Ideological Context Research Articles

The problem of authenticity in the repertoire of the “Folclor” orchestra: institutional policies of the Moldovan Broadcasting, and reflections in the Soviet press from the 1970s-1980s

The study addresses the diverse and controversial aspects regarding the concept, notion and principle of authenticity in neo-traditional music, known as “popular/folk music”, promoted by the popular studio orchestra “Folclor”, within the Republican Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (TRM), in the ideological context of the Soviet period, throughout 1970-1980s. The author tries to reveal the directorial role of the Artistic Council of the TRM, as an institutional body of control, censorship, evaluation, homologation and political accreditation of the popular creations as cultural expressions of the Moldavian SSR, in accordance with the cultural policies of the party-state. Calling on the analysis of some studies on the topic, the synthesis of typical wordings from the minutes and the evaluation of the critics, exposed in the press pages of the era, the main characteristics of the neo-traditional popular/folk authenticity are highlighted.

The Corporeity Discourse and the Body “Arguments” in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Works

The subject of this research is the discourse on the body and corporeity in Dostoevsky’s works on the example of four out of his “five greatest novels”. The questions of the body and corporeity are often eliminated in philosophical studies of Dostoevsky’s works which allows researchers to conceptualize the content of his novels more easily. This tradition and its inconsistency can be revealed through a brief historiographical review. The author of the article, on the contrary, regards the corporeity as an important part of Dostoevsky’s philosophical and anthropological ideas. Thus, two main aspects of the discourse on the body and corporeity found in various proportions in the writer’s works: 1) corresponds with materialistic philosophical anthropology, and 2) matches the Christian patristic anthropological tradition. In addition, the article describes Dostoevsky’s non-formalizability of corporeity which stands above the materialistic interpretations of the man and the standardized, not problematized body. This is achieved through cultural and historical, biographical and ideological contexts of Dostoevsky’s writings. The hermeneutic analysis of the four novels texts provides an opportunity to briefly outline the concept of the body and corporeity understanding. Thus, the author identifies three modes of corporeity underlying the body problematization in Dostoevsky’s novels: the scientistic mode, the otherness mode, and the religious mode (based on the anthropological tradition of Eastern Patristics). Unlike the materialistic concepts of a onefold approach to the man, Dostoevsky offers twofold (or even threefold) concept dissecting corporeity through its most non-formalized manifestations. The body for Dostoevsky is both universal and unique. On the one hand, it complicates the corporeity conceptualization, but on the other hand, it enhances its importance in the writer’s works. The results of the research can be used to elaborate new non-reductionist interpretations of Dostoevsky’s literary legacy.

Negotiating the Complexities of Mothering: An Autoethnography

This research delved into the nuanced experiences of a first-time mother. Using the lens of autoethnography, she provided an elaborate narrative of how she navigated the complex social role of motherhood. The study highlighted how she negotiated the inherent contradictions within the motherhood experience as both liberating and restrictive. The exploration focused on uncovering the intricate web of social and cultural influences that shaped and influenced her mothering practices, particularly within the context of the good mother ideology and the prevailing culture of intensive mothering which imposes idealized standards of motherhood. A significant emphasis of the study was made on her dual role as a mother and a teacher, examining her roles as a mediator of nature and culture. The autoethnography further unveiled the intricacies of conflicts, contradictions, and complexities that emerged from her interactions with significant others and society in general. The implication of this research is multifaceted and extends beyond the individual narrative of the first-time mother, offering a nuanced analysis of the intricate connection between personal agency and external pressures in the realm of motherhood. The examination of these intricacies calls for a reevaluation of the expectations and standards surrounding motherhood. By highlighting the impacts of social and cultural factors on mothering practices, this study emphasizes the need to critically assess and redefine prevailing standards to be able to account for the diversity in maternal experiences. Overall, the study advocates for a more inclusive approach to understanding the varied experiences of motherhood.

Asian American parenting in a racialized world: The role of ideological contexts and intergenerational gaps

AbstractObjectiveTo understand the challenges that have impeded Asian American parents' critical responses toward racism, we looked at interpretive contexts, as well as the recent immigration contexts and their impacts on intergenerational relationships.BackgroundAsian Americans are the fastest growing diverse group in the United States. The advent of COVID‐19 resulted in a dramatic increase of anti‐Asian hate crimes.MethodsWe reviewed research on Asian American parents' racialized experiences and the challenges they face when raising children to respond to racism. With a contextual perspective, we highlighted three ideological concepts that have shaped the interpretive context for Asian American parents' responses to racism, including the model minority myth, the just‐world view, and the cultural maintenance model. We also looked at how recent waves of immigration may have compounded intergenerational gaps in many Asian American families, with both developmental and acculturational differences between generations.Results and ConclusionUnderstanding these contexts provides insights into how to best support Asian American parents as they communicate with their children on complicated topics. These support can help faciliate these parents' ability to remain grounded in their ethnic‐racial group, while uniting with other diverse groups in dismantling racism.ImplicationsInformational and sociocultural resources are needed to help Asian American parents develop racial literacy and seek changes. We encourage practitioners to develop cultural competency and deepen their understanding of immigrant families' developmental and acculturational needs.

Lacan, Shadow Feminism, and Paul Auster’s City of Glass

ABSTRACT This essay engages Paul Auster’s novel from 1985, City of Glass, with Lacan and feminism, in order to venture beyond the more business-as-usual formal aspects of postmodernism and propose that the ambiguous resistance of the text can be situated in a decidedly social and ideological context. The protagonist Daniel Quinn is presented as embarking upon a bewildering anti-detective odyssey that gives voice/language to a wish to confront, expose and pull down the traditional law-of-the-Father in order to clear the stage for what can or would come next. The Lacanian psychosexual rebirth of Quinn is followed through its stages (imaginary and symbolic), culminating in the blank white room of erasure at the end. Close attention is given to the enigmatic nature of the job Quinn accepts in the name of protecting the son from the father, seeing it as a repudiation of the fallacy of Peter Stillman Sr.’s wish to access the impossible realm of the real. The text’s unconscious, antisocial longing for the antidote to America’s deeply embedded patriarchal pathology is found in the mystical release of the lost Quinn into the very brickwork of the city, a baffling postmodern revolution in dream-mode, a shadow-feminism resistance through self-annihilation.

Gender-aware Parkinson’s care: a design-based study of patient perspectives on gender norms and gender-sensitive care

Gender dimensions are progressively recognised as a relevant social determinant of health in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, little is known about the impact of gender norms and stereotypes on illness experiences of men and women with PD and what they consider important focal points for gender-sensitive PD care. We conducted two equity-centred design (ECD) sessions on December 7, 2022 and December 8, 2022, at the Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. This participatory multi-method approach includes patients in the research and design process and was used to explore the impact of gender norms and stereotypes in illness experiences and generate patient-driven recommendations for gender-aware Parkinson's care. Quantitative survey data and design-based data were descriptively analysed, and qualitative focus group discussions were thematically analysed. This study included thirteen men and fifteen women with PD in the Netherlands. All participants were of Dutch descent, with a median age of 65.5 years and a median clinical disease duration of 4.2 years. The gendered stereotype that "people with PD are old men" affected both men's and women's perception of living with the disease and the perceptions of their social environment. Men described masculine stereotypes related to physical strength and provider roles, while women expressed those related to feminine physical appearance and caregiver roles, influencing their illness experiences. For some, these norms influenced personal behaviours, while for others, they affected experiences through societal attitudes. Our findings suggested that several gender norms and stereotypes influence the illness experiences of men and women with PD, manifesting at ideological, interpersonal, and internalised levels. Some participants internalised these norms, affecting their coping behaviours, while others encountered them in broader ideological contexts that shaped societal attitudes and interpersonal relationships. To advance gender sensitive PD care, it's essential to explore the impact of gender roles and norms, especially regarding how they might impede coping strategies, care access and utilisation for individuals of diverse gender identities. The Gatsby Foundation and co-funded by the PPP Allowance by Health∼Holland. Travel reimbursements for participants were made available through a Parkinson's Foundation grant (PF-FBS-2026).

(Post)Soviet Russia vs the West: The Ideological Enemy’s Image in English Translations of Fiction

Abstract. The Russo-Ukrainian war, especially the full-scale invasion of 2022, made the issue of manipulation particularly topical, including skewed representation in translation. On the basis of a detailed analysis of linguistic choices of translators, considered within the broad historical-political and ideological context, the paper demonstrates the discrepancies between the images of the (post)Soviet Russian and Western societies created in the novels by the contemporary Russian authors Oleg Pavlov, Viktor Pelevin, Vladimir Sorokin and Lyudmila Ulitskaya and those reproduced in the English translations. The ramifications of such modification acquire special significance under the circumstances, especially due to the increased attention to translation as an “ideological weapon” on the part of the Russian scholars and critics.

Moses As Figure of the Pope

The appropriation the Roman Popes made of the theological-political figure of Moses is a powerful and pervasive dispositive, the correct reading of which is essential in determining the actual historical and ideological context of Machiavelli’s Prince. The essay examines the figure of Moses in key points of the treatise, decripting Machiavelli’s ambiguous, secularizing and courtly intentions.

Tolstoy’s Happy Children of Peace. The Wartime Translation of 'Sebastopol in December' (1855)

A geopolitical clash between Russia and other European powers, the Crimean War (1854–1856) witnessed the first mediatized armed conflict in modern history. During the war, the young Lev Tolstoy wrote and published three Sevastopol Sketches, based on his wartime experiences in the besieged port of Sevastopol. Upon publication, the first of the stories was translated into French and published within a fortnight. Une journée à Sévastopol en décembre 1854 featured in Le Nord, a Brussels newspaper covertly operated by the Russian government. An in-depth analysis of the translation shows that the text was abridged and carefully groomed to serve Russia’s interests and Tolstoy’s patriotism made way for an appeal to the target audience, designated as ‘happy children of peace.’ Elaborating on the origins of the translation and its publishing context, I argue that this particular translation needs to be read both as an act of soft power and as an act of diplomacy. If the target text is considered as a historical document among other sources, empirical historical research can prove beneficial to the discipline and move forward the debate on Translation Studies’ approach to highly ideological contexts, in particular translations in periodicals.

On the Trail of the First Interpreters in Early British Colonial Trinidad: An Exploration of Relevant Historical Aspects

With practitioners becoming increasingly of interest to translation historians, this study explores the presence of translators and interpreters in the sociocultural milieu of early British-ruled Trinidad. As an erstwhile Spanish colony with a significant Francophone influence, early 1800s Trinidad was a multilingual entity. The selected case studies track the presence of translators and interpreters at two key contemporary events: the Capitulation of 1797, which established British rule over the island, and the famous 1806 London-based torture trial of the island’s first British governor, Sir Thomas Picton. Adopting a postcolonial lens, the information presented is based on the examination of relevant early nineteenth-century sources. Noting the understudied nature of this geographical area and historical era, the insights outlined in this exploratory study aim to provide a useful starting point for further discussions of the ideological context surrounding translators and interpreters in multilingual colonial Trinidad.

Černobyľská havária: environmentálna komunikácia v socialistickej tlači

The study deals with the reflection of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion (1986) in the ideologically determined environment of the socialist daily press. The issue is interpreted in relation to environmental communication about a historical event with a direct impact on the environment. The interdisciplinary theoretical background links environmental communication, environmental history, political-ideological and media discourse of the socialist era in the time of emerging glasnost and perestroika. The aim of the research is to present the media portrayal of an environmental event in its historical, political, and ideological context and to outline the primary communication techniques used to convey it. The research interpretations are based on a content and critical analysis of 35 texts published in the Slovak national (Pravda) and regional periodicals (Smer) within one month after the Chernobyl accident. The research sample includes reports, interviews, articles, commentaries, and statements by the highest officials of the Soviet Union. In the contemporary context, environmental issues are subordinated to the political-ideological media discourse in terms of both the formal positioning in the analysed medium and the content focus of the text. The research results reflect the characteristic manifestations of the language of the socialist period (manipulative communicative techniques, emotionally determined argumentation, information selection, schematization, stereotyping, argument from authority, etc.) applied to the conditions of environmental communication.

Training and Professional Practice of Nurses in Soviet Estonia in Light of Their Ideological Context

Background data. In 1940–1941 and 1945–1991 Estonian territory was occupied by Soviet Russia. The “new period of awakening” was initiated under Gorbachev’s perestroika and glasnost (1985–1991), leading to democratization. Aim. This qualitative study aimed to analyze the training and professional activity of nurses in Soviet Estonia against the background of ideology. Method. The research was conducted in 2021 and 2023. The authors surveyed senior nurses who worked during the Soviet era for at least 20 years. There were written and oral thematic interviews, as well as a focus group interview were conducted. A thematic content analysis was carried out. Results. During the Soviet era the training of nurses occured within vocational training institutions. The curricula underwent a shift towards a Soviet-oriented approach. A significant portion of lessons were dedicated to imparting knowledge on the principles and tenets of Communist-Marxist ideology. Therefore, practical subjects were frequently allocated limited space. In the Soviet Union politics and healthcare were tightly linked. The nurses were required to attend party meetings, which were often conducted in Russian, and it was mandatory to commemorate Soviet anniversaries. The activities of the nurses were monitored, and nurses were strictly required to fulfill their duties and orders without exercising personal initiative. In the Soviet period all nurses were members of trade unions and the Estonian SSR Society of Medical Nurses (ESN).

How Much Collectivism Is There in Young Adults’ Collectivism? Vaccination Against COVID-19 in Serbia

Collectivism is consistently correlated with a positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Nevertheless, qualitative evidence on how collectivism benefits vaccination is scarce. Serbia has been transitioning from a socialist to a neoliberal country for decades now, and its unique ideological context provokes different forms of collectivism. Young adults are usually the ones who represent radical political, non-neoliberal opposition, embracing collectivistic ideas. We selected a group of self-declared collectivists from Serbia and encouraged them to express their attitude toward vaccination. The final sample consisted of 16 narratives (four female), written by 13 vaccinated and three unvaccinated participants. We conducted two types of thematic analyses, resulting in 12 semantic (five collectivistic and seven individualistic) and two latent themes. The results unambiguously showed the presence of individualism in the argumentation of self-declared collectivists, especially those unvaccinated. We proposed the term Neoliberal collectivism to reach a better understanding of young people’s perspectives in the specific socio-political context.

TO THE QUESTION OF THE PROBLEM OF DEFINING THE CONCEPT OF “PLANETARISM” AS A NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INTERNAL IDEOLOGICAL POLICY OF THE STATE

The purpose of the research. The article deals with the problems of defining the concept of «planetarism» as a new religious phenomenon within the framework of the internal ideological policy of the state, influencing the internal political processes of state administration and the nature of international interaction in the foreign policy arena. The change in the content of the concept of “planetarism” in its historical retrospective is analyzed, demonstrating the process of gradual separation of the concept of “planetarism” from the concept of “globalization” into an independent definition. The aim of the study is to formulate our own definition of the concept of “planetarism” as a new religious movement in the ideological context of state policy. This is necessary to determine the main directions of public administration in the context of value confrontation in the international arena, as well as for more effective legislative support for the implementation of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated November 09, 2022 No. 809 “On Approval of the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values”. The laws of nature, within the framework of the concept of “planetarism”, began to act as a kind of absolute, which became a kind of scale for the ethical assessment of certain social processes and phenomena, which makes it possible to consider “planetarism” as a new form of religious movement. Conclusions. As a result of the study, the author comes to the conclusion that the ongoing socio-political processes reflect changes in the ideological basis of interstate cooperation. The basis of the new ideological orientation, called “planetarism”, is the idea of the planet Earth as a common “home” for all mankind. Within the framework of the “planetarism” concept, the planet acts not just as a common place of residence for all people, but also as an independent superorganism that has its own consciousness and rights along with the rights of the people themselves. The author, emphasizing the dualistic structure of “planetarism”, which includes, on the one hand, cognitive ideas about the unconditional value of the planet and natural laws, and on the other hand, faith in these values and ideas by analogy with religious faith, proposes to consider “planetarism” as a group of non-theistic beliefs, philosophical and ideological ideas that have arisen around the idea of our Planet as a kind of independent superorganism that gave life to all living things, has the ability of reasonable self-regulation in order to maintain life in all its diversity in accordance with the laws established by it.

Television Drama and Northern Ireland: The First Plays 1959–67

This article sets out to map the largely forgotten history of the first television dramas about Northern Ireland by Northern Ireland writers during the 1950s and 1960s. It examines the first experiments in drama production by BBC Northern Ireland and Ulster Television alongside the work by Northern Irish writers produced by ITV companies and the BBC in London. It looks at the institutional and ideological contexts in which the work emerged before going on to examine the patterns of representation that resulted. Made prior to the emergence of the Troubles in 1969, the article considers the first attempts to show Northern Ireland in television drama and assesses the ways in which the individual plays – ranging from rural comedy to working-class realism – addressed – both obliquely and explicitly – the social tensions and anxieties of the time.

A Bridge across the Abyss? Digitalization and Transhumanism as a New Anthropological and Social Reality in the Context of Ideological Searches of Personality (Historical, Philosophical and General Theoretical Aspects)

One of the main existentials of a person is the fact of his mortality and, most importantly, his knowledge about it, which inevitably leads everyone, one way or another, to the idea of overcoming death, to the idea of immortality, or – a saving bridge across the abyss of non–existence, which connects the present being of a person with his future being. In search of this bridge, a person talks about various "variants" of immortality: physical (naturalistic); biological; social; scientific-technical, technological and technocratic; religious – Christian providential immortality. The totality of socio-philosophical and anthropological concepts grouped around the idea of scientific and technological improvement of human nature, significant prolongation of life and, to the limit, overcoming mortality, is one of the modern trends of philosophical thought, known as transhumanism. The article attempts to consider transhumanism in the broad ideological context of the materialistic-atheistic, scientististic, positivist and evolutionist project, which, in general, is based on the "multifaceted" anthropovolutarianism that is constantly present in the philosophical search for humanity; and also – to analyze transhumanistic ideas from the positions of the opposite – idealistic-theistic, creationist, anti–positivist worldview camp, - based on providentialism, which for centuries and – currently – opposes anthropocentric voluntarism and transhumanism. The research being undertaken aims – in the context of the centuries–old polemic between anthropovolutarianism and providentialism - to clarify the reality or illusory nature of the proposed strategies of immortality, the search for a real bridge leading man and humanity through the abyss of threatened non-existence.

MESSAGES OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN AS A HISTORICAL SOURCE

In the article, the author conducts a scientific analysis of the significance of the President's Messages as a historical source addressed to the people during the years of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Considering the existing circumstances and the political, economic, cultural and ideological context of all the President's Messages addressed from the moment of gaining sovereignty to the present, the researcher reveals their features. In addition, during the research, the author conducts a meaningful analysis of the Messages, paying special attention to their names and textual features. Distinguishes the features of each message. Methodologically, all the messages for the years of independence are divided into periods and compared with each other. Based on the findings, the author offers his final considerations on the significance of the Messages of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a historical source.

Kekrops: the positive aspects of diphyes and ‘mixanthropic’ nature. Serpents and autochthony

Kekrops was a diphyes and ‘mixanthropic’ hero, with his upper part in the form of a man and his lower part in the form of a snake. This paper examines the positive aspects of Kekrops’s diphyes and hybrid nature, by employing an interdisciplinary approach, taking into account the literary, epigraphic, iconographic and topographical evidence, as well as the historical and ideological context of the classical period. Special attention is paid to the association of Kekrops with snakes and the ideology of autochthony.

Alternative modernities and epistemic struggles for recognition in Turkish media: deconstructing Eurocentrism?

The concept of modernity and its association with the West and secularism is being challenged with the rise of religious movements in the age of globalisation. This provides a fertile ground for alternative modernities, disconnected from the West and secularism, to surface. This paper provides a theoretical explanation for the emergence of alternative modernities by drawing on insights from epistemic injustice and recognition theory, through an analysis of Turkish media outlets. Turkey serves as an illustrative case to examine the emergence of alternative modernities due to its long-standing tradition of incorporating Western modernity and its complex liminal identity between the boundaries of the East and the West. This paper argues that the period from 2005 to 2020 presented a window of opportunity for an alternative modernities paradigm to engage in epistemic struggles for recognition, supported by the ideological context of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi or AKP) government. This period paved the way for questioning the superiority and uniqueness of Western modernity. However, it also indicates the birth of a new form of epistemic injustice as counter-narratives defending the superiority of Islamic civilisation emerged, seeking to establish epistemic hegemony for Islam and its association with modernity.

Constitutions and their foundational discontents: Studying the process of constitution-making in Jammu and Kashmir

AbstractThis article studies the process of constitution-making in Jammu and Kashmir as a hegemonic process dominated by, and an ideological reflection of, the dominant political party of Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference led by the popular leader Sheikh Abdullah. The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir emerged as an outcome of their ideas. Though the process itself was punctuated by the exclusionary violence against diverse communities present in the state at that time, very little attention has been paid to the idea of a constitution as an exclusivist text that embeds ‘foundational violence’ within it, and that eliminates dissenting groups and prevents the inclusion of plural conceptions of politics by actualizing a monopolistic discourse in favour of the dominant party. This article locates the violence that went into constitution-making and further employs hermeneutical interpretation of the Constituent Assembly Debates of Jammu and Kashmir to locate the differing viewpoints that existed in the State Constituent Assembly. It also takes the surrounding political and ideological context into account. In doing so, it constructs an alternative and ‘unofficial’ version of the constitution-making process, which helps challenge the dominant historical narrative that the constitution-making in Jammu and Kashmir was a successful experiment in Indian federal democracy.