Cultural Meanings Research Articles

Beyond Typologies: Early Modern Italian Town Halls in Comparative Perspective (14th-17th Centuries)

By challenging the traditional, typological, approach to the history of town halls, we aim to place Italian civic architecture at the center of a cross-disciplinary study focused, on one hand, on the uses and functions of these buildings, and on the other, on their cultural and identity meanings. The papers gathered in this special collection do not present a history of architectural models and persistencies, but rather one of continuous transformations, conversions, and adaptations, shaped by the material and symbolic functions that public buildings fulfilled, and often continue to fulfill, in the places where they were built.

The Ultimate Difference: Interpreting and Using “Culture” in Comparisons of Crime and Justice

Abstract This article examines culture, an ambiguous yet prevalent concept in comparisons of crime and justice. It investigates the extent to which culture’s application and meaning across research reflects Western-centric bias in criminological knowledge-production despite it being a concept meant to advance understanding on different groups and places beyond the “Western” worldview. The article extends the discussion on Western-centric bias but also on culture in criminology by tracing the use of this concept on East Asian populations and by identifying patterns of application and meaning in international and comparative research through a scoping review of 230 journal publications. The findings address patterns of culture’s appearance in criminology journals in the past two decades and its meaning. Similar to previous scholarship on Western-centrism in criminology, the article finds that this bias does, too, exist in uses of culture but also shows how culture’s conceptual ambiguity is conducive to this bias, in that some groups and places are given one meaning of culture while others receive another.

Introduction of the Digital Gaming Relationship

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in studying the appeal of digital games. However, there is still a call for further research, especially on the theoretical and methodological advancements. Hence, a novel approach and a concept of the Digital Gaming Relationship (DGR) is presented. The DGR model is adapted from earlier work on physical activity and with the central concept as “meaning,” it provides an alternative perspective to motivation-oriented literature for the field of game studies. With this approach, the fundamental view is that each person has a varying relationship with digital games and gaming over their life span. The relationship builds on the individual’s encounters with the social world of digital gaming and its cultural meanings. In the long term, accruing digital gaming-related knowledge, experiences, and emotional connections contributes to a rich tapestry of meaning, thus creating a deep and meaningful relationship capable of shaping one’s actions, behaviors, and even identity. The framework theorizes the mechanisms of an individual’s socialization process to the digital gaming world and illustrates that the relationship with digital games includes much more than just playing them. In this article, the theoretical roots and key concepts of the DGR are introduced, and the practical applicability of the approach is discussed.

Metadata for Everyone: Identifying Metadata Quality Issues Across Cultures

Metadata is crucial to the dissemination and communication of research. Quality metadata facilitates discovery and access and provides contextual, technical, and administrative information in a standard form. Yet metadata are also sites of tension between sociocultural representations, resource constraints, and standardized systems. Formal and informal interventions may be interpreted as metadata quality issues, political acts to assert identity, or strategic curatorial choices to maximize discoverability and visibility. This presentation documents the work of Public Knowledge Project (PKP) and Crossref on the Metadata for Everyone project to understand how metadata quality, consistency, and completeness impact individuals and communities. Working from a sample of records known to have erroneous, incomplete, or otherwise imperfect metadata, we set out to identify and classify issues stemming from how metadata and communities press up against each other to intentionally reflect (or not) cultural meanings.

Ethnomathematics: Learning Geometric Transformation Through the Formation of Lagosi Motif

The Lagosi motif, a prominent design in the traditional fabric of the Wajo district, is well-known but increasingly rare among local weavers. This motif, drawing inspiration from natural elements such as flowers and stems, holds significant philosophical and cultural meaning for the Wajo people, serving as a key element of their endangered cultural heritage. Despite its cultural importance, the motif has been minimally explored in the context of ethnomathematics. Consequently, this study investigates the mathematical concepts inherent in the design of Lagosi motifs, aiming to utilize them as educational tools for students and to support cultural preservation efforts. Employing a qualitative research methodology with an ethnographic approach, data were collected through observations, interviews, and documentation. The validity and reliability of the data were ensured through triangulation and confirmability. The study reveals that geometric transformations, specifically translation and reflection, play a central role in the creation of Lagosi motifs. These findings highlight the natural emergence of mathematical concepts within local cultural practices, offering potential for their integration into contextualized mathematics education. Furthermore, the results aim to instill a sense of cultural pride in students, thereby contributing to the preservation of Wajo's cultural heritage. The study also underscores the opportunity to leverage Lagosi motifs as culturally relevant educational tools and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between mathematics and cultural studies.

Football, fandom, and violence: Jean-Pierre Mocky’s À mort l’arbitre ! (1984)

ABSTRACT Jean-Pierre Mocky’s À mort l’arbitre ! (1984) is an interesting example of French sports fiction. It takes us back into French post-Giscardian society, where people lived under the threat of structural unemployment and in fear of a precarious personal and family life. This context allows us to better understand how exacerbated militancy developed among the fans of a sport as popular as football. À mort l’arbitre ! tells the story of a referee who was chased by a group of fans, intoxicated with frustration and rage after he awarded a penalty to the other team. Waylaid outside the locker room, stalked in a supermarket, and attacked at his home, the referee had no alternative but to go through this nightmarish odyssey to the end. The aim of this article is to analyse the political, cultural, and social meaning of fan violence towards football referees during the 1980s.

Formation of cultural identity of students as a subject of pedagogical discussion

Introduction. Geopolitical challenges of our time encourage teachers to search for optimal means to counteract the deformation of the ideological positions of students, the mixing of cultures, and the devaluation of traditional cultural and historical values. In this context, the formation of cultural identity among students and schoolchildren, which unites all-Russian and regional cultural meanings at the content level, acquires great theoretical and practical significance. As an example, the Novgorod cultural identity is given as an integrative symbol of the cultural and historical heritage of Russia and the Novgorod region. The purpose of the study is the scientific substantiation of the concepts of “cultural code” and “cultural identity” as pedagogical phenomena containing national and regional components. Materials and methods. Using theoretical methods (interdisciplinary analysis, synthesis, generalization), a study of scientific sources was carried out, which made it possible to identify the relationship between the concepts of “cultural code” and “cultural identity”. In order to determine the components and levels of formation of cultural identity among students, a survey was conducted of 327 students and schoolchildren of the Novgorod region aged 14 to 21 years. Statistical data processing was carried out using the Google Forms service. Results. Based on a theoretical analysis of scientific sources, it was established that cultural identity as a conscious position of young people can be purposefully formed by pedagogical means, and the cultural code can be generated and transmitted by various institutions of socialization. The survey data recorded a fairly high level of development of the cognitive component of the cultural identity of students and an average level of development of the affective and behavioral components. Based on the results obtained, the problematic field of cultural categories was translated into the plane of pedagogical discussion and their characteristics as social and pedagogical phenomena were given. Conclusion. The conducted research made it possible to identify the relationship between the concepts of “cultural code” and “cultural identity”, to determine the general civil and regional aspects of the cultural identity of students. The comprehensive educational program for training future teachers developed by the authors, which includes the history of education and enlightenment of the Novgorod region, the theoretical foundations of educational tourism, museum and excursion pedagogy, will be of practical interest for university teachers and school teachers who carry out educational work with students.

Analyzing Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains from a Pictorial Perspective

From the perspective of iconography, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, a classic work of traditional Chinese landscape painting. This work has been highly respected since the Tang Dynasty and is regarded as one of the important representatives in the history of Chinese painting. Its rich connotation and artistic value have always been the focus of scholars' research. The thesis aims to deeply interpret the historical and cultural connotations and artistic symbolism embedded in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains through the iconographic method, from the levels of ex-iconography, iconography and iconographic analysis, to reveal its important position and value in Chinese traditional art. Adopting the iconographic method, the analysis is divided into three main levels. First, through pre-imaginative analysis, we focus on the physical facts and visual representations on the surface of the work; second, we use imaginative analysis to explore the information of the specific objects in the work and explore their connections and themes; and finally, we carry out imaginative analysis to reveal the deeper historical and cultural connotations and symbolic meanings of the work. Through in-depth iconographic analysis, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains demonstrates the core values of traditional Chinese landscape painting, presenting a fusion of natural landscapes and humanistic emotions. It is not only a work of art, but also a vivid expression of traditional Chinese culture and aesthetics. The findings of this dissertation will contribute to a better understanding of the profound historical and cultural connotations embedded in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, as well as its important position and value in the history of Chinese art.

Analysis of The "Sijagaron" Symbol in the Saur Matua Traditional Ceremony of the Batak Toba Tribe

This research aims to analyze the "Sijagaron" symbol in the Saur Matua traditional ceremony of the Toba Batak tribe, a cultural practice that illustrates the death of someone who has reached old age and has children. Saur Matua, which means "blessed" in the Batak Toba language, is the highest form of respect for people who die after completing a successful life and having many descendants. The Sijagaron symbol, in the form of a series of plants such as banyan plants, silinjuang leaves, and sanggar flowers, is placed on the coffin as a sign of honor and achievement. This research examines the philosophical and cultural meaning of Sijagaron, as well as its role in traditional rituals that show prosperity and success in a person's life. Through a qualitative approach and in-depth analysis, this research explores how Sijagaron symbolizes the relationship between humans, nature and God in Toba Batak culture. The research results are expected to provide insight into the cultural values ​​contained in the Sijagaron symbol and the importance of the Saur Matua ceremony in Toba Batak society, as well as its contribution to understanding cultural heritage and customs.

CORPORATE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AS A GUARANTEE OF THE EFFICIENCY OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS

Corporate culture occupies a prominent place in forming the image of a higher education institution, increasing its competitiveness and gaining popularity among applicants, students, and other institutions. On the one hand, corporate culture acts as a regulator of the behavior of teaching staff through a system of norms, rules, and values, and on the other hand, it acts as a guarantor of successful professional training of future specialists. The purpose of the article is to distinguish the meaning and phenomenon of corporate culture and to determine its place in the system of professional training of students. The main methods of research are comparative analysis of scientific-educational and methodological sources, regulatory and legal framework; and theoretical and empirical methods of generalization. Today, corporate culture acts as a universal socio-cultural phenomenon, a system of values, beliefs, business principles, norms of behavior, and traditions, which is an important intangible resource that provides social connections, communicative and information communication, harmonizes relations, affects the efficiency and competitiveness of the institution. This is an effective tool for the strategic development of a higher education institution, with the help of which employees identify themselves with the university, influence with their work the formation of its image and authority, success, and competitiveness. Corporate culture includes value-normative, organizational, communicative, socio-psychological, game components, and image structure of the educational institution, manifested at the internal and external levels. As a result of our research, we concluded the functional content, structure, and meaning of the corporate culture of higher education institutions.

The meaning of organizational culture and structure for interprofessional collaboration

Abstract In Germany, early neurological rehabilitation (ENR) acts as a link between acute inpatient care and rehabilitation, aiming to restore patients’ ability to rehabilitate amid their complex clinical conditions. Interprofessional cooperation (IPC) is crucial for harmonized treatment due to patients’ vulnerability. An interprofessional team comprising medical, nursing, and various therapy professionals is essential for this purpose. To explore the meaning of organizational culture and structure to IPC, 15 group discussions in 5 clinics were conducted with n = 76 participants. 1. Weekly team meetings are used to coordinate treatment goals and outcomes, but their implementation varies from clinic to clinic. Two types of meetings were identified: those that focus primarily on billing compliance and others that address patients’ long-term perspectives. However, both require additional social service involvement and are not sufficient to adequately address daily tasks, requiring additional IPC coordination. Some clinics have therefore introduced daily meetings to improve the coordination of IPC tasks. 2. Therapy planning and therapist assignment shape IPC and task fulfillment. Three therapy planning methods were observed: centralized, block-based, and flexible, each with different therapist allocation strategies. Centralized planning with flexible allocation leads to appointment pressure and interprofessional communication challenges. Block therapy reduces therapist turnover and promotes better interprofessional coordination in patient care. Flexible therapy planning is conducted through daily interprofessional meetings with shared task allocation and planning leads to a shared understanding. Initial analysis underscores the meaning of organizational structure on interprofessional task fulfillment in ENR, emphasizing the importance of enhancing different cooperation formats which can balance stability and flexibility and integrate social services effectively in patientcare. Key messages • Morning interprofessional meetings on the ward facilitate flexible responses to daily changes in patients’ health conditions and promote interprofessional collaboration. • The consideration of occupational group-specific processes in ward organization is a necessary structural prerequisite for successful interprofessional collaboration.

Flatbreads in Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uighur Groups and its Role in Sustainable Food System

Abstract Background Flatbreads are various types of comparably thin bread and are widespread in a large region. People embed flatbreads with special cultural meanings and adapted local ingredients for baking flatbreads. More attention has been focused on flatbreads in recent years. However, how the cross-border Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uighur groups use flatbreads is understudied. Methods To understand how the cross-border Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uighur groups use flatbreads, the current paper reviews existing English, Mandarin, and some Russian literature to summarize how the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uighur groups use flatbreads. Results The results show that these three ethnic groups prepare and use flatbreads in multiple aspects. The Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uighur people use 23, 9, and 17 types of flatbreads respectively. The flatbreads used by the Kazakh and Kyrgyz people have more overlapping than those of the Uighur people while the relevant studies of Kyrgyz people are more understudied. This resemblance may be because of the closer nomadic lifestyle and the similar influences of Russia and the USSR. The ingredients of flatbreads are aligned with the local ecosystems and have been evolving consistently in the past centuries because of the changes in technology, politics, lifestyles, health perceptions, acculturation, and globalization. Conclusions Because of the eco-friendly features of flatbreads and the widespread use of these foods, flatbreads have a high potential to support a regional strategy for sustainable food system transformation and planetary health along the Silk Road countries. To achieve this goal, more studies should be conducted to contribute missing information about ingredients, cooking methods, features, and regional differences in using flatbreads; more nutritious and bio-diverse recipes of flatbreads and the most eco-friendly cooking energy resources for baking flatbread should be identified; new meanings should be given to flatbreads to promote the use. Key messages • The first study to summarize how Kazakh, Uighur, and Kyrgyz peoples use flatbread. • Justify a potential to use flatbread for sustainable food system transformation.

Sacred Games: nietzsche and huizinga in dialogue – an inquiry into the olympic and paralympic games

ABSTRACT This article examines the sacredness of modern sports games by comparing the Olympic and Paralympic Games with the ancient Greek Olympics and analysing the evolution of ethos between ancient and modern games. Drawing on the theories of Johan Huizinga and Friedrich Nietzsche, it identifies an originary structure of sacred play that contributes to the formation of social and cultural identity. Concepts of sacredness, rituality, and agonism in ancient games are explored to understand their influence on modern games. Through a hermeneutic investigation of Huizinga and Nietzsche’s works, the article identifies six fundamental elements of sacred play: inviolable rules, space separated from daily reality, symbolic and cultural meaning, experience of transcendence, reflection of myths and meanings, and self-affirmation, self-overcoming and creativity. These elements are applied to the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games, highlighting their presence in shared rituals and symbols. The discussion focuses on the tension between the traditional Olympic Ethos and the current Efficiency Ethos, highlighting the possible implications on the elements of Olympic sacredness. Finally, it calls for critical reflection on the values and practices of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to preserve their sacredness over time.

China as data coloniser? rethinking cultural production, cultural mediation, and consumer agency on Kenyan and Chinese e-commerce platforms

Has China become a neo-colonizer, exporting its cultural and economic power to the world based on its agenda of building soft power? Existing scholarship on neocolonialism and data colonialism largely focuses on how China's infrastructural expansion and increasingly platformised cultural sectors can achieve its ambitious platformised cultural sectors overseas. Yet, how China's cultural power is manifested, negotiated, or resisted in people's daily lives in a South–South setting remains under-researched and under-theorised. This article uses everyday fashion in Kenya as a case study to investigate China's cultural and economic power expansion in the Global South. We examined how cultural differences are negotiated and mediated on two Chinese(-invested) e-commerce platforms. Through focus groups and platform walkthrough method, our findings serve to enrich existing theories of cultural production–platform relationships applicable in the study of various cultural and creative sectors, to offer new understandings of how symbolic, sociopolitical and cultural meanings of fashion are constructed through divergent platform affordances, and to reveal the various forms of cultural negotiations and resistance in different contexts, multiplying our frames of reference.

Трансформация подходов к исследованию идентичности и культурной идентичности в конце ХХ – начале ХХI столетий: тенденции и перспективы

This article examines the role of cultural identity policy as a tool for institutionalizing established values, beliefs, and means of sustenance in the structure of cultural identity. It is emphasized that the works of classical scholars of the 20th century address the issue of cultural identity in the context of fundamental theories of personality, motivation, needs, determinisms, and more. In contrast, research conducted in the first quarter of the 21st century exhibits a continuity of these foundational themes. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that the transformation of theoretical and methodological approaches is manifested in the reception of the issue of cultural identity-as a conceptual, social, and historical product that is created by individuals and society through processes of joint activity, and that is continually negotiated and modified under the influence of cultural policies and means of their institutionalization. Using research findings as a case study, the article illustrates how the government forms the cultural identity of populations: it instills norms, defines parameters of consciousness, and influences living practices and traditional forms of behavior. However, the intensity of such influence varies significantly. Based on a description of different types of cultural hybridity, the article identifies and represents corresponding types of identity-strong and weak-that manifest in conditions of intercultural communication.

Semantic Valence and Cultural Representation of Phraseological Units (Kazakh and English)

The rules for the compatibility of idiomatic units in the linguistic consciousness of native speakers are a particular problem that is related to the formation and evolution of the language norm. It is still unknown what is the catalyst for the transformation of language norms — usage or the laws and rules of the language. As a result of the cultural interpretation of a phraseological unit in the process of its use, the most important component of the cultural and linguistic meaning of the phraseological unit is formed, the content of which is the value-emotional attitude to what is happening. The focus of the article is the notion that phraseological valence - beyond grammatical structure to cultural and semantic dimensions. This perspective likely emphasizes the importance of cultural and semantic factors in shaping the meaning and usage of phraseological units, rather than purely grammatical considerations. Comparing English and Kazakh phraseological units with similar concepts but different cultural representations provides an insightful examination of how language reflects unique cultural perspectives and values. The article determines that there is a certain pattern in the semantic variation of phraseological units, and also compares the semantically equivalent and non-equivalent structure of English and Kazakh phraseological units. The purpose of the article is to prove that in the valence of phraseological units the role of the transitive meaning, rather than the literal meaning, predominates, and the grammatical construction has valency.

The Phenomenon of Mask Dance in East Asia from the Lens of Dance Teachers

This paper explored the phenomenon of mask awareness in East Asian dance from the perspective of dance teachers in Shiyou Village, Jiangxi Province, China. It aimed to determine the evolution of mask dance, explore the cultural influences of East Asian dances on the mask dance, and examine the significance of mask dance in dance education from a cultural perspective. A qualitative research design was used, involving interviews with four experienced dance teachers to collect their views and experiences on mask dance. The interviews were transcribed, analyzed thematically, and corroborated with literature research. The study revealed the cultural symbols, meanings and functions of mask dance in East Asia. It highlighted the role of mask dance in preserving cultural heritage, enhancing social cohesion, promoting cross-cultural understanding, and stimulating artistic innovation. The paper provides useful insights for dance practice and cultural heritage in the region.

Building Identities: Ancient Legacies and Modern Visions in Architecture of the Americas

Review of Antes de America: Fuentes originarias en la cultura moderna, an exhibition at the at Fundación Juan March, Madrid, Spain, 6 October 2023–10 March 2024, curated by Manuel Fontán del Junco, María Toledo Gutiérrez, and Rodrigo Gutiérrez Viñuales. This exhibition explored the artistic and architectural connections between Spain and the Americas, focusing on the reinterpretation of the forms and meanings of ancient Indigenous cultures of the American continent from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. It also highlighted the fascination with ‘the ancestral’, a paradigm that has significantly influenced the aesthetics of both the recent past and the present.

In the Grip of Traditionalism? How Nigerian Middle-Class Working Mothers Navigate Normative Ideals of Femininity

Changing socioeconomic conditions are enticing more and more Nigerian mothers to work and pursue careers. This article explores how middle-class professional women navigate working mother subjectivities in the context of Nigeria’s strong patriarchal culture, where traditional notions of maternal femininity prevail. We argue that the working mother’s subjectivity is a key site where the struggle over gendered cultural meanings takes place. Drawing on 32 qualitative interviews, we demonstrate how a small group of women refused traditional feminine subject positions; however, most mothers either embraced or reluctantly acquiesced to traditional femininity, despite having access to broader cultural repertoires and material resources. By unveiling the complexities of the cultural appeal of traditional femininity and social penalties for breaching it, the article extends our understanding of how patriarchal cultures resist gendered change and the nuances and limits of individual patterns of resistance.

Towards a Pedagogy of Ancient Egyptian Language and Hieroglyphs

This paper discusses the challenges of teaching the Middle Egyptian language and Egyptian hieroglyphs to adult anglophone learners outside university settings. These challenges include the lack of L1 speakers; the large volume of signs in the script; the difficulty in reconstructing pronunciation due to the paucity of written vowels; and the lack of accessible learning tools such as readers and textbooks for the intermediate stage. As spoken proficiency in this extinct language is not a feasible goal, it is argued here that teaching should revolve around achieving reading competence. The paper advocates for a pedagogical approach that centres on using vocabulary, including variant spellings, as the fundamental building blocks of learning. This entails reading words, sentences and paragraphs of increasing complexity, which over time aids memorisation of vocabulary and builds confidence. Grammar and syntax can be gradually introduced and contextualised by reading practice sentences. It is also argued here that producing digitised versions of ancient Egyptian texts using hieroglyphic font software such as JSesh allows for the creation of practice texts in a standardised and legible format. This, in turn, makes it possible to use pedagogical aids such as adding spaces between words and adding signs omitted by the ancient scribes. Finally, it is argued that learning vocabulary and grammar is enhanced by discussions of the wider semantic and cultural meaning(s) of the ancient text in question.