Multicultural Community Research Articles

Experiences of strangeness in the prose of Éva Berniczky

This paper presents some of the characteristic features of Éva Berniczky’s prose. Berniczky is a Hungarian writer living in Uzhhorod, Transcarpathia, who regularly publishes in journals that define the Hungarian literary canon. Yet her presence in literary history compilations is not obvious: neither the Hungarian, nor the Transcarpathian regional literary canon has accepted her works lightly.
 In this paper, the experiences of strangeness in her short stories and in her one novel to this day, Méhe nélkül a bába (The Midwife Without a Bee), are discussed in terms of two problematic issues. In the first part, the interplay of cultural differences is brought to the fore, namely because, in reading the collected short stories in Szerencsegyökér (The Root of Fortune aka Mandragora), we have noticed that Berniczky’s writing is fundamentally characterised by the linguistic representation of multilingual and multicultural communities. We start from the premise that a significant part of the writer’s oeuvre to date is based on the interplay of cultural differences, introducing the reader to a world that in literary theory is best described in terms of the familiar or the familiar stranger. In the case of the novel, the problem of the found text, a postmodern topos, comes to the fore: the identity of the female narrator-translator is altered in the process of interpreting the diary of a foreign woman which appears in the novel. The act of translation reflects on the translator’s own life, experiences and perception of the world. This is why the paper emphasises that the novel Méhe nélkül a bába (The Midwife Without a Bee) represents, with particular linguistic sensitivity, how translation from one culture or language to another can become a process that defines and shapes (female) identity in a multilingual and multicultural region. The intimate relationship between the translator-narrator and the found text also emphasises that a more «credible, more truthful» translation is not enough to accurately reproduce the source text, something else, something more is needed.

The impact of linguistic racism and coloniality on Sri Lankan English studies: the case of Burgher English

ABSTRACT This paper argues that descriptions of Sri Lankan English (SLE) are influenced by ideologies of linguistic racism and coloniality through an examination of the possible reasons for their neglect of Burgher English – an underprivileged variety of SLE spoken by a minority community. Although descriptions of SLE identify different categories of the variety, they neglect the language use of the Burghers, despite the fact that they are the only ethnic community for a large majority of whom English serves as a first language. The paper claims that descriptions of SLE are interested in elevating the language use of the elite and anglicized sections of the racially dominant Sinhalese instead of focusing on understanding and depicting how diverse people of the multiethnic and multicultural Sri Lankan speech community such as the Burghers of Sri Lanka adapt it to suit their needs and contexts. Demonstrating the possible influence of linguistic racism and colonial ideologies on descriptions of SLE, the paper posits that the unique structural features rendering Burgher English to be perceived as sub-standard could be understood through the theoretical lens of postcolonial performativity which would help appreciate the creativity and diversity of the variety instead of devaluing it as sub-standard.

In-Group Bias and Inter-Group Dialogue in Canadian Multiculturalism

ABSTRACT African-Canadians continue to bear the brunt of marginality and stereotyping in Canada even when various mitigating studies and programs have been initiated by the government at federal, state, and municipal levels. These stereotypes continue to affect them in informal settings and state institutions when seeking employment, housing or when in the streets, malls, schools, etc. While social justice advocates, social workers, and policy-makers focus on “Black-White” dynamics because other “racialized minorities” are also marginalized (though not equally) in Canada, it is important to note that “non-White” Canadians also contribute to the spread of historical stereotypes of African-Canadians within Canadian multiculturalism as noted in the emphasis of the city of Toronto’s mitigating strategies for “anti-Black racism.” Using social group position theory (SGPT) and asset-based model (ABCD), this paper argues that interrogating social group biases beyond “Black-White” binarism to encourage inter-group dialogs is important in making sure that different multicultural communities understand one another through favorable, activities-mediated, inter-group relations as opposed to having multicultural relations mediated by third parties, or not mediated at all. We also argue that African-Canadians should focus on internal strengths and only use external help to augment community initiatives to change the extant negative image.

The Kenmure Street protests: A community against the state

Including the rent strikes of 1915 and the Battle of George Square in 1919, Glasgow has a long history of struggle and resistance, but by 2020 it had been some decades since the city had come together in such a show of solidarity. On 13 May 2021, however, the people of Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, in the Southside of Glasgow, found themselves united in struggle against a brutal and oppressive arm of the state. The multicultural community had been almost torn apart in 2004 following the brutal murder of 15-year-old Kriss Donald, though the death eventually brought people together and a new community was forged. This spirit was central to an impressive victory for the working class that went beyond race, religion and identity. Through a range of newspaper articles and four non-structured interviews, this oral history article explores the community spirit and organisation in the lead-up to the events that transpired on Kenmure Street, and the impact this peaceful protest has had at a local and national level.

Intercultural sensitivity in the online multicultural community: Indonesian students’ experiences

The online social network facilitates excessive opportunities for intercultural communication in the online multicultural community. Occasionally, intercultural communication possibly results in misunderstanding, confusion, or stereotypes. Intercultural sensitivity, therefore, is necessary to respond to probable issues in online intercultural communication based on Indonesian students’ experiences. This narrative study portrayed the development of intercultural sensitivity in the online multicultural setting. The data were compiled from narrative reports and recordings and then analyzed based on Hunter’s analysis of the narrative. It reveals the development of intercultural sensitivity in the themes of 1) embracing a phonemic variation of English, 2) developing mutual strategies to understand the language, 3) celebrating small similarities, and 4) self-control to listen respectfully. The findings are primarily meant for intercultural education. The study also suggests the use of an authentic intercultural setting for English language learners to develop their intercultural sensitivity and bring the discussions after practice in the classroom.

Differential ethnic approach as a strategy to reduce disaster risk in multicultural communities: the case of Colombia

Differential ethnic approach as a strategy to reduce disaster risk in multicultural communities: the case of Colombia

Da'wah, Negotiation and Social Piety: The Role of Kyai Ahmad Masduki Al-Jabalani in Building the Character of a Multicultural Society in Gorontalo, Indonesia

The principle of Ojo rumongso iso, but iso rumongso (don’t feel you can, but you can feel) is the value of the laughter of a young kyai from Blitar who oversees the Sirojuth Thalibiin Islamic boarding school, Sidomukti village, Gorontalo. The value of the local wisdom of the Javanese people has become a foundation in their life. In his preaching he made the community as teachers not as people who do not know anything. He studied the heterogeneous character of the Gorontalo people as initial knowledge before carrying out da’wah. The pattern of preaching is different from other preaching methods of ustadz. Masduki in his preaching he followed the behavior and entered into community activities. For example drinking coffee and playing playing cards with people in several places. He preached while drinking coffee including playing playing cards together. These two moments became media in the preaching negotiations carried out by kyai Ahmad Masduki Al-Jabalni. Gradually people became interested and began to come and study at their Islamic boarding school. This shows that social piety is more important than individual piety. This research uses qualitative research using a narrative ethnographic approach and focuses on how the da’wah carried out by Kyai Masduki in the formation of the character of the multicultural Gorontalo community. Data collection techniques were carried out by means of participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentation.

Championing Social Mobility

Championing Social Mobility

177 Education and Its Effects on Barriers to Clinical Trial Participation in Alzheimer’s Disease Studies by Underrepresented Communities

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Minoritized populations experience a large burden of Alzheimer’s Disease; interventions are often delayed and underrepresented communities’ participation in clinical trial research is low. Lack of information has been proposed as a barrier to clinical research enrollment of minoritized populations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Brain Train, a cluster randomization trial, evaluated the role of education in increasing willingness to participate in research. A 3 segment program was developed whereas segment 3 had two versions: clinical trial education or healthy brain aging video. Brain Train was presented to multicultural communities with participants of at least 50 y/o throughout WNY. The primary outcome measure is evaluating the percent change in responding yes to would you be interested in participating in a clinical trial? before and after segment 3. The secondary outcome measure and exploration of barriers are measured by a Research Attitude Questionnaire. Demographic information such as age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and educational attainment is collected. The statistical model is a generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Sixteen sessions with 281 participants were completed to generate the pilot dataset. We see 59.29 % of individuals answered yes before segment 3 and 46.02% answered yes after the educational intervention. Our data shows there is a 13.3% decrease in clinical trial participation interest after the educational intervention. Through our RAQ responses, our data shows significance when it comes to our participants’answers to questions regarding society needing to devote more resources to medical research (p=0.04). Trust emerged as the most significant barrier when it comes to one’s willingness to participate in medical research and clinical trials (p=0.03). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our preliminary results from the first sixteen events suggest that the power of education is not sufficient to overcome barriers to clinical trial participation for underrepresented communities. Instead, trust appears to be the most significant barrier. Trust building strategies should be explored to answer this research question.

Analisis Pembelajaran Sejarah dengan Materi Islam Untuk Meningkatkan Kesadaran Pendidikan Multikultural di SMA Negeri 11 Medan

Multicultural education is becoming increasingly important in heterogeneous societies like Indonesia. One subject that has the potential to implement multicultural education is history, particularly when studying Islamic history. Indonesia is a region with diverse cultural backgrounds, often referred to as multicultural. This diversity is also present in the field of education. This research aims to explain or analyze history lessons with Islamic content to enhance awareness of multicultural education in SMA Negeri 11 Medan, specifically considering the cultural backgrounds of students who adhere to different religions, which can potentially trigger conflicts within a multicultural community. Therefore, multicultural education is expected to serve as a foundation for prioritizing tolerance in society, especially among students in schools. This research utilizes qualitative research methods with a case study approach to analyze how multicultural education is integrated into history lessons at school. This is related to the study of history, which explores the nature and habits of humanity over time. The connection between multicultural education and history education is valuable in fostering multicultural awareness and uniting various differences, enabling peaceful and harmonious coexistence, especially among students in schools. The research findings indicate that the analysis of multicultural education in history lessons with Islamic content at SMA Negeri 11 Medan has been conducted effectively. History researchers employ various approaches and strategies that consider the diversity of students. They explore diverse Islamic historical sources and utilize methods such as discussions, group assignments, and field activities to enhance students' understanding of Islamic history. Additionally, collaborative efforts between teachers, schools, and relevant stakeholders are necessary to create an inclusive learning environment that supports the diversity of students.

THE IMPLICATION OF TOLERANCE VALUE IN CHARACTER EDUCATION OF MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY IN KAMPONG JAWA DENPASAR-BALI

Cultural diversity in a multicultural society owned by Indonesia does not escape the values of tolerance. The application of the value of tolerance not only respects and respects differences in beliefs, customs, cultures, languages, etc., but must also be balanced with an open and airy attitude in order to create a sense of security and comfort to others by showing diversity in attitude, customs, culture, and religion. Each multicultural society has its own character education, just like the multicultural community in Kampung Jawa Denpasar-Bali. Character education will be stronger if there are implications of the value of tolerance for character education. This study aims to describe the early history of the establishment of this Javanese village so that it can exist until now, what values of tolerance are applied in the life of a multicultural society so that it can live in harmony side by side, and the relationship of the value of tolerance in the character education of multicultual communities in Kampung Jawa Denpasar-Bali. This research uses qualitative methods with a phenomenological approach. From this research, it can be concluded that there are implications for the value of tolerance for multicultural community character education in Kampung Jawa Denpasar-Bali, namely making it a society that has a sense of harmony between religious people, has a sense of social concern between religious people, and mutual respect and mutual respect between religious people.
 

Evaluating a Culturally Tailored Public Health Forum in Improving the Knowledge and Understanding of Chronic Disease Management in the Chinese Population: A Mixed-methods Study

Background:
 Chronic disease management is fraught with many challenges for ethnic minorities. Studies conducted in non-multicultural populations suggest that patient and community engaging initiatives can improve chronic disease management practices. However, literature on culturally specific community engaging programs is relatively sparse. The interCultural Online Health Network (iCON) is a culturally tailored, patient and community engaging health promotion program, which provides culturally specific health education to BC’s multicultural communities. We aimed to assess if the iCON 2020 Chinese Health Forum can improve the knowledge and understanding of chronic disease self-management in the Chinese community of Vancouver, BC.
 
 Methods:
 We conducted a sequential mixed-methods study by administering pre- and post- validated questionnaires, followed by semi-structured interviews conducted one-two months after the forum. We assessed our primary outcome of difference in self-efficacy scores post-forum using paired t-tests and further illuminated our research question through a thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews.
 
 Results:
 From the 381 participants that attended the Health Forum, 131 consented to completing the pre- and/or post- surveys, and seven provided consent to participate in the follow-up interview. There was a statistically significant difference in self-efficacy scores pre- and post- forum participation (Mean difference = 0.58, S.D. = 1.42; [95% CI: 0.26 – 0.90], t(77) = 3.60; P = 0.001, d = 0.41). Participants attributed the effectiveness of the Health Forum to its accessible yet engaging programming and focus on culturally tailored health education.
 
 Conclusion:
 A culturally tailored, patient engagement and community outreach program effectively improved Chinese community members self-efficacy in managing their chronic diseases and was well received by participants. iCON’s 2020 Chinese Health Forum presents a model with associated principles of approach for similar culturally specific health education and community engagement programs that need to be developed to reduce the burden of chronic diseases in multicultural populations.

Does social media impact the development of general English vocabulary? perceptions of Egyptian university students

The importance of vocabulary in language learning cannot be overstated because meaningful communication requires a vast repertoire of words to convey ideas. Yet, social media places English language learners in multicultural communities where they can acquire new vocabulary knowledge and use it communicatively. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of social media on learning English vocabulary at university level. A case study approach was adopted. To this end, a hypothesized model on aspects of learning English from social media was constructed. That was supported by a participant observation and a thorough review of the literature. Based on the model, a questionnaire was constructed and disseminated to a total number of 135 Egyptian undergraduate university students. Findings of the study are: 1) learning vocabulary occurs through receiving, producing and constructing vocabulary knowledge, 2) the indirect impact of social media enhances self-confidence, self-esteem, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration among Egyptian university students, 3) social media is characterized by factors that enhance vocabulary learning, and 4) social media has a few limitations that, to some extent, hinder vocabulary learning. It is recommended that further research is conducted on the effect of different social media applications on learning English language vocabulary, grammar and other aspects.

Breast Cancer and Screening Prevention Programmes: Perceptions of Women in a Multicultural Community in Southern Thailand.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide and in Thailand. To explore perceptions of breast cancer and screening prevention programmes among a group of at-risk women in a multicultural setting in southern Thailand. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used for data collection with 30 at-risk group women. Women from Muslim and Buddhist backgrounds were purposively included in this study. The thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data. Four themes were identified from our data: perceptions of breast cancer, being diagnosed with breast cancer and anxiety, stigma: effects of breast cancer, and breast self-screening and prevention of breast cancer. The participants had some knowledge about the risk factors for breast cancer. However, participants perceived that breast cancer could occur to individual women at any time and that it was not possible to entirely prevent the disease, even when following a breast self-examination programme. However, most participants perceived that whether one would be afflicted by breast cancer depended also on Allah and their own karma. All participants were encouraged to attend breast self-screening training by healthcare providers of local health centres, but they had no confidence to perform self-screening soon after finishing the training programme. This became the reason for a lack of regular self-screening with responsibility left to health practitioners. Although participants were aware that breast self-screening should be their routine practice, there were multiple barriers to this, including accurate knowledge about breast cancer, belief, self-awareness, screening skills and healthcare facilities. Breast self-screening was recognised as an important means of early detection. However, most women did not perform this regularly, which could increase their risk of developing breast cancer. Public health providers need to be more concerned about the perceptions, beliefs and practices regarding breast cancer and develop prevention practices that work better for women living in more diverse cultural locations so that they may be able to follow preventive practices and reduce their vulnerability to breast cancer.

CSE 2023 Annual Meeting: Reflecting on Community: Opening Borders in Scholarly Publishing

The 2023 CSE Annual Meeting will take place April 29–May 2 in Toronto, Ontario. An exciting destination for attendees, the city of Toronto offers a variety of attractions, collaborative venues, multicultural communities, and culinary experiences. This year’s meeting will be a fully in-person event. We are excited to return to an in-person format in 2023 and will be offering multiple short courses, roundtable discussions, poster presentations, and networking options. Opportunities to attend CSE events virtually will be available during the CSE Fall Virtual Symposium and the CSE Webinar and Connect events throughout the year. As Program Co-Chairs, we are thrilled not only about the destination of this year’s meeting but also about the scope of content currently being developed. The scholarly publishing industry has experienced rapid evolution in recent years. As we look to the future, the resources of CSE continue to be invaluable to scientific communication education, networking, and engagement. The theme for the 2023 annual meeting is “Reflecting on Community: Opening Borders in Scholarly Publishing.” Part of our inspiration for this theme comes from the city of Toronto itself. The charming location boasts an inspiring motto: “Diversity Our Strength.” The CSE Program Committee has been working with individuals who submitted session proposals and moderators to develop an excellent slate of educational sessions around this theme. The program for the annual meeting will cover topics such as open access; managing society and publishing relationships; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; ethics and research integrity; as well as other critical topics […]

Spatial Reflections on Muslims’ Segregation in Britain

The diversity of multicultural, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic groups and communities within Britain has created cohesion and integration challenges for different community groups and authorities to adapt to the current diverse society. More recently, there has been an increased focus on Muslim segregation in Britain in official reports and reviews. Those documents mentioned the Muslims’ segregation (directly or indirectly) for various reasons, and some recommendations have aimed to improve “community cohesion” in general and Muslims’ “integration” in particular. However, community participation in the design or planning of regeneration and development projects has yet to be focused on, although these documents recommended promoting community cohesion and integration through these projects. Community participation in architecture—in its broader sense—is a crucial aspect that contributes towards fulfilling the tasks of serving communities with different religious and ethnic backgrounds. Muslims’ religious and cultural practices have been problematised in urban spaces and perceived as leading to social and spatial segregation. This paper intends to explore how secular urban spaces are used and perceived by Muslims through their religious and cultural practices. Therefore, the article aspires to inform the community participation in urban projects and demonstrates the role that Muslims’ inclusion in designing urban projects has in promoting cohesion and integration. The Ellesmere Green project in Burngreave, Sheffield, UK, is an empirical example of exploring this locally through semi-structured interviews with community members, leaders, and local authorities’ officials. The findings demonstrate that sacred and secular spaces are interconnected in Muslims’ everyday lives, and the boundaries between them are blurry. The data also show that having the ability to manifest their religious and cultural practices in secular urban spaces does not suggest the desire for segregation, nor does it reduce Muslims’ willingness to have social and spatial interactions with non-Muslims.

Towards an Asian decolonial Christian hospitality: Shù (恕), Pachinko, and the migrant other

ABSTRACT The community of faith and the wider community live in multicultural and transnational realities. Because the people of a community are entangled with various contexts, the identity of a community is fluid, porous, hybrid, and constantly changing. In response to a motley environment, faith communities need a multi-voiced and interactive ministry that is deeply aware of and involved in the knowledge and experiences of those who are historically marginalised by colonisation and recurring violence. This article proposes hospitality based on lament in a way that acknowledges, empathizes with, and participates in those suffering from the various oppressions brought by a multicultural reality. This study will present Pachinko to deepen our insight into the oppression we have faced and to explore how hospitality is working in oppression. This study investigates hospitality based on the Asian concept of shù (恕) and argues that lament can be an energy that is used in the practice of hospitality. Then this study explores how hospitality applies to multicultural faith communities. Through these studies, a way can and will be suggested not only about practicing epistemic justice but also about how to consider the possibility of ideal hospitality.

PARTICIPATORY ACTIONS, PARTICIPATORY ART, AND RURAL LIFE IN THE POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY OF ASPROPYRGOS

The portfolio is a presentation of research and artistic practice used by the artist based on the role of participatory art in her collaboration with the rural Arvanitic community of the post-industrial city of Aspropyrgos. A Greek city located 18 kilometres west of Athens. An example of artistic practice is presented in the international interdisciplinary program "Amoli - Art and Culture: a collective project in the rural, post-industrial, multicultural community of Aspropyrgos" (the word 'Amoli' means to the farmers of Aspropyrgos the water through that irrigates the agricultural crops). The program is implemented in Aspropyrgos, a historically rural town, which went through a violent industrial development and is now going through its post-industrial phase, while the intense migration flow shaped the city's multicultural physiognomy. The portfolio presents the participatory actions of a diverse audience involved in the creation of the artistic work consisting of narratives, participation in agricultural work, participatory meals, walking routes, as well as holistic educational actions since the participants, despite belonging to different social groups, learn and collectively gets trained in the above mentioned actions. The above provides food for the creation of interdisciplinary visual works that are presented in rural areas, turning them into modern art spaces and bringing out questions that concern the international community, indicatively such as the value of arable land and food, the link of modern man with nature, the preservation of the cultural heritage of rural communities, the future of spoken languages. The Amoli international program through the practice of participatory art creates projects that respond to the above needs.

Formation of Tolerance in Foreign Language Learning through the Study of Media Texts

The article is devoted to a topical issue in modern methods of foreign language teaching at university, i.e. the development of critical thinking among students within the framework of the subject “Media Languageˮ. The authors present an analysis of the views of Russian and foreign researchers on such concepts as critical tolerance, cultural identity, cross-cultural competence, etc. Students of linguistic areas of training today experience particular difficulties in overcoming language and cultural barriers when analyzing information from foreign-language media. The study substantiates the ways in which the teacher organizes the student's cognitive activity in practical foreign language classes, which helps to gain experience in working with a foreign-language journalistic text in the conditions of intolerant behavior of foreign-language media in relation to Russia. The article summarizes the practical experience of teachers and proposes an algorithm of text analysis, consisting of several steps. This type of work involves the analysis of the text in accordance with certain tactical guidelines, which allows you to formulate your own point of view according to a given speech situation. The authors give proof of the educational value of this algorithm of work, underlining that such approach to learning helps to form a tolerant position towards representatives of other cultures and the skill of respectful dialogue within a multicultural community.

Social Acceptance of a Thermal Architectural Implementation Proposal

The social acceptance of introducing an improved and sustainable roofing material in multicultural communities in Mexico was addressed. A case history of a community “La Cañada” in Huixquilucan, State of Mexico (19°19′02.81″ N, 99°22′23.21″ W, 3025 m above mean sea level), a village very close to the eastern edge of Mexico City and representative of strong social and transcultural pressures similar to surrounding communities in Mexico City, is reported. The approach considered developing a double-layered roof to reduce the energy demand for space heating in this predominantly cold region, thus significantly contributing to indoor thermal comfort, reducing the need for cutting wood and helping to alleviate the accelerating impacts of deforestation in the area. Two parallel studies were used, whereby the then-current awareness levels of citizens and the factors impacting their commitment to energy sustainability were analysed using multicriteria social parameters, while the second study focused on the analysis of improved comfort when the proposed double roof was implemented, based on the feedback received from a pool of citizens who experienced living in the improved prototype dwellings. Results showed that while the level of awareness on energy efficiency was still low, the influence of media on their decisions and aspirations was strong and this could be constructively used to support the shift towards a more sustainable society and a “solar culture”. Moreover, the developed sustainable double-roof prototype has significantly improved indoor comfort and energy savings for heating, while demonstrating a fast and easy replicability potential in similar dwellings.