Mother Country Research Articles

Cerebral palsy and perinatal mortality in children born in Norway to immigrant mothers.

To compare the prevalence and clinical characteristics of cerebral palsy (CP), and perinatal mortality, in children born to non-immigrant mothers with children born to immigrant mothers. This was a registry-based cross-sectional study. Data on children born from 2000 to 2016 were extracted from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and linked to the Norwegian Quality and Surveillance Registry for Cerebral Palsy. The mother's country of birth was categorized into three groups: non-immigrant (born in Norway); immigrant from high-income countries (HICs); and immigrant from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (born abroad giving birth in Norway). Birth prevalence of CP and prevalence of perinatal mortality per 1000 live births were calculated. Odds ratios (ORs) for CP among live-born children of non-immigrant mothers compared to mothers from HICs and LMICs were calculated using logistic regression, both unadjusted and adjusted for each risk factor for CP. Pearson χ2 tests were used to compare the proportions of clinical characteristics. The prevalence of CP among non-immigrant mothers was 2.11 per 1000 live births, 1.44 among mothers from HICs, and 1.71 among mothers from LMICs. The OR for CP in mothers from HICs was 0.68 and 0.81 in mothers from LMICs. Despite mothers from LMICs having higher proportions of consanguinity and lower folate intake, and their children having lower Apgar scores, the ORs for CP were unchanged after adjusting for these. Yet, children born to mothers from LMICs had higher perinatal mortality; their children with CP had higher proportions of intellectual disability. The lower birth prevalence of CP among children born to mothers from LMICs was unexpected. Yet, children born to mothers from LMICs had higher perinatal mortality, which could impact the number of live-born children with CP.

Should the Definition of Low Birth Weight Be Same in Every Ethnicity Considering the DOHaD Concept?

Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant concern not only because of its association with perinatal outcomes, but also because of its long-term impact on future health. Despite the physical differences among individuals of different ethnicities, the definition of LBW remains the same for all ethnicities. This study aimed to explore and discuss this issue. We compiled national data from several countries and found that maternal height was negatively correlated with LBW incidence. We discovered the INTERGROWTH-21st chart may not be suitable for the Japanese population, as the Japanese birth weight chart differs from the INTERGROWTH-21st chart. Researchers have reported different LBW cutoff values used to assess adverse perinatal outcomes for different countries. However, there is currently no definition of LBW independent of the mother's country of origin that can be used for predicting the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, the current era of personalized healthcare may be the perfect time to establish a standard definition of LBW which is independent of the mother's country of origin. Considering the future of healthcare, it seems an apt time to discuss the development of a more meaningful definition of LBW that can be applied across ethnicities. Further research is needed to investigate the cutoff values of LBW in every ethnicity.

CRISIS OF BRITISH NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES AND THE REBELLIONS IN CANADA OF 1837-1838

The proposed article aims to prove that the rebellions of 1836-1837 were, mainly, not a struggle for democratization and liberalization of the colonial political system, but a clash of two versions of nationalism that were widespread in Canada at that time: the British version, represented by the Orangists, “constitutionalists”, colonial offi cials and people loyal to them, and, on the other side, the Canadian version, the adherents of which were the English-s peaking “reformers” and French-s peaking “patriots”. The fi rst version of nationalism was traditionally put at the basis of the worldview of all those who moved to Canada from the mother country, or, if born in America, were strongly infl uenced by the powerful English national intellectual tradition, rooted in the 16th century. The second was just beginning to take shape and was the characteristic of a small circle of intellectuals and politically active colonists who were ready to become not British, but Canadians. In this context the issue of democratizing the colonial governance system was not important per se but drew attention mainly as a symbol of the affi rmation and emancipation of the Canadian nation. However, due to the recent emergence of Canadian national identity, its infl uence on the events that took place was insuffi cient to lead to radical changes. According to sources, until the very last moment, rebellion was not a part of the plans of Canadian nationalists. This seems quite obvious, given how chaotic, contradictory and inconsistent their actions were when the violence began. Many important issues: independence or constitutional reform in Canada, the choice between a peaceful or armed form of struggle, the attitude towards the United States, its historical experience and the prospects of joining it - all this was decided literally on the fl y. The emerging project of the Canadian nation clearly needed time to take shape and then to win the hearts and minds of the people. However, the adherents of British nationalism were not going to tolerate such experiments in their country. Their aggressive actions, with the obvious connivance of the authorities, provoked a response and an armed confl ict in which the unprepared “patriots” were doomed to defeat.

Exploring the Impact of Ethnocentrism, and Country of Origin on Consumer Purchase Intentions: A Case Jingdezhen Blue-and-White Ceramics

In China, the native people living in the society have great enthusiasm for their country and they always prefer using and consuming their homeland-manufactured products. Moreover, Chinese have their own culture in which they possess different arts and creative commodities consumption and purchasing to follow their traditional norms. This study investigates the patriotic nature of Chinese customers, who have a strong preference for their home-made products and cultural heritage. The research uses an empirical model to examine the relationship between animosity, ethnocentrism, country of origin, and country knowledge, as well as perceived warmth as a mediator. The study used a positivist philosophy with a deductive approach, using the S-O-R theory as the empirical support. Quantitative primary data was collected from 280 customers of blue and white ceramic products, with a total sample size of 280. The SEM technique revealed that country of origin and ethnocentrism significantly influences customer purchase intentions for ceramic products. Furthermore, the mediation analysis revealed that customer ethnocentrism indirectly impacts purchase intentions through perceived warmth. The study concludes that Chinese customers have a high devotion to their mother country's products, and the behavior of native sellers and general society people is crucial in stimulating their purchase intentions.

Patterns of Internationalising Higher Education and the Flows of Education Resources during the Late Qing Dynasty of China

During late Qing, neocolonialism was a serious phenomenon situated in the higher education, forcing universities to globalise and adopt foreign education patterns. Furthermore, there are also some outward flows of education resources, although there were more tints of inward flows of education resources. This paper aims to address two research questions: What are the patterns of internationalization in higher education institutions during the Late Qing Dynasty? To what extent, the higher education resources flow inbound and outbound during the Late Qing Dynasty? Based on the telephone interview with six professors of education history in China, it is found that as impacted by Western colonialism, Chinese universities showed a strong signal of globalisation in the late Qing. Meanwhile, some traditional teaching patterns and textbooks with Chinese characteristics were also used to stir the learning enthusiasm of local students. In the late Qing, inward/inbound flows of education resources were more evidenced than outward/outbound flows. This could be exemplified by some major sources of the textbooks used at universities. Specifically, the first source was the western teachers, who bought textbooks from the mother countries. The second source was many Chinese ambassadors to France and Britain, who sent back to China the original western textbooks. It is hoped that future study will focus on the patterns of internationalizing higher education and flows of education resources during Modern China.

Children's bullying victimization and the acculturative stress of immigrant mothers in Korea: Exploring heterogeneity by mother's country of origin.

Over the past three decades, the number of multicultural families in Korea, defined as a family consisting of a native Korean and a marriage immigrant, has increased significantly. Although bullying victimization among multicultural family youth is rightfully a growing concern, less is known about the effects bullying has on immigrant mothers of children who have been bullying victims. Using data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study, this study investigates whether children's bullying victimization is associated with immigrant mothers' acculturative stress and whether this association differs depending on mothers' country of origin (China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries). Fixed effects estimates revealed that children's bullying victimization is positively associated with their immigrant mother's acculturative stress, and this association is robust to controlling for unobserved time-constant individual-level heterogeneity. When stratified by mother's country of origin, the association was larger and statistically significant only among Southeast Asian mothers. No associations were observed among Japanese and Chinese mothers. Our findings suggest that interventions aiming to support bullied children should be expanded to also support their immigrant mothers. Policymakers may wish to consider the specific backgrounds and contexts of immigrant mothers, with special attention to Southeast Asian women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in the prevalence of maternal chronic conditions during pregnancy: A nationwide age-period-cohort analysis.

To estimate temporal changes in the prevalence of pre-existing chronic conditions among pregnant women in Sweden and evaluate the extent to which secular changes in maternal age, birth cohorts and obesity are associated with these trends. Population-based cross-sectional study. Sweden, 2002-2019. All women (aged 15-49 years) who delivered in Sweden (2002-2019). An age-period-cohort analysis was used to evaluate the effects of age, calendar periods, and birth cohorts on the observed temporal trends. Pre-existing chronic conditions, including 17 disease categories of physical and psychiatric health conditions recorded within 5 years before childbirth, presented as prevalence rates and rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Temporal trends were also adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the mother's country of birth. The overall prevalence of at least one pre-existing chronic condition was 8.7% (147 458 of 1 703 731 women). The rates of pre-existing chronic conditions in pregnancy increased threefold between 2002-2006 and 2016-2019 (RR 2.82, 95% CI 2.77-2.87). Rates of psychiatric (RR 3.80, 95% CI 3.71-3.89), circulatory/metabolic (RR 1.62, 95% CI 1.55-1.71), autoimmune/neurological (RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.61-1.78) and other (RR 2.10, 95% CI 1.99-2.22) conditions increased substantially from 2002-2006 to 2016-2019. However, these increasing rates were less pronounced between 2012-2015 and 2016-2019. No birth cohort effect was evident for any of the pre-existing chronic conditions. Adjusting for secular changes in obesity and the mother's country of birth did not affect these associations. The burden of pre-existing chronic conditions in pregnancy in Sweden increased from 2002 to 2019. This increase may be associated with the improved reporting of diagnoses and advancements in chronic condition treatment among women, potentially enhancing their fecundity.

Interior architecture in Australia and Canada

This paper is the first in a series. The series will compare development in Interior Design/Interior Architecture in two commonwealth countries- Australia and Canada. These countries are of a similar population, size, language, mother country and age in terms of western development. The countries therefore share, in terms of design development, some of the same opportunities and barriers.Little documented research exists concerning the recent developments in Interior Architecture in Australia and Canada. Thus this paper was written to provide an anecdotal overview of the profession in the two countries over the period described. It is acknowledged that this is by no means an exhaustive piece of research of this period, but rather an overview and starting point for more in- depth research. This paper is the second in a series of comparative studies between education and practice in Interior Design/Interior Architecture between Canada and Australia. This paper discusses the similarities in the educational structure at universities within Australia and between Australia and Canada causing concern as we find ourselves in a global competitive market place. It is paramount that interior design education directs industry, and not be dictated by short-term industry demands. For this to occur, national educational bodies need to examine their existing programs in respect to one another, develop a distinctive approach in what they teach, and develop better communications with industry in order to ensure the sharing of valuable knowledge gained through project work. This paper is written to provide an anecdotal overview of the professional education in these two countries over the past twenty years.

Moldovan Democratic Republic and the imperative of national unity (1917–1918)

The present study argues that the Union of Bessarabia with the mother country, Romania, on March 27, 1918 gave expression to the natural tendency of Bessarabian Romanians to return to the ancestral hearth, representing in the complex circumstances of 1918 an authentic salvation not only for the national being in Bessarabia, but also for its consolidation and expansion democratic values throughout the Romanian space. The author emphasizes that the determining importance of Bessarabia's return its motherland made the dissolution of the Moldavian Democratic Republic perceived as a moment of inevitable separation, the popular hopes being tied to the Romanian state from now on. It is mentioned that the embryonic statehood of the territory between Prut and Dniester, as an expression of national self-determination, was a useful, important and legitimate vehicle and means in the complicated process of unchaining and finding the two banks of the Prut River. It is concluded that giving up a statehood that they did not have the resources to fully assume, which could become an easy prey for expansionist desires, the Romanians from Bessarabia, as well as the neighboring ethnic groups, have gained, instead, an entire country, part of the free European space.

Elusive mother country: The literature of the Indian-Caribbean Windrush

The recent commemorations in 2018 and 2023, of the 70th and 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, have prompted a deeper engagement with the history of post-war migration from the Caribbean to the ‘motherland’. As public awareness of the economic contribution the Windrush Generation (1948–1971) made to Britain grows, there is also an increasing curiosity in the artistic output of this community and their descendants. However, when museums and cultural institutions choose to engage with the history of the Windrush Generation and its influence, such representations focus on Black Britain and a celebration of the African-Caribbean presence; little or no acknowledgment is given to the community of Indian-Caribbean heritage, who also formed part of the Windrush Generation. Frequently for example, art exhibitions, book lists and musical celebrations ignore the Indian-Caribbean presence with the UK’s Guardian newspaper recently publishing an article entitled ‘Windrush at 75: books that shaped the black British experience’ (author’s italics).In this article I seek to analyze the literary contribution made by writers of Indian-Caribbean heritage, who were part of the Windrush Generation. From Sam Selvon, the author of the classic Windrush novel The Lonely Londoners to lesser-known writers such as Lakshmi Persaud and Elly Niland, I argue that Indian-Caribbean writers have complicated the binaries of the current Windrush narrative and have perhaps been afforded less consideration as a result. My aim in this article is to offer a preliminary analysis of the literary odyssey of Indian-Caribbean writers during this period

삼가면서 미래를 꿈꾸는 아이들: 난민 청소년의 이주 경험에 대한 현상학적 연구

This study set out to explore what kind of experiences refugee adolescents had in their migration process to South Korea and how they adjusted and led a life in the country. There were total six components in the essential meanings of refugee adolescents' migration experiences: experiences of family disorganization and reunion with anxiety and trauma, sense of loss and nostalgia for the mother country, stigma, conflicts in relationships, recognition and transnational life. They were alienated the moment they left their mother countries, experiencing exclusion in the host country and starting to lead a life of not being able to make a complete entrance into the host society and move out of it. They were worn out, living in the name of "refugees”, but they refused to cave in and had hopes for their careful expectation that their tomorrow would be better than their today as "dreaming cautiously of their future.” The study promoted the understanding of their lives and dreams as refugees through their own "voices” not exposed in the South Korean society and proposed the possibilities of social welfare support measures for refugee adolescents based on them.

To the Establishment of the Practice of Royal Visits to the Colonies of Great Britain: Background for the First Official Tour
 of the Prince of Wales to Canada in 1860

The article regards the background of the first official visit of a member of the royal family to the colonial possessions of the British Empire – the tour of the Prince of Wales to Canada in 1860. The purpose of the analysis is to trace how the history of the emergence and development of the idea of traveling the heir
 to the British throne to Canada reflected the evolution of the views of the British and colonial politicianson of the Empire building and its perspectives. It is proved that the initiative of the royal journey,coming from the Canadian administration
 and supported by the British government,was aimed at strengthening ties between the mother country and the colony and solving pragmatic problems on both sides.The obtained results allow us to conclude that the project of the first official
 royal tour to overseas territories of Britain, being a product of the thought of the colonial society, indicated the mutual desire of the administration of Britain and Canada to find a balance of interests between the mother country and the colony in the process of updating forms and methods of colonial interaction and constructing the course of imperial policy.

An Analysis of the Financial Gains from Colonialism of Great Britain

The British Empire is known for its large territory ranging all the way from the Americas to Oceania, with dozens of colonies that brought the empire great wealth and capacity to industrialize and mass produce. Based on data and information on the amount of British colonial production, this article focuses on calculations and estimations of the total colonial gain of the empire above. By estimating the amount of production in selected significant colonies, and then converting the results into the desired unit of measurement, a calculated value of colonial wealth can be achieved. The resulting values reveal that the British Empire is estimated to have generated more than 35 trillion British pounds, 56 million pounds of tobacco, 54 million tons of sugar, 173 million tons of rubber, 39 million tons of wool, and 26 million Terawatt hours of oil. Through calculations of the total colonial gains of the British Empire, the effect of colonization on the mother country and its influence on the modern world can be more easily and directly seen.

An Analysis of the Formation and Solidification of Group Concepts in Taiwan During the Japanese Rule and Postwar Periods

This paper presents a comparative analysis on Taiwans behavior under different colonizers during distinct historical periods: Japanese rule (1895-1945) and the post-war era (1945-present). The objective is to examine and compare the formation and solidification of group concepts in these two situations. An intriguing finding is Taiwans decision to relinquish its Chinese identity and instead refer to Japan as its mother country in high school history textbooks. This shift raises questions about the underlying psychological phenomena driving Taiwans reaction. The study hypothesizes that such behavior can be attributed to the influential power wielded by social leaders, who shape the environment to align with their desires and mold the perception of Japan as a country rather than a colonizer. Encounters with diverse individuals stimulate different levels of identity, leading to the solidification of group concepts. This distinction between cultural influences and national favoritism is particularly notable during the two periods of rule under consideration. While the Japanese rule played a significant role in Taiwans development, the passage of time has contributed to a growing societal awakening of consciousness. Consequently, a favorable view of Japan has emerged, accompanied by an increased sense of subjectivity within Taiwan. In conclusion, this analysis suggests that Taiwans response to different colonizers can be best understood as a psychological phenomenon inherent in human behavior. It is heavily influenced by the manipulation of social leaders, who shape the environment, as well as the solidification of group concepts through encounters with diverse individuals.

Информационная хунта (1866–1867): надежды и разочарования. Испания и Куба накануне Десятилетней войны за независимость 1868–1878 гг.

The Information Junta or Commission for Reform (1866–1867), convened at the initiative of Spain and supported by supporters of reforms of colonial administration in Cuba and Puerto Rico, was called upon to discuss issues related to the liberalization of the colonial regime in the Spanish colonies, the abolition of the wartime regime introduced in 1825, and the so-called "special laws" established by Article 80 of the Constitution of 1837, which excluded Cuban deputies from participation in the Spanish Parliament, to consider the regula-tion of the labour of the coloured population of the island and of Asians, and the means of attracting free white immigration, as well as those connected with navigation and trade with oth-er countries, and the imposition of customs duties. This was the first attempt at dialogue between the mother country and its colonies. Meetings of the Information Junta, held from Oc-tober 30, 1866 to April 1867, revealed serious disagreements between Cuban and Puerto Rican deputies over the issue of slavery, as well as within the camp of Cuban reformist politicians over proposed political reforms to colonial administration. The activities of the Information Junta and its results became the subject of research in the proposed article.

“Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic”: Genesis of Issue and Influence on the International Relations

An important and urgent issue in the context of ensuring European and international security is the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. Despite the considerable number of works on the Transnistrian issue, they are mainly devoted to the history and features of the conflict development. At the same time, problem of the present state of the territory and future forecasts are not explored properly. Therefore, the article aims to determine the historical background and stages of the conflict, to characterize the current state of the separatist region and to provide forecasts for the future situation. Methods used for the research include: content analysis, statistical, historical-genetic and the analytic-prognostic methods.
 The article analyzes the basic historical prerequisites and causes of the Transnistrian conflict, which are divided into four blocks: historical, ethno-national, economic and geopolitical. The stages of conflict confrontation and the negotiation process in 5+2 format, the positions of the participating countries are explored. The process of conflict peaceful settlement began after the end of the armed confrontation phase in 1992. It is characterized by considerable activity of external actors, but has not led to significant consequences. A description of the current state of the so-called “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic” is given. Particularly noteworthy is the ever-growing role of the Russian Federation, which traditionally views the territory as an area of its imperial national interests and uses this “frozen conflict” as a lever of influence over the pro-European Republic of Moldova. The main scenarios are highlighted: reintegration into the mother country; inclusion territory of the “de facto state” into patron state; achieving international recognition of sovereignty; maintaining the status quo.
 It is concluded that federalization is the most possible forecast for the Transnistrian conflict, because Moldova already has similar experience in Gagauzia. But at the present stage we are observing the status quo.

Depictions of Expectation Versus Reality in Noviolet Bulawayo’s We Need New Names

In the post-colonial era, Zimbabwe experienced a period of political and economic upheavals with a political regime whose ideology of socialism regimented Zimbabweans under an authoritarian state. In 1999, the opposition to President Mugabe and the ZANU-PF government grew considerably after the mid-1990s in part due to the worsening economic and human rights conditions brought about by the seizure of farmlands owned by white farmers and economic sanctions imposed by the Western countries in response. This economic upheaval was, and is still the cardinal reason why the citizens of Zimbabwe have almost not been a priority in the former regime, leading to their migration to seemingly better-off countries. No Violet Bulawayo is one such Zimbabwean who has left her motherland and now lives in America. In her novel, We Need New Names, she beautifully elaborates how the non-prioritized state of citizens in Zimbabwe is responsible for the huge number of immigrants who have left Zimbabwe and continue to leave, with hope as beautiful as a rainbow high up on their minds that maybe, just maybe, in a land far away from home, life can meaningfully reward their dreams which ironically, their mother country has so painfully failed to help them achieve.

Decolonising history teaching in the United Kingdom: Movements, methods, and curricula

AbstractToppling the statue of the slave merchant Edward Colston in Bristol, removing the monuments of King Leopold II from public places in Belgium, Black Lives Matter protests, and mass demonstrations targeting remembrance of certain chapters of the history of the Global North – these are some of the significant events that drew attention to the ongoing disputes around the legacy of colonialism during the summer of 2020. These developments form an integral part of the long-drawn-out process of decolonisation: decolonising the culture of the former mother countries. From museology through the natural sciences and linguistics to visual arts, vast areas of the academic, scientific, and cultural scene of the Global North are crucially affected by decolonizing tendencies, with the teaching of history arguably among the most disputed ones. This paper reviews the key decolonising aspirations of history teaching in the United Kingdom by studying the goals, messages, methods, and endeavours of three movements: Why Is My Curriculum White?, The Black Curriculum, and Rhodes Must Fall Oxford, address different levels of education and urge the transformation of numerous aspects of history teaching (teacher training, curricula, teaching methodology, etc). Source materials examined include the work, teaching aids, and written, audio, or video content published on various social media platforms by these three organisations, as well as parliamentary papers and reports of public and non-governmental bodies.

Celebrating the Ambivalent Britishness: Reading Andrea Levy’s Small Island (2004) from Bakhtin’s Carnival Theory

Small Island (2004) is British Jamaican writer Andrea Levy’s representative work. By focusing on two British White and Black couples’ experiences before and after WWII, the author reexamines the so-called canonical Britishness and subverts the myth of the British Empire. Based on Bakhtin’s carnival theory, this paper analyzes the process of the Windrush generation’s identity construction after the 1948 British Nationality Act. This paper argues that Small Island is a post-WWII carnival celebrating the ambivalent national identity wherein the traditional Britishness is challenged through the characters’ ridiculous experiences, the mocking language toward self and other, and their efforts into claiming space in Mother country. By doing so, the Windrush generation breaks the homogeneous national identity while endowing Britishness with new meanings and celebrating the forthcoming exclusive society.

The roots and blossoms of 4E cognition in Chile: Introduction to the Special Issue on 4E cognition in Chile

4E cognition (embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive) is a growing, open and pluralistic research tradition that offers new philosophical and scientific avenues to study the mind. Both its origins and current expansive movement are theoretically and geographically diverse. Chile, the mother country of the influential biologists Francisco Varela and Humberto Maturana, represents one of its roots, but also, as the variety of contributions in this special issue shows it, one of its fields of new blossoms. In this editorial introduction, regarding the roots, we focus on the enactive approach developed by Francisco Varela and its relationship with Maturana’s autopoietic theory. We discuss the way in which the particular theoretical and historical horizons of these two research programs conditioned, to a large extent, their philosophical stances regarding cognition. Regarding the new blossoms, we introduce the seven articles composing the present special issue and briefly comment on their contributions in terms of methodology, practical applications, theoretical extensions, and conceptual reflection.