Identity Building Research Articles

(Re)konstrukcija identiteta visokoobrazovanih povratnika - slučaj Srbija

The aim of this paper is to analyze empirical data collected through focus-group research that examined the experience and formation of the identity of highly educated returnees after a period of studying abroad. We start from the theoretical assumption of identity as a social category, which means that it is the result of the interaction between people, institutions and practice, and thus it is changeable, in the constant process of formation and never completed. The emphasis will be placed on the analysis of building the respondents' identity and their attitudes towards individual identity components. From interviews it can be concluded that migration experience has largely affected the building and understanding of own identity, that it remains open to influences of new social environments, while also preserving the contours of national culture.

Two and three-dimensional halogen-bonded frameworks: self-assembly influenced by crystallization solvents.

In this paper, two types of solid phase 2D and 3D XBOFs were selectively constructed from identical building blocks of tetraphenylmethane tetrapyridine derivative and 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene by changing the crystallization solvent. This 3D XBOF is a novel hybrid supramolecular organic framework with the synergistic control of hydrogen and halogen bonds.

Uloga države u izgradnji održivog nacionalnog identiteta - studija slučaja Meksiko

This research investigates the national identity building process and corresponding role of the state in it. In many societies, states monopolised entire process, yet success they have been achieving is ambiguous. Using the Mexico case study, the research explores prospects of the state to lead the process of building a stable and sustainable national identity. To respond to the research question, authors analyse role of the Mexican state and ruling regimes in the process of different narratives production and parallelly investigates structural, historically conditioned factors. The conclusion is that the state cannot compensate authenticity and stability of the national identities which arise independently through the longue durée processes by producing and imposing artificial discourses and ideas.

Science Communication across Disciplines: Reflecting on STEM Identity Building through Notation in Science Communication ePortfolios

Science Communication across Disciplines: Reflecting on STEM Identity Building through Notation in Science Communication ePortfolios

The Transformation of Islamic Political Identity in The Countryside of Banyuwangi Through Osing Culture in 1970-2005

<p class="abstrak">This research examines why local identity building was conducted in Osing village, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, and how this identity was initiated and invested by actors who have power using Islamic political identity. To respond to these questions, this research used the historical method by utilizing primary and secondary sources, such as official archive in form of decrees, interview with historical actors, and various references such as books, journals, and newspapers. This research findings are the following: Osing’s identity was a deliberate blueprint and not a natural continuity. This construction involved cultural practitioners, journalists, artists, intellectuals, traditional figures, and national administrators. Osing’s identity construction, transformation, negotiation, and mobility are the site of the contention of various interest. The attempt of creating a sympathetic and caring reputation of Osing culture represented by almost all of Banyuwangi regent continued from the New Order era until the post-Reformation era, despite various paradigm shifts. This needs to be interpreted as efforts to build identity and not just to eliminate the stigma attached. It has had an impact on political support and legitimacy in Banyuwangi, especially Osing Kemiren Village.</p>

Manortor as a Solidarity and Identity Building Media of Mandailing Ethnic Group in Rokan Hulu, Riau Province

This study aimed to explore manortors as a medium for building solidarity and identity for the Mandailing community in Rokan Hulu Regency, Riau Province. The research method was carried out through observation of manortor performances in Menaming, Bangun Purba, and Khaiti Villages as Mandailing ethnic dominions in Rokan Hulu. The observation focused on the movement aspect of the manortor. In-depth interviews were conducted to reinforce the data obtained through the observation of the manortor and to explore how aspects of the movement in the manortor build solidarity and identity. The results showed that manortor is a dance that embodies kinship relationships with dalihan na tolu. The form of movement, standing position, and order of performance should be in line with the norms of kinship. The group members dance together with movements representing kinship relationships and strengthening kinship relationships, building solidarity and a strong self-identity.English translation.

European Practices of Overcoming Language Barriers in Times of Crisis: Open Educational Resources

Objective. In any given country, the national language and education not only help to impart knowledge but also broaden the horizons of students, teaching them to be more tolerant of different cultures. Today, the Ukrainian language as an important component of national identity and state building is one of the main goals of Russia in its war against Ukraine. That is why one of the main challenges for higher education in Ukraine during wartime is to create modern and high-quality educational materials in the national language as quickly as possible, in order to facilitate remote teaching, learning and research processes at universities. The mechanism for responding to this challenge is to turn to the experience of creating, adapting and using Open Educational Resources (OER) in Europe and the rest of the world. The aim of the study is to consider the practices of creating, adapting and using OER in European universities and libraries in the context of their benefits, including the possibilities of overcoming language barriers in times of crisis. Methods. This article is based on the analysis of the literature on OER practices in facilitating the overcoming of language barriers, on the activities of ENOEL, on the practices of librarians and educationalists of several European universities, as well as on self-reflection and direct experience of the circumstances of the war by Ukrainian librarians, who continue information support of the educational process. Results. The theoretical aspects and implemented practical solutions demonstrate that OER can be an effective solution in times of crisis (whether a pandemic or a war) to the issue of quality information support of distance education with materials in the national language in any country in Europe and the world. In the context of higher education in Ukraine, OER is a means and one of the methods of overcoming linguocide by the Russian Federation – the purposeful destruction of the Ukrainian language as the main feature of the ethnic group. The experience of working with OER of the USUST Scientific Library (Dnipro, Ukraine) is the story of a library that was looking for opportunities to answer its local challenges and resolve problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and found solutions that became necessary during the war with Russia. Conclusions. The authors hope that Ukrainian-language OER will soon become a mandatory element in the cultural environment of Ukrainian universities. And it is OER that can help overcome Ukrainian linguocide in educational resources. The experience of librarians of the European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL) proves that one of the most important roles in this is played by university librarians.

Innovative Design and Execution Model for Improving Productivity of Interior Prefabricated Commercial Wall Assemblies

Field productivity of building trades is the focus of prefabricated construction practitioners as a path to greater profitability and competitiveness in the marketplace. Construction firms are struggling to meet the demand of the marketplace due to shortages of skilled workers and flat to declining productivity. Human capital and productivity challenges are affecting the ability to both acquire new work and complete the work under contract. This study focuses on the development of an innovative model that defines a process for the design, project site preconstruction planning phase, and fabrication of interior prefabricated wall components that improves onsite productivity. The developed model was tested and implemented in a case study of a single project comprised of four identical buildings located on a singular jobsite while utilizing both traditional and model approaches. The results verify that the productivity model developed in this study is capable of reducing on-site labor hours and, therefore, improving field productivity compared to traditional methods. The application of the model saved between 7–23% man-hours compared to the traditional methods and beat the estimate by 17%. Practitioners and researchers are both incentivized to explore, develop, and implement novel methodologies to address the human capital shortage that is facing the construction industry.

Sustainable Promotion of Traditional Rural Buildings as Built Heritage Attractions: A Heritage Interpretation Methodology Applied in South Italy

The study describes the methodology implemented to include a rural cultural heritage attraction within an existing tourist route, i.e., the Sicilian Roads of Wine (“Strade del vino”). The aim was to promote a traditional rural building (TRB) as a tourist attraction and diversify rural tourism offerings. By promoting TRB and wine and food, the rural tourism sector offers a significant opportunity to achieve sustainable socio-economic development in rural areas, rural diversification, and landscape preservation. The inclusion of the TRB within the visitor route is based on a detailed heritage analysis approach as an operative process which could enable the comprehension and collective use of the cultural sites. The valorization of a traditional rural building with wine cellars and oil mills, located within the Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) boundary, will be described. The objective is to make an architectural heritage building made with local materials and following the traditional Sicilian building techniques accessible to tourists. Special attention is paid to restore the building by respecting its identity and relevant building regulations and focusing on a complete, sustainable approach regarding social, environmental, and economic factors.

Nurturing inclusivity among Durban University of Technology students through reflective writing

Reflective writing is unarguably an essential component in experiential learning. For this reason, its usefulness as a communicative tool in nurturing students’ inclusivity, agency and sense of belonging needs further academic engagement. Additionally, the surrounding access, participation and success of students in higher education and the importance of reflective writing require adequate exploration within the South African space, thereby necessitating this study. This article is an inferential experiential discourse on the use of reflective writing as an important skillset acquired by students through the flagship Cornerstone module offered by the Centre for General Education, Durban University of Technology. This article explores using reflective writing for students to freely express themselves, thereby cultivating a deeper sense of inclusiveness and belonging and encouraging active involvement in socialisation and transformative education. The study’s setting was premised within the Durban University of Technology university-wide Cornerstone module for first-year students (enrolled in the course for the second semester, 2021 session). The authors employed a self-reflective practice owing to the authors’ inferential experiences as facilitators of the module (between 2018 and 2021) in utilising reflective writing in the classroom, along with a triangulation of secondary data from the literature. The study revealed that reflective writing aids a practice of inclusivity that underpins transformative learning. It forms the basis for a participatory methodological approach in educational encounters. It can be leveraged to tackle identity and belonging crises and exclusions by giving a voice to students to express themselves freely and creatively. The authors advocate for more relevant, inclusive and creative educational approaches to tackle societal issues. This can be effective for identity building, a sense of community and belongingness and individual motivation to communicate, creating a space for participation and valued involvement for students.Contribution: This article contributes to advancing divergent teaching practices such as more dialogic learner-centred techniques available through reflective writing methodologies compared to univocal delivery methods to encourage a more inclusive pedagogy and sense of placement and belonging for students.

HISTORY AND MEMORY, HISTORY AS MEMORY

Starting with the late 1980ʹs and early 1990ʹs, the field of Western historiography was pervaded by studies on the history of memory against the background of mentalities, the birth of the history of present time and the struggle of oral history to promote itself (time of roots, genealogies, commemorations); it was also the time for a growing interest in an alternative history of Africa built upon memories. Museums felt empowered to interrogate current histories, while the older ones revisited the very concepts upon which they had been previously built. Memories felt compelled to question history – and to rectify it. Certain researchers felt obliged to bring forth the memorial constructions. While in Europe memories were invited to permanently defy history, in Africa their task was, from the beginning, that of investing history with truth. Very scarce were here the invitations to relativism. Memories in Africa brought with them a familiar past that was allegedly colonized and suppressed Furthermore, waking up dormant memories from before the recent, Western colonial past was part of the identity building process in Africa: such narratives justified the individual via his/her ancestors, ethnic group peers and generations. On top of that, local intellectuals built on the national and continental identity. Based on the common roots, the emerging African discourse blamed recent history for the rupture with the long durée. Celebration and commemoration are still the barometers of existing, different types of memories (individual, communities, official). The controversial heritage of juxtaposed memories requires a separate interpretation. The Kermel Square in downtown Dakar, Senegal, is such an example. The walls of the main building and the surrounding building of colonial French architecture are overlapped with imprints of the more recent national memory, and the latter is the sworn enemy of the former. Each nation-state has its own heroes and places of memory, while few remember when the stories associated with them were born. We are now left with just their compulsory, ceremonial re-visitations.

Digital audiovisual content in marketing and distributing cultural products during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece

PurposeThe aim of the present study is to reflect upon the use of digital audiovisual content for the marketing of cultural events in the relative organisations and foundations during the turbulent times of the COVID-19 pandemic by conveying experts' interviews. The main question that the study seeks to touch upon is whether the digital audiovisual techniques implemented by cultural foundations and festivals in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic were efficient in promoting artwork and stressing on social presence and whether their marketing and distributing processes of the artistic and cultural products manage to attract audience engagement and further enhance the foundations' brand. What the research seeks to examine is issues such as digital content creation, arts marketing, use of digital media and new technologies, brand identity and strategy building. Particular digital campaigns of foundations will be reviewed from a closer focus.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative research is based on experts' interviews. The primary foundations that are in focus are the organisations of Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF), Dimitria Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece and a major cultural foundation in Athens, Greece the Onassis Foundation.FindingsA proper combination of interesting audiovisual content and precise brand aspirations in terms of identity and vision are what will lead a foundation to the audience it desires. Adaptability is the element that defined the foundations in the turbulence of the times of a pandemic, and creativity is what made some foundations differentiate themselves from others. The digitization that the pandemic brought can be considered as a positive dimension as well, since foundations can combine digital and physical spectacles in the near future so that they can always be relevant.Research limitations/implicationsThis study identifies certain limitations that could be investigated by future research, the main one being the small number of the organisations and foundations under research and the limited number of interviewees. Furthermore, the fact that the research was performed in cultural institutions and that audiovisual features were integral in the artwork they serve could be considered as a limitation.Originality/valueThe originality of this research lies in the examination and registration of the implementation of innovative digital audiovisual techniques by cultural foundations in Greece to reach their audience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feedforward control of thermal history in laser powder bed fusion: Toward physics-based optimization of processing parameters

We developed and applied a model-driven feedforward control approach to mitigate thermal-induced flaw formation in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process. The key idea was to avert heat buildup in a LPBF part before it is printed by adapting process parameters layer-by-layer based on insights from a physics-based thermal simulation model. The motivation being to replace cumbersome empirical build-and-test parameter optimization with a physics-guided strategy. The approach consisted of three steps: prediction, analysis, and correction. First, the temperature distribution of a part was predicted rapidly using a graph theory-based computational thermal model. Second, the model-derived thermal trends were analyzed to isolate layers of potential heat buildup. Third, heat buildup in affected layers was corrected before printing by adjusting process parameters optimized through iterative simulations. The effectiveness of the approach was demonstrated experimentally on two separate build plates. In the first build plate, termed fixed processing, ten different nickel alloy 718 parts were produced under constant processing conditions. On a second identical build plate, called controlled processing, the laser power and dwell time for each part was adjusted before printing based on thermal simulations to avoid heat buildup. To validate the thermal model predictions, the surface temperature of each part was tracked with a calibrated infrared thermal camera. Post-process the parts were examined with non-destructive and destructive materials characterization techniques. Compared to fixed processing, parts produced under controlled processing showed superior geometric accuracy and resolution, finer grain size, increased microhardness, and reduced surface roughness.

Economic and environmental life cycle perspectives on two engineered wood products: comparison of LVL and GLT construction materials.

The embodied carbon of building materials and the energy consumed during construction have a significant impact on the environmental credentials of buildings. The structural systems of a building present opportunities to reduce environmental emissions and energy. In this regard, mass timber materials have considerable potential as sustainable materials over other alternatives such as steel and concrete. The aim of this investigation was to compare the environment impact, energy consumption, and life cycle cost (LCC) of different wood-based materials in identical single-story residential buildings. The materials compared are laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and glued laminated timber (GLT). GLT has less global warming potential (GWP), ozone layer depletion (OLD), and land use (LU), respectively, by 29%, 37%, and 35% than LVL. Conversely, LVL generally has lower terrestrial acidification potential (TAP), human toxicity potential (HTP), and fossil depletion potential (FDP), respectively, by 30%, 17%, and 27%. The comparative outcomes revealed that using LVL reduces embodied energy by 41%. To identify which of these materials is the best alternative, various environmental categories, embodied energy, and cost criteria require further analysis. Therefore, the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method has been applied to enable robust decision-making. The outcome showed that LVL manufacturing using softwood presents the most sustainable choice. These research findings contribute to the body of knowledge about the use of mass timber in construction.

STEPS OF THE NATION: LATVIAN DANCE AND IDENTITY IN THE DIASPORA

This research investigates the impact of folk culture and folk dance groups on civic and cultural identity building in the Latvian diaspora. It presents a case study of an American-Latvian folk dance group, using a mixed-methods approach to analyse the historical background, attitudes and preferences of dancers. The author argues that participation in folk culture provides access to the Latvian nation and an element of Latvian identity, regardless of ethno-linguistic background or home country. The ritual of rehearsal, performance and party provide individuals the opportunity to engage together in community building that not only strengthens the relationships of individuals, but also builds the social capital of the community and the ability to develop a cultural appreciation that contributes to the Latvian nation.

The ethics of food sovereignty: discourses for transformative social change and community development practices by peasant movements

Abstract The food sovereignty movement is a global alliance of peasants aiming to create democratic, sustainable, and decentralized food systems. The radical strategy of the movement, aimed at promoting a global peasant identity and collective action for food systems’ transformation, is a community development endeavour that encompasses processes of social learning, community building, and community organizing. The food sovereignty movement provides relevant insights about the ethical challenges involved in building and mobilizing transnational solidarity. This paper explores the global food sovereignty movement of La Vía Campesina and two cases of local, farmer-led movements in India, namely Navdanya and The Deccan Development Society, through a constructivist qualitative case study methodological design. The paper analyses the ethical challenges experienced and explores the roles and responsibilities that community development workers play in facilitating transformative social change in the food systems. This paper demonstrates that the main challenge of building solidarity involves reconciling multiple visions and practice frameworks, through the respect of diversity and democratic choice. Finally, the paper highlights ethical considerations (such as overcoming binary logics), the crafting of community-led discourses, and pedagogical practices (such as Wisdom Dialogues), as key elements to guide community development workers to aid the facilitation of processes for identity building, conscientization, and collective action.

Solidification behavior and porosity in electron-beam powder bed fusion of Co–Cr–Mo alloys: Effect of carbon concentrations

An increased carbon content strengthens Co–Cr–Mo alloys for use in a broad range of industrial applications. In this study, we investigated the influence of the carbon content (0.04–2.5 mass%) on the porosity and microstructure of Co–27Cr–6Mo (mass%) alloys during atomization and electron-beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF). Quantitative X-ray computed tomography clarified that the volume fraction of pores in the raw powders monotonically increased with the carbon content, as a potential effect of the significant reduction in the liquidus temperature. In contrast, the porosity evolution in the investigated alloys during EB-PBF under identical building conditions suggested an influence of carbon concentration that was distinct from that in the powder. These alloys exhibited negligible porosity fraction for 0.04 and 0.22 mass% and a maximum volume fraction (∼0.3 vol.%) at 2.0 mass%, followed by a remarkable reduction caused by further carbon addition. The porosity of the as-built alloys could be correlated to the solidification behavior varying with carbon concentration. The smoother and more flat solidification front during the cellular (0.04 and 0.22 mass%) and eutectic (2.5 mass%) solidification could effectively eliminate the gas bubbles from the melt pool, whereas the complicated morphology at the solid–liquid interfaces during the dendritic growth (1.5 and 2.0 mass%) hindered the pore elimination in the melt pool. Adding carbon significantly increased the Rockwell hardness of the as-built specimens, reaching a significantly high value of HRC59 at 2.5 mass% of carbon, primarily due to the formation of hard carbide precipitates. The obtained findings could be beneficial to reduce entrapped gas pores thereby contributing to the development of highly durable metal components.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY SHAMING AND STRESS LEVELS OF THE NINTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT SMPN 4 BOJONEGORO

Introduction: Adolescence is marked by changes in growth and development that occur very rapidly. Adolescents will experience stages towards social and economic independence, identity building, acquisition of skills for adult life, and the ability to negotiate. Body shaming, weight shaming, or harassment based on appearance can be described as mocking or humiliating someone based on their physical appearance. The study aimed to determine the relationship between body shaming behaviour and the stress levels of the ninth graders at SMP N 4 Bojonegoro. Methods: The design of this research was a cross-sectional analysis. The population was 80 ninth graders obtained by using a purposive sampling technique. The students were experiencing body shaming. The research data were taken using the Body-Shaming questionnaire to measure body shaming behaviour and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) 42 questionnaire to measure stress levels. Results: The results showed that 9 out of 11 students (81.8%) who experienced severe body shaming behaviour had extreme stress levels, 37 out of 38 students (97.4%) students who participated in proper body shaming behaviour had moderate stress levels, 18 out of 31 students (58.1%) who experienced mild body shaming behaviour had mild stress levels. Based on the results of the data above, a statistical test was obtained with a significance value of p sign = 0.01 (p <0.05). Conclusions: It can be concluded that there is a relationship between body shaming behaviour and the stress levels of the ninth graders at SMP N 4 Bojonegoro.

Pulling back the curtain of environmental accountability: How boundaries shape environmental identities in the SKI industry

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the important role boundaries play in back-office framing of environmental engagement. This is of particular interest because it is not clear how organizations in an industry without standardized environmental reporting navigate their boundaries behind the scenes and why they engage with the environment the way they do. This element of their environmental identity offers important insights into the emergence of sustainability reporting.Design/methodology/approachGuided by Miles and Ringham (2019) the authors conduct an ethnography of the Montana ski industry. The ethnography includes extensive on-site observations at nine Montana ski areas and interviews with 16 ski area executives, two regulators and a land development executive.FindingsThe authors find three key boundaries – accountability structure, degree of regulatory burden and impact measurement approach – that shape the back-office economic and environmental framing of ski executives (Goffman, 1959, 1974). From these back-office frames the authors identify four front-office cultural performances – community ecosystem, quantitative ownership, approval seeking and advocacy platform – that represent the environmental engagement strategies at these resorts.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the relationships between boundaries and environmental engagement is an important step in developing appropriate industry-wide environmental accountability and sustainability expectations. The study’s findings extend to other industries that are both highly dependent on the environment and are in the early stages of developing environmental reporting standards.Originality/valueSki resorts operate in an industry that is impacted by changes in the natural environment. The authors chronicle the process by which boundaries lead to framing which leads to environmental engagement in this weather-dependent industry. The authors explain the process of environmental identity building, the result of which both precedes environmental reporting and puts such reporting into context. In this sense, the authors show how boundaries are set and maintained in the ski resort industry, and how fundamental these boundaries are to the development of individual companies' environmental engagement strategies.

Realization of the Quantum Spin Hall Effect Using Tunable Acoustic Metamaterials

We report pseudospin-dependent hybrid topological acoustic metamaterials constructed from tunable acoustic metamaterials and honeycomb-latticed sonic crystals. Using a theoretical model analogous to electrostatic interactions, we provide an efficient approach to evaluate intra- and interlattice couplings, whose competition is the major physical reason arousing the quantum spin Hall effect. The intralattice coupling is from the intrinsic design of the acoustic metamaterial, and the interlattice coupling is affected by multiple scattering among periodic scatterers. By independently manipulating the acoustic metamaterial and sonic crystal, we can successfully induce topological phase transitions at will. An alternative type of topological material is thus realized with great tunability. With identical building blocks for all hybrid topological acoustic metamaterials, a simple tuning of the corotation angle of each acoustic metamaterial can directly induce a topological phase transition, which makes the reconfiguration of the topological domains very convenient. A tunable multiport acoustic power divider is designed and demonstrated using numerical simulations and experiments. An alternative method to control the transmission rate and direction is thus reached and alternative routes for designing hybrid topological acoustic metamaterials with different functionalities and versatile applications are thus paved.