National Representation Research Articles

Abstract 4146319: Racial Disparities and Driving Factors in the AHA's Life's Essential 8 Among American Adults: Insights from NHANES 2011-2020

Backgrounds: The AHA introduced "Life's Essential 8" (LE8) in 2022 as a comprehensive metric to facilitate detailed tracking and management of cardiovascular health (CVH) at the population level. However, the racial/ethnic differences in LE8, how these differences change over time, and the driving factors of LE8 in each subgroup remain unclear. Methods: We utilized data from the continuous NHANES from 2011 to 2020 to examine racial disparities and driving factors in the AHA's LE8 among American adults. To ensure national representation, appropriate weights were applied. Survey-weighted and age-standardized trends in LE8 scores by racial and ethnic groups were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs). To identify the driving factors—specific metrics influencing the LE8 overall score—we calculated z-scores for all components. Then we used the spider chart to visualize the driving factors. Results: A total of 13,915 adult were included, of whom the mean age is 47.9 ± 0.37 years, 6,612 (47.55%) were women, 3,485 (14.63%) were Hispanics, 5,335 (69.74%) were non-Hispanic Whites, 3,464 (10.82%) were non-Hispanic Blacks, and 1,631 (4.81%) were Asians. From 2011-2020, the LE8 scores did not change significantly overall and across all racial groups (all p-trend > 0.10, Figure 1 ). During the study period, racial/ethnic disparity persisted with Asian adults consistently having the highest LE8 scores and Black adults having the lowest scores. Notably, the lower LE8 scores in Black adults were primarily driven by lower scores of diet, blood pressure, and sleep health, whereas the higher LE8 scores in Asian adults primarily driven by higher scores of diet, nicotine exposure, and BMI. The LE8 scores in White adults were primarily driven by blood glucose and physical activity and the LE8 score in Hispanic adults were primarily driven by blood pressure ( Figure 2-A ). In 2017-2020 ( Figure 2-B ), Black adults had the lowest scores for all LE8 components, except for blood lipids. In contrast, Asian adults had the highest scores in diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, and sleep health. Throughout the study period, the racial/ethnic disparity in LE8 score did not change significantly (all p >0.10). Conclusion: We found persistent racial disparities in cardiovascular health among U.S. adults, with Black adults having the lowest LE8 scores in almost all components. The driving factors for LE8 scores varied by racial subgroups, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

Qualitative study exploring perceptions and experiences of Pharmacy technicians’ professional identity in NHS Scotland

Abstract Introduction Pharmacy technicians worldwide share workplace challenges including: job role; scope of practice; level of pharmacist’ supervision; and education1. In the USA, Canada and many European countries, pharmacy technicians require national or state registration2. In the UK, Pharmacy technicians became registered professionals in 2011, as a means of improving patient safety through compliance with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards. There are approximately 2,500 pharmacy technicians and 5,500 pharmacists registered with the GPhC in Scotland3. Given the importance of professional identity, and the lack of research exploring pharmacy technicians’ professional affiliation, we explored the perspectives and experiences of pharmacy technicians’ professionalism across Scotland. Aim To explore pharmacy technicians’ perceptions and experiences of their professional status and professional identity. Methods Following West of Scotland Research and Ethics Service Scientific Officer’s approval, Pharmacy technicians from all fourteen Scottish territorial health boards were invited by email using snowball sampling technique to provide a national representation. A draft semi-structured interview was piloted on four pharmacy technicians. Between May and August 2023, 36 pharmacy technicians were recruited: 23 from acute services; mental health (n=1); rehabilitation hospitals (n=1); primary care (n=8); and community pharmacy (n=3). Twenty two participants were interviewed in person and 14 on line. Interviews lasted between 17-91 minutes, were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and accuracy checked, then analysed thematically using a framework approach and NVivo software. Three researchers analysed data including initial coding, categorisation, and theme generation. Any disagreements were discussed and addressed within the research team. Results Seven themes emerged from the data describing pharmacy technicians: feeling stuck in the shadow of pharmacists; underrepresented in policy and practice; and marginalised, undervalued and underpaid. There was frustration at the lack of awareness of pharmacy technician roles amongst the wider healthcare team. Primary care pharmacy technicians were thought to have more opportunities than secondary care colleagues. There was a pervasive feeling that pharmacy technicians were increasingly squeezed between pharmacists and support workers and a lack of confidence and feeling unsupported in the delivery of clinical roles. Pharmacy technicians acknowledged that they may not have used their initiative to take new opportunities, but did not feel they had sufficient clinical and educational opportunities. Catalysts to professional development were recognised including pharmacy technician led management and leadership, readiness to undertake traditional pharmacist roles and the potential positive impact of strengthened professional identity. Interviewees described the absence of a structured, funded career framework, and lack of post-registration higher-level professional qualification as inhibiting increased responsibility and scope of practice. Discussion/Conclusion Professional registration does not appear to have strengthened pharmacy technicians’ professional identity. There is a pervasive lack of development opportunities impacting negatively on pharmacy technicians and therefore, service delivery across Scotland. A review of defined roles is required. A lack of previous qualitative evaluation limits comparisons with the perceptions and experiences of pharmacy technicians worldwide. Findings offer a starting point to inform practice and policy. Further research could explore pharmacy technicians’ perceptions of the potential impact of the emerging career framework on developing roles and responsibilities. Keywords: Pharmacy technician, Professional identity

LI DOR ZAYEND Û NETEWE(TÎ)YÊ JINA KURD DI BERHEMÊN ELIYÊ EVDILREHMANÎ DA

Nationalism is a masculine field and is based on “the unity of brothers”. However, there is an important participation of women in national projects. Women play an important role in the construction, strengthening and continuity of nationalism, both through active participation and through cultural and ideological involvement. Therefore, women attract the attention of national movements and discourses and become an indispensable subject of nationalism. This situation is also seen in the works of Eliyê Evdilrehman. In this context, in order to verify this claim, three works of Eliyê Evdilrehman, named Xatê Xanim, Şer Li Çîya, Gundê Mêrxasan, in which he tries to create a national identity with nationalist discourse and equip his readers with a Kurdish consciousness, have been examined. As a result, it was seen that the author presented the Kurdish woman as a national representation with her different roles and characteristics. The author characterises Kurdish women as rulers, leaders, warriors, resisters, advisors to men, biological carriers, carriers of culture and honour and idealises them as strong, free, intelligent and visionary. The author has glorified the Kurdish woman greatly, but he has done so by using sexist language and attributing masculine behavior and characteristics to women. Therefore, ironically and paradoxically, the glorification of Kurdish women in the works studied served to reproduce the patriarchy embedded in the Kurdish language and society.

S2186 A National Representation of Patient Perspectives of Digestive Healthcare Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals

S2186 A National Representation of Patient Perspectives of Digestive Healthcare Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals

The uncomfortable truths of adaptive reuse: faith-to-faith conversion of religious heritage buildings in conflict environments

ABSTRACT Despite being regarded as a sustainable conservation strategy for safeguarding the material fabric of disused built heritage, adaptive reuse is an ethically problematic practice when considering faith-to-faith conversions of defunct religious buildings in politically complex environments. This paper aims to explore the scope of the spatial transformations and symbolic representations involved in such conversions, as well as their ramifications on the pre-existing memory and identity of the place. Theoretical explorations are illustrated with empirical data from fieldwork on church-to-mosque conversions in northern Cyprus. The paper argues that faith-to-faith adaptive heritage reuse undoubtedly aids in the protection of the architectural fabric of disused structures from ruination and preserves their original architectural expressions. However, the practice becomes contentious when former users continue to claim rights to the religious site, as the theological principles and power politics shaping the conversion can potentially ignore their religious values and material culture. But more importantly, when sacred and secular merges and nationalist representations emerge on the religious heritage sites, it radically transforms the identity and pre-existing memory of the landscape, aggravating the tension regarding the former and current users’ rights to these sites.

Down, and Under Pressure: The Decline of Local and Non-Anglo Best-Selling Recording Artists in Australia 2000–2023: Submitted to the International Journal of Music Business Research 14.06.24.

Abstract The global consolidation and platformitisation of recorded music have attracted attention to changes in local artist representation in national sales charts and, more broadly, to the diversity of nationalities within recorded music markets. Global platform distribution has been perceived to aid local music economies and the diversity of cultural production. This article quantitatively analyses the annual Australian top 100 single and album charts 2000–2023 to determine Australian artist representation, Indigenous artist representation and diversity of nationality over the period. The data reveals, contrary to propositions of glocalisation and internationalisation, that Australian and non-Anglo artist representation has declined significantly, while North American and British artists have increased their presence in the Australian charts. It also finds that Indigenous chart representation over the period is low, stable and in line with population ratios. The data raises issues for artists, companies, policy makers and consumers in the Australian music industries.

A Sport that Crosses Borders? Sociology of Cross-Border Sporting Exchanges: The Franco-German Example

ABSTRACT Using the example of sport, this article proposes to analyze border spaces as geographical and relational territories which are constructed and institutionalized by connecting national systems, public policies, stakeholders and representations. After a brief summary of the emergence of the sporting ideology promoting a competition area without borders, we will illustrate our argument based on our analysis of the Franco-German border area constituted as a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), i.e. the Strasbourg Ortenau Eurodistrict (EDSO). Examples of cooperation and shared sporting activities show that sport is an area of cross-border public action capable of creating Franco-German exchanges and raising the subject of bringing together residents from both sides of the Rhine. However, the field investigation also shows that creating events that bring different populations together is not enough for cultural exchanges to take place.

Cultural and National Peculiarities of Russian and Chinese Proverbs with Component ‘Mouse’

The study examines the cultural norms of Russian and Chinese cultures as represented in proverbs with the key component “mouse”. Thirty-three Russian and nine Chinese proverbs extracted from dictionaries are analyzed. The author describes the cultural stereotypes of Russians and Chinese regarding individuals, aspects of their lives, social roles, and life experiences embodied in proverbs featuring the component “mouse”. It is noted that only two socio-cultural representations of both nations in the studied expressions intersect: five Russian and one Chinese proverb metaphorically speak of a person’s cowardice when facing a strong opponent (usually symbolized by a cat) and the impossibility of resisting them. Russian proverbs are characterized as declarative, drawing on the life experience of socially insignificant individuals who find it difficult to resist the powerful. In contrast, Chinese proverbs reflect on life’s difficulties, also featuring an opposition between the “strong” and the “weak”. To compare cultural norms in Russian and Chinese proverbs with modern stereotypical beliefs of language speakers, an associative experiment was conducted. The author concludes that the associative series of modern language speakers is more pragmatic than the cultural norms reflected in proverbs.

Pride of the East: Motorcycle Speedway, Transnational Encounters and Provincial Heartlands

AbstractFor a century, speedway has operated on a transnational basis. Its riders, competitions and machinery regularly traverse national and continental borders. The imposition of the Cold War's Iron Curtain did little to impede its growth. This article focuses on one of speedway's far‐flung and diverse provincial heartlands to show how the sport generated frequent transnational and transsystemic interactions and forged deep relationships that often stood in contrast to the prevailing trends of international politics. As one of speedway's ‘entangled peripheries’, rural East Anglia owes a debt of gratitude to Australasian pioneers. From the 1950s—decades before imported talent became commonplace in football—the region welcomed Scandinavian and Eastern Bloc riders and hosted visiting clubs and national representations from across the continent. Later, East Anglia became a bridgehead for the successful assault of communist‐built machinery on the Western market. These bold endeavours were not without controversy, as British riders voiced objections to foreign men and machines deemed a threat to their livelihoods. The Cold War's end accelerated existing trends and also created exciting new opportunities for itinerant East Anglians abroad. Archival material, conversations with the sport's foreign trailblazers and fans, Swedish and Czechoslovak sources, photographs and official publications serve to demonstrate speedway's enduring ability to forge unexpected ties and give voice to regions at the so‐called margins of twentieth‐century history.

Disparities and Determinants of Testing for Early Detection of Cervical Cancer among Nepalese Women: Evidence from a Population-Based Survey.

Cervical cancer presents a considerable challenge in South Asia, notably in Nepal, where screening remains limited. Past research in Nepal lacked national representation and a thorough exploration of factors influencing cervical cancer screening, such as educational and socioeconomic disparities. This study aims to measure these gaps and identify associated factors in testing for early detection of cervical cancer among Nepalese women. Data from the 2019 Nepal Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors survey (World Health Organization STEPwise approach to noncommunicable risk factor surveillance), involving 2,332 women aged 30 to 69 years, were used. Respondents were asked if they had undergone cervical cancer testing through visual inspection with acetic acid, Pap smear, or human papillomavirus test ever or in the past 5 years. The slope index of inequality (SII) and relative concentration index were used to measure socioeconomic and education-based disparities in cervical cancer test uptake. Only 7.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.1-9.9] Nepalese women had ever undergone cervical cancer testing, whereas 5.1% (95% CI: 3.4-7.5) tested within the last 5 years. The ever uptake of cervical cancer testing was 5.1 percentage points higher (SII: 5.1, 95% CI: -0.1 to 10.2) among women from the richest compared with the poorest households. Education-based disparities were particularly pronounced, with a 13.9 percentage point difference between highly educated urban residents and their uneducated counterparts (SII: 13.9, 95% CI: 5.8-21.9). Less than one in ten women in Nepal had a cervical cancer testing, primarily favoring higher educated and wealthier individuals. Targeted early detection and cervical cancer screening interventions are necessary to address these disparities and improve access and uptake.

THE LANGUAGE OF PEACE AND WAR: UKRAINIAN FANDOM ON THE WAY TO SELF-IDENTIFICATION

The article discusses the peculiarities of the functioning of Ukrainian fantasy fandom as well as its transformations related to two main aspects: 1) from “the old” fandom to the new one and 2) from the ordinary forms of existence during the peaceful times to existence during the wartime after Russian full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.The article indicates the general transformation of the scholarly research of the fandom in the Western academic context. It is possible to present it as the flow from an “ethnographic” or external interpretation of the fandom as a part of the mass culture that depends on the specifics of the popular culture production, to the “internal” or integrated descriptions of the fandom functioning as a separated sphere of social activity.The article argues that there are two stages of the existence of Ukrainian fantasy-related fandom. “The old” fandom emerged in the pre-computer era and was based on the Soviet fandom, which influenced its peculiarities. For instance, there are such aspects as statelessness, the absence of national representation (and the dominance of Russo-centrism as the common cultural platform), the importance of direct interpersonal contacts, distancing from contact with authorities, and the tendency to reduce the presence of the fandom in the shared urban space.Unlike “the old” fandom, “the new” one is developing under the influence of new communicational technologies, which erases the barriers to entering the fandom for new members, enlarges the zones of potential contacts, eliminates geographic and territorial barriers, etc. Moreover, “the new” fandom is more integrated into the urban space and is more available for communications. For the Ukrainian fandom, the transition from “the old” fandom to the “new one” means focusing on domestic cultural issues as the fandom becomes Ukraine-centric.Russian military aggression against Ukraine, from annexing Crimea in 2014 to the full-scale invasion in 2022, became the inner catalyst for the development and transformation of the Ukrainian fandom. The external existential threat led to the transformation of the practices, implemented by the fandom and to the rise of the Ukrainian popular culture, which is closely related to the fandom. During the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian fandom, preserving its core responsibilities (communication and social activity around popular culture functioning), spreads its new topical responsibilities: apart from the domestic volunteer work, which unites the majority of Ukrainian communities, it includes the educational activity, gaining subjectivity during international communication with the foreign fandom of Europe and the USA, charitable activity, etc.

“Higher up, further” approaching air transport in postcolonial Africa through the biographies of planes

The 1960s were a pivotal moment for global air transport: the confluence of the technological innovations of the jet age and the formal decolonisation of most African countries resulted in a new connectivity between Africa and the world, as global aerial mobility rapidly intensified. This paper focuses on the multifaceted role of the jet plane in this process. Jets as flag carriers were key objects in terms of national representation on foreign ground for the newly independent nations. They featured prominently as icons of postcolonial African modernity, were diplomatic tools in the Cold War context and were valuable business assets in a competitive global market. The biographies of the first African-owned jets, Air Afrique's DC-8s and Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 720Bs, were analysed for this paper. Following these biographies brings to the fore the social life of planes as a new and exciting research avenue for postcolonial aerial infrastructure and geographies.

Post-Socialist Rurbanity or When Rurality Meets Periphery. National and Transnational Representations in A Romanian Popular Comedy Series

In the last decade, TV series in Romania have witnessed an increase in audience numbers, especially with the development of VoD platforms. In contrast to the research devoted to them, we will focus on a comedy series broadcast by the most popular Romanian TV channel, PRO TV, devoted to a local audience, but with an important socio-political relevance: Las Fierbinți. We will try to show that this series, which started after Romania joined the EU, indicates an essential transformation of the post-socialist socio-cultural reality: the rural/urban opposition is sliding towards another, periphery/core, where the core is the West idealised as order and wealth. Although it is considered a rural comedy – like several other popular Eastern European series – Las Fierbinți presents a world that can be called rurban, typical of the post-socialist Western periphery: although they live at home, the characters in the film have very little to do with an agricultural economy. The characters form a rurban typology in which the series presents us with a world that is neither rural nor urban, but which cannot adapt to an idealised West, the centre of the wealthy and rational world towards which the middle classes are tending.

Media, identity and threat: the portrayal of foreign fighters in Kosovar press

ABSTRACT In the context of the heightened sensationalism in international press coverage of Kosovar foreign fighters (FFs), this study took a unique approach and it explored how domestic Kosovar media outlets distance FFs from mainstream culture in an attempt to uphold its positive societal image. Drawing upon a theoretical framework that integrates framing theory, social identity theory and integrated threat theory, this study investigates how Kosovar press coverage creates a distinction between the ‘in-group’ (Kosovar society) and the ‘out-group’ (FFs). Methodologically, the study employs content analysis and qualitative content analysis to systematically examine how Kosovo’s five major media outlets frame the language, themes and narrative strategies surrounding the portrayal of FFs. The findings illustrate that, through specific framing techniques, the media not only categorizes FFs as external to Kosovo’s cultural and ethical boundaries but also emphasises their portrayal as threats to the nation’s security and values. The present study highlights the media’s critical role in navigating the complexities of national identity, social representations and identity processes posed by the return of FFs, offering new insights into the relationship between media framing and societal perceptions within the context of global extremism.

Mary Irwin and Jill Marshall (eds), UK and Irish Television Comedy: Representations of Region, Nation, and Identity

Mary Irwin and Jill Marshall (eds), <i>UK and Irish Television Comedy: Representations of Region, Nation, and Identity</i>

Toolkit for Ethical Assessment of Representation of Nations in Digital Military Games

Toolkit for Ethical Assessment of Representation of Nations in Digital Military Games

The national text of Hannah Cowley’s drama “A Day in Turkey; or the Russian slaves”

The paper analyzes the specificity of imagological representation in the play “A Day in Turkey; or The Russian Slaves” (1791) by Hannah Cowley, a prominent English 18 th -century playwright. We consider the literary and historical-political contexts and pretexts of Cowley’s drama in connection with the most outstanding geopolitical events of the last decade of the 18 th century (the Great French Revolution, the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791) and outline a number of plays, which belong to the “oriental text” of English drama. A peculiar feature of the play “A Day in Turkey; or The Russian Slaves” is the realization of imagological heteroglossia as well as the interaction of particular national representations in the framework of political and feminist discourse. This interaction is analyzed based on the national images of Russia, Turkey and France, regarding the genre strategies of the play. Special attention is paid to “the Russian text” of the drama marked by a positive evaluation of the national hetero-image and the absence of imagological aggressiveness, which is quite natural in the case of rival countries. Russian personages carry the main ideological load of the play, embodying the author’s humanistic message.

Representation of Nasionalism and Patriotism in The Song “Kami Nusa Hitam”

Abstract. Songs are cultural products with the power to influence and transform many individuals. Through the song "Kami Nusa Hitam," Rayen Pono and musicians from Eastern Indonesia promote a new identity known as Nusa Hitam, with a primary narrative focused on brotherhood, pride in local identity, and unity to foster nationalism and patriotism. Eastern Indonesia faces various social issues, including underdevelopment, poverty, and feelings of inferiority, which contribute to low self-esteem among its people. Additionally, stereotypes are frequently imposed on individuals from Eastern Indonesia. This study aims to elucidate the meaning of the lyrics of "Kami Nusa Hitam." The research methodology employed is Ferdinand de Saussure's semiotic analysis technique, which seeks to uncover representations of nationalism and patriotism within the text and lyrics. The analysis indicates that "Kami Nusa Hitam" embodies a profound message of nationalism and patriotism, rooted in pride and affection for local cultural identity. Furthermore, the song conveys that a robust local culture can serve as a fundamental factor in achieving national resilience, both on an individual level and in terms of the cultural resilience of the nation. Keywords: Nationalism, Patriotism, Popular Song, Cultural Resilience

“Mental map” in “Letters of a Russian Traveler” by Nikolay Karamzin and the problem of the national myth representation

The article analyzes “Letters of a Russian Traveler” by Nikolay Karamzin in terms of the symbolic-mythological perception of space, suggesting a view of the countries, depicted in the travelogue, as symbolic-mythological units of the “mental map” in the book. A “mental map” is understood as a holistic image of a geographical space, value-restructured in accordance with the author’s vision of European cultural and the historical situation. The purpose of the work is to reveal the hidden additional plot of Karamzin’s book, which determines the logic of the perception of geographical space and its comprehension, taking into account the historical and political situation witnessed by Karamzin’s hero-traveler. Using the methodology of the structural-semiotic, historical-genetic and comparative-typological reading of the text, as well as the methodology of human geography, the article shows how Karamzin generalizes ideas about the logic of the Western European history and culture development at the end of the 18th century. We also characterize the writer’s symbolic and mythological view of the cultural dialogue between Russia and Europe, the place and role of the “Letters...” of France, Switzerland, England and the countries of the German world on the “mental map”. Conclusions are drawn about the significance of the spatial image of “Letters...” for the design of Karamzin’s historical and political concept of the late 18th century, in which the key role was played by the ideas of the dialogue, the ability to evaluate the achievements of European culture and to develop the potential of Russian culture.

Potential sites of transgression in Michael Crummey's The Innocents: Questioning theoretical and ethical boundaries

AbstractThe article offers a reading of Michael Crummey's The Innocents (2019) through the lens of potential transgressions, such as the crossing of moral boundaries, cultural appropriation, or the secondary colonization of the Indigene. It argues the validity of reading Canadian invader–settler stories in the light of postcolonial studies and discusses the hazards of literary representation of First Nations in historical fiction produced by non‐Native writers. Secondly, the critical analysis focuses on the subversive rewriting of the biblical tale of Adam and Eve as Crummey's strategy for negotiating his (island's) settler identity. Finally, the chapter problematizes the incestuous nature of Ada and Evered's relationship as a potential though highly disputable transgression.