Local Cultural Knowledge Research Articles

Identification of current best practices for short-term medical mission trips and adherence to current common principles and guidelines

Background: Recent reviews of published guidelines for conducting short-term medical missions (STMM) identify significant concerns about the lack of adherence and of formal regulations concurrent with the increasing number of individuals and organizations participating in STMM. Method: A descriptive survey methodology was used. A 44-item survey that identifies current practices utilized by healthcare providers (HCP) who have participated in STMM was used based on the literature and prior research, and distributed electronically to HCP participating in STMM to identify current best practices and compare findings with the most recent recommendations for short-term global health activities. A focus on current operational practices was surveyed and analyzed to develop operational recommendations for the ethical and safe care provided during STMM. Results:M Eighty-seven surveys were included in the final analysis with 33% (N=29) serving as coordinators for the trip. The majority of the respondents were female (67%), and the primary roles represented were: MD (N=17; 20%), nurse practitioner (N=20; 23%), and registered nurse (N=18; 21%). A majority (N=48; 67%) traveled to South America or Latin America with 38% (N=33) having participated in four or more STMM. Language proficiency was reported as deficient (N=35; 40%) along with little or no knowledge of the basic culture (N=39; 45%). Additional data were collected on trip preparation, clinic operations, and outcomes follow up. Conclusions: Using a convenience sample, the results of the survey provide information on the current practices utilized by HCP who have participated in STMM and compare the findings to assess for adherence with the most recent recommendations for short-term global health activities. There was variation in the degree to which HCPs were knowledgeable about specific aspects related to knowledge of local culture, language proficiency, and adherence to recommended practices for STMM. Additional research on STMM is needed, along with further exploration of how evidence-based practices for STMM can be implemented to improve access and safety to the care provided while in the host country.

THE IMPACT OF THE MIGRATION CRISIS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

In 2015, Europe experienced a migrant crisis – The European Union has faced an unprecedented influx of refugees and migrants. More than one million people arrived in the European Union, most fleeing war and terror in Syria and other countries, for example, the number of immigrants crossing the sea from Turkey to Greece per day (October 20, 2015) was 1,0006 people, as shown by the data of European Commission (European Commission, 2017). The migrant crisis in Europe and its consequences are our collective responsibility as Europeans and the ability to show solidarity by providing immigrants with much needed support, based on generally accepted human rights and moral responsibility issues. Along with the challenges posed by the migrant crisis the issue came up of better integration of immigrants into society, providing the necessary information regarding the assistance offered, providing the necessary information regarding the assistance offered social guarantees, protection, and knowledge of local culture, traditions, history and educational opportunities. The aim of the article is to share good practices in the field of lifelong learning by implementing an international pilot project aimed at training migrants in the context of lifelong learning, based on theoretical research methods on the consequences and challenges of the migrant crisis, as well as based on empirical research (statistical analysis, analysis of survey results, development of interactive learning environment). The main findings of the authors of the study are reflected in the interactive learning platform created within the framework of the international project, as well as the authors' recommendations for non – formal education of migrants in the context of lifelong learning.

Integrating Local Wisdom into ELT Materials for Secondary School Students in Semarang

This study is Research & Development which contains three phases (explorative, model design, and try-out). The research aims to develop a teaching material which integrates Javanese local wisdom for the students of secondary school in Semarang. Phase 1 (the explorative study) consists of two parts: book review and needs analysis (questionnaire and interview). The results of the first phase show that the existing three books do not include aspects of local wisdom. While the needs analysis show that the respondents agreed to integrate aspects of local wisdom with the benefits as follows: (a) supporting the learning process, (b) making the students understand the materials more easily, (c) enhancing the understanding of local cultures and character education. In phase 2 and phase 3 (model design and try-out in three schools), the findings indicate that integrating local wisdom, i.e. a traditional song ”menthog-menthog” can enliven the classroom atmosphere. In addition, based on the respondent perception, the integration of local wisdom would enrich the knowledge of local cultures as well as help the students understand ELT texts.

Presenting local cultural knowledge as a bridge to aid students’ comprehension in identification and classification: the case of cassumunar ginger (Zingiber purpureum) and marsh fleabean (Pluchea indica)

Various researches have showed that people nowadays are not able to identify and classify plants – a problem that derived from the lack of motivation to learn it and the difficulties in understanding it. The objective of this study is to propose a solution to help students more motivated, learn better and easier in order to classify plants and identify it in real life situation. A Javanese manuscript called Buku Jampi could be a solution to this as teachers could introduce plants in local (Javanese) language and highlight the implementation of knowing these plants since the manuscript contain traditional medicine recipes. Although this research is still in its framework, several previous researches showed the positive trends in students’ motivation and comprehension in identification, classification and their local culture as well.

“Hulas at Hiya”: Reflections on Filipino Context of Human-Connectedness and the Nature of Nursing

This paper, through the lens of ethnography, explores and analyze the Filipino concept of hulas and hiya as the context of human-connectedness and its implication to the contemporary understanding of the nature of nursing and the process of knowing persons as persons. It is argued that the concepts of hiya and hulas are social constructs deeply ingrained in the Filipino psyche and society. Both markedly influence how Filipino persons present themselves and act in accordance with their unique and complex social dynamics. As such, this paper supports the idea that between the dichotomy of social and medical sciences, the discipline of Nursing shares the paradigmatic orientation and values of the former more than the latter. It is implied that education in nursing at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels must include scholarship, research, and studies on the prevailing local cultural knowledge to shed a deeper appreciation of unique practices and concepts affecting the understanding of nursing science and its expression as a discipline.

DEFINING THE IDEAL COMPETENCY MODEL FOR THE UNITED NATIONS MILITARY OBSERVERS (STUDY ON THE INDONESIAN MILITARY OBSERVERS)

<p>A military observer is a military officer from a certain country who is deployed as part of a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission. The purpose of this study is to define an ideal competency model for the UN military observers of the Indonesian military by considering certain characteristics embedded in superior military observers that distinguish them from the non-superior ones. This study applied several data collecting techniques such as behavioral event interviews, observation, and library study. Two types of analysis, namely: content analysis and discriminant analysis are utilized to create data weighting and to discover the differentiating characteristics. From this study, it can be concluded that there is a very close and significant relationship between the competency and performance of the UN military observers from Indonesia. Those in the superior category do have three strong differentiating competencies, namely: initiative, relationship building, and impacts and influence production. And then this study also found an ideal competency model for a UN military observer, where the model consists of the three competencies plus eight other competencies, namely: team working, self-controlling, local language skill, local culture knowledge, vehicle driving skill, military knowledge and skills, diplomacy and negotiation skills, and administrative skills.</p><p>Keywords: Competency, Competency model, Military observer, Recruitment, UN Peacekeeping</p>

THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF PUBLIC CATERING IN THE CONTEXT OF TOURIST CITY SPACE DEVELOPMENT

Purpose: The modern city with its complex structure and dynamics is an important part of the tourist space, which has become especially attractive for travelers who tirelessly exploring the cultural heritage. Hotels, restaurants, amusement parks and other tourist infrastructure actively invading the urban environment changed the usual composition of the city. During the trip, tourists buy not only goods and services, they perceive the image of the city as a synthesis of impressions from the movement in the urban space, exploring it from different points of view, at different times of the day and in different seasons.
 Methodology: To assess the impact of environmental factors on the activities of catering enterprises of the Belgorod region and the quality of customer service, the authors proposed a method using STEP-analysis and SWOT-analysis. The analysis of environmental factors was carried out on the basis of the expert evaluation results conducted in two stages.
 Result: In tourism, the food infrastructure acts as an important element of entertainment and knowledge of local culture. Food is not just a common need of every person; tourists see it as entertainment and pleasure. Food of different peoples and even areas is usually very peculiar, so attractive to tourists. Catering infrastructure as an integral part of the hospitality industry should have a significant potential for adaptability, providing an opportunity for catering enterprises to respond quickly to frequent changes in the situation of the unstable tourism market, as well as to comply with the requirements of the destination brand.
 Applications: This research can be used for universities, teachers, and students.
 Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of The Infrastructure of Public Catering In the Context of Tourist City Space Development is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner.

Are people-centred mental health services acceptable and feasible in Timor-Leste? A qualitative study.

People-centred mental healthcare is an influential concept for health system strengthening and sustainable development that has been developed and promoted primarily in Western contexts. It characterizes service users, families and communities as active participants in health system development. However, we have limited understanding of how well people-centred mental healthcare aligns with the multiplicity of peoples, cultures, languages and contexts in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Timor-Leste, a lower-middle income country in South-East Asia, is in the process of strengthening its National Mental Health Strategy 2018-22 to align with people-centred mental healthcare. To support the implementation of this Strategy, this study investigated the acceptability and feasibility of people-centred mental health services in Timor-Leste. In-depth semi-structured individual (n = 57) and group interviews (n = 15 groups) were conducted with 85 adults (≥18 years). Participants were service users, families, decision-makers, service providers and members of civil society and multilateral organizations across national and sub-national sites. Government and non-government mental health and social care was also observed. Framework analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts and observation notes. The study found that the ecology of mental healthcare in Timor-Leste is family-centred and that government mental health services are largely biomedically oriented. It identified the following major challenges for people-centred mental health services in Timor-Leste: different sociocultural perceptions of (in)dividual personhood, including a diminished status of people with mental illness; challenges in negotiating individual and family needs; a reliance on and demand for biomedical interventions; and barriers to health service access and availability. Opportunities for people-centred mental healthcare are better available within the social and disability sectors, which focus on social inclusion, human rights and peer support. Accounting for local cultural knowledge and understandings will strengthen design and implementation of people-centred mental healthcare in LMIC settings.

Whistleblowing and the fight against corruption and fraud in Nigeria: perceptions of anti-corruption agents (ACAs)

This study examines the intervention and operationalization of whistleblowing as a new anti-corruption mechanism, based on the experiences of anti-corruption agents (ACAs). Relying on the Theory of Expert Competence and the Institutional Diversity framework, the study examines the views of mid- and senior-level professionals at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in Nigeria regarding the whistleblowing intervention recently introduced to fight corruption and fraud in the country. The findings suggest that while the intervention offers positive prospects in the fight against corruption and fraud in Nigeria, the ACAs face formidable enforcement challenges. The findings also suggest that insights from ACAs on whistleblowing can be harnessed to fight corruption and fraud in Nigeria because ACAs offer a combination of expertise and knowledge of local culture and context, and to be effective, whistleblowing intervention must incorporate local culture. Although critical in advancing anti-corruption initiatives including whistleblowing, the views of ACAs are often overlooked by policy makers.

The Segregation of Foreigners in U.S. Mainstream Classrooms

(1) This study investigates the norms of speaking in the classroom by examining the speaking practices of Japanese international students (JIS)—a nonnative English speaking group—in classroom conversations with native English speakers (NES). (2) Semi-structured interviews in Japanese were conducted with 12 JIS in undergraduate programs at a predominantly White university in the United States. (3) The use of speech codes theory and Hymes’s SPEAKING framework, coupled with the grounded theory, reveal that all the interviewees dealt with conflicting feelings of eagerness and dread when deciding whether or not to participate in classroom conversations. The JIS revealed threatening classroom dynamics that made them feel inadequate, isolated, and intimidated. The norms for speaking in the classroom subjugate the JIS into silent observers and subalterns who lack colloquial English skills or local cultural knowledge. Unforgiving sanctions, including discrimination, exclusion, ignorance, and silent treatment, are used by the NES to illegitimize JIS membership in the classroom community. (4) These micro-level nuances of classroom culture are discussed in relation to the macro-level institutionalized structures of U.S. higher education that are, in turn, embedded in the socio-historical dynamics of the nation.

History Teachers' Views on Using Local History.

Local history should be taught in history courses. It enables students to investigate and learn geography, form connections between past and present, and gain important life skills. This study analyzes the views and practices of Turkish history teachers vis-a-vis local histories in a qualitative study. The focus group consisted of 12 history teachers working in the central provinces of Kayseri city. Researchers used semi-structured interviews to collect data, and used qualitative analysis, explanatory and deductive codes to explore emerging patterns in the data. Our data show that local history lessons facilitate greater knowledge of local geography and culture. Conversely, teachers reported financial issues, lower teaching hours, and disinterested students when implementing local history curricula. According to these results, our researchers provide recommendations to better implement local history activities in the classroom. Article visualizations:

Learning the Language of the River: Understanding Indigenous Water Governance withO-Pipon-Na-PiwinCree Nation, Northern Manitoba, Canada

Hydroelectric “development” in Canada has been criticized for the lack of meaningful consideration of community perspectives. This article shares the case of the O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation (OPCN) in northern Manitoba, Canada, and the impact of mainstream water resource management strategies over their culture and livelihood. Through consideration of Kistihtamahwin, OPCN’s concept of water governance, as well as the promises made in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), this article argues that the lack of meaningful consultation and engagement with local resource users as well as the concept of Kistihtamahwin has led to the destruction of a successful fishery, which resulted in severe socioeconomic loss, environmental degradation, and cultural loss in the community. We found that for meaningful application of UNDRIP in Indigenous water governance, local cultural strategies and traditional knowledge are essential.

Innovation as a booster of rural artisan entrepreneurship: a case study of black pottery

Purpose Rural entrepreneurship is an emergent field of study, with these start-ups becoming one of the most noticeable ways to promote rural development, but the few studies concerning innovation among artisans have thus far only been exploratory. The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial artisan initiatives of young innovators in a peripheral northern area of Portugal where black pottery is produced. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data analysis was carried out on in-depth semi-structured interviews with three young artisan innovators and entrepreneurs and one individual who functions as a cultural booster. The content analysis was done using QSR International’s NVivo Version 11 software. Findings These young entrepreneurs have developed commercial activities and introduced innovations (i.e. design and process) into black pottery production, while taking advantage of endogenous materials, local culture and traditional knowledge. These individuals have sought not only to generate their own innovations but also to keep their culture and local traditions alive, thereby contributing to rural development by establishing networks with local young artisans. Research limitations/implications Some limitations are linked to the sample’s size and basis in a specific geographic reality. Practical implications The findings provide a fuller understanding of why some rural artisan firms grow, suggesting that artisans’ networks and innovative and entrepreneurial behaviours play a key role. Originality/value This research’s results contribute to the literature on the role that innovation can play as a booster of rural artisanship through networks and entrepreneurship. This paper is among the first to discuss black pottery as a form of artisan entrepreneurship. The results underline the value of innovations and networks, which were found to be the core ingredients in rural artisan entrepreneurship.

The Unsustainability of Kalego Traditional Game among Muna Community of Watopute District

This study aims at analyzing the unsustainability causes of kalego as one of traditional games of Muna communities in Watopute District, Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. Data collection was conducted through participant observation, interviews, surveys, and focused discussion. Data analysis was conducted qualitatively and descriptive statistic by employing data reduction technique, data presentation and conclusion. The results showed that kalego traditional game has been degraded or unsustainably practiced as the impact of the low awareness and low understanding among Muna community toward this traditional game. Approximately 71.25% Muna community in Watopute district cannot play the traditional game. The unsustainability of kalego was caused by several factors namely; 1) the absence of the family inheritance about kalego traditional game and the decreasing number of old figures who understand Muna culture contribute to the decreasing of local culture knowledge among younger generations; 2) Cultural encounters which results incorporated acculturation toward Muna's local culture; 3) the absence of the massive kalego game staging.

Percepção de agricultores familiares de Ubatuba – SP sobre serviços ecossistêmicos

A percepção de serviços ecossistêmicos é uma ferramenta no estabelecimento de ações para conservação de ecossistemas. Em especial em áreas cobertas pela Floresta Atlântica como Ubatuba – SP, onde habitam comunidades que utilizam serviços gerados pela natureza. Este estudo avaliou a percepção sobre serviços ecossistêmicos de 20 agricultores familiares que praticam agriculturas de base ecológica em Ubatuba. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas para identificar os serviços percebidos pelos agricultores. As respostas foram classificadas de acordo com as funções de regulação, de habitat, de produção e de informação. A seguir realizou-se o cálculo do Índice de Consolidação da Percepção do Ecossistema (ICPE). De forma geral houve baixa percepção dos serviços ecossistêmicos, sendo regulação e informação as funções que obtiveram ICPE mais elevado. Houve dissociação da relação entre floresta e produção agrícola, pois os serviços gerados pela função de habitat foram percebidos por apenas 30% dos agricultores. Os resultados evidenciaram a necessidade de uma visão integrada de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural agregando os órgãos de extensão e de conservação, os quais devem considerar os agricultores protagonistas de qualquer processo a ser implementado. Assim, é possível proteger a cultura local e seu conhecimento tradicional ao mesmo tempo em que se conserva a Floresta Atlântica.

The politics of knowledge as a tourist attraction

The past ten years have seen an increasing interest in the politics of knowledge production in tourism studies. However, tourists’ hosts’ politics of knowledge, the ways in which tourists’ hosts can use local knowledge as both a tourist attraction and a way to negotiate power relationships, are yet to be explored. This article identifies the need for more analysis of the political uses of cultural knowledge as a tourist attraction, reporting on an ethnographic study of the politics of knowledge unfolded by an Aboriginal group of Western Australia in the context of their tour guiding activities. It will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of the political conditions, and potentials for, local cultural knowledge (re)production and utilization in tourism.

Potential of Ecological Resources and Ecotourism Destination Management: A Case Study in Koh-Mak Community, Southern Thailand

Conserving the biodiversity richness is the paramount of the development of sustainable ecotourism and destination management. In Southern Thailand, Koh-Mak Community is one of well-known ecotourism destinations within Phayun District within Phattalung Province. Local people livelihoods in Koh-Mak community based on the quantity and quality of fishery and agriculture production including their community-based ecotourism (CBE) ventures. This study aimed to assess the potential of ecological resources within the Koh-Mak ecotourism destinations for providing the practical guidelines of the sustainable ecotourism practices. The mixed research methods were applied in this study by using questionnaires by quota sampling of the total 337 research participants with semi-structured questions for obtaining their opinion of CBE ventures, and using the potential assessment and weighting score equation for evaluating the contributory factors of ecological resources. Researchers found that the consistency willingness of local community engagement in CBE ventures is a vital key of sustainable tourism development in long-term. The results of potential assessment shown that the Koh Mak community areas held the total biodiversity richness at 3.4, which is consisted of the highest value of aquatic ecological resources at 4.4, local vegetation species at 4, and the aquatic bird species at 3.7 by respectively. Community leader suggested that the needs of CBE improvement are reliability collaboration management and equity benefit sharing among the related stakeholders and Koh Mak community members. Community members also recommended that the establishment of the newly ecotourism routes have to consider the continuity of the sustainable management practices to maintain the potential ecological resource as well as conserve their traditional knowledge of fishery and local cultures. Therefore, the continuity of good governance is needed to develop the existing CBE ventures towards the sustainable development.

Open- and closed-mindedness in cross-cultural adaptation: The roles of mindfulness and need for cognitive closure

Individuals who are high, relative to low, in mindfulness are more open when ascribing meanings to new experiences and more resilient under stress, suggesting that mindfulness may play an important role in cross-cultural adaptation. In contrast, those high in need for cognitive closure (NCC) seem to close one’s mind to new cross-cultural experiences. We tested these contrasting effects of mindfulness and NCC by examining Asian international students (n=233) who study at an Australian university using several measures of psychological and sociocultural adjustment. The study found that more mindful sojourners develop greater sociocultural skills and superior knowledge of a unique local culture. The role of need for cognitive closure (NCC)―closed-mindedness spurred by a desire for clear-cut understanding―was found primarily in the domain of psychological adjustment. The results highlight the importance of these dimensions of open- versus closed-mindedness during cross-cultural adaptation.

Resisting Relocation: Placing Leadership on Decolonized Indigenous Landscapes

This article foregrounds story as a rhetorical mode of Indigenous leadership to argue for the value of local scholars working in place. Utilizing recent scholarship in Native rhetorics, educational leadership, decolonial theory, I offer my own experience as a Cherokee citizen and Indigenous researcher to illustrate the value of local cultural knowledge to the field and the academy. I suggest the reconsideration of cosmopolitan values and institutional practices that alienate Indigenous scholars from their communities.

The Construction of the Science in the Community Website: Antecedents, Foundations, Hybrid Narratives and Epistemological Content

The article presents the antecedents and foundations which led to the construction of the website Science in the Community, a virtual environment just created to share experiences on local cultural knowledge using the internet. Initially, it describes the proposal of folk knowledge insertion into chemistry and science education in Brazil and other related emphases in the international literature, highlighting teachers’ education, its problems and a debate involving indigenous knowledge and the nature of science. Next, it describes the results of empirical inquiries in classrooms and the convergence with literature to offer epistemological content for teachers based on hybrid narratives. As a theoreticalbackground, it presents the concepts of hybridization/hybridism, of narrative and the epistemological dimension of the analysis carried out. The methodological procedures emphasize the construction of hybrid utterances and their dialogic, semantic, syntactic and iterative architecture; the development of activities on languages, images, assertions from literature, and the way the epistemological content was analyzed and organized according to five axes/texts: the knowledges and their contexts, languages, practices, theories, and representations. This set of resources is for those who want to deepen their knowledge on local and scientific knowledge relationships, underlining the mixing of languages as a way to communicate both contents, the absence of authoritarian voice on such a construction and the inextricable link between knowledge and context for the task of knowledge’s representation and epistemological comparison.