Western Influence Research Articles

Pentecostal voices and discourse perspectives to LGBTQ+ narratives in Nigeria

ABSTRACT The conformist and dissenting religious voices with various social classificatory paradigms on LGBTQ+ issues have further complicated the association between the West and others in sub-Saharan Africa. Religious leaders from the West and those of African extraction seem to already hold divergent opinions on the issue. This paper investigates Pentecostal voices and discourse perspectives of selected foremost pastors on LGBTQ+ narratives within the Nigerian space. Data were retrieved from the online versions of three widely circulated newspapers: Vanguard, The Nation, and Daily Post, focusing on the represented stances and voices of four Nigerian pastors with the largest membership within and outside the Nigerian space. The study employed a systematic approach to collect and analyse news reports, considering factors such as the pastors’ stances, sentiments conveyed, and engagement with LGBTQ-related topics. Nigerian Pentecostal pastors align their stances with foundational religious principles and embrace belief systems that shape human existence. Pentecostal pastors’ rhetoric condemns LGBTQ identities and relationships, framing them as a threat to traditional values, natural order and God’s will, which are perceived as being undermined by modern, Western influences.

Crossing Borders, Shifting Identities: The Transnational Journey of Wafa Faith Hallam from Morocco to America

Wafa Faith Hallam's memoir, The Road from Morocco, presents a profound narrative that spans the personal and cultural journeys of two Moroccan women, Wafa and her mother Saadia, against the backdrop of postcolonial shifts and Western influences. Born into a conservative Muslim society and later migrating to America, their stories intricately map the contours of identity, freedom, and resistance within and across the boundaries of tradition and modernity. Wafa's transition from a lifestyle characterized by personal freedom in Morocco to confronting the harsh realities of domestic violence in America, alongside Saadia's quest for autonomy and escape from patriarchal constraints at home, reveals a profound disillusionment. Both women anticipated that America would offer them romance and liberation, only to encounter even more intense patriarchal oppression. The idea conveyed in the narrative is that the West, contrary to its image as a bastion of gender equality and freedom, can exhibit even more severe forms of gender despotism than those found in traditional Oriental societies. The memoir presents a deconstructive counternarrative that critiques both the West and Western feminism. The Road from Morocco is not merely a recounting of personal history but a significant contribution to the discourse on postcolonial identity, gender dynamics, and the immigrant experience, inviting a reevaluation of simplistic paradigms of gender liberation and oppression.

THE PHENOMENON OF EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION LAW

The purpose of the article is to comprehensively analyze the definition “The Law of the Eurasian Economic Union” and determine its place in the international law system. Research methods: historical-legal, axiological, functional and contextual approaches of comparative legal method, formal-legal method. The authors consider the genesis of Eurasianism as a historical phenomenon and philosophical direction, analyze the law-forming social factors that form the basis for the Eurasian law development. They conclude that Eurasian integration has traditionally been free and legal and the system of Eurasian law is based on the postulates of both Western and Eastern influences. These are the rule of law, collectivism and the priority of natural relations within the group. The law-forming factors that influenced the creation of the EAEU and its law are peculiar and fundamentally different from the factors and prerequisites characteristic of other integration economic formations. The EAEU was created by the states that had previously been part of a single state; its statutory documents, along with taking into account the peculiarities of European law, also took into account the confessional and civilizational identity of Eurasianism. Formally, at this stage of Eurasian integration, the EAEU law is a sub-branch of international economic law and represents a system of principles and norms in the sphere of international communication of Eurasian states, created to regulate public relations on the creation (liquidation) of regional associations, cooperation of a regional association with other international organizations, its participants and structures in the spheres established by EAEU statutes.

Parallel Horizons: A Comparative Voyage through Modernist and Postmodernist Waves in Australian and Indian Writing

This paper undertakes a comparative exploration of modernist and postmodernist movements in Australian and Indian literature, examining their transformative influence on the global literary landscape of the 20th century. Modernists introduced subjective expressions and disruptive narrative techniques, exploring psychic fragmentation, while postmodernists playfully challenged conventional literary representations. In Australian modernism, Patrick White's "Voss" (1957) critiques imperialism through surreal characterization, and Christina Stead's "The Man Who Loved Children" (1940) employs expressionistic symbolism to highlight marital oppression. Indian modernists, including Tagore and Anand, fused indigenous and Western influences in socially-conscious works addressing colonialism. Transitioning to postmodernism, Peter Carey's "Bliss" (1981) and Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" (1981) utilize intertextual pastiche to interrogate post-Independence national identities. Modernists disrupt narrative continuity to unveil alienation, while postmodernists expose storytelling's artifice through self-referentiality. The paper argues that narrative shifts between movements reflect changing assumptions about identity and power relations during anti/post-colonial transitions. Australian postmodernists, like Carey, reframe national myths from marginalized perspectives. In Indian postmodernism, Rushdie's carnivalesque narration destabilizes post-Independence identity constructions. In conclusion, modern and postmodern literature document the reconstitution of identity amidst profound societal change. Cross-cultural analysis enriches understanding of how global aesthetic movements intersect with localized interpretations. This study contributes to the discourse on evolving identity in literature, underscoring the significance of narrative transformations across distinct cultural and historical contexts.

“The Revival of Islam”: a French view of the Islamic Revolution in Iran

In this article, the author investigates the responses of French diplomats and experts to the events occurring in Iran during 1978–1979 and their consequences. This analysis is conducted primarily in the context of the rising prominence of religious considerations in international relations. To this end, the author draws on materials from the archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In France, the dual nature of these events was acknowledged. Firstly, there was a notable “re-Islamisation” of the populations in Muslim countries. In many of them, Islam became an influential factor in the formation of national identities after independence, serving to unify and stabilise communities. Secondly, French diplomats emphasised that while religion played a part in these developments, it was not the sole driving force. Rather, it was employed by local leaders as a political tool to advance their own agendas. The French experts demonstrated a tendency to overestimate the degree of Western influence on educated and wealthy sections of Muslim populations, while simultaneously underestimating the capacity of nationally oriented Islamic leaders and movements to modernise their respective countries. Furthermore, these experts also underestimated the ability of these leaders and movements to defend their right to development in accordance with their own customs and traditions. It is notable that many of the conclusions drawn by French diplomats at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s do not align with the contemporary interpretations of the French authorities. A review of the French Foreign Ministry notes from 1978 to 1979 revealed no mention of the issue of Islamic influence and its radical form in the Maghreb and the Middle East on the Muslim community in France.

EUROPEAN SCEPTICISM AND ANTI-AMERICANISM IN THE EURO-ATLANTIC POLITICAL PROCESS IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY

The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of the development of European scepticism and anti-Americanism in the public political process in the United States and the European Union. In the countries of the European Union, the term European scepticism refers to a negative attitude towards the process of European integration and its functional result in the form of the European Union. In the United States, mostly in ultra-conservative circles, European scepticism refers to a critical attitude towards the EU as the embodiment of the liberal democracy project. Anti-Americanism as an ideological attitude is present not only in European far-left political circles, but also in European far-right political circles. In the United States, the ideology of anti-Americanism was clearly manifested in the Black Lives Matter movement. European scepticism and anti-Americanism are actively used by Russian and Chinese propaganda as signs of an allegedly inevitable crisis of the ‘collective West’ and a ‘natural transition’ to a multipolar world in which Western democracies will not be crucial for further development. The conclusions emphasise that populist diseases of liberal democracies are actively used by autocracies to discredit the democratic experience of political life. At the same time, Russia, Iran, and China are trying to take advantage of discourses on scenarios of the US isolation from active foreign policy and the European Union's self-restrictions in pursuing its own common foreign policy and impose their own versions of ‘hybrid wars’, pushing Western influence out of key regions of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. In view of this, the transfer of ideas of anti-Americanism and European scepticism from the circle of leading trends in public political life to its deep periphery can actually ensure greater stability not only for liberal democracies, but also for modern international relations.

Studying Abroad as a Means of Preparing Future Music Teachers in China

The concept of studying abroad as a means of preparing future music teachers in China has a rich and complex history, reflecting the nation’s evolving educational philosophies, political changes, and cultural exchanges. The purpose of this study is to present the genesis of using studying abroad as part of the professional training for future music teachers, detailing the goals and social mandates across various stages of Chinese state development. The article also draws attention to the organic "embeddedness" of such a means of training future music teachers in the Chinese system of professional and higher music-pedagogical education, especially of vocal practices that are not traditional for Chinese culture. Methodology. The study employs a historical-analytical approach, examining primary and secondary sources to trace the evolution of studying abroad as a practice for Chinese music educators. This includes an analysis of normative documents and policy papers available on official educational authority and institution websites. Additionally, qualitative data from interviews with contemporary music educators who have studied abroad provide insights into current practices and perceptions. The findings reveal that the practice of studying abroad for music education, primarily for personal music career development and secondarily for teaching, has been prevalent throughout Chinese history, and has undergone significant transformations over the past century. In the modern period, China continues to send a significant number of students abroad, supported by initiatives such as the China Scholarship Council and ‘One Belt – One Road’ Initiative. These programs facilitate grant support and promote cultural exchange and international cooperation, enriching the professional development of future music teachers in China. The study concludes that international educational experiences have profoundly impacted Chinese music education. Educators trained abroad have introduced diverse musical styles, innovative teaching methodologies, and a global perspective that enhance the learning experience of Chinese students. The integration of international practices has elevated the standards of music education in China, and gained global recognition. However, challenges remain in balancing traditional Chinese music with Western influences, and ensuring equitable access to international education opportunities. The study highlights the need for continuous adaptation and the development of strategies to address these challenges, ensuring that the benefits of studying abroad are fully realised in the Chinese educational context.

Metadiscourse and metalinguistic talk about script choice in Serbia: chasms and consequences for criticality

In Serbia, script diversity remains the norm whereby Serbian is routinely written in both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. This is not free of political contestation. Metadiscourses construct Cyrillic as the authentic script and central to ethnoidentity or, alternatively, as indexing dangerous nationalism, conservatism and Russian-leaning politics. On the flip side, metadiscourse associates Latin with modernity and progress, but for some with unwelcomed Western influence. But how do individuals themselves understand script preferences? This paper takes a folk linguistic approach to investigate whether the metalinguistic talk of Serbian individuals about script preferences is indeed informed by political metadiscourse. The data concern not only the stated preferences of individuals but also, borrowing from theory of mind, metatalk about how people explain the script preferences of others. The paper shows that the ideological oppositionality presupposed in metadiscourse tends not to be validated in metalinguistic talk, reminding us to be cognisant of chasms between societal-level metadiscourse and the lived experiences of individuals, and to avoid assumptions about the reach and impact of critical metadiscourse.

Princess power: Deconstructing the influence of popular culture on local traditions in a novel

The study employed a descriptive methodology with a cultural perspective, with a key focus on dissecting the novel ‘Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia’ by Jean Sasson published in 1993 to explore the impact of popular culture on the identity of Saudi women, focusing on the princesses within the royal palace. The cultural environment of Saudi Arabia presents a complex scenario for women as they reconcile traditional Islamic values with pervasive Westernized influences. This inquiry scrutinized how popular culture, introduced through migration and media exposure, molded Saudi women’s attitudes and actions, particularly those of the royal lineage. This novel is the source of data for the research. The analysis focused on themes, representations, and cultural significance. It examined language, imagery, and narratives to uncover meanings and relate them to broader societal issues, ultimately revealing how popular culture reflects or challenges prevailing ideologies. The findings revealed Sultana’s struggle to balance her Saudi princess identity with Western influences, revealing the complexities of cultural exchange, marriage practices, and societal expectations in both Western and Islamic contexts. Sasson’s narrative highlights how global influences, particularly Western culture, shape perceptions and interactions, enriching yet complicating societal norms. Vivid depictions of gender roles, sensory experiences, and emotional responses underline the ongoing struggles women face in patriarchal societies. These stories provide an understanding of the intersections of culture, gender, and identity, reflecting personal journeys while echoing broader themes of empowerment, resistance, and evolving cultural identities in a globalized world.

THE ROLE OF TRANSPORT CORRIDORS IN STRENGTHENING IRANIAN REGIONAL COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA

The role of transport corridors in strengthening regional cooperation in Centra l Asia is critical, especially in the context of Iran's evolving foreign policy. Amidst the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation and the expansion of major infrastructure projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Iran's strategic initiatives in Central Asia have gained prominence. This article aims to explore how transport corridors can enhance Iran's regional influence and cooperation with Central Asian countries. The main question addressed is: how do these transport corridors contribute to regiona l stability and economic integration? The hypothesis is that Iran's active participation in developing these corridors, particularly through key projects like the Chabahar Port, not only boosts trade and connectivity but also counters geopolitica l isolation and fosters long-term regional cooperation. The research utilizes the theory of regional integration and interdependence, supported by qualitative content analysis of documents, texts, and expert interviews related to regional transport strategies.The findings indicate that efficient transport infrastructure is fundamental for economic development and political stability in Central Asia. Iran's collaboration with Russia and China further amplifies the benefits of these corridors, providing a strategic counterbalance to Western influence. Ultimately, the study highlights that Iran's role in Central Asia is pivotal for broader regional integration and sustainable development.

The Impact of Globalization on Cultural Identity: Preservation or Erosion?

This article explores the complex relationship between globalization and cultural identity, focusing on whether globalization leads to the preservation or erosion of cultural heritage. Drawing from various case studies and theories, the article examines both positive and negative impacts of globalization on local cultures, including the promotion of cultural awareness and the threat of homogenization. While some cultures have leveraged globalization to preserve and revitalize their traditions, others have experienced a loss of cultural distinctiveness due to the dominance of global media and Western influence. The article concludes by offering insights into how globalization can be managed to balance global integration with the protection of cultural diversity.

The Historical Expression and Aesthetic Trends of Lotus in Literati Painting during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

The lotus, celebrated for its cultural symbolism and aesthetic allure, has been a recurring muse for flower and bird painters in Chinese art history. This article explores lotus paintings during the Ming and Qing dynasties, pivotal periods of ideological liberation and societal complexities. Traditional lotus artworks across dynasties have woven a rich tapestry in Chinese painting. Focusing on the lotus, the article intricately combines symbolic meanings and historical contexts, unraveling the flower's intrinsic artistic essence. It sheds light on the evolving aesthetic qualities within lotus depictions, using this exploration as a lens to understand cross-cultural exchanges and clashes between Chinese and Western influences. Emphasizing the inherent artistic will of lotus-themed painting, the research delves into the nuanced development and aesthetic significance of this genre. By elucidating the beauty expressed in the evolution of lotus images, the study provides valuable insights with contemporary relevance. It highlights the symbolic significance of the lotus in Ming and Qing China, incorporating concrete examples of renowned lotus paintings and artists. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance reader-friendly comprehension and explicitly articulates the contribution of these findings to current artistic practices. The research not only deepens our understanding of lotus culture but also serves as a reference for contemporary lotus-themed creative endeavors, connecting historical expressions with modern artistic sensibilities.

Color Analysis of Brocade from the 4th to 8th Centuries Driven by Image-Based Matching Network Modeling

To achieve the color matching rules for the textiles discovered during Silk Road excavations between the 4th and 8th centuries, this research proposed an image-based matching network modeling method. The Silk Road facilitated trade and cultural exchange between the East and West, and the textiles found along the way depict the development of fabrics in a color scheme with great cultural significance. A total of 165 images with brocade patterns were collected from a book with a detailed description of the Western influences on textiles along the Silk Road. Two different clustering methods, including the K-means clustering method and octree quantization approach, were used to extract the primary and secondary colors. By combining the HSV color space with the PCCS color system, the color distribution was analyzed to discover the features of representative color patterns. The co-occurrence relationship of the auxiliary colors was explored using the Apriori algorithm, and a total of eight association rules were established. The results showed that the K-means clustering algorithm can show a better effect of color classification to obtain three primary colors and nine secondary colors. The matching mechanism with a visualized network model was also proposed, which showed that reddish-yellow tones are the main colors in the brocade patterns, and the light and soft tones separately account for 27% and 20%. Beige and brown are the most common colorways, with a confidence level of 47%. One style of brocade pattern was used to demonstrate different appearances within various color networks, which could be applied to 3D virtual fitting. This image-based matching network modeling approach makes the color matching schemes visible, and can assist fashion design with fabric features influenced by historical and cultural development.

A Multidimensional Interpretation of A New Story of the Stone Based on Corpus Analysis

As a traditional science fiction novel, A New Story of the Stone blends old and new elements. This study employs quantitative descriptions to reveal that the novel's language is rich, vivid, and concise. In terms of narrative features, the novel inherits the traditional Chinese chapter-novel structure and maintains a strong focus on scene descriptions. However, it also reflects Western influences by paying attention to the portrayal of characters' psychological activities. The novel's social utility is pronounced, as it celebrates the dissemination of advanced technology, pursues the ideal society, reflects on societal improvements, and critiques the current society and backward traditional culture.

Leveraging on indigenous knowledge systems for leadership development in young men: Discernable lessons from Ulwaluko amongst Xhosa speakers.

Ulwaluko or Traditional Male Circumcision is an old African practice that has survived years of criticism and attenuation of Western civilization through religion and education. With the growing Western influence on the continent, there is mounting questioning of the virtues of ulwaluko in some circles even amongst Africans themselves. Proponents of ulwaluko see the ritual as a potent tool for leadership development amongst young men. By adopting a qualitative research design, the authors collected data by interviewing young men who recently performed the ritual. Adopting a phenomenological approach helped the author understand the lived experiences of the target group. The researcher found that over time, there have been influences that sought to weaken and derail the intended objectives of ulwaluko. The researcher also found that leadership development has always been and continues to be integral to the ritual. The recommendations from the study are that the custodians of African cultural beliefs, customs, and values should reclaim their scope of influence and dominance on cultural practices. Greater awareness also needs to be created of the virtues of ulwaluko particularly amongst the younger generations. The author concludes that ulwaluko still plays a pivotal and prominent role in leadership development amongst young African males and that its benefits cannot be undermined.

Is gender primacy universal?

Emerging evidence suggests that gender is a defining feature of personhood. Studies show that gender is the primary social category individuals use to perceive humanness and the social category most strongly related to seeing someone-or something-as human. However, the universality of gender's primacy in social perception and its precedence over other social categories like race and age have been debated. We examined the primacy of gender perception in the Mayangna community of Nicaragua, a population with minimal exposure to Western influences, to test whether the primacy of gender categorization in humanization is more likely to be a culturally specific construct or a cross-cultural and potentially universal phenomenon. Consistent with findings from North American populations [A. E. Martin, M. F. Mason, J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 123, 292-315 (2022)], the Mayangna ascribed gender to nonhuman objects more strongly than any other social category-including age, race, sexual orientation, disability, and religion-and gender was the only social category that uniquely predicted perceived humanness (i.e., the extent to which a nonhuman entity was seen as "human"). This pattern persisted even in the most isolated subgroup of the sample, who had no exposure to Western culture or media. The present results thus suggest that gender's primacy in social cognition is a widely generalizable, and potentially universal, phenomenon.

The epic of the Baikal-Amur Mainline is the fate of millions. On the 50th anniversary of the start of construction

The Baikal-Amur Mainline is one of the most ambitious and controversial Soviet projects on the sociopolitical and historical trail of perception. The proposal to build a new railway north of the Trans-Siberian Railway was put forward at the beginning of the 20th century. The idea was approached in the 1920s and 1930s. Surveys were conducted, and construction began on one of the sites, which was interrupted by the Great Patriotic War (World War II). Moreover, during the war years, the upper structure of the track and a number of engineering structures were dismantled on the constructed site, which were used for the construction of the extremely important rockade railway in the Stalingrad area, which played a significant role in supplying Soviet troops during the Battle of Stalingrad. The interest in the construction of the BAM of the Soviet leadership in the 1960s and 1970s arose again in the context of an aggravation of the political situation — the complication of relations between the USSR and the People’s Republic of China. However, already during this period, the question was reasonably raised not only about the political, but also the economic strategic significance of the project from the perspective of the country’s development prospects, the development of natural resources in this region, the development of transport links between the European, Siberian, and Far Eastern territories of the state. In the period after the collapse of the USSR, the BAM construction project, not without the influence of those who were under Western influence in the country’s leadership circles, was classified as erroneous, extremely costly, economically and socially unjustified. Today, in society, the state, under the influence of many factors of recent years, there is an understanding of the importance of completing and developing the BAM construction project. This project has played a big role in the lives of millions of people, many organizations and institutions. Among them is the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers — today the St. Petersburg State University of Railways of Emperor Alexander I, whose students, graduates, scientists and specialists have been involved in various forms in the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline for half a century.

CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTENT AND POST-PANDEMIC THEMES IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

The post-pandemic landscape, shaped by COVID-19, has ushered in substantial socio-cultural shifts, particularly in teaching and learning practices. The transition from traditional in-person learning to rapid adoption of online methods, followed by a return to in-person learning, necessitated adjustments in educational habits. This transformation is further emphasized by the Merdeka curriculum's implementation in the Academic Year 2022/2023, influencing the approach of textbook authors. This research uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Fairclough's three-dimensional model to scrutinize five 7th-grade English textbooks from different publishers within the Merdeka curriculum framework. The analysis explores the socio-cultural and post-pandemic content, providing nuanced insights into how these materials address challenges and transformations induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Acknowledging the inherent connection between language and socio-cultural elements, the study examines how the textbooks balance Western influences with Indonesian socio-cultural content. Additionally, it investigates how the textbooks incorporate memories of the global pandemic, contributing to the evolving landscape of English education in Indonesia.

Analyzing the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict: Geopolitical Insecurities of Russia and Their Consequences in Eurasia

This research delves into the geographical and historical factors underpinning the Russia-Ukraine war, exploring Russia's expansive strategies and the role of geography in its foreign policy. It highlights the conflict's extensive implications across the Eurasian region, manifesting in crises like global food and energy shortages, and shifting geopolitical alliances. By examining Russia's defensive maneuvers against Western influences, the study offers insights into the complex dynamics of regional security, the motivations behind Russia's foreign policies, and the broader impacts of the war on global stability. Recommendations focus on diplomatic resolutions to mitigate the conflict's repercussions.

The Seal of the Phanariot Prince Constantine Ypsilantis as Voivod of Moldavia

This paper presents the hitherto unpublished seal of the Phanariot-Greek Voivod of Moldavia Constantine Ypsilantis (r. 1799-1801) in its historical and sigillographic context. While the focus lies on Moldavia, seals from the other Danubian Principality Wallachia will also serve as items for comparison. The aim is to describe the seal as set in the sigillographic tradition of the area and at the same time analyzing its peculiarities, including the protective box. Ypsilantis reign is set towards the end of Ottoman rule in the Moldavia and Wallachia, in a time of increasing Western and Russian influence, but the seal is firmly embedded in the tradition of voievodal titulary and the heraldry of the time. However, differences between the heraldic depictions on the seal and its protective lid show that even in a princely court around 1800, quite important variations such as the missing of some symbols on the arms were permissible.