Sociocultural Profiles Research Articles

AGE DYNAMICS IN KUMYK-RUSSIAN BILINGUALISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR LANGUAGE VITALITY: LINGUISTIC AND SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSIONS. PART 2

This article explores the linguistic and sociocultural situation of the Terek Kumyk linguistic community. Data for the study was collected in the fieldwork expedition in August 2023 in the village of Predgornoye (Mozdok district, North Ossetia - Alania). Vitality of Terek Kumyk is assessed through the age dynamics of Kumyk-Russian bilingualism. For seven age groups, their bilingual and sociocultural profiles have been identified. Linguistic generalizations were supplemented by the ethnological evidence demonstrating the role of Kumyk in establishing ethnic identity of the community. The study has demonstrated a relatively high status of Kumyk, with intergenerational transmission being full retained.

Cultural, Clinical, and Sociolinguistic Considerations in the Neurocognitive Assessment and Care in Arabic-speaking Patients with Dementia

Abstract Recent research from many Arabic-speaking countries indicates that the aging population is more prone to certain neurodegenerative diseases. This increased vulnerability implies exploring the specific needs and challenges faced by individuals with dementia within these communities. Neurocognitive interventions and assessment-based protocols for dementia have recently shifted from a disease-centered approach to a person-centered care model, which recognizes people with dementia as psychosocial individuals who live and interact in a particular sociocultural and linguistic context. This shifting paradigm embraces a more holistic approach, acknowledging the significant impact of their psychosocial functioning as well as their experience of the disease. In this context, we provide an overview of dementia in Arabic-speaking people with Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on sociolinguistic and sociocultural profiles. We detail the cultural aspects that should be incorporated into cognitive testing and care for their home or host countries if they are migrants. We discuss the limits of diagnosis, neurocognitive testing, and therapeutic interventions in this context. We formulate a set of recommendations for clinicians dealing with neurocognitive disorders, related to the acculturation and diglossic differences between the dialect spoken by the clinician and the client. However, limited access to interpreters and the lack of adapted resources can reveal deeper issues which require systemic solutions. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of cultural differences in language, culture, and country of origin. Many so-called “ethnic, translinguistic, and diglossic misunderstandings” are linked to poor linguistic comprehension, language barriers, and illiteracy.

The Influence of Muslim and Christian Destinations on Tourists' Behavioural Intentions and Risk Perceptions.

This paper studies the factors that influence tourists' risk perceptions of various destinations with different attributes and sociocultural profiles. Factor analysis is utilised to investigate the determinants of risk perceptions, finding that they are influenced both by the type of risk (delinquency, health, accident, environment and catastrophe) and by the characteristics of the destination regarding the management of risk. Structural equations modelling is conducted to study the relationships between risk perceptions, destination image and visiting intentions across destinations. Multi-group analysis across different destinations proves that tourists' risk perceptions have different influences on destination image and visiting intentions. The results show that there are significant differences according to the predominant religion at the destinations, i.e., Muslin and Christian. The implication is that different dimensions of perceived risks and destination socio-culture contexts have different influences on the behaviour of tourists.

AGE DYNAMICS IN KUMYK RUSSIAN BILINGUALISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR LANGUAGE VITALITY: LINGUISTIC AND SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSIONS. PART 1

This article explores the linguistic and sociocultural situation of the Terek Kumyk linguistic community. The data for the study have been collected in the fieldwork expedition in August 2023 in the village of Predgornoye (Mozdok district, North Ossetia - Alania). The vitality of Terek Kumyk is assessed through the age dynamics of Kumyk-Russian bilingualism. In the study, 108 native speakers representing seven age groups have been interviewed. For each group, its bilingual and sociocultural profiles have been identified.

Sociocultural Power of Biblical Translation in Early Modern Europe: The Cases of the Ostroh Bible (1581) and the King James Bible (1611)

This paper presents sociocultural profiles of the Ostroh Bible (1581) and the King James Version of the Bible (1611) in terms of their agency, authoritative status and regulative functions. Despite scholarly and popular attention given to both texts, no attempts have been made so far to compare them. This paper intends to break the mold and focuses on the causes and results of the collective agency of the two versions at the textual, paratextual and extratextual levels as well as on the gatekeeping role of these translations and the ways they affected the development of their respective cultures. It is also demonstrated that the OB and the KJV performed the function of “the second originals.” Also subject to analysis are the prefaces to the two editions, which disclose information about important translation figures and deal with issues of universal and sacred history.

Clinical Features, Socio-cultural Characteristics, Sleep Patterns, and Depression in Fibromyalgia Patients from India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex and chronic disease with significant regional variation. There is a lack of studies on Fibromyalgia (FM) in Indian population. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical features of FM patients in India, including the prevalence and distribution of comorbidities, sleep patterns, and depression. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of patients attending outpatient rheumatology clinic from 2019-2020 fell in the ACR2016 criteria for FM. Results: Of the 121 patients enrolled in the study, the majority (93.4%) were female, with a female-to-male ratio of 14:1. The mean age of the patients was 45 ±11 years. The socio-cultural profile of the patients revealed that the majority were married (88%) and homemakers (68.8%), lived in nuclear families (56%) and were middle to upper middle class (68.6%). Contrary to the existing literature, a higher prevalence of FM has been observed in people with a higher educational status. Common clinical symptoms were extensive body aches (100%), fatigue (88%), difficulty concentrating (69.4%), irritability and gastrointestinal complaints (58.5%). We observed a high prevalence of primary headache (76%), mainly migraine (42%) and obsessive-compulsive (OCB) (71%). Sleep disturbances and depression were found in the significant number of patients with FM. The patients reported various sleep problems, such as snoring, waking up at night, daytime sleepiness, and taking daytime naps. Most of the patients had mild (50.8%) to moderate (29%) depression, while a smaller proportion experienced severe (6.6%) symptoms. Most of the patients had low serum vitamin D (91%). The presence of moderate to severe depression was associated with the severity of FM. Conclusion: The demographic profile of Indian patients was similar to that reported in the literature but had varied socio-cultural profiles needing further community-based studies. The high prevalence of psychological comorbidities and sleep disturbances highlights their importance in managing FM patients.

PORTRAYING THE ETHNOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE OF THE TEA WORKERS' COMMUNITIES IN SYLHET: A MORPHOLOGICAL APPROACH

The historic tea estates are part of the cultural landscape of Sylhet and attract numerous tourists. However, most tea-workers living in these areas have lower social profiles and, to some extent, are isolated from mainstream society. The tea-workers communities have diverse ethnic backgrounds, mainly from the neighbouring country - India and different parts of Bangladesh. Initially, within the Tea estates, they were settled in housings developed as 'labour lines', and later those areas were modified and expanded by the communities. There are issues related to space crisis, municipal services, and other amenities such as health care and education in their housing areas, but their settlement patterns have inherent traditional features crafted by the vernacular adaptations. This study aims to identify and analyse their settlement areas' ethnographic landscapes and understand the relationships between their housing morphology and socio-cultural beliefs. We have selected three different communities from the three (03) major tea estates, i.e. Lakkatura, Malnichara and Khadimnagar estate. We developed a conceptual framework incorporating principles from ethnographic landscape and spatial morphology. For ethnographic analysis, we have investigated the socio-cultural profiles (including ethnic origin, demography, financial status, community participation and socio-cultural activities), housing policies and vernacular techniques through field surveys and secondary sources. For morphological analysis, we have adopted McCartney, 2018's framework that helped characterise the study areas' spatial dimensions. Finally, we have developed a typological understanding from the combined approach that outlines the ethnographic landscape of the selected tea-workers communities in Sylhet. Cross-cultural investigations in future can further explore how ethnic landscape changes with migration movements and aid in the planning and policy-making of informal settlements.

Migrant parents at high school: Exploring new opportunities for involvement

This article examines the at-school opportunities Norwegian high schools provide for involving migrant parents in their children’s education. The legal and societal expectations of systematic school-home cooperation with all parents at this time of transition to higher education or employment are relatively new in Norway. Thus, how schools act on these expectations as they meet migrant parents is under-researched. To address this gap, interviews with four leaders of three high schools with different sociocultural profiles and observations of meetings with parents at one of the schools were conducted as a part of this study. Examined through a Bourdieusian lens, parental involvement—or rather traditional lack of at-school parental involvement outside crises—can be interpreted as a form of high-school doxa. This unquestionable truth is now challenged as more rights are granted to parents, and new heterodox beliefs and discourses about parents of adolescents at school emerge. At the same time, the schools in the focus of this study appear to have limited room for imagining forms and content of non-crisis communication with the home, especially when parents do not directly claim their rights, as is true for many migrant families. This study thus contributes to the existing research on parental involvement and home-school relations by emphasizing the need for a professional discussion on more equitable and better situated forms of engaging parents, as well as the school’s areas of responsibility in including families in educational communities.

Demographic and Socio-Cultural Profiles as Correlate to Administrative Offense of the Philippine National Police Members

This study determined the correlation between the demographic and socio-cultural profile and the commission of administrative offense of the members of Philippine National Police in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (CALABARZON), Philippines, using the quantitative descriptive research design. The purposive convenient random sampling was utilized in gathering the data from the 238 police personnel who have administrative cases filed before the Regional Internal Affairs Service within Calendar Year 2016 to 2017 and assigned in the Regional Headquarters of CALABARZON Police Provincial Office (PPO). The respondents agreed on some indicators but disagreed on the majority of the indicators on the personal-cultural and organizational-cultural factors affecting the commission of administrative offenses. However, the difference and association between the demographic profile and the administration offense committed shows statistical significance on the educational attainment and monthly income while between socio-cultural profile and administrative offense committed shows statistical significance on religion and housing data. The factors affecting the commission of administrative offenses and the administrative offense committed shows statistical significance on organizational cultural factors. The results of the study have potential implication on the organizational human resource management, legal services provided to the police officers, trainings given by the PNP training division and subjects offered by the colleges and universities.

Correction: Su et al. Sociocultural Adaptation Profiles of Ethnic Minority Senior High School Students in Mainland China: A Latent Class Analysis. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6942

The authors would like to make the following corrections to the published paper [...]

What Do Adolescents Talk about When They Visit an Aquarium? A Case Study at the Marine Aquarium of Rio De Janeiro

This qualitative study analyses conversations among teens during a visit to AquaRio, the Marine Aquarium of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aiming to elucidate how they engage, participate and what interests them the most when having this experience. Twenty teenagers, divided into groups, were invited to visit the aquarium in an out-of-school context and answer pre- and post-visit questionnaires to characterize their sociocultural profiles, interest in Science and Technology issues, opinions on their experiences during the visit. Their visits were recorded with a subjective camera, and the videos were later coded using a research protocol focused on conversation content. We found that the most frequent conversations revolved around: the exhibit itself (function, design, and experience); their visit and observation of the animals and tanks with links drawn to the teens’ universe; and associations with prior or personal knowledge. They commented on the experience while observing exhibit elements, lighting, and signage texts. Movies, cartoons, related fictional characters, and elements of daily life came up repeatedly during their conversations. According to our findings, there is evidence that the adolescents enjoyed the visit and were highly engaged, as expressed in their delight over the animals and the exhibit environment. Finally, we argue that a great challenge for aquariums staff is to design circulation paths, exhibits, and activities that meet adolescents’ interests and thus provide conservation education experiences that are perceived as enjoyable and engaging.

Characterizing agroecological and conventional farmers: uncovering their motivations, practices, and perspectives toward agriculture

ABSTRACT The way farmers perceive their relationship with the agricultural system affects the type of farm management implemented. Thus, it is fundamental to understand the needs, views, and motivations of farmers to integrate scientific knowledge more effectively in the day-to-day problems of farmers and foster the adoption of more sustainable practices. We interviewed 12 agroecological and 10 conventional horticultural farmers from the Madrid Region of Spain to characterize their profiles and evaluate their views toward agriculture, challenges experienced, and adopted farm practices. We found that the sociocultural profiles and the number of products grown differed widely among farmers. Further, significantly more sustainable practices were adopted by agroecological farmers compared to conventional farmers, with wider diversification in productive activities. Based on the different perceptions of agroecological and conventional farmers, we discuss the barriers and opportunities for spreading agroecology in the study area.

Elites and Culture: Social Profiles in the Cultivated Population

Since the 1990s, the central references of the sociology of cultural practices have been the theoretical frameworks developed by Pierre Bourdieu and Richard A. Peterson around the concepts of distinction and omnivorousness. This article is based on these frameworks; it revises them together with those of Donnat and Lahire and postulates that the terms of cultural classification and especially those of the upper classes (distinguished and omnivorous) require revision. The article also claims that there are diverse socio-cultural profiles due to the fact that there is never a single logic of differentiation of tastes, and that the results of the present research demand a new conceptual framework capable of showing the operation of diverse logics of differentiation and hierarchy. In order to do this, an analysis of the socio-cultural profiles of the cultivated groups in Spanish society is carried out on the data obtained from the Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices in Spain 2018/19. This work proves the existence of three types of cultivated population – classical, modern and syncretic – with notable differences in their cultural interests and practices, as well as in their underlying sociodemographic features and aesthetic logics, and concludes by posing the need to delve into the latter in what it defines as the study of cultural practice regimes.

Imigrantes russos no Brasil

While L2 acquisition by Brazilians has been studied for different languages, the acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese by foreigners has been poorly explored. Recent studies of non-native accented speech in other languages have shown that a foreign accent could largely influence the perception of personal qualities of speakers, and this issue presents a large interest for intercultural research projects. Our research project is focused on Russophone immigrants living in Brazil, bilingual speakers of Russian and Portuguese. The specific aim of the current work is to describe a database containing information about 40 native Russian speakers living in São Paulo for at least six months. Their linguistic and sociocultural profiles are presented, and the experimental protocol of the data collection is described. The protocol included recording speech samples in Russian and in Portuguese and video recordings for further facial expression analysis of bilinguals by the program FaceReader 7.0. The analysis of the sociocultural profiles of the Russophones, presented in the current work, provides a strong basis for the enrichment of the phonetic, sociolinguistic, and nonverbal behavior analysis of these speakers.

“Hola, my name is Carmen, who is this?”- Language ideologies and dialect stylization in prank calls

ABSTRACT This study discusses the dialect stylization and language ideologies involved in a nationally broadcasted radio prank show, Carmen Calls. This national prank show permits a discussion on the language practices and hegemonic ideologies involved in the media representation of the show’s Latina protagonist; Carmen Santiago De la Hoya Ruiz Rivera Perez Tú Sabes. This exaggerated radio persona utilizes various linguistic and ideological mechanisms such as mock Spanish, code-switching, and other specific dialect features to create stylistic performances of Latinx stereotypes to harass unsuspecting victims. This study considers how the framing of the radio show draws upon the current socio-historical context of the U.S. in an era of escalading anti-immigrant and, therefore, anti-bilingual sentiment to create both the persona and the prank calls themselves. The analysis shows how the pranks draw from preexisting socio-cultural profiles and repertoires to reinforce monolingualism, nationalist ideologies, and dominant discourses regarding Latinx people. By bringing into the fold dominant semiotic and values associated with Latinxs, the show is able to employ them to project the vulgar, inappropriate, and hypothetical Carmen persona that upholds mainstream discourses through the same discriminatory practices that are part of U.S. Spanish-speakers’ lived experiences as minority language users.

Analysis on the Socio-Economical and Socio-Cultural Profiles of Syrian Students who Receive Education at the Universities in Turkey

2011 yılında Suriye’de yaşanan olayların peşi sıra gerçekleşen göçler, Türkiye’de sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik alanda çeşitli tartışmaların yaşanmasına neden olmuştur. Göç sonrası önemli bir kültürel karşılaşma alanı olarak eğitim olgusuna odaklanan bu çalışmada temel hareket noktası “üniversite” ve “yükseköğretim sistemi” dir. Bahsi geçen sistem içerisine Suriyeli öğrencilerin katılımıyla yeni bir kültürel karşılaşma süreci ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu sürece Türkiye’de yükseköğretimin uluslarasılaşması da eşlik etmektedir. Hazırlanmış olan bu çalışma, Suriyeli öğrencilerin sosyo-ekonomik ve sosyo-kültürel profillerinin analizine odaklanmıştır. Araştırmada, Türkiye evreninde Suriyeli öğrencilerin bulunduğu üniversitelerde araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilmiş ölçek kullanılmıştır. Anket Gaziantep Üniversitesi, İstanbul Üniversitesi, Karabük Üniversitesi, Mersin Üniversitesi ve Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi’nde kartopu örneklem tekniğiyle 825 kişiye uygulanmıştır. Bu üniversitelerin tercih edilmesindeki temel neden, Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu’nun açıklamış olduğu Suriyeli üniversite öğrencileri sayısal sıralamasında ilk 5 içerisinde yer almaları olmuştur. Yarı yapılandırılmış mülakat formu ise 7 ana tema üzerine kurulmuş ve Karabük Üniversitesinde örnekleminde katılan 8 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada ilk olarak Türkiye’de yükseköğretimin uluslararasılaşması tartışılmıştır. Arkasından yükseköğretimin uluslararasılaşması çerçevesi olarak Suriyeli öğrencilere odaklanılmıştır. Çalışmanın ulaştığı bulgular açısından Suriyeli öğrencilerin kendi gruplarıyla kurdukları aidiyetliklerin önemli olduğu görülmüş ve bu aidiyetliklerin sürdürülmesi için sosyal medyanın önemli bir araç olarak kullanıldığı tespit edilmiştir. İletişim ile ilgili problemler öğrencilerin yaşadığı en temel sorun iken, Suriyeli öğrenciler Türkiye’deki üniversite eğitimini başarılı bulmuşlardır.

In the name of the "brasileirinhos": strategies for construction identity Brazilian in Europa

This paper presents partial results of the research of PhD of Social and Cultural Anthropology of the University Autonomous of Barcelona (ES), in which I seek to analyze the socio-cultural profiles of Brazilian immigrants who constitute associations abroad, with the motivation to promote the called Heritage Language for their children abroad. I seek to explore the conceptualizations and imaginaries about the culture and language of origin elaborated and transmitted by these agents, as well as to observe the new formats of political action in the name of projects of identity and difference in migratory contexts and mobilities involving Brazilians. Such a scenario, leads me to think that the realization of such projects is not only a moment of socialization for their children, but also a way of legitimizing, visibilizing and empowering Brazilian mothers in the migratory context.

Public support for alcohol control initiatives across seven countries

BackgroundPublic support for greater alcohol controls is a key consideration in governments’ decisions to introduce new alcohol-related regulations, policies, and programs. The aim of this study was to asses public support for a range of recommended alcohol control initiatives across seven countries with varying sociocultural profiles. MethodsAdults (n = 7545; aged 18-91 years) from Australia, Canada, China, India, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States completed an online survey assessing demographic characteristics, alcohol consumption patterns, and support for 14 alcohol control initiatives. ResultsAcross the total sample, means for each initiative ranged from 3.49 to 4.09 (on a 5-point agreement scale), indicating generally favourable responses. Stated support levels (i.e., selecting ‘Agree’ or ‘Strongly agree’) for specific initiatives in individual countries ranged from 33% to 86%. Across countries, support was higher for initiatives related to product labelling (e.g., clearly visible standard drink quantity information and pregnancy warning labels) and lower for initiatives related to alcohol advertising restrictions (e.g., prohibiting alcohol advertising during televised sporting programs and on road-side billboards). Support levels varied by age, gender, income level, drinking status, and drinking frequency. ConclusionThe high levels of support across countries for many of the assessed initiatives indicate that the public would be receptive to more stringent alcohol control policies, especially in relation to product labelling and the dissemination of public education campaigns. Further advocacy work appears to be required to foster higher levels of support for restricting alcohol companies’ marketing activities.

Beyond will: the empowerment conditions needed to abandon female genital mutilation in Conakry (Guinea), a focused ethnography

BackgroundFemale genital mutilation (FGM) can give rise to immediate and long-term health problems for girls/women. Numerous studies have identified the sociocultural determinants of this tradition, but so far, in a national context where FGM is highly practiced, virtually none have focused on people refusing to have their daughters cut. We therefore aimed to understand the sociocultural dynamics underlying the non-practice of FGM in Guinea, a country which has one of the most prevalent rates of this practice in the world. This research explored the demographic and sociocultural profiles of Guineans who do not practice FGM, as well as their non-practice experience in a context of high FGM prevalence and social pressure.MethodsWe used a “focused ethnography” methodology and conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 30 women and men from different generations (young adults, parents, grandparents) living in Conakry, Guinea.ResultsWe found that participants 1) do not disclose their non-practicing status in the same way, and 2) have different experiences with social pressure. A typology was created to describe participants as per their various profiles and experiences, which we named as: 1) the “activists”, 2) the “discrete”, 3) the “courageous”, 4) the “strategists”.DiscussionWanting to stop practicing FGM is not enough. The main empowering conditions allowing people to enact their decision not to have their daughters undergo FGM are: benefiting from social support (positive social capital), or being financially independent from the traditional solidarity network (sufficient economic capital). We therefore recommend finding ways to increase women’s/families’ empowerment to enact their decision not to practice FGM, mainly by: 1) providing them with new sources of social support, and 2) supporting them to gain more financial independence, including through schooling and improved access to better-paid employment.ConclusionsThis study was the first to explore the experience of people who do not practice FGM in a context of high FGM prevalence and social pressure. The results and recommendations of this research can inform strategies for FGM abandonment and therefore contribute to improving or developing intervention strategies that promote the health and well-being of girls and women.

Temporal and cross-national comparisons of young Africans' HIV-related narratives from five countries, 1997-2014.

Little is known about how young Africans have made sense of the dramatic ways in which the HIV epidemic has evolved, and how that sense-making varies across countries with different epidemiological and sociocultural profiles. Symbolic representations of HIV and people living with HIV influence prevention, stigma, treatment-seeking, and illness experience. We compared social representations of HIV among young people from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Nigeria (South-East), Kenya, and Swaziland between 1997 and 2014. From a pool of 32,759 HIV-themed creative narratives contributed by 10–24 year-olds to scriptwriting competitions at eight time points (1997, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2014), we randomly sampled 1937 narratives, stratified by author's sex, age, and rural/urban residence. We quantified components of each narrative and calculated descriptive statistics and adjusted odds ratios, controlling for year, country, and author demographics. From 2005 onwards, representations of death, treatment access, and hopefulness improved significantly. Representations of death reached their lowest point in 2013, while biomedical treatment and hope peaked in 2011 and 2008, respectively, then declined. Narratives increasingly focused on female protagonists. Nigerian texts had significantly higher odds of death and blame, and lower odds of hope. A focus on life post-infection and representations of support for characters living with HIV increased with country HIV prevalence. Narratives by older authors were less blaming and more hopeful, supportive, and prevention-focused. While aggregate social representations in the narratives from 2005 to 2008-11 reflect increased optimism fostered by access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), positive developments are not sustained at this level. Stigmatizing representations persist, particularly in Nigeria. The hope-promoting and stigma-reducing influence of the advent of ART access may have partially run its course by 2011/2013. However, significant temporal and cross-national differences point to opportunities to reframe HIV in more constructive ways and contribute to improved education, communication, and stigma-reduction efforts.