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Current evidence implicates educational pressures and reduced outdoor time as major causes of myopia. This paper examines the ongoing battle against the myopia epidemic in East Asia, including its cultural offshoots such as Singapore, where over 80% of young adults are myopic. East Asian societies share deeply rooted Confucian values that attach great importance to education and familial obligations, with heavy parental investment in education and the perception that academic excellence reflects filial piety. Coupled with a strong emphasis on standardised test results, East Asian children face intense educational pressures from a young age. Existing education-based myopia prevention strategies focus either on top-down school reforms to promote more outdoor time for students during school hours or on bottom-up awareness initiatives encouraging lifestyle changes. However, the entrenched Confucian worldview suggests that more extensive top-down reforms aimed at reducing competition in education, combined with widespread bottom-up awareness initiatives targeting the public—particularly parents, given their active involvement in children's education outside of school—may be required to truly turn the tide on myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper discusses the influence of family and cultural backgrounds on South Asian student survivors' understandings of dating relationships and help-seeking after experiencing dating violence. Methods: Six South Asian undergraduate women dating violence survivors participated in two thé talks (similar to semi structured interviews) and a photo-elicitation activity to share their experiences of dating violence and how they make meaning of these experiences. Findings: Through analysis guided by the tenets of Bhattacharya's Par/Des(i) framework, this paper highlights two key findings: 1) the powerful role of cultural values in students' conceptualizations of healthy and unhealthy relationships; and 2) the effect of familial and intergenerational experiences on students' help-seeking behaviors. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need to incorporate considerations of family and culture in efforts to address and prevent dating violence in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan has sought closer relations with Southeast Asia for decades, deploying diplomacy and foreign aid to win over a region where many countries suffered the violence of Japanese occupation during the World War II era. Sponsoring Japanese studies programs has also been key to the charm offensive. But at a time when Japan faces growing Chinese competition for regional influence, Japanese cultural exports have proved especially popular; meanwhile, Southeast Asian hits are drawing fans in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review focuses on cultural-related studies and game theory. First of all, it analyzes how social dynamics and strategic interactions can be shaped by different cultural environments. Secondly, it examines how cultural norms can affect strategic decision making and how game theory could predict cooperations and conflicts. Overall, this study aims to highlight the applicability of game theory in the modeling of cultural transformation and its interaction with behavioral economics. Moreover, this study also attempts to underscore the significance of game theory and cultural diversity in communication methods, plus the process of policy formulation. In addition to the above topics, the robustness of cross-cultural social norms, the economic study of different cultural heritage, and the cultural effects of tourism under game theory are also focal points of this study. Finally, this review delves into how game theory can represent social interactions, emphasizing the need to incorporate extensive cultural knowledge in order to enhance the efficacy of game-theoretic model's applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folk beliefs encompass a fairly broad range of content. Just as there are folk beliefs in the religious field, it is common to encounter folk beliefs in every conceivable field such as weather, social, economic, military or civil life, entertainment, and sadness. The focus of this article is predominantly on folk beliefs that continue to exist vividly among people and are related to Islamic beliefs. These folk beliefs are not only religiously incorrect but also hinder the proper understanding of Islamic beliefs. In this regard, the subject falls within the field of kalām, as kalām deals with the principles of belief. Therefore, for kalām, it is important to understand the structure of people’s beliefs and their reflections on daily life. Despite some social disciplines conducting studies in this area, there is an evident gap in terms of kalām, as these disciplines treat religious issues as a case without making value judgments. However, kalām does not merely settle for determination; it evaluates from the perspective of the religion to which it belongs. To the best of our knowledge, there are few studies examining people’s beliefs and behaviors using modern research methods in the field of kalām. In this article, an attempt was made to determine the religious acceptance and life of the people through questions covering some of the basic religious principles and certain folk beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between China and the United States was originally driven by the tea trade. From the maiden voyage of the "Empress of China" sailed from New York to Guangzhou in 1784 to the outbreak of the Opium War in 1840, it was the period when China and the United States initially established direct trade. During this time, Chinese tea always held a dominant position in the goods exported to the US. The development of China-US tea trade was also a process of mutual learning and exchange between the two civilizations. In the process of mutual learning and interaction between Chinese and American civilizations, Chinese tea, as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, exerted a profound influence on American culture, and is of great practical significance to the development to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although children generally regard adults as more knowledgeable than their peers, an informant's past accuracy trumps age when in conflict. In a recent study, however, Korean 5‐year‐olds were more likely to trust a less accurate adult informant over a more accurate peer informant when learning new information. To examine whether such a pattern was attributable to the cultural influence of shaping early respect for the elderly among Korean children, a pattern of selective label endorsement was examined among Canadian 5‐year‐olds, who were raised under different cultural values, relatively putting less emphasis on social relationships than individual expressions (Experiment 1). We also investigated Korean 6–7‐year‐olds' selective endorsement pattern when the informant's past accuracy conflicted with the informant's age to examine how cultural influences shift as children develop (Experiment 2). When the adult was 25% accurate in labeling familiar objects, relative to the 75% accurate child informant, Canadian 5‐year‐olds tended to endorse the label offered by the child, demonstrating a prioritization of the epistemic cue over the social cue. By comparison, Korean 6–7‐year‐olds were equally likely to choose between two informants, showing difficulty disregarding inaccurate adults, even when they always mislabeled familiar objects. These results offer insight into cultural influences on the development of selective word learning and suggest the relative weighing of social and epistemic cues evolves with development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following work examines the presence of American popular culture in Chile during the second half of the 19th century and the reception and impact that said presence had upon Chilean society. The methodology consisted of a qualitative historical study of press and documentary sources between 1850 and 1900, together with a bibliographic review of literature that addresses the cultural phenomena of both Chile and the United States, as well as performing arts and variety shows from the nineteenth century. As a result, it was possible to observe a mutual influence between the North American ensembles and Chilean society since both parties reinterpreted their roles and practices as a consequence of exposure to new shows and the criticism of these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis that the literature shows that most of the serial murders are committed by men and with sexual motivation, the research is a preliminary approach which aims to approach the cultural influence on the sexual motivation of serial killers. Eighty-six cases of serial murders with male perpetrators from different countries have been analyzed, committed between 1900 and 2020. The variables evaluated are related to the serial offender, victimology, modus operandi, sexual motivation typology and the actions related to such classification. In indulgence countries, pre mortem sexual acts (44.20%), interference with the victim's body (36.0%) and mutilation (27.90%) are the most common; the same occurs in restrictive countries, although in a lower percentage, with mutilation 7.0% being the only statistically significant variable (X² = 0.034). Direct-sadistic motivation is the most present, being 52.30% in indulgence countries and 18.60% in restrictive countries, there being a significant relationship (X² = 0.026). There is a partial influence of culture on modus operandi and sexual motivation according to the higher or lesser presence of social norms and how they influence the individual's decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional attenuation in a second language is believed to be one of the main causes of the Moral Foreign Language effect (MFLe). However, evidence on the mediating role of emotion in the relationship between language and moral judgements is limited and mainly derives from unrealistic moral dilemmas. We conducted two studies to investigate (1) whether the MFLe is present in both unrealistic (Study 1) and realistic (Study 2) moral dilemmas, and (2) whether this effect can be attributed to reduced emotionality. In Study 1, the MFLe was found in the moral judgements made by Spanish-English bilinguals. However, the same pattern was not observed in Greek Cypriot-English bilinguals' moral judgements, and this result was attributed to the prominent role of English in Cyprus. In Study 2, the MFLe extended to realistic moral dilemmas when the outcome of the action entailed the violation of a social norm. Study 1 and Study 2 also revealed that these bilinguals experienced a wide range of emotions in their L1 and L2, which did not differ significantly across languages. Mediation analyses further indicated that the MFLe was not mediated by emotional blunting, which made us consider alternative explanations for the MFLe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to introduce and enrich the importance of historical knowledge for the analysis of choreographic art. Research methodology. In conducting this research, a comprehensive analysis of historical knowledge was carried out. The interaction between historical context, cultural influences, and artistic innovations was examined, emphasising the critical significance of historical understanding in studying the evolution of choreographic art. Scientific novelty. During this investigation, it was determined that the combination of historical knowledge with choreography establishes a standard criterion for the development of choreographic art, which serves two functions: enriching objective and scientifically valuable information and facilitating the practical realisation of choreographic creativity aimed at achieving goals related to the analysis of choreographic art's development. Conclusions. The significance of historical knowledge in analysing the development of choreographic art is difficult to overestimate. Studying the historical context, cultural influences, and artistic innovations provides a deeper understanding of the evolution of choreographic practices. Historical knowledge shapes modern choreography, providing a platform for artistic research and innovation. It also helps us comprehend our heritage and the origins of various aspects of contemporary life, including political structures, social norms, cultural traditions, and scientific achievements. They demonstrate how the past influences our present and shapes our values and identity. Embracing historical understanding is of utmost importance in assessing the richness, diversity, and continuous development of choreographic art. As we delve deeper into the process of related research, the use of historical knowledge will play a crucial role in shaping future directions of this captivating art form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture has long been recognized and conceptualized as an important and indispensable influencing factor in policy transfer. However, inadequate attention has been devoted to the study of culture in this area of scholarship. Using qualitative data, mainly from interviews with policy-makers and policy-takers in Vietnam, this paper examines the relevance of culture in Vietnam's merit-based policy transfer. It indicates how the conceptualization of culture is significant to policy transfer analysis. It also shows that culture at all levels—macro, meso, and micro—can influence both the policy transfer process and the outcomes. At the same time, it contends that despite this important role, culture acts more as a joint-influencing factor than a sole determinant in policy transfer. This paper argues that a multi-level and culture-sensitive approach to cultural analysis in policy transfer is a key to understand the dynamics of culture in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How online grocery shopping behaviors differ among Asian American (AA) ethnic subgroups and acculturation level is unknown. From June 9–15, 2020, we administered an online survey to a nationally-derived nonprobability sample of 2,895 AA adults, including 1,737 East, 570 South, and 587 Southeast Asian adults, assessing online grocery shopping (yes/no, frequency, reasons). We used logistic regression to compare responses by subgroup and acculturation score, controlling for sociodemographics. Thirty-percent of participants reported shopping online for groceries in a typical month, with a higher percentage among South (45%) versus East Asian adults (23%). Participants with low (vs. high) acculturation scores were more likely to report a lack of special foods (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.98) and poor food quality (OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.7) as preventing them from shopping online. Online grocery shopping has the capacity to address inequities in health, potentially via culturally-tailored programs designed for less-acculturated AA adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts between couples and their parents‐in‐law are a common phenomenon in Chinese families. In this study, in‐law psychological aggression (InPA) victimization and its association with intimate partner violence (IPV), women′s health, and gender role valuation were examined. A household face‐to‐face survey with random sampling was conducted, and a total of 260 married Chinese women with parents‐in‐law were recruited. Among the participants, 11.2% and 43.1% had experienced InPA victimization and IPV victimization, respectively, and 7.3% had experienced both. Women′s daily contact with parents‐in‐law, anxiety symptoms, demand to obey parents‐in‐law, and the low valuation of the male role significantly positively related to InPA victimization, whereas discussions of in‐law conflict with husbands were significantly negatively related to InPA victimization. Therefore, in developing interventions for women experiencing InPA victimization, the role of the husband in InPA victimization and the risk of co‐occurring InPA and IPV should be considered. These findings reflect the need to raise awareness about the influence of culture on gender roles, the harm caused by InPA victimization, and the urgent need to help Chinese women who are experiencing in‐law conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregivers of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder commonly experience stigma. However, how stigma influences social interactions of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder is unclear. We aimed to explore the impact of caregiver stigma on real-life social experiences of Taiwanese adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. In the context of everyday activities, 76 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder who were not intellectually disabled (69 males, aged 10–16 years) carried a mobile device that prompted them 7 times, randomly, each day for 7 days to record with whom they were interacting, what they perceived, and how they felt about the interactions. Caregivers completed the Affiliate Stigma Scale to measure caregiver stigma. Multilevel analyses revealed that participants whose caregivers perceived high levels of stigma were more likely than those whose caregivers experienced less stigma to interact with family members and less likely to be interested in interacting with people at school. However, those participants also experienced more anxiety while interacting with family members. The findings shed light on ways that caregiver stigma impacted the social experiences of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and suggest that, in promoting social participation for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, researchers and service providers must support caregivers to manage stigma. Caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder commonly experience stigma. As a result, they may avoid contact with others, in turn, influencing their child's social participation. This study aimed to explore the impact of stigma perceived by the caregivers on the everyday social experience of Taiwanese adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. We asked 76 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder who did not have intellectual disability (69 males, aged 10–16 years) to carry a mobile device for 7 days. The device prompted them 7 times each day to record who they were interacting with, what they perceived, and how they felt about their social interactions. In addition, we asked their caregivers to complete the Affiliate Stigma Scale to measure their experience of stigma. We found that participants whose caregivers perceived high levels of stigma were more likely to spend time with family members and less likely to be interested in interacting with people at school. Those participants also were more likely to experience anxiety while interacting with family. Our study suggests that it is important for clinicians to implement support services for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and help caregivers in managing stigma to promote their child's social participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past three decades, there has been increased attention on the influence of culture on the teaching and learning of mathematics. Jews and Chinese both have a long history and a rich cultural heritage, and the populations in both communities are known to place high emphasis on education. Has this emphasis anything to do with the cultural heritage in these communities? This paper offers some observations on the essential features of the two cultures. Despite the contrast between the religious roots of the Jewish culture and the secular Chinese culture, the two cultures share some commonalities, including the emphasis on the collective and the reliance on the family and the clan in passing on cultural practices and values. Characteristics in the two cultures that are related to mathematics education are then examined. These include the early development of mathematics in the two cultures, the different traditions of education and academic studies, the collective culture, and the strong involvement of the family in children's education in the two communities. Implications for contemporary mathematics education in the two cultures and beyond, including what mathematics should children learn, what is the goal of mathematics education, and what role does the family play in students' learning, are then discussed. The paper serves to highlight the role played by culture in the development of mathematics and mathematics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most fundamental economic sector of human societies, farming has played a significant role in interactions between humans and the environment. The study of crop patterns in various regions could not only clarify the economic foundations of early societies, but also greatly improve our understanding of interactions among human beings, the environment, and other creatures. In this regard, this study focuses on early agriculture practices at the Haojiatai site, situated in the cultural and natural transitional region between North and South China. Macro plant remains from this site reveal that foxtail millet was the most important staple crop here during the Longshan and Xinzhai periods (4300-3800 cal. yr BP), along with common millet and a small amount of rice and soybean. This crop pattern is in contrast to the ancient environmental conditions of this region, and cultural factors such as agriculture traditions and food preferences may have been more important in the formation process of this crop pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present the new historical conditions make the Mental Health an issue of growing concern at two levels, e.g., the public policies and the theoretical guidelines. In the current changing context, the social policies and specially the health ones are being transformed into the redefinitions of the State functions. So, we will study the vicissitudes and the social, political, cultural and economic contexts that the position and applications of the mental health public policies have gone through in Argentina's history from the 1954 Psychology professionalization to the 2010 Law of Mental Health. In doing so, we will historically contextualize the vicissitudes and implications of this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers an examination of the British Council's early stages of expansion in Cyprus under British rule, from 1935 to 1955, before the start of the Greek Cypriot anti-colonial struggle (1955-59). It argues that the British Council's development and quality of activities in the British colony were affected by various factors such as the peculiar political difficulties encountered in the island due to the rise of Greek nationalism and the growing influence of the Church of Cyprus over the local public; the mismanagement of the local British Institutes by some of the Council's representatives; and the financial stringencies hindering the Council's ambitions. Through the investigation of primary material, accessed at the Cyprus State Archive in Nicosia (Cyprus) and at the National Archives in London (UK), the article traces and critically analyses for the first time the Council's early steps in colonial cultural policy-making, using Cyprus as a case study. During the 20-year period under examination, British experiments in culture attempted to attract the Cypriots' interest and convince them of the importance of the British connection. The British and colonial governments envisaged that through cultural influence they could safeguard the consent of the governed. In this way, British presence in Cyprus could be retained and Britain would be able to protect its strategic, political and economic interests in the region. However, research reveals that the Council's efforts in the colony were more often than not misguided, its activities proving ineffective, its hopes misplaced. Although the aspiration was that the British Council should be a powerful instrument of Britain's foreign policy in the colonies, this article shows that in Cyprus it had a tumultuous childhood. Caught up in the realities of the Second World War, the rise of nationalism, the thread of communism, and amid the climate of Cold War, the British Empire was coming at an end, while the British Council was fighting to survive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the geographical origin of nuns who were active in three Poor Clare monasteries in the former Carniola: Mekinje, Škofja Loka, and Ljubljana. These monasteries housed nuns from Carniola as well as newcomers from neighbouring lands or more faraway lands of central Europe. Among them were nuns from Carniola, Styria, Tyrol, Gorizia, Carinthia, Croatia, even Bavaria and Czech lands. These newcomers contributed very significantly and versatilely to the secular as well as the spiritual life of Poor Clare monasteries in Carniola, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of cultural and historical factors on educational policy transfer, drawing on an analysis of the curricular reforms made during the Soviet and US military occupation of the two Koreas. In South Korea, curricular changes were made, such as the introduction of the subject of social studies, in order to teach democratic procedures and concepts. In North Korea, a socialist–communist ideology was extensively promoted, along with an attraction to the Soviet Union as a model state to follow. In both contexts, the localization of the reforms was influenced by the authoritarian legacy of Confucianism and Japanese colonization, and the nationalism that had been fostered for the purpose of state formation. The Korean case indicates that while investigating the influence of culture on educational policy transfer, it is important to identify the unique characteristics of educational traditions and nationalism of a country, and to analyze how the newly transferred policies and ideas are received by local actors in their searches for meaning and power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study was to validate five concepts central to secondary traumatization ( ST) using narratives of psychiatric mental health advanced practice nurses. Design and Methods The study was designed as a directed content analysis of narrative notes ( N-30). Findings Consistency was found between narrative notes and the concepts. This study revealed that exposure and vulnerability precede empathic engagement, reaction, and alteration/transformation. The bidirectional outcome of alteration/transformation suggested that conditions leading to ST could have a positive outcome. Practice Implications Failure to recognize symptoms of ST and provide reflective supervision may compromise the nurse's ability to maintain a work-life balance and provide quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational culture has an important influence on organizational identification. Therefore, in this study the effect of organizational culture on organizational identification has been examined. The sample of the study is composed of 109 personnel working in a private institution active in the energy sector in Zonguldak. The data obtained from the study were subjected to correlation and regression analysis. As a result of regression analysis, it was determined that there is a significant relationship between dependent variable organizational identification and independent variable organizational culture. As a result of the correlation analysis conducted to determine the direction and severity of the relationship, it was determined that there was a significant correlation between these two variables in the middle level (0.588) and the positive direction. It was determined that the dependent variable, organizational identification, showed a significant difference only in terms of age and working position demographic variables, whereas the independent variable, organizational culture, showed a significant difference only in terms of gender and working position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is a multi-dimensional process where the change for women and their progression is undeniable. Thus, the constant adaptation of women within the patriarchal norms and beliefs explains the paradigm shift of a given community. The paper reviews the changing community life of women often associated with urbanization in a newly emerged city, namely Rajarhat, India. Rajarhat has experienced a rapid change due to urbanization through huge land acquisition and spacial organization. The paper presents and discusses the shift from an agrarian society to secondary and tertiary sectors where women are benefitted from urban prosperity and bystood the wealthier urban neighbourhood. The paper also focuses on the disparities between domestic based women and the service based women as a part of the same community. The complex balance between these two groups apprehends the class differentiation, the day to day negotiations and the adjustment issues. Role expectations, cultural influences, and community transition in a changing urban context, are also covered. At the end, the paper identifies how women are adjusting to the community life with special emphasis on the challenges faced by them and the feasible need of professional interventions for the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine cultural factors that influence Hispanic male college students' intention to communicate with partners about contraception use.Participants: A sample of 239 self-identified Hispanic participants enrolled in at least 1 college course participated in this study in the spring 2014 semester.Methods: Students completed a 47-item paper survey. Data were analyzed with multiple regression and descriptive methods.Results: Participants with more siblings were more likely to intend to communicate with partners about contraception use than those with fewer siblings. Participants who received contraceptive information exclusively from fathers exhibited a more favorable attitude toward partner communication. Mother's education level was positively correlated with participants' contraceptive knowledge.Conclusions: These results emphasize the importance of support from family members to this sample's intentions to communicate with partners about contraceptive use. Parental involvement and male responsibility, in regards to contraceptive use, should be integrated into Hispanic-focused sexual health improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Considering the increase in divorce in Saudi Arabia, 99 girls, ages 12–16, were randomly selected in the city of Riyadh, SA, to measure the impact of parental divorce on their social and educational adjustment. Multivariate analysis was used to test a model of three independent variables ‘behavior, self-relation, and stress’, which explained 45 percent of the variation in the dependent variable ‘adjustment’. Findings indicate that Saudi girls’ adjustment to divorce was influenced by the Saudi society cultural traditions and expectations. Implications for social work practice in school settings have been drawn based on the available intervention models with children of divorce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Persian term khargāh is first attested at the beginning of the fourth/tenth century. It has often been translated as “hut” or “pavilion”, but a comprehensive overview of the historical, geographical and poetic sources points to a more precise definition. Three main conclusions can be established. First, from the beginning the term exclusively referred to the trellis tent (commonly known as yurt) first identified in a Turkic milieu in Inner Asia. Second, khargāh entered the Arabic and Persian languages through the Sāmānid court and quickly replaced the Arabic expression al-qubba al-turkiyya which was previously used to refer to this kind of tent. Third, the presence of the trellis tent in Muslim courts predates the arrival of the nomadic Saljuqs in the fifth/eleventh century. The trellis tent, associated with the cloth enclosure (or sarāparda), was already a status symbol under the Sāmānids and Būyids in the fourth/tenth century. Thus this study, which lies at the crossroads of lexicography and the history of technology, provides new elements towards a better understanding of Central Asian cultural influence on the wider ‘Abbāsid world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Enhancing the higher order thinking (HOT) ability of students is a worldwide educational goal. This has also become a significant objective in the curriculum reforms in Hong Kong, which aims at better preparation of students to meet the challenges of the new era. Cultural aspects are often regarded as salient in determining approaches to teaching. The influence of Chinese traditions on teaching in Hong Kong has been discussed by many researchers, who found the thinking of Confucius still strongly influences the conception of teaching of Chinese teachers. By the in-depth interviews with 12 Chinese teachers, their conceptions of effective HOT teaching were examined. Nine teaching tips were suggested by the teachers. The list of HOT teaching tips reflects that intermingled values of Western and traditional Chinese education are embraced. The findings also show how Chinese values influence teachers' conceptions of effective HOT teaching and the results are discussed with reference to the influence of Confucian thought. The comparatively narrow conceptions regarding HOT teaching imply that certain cultural barriers are still hampering Hong Kong teachers in the post-handover period. One major recommendation is that an awareness of the cultural values of the context is important for any application of foreign methods of teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines secondary school teachers’ perceptions of corporal punishment in India. Although it has been banned in Indian schools, various types of corporal punishment are still used by teachers. It has been mainly used as a mechanism for controlling disciplinary problems in schools. Based on a pilot study of 160 secondary teachers, the result of the research reveals that teachers still perceive corporal punishment as an effective method of controlling indiscipline in class. However, some teachers state that corporal punishment is ineffective in deterring students from misbehaving. Corporal punishment is not a good method to maintain discipline. Adopting harsh methods indicates a lack of proper training in managing students in a classroom situation and a poor understanding by the teachers of students’ mental states. An awareness program for secondary school teachers about the effects of corporal punishment on children is needed. The solution is proper training for teachers and student-teachers in the use of counseling to manage behavioral problem. Also full-time counselors can be appointed in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper deals with the scientific identification of timbers utilised for the production of the sculptures preserved within the collection of the National Museum of the “Palazzo di Venezia” in Rome, Italy. After a brief description of the Museum and its sculpture collections, and, more specifically, the wooden sculpture collection which is the largest in Italy, the sampling of the artwork is discussed and described, together with the methodology used for the identification of wood species following the Italian standard UNI 11118:2004. The 12 identified timbers are listed together with their distribution within the cultural provenance of the sculptures. The discussion deals with the timber species utilised by the artists from the four cultural European provenances most represented within the collection: Italy, Alps, central-southern Germany and Lowlands around the Rhine delta. In the different Italian regions, several wood species were utilised and among them mostly poplar and limewood, while the alpine sculptors mostly used Swiss stone pine and the German artists, limewood. Finally in the Rhine delta, most of the sculptures were made out of deciduous oak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laos improved its economy in 2014, although its human rights record continues to receive critiques from international society. With frequent visits of Lao leaders to China and the opening of the fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, Laos deepened its relations with China in 2014, despite the emerging challenges that China faces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Heterogeneity in drinking across national groups is well documented, but what explains such heterogeneity is less clear. To improve understanding of the underlying cultural conditions that may lead to diverse drinking outcomes, we investigate whether 3 dimensions of ethnic drinking culture ( EDC)-alcohol consumption level, drinking prevalence, and detrimental drinking pattern ( DDP) in the country of origin ( COO)-are significantly associated with alcohol consumption in Asian Americans and Latina/os, and whether the associations vary by gender and socioeconomic status (SES) as assessed by educational level. Methods A nationally representative sample of 1,012 Asian American and 4,831 Latino adults extracted from the Wave 2 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions data was used. A series of multiple logistic and linear regression models were fitted separately for Asian Americans and for Latinos. Analyses were also stratified by gender and educational level. Results Overall, the associations between EDC variables and drinking outcomes were more pronounced for all Asian Americans than for all Latina/os, for males than for females among Asian Americans, and for Latinas than for Latinos. In analyses simultaneously stratifying on gender and education level, however, there was a clear pattern of COO DDP associated with heavier drinking and alcohol consumption volume only for Latinos without a college degree. Conclusions Ethnic drinking cultures may influence drinking in Asian American and Latino subgroups, albeit to a varying degree. Low- SES Latinos may be at disproportionate risk of harmful drinking patterns pervasive in their COO. Future research might investigate the complex interplay between socioeconomic disadvantage and cultural conditions to inform targeted interventions for subgroups at high risk of alcohol-related harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws from qualitative and ethnographic work conducted in Malawi to interrogate anew questions of cultural influence by foreign media. Malawi presents a fascinating case for examining such questions, given the almost complete lack of local film or television production and an imperiled music industry, which combine to suffuse film, television, and radio with foreign content. In recent years, moreover, concerns about cultural influence have bubbled up in Malawi. Respondents were therefore asked to discuss their feelings regarding the foreign media presence in the country. Responses suggest the importance of third and subsequent parties to an understanding of cultural influence, as the article examines how Nigerian and American film and television compete with each other, and then examines how minority Tumbuka listeners suspiciously regard Zambian music sung in Malawi’s national and majority language, Chichewa. The article aims to complicate theories of cultural influence first by illustrating how multiple cultures jostle for influence, and second by arguing that the often-unitary focus on nation as unit of reception for culture obscures the equal importance of both supranational and subnational cultural units as sites of reception and meaning-making. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes to extend the work of law and film scholars, such as Carol Clover and Jennifer Mnookin, by looking at how juridically themed documentary films use the legal trial as both a platform and a structuring device to contest the evidentiary value of testimony, bear witness to the performance of law in our culture and engage in a social debate about flaws in contemporary jurisprudence. Because non fiction film -- with its presumed indexical relationship to reality and its attendant claims to authenticity -- is often seen as having a privileged relationship to truth, the ethical and epistemological stakes of these visual representations are heightened. Consequently, the expectations we bring to the juridical documentary (in terms of its truth-telling responsibilities) make it a particularly loaded space for analysing the ethical and epistemological responsibilities of documentary representation as well as for revealing truths about the legal process and the ordering of a just society. Thinking through the ways in which contemporary trial documentaries differently approach the question of their subjects' guilt allows us to reflect on how the juridical documentary refracts the legal trial's own truth claims. These documentary films demonstrate that, while the documentary and the legal trial might share an epistemological affinity based on shared principles of evidence, narrative and argument, the way in which the trial itself is thematized as both a discourse and a practical purveyor of justice in documentary influences how we come to understand the law in action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there has been extensive research exploring the quality of caregiver–child interactions in programmes for preschool children, comparatively less international research has explored the nature of caregiver–child interactions in centre-based infant-care programmes. Nine caregivers in six Singapore infant-care settings were observed and interviewed in this study to explore the qualitative nature of caregiver–child interactions and the caregivers' talk about the education and care of infants. Some of the caregivers expressed beliefs that infants learn through quality interactions. However, not all caregivers were observed to provide interactions, especially during routine care. Some caregivers held the view that their primary role was providing physical care rather than education. Such differences in views and practices could have been influenced by the cultural backgrounds of individual caregivers. Implications for professional development of infant caregivers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examines the philosophical and strategic issues of thought and the influence of culture as well as issues related to the challenges in research, national and European strategy, and the information (digital) society. The philosophical and strategic heritage, culture and its impact on the development of international relations and cooperation, help in solving these problems. Such an aspect is the prestigious scientific and cultural activity and access to science and culture, which play a vital and strategic role for the development of research and creativity. The author defines certain trends, issues and risks related to the development of strategic thinking and the growing diversity of strategies and strategic documents in this country. The article discusses the need to develop information culture and cultural innovation, and to extend the country's contribution to the process of multiculturalism as a strategic priority and value. The author supports the position that cultural influences and the future depend on philosophy, research and strategies, the development of new strategic crisis management and training, which would be impossible without the philosophy of culture and economy, innovation and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web 2.0 and Social Software revolutionize the knowledge exchange within and between organizations. This is one of the claims consultants and software vendors in the field have made. But have the promises been kept and has evidence been achieved so far, in particular for knowledge management in globally distributed settings? As a starting point, our paper introduces the field of Global Social Knowledge Management (GSKM). We see this area as one of the main research area for future research in the Knowledge Management domain. A variety of social software applications have already been seen promising and incorporated into the context of knowledge management (Avram 2006; Zheng and Zheng 2010; Levy 2009). One main assumption is that social software could bridge the traditional gap between human- and technology orientation (Avram 2006:1; Fiedler & Welpe 2011). However, there is so far only anecdotal evidence how these applications work in globally distributed organizational settings. Within this paper, we present the key issues for GSKM and elaborate on transferability of these aspects to differing contexts. The main research domains related to GSKM are Social Software and Global Knowledge Management. We present a brief review of state of the art research for these domains and focus in detail on Social Software supported knowledge activities. As one of the first efforts, we perform a mapping of Social Software to KM activities and major barriers. Additionally, we will illustrate through a case study how to contextualize the GSKM approach for educational application area. The paper is a starting point for discourse on this promising field, outlining the research field of globally distributed Social Softwaresupported Knowledge Management and discussing current research efforts on the main components. By this paper we intend to contribute towards a research agenda for Global Social Knowledge Management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a mixed-methods study of Chinese university students' knowledge of and attitudes toward plagiarism in English academic writing. A sample of 270 undergraduates from two Chinese universities rated three short English passages under different conditions, provided open-ended responses to justify their ratings, and completed a written questionnaire. The rating tasks were designed to determine their ability to recognize two forms of intertextuality (i.e., unacknowledged copying and paraphrasing) generally regarded as plagiarism in Anglo-American academia. The questionnaire was administered to collect self-appraisals of competence in source use and to assess declarative knowledge of intertextual practices that match typical Anglo-American definitions of blatant and subtle plagiarism. Qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed that a minority of the students recognized the two forms of plagiarism and generally took a punitive attitude toward the detected cases of plagiarism. Further quantitative analyses found that discipline, self-reported competence in referencing, and knowledge of subtle plagiarism were consistently significant predictors of successful plagiarism detection. These findings raise questions about some culturally based interpretations of plagiarism and point to the need to take a nuanced approach to plagiarism in L2 writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to define and explain autobiographical memory from a functional standpoint. For this, definitions are analyzed from cognitive and sociocultural perspectives highlighting how they converge in relation to components assumed as constituent of autobiographical memory and tasks attributed to it. A theoretical model about its functioning is reviewed and allows us to understand how the memory systems that constitute it interacting with process control and cultural patterns to generate autobiographical memories essential to maintain a consistent image of the individual and a moderately accurate record of the experiences. Its functions are described: self-definition, social interaction and self-regulation. It raises that autobiographical memories are multimodal, are distributed among memory systems and executive processes, and are mediated by sociocultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by achievement goal orientation and self-determination theories, we explored the role of cultural/contextual factors on Korean students'' achievement motivation. Specifically, we examined the role of the Korean middle school students'' family orientation as a mediator between their perceptions of parent goals or motivating styles and their achievement motivations in learning math, when their perceptions of classroom goal structures were controlled. We also investigated gender differences in the role of the students'' family orientation and of their perceptions of their parents and classroom variables in predicting their own achievement motivations. Multi-sample path analyses indicated that both Korean boys'' and girls'' family orientation mediated between their perceptions of parent variables and their own achievement motivations. Korean students'' family orientation predicted mainly controlled forms of motivation and ego-focused goals. In addition, the relationships between students'' perceptions of parent variables and their achievement motivations statistically varied across gender. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The animation film has become a cultural phenomenon, what is an opened space for daring experiment. More than for other kind of cinema the animation film has the possibility to produce the change in the formal and the stylistics planes. The nature of the cartoons film is support of the integrity of the three main elements: script, image and sound. Each of these artistic dimensions extends in diverse cultural arias: script in the literature, literary productions, songs etc.; the image has direct tangents with all art genres of the fine arts and decorative, sculpture and architecture; the sound contains the music and songs. So, the animation film is a perfect territory for the cultural influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Although prior studies of road traffic accidents have found between-group differences in risk, little attention has been given to the encounter between drivers involved in severe collisions. Method: The present study empirically evaluates two different possible causes of "social accidents," which are defined as collisions between two or more drivers where some faulty social interaction might be assumed, and which are the most prevalent cause of road injuries. The analyses use merged Israeli collision records from 1983 to 2004 with data from two national censuses, thus providing an unprecedented empirical basis to study the social foundations of car accidents. The data are used to adjudicate between two alternative hypotheses: the heterogeneity hypothesis (socially different drivers tend to collide) versus the homogeneity hypothesis (socially similar drivers tend to collide). Results: Multivariate analyses provide preliminary support for the latter hypothesis. Given an accident, there are more collisions among drivers from the same broad educational group, and the factors that influence this correlation are independent of geography. The paper thus leads to the idea that severe collisions reflect a sociological or ecological process that is akin to acciphilia. Impact on Industry: The preliminary findings suggest that variation between drivers may be preferable to similarity, since apparently there is a greater tendency toward collisions between similar drivers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses The English in Brazil by Gilberto Freyre, a pioneering study of what he calls the 'gentle, velvet revolution' produced by the multitude of British manufactures, ideas and habits which invaded the country during the nineteenth century -- from trams, gas lamps, railways, sewers and glass windows, to beer, hats, bread and butter, afternoon tea, the use of knives and forks, the habit of shaving daily, and much more. Its aim is to draw attention to the fact that this immense inventory of the traces that the British left behind also contains what might be termed a 'manifesto for an anthropological history'. Starting from the premise that eminent personages and grandiose events only tell one side of history, Gilberto Freyre makes the point that studying the 'Cinderellas of history' and the apparently minor and irrelevant facts of daily life can be an excellent way to access the more general aspects of a culture's past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large percentage of those involved in the criminal justice system are poor and represent ethnic minorities, and many of them were born to mothers who drank during pregnancy. In this article, we review literature pertaining to physical, social, cognitive, and neurological deficits of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), exploring the possibility that these deficits or their outward expression may be affected by cultural and ethnic influences. For the most part, the evidence suggests that the indicators of FASD are universal across all racial and cultural groups. These indicators are, however, often obscured in individuals from certain backgrounds, due to the salience of what might be termed "cultural overshadowing." This could be considered a form of unconscious or institutional discrimination, in that it denies criminal defendants from certain cultural backgrounds the opportunity to have courts take into account the possibility that their alleged or proven offenses were affected by serious brain-based impairments in reasoning and judgment. The law allows for consideration of these impairments in both sentencing and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND This study compares recipient couples' and donors' motivations towards the type of donation and attitudes concerning secrecy or disclosure of the mode of conception in three oocyte donation groups: couples and their donor for a known donation, couples and their donor for a permuted anonymous donation (known-anonymous) and couples without a donor, on a waiting list for a donation (anonymous). METHODS Data collected by two psychologists through semi-structured interviews of 135 recipient couples and 90 donors before oocyte donation were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS In known donation (42 couples), donors were preferentially family members with a blood tie (54.7%). Choosing their donor seemed mainly for the couple's reassurance rather than to access the child's origins as 50% wanted secrecy. On the other hand, in known-anonymous donation (48 couples), donors were more frequently chosen among friends (41.6%; P = 0.038). These couples were either open to disclosure (45.8%; P= 0.002) or remained hesitant (39.6%). In anonymous donation (45 couples), 49% chose not to seek a donor mostly in order to maintain secrecy towards the child (77.3%). Among the 51% who sought but could not find a donor, only 30.4% wanted secrecy. Recipients from North Africa and from Europe preferred anonymous or known-anonymous donation (83.3 and 75.6%), whereas sub-Saharan Africans opted more often for known donation (63%; P <0.001). Among Europeans (90 couples), 50% were in favour of disclosure compared with only 8.9% of recipients from North or sub-Saharan Africa (45 couples; P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A diversity of attitudes and cultural differences exist among recipient couples and donors regarding oocyte donation; this pleads for maintaining access to different types of oocyte donation as well as for psychological counselling prior to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]