Specific Cultural Factors Research Articles

“I Don’t Want My Children to Work so Hard”: Perceptions of Parent-Child Relationships and Future Parenting Among Immigrant Young Adults

Immigration is a multifaceted process that alters parent-child relationships and impacts immigrant children’s development. However, not much is known regarding the long-term implications of immigration on children when they reach adulthood. This phenomenological study explored the perceptions of parent-child relationships among young adults who immigrated as children to Israel, and the ways such relationships shaped their future parenting perceptions. Twenty-five young adults who immigrated to Israel in middle and late childhood from Ethiopia ( n = 14) and from the former Soviet Union ( n = 11) were interviewed for this study. Analysis indicated that the participants’ experiences of relations with their parents may be organized into three main domains: shifting relations in the context of immigration, relations in the context of long-term adaptation and maturation, and relations in cultural context (e.g., cultural perceptions about family life and culture-related immigration challenges). Participants’ perceptions of their own parenting incorporated culture-specific factors (e.g., family hierarchy and cohesiveness, child-rearing practices, and respect given to parents) as well as difficulties and strengths experienced by the participants’ families during immigration. Although most participants wished to be different from their parents (not wanting their children to work so hard) they hoped to preserve some of their culture of origin’s child-rearing practices. The findings have implications for professionals who work with immigrant families and for policy makers. Considering a family’s specific cultural background and helping parents integrate diverse parental practices may assist immigrant families in coping with challenges of immigration and help young adults who immigrated as children in creating a coherent parenthood.

Blameworthy Suspects and "Real Rape": Assessing the Effects of Rape Culture-Specific Suspect Culpability Factors on the Police Decision to Arrest.

Police are considered "gatekeepers" of the criminal-legal system because their decisions significantly impact case outcomes. Using rape culture as our theoretical framework, we examine rape culture-specific factors that influence police arrest decisions in sexual assault cases reported to Los Angeles police. Importantly, extant research using this approach has overwhelmingly focused on indicators of "genuine victims," and few studies have assessed rape culture-specific indicators of suspect culpability in sexual assault case processing. The present study addresses this gap. Findings indicate that arrest decisions are motivated by rape culture-specific indicators of suspect culpability and "real rape." Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Adaptation of the INTERGROWTH-21st neurodevelopment assessment (INTER-NDA) to the context of the English-speaking Caribbean

BackgroundAdaptation of standardized early child development (ECD) assessments to low- and middle-income countries can be challenging because of culture-specific factors relating to language, content, context, and tool administration, and because the reliance of these tests on specialist healthcare professionals limits their scalability in low resource settings.MethodsWe report the cross-cultural adaptation of an international, standardized ECD instrument, the INTERGROWTH-21st Project Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA), measuring cognitive, language, motor and behavioural outcomes in 2-year-olds, from a UK-based English-speaking population to the English-speaking Caribbean. Children aged 22-30 months were recruited from a pre-existing randomized controlled neurodevelopment intervention study in Grenada, West Indies.ResultsEight of 37 INTER-NDA items (22%) were culturally and linguistically adapted for implementation in the Caribbean context. Protocol adherence across seven newly-trained non-specialist child development assessors was 89.9%; six of the seven assessors scored ≥80%. Agreement between the expert assessor and the non-specialist child development assessors was substantial (κ = 0.89 to 1.00 (95% CI [0.58, 1.00]). The inter-rater and test-retest reliability for non-specialist child development assessors was between κ = 0.99 -1.00 (95% CI [0.98, 0.99]) and κ = 0.76 - 1.00 (95% CI [0.33, 1.00]) across all INTER-NDA domains.ConclusionsThe current study provides evidence to support the use of the adapted INTER-NDA by trained, non-specialist assessors to measure ECD prevalence in the English-speaking Caribbean. It also provides a methodological template for the adaptation of child developmental measures to cultural and linguistic contexts that conform to the cultural standards of the countries in which they are utilized to aid in the measurement of neurodevelopmental impairments (NDIs) in a variety of global clinical settings.

Well-being in Relation to Identity Consistency in a Collectivistic Culture

Empirical findings on the influence of identity consistency on psychological health and functioning in the Eastern and Western cultural settings tend to be dissimilar, understandably so, given the cultural differences especially in collectivism and individualism. The present study examined the importance of identity consistency in the context of group situations for emotional, social, and psychological well-being among young adults (20 to 40 years) of a strongly collectivistic society of Mizoram, India. Participants included 206 members of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in Mizoram who were selected randomly in equal proportion of gender (103 males and 103 females). Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (Keyes, 2002), Identity Consistency Scale (Suh, 2002), and Levels of Group Participation Scale (Rasmussen, 2003) were used for measurement of the constructs. Results revealed that both Mizo young male and female adults were considerably consistent in their identity presentations across social situations; they were moderately involved in social activities and scored relatively high on measures of emotional, social, psychological and overall wellbeing. Moderation analyses showed that for young Mizo women who were inconsistent in situational self-presentation, higher social participation significantly increased their emotional well-being. For young adult males, no significant moderation effect of identity consistency between group participation and well-being was found. Discussions gleaned upon identity management in multiple social situations, cultural specific factors, concepts of self-continuity and social roles in the context of the Mizo society and well-being in collectivistic cultures.

Resilience in a Greek Sample of Informal Dementia Caregivers: Familism as a Culture-Specific Factor.

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and the factors associated with resilience among a sample of 118 Greek informal caregivers (78.8% females, mean age=58.9, SD=11.6) of people with dementia. Face-to-face interviews assessed caregivers' socio-demographics, resilience, quality of life, burden, familism, and perception of services and their proxy assessments of the cognitive functioning, functional activity, and behavioral problems of people with dementia. Moderate levels of resilience were reported by 58.6% of the caregivers. Dementia-related knowledge and higher levels of familism were associated with higher levels of resilience, whereas higher frequency of dealing with behavioral problems was associated with lower resilience. Effective interventions to strengthen Greek dementia caregivers' resilience should be culture-specific, targeting both behavioral problems and caregivers' intrapersonal facilitators (i.e, dementia-related knowledge) and interpersonal interactions (i.e., familism). Healthcare professionals may have a key role in building caregivers' resilience and contribute to implications for policy and practice.

A cross-cultural exploration of compassion, and facilitators and inhibitors of compassion in UK and Sri Lankan people.

Practising compassion has shown to increase well-being and reduce distress in people across cultures. However, very little research has explored cultural differences in different facets of compassion with a dearth of research evident especially in the Asian context. Several inhibitors and facilitators of compassion have been identified although the nuances of cultural differences of these remain unexploited. This study aimed to discover cross-cultural similarities and differences of the levels of compassion, facilitators and inhibitors of compassion between Sri Lankan and UK people. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based quantitative research was conducted among 149 Sri Lankan and 300 UK participants. Individual predictors (such as fears of compassion, self-reassurance, external shame, social safeness and pleasure, depression and anxiety) were also explored in relation to compassion, compassion to others, and compassion from others in each group. The results indicated that Sri Lankan participants were more self-reassured and self-compassionate and self-identifying as a Buddhist predicted higher self-compassion, when compared to UK participants. However, Sri Lankan participants reported higher levels of external shame and fear of compassion not just towards themselves, but also towards and from others, indicating difficulty in engaging compassionately with others. In contrast, UK participants reported higher social safeness, indicating that they were more likely to feel safe and soothed by the society than the Sri Lankan participants. Society plays a pivotal role in shaping one's experiences of compassion. This study suggests that specific cultural and social factors should be considered when implementing Western compassionate approaches to non-Western settings.

Psychosocial factors influencing distress among cancer patients in South India

Abstract Background: The increase of cancer rates in India over the last decade has placed a significant psychosocial burden on patients and their families. To address the psychosocial issues, cancer centers in India have integrated psychosocial services into cancer care by routinely measuring the distress of patients and responding to their distress. In this study, we sought to determine the association between self-reported distress and patient demographic and clinical variables and awareness of their diagnosis and prognosis. Methods: The Department of Psycho-oncology conducted a cross-sectional, cohort study of patients who were being treated for a variety of cancers in a comprehensive cancer center in Chennai, India. Cancer patients (N = 2019) completed a standardized measure of distress and participated in a clinical interview during their admission to a ward or at the time of referral to psycho-oncology. The level of distress was measured by the NCCN Distress Thermometer and problem list. Chi-square tests were used to examine variations in overall distress. Multi-nominal logistic regression analyses were used to assess the level of patients’ reported distress as a function of clinical characteristics (stage of cancer, awareness of diagnosis and prognosis, physical symptoms). Results: The majority (60.3%) of the sample reported a moderate to high level of emotional distress. There were significant associations (P < .05) of younger age, awareness of diagnosis, prognosis, sleep issues, and physical pain with higher levels of distress. Patients who were aware of their diagnoses were more likely to report moderate (P < .01) or severe distress (P < .05) than those who were unaware. Patients who were aware of their prognoses were less likely to report moderate distress (P < .001) and severe distress (P < .001. Implications for Practice and Research: Given that a majority of patients rated at or above the clinical cut-off for distress, oncology centers in India need to provide training for professional psycho-oncology clinicians and incorporate psycho-oncology services to adequately address patients’ distress. Qualitative research may be needed to advance our understanding of specific social and cultural factors that may influence the psychosocial challenges faced by patients. Further investigation of patient distress related to diagnostic disclosure may be helpful in informing practice.

Physician-Assisted Suicide in Dementia: Paradoxes, Pitfalls and the Need for Prudence.

There has been an increasing drive towards the legalization of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in patients with dementia, particularly in patients with advanced disease and severe cognitive impairment. Advocacy for this position is often based on utilitarian philosophical principles, on appeals to the quality of life of the patient and their caregiver(s), or on economic constraints faced by caregivers as well as healthcare systems. In this paper, two lines of evidence against this position are presented. First, data on attitudes towards euthanasia for twenty-eight countries, obtained from the World Values Survey, is analyzed. An examination of this data shows that, paradoxically, positive attitudes towards this procedure are found in more economically advanced countries, and are strongly associated with specific cultural factors. Second, the literature on existing attitudes towards PAS in cases of dementia, along with ethical arguments for and against the practice, is reviewed and specific hazards for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals are identified. On the basis of these findings, the author suggests that the practice of PAS in dementia is not one that can be widely or safely endorsed, on both cultural and ethical grounds. Instead, the medical field should work in collaboration with governmental, social welfare and patient advocacy services to ensure optimal physical, emotional and financial support to this group of patients and their caregivers.

Culture-Specific Observations in a Saudi Arabian Digital Home Health Care Program: Focus Group Discussions With Patients and Their Caregivers.

BackgroundThere is growing evidence of the need to consider cultural factors in the design and implementation of digital health interventions. However, there is still inadequate knowledge pertaining to the aspects of the Saudi Arabian culture that need to be considered in the design and implementation of digital health programs, especially in the context of home health care services for patients who are chronically and terminally ill.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the specific cultural factors related to patients and their caregivers from the perspective of physicians, nurses, and trainers that have influenced the pilot implementation of Remotely Accessible Healthcare At Home, a connected health program in the Home Health Care department at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodsA qualitative study design was adopted to conduct a focus group discussion in July 2019 using a semistructured interview guide with 3 female and 4 male participants working as nurses, family physicians, and information technologists. Qualitative data obtained were analyzed using a thematic framework analysis.ResultsA total of 2 categories emerged from the focus group discussion that influenced the experiences of digital health program intervention: first, culture-related factors including language and communication, cultural views on using cameras during consultation, nonadherence to web-based consultations, and family role and commitment and second, caregiver characteristics in telemedicine that includes their skills and education and electronic literacy. Participants of this study revealed that indirect contact with patients and their family members may work as a barrier to proper communication through the Remotely Accessible Healthcare At Home program.ConclusionsWe recommend exploring the use of interpreters in digital health, creating awareness among the local population regarding privacy in digital health, and actively involving direct family members with the health care providers.

Specific cultural factors are associated with the incidence and burden of bipolar disorder: An ecological analysis of data from 115 countries

• Variations in bipolar disorder may be linked to variations in culture. • Power Distance was negatively associated with bipolar disorder. • Uncertainty Avoidance was positively associated with bipolar disorder. • Genetics and urban environment may mediate these links.

Professional learning for secondary teachers of English learners in an urban school district: examining systems of support

PurposeAlthough schools across the United States are becoming increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse, many teachers remain underprepared to work with students classified as English learners (ELs), especially at the secondary level. Acknowledging the importance of developing systems of support for teachers of ELs, this paper examines the district- and school-level factors shaping secondary teachers' access to EL-focused professional learning in one large urban school district.Design/methodology/approachTo examine teachers' access to EL-focused professional learning, the authors draw on 49 in-depth interviews with district leaders and staff from nine secondary schools. Data analysis was guided by a structure, culture and agency theoretical framework.FindingsFindings revealed that decreased structural support, in terms of both fiscal and human resources, constrained teachers' access to EL-related professional learning. Further, the district culture was characterized by limited understanding of ELs' backgrounds and assets. While some school leaders exercised agency to bolster EL-focused professional learning for teachers, such supports were rare.Practical implicationsFindings help to contextualize secondary teachers' feelings of unpreparedness to serve ELs, illuminating several factors that district and school leaders should attend to in order to bolster the development of professional capital for teachers of ELs at the secondary level.Originality/valueWhile prior research outlines the importance of designing systems of support for EL-focused professional learning, this study highlights specific structural and cultural factors shaping such systems.

The emergence of double-entry bookkeeping in Tuscan firms of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries

This study considers developments that led to the introduction and diffusion of double-entry bookkeeping in Tuscany in the late-thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. We examine the evolution of the four basic account books (debtors and creditors, cash, merchandise and moveable property), which, together with the capital account, established the basis of the accounting method. We reconstruct the social context of Tuscany to highlight how specific cultural factors, such as risk appetite and entrepreneurial spirit, fostered the creation of companies attentive to organisational modes of work and the valorisation of human capital. These elements, combined with an innate pragmatism of economic operators, produced innovation in the field of accounting as well. Accountants and firm managers were able to establish the double-entry bookkeeping method, which was not the result of abstract rules but rather of gradual evolution. Accounting systems can thus be considered as reflections of the society and the organisations in which they developed and spread.

Cultural Considerations for the Adaptation of a Diabetes Self-Management Education Program in Cotonou, Benin: Lessons Learned from a Qualitative Study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) poses a disproportionate burden on Benin, West Africa. However, no diabetes intervention has yet been developed for Benin’s contexts. This study aimed to explore specific cultural beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and environmental factors to help adapt a diabetes self-management program to patients with T2D from Cotonou, in southern Benin. Methods: Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions (FDGs) involving 32 patients with T2D, 16 academic partners, and 12 community partners. The FDGs were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim from French to English, and then analyzed thematically with MAXQDA 2020. Results: Healthy food was challenging to obtain due to costs, seasonality, and distance from markets. Other issues discussed were fruits and vegetables as commodities for the poor, perceptions and stigmas surrounding the disease, and the financial burden of medical equipment and treatment. Information about local food selections and recipes as well as social support, particularly for physical activity, were identified, among other needs. When adapting the curriculum, gender dynamics and spirituality were suggested. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the need for culturally sensitive interventions and a motivation-based approach to health (spiritual and emotional support). It also lays the groundwork for addressing T2D contextually in Benin and similar sub-Saharan African countries.

Classical Art: A Life History from Antiquity to the Present

Classical Art: A Life History from Antiquity to the Present

Gender and Behaviour Differences Influencing on Web Shopping

Despite several pieces of evidence showing the growth of Internet usage by Indian consumers. Online sales show less than 1 percent of the total retail sales in India. This may represent a great potential to grow yet some obstacles to overcome for online retailers. Many Indian consumers have low self-efficacy in using the Internet and feel shopping online to be eccentric. It seems that even for those who use the Internet regularly, the Internet is mainly for searching product information, comparing prices, and checking consumer reviews rather than making a purchase. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting Indian consumers’ attitudes towards shopping online. This information will help Internet retailers find a way to encourage Indian shopper’s online purchase behavior. Previous studies (i.e., Bhatnagar et al., 2000; Jarvenpaa and Todd, 1997; Vijayasarathy and Jones, 2000) attempted to identify factors affecting Indian online consumers’ online purchases. However, only risk and benefit factors identified from the US studies were applied to the Indian web shopping context, failing to incorporate Indian culturespecific factors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting Indian consumers’ web shopping gender behavior, specifically elucidating them in the Indian context. In addition to the previously identified factors (i.e., Convenient and time-saving, on-time delivery, availability of detailed information about the product, safe and secure while shopping online, selection of goods available on the internet is a very broad, special offer/discounted prices, convenient and time-saving, shop online from a trustworthy website, easy price comparison to online and offline stores. Web shopping only if online prices are lower than actual price etc.); this study included Indian gender-specific factors that may play an important role in determining Internet adoption for e-commerce. Also, a potential gender difference in identifying factors affecting male/female purchase behavior was investigated.

Доверие в Ultima Thules: развитие социального капитала и возобновляемых источников энергии в Исландии и Гренландии: часть II

Iceland — an independent republic — and Greenland — an autonomous country within Denmark — represent two nations with similar geographical, economic, and historical backgrounds. Isolated from the continents, both are significantly affected by an adverse climate, making their economies dependent on trade and import. Nevertheless, despite their similarities, their national energy patterns differ substantially. Specifically, Iceland covers most of its energy mix with local renewables, whereas Greenland meets most of the energy demand with imported hydrocarbons. This paper investigates the reasons for Greenland lagging behind Iceland in terms of developing renewable energy resources. It hypothesises that, apart from the commonly-mentioned geographical, institutional, and cultural factors, the difference in social capital level has significantly contributed to the countries’ divergent energy strategies. In this sense, Iceland’s higher social capital stock stimulates its renewable power progress, whereas Greenland’s lower social capital level hampers it. To examine this hypothesis, the article constructs a ‘social capital tripod’, which assumes specific geographical, institutional, and cultural factors to be linked to renewable energy development through social capital. The findings demonstrate that Greenland, being dependent on hydrocarbon import, has a significantly lower expected level of social capital than Iceland, which runs mostly on renewables, therefore generally aligning with the research hypothesis.

The role of national culture in the impact of board gender diversity on firm performance: evidence from a multi-country study

PurposeThis study seeks to add more insights to the debate on “whether”, “how”, and “under which condition” women representation on the board contributes to firm performance. More specifically, the current study aims to investigate if the effect of board gender diversity on firm performance is dependent on macro factors of national cultures.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the generalized method of moments regression and a data set consists of 2,550 company year observations over 10 years.FindingsThe results indicated that cultural variables interact with board diversity to influence firm performance. Having women on the board in countries with high power distance, individualist, masculine and low-uncertainty avoidance culture influences the firm performance negatively.Originality/valueThe findings indicate that the effects of corporate governance structure on firm performance depends on culture-specific factors, providing support for the argument that institutional norms that are governed by cultural norms affect the effectiveness of corporate governance structure.

Second Acts and Second Chances: The Bumpy Road to Redemption

Throughout history, there are numerous examples of business and government leaders who have fallen from grace only to rise again, and have a “second act” and a “second chance” as a legitimate social actor or leader—that is, they achieved redemption. We explore “the road to redemption” of leaders—when and why it occurs, and what “bumps” prevent it. In our analysis, we conceptualize redemption as a process with three elements—remorse, rehabilitation, and restoration—and as an outcome (the restoration of legitimacy). We argue that achieving redemption is not a product of chance; rather, it is a social construction process of narrative creation and identity construction involving many parties. Also, the road to redemption is shaped by cultural-specific factors—and it is temporally dependent. From this framework, we identify new directions for the theory and practice of leadership.

Toward a Corpus of Tundra Nenets: Stages and Challenges in Building a Corpus

In this paper, we report on the main lessons drawn from the first year of a Tundra Nenets (Samoyedic, Uralic) corpus building work carried out in the Hungarian Research Institute for Linguistics. The aim of our work is twofold. First we collect, process and archive written (and in the latter part of the project period spoken) data of Tundra Nenets. Second, we build a parallel corpus, i.e. a Tundra Nenets–Russian corpus, to support and encourage preferably synchronic syntactic research on Tundra Nenets. After discussing certain language and culture specific factors that potentially influence the sampling method, we present the stages of our work in detail.

Emotional journey of wives of spouses diagnosed with bipolar I disorder: moving from vicissitude towards reconciliation

ABSTRACT Purpose Our present study was a qualitative investigation intending to explore the emotional journey of wives whose spouse has been diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder, using a phenomenological design. Method Semi-structured face to face interviews were conducted with 5 wives of already diagnosed Bipolar I Disorder patients to uncover their lived experience in terms of the emotional journey they had had. For data analysis, we used Hycner’s explicitation process. Moreover, for data verification we employed the strategies of frequent debriefing sessions peer review and member checks. Results Our analysis revealed six major themes encapsulating the participants emotional journey. These included Shock, Betrayal and the Incomprehensible, Apprehensions and Uncertainty, Anger and Irritability, Loneliness and Helplessness, Compassion and Acceptance and Reconciliation. Conclusion It became clear to us that wives of individuals diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder are on a continuous emotional journey dealing with the burden, stress, complications, uncertainty and making many sacrifices along the way. Our study highlighted many culture specific factors of the phenomenon. This insightful exploration has opened up new horizons to conceptualize the challenges of wives dealing with an ailing spouse in the context of a Pakistani society.