sexual orientation. Therefore, homosexuality with transgender is given full protection in the western world. Transgender law, if it is made absolute without including the necessary and Sharia fiefs, is a collection of many forbidden (haram) acts and Islam never allows any Islamic government to implement any such law in its country, rather, implementing and supporting any such law is strictly illegal and forbidden and is a deed that leads to hell.

Islamic Law Reform in Indonesia: A Perspective on Muhammad Abid Al-Jabiri’s Thought

This study explores the handling of tradition (turath) within Arab society, particularly in the context of modernity and progress. It focuses on the contributions of ‘Abed al-Jabiri, a prominent Muslim philosopher, whose ideas underscore the value of tradition during times of rapid social change. Utilizing a descriptive analysis method, this research examines the interpretation of the Qur’an and Hadith to assess the relevance of ancient scholarly findings to contemporary issues. The study highlights how Islamic feminism, viewed through the lens of Irfani epistemology, seeks to reconstruct these classical insights to align with modern ideals. Islamic feminism is presented as a humanistic ideal rooted in conscience, guided by moral and ethical principles encompassing universal goodness (ma’ruf), individual goodness (khair), happiness (sa’adah), and virtuous deeds (fadhilah). This paper contributes to the discourse on integrating traditional Islamic thought with modern feminist principles, offering a perspective enriched with ethical and spiritual dimensions.

The second generation of intellectuals in the educational modernization of the city of Santos (1908-1930)

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the city of Santos, located on the coast of São Paulo, emerged as an important urban center influenced by the ideals of progress and modernity that accompanied the recent Proclamation of the Republic in Brazil. This period of political transition was marked by intense social, economic, and cultural transformations, reflected in the practices and discourses of the intellectuals who worked in the city. Among these intellectuals, a network formed by Arthur Porchat de Assis, Adolpho Porchat de Assis, Victor de Lamare and Delphino Stockler de Lima stands out, whose work in the modernization of education in Santos between 1908 and 1930 had a significant impact on the city's educational development. This study aims to present results about the role of these intellectuals in the process of modernization of education in Santos during the First Republic. The research was based on a literature review and a survey of periodicals of the time, analyzing the discourses and practices of these subjects. The analysis reveals that education was seen as a fundamental means for the construction of a modern and progressive nation, being used as an instrument for the consolidation of republican ideals and for overcoming the memories of the old monarchical regime. The city of Santos, with its strategic port and an active intellectual elite, has become a stage for debates and initiatives aimed at educational modernization. This network of intellectuals, in particular, played a crucial role in the implementation of educational reforms and the creation of institutions that sought to meet the needs of the population, contributing to the construction of a dualistic educational system, offering one type of education to the ruling class and another type of education to the working class.

Magazines and Modern Identities: Global Cultures of the Illustrated Press, 1880–1945

Magazines and Modern Identities: Global Cultures of the Illustrated Press, 1880–1945

‘Critically disruptive’ museum interpretation as a methodology for challenging popular perceptions of Roman Britain

ABSTRACT Scholarly perceptions of Roman Britain and the wider Roman world have changed significantly in recent years, increasingly exploring more nuanced understandings of lived experiences and cultural interactions. Yet, despite the influence the ancient world continues to exert on modern identities and political discourse, it is debatable to what extent these academic shifts have influenced public perceptions. Museums have a central role to play in challenging outdated presumptions of Rome as a homogenised and civilising cultural force, and this article argues for the application of ‘critically disruptive’ interpretative methodologies to achieve this ambition. Case studies of creative prose, poetry and interactivity are explored for the opportunities they offer to reinvigorate museum narratives of Roman Britain.

Cultural Landscapes: Exploring the Imprint of the Roman Empire on Modern Identities

This study explores how cultural landscapes serve as dynamic interfaces between human societies and their environments, reflecting intricate interactions shaped by historical and societal changes. Cultural landscapes, embodying both tangible heritage (e.g., architecture, gardens, and urban spaces) and intangible heritage (e.g., traditions and practices), act as living archives that document the evolution of cultural identities and environmental care. Through the lens of historical analysis and case studies, including that of the legacy of the Roman Empire, this research examines the transformative impacts of political, economic, social, and cultural shifts on these landscapes. Methods include a comparative analysis of historical data and contemporary landscape assessments, used to understand how these spaces adapt to and reflect societal changes. The findings highlight the importance of preserving cultural landscapes for their educational and aesthetic value, ecological sustainability, and their role in maintaining historical continuity. The study underscores the need for integrating historical insights into contemporary landscape preservation and urban design to keep these spaces relevant for future generations. This research contributes to our understanding of the deep-seated connection between past civilizations and modern cultural identities through the stewardship of cultural landscapes.

Officers and men and fallen heroes: The discursive construction of regimented masculinity in the Nigerian Army

This paper examines the use of gendered language in the Nigerian Army's community of practice through the application of insights from language ideology and theory of masculinity. Data were generated by means of participant observation and semi-structured interviews in a one-year fieldwork involving representative sample of 18 personnel of the 6 Battalion, Ibawa and 2 Brigade, Uyo, both in Akwa Ibom State in South-eastern Nigeria. The findings show that the Nigerian Army maintains institutional gendered language practices used among its personnel in regimented functions and social events. The gendered registers occur in the soldiers' generic use of male address terms, adaptation to male-coded voice pattern in parades, masculinisation of Army's workout songs, and the subordination of femininity in institutional associations, all combined to construct the regimented and performative masculinisation of the profession. This practice is observed to be informed by the numerical domination of men in the profession that was originally perceived as males'; a conception that has shaped the linguistic ideology and performance of the Nigerian Army to rehearse masculine orientations. It is however recommended that the Army's language practices should capture modern ideals of a gender sensitive world that connect to the clamour for gender equality and equal social belonging through the inclusion of feminine linguistic markers in workplaces.

Nationalism in China: Changing Parameters from 1993 to Present

This paper examines the promotion of different nationalist discourses in China by three generations of CCP leadership: Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping. It analyzes the changes in Chinese nationalist discourses through the lens of CCP legitimacy and in light of the ongoing struggle in China to modernize while retaining its identity. The paper finds that nationalist discourse varied under different Chinese leadership in response to the changing domestic and international environment. Furthermore, these changing nationalist narratives highlighted China’s tussle with its modern identity and its traditions.

The Role of Baptism in Christian Identity Formation

The construction of one’s identity in late modernity is sometimes viewed as a project of the autonomous self in which one’s identity may shift or change over the course of one’s existence and development. For the Christian, however, one’s identity is both a divine gift, and a task of ecclesial formation, and for both the gift and the task, Christian baptism is fundamental. Baptism represents the death of the self and its rebirth in Christ, a decisive breach with the life that has gone before. Baptism establishes a new identity, a new affiliation, a new mode of living, and a new life orientation, direction, and purpose. This paper explores the role of baptism in the formation of Christian identity, finding that Christian identity is both extrinsic to the self and yet also an identity into which we are called and into which we may continually grow. The essay proceeds in three sections. It begins with a survey of recent philosophical reflection on the concept of identity, continues by reflecting on the nature of Christian baptism in dialogue with this reflection, and concludes by considering in practical terms how baptism functions in the process of conversion–initiation toward the formation of mature Christian identity.

A PROPOSAL OF DIGITAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT USING BLOCKCHAIN

Digital identity is the representation of a person in the digital environment. Nowadays, digital identity has become a very important topic when most activities are moved to the online world. To be secured and respect data privacy, this digital identity must be controlled by its owner, not any other third parties. This paper aims to propose a system for digital identity, presenting its architecture, features, and implementation specifications. This system brings advantages that will also be exposed along with real-life use case scenarios, all proving the necessity of transitioning to a modern identity management model like the Self-Sovereign Identity model. The Self-sovereign identity model is based on blockchain and is fundamental for the digital identity system conceived through research.

AttackNet: Enhancing biometric security via tailored convolutional neural network architectures for liveness detection

Biometric security is the cornerstone of modern identity verification and authentication systems, where the integrity and reliability of biometric samples is of paramount importance. This paper introduces AttackNet, a bespoke Convolutional Neural Network architecture, meticulously designed to combat spoofing threats in biometric systems. Rooted in deep learning methodologies, this model offers a layered defense mechanism, seamlessly transitioning from low-level feature extraction to high-level pattern discernment. Three distinctive architectural phases form the crux of the model, each underpinned by judiciously chosen activation functions, normalization techniques, and dropout layers to ensure robustness and resilience against adversarial attacks. Benchmarking our model across diverse datasets affirms its prowess, showcasing superior performance metrics in comparison to contemporary models. Furthermore, a detailed comparative analysis accentuates the model's efficacy, drawing parallels with prevailing state-of-the-art methodologies. Through iterative refinement and an informed architectural strategy, AttackNet underscores the potential of deep learning in safeguarding the future of biometric security.