Identity Transformation Research Articles

INTransformer: Data augmentation-based contrastive learning by injecting noise into transformer for molecular property prediction

Molecular property prediction plays an essential role in drug discovery for identifying the candidate molecules with target properties. Deep learning models usually require sufficient labeled data to train good prediction models. However, the size of labeled data is usually small for molecular property prediction, which brings great challenges to deep learning-based molecular property prediction methods. Furthermore, the global information of molecules is critical for predicting molecular properties. Therefore, we propose INTransformer for molecular property prediction, which is a data augmentation method via contrastive learning to alleviate the limitations of the labeled molecular data while enhancing the ability to capture global information. Specifically, INTransformer consists of two identical Transformer sub-encoders to extract the molecular representation from the original SMILES and noisy SMILES respectively, while achieving the goal of data augmentation. To reduce the influence of noise, we use contrastive learning to ensure the molecular encoding of noisy SMILES is consistent with that of the original input so that the molecular representation information can be better extracted by INTransformer. Experiments on various benchmark datasets show that INTransformer achieved competitive performance for molecular property prediction tasks compared with the baselines and state-of-the-art methods.

Functional Evolution: The Transformation of Educational Identity in New Era Museology

A substantial amount of instructional work is done for museum visitors by modern museums. If a museum also serves as a representative of the culture of its community, the situation could become more problematic. An excellent illustration of this would be the Guizhou Provincial Museum, which was opened to the public for the very first time in the Guanshanhu District of Guiyang City in the year 2014. This paper investigates, from a more pragmatic approach, how the museum, in its responsibility as a venue to disseminate culture, engages with the general public and takes on the function and responsibilities of a social classroom in the modern day. The study focuses on how the museum engages with the general public in order to fulfil its obligation as a venue to disseminate culture. In particular, this subject is investigated from the viewpoint of the museum as an institution that serves as a venue for the dissemination of culture.

The Impact of Social Media on Low-Income People

This paper explores the impact of social media on low-income people, especially in the context of the Internet celebrity economy. By analyzing the current development of social media and the trend of the Internet celebrity economy, the paper reveals how social media provides low-income people with opportunities to present themselves and improve their economic situation. Through specific cases, this paper shows how low-income people use social media to achieve identity and economic transformation, and the impact of this transformation on individual psychology and values. Finally, the paper analyzes the multifaceted impacts of social media on society, life, and the economy, including promoting social inclusion and diversity, improving the quality of life of low-income populations, and providing new economic growth points. This paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the multiple impacts of social media and how it can be utilized to provide low-income people with more development opportunities and support for the continuous progress and development of society.

Identity Transformation and Authority Reconstruction: The Social Organization of Dungan Elites in Central Asia after the Colllapse of the USSR

Identity Transformation and Authority Reconstruction: The Social Organization of Dungan Elites in Central Asia after the Colllapse of the USSR

The Psychosocial Impact of Migration on Family Roles and Identity

Objective: Migration significantly affects individuals and families, reshaping identities, roles, and psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to explore the nuanced psychosocial impacts of migration on family roles and identity, seeking to understand the complexities of adjustment, identity transformation, and emotional well-being within the migratory context. Methods and Materials: Employing a qualitative research design, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 participants from various migratory backgrounds. Theoretical saturation was achieved, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of the experiences and perceptions of migrants. Thematic analysis was employed to identify and categorize the primary themes and concepts emerging from the data, focusing on the psychosocial dimensions of migration. Findings: Three main themes were identified: Adjustment and Adaptation, Identity and Belonging, and Emotional and Psychological Well-being. Under Adjustment and Adaptation, categories such as Cultural Integration, Educational Challenges, Employment and Financial Stability, and Social Networks and Community Support were explored. Identity and Belonging encompassed Family Role Dynamics, Personal Identity Transformation, and Interactions with the Host Society. Emotional and Psychological Well-being included Stress and Coping Mechanisms, Intergenerational Conflicts, Loss and Grief, and Hope and Resilience, each providing insights into the emotional and psychological experiences of migrants. Conclusion: The study highlighted the profound and multifaceted psychosocial impacts of migration on individuals and families, revealing the challenges and adaptations necessary for cultural integration, the renegotiation of identity and family roles, and the emotional and psychological experiences encountered. These findings underscore the necessity for supportive policies and practices that address the complex needs of migrants, facilitating smoother integration and promoting well-being.

Diaspora, Gender and Identity Transformations inthe Context African Philosophy and Culture: A Case of Zimbabwe.

his paper sought to explore diaspora, gender and identity transformations in the context African philosophy and culture. The paper explored diaspora, gender and identity transformations of Zimbabwean society and the concomitant demise of socio-cultural practices, dissecting how diasporas have shaped its cultural identity. 20 participants were purposively drawn from adult Zimbabwean family members living in the diaspora or with diasporic lived experiences of more than three years. The author used a scoping review of literature related to African philosophy, diaspora, gender and identity using search engines. Questionnaires and interview schedule were also used to gather data. Results show that diasporic experiences produce fused, identity and gender modes of cultural dimensions marked by significant, negative transformations. Gender was found to be a central cog that affects every stage of the migration process, interactions and subsequent outcomes. Additionally, it was noted that men are the worst affected as they are faced with challenges of trying to model families within the philosophy or context of African gender, sex and identity whilst children born in the diaspora face a myriad of challenges trying to meet the desired or accepted status. From these findings it could be concluded that diaspora life and identity exist under highly toxic and polarized relations which harbours identity confusion, mental instability, altered gender roles and to some extent self-destructive behaviours like prostitution, drugs and substance abuse, mutilation and suicide. The researcher therefore recommends collaborative, large-scale researches with those in the diaspora. The government should establish Zimbabwean culture centres in countries where Zimbabweans are diaspora to preserve our philosophies. Another recommendation is to curb the diaspora ecstasy as well as provision of multicultural counseling to those in the diaspora.

Китайские муалафы как сегмент современной мусульманской уммы в Индонезии

Introduction. The article analyzes the phenomenon of Islam spreading in Indonesia through the prism of converting representatives of the Chinese community to Islam. The achievements of modern historiography make it possible to analyze the transition to Islam in the context of social transformations. The purpose of the article is to study the directions of functioning of the Chinese mualafs community as converted Muslims. Methods. The author uses the achievements of constructivist approaches in modern historical science, interpreting the phenomenon of Muslim converts through the prism of the concept of the invention of traditions and the imagination of communities. Scientific novelty. The author analyzes the problems of development and transformation of the Chinese mualafs identity, which are practically not studied in Russian historiography in general and Indonesian studies in particular. Results. The author identifies the mualaf community as a unique social and cultural group in modern Indonesian society. It is assumed that 1) the adoption of Islam becomes a form of social modernization, as it leads to radical transformations at the level of identity, 2) the Islamization of the Chinese has become a form of opposition to the growing political and ideological influence of China in Southeast Asia, 3) the transition to Islam of the Chinese population of Indonesia actualizes a situation of double marginality, since Chinese Muslim converts are marginalized both by the Muslim Indonesian majority and by the Chinese community to which they formerly belonged. Conclusions. The article shows that the mualafs, who are representatives of the Chinese ethnic group, are developing as a separate community, whose social and cultural identity is just being formed. The basis of this transformation process is preserving elements of Chinese ethnicity that correlate with the norms of Islam.

The Formation of National Identity in Conditions of Existential Threat: The Cases of Ukraine and Taiwan

Despite the distance, Ukraine and Taiwan share parallels in the domain of geopolitical struggle and identity issues. Both are experiencing an ongoing process of national identity strengthening and redefinition. External factors, such as Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea and the subsequent 2022 invasion of Ukraine and China’s increasing pressure on Taiwan, have shaped both Ukrainian and Taiwanese identities and people’s attitudes. On the one hand, this paper explores the transformation of Ukrainian identity in the wake of Russian aggression, focusing on how the invasion has influenced the strengthening of civic attachment among Ukrainians. On the other hand, we explore the development of Taiwanese identity in the context of growing distinctions from mainland China, primarily focusing on Taiwan’s ongoing democratization process and developing a self-confident national identity distinct from the mainland. The rise of Taiwanese identity coincided with growing sympathy for Taiwan’s independence. Additionally, we consider the evolving nature of civic and national identities, emphasizing their fluidity and adaptability in response to political and social complexity.

Pamięć zbiorowa a tożsamość miejsc. Przypadek Pomorza Zachodniego

The main aim of this article is to present the latest publications and social initiatives related to Western Pomerania. The 21st century has witnessed the activities that testify to the communal need to revise images of the past. The German cultural heritage has been portrayed anew in various types of publications: novels (Niebko by Brygida Helbig-Mischewski), collections of reportage (Morze i ziemia, ed. Andrzej Klim and Cezary Łazarewicz), and photographic essays (Nieswojość, ed. Agata Pankiewicz and Marcin Przybyłko). These texts prove significant transformations in the sphere of shared memory, affecting at the same time the transformation of collective and individual identity.

МЕМОРІАЛЬНИЙ ТУРИЗМ ЯК ЕЛЕМЕНТ ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ІДЕНТИЧНОСТІ УКРАЇНИ

The relevance of the study is determined by the analysis of the causes and consequences of the transformation of the national identity of Ukrainians historical milestones and the constant struggle for freedom and independence. At the current stage, considering the Russian-Ukrainian war the question of the connection of generations of courage strength of spirit, stability and at the same time mercy and empathy of Ukrainians arises again. The origin and powerful activity of "Plast" – the National Scout Organization of Ukraine – is analyzed. Historical personalities have been identified, namely: Robert Baden-Powell, Petro Franko, Ivan Chmola, Oleksandr Tysovsky, Stepan Bandera, Roman Shukhevich, Lyubomir Huzar, Bohdan Havrylishen. The fate of the participants of the Revolution of Dignity, who were among the first to join the country's defense in 2014 during the Russian-Ukrainian war, was also investigated. The research introduces the life and exploits of Heroes who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Ukraine, namely: Stepan Tarabalka, Viktor Gurnyak, Markiyan Paslavskyi, Vitaly Dereh and others. The improvement of tourism in Ukraine after the war is characterized by a proposal for the development of memorial and other types of tourism, for the rehabilitation of military personnel and their families. The activities of the "Warmth of the Winged Soul" health center, created by the mother of the Hero of Ukraine pilot Stepan Tarabalk, were considered. The task of the research: to determine the essence of national identity, national identity of Ukrainians, features of European values conditions and consequences of the Revolution of Dignity, patriotic education of the National Scout Organization of Ukraine "Plast" foreign experience of post-war recovery, post-war recovery of tourism in Ukraine. Proposals for the development of tourism in Ukraine were developed based on the results of the experience of countries where tourism was restored despite military conflicts. In the research process such general scientific methods as analysis, synthesis, comparison and deduction.

The EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. Motivations, Influences, Challenges, and Implications for China

The European Union’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (EU’s IPS) is one of the most important geopolitical strategies of the EU in recent years, but the motivation behind the launching of this strategy, its influence and challenges, and the possible response of China as a major Indo-Pacific power, still need further study. Using various research methods including power transition paradigm, levels of analysis approach, as well as the traditional Chinese strategic framework of upper/middle/lower scenarios, the article endeavors to offer insights into the above research questions. The motivation of EU’s IPS is the ‘Geopolitical Awakening’ to avoid the negative results of potential great power rivalry during a period of global power transition. The IPS will accelerate the identity transformation of the EU from a ‘soft’ multilateralist to a ‘hard’ pole in the multi-polarized world, increase geopolitical uncertainty in Asia, and remodel China-EU-US strategic triangle. However, the implementation of the EU’s IPS will face multiple challenges, including gap in policy orientations among member states, different concerns of Indo-Pacific partners, and the EU’s awkward position in the US IPS. The EU’s IPS could bring about three possible scenarios of China-EU interaction in this region- pure confrontation, limited cooperation, or a positive-sum game. In this context, the Chinese government could effectively manage differences with the EU in Indo-Pacific, attempt to engage with the EU and together play a more active order-shaping role for the development of the region.

Fabricating modernity: female dress production, typology, and use in rural Cyprus (late 19th-early 20th century)

In modern Cyprological studies, the British Period (1878-1960) is widely acknowledged as crucially important for the advent of modernity. During this period, the radical transformation of Cypriot society was strongly expressed via the emergence and widespread adoption of novel cultural expressions and identities, largely adherent to Western/European lifestyle ideals. Processes of sociocultural change were initially and principally manifested in urban settings and among the middle and upper social classes. Nonetheless, by the dawn of the 20th century rural populations were set on their own path towards modernisation. Unfortunately, the introduction of new lifestyle elements among the wider social strata, the mechanisms involved, and the significance of changing behaviour patterns at the level of self-identification are yet to be fully examined, documented, and interpreted by scholarly research. The present analysis focuses on Greek-Cypriot female rural populations as an understudied segment of Cypriot society and aims to explore the potential of a dress study approach in the examination of British period modernisation processes. Dress comprises one of the strongest, non-verbal self-communicative mechanisms, and as such it is considered as a critical domain for the visual and tangible manifestation, but also the symbolic production and definition of sociocultural change. Drawing on evidence from the examination of extant dress items, oral testimonies, written accounts and visual materials, the current research endeavours to document the evolving female visual identity in late 19th‑early 20th century rural Cyprus; to trace new versus past and enduring elements in rural dress production, typology, and consumption/social use; and to discuss how basic modifications in the image of the clothed and adorned female body reflect identity transformations in rural society.

Exploring Contradiction‐Driven Language Teacher Identity Transformation During Curriculum Reforms: A Chinese Tale

AbstractThe existing literature in TESOL has revealed the multilayered, dynamic, and situated nature of teacher identity, but how language teachers construct their identities during curriculum reforms receives relatively limited attention, particularly in the context of teaching English for specific purposes (ESP). Theoretically anchored by the notion of contradiction in activity theory, this study investigates an ESP teacher's identity transformation in a Chinese university. Drawing on data from semi‐structured interviews, classroom observations, and artifacts (policy documents and course materials), the findings reveal that the participant constructed her identities including “a skiff drifting in the dark,” “an optimistic warrior,” and “a nonconformist” through the teaching reform mediated by the corporatized culture and accountability system in higher education. The process of identity transformation was accompanied by her identity‐driven efforts to resolve various contradictions and seek the delicate equilibrium between her agency and object‐oriented reform. The study offers practical recommendations on teacher development and curriculum reforms for both language teachers and other stakeholders (e.g., teacher educators and school leaders) in different educational contexts.

Informal Civic Activity of Participants of the “Black Protests” and “Women’s Strike”: An Analysis of Scientific Journal Publications

A recent attempt to impose restrictions on the right to carry out abortions due to developmental abnormalities of a foetus and risks to the mother’s health has triggered widespread protests in Poland. These have resulted in the formation of a new social movement, the so-called “Women’s Strike,” which the author of this paper sees as a significant manifestation of informal civic activity. This paper seeks to generate and systematise the meaning of scientific research dealing with these phenomena. The main problem is the following: What categories of a social movement analysis and the meaning imparted to the new social movement called “Women’s Strike” can be identified in scientific papers? The author has chosen to employ a non-reactive research approach, and the sample selection was deliberate. The process of selecting and narrowing down the documents focused on identifying fragments of papers that could offer insights and answers to the research questions. The analysis was performed with the use of a categorisation key developed by the author, which was used to identify the thematic distribution of the scientific papers devoted to the new movement. Results: Five categories were identified together with the assigned meanings: experience and citizenship, emotions expressed by the movement participants, feeling of community and sisterhood, development of the movement participants’ identity, the Women’s Strike future and development prospects. The conclusions contain examples of potential pedagogic studies, in particular, the educational aspects of the new movement’s impact on the young people participating in it, the experience of the identity transformation of the women participating in the strikes, reactivating the ideas and values of sisterhood and the feeling of community in the face of the threat to the freedom of reproduction, a change of the social attitude towards abortion caused by mass protests sparked by the toughening of the law, and media presentation of the new woman’s movement and its demands.

Wellbeing Conceptual Model: Why Identity Deserves Discriminate Consideration

This paper proposes a high-order conceptual model of human wellbeing that isolates identity among other discriminate variables that are constituents and determinants of wellbeing. Drawing on germane literature, the paper understands wellbeing as a dynamic and subjective state that is satisfied when individuals can pursue and achieve their aspired quality of life. Achievement of this state is facilitated by conversion factors that can be summarized into three overarching categories namely environmental, social, and personal conditions. These conversion factors enable individuals to transform resources or opportunities into functionings or their desired outcomes. The paper notes the vital role and magnitude of the influence of identity on human action in the pursuit of wellbeing at individual level and proposes a high-order conceptual model of wellbeing expressed as a function of identity, environmental, social, and personal conditions. Although identity is an element of personal conditions, it is argued here that identity deserves to be considered discriminately in the wellbeing model because of its unique and profound influence on human action, which lends weight to the explanatory power of the conceptual model of wellbeing. The paper appeals for inclusion of identity transformation interventions in the agenda of development practice and recommends areas that need further research.

Value Orientations of Youth Students: Transformation of National Identity and Consciousness in the Conditions of War


 
 
 The purpose of the article is to study the value orientations of student youth in the context of the transformation of national identity and national consciousness in the conditions of Russian armed aggression. The empirical basis of the article was formed by the results of the authors’ sociological research ‘Transformation of National Identity and Consciousness Among Student Youth of Ukraine Under the Influence of Russian Military Aggression’, conducted by employees of the Social Expertise Department of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and the secondary analysis of the annual sociological monitoring ‘Ukrainian Society: Public Opinion in Ukraine After 10 Months of War’. The authors empirically confirm the fact of a sharp increase in national consciousness among student youth, who demonstrate a high level of readiness to serve their country, take an active part in public life, and want to be useful to their country during the armed struggle against the aggressor country. In the conclusions, the authors state that in the Ukrainian youth environment among students, a new type of national self-identification is widespread, the basis of which is the interdependence of norms of thinking and ideas about origin.
 
 

Everyday divine: Fashion, ritual and identity transformation

As the world experiences the end of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown era, I have been conducting a project that investigates the function and meaning of the creative making process. Using the steps to making as the research focus, I ask: why does designing and crafting feel and function like a change-making ritual, more than a routine? What evidence of the metamorphic energy of making lies within each finished creation? Through a review of other scholars’ work, from fields including ritual study, psychology, art and pedagogy, I began to understand the process of creation, and how it can promote positive transformation. Most important of all is the transformation of materials, ideas and inspiration into millinery. To begin, I found that the art of creative research propels the maker into a liminal stew of ideas and actions, where only the forces for and against the act of making are evident. The choices of materials and applications gather increasingly on the studio table, and the question of the meaning behind the process grows curiously deeper…

Traditional culture of the ethnicities of Uzbekistan based on materials from expeditions of Soviet ethnographers in the 1980s.

This article focuses on the reporting materials compiled by ethnographers working at the State Museum of Ethnography of the Peoples of the USSR who in the 1980s participated in expeditions to the Republic of Uzbekistan. They set themselves the goal not only to collect information or artefacts valuable for studying the cultural history of particular region, but also to explore the transformation of national identity, that was a consequence of linguistic, cultural and economic integration of the ethnicities inhabiting Uzbekistan. After many years of expeditions the collections of the Russian Ethnographic Museum were replenished with valuable and unique objects. The article pays attention to corporeal, illustrative, and reporting materials that attest to traditions and innovations in the material culture of modern Uzbekistan, as well as interethnic relations. The authors adhered to the methodological principles of historical anthropology, which focus on the evolution and diversity of societies and social relations. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, based on the study of sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, the authors came to the conclusion that the expeditions not only contributed to the preservation of the material culture of the region under study, but also recorded the difficulties in interethnic relations long before they became part of the official discourse of national policy in the USSR. The national-territorial demarcation carried out by the Soviet government in Central Asia in 1924 took place, for the most part, not in accordance with the ethnicity of the peoples living in the territory, but according to ideological and economic parameters. Consequently such a significant event, regardless of its overall effect, created the preconditions for interethnic problems, which were indicated in the named reports.

Critical Analysis of “Divided Nation” Model Applications to China-Taiwan: A Case Study of Germany’s Annexation of Austria in 1938

Scholars have argued that “divided nations” (i.e., countries that have split into separate political entities) have distinct characteristics in the international system, and this model has been applied to China-Taiwan relations. Yet, despite ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and historical ties, the current state of cross-Strait relations does not resemble classic cases of the “divided nation” model such as East and West Germany, North and South Vietnam, or North and South Korea, not least because power asymmetry is a major feature of the relationship. China’s largely one-sided demands for “reunification” with Taiwan share more similarities with Germany’s approach to Austria in the 1930s. Both are cases of an aggressor state seeking to annex the territory of a smaller, sovereign neighbor based on a revanchist ideology that stems from perceived notions of “national humiliation” by outside powers and ethno-nationalist ideas of a shared blood community. Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938 was the result of overwhelming German military power and political decision-making in the dictatorship of the Third Reich rather than ethnic, cultural, or historical ties. Germany’s invasion and occupation of Austria and the transformations of German and Austrian national identity after 1945 show that the “divided nation” model is contingent on historical and ideological subjectivities and not objective, scholarly analysis. Scholars of cross-Strait relations should approach the subject without reference to this model and instead focus on the political struggle between Chinese authoritarianism and Taiwanese democracy on the question of Taiwanese sovereignty in addition to Taiwan’s pivotal role in the great power conflict between the United States and China.

Who is the Digital Sovereign?

Abstract The article theorizes the sovereign in recent digital democratic experiments. It demonstrates how the prevailing perspective is based on a liberal-technocratic understanding that overlooks important questions of organized collective power and identity. To address these limitations, the article contrasts the liberal-technocratic framework with a radical democratic approach. This alternative allows for reimagining the digital sovereign in two ways. First, it shifts the focus from the sovereign as a mere aggregation of networked individuals with fixed identities to one that opens up opportunities for ongoing identity construction and transformation. Second, a radical democratic approach emphasizes that the digital sovereign emerges from the individual and collective capacity to organize power.