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Excellent traditional culture is the root and soul of a nation, which is the carrier of historical precipitation and continuous development. In this aspect, Hubei folk art of carved paper-cutting has important cultural value and historical significance in the composition of Chinese traditional culture, which is a national intangible cultural heritage under key protection and urgently needs to be carried forward. This paper carried out an empirical study using the survey and comparative analysis methods on the feature extraction for Hubei folk art of carved paper-cutting. Through investigation and comparative analysis of vast artworks of Hubei carved paper-cutting, the classics are selected as the representative to extract the regional characteristics, the artistic values, and the composition and modelling methods. Results indicate that the common features exist on the artistic values in beautification of life and education, the composition principles of central-based, symmetry, balanced or conformal, and the modelling techniques using Yin and Yang carving, unobstructive perspective, distortion and exaggeration. However, the regional features in cultural expression, folklore communication, modelling skills are apparent and strong interlinked with the regional historical development in social activities, labor productivity and surrounding environment. This study provides a multi-dimensional perspective for the modern inheritance and development of traditional Hubei artworks of carved paper-cutting with specified characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portrayal of traditional values of any culture requires a high degree of accuracy. Quite some Nollywood films have continuously provided a misrepresentation of the indigenous culture and traditional values of Igbo people. Over the years, this misinformation has continued to serve as a guideline in the perception of their custom which stems from a place of colonial inferiority and bogus capitalist tendencies. Findings show that many Nollywood films are hastily churned out and distributed with little or no research. This paper aims to evaluate the extent to which the industry has gone to undermine the Igbo culture, in terms of religion, customs, social practices, intrinsic values, and cultural heritage. The study examines the correlation between the Nollywood space and the Igbo society, and more so, how detrimental many of the themes and messages they pass across continue to portray a biased and inept view of the Igbo culture. The paper interrogates the industry with the intent of shedding light on the misconceptions with a view to counter the narratives erroneously being peddled by the industry and to rectify the aberration evident in many of the Nollywood films. The study concludes that unprofessionalism, the quest for quick money, and the lack of creative strength to carry out adequate research about the history and traditions of a people before embarking on movie-making often lead to erroneous representations and sheer stereotyping of the people's way of life. The paper adopts Cultivation theory and qualitative methods of inquiry using secondary source materials in analyzing the issues involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom's (UK) goal of a 20% increase in participation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in higher education (HE) by 2020 has not been met. Pakistani and Bangladeshi students are some of the most underrepresented BAME groups in UK HE institutions. This systematic review included 20 papers that identified barriers and facilitators towards participation in HE separately for Pakistani and Bangladeshi students in the UK. Using thematic analysis, two overarching themes were constructed: (i) the interplay of culturally expected roles on HE participation and (ii) belief that HE is vital for success. This review identified the importance of role models to challenge cultural values that restrict women from participating in HE. Many parents and children viewed HE as a route to personal and community success. The findings support the relevancy of social learning theory in driving change for models of widening participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews natural capital (NC) valuation approaches in the context of woodland, forest, and riparian ecosystems, emphasising the need for participatory methods to take priority over neoclassical economics approaches. Focusing on research carried out in Scotland, the study analyses findings according to a classification of natural capital initiatives that we have developed, building on ideas proposed by the UK ENCA initiative, a guideline proposed to help researchers and practitioners understand NC and take it into account in valuation, decision-making and policy. We have found that landscape-scale initiatives that address the relationships between people and place to inform value and decision-making beyond the economic (monetary) benefits generated by ecosystem services (ES) are becoming popular. For instance, recent methods employed to capture stakeholders' non-utilitarian preferences include the use of participatory GIS mapping, scenario planning, and other participatory methods to identify, explore and quantify less tangible cultural ecosystem services (CES). The review shows that many studies provide information relevant to the formulation of a place-based NC approach, working towards the integration of contextual and relational values into land management decisions to help formulate management strategies that maximise ES delivery. Conversely, we have not found evidence of the integration of shared values arising from an eco-centric perspective of nature valuation into the more classical, instrumental value lens. Such an approach would help inform broader, overarching aspects of woodland and forest management that may foster more effective conservation and help to manage conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a wealth of value hidden in regional cultural heritage, but its preservation status is not optimistic. This study introduces a method that focuses on the inherent cultural value of regional cultural heritage to preserve it by value construction and release. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the great value of regional cultural heritage due to spatial adjacency and temporal continuity, this paper focuses on its inherent cultural value to explore the preservation path and chooses Shichahai cultural heritage digital resources for a case study. This paper draws lessons from the narrative method of ancient Chinese historiography, constructs a cultural space and tells cultural stories. A linked data organization model for digital resources is created to construct a conceptual cultural space. Then, the space is materialized by linked dataset creation. The authors tell cultural stories discovered from the space, which are presented by various user interfaces using visualization technologies. Findings: A cultural space promotes the development of a fine-grained description of regional cultural heritage and aids in relationship discovery to enhance the value construction ability. Additionally, storytelling via interactive user interfaces is helpful in the utilization and dissemination of knowledge extracted from a cultural space and enhances the value release of regional cultural heritage. In this way, a path with the inherent cultural value of regional cultural heritage as the core is established, and preservation is achieved. Originality/value: This study focuses on the inherent cultural value of regional cultural heritage and proposes a new path to preserve these resources. This approach will enrich research on the preservation of regional cultural heritage and contribute to the construction and release of its cultural value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization Astana Declaration of 2018 sees primary healthcare as key to universal health coverage and gives further support to the goal of building sustainable models of community palliative care. Yet evaluating the benefits of such models continues to pose methodological and conceptual challenges. Objective: To explore evaluation issues associated with a community-based palliative care approach in Kerala, India. Design: An illuminative case study using a rapid evaluation methodology. Methodology: Qualitative interviews, documentary analysis and observations of home care and community organising. Results: We appraise a community palliative care programme in Kerala, India, using three linked 'canvases' of enquiry: (1) 'complex' multi-factorial community-based interventions and implications for evaluation; (2) 'axiological' orientations that foreground values in any evaluation process and (3) the status of evaluative evidence in postcolonial contexts. Three values underpinning the care process were significant: heterogeneity, voice and decentralisation. We identify 'objects of interest' related to first-, second- and third-order outcomes: (1) individuals and organisations; (2) unintended targets outside the core domain and (3) indirect, distal effects within and outside the domain. Conclusion: We show how evaluation of palliative care in complex community circumstances can be successfully accomplished when attending to the significance of community care values. Plain language summary: Where are the values in evaluating palliative care? Learning from community-based palliative care provision The evaluation of any intervention or service will inevitably involve a series of decisions on what we measure, what criteria we use to judge whether the intervention has been successful (or not), what type of data we actually collect and what methods we use to do this. When evaluating a range of palliative care interventions, we suggest that these decisions have often been taken in a concealed way and tend to favour relatively narrow quantitative measures linked to end outcomes. Our paper reports on the evaluation of a community-based palliative care intervention on Kerala, India. In it, we suggest that such complex work requires a broader approach to evaluation that: makes the values being used to assess success explicit; draws on a range of data types; is interested in delivery processes; and places the voices of participants at the heart of the assessment. The paper concludes with some broader observations on how these principles might be applied more widely within palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The translation of the Shandong dialect, specifically in the novel Red Sorghum authored by Mo Yan and translated by Howard Goldblatt, posed significant challenges to both translators and readers due to its local Chinese cultural richness. Previous researches mainly focused on its traditional translation strategies including foreignization and domestication. Exploration of the aesthetic value of dialect and its cultural representations in modern literature is a relatively new area of research yet to be developed. This paper revealed that translation operates in a complicated three-dimensional structure of translator (aesthetic subject), translated text (aesthetic object), and culture (social environment). In the process of translating dialect, the aesthetic experience and the Aesthetic Regulation Devices (ARD) adopted by the translator, as well as the beauty of characterization and symbolization come into play. Therefore, aesthetic values and cultural uniqueness are represented not only on the linguistic, but also on the spiritual level by contrasting the purity of the villagers in rural China and the brutality of the social turbulence that surrounds them. The paper demonstrated that dialect translation involves a multifaceted and dynamic equivalence between source and target language. The research findings indicated that translation techniques of domestication and foreignization are utilized significantly more often (82%) than the strategy of ARD (18%) during the translation process. This imbalance in strategy usage may result in a deficient representation of aesthetic and cultural values. The significance of this study lies mainly in its intention to reconstruct a more effective theoretical paradigm for dialectal translation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient buildings possess significant artistic and cultural value. The digitization of these structures is a crucial aspect of their restoration, providing foundational data for subsequent stress and health analyses. However, creating accurate models of ancient buildings is a challenging endeavor, even for experienced researchers, especially when dealing with a large number of structures. A pressing issue that needs addressing is how to quickly obtain accurate models of ancient buildings while ensuring both precision and efficiency. Currently, one of the more precise methods for reconstructing models of ancient buildings involves the use of scanned point clouds and manual reconstruction through modeling software. However, this method suffers from poor accuracy and low efficiency, making the modeling process complex and time-consuming. In this article, we will refer to the model generated from the point cloud of real components as the "current state model", and the unforced mesh model of the ancient building as the "standard model". An algorithm is proposed to construct the current state model of ancient buildings by guiding the deformation of the unforced standard model using the scanned point cloud model. First, this paper designs an automatic modeling method for ancient building components as the foundational data before deformation, addressing the issue of low modeling efficiency for ancient buildings. Second, it proposes a method for automatically calculating deformation control point pairs based on the characteristics of ancient buildings, solving the problem of manually locating control points. Finally, the proposed adaptive weight Laplacian deformation algorithm is applied to deform the standard model into the current state model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to conceptualize the patterns of cultural change. Building on the seminal work of the German sociologist Tönnies and using eight cultural dimensions from Inglehart, Hofstede, Schwartz, and GLOBE, the study analyzes the patterns of cultural change at three distinct levels: (1) socio-economic development/modernization, (2) birth/migration, and (3) globalization/contact. The paper suggests that the path of cultural change is complex and dialectical. While socio-economic development shifts cultural values from traditional to modern, demographic pressures and migratory movements have opposite effects and reinforce traditional cultural values. Moreover, globalization and increasing contact between traditional and modern cultures create a constant blend and conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrant organisations tend to engage with immigrant communities within a host country and their country of origin through various transnational activities. This study explores the emergence of immigrant organisations among new immigrant groups in the United States by shedding light on opportunity structure, group characteristics, and collective engagement. Empirically, this paper draws upon interviews of 33 Bangladeshi immigrant organisations in the United States. This paper reports that the intersection of opportunity structure and group characteristics creates a favourable environment for the emergence of immigrant organisations within a new immigrant group. This research suggests that local engagement is a process of adapting to a new environment while still holding onto the cultural norms and values of one's home country, and transnational engagement improves the lives of the marginalised people in their country of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatian & Comparative Public Administration is the property of Institut za Javnu Upravu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cultural value is a hot topic these days. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the value of contemporary dance festivals, particularly in the Chinese context, and even fewer from the standpoint of cultural ecology. The current study thus proposes to investigate the value of contemporary dance festivals in a Chinese context through the interaction of various participants in a specific network. Qualitative research, such as case studies, semi-structured interviews, and inclusive thematic analysis, is implied in this paper. This paper contains three theoretical innovations. The findings highlight the various levels of network participants and the roles played by those involved, demonstrating that those roles are more complex than Holden's network analysis theory allows and emphasizing that the degree of interaction in the network is related to the effectiveness of the value of art festivals. Second, this paper suggests that the persistence of artworks and audience satisfaction could be two evaluation indicators for the value of arts and culture. In addition, the article connects Holden's theory to cultural ecology theory and "political market square" theory to provide a more nuanced understanding of the value of contemporary dance festivals. The findings of this paper are hoped to be helpful in cultural policymaking and the design of other arts festivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of China's education, the cause of studying in China is an important embodiment of China's cultural soft power and educational competitiveness and has been paid attention to by governments at all levels in China for a long time. However, China's share of international students in the international study market is still low, international voice and competitiveness still need to improve, and Chinese cultural education throughout the whole process of international students' training cultivates and enhances international students' cultural values for improvement; international students' intention to study abroad is of great significance. Based on the results of 574 questionnaires of resource-based enterprises, under the framework of theory of planned behavior (TPB), by introducing attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as mediating variables, this paper constructs a theoretical model of the influence of international students' cultural values on their intention to study in China, proposes hypotheses based on this, and uses structural equation models to test them. The results show that the cultural values of international students have a direct effect on their intention to study in China. Among them, self-improvement values have the greatest influence, followed by conservative values, and open values have the least influence. Self-improvement values, open values, and conservative values have a positive effect on attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control and influence the intention of international students to study in China through their intermediary role. The results of this paper are important. First, TPB is innovatively introduced to discuss the influence of cultural values of international students on their intention to study in China, and SEM model has tested the mechanism of cultural values through the intermediary variable layer; secondly, it helps the national and local Ministry of Education and universities to focus on the cultural values of international students, better formulate relevant policies for international students, enhance the identity of international students with Chinese culture, and enhance their intention to study in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic values have dominated water policy discourse over the last four decades. Very little has been written on social, cultural, and ecological values and their roles in enhancing water security. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of diverse water values with a case study of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. To achieve this, a review of the existing scholarship on water values was conducted to develop a set of water values. Field surveys and interviews were conducted to comprehend the water values held by various stakeholders in Delhi. This paper is an attempt to show that viewing water security through the lens of diverse water values (social, cultural, economic and ecological) provides a better understanding of water policies, and enhanced comprehension could potentially result in better policies to promote water security. In the case of Delhi, we additionally found that the claimed predominance of water values such as efficiency, equity, equality, religiosity, and purity does not mean that these values are also actualized in water practices. Another major finding is that all four sets of values are integrated with one another, and policies underpinned by the identified values would be relatively better than policies solely based on economic values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of New Architecture is the property of New Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines what, why, and how users' behavior can cause encroachments on historic buildings after conservation. It also introduces users' participation in the conservation process as an approach to containing these encroachments. With this aim, this paper reviews the literature and extracts three approaches to user participation in the conservation process, which are social-benefits, economic-benefits, as well as emotional-needs. To examine the possible role of each approach in containing the negative practices by users, the youth center in Sebastia, Palestine has been analyzed as a case study in which the process of the encroachment of the users of these types of buildings and the reasons behind them have been studied. In addition to the former, this paper presents the users' role in the deterioration of historic value and the visual appearance of the building within the short period of conservation. Based on this analysis, it was found that the encroachments have manifested in different forms, such as unsystematic interventions, sporadic neglect, and vandalism. Such intrusions on these structures are a direct result of not involving users in the conservation process. Thus, the paper discusses involving users in the former process to limit harmful practices using suitable approaches including users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of bilig: Journal of Social Sciences of the Turkish World is the property of bilig: Journal of Social Sciences of the Turkish World and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the diverse impact of the Olympic Movement on society, emphasizing core values like 'excellence', 'friendship', and 'respect'. Traditionally, the Olympic Movement actively promotes global sport through initiatives such as Olympic education programs, instilling moral dimensions, cultural values, and essential life skills. Recent Olympic Games are scrutinized for their organizers' focus on safety, pandemic management, environmental sustainability, and gender equality. This paper addresses crucial policy options, spanning human rights, social inclusion through sport, and the pervasive issue of inactivity affecting public health. Noteworthy successes in leveraging sports for refugees and combating substance use disorders are discussed, alongside joint efforts by the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee, to combat inactivity and promote health through sports. Exploration of gender equality in the Olympic Movement recognizes challenges and suggests actions, including increasing female participation and addressing sexual harassment. The intersection of sports, climate change, and environmental responsibility is examined, with a focus on the ambitious 'climate-positive' goals of the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, since most of the IOC actions are rather symbolic and not substantial, many organizations are called upon to take active initiatives. Actionable recommendations urge countries to prioritize physical activity policies, organize exercise programs, and collaborate across sectors for health and environmental sustainability. The Olympic Games should focus on promoting mass sports participation, fostering positive attitudes, enhancing public health through sports, education, peace, and societal values, advocating for a holistic approach that champions ethical values, and promoting Olympic education to build a better world through sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychological Science is the property of Psychological Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study explores classical Balochi poetry from the 16th century onwards, tracing its evolution through different eras and highlighting key themes of bravery, love, and societal norms. The research methodology employs qualitative analysis, focusing on classical poetries from renowned Balochi literature works. Thematic coding is utilized to categorize and analyze recurring cultural themes, offering a deeper understanding of how poets represented Baloch cultural identity. The paper explores cultural elements such as the protection of "bãhoat," adherence to vows, the tradition of revenge ("Beirgiri"), and the social practice of "Shigaan" or taunting. The intricate analysis sheds light on the multifaceted nature of Balochi classical poetry, emphasizing its role as a preserver of cultural identity. The paper concludes by suggesting the need for further research to unearth hidden nuances within the poetic tradition and explore contemporary resonances of Balochi classical poetry in the context of cultural preservation and identity assertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Historia i Polityka is the property of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how sub-national or regional cultural differences influence backers' willingness to crowdfund projects. The paper also explores how migrant transnationalism influences the impact of backer's sub-national culture and crowdfunding relationships. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on the experimental design technique using analysis of covariance methods. The authors tested the study hypotheses on a sample of 790 respondents. Findings: The study results suggest that individuals differ in their intent to crowdfund product campaigns depending on value congruence between their cultural values derived from the region to which they belong and the nature of the product category, such as environmentally friendly or happiness-enhancing products. Originality/value: This paper explores the role of regional cultural differences in determining the intention to crowdfund different campaigns based on the nature of the product. Value congruence, as driven by regional cultural differences with crowdfunding campaigns, has not been explored before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the conception of dynamics of media stereotyping that comprises emergence, functioning, disappearance or return of sociocultural stereotypes in American media discourse. Dynamics of media stereotyping is a cognitive and linguistic process, stimulated by social, cultural and media factors. A sociocultural stereotype is defined in our work as a verbalized cognitive structure that represents simplified and conventional image of an individual, a group or a phenomenon of a particular social environment. Sociocultural stereotypes are formed in the process of evaluative categorization, which is a mental process of dividing social phenomena, groups, and individuals into categories in compliance with national ideals, cultural values and social standards. Media discourse is the domain in which sociocultural stereotypes are formed and changed. Linguistic representations of sociocultural stereotypes reflect their changes that comprise evaluative variation, content modification, activation or inactivation due to lack of new information about the referents of stereotypes in media discourse. Inactivation leads to disappearance or reinterpretation of sociocultural stereotypes of American media discourse. Reappearance of a vanished sociocultural stereotype is defined in the paper as iteration. The conception of media stereotyping contributes to the development of cognitive-linguistic approach to mass communication study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Association of Arab Universities Journal of Engineering Sciences (JAARU) is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The gender pay gap or gender gap is a relative disparity between women and men which is reflected in a variety of sectors in many societies. This difference exists in many countries and industries and is often related to factors such as occupational segregation, and differences in education and experience. The gender gap must also be considered in the context of gender inequality. The focus of this paper is to analyse the gender pay gap and gender inequality in participation in the labour market in Albanian society. Albanian society is committed to and has made significant progress towards gender equality policies. However, the gender gap is still present. The paper aims to analyse and interpret indicators of the Albanian gender pay gap in the context of culture of gender roles. Cultural values and socio-cultural conditions of one's society significantly impact the gender gap. The paper will highlight the sources of the gender gap in Albania as cultural and socio-economic. Understanding the gender inequality in Albanian society requires a complex analysis that examines the impact of socialisation, cultural norms and values, the division of gender roles, access to public life and the social privileges that gendering creates asymmetrically for men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leisure education is an important area of service that encourages people to participate actively in physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy activities. This educational approach empowers people to make decisions, discover new information and resources about leisure, and navigate stressful transitions throughout their lives. The purpose of this paper is to clarify that leisure education is grounded on principles of social justice and facilitates two synergistic service contexts of inclusive leisure and therapeutic recreation (TR). To achieve this purpose, this paper contains supportive literature identifying that leisure education grounded in social justice principles is a facilitation technique used in providing inclusive leisure and TR services. Further, the literature presented in the paper provides a rationale for grounding leisure education on social justice to assist people in achieving goals of leisure associated with authenticity and self-determination, positive health and well-being, and flourishing. The paper increases understanding of leisure education and ways TR practitioners can use it to positively support people to live the lives they value. Therefore, this paper provides a unique contribution to the literature by identifying that social justice can be the basis for leisure education as a component of both TR and inclusive leisure services designed to help participants experience authenticity and self-determination culminating in leisure, positive health, well-being, and flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All religions should develop convincing responses to emerging bioethical problems stemming from medical and technological advancements. Additionally, believers need to know their faiths' interpretations of bioethical issues to be able to make medical decisions in line with their religious values. Therefore, Islamic bioethics should provide Muslims with conclusive and credible answers regarding newly rising problems in health care by revisiting the religious norms and decrees. However, the diversity in the Islamic denominations, the traditionalist aspect of the Sunni jurisprudence demanding strict compliance with the scriptural texts, the lack of unanimously accepted authority, and the limited number of academic works in Islamic bioethics (at least in English) complicate exploring new standards or rules for new ethical matters. In this view, the present paper aims to delineate two primary Islamic theological schools and propose al-Ghazali's maslaha as a general framework to analyze bioethical issues in the Sunni tradition. Maslaha allows exercising discretion in light of the protection of five fundamental values: religion, life, reason, lineage, and property. Maslaha has the potential to enable Sunni Muslims to appraise contemporary ethical questions, concerns, and dilemmas through an Islamic view and make more autonomous decisions by having religious guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture, health, and medicine intersect in various ways—and not always without friction. This paper examines how liberal multicultural states ought to interact with diverse communities which hold different health-related or medical beliefs and practices. The debate is fierce within the fields of medicine and bioethics as to how traditional medicines ought to be regarded. What this debate often misses is the relationship that medical traditions have with cultural identity and the value that these traditions can have beyond the confines of the clinical setting. This paper will attempt to bring some clarity to the discussion. In so doing, it will delve into some controversial areas: (1) the debate around whether liberal states ought to embrace multiculturalism, (2) the existence and nature of group-differentiated rights, (3) the question of whether healthcare systems ought to embrace medical pluralism, and (4) what this would entail for policymakers, clinicians, and patients. Ultimately, I argue that liberal democratic states with multicultural populations ought to recognize medical pluralism as a matter of respecting group-differentiated and individual human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between Hofstede's six cultural dimensions and women's membership on the board of directors of listed firms in 50 countries. The research method for collecting theoretical foundations and research data is the library method. The research method is quantitative in terms of approach and applied in terms of objective and descriptive-correlation type and data analysis was done using logistic regression. The research data for Hofstede's cultural dimensions are extracted from Hofstede's website and the data related to the membership of women on the board of directors of companies are extracted from the published report of Deloitte Audit firm (2021). The research hypotheses were tested based on the correlation method and using binary logistic regression. The findings of the research show that the cultural dimensions of individualism and long-term vision have a significant and positive relationship with the possibility of women's membership in the board of directors of companies, and the cultural component of uncertainty avoidance has a significant and negative relationship with the possibility of women membership in the board. Also, the evidence of this paper confirms that the cultural dimensions of indulgence, power distance and masculinity do not have a significant relationship with the possibility of women's participation in the company's board of directors. This paper emphasizes that the issue of women's participation in the management of companies depends on the factors and cultural values of the countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to identify the impact of digitization on national identity, from the perspective of preserving cultural values and traditions of a nation. The continuous development of contemporary society has led to the emergence of the need to somehow preserve the most important elements of a people's culture, a fact that obviously also leads to the preservation of the national identity of that nation. Also, the paper aimed to analyze the effects of the concept of digitization worldwide, how its adoption has spread in almost all branches of activity and how an almost forced alignment of all nations to this phenomenon has been achieved in order to be able to stay connected to the latest information from all fields of activity. At the same time, the paper aimed to identify the main ways in which digitization intervenes in the cultural process of a state and how it influences the foreign perception of the culture and traditions of that state. The paper analyzes the degree of digitization existing at the national level in terms of the use of digital tools in the field of culture, but also their impact and importance on our national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rebekah Hyneman, born in Pennsylvania in 1816, played a significant role in documenting Jewish existence. Beyond her unique historical novel, The Black Izba: A Tale of Ancient Russia,1 serialized in 1855 in The Masonic Mirror and Keystone, she made a noteworthy contribution through her extensive oeuvre. Raised by a Jewish-German father and a Christian mother, Hyneman converted to Judaism in 1845. Despite her multifaceted literary output, her substantial contributions have been overlooked. This paper seeks to rectify the historical neglect surrounding Hyneman's work by shining a light on her novel, The Black Izba. This novel stands out as a rare piece by a nineteenth-century Jewish female writer. It offers a unique perspective on Jewish women, exploring a female literary culture documenting its own story, its relationship with prevailing Christian norms, and striving to uphold religious and cultural values in restrictive contexts. Through an examination of Hyneman's work, the paper underscores her portrayal of Jewish women and their role in preserving their identity. Hyneman's poetry and prose extend beyond mere artistic expression; they harbor political and social agendas. She believed that Christians' unfamiliarity with Jewish traditions fostered alienation. Through her writings, Hyneman endeavors to bridge this gap, emphasizing mutual recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine leadership for learning practices across the world by establishing profiles of leadership at school and country levels. Consequently, the study brings to our attention the (ir)relevance of school and system features for leadership for learning. The paper contributes to the field through the use of an extensive exploratory approach across a varied set of school leadership measures collected from both teachers and principals and contextualized in 42 different educational systems participating in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018. Consequently, this work has the potential to generate hypotheses regarding the understanding of the complex nature of school leadership worldwide. Surprisingly, the findings reveal that clusters at the country level primarily do not reflect countries with geographical, linguistic, or political proximity. Such clusters were expected, given the evidence found in the literature that shows leadership to largely be determined by contextual, societal, and cultural values. Nevertheless, the analysis identifies five profiles of leadership across schools, the majority of which can be found in most countries participating in TALIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the deployment of metaphors in the BBC Yoruba-medium football results of the English Premier League, examining how cultural metaphorical choices shape meaning in online sport discourse. Through a discourse analysis of Yoruba-medium football results, the study reveals how metaphors drawn from Yoruba cultural milieu and everyday life are used to create vivid descriptions of game events, players, and teams. The study relies on Lakoff's conceptual metaphor theory, complemented by Kress and van Leeuwen's social semiotic approach to multimodality. Findings reveal that metaphors describe game events, teams, and players, thus, framing the contest in unique and evocative manners, drawing on cultural and shared knowledge to shape the understanding of the game in an adversarial sense. This study, therefore, argues that metaphors are deployed to convey deeper cultural meanings and values, and add creativity to match results. The findings point to the role of language and culture in shaping the experiences of football fandom in sports and media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expanding footprint of urban Asian settlements and increasing living standards have put pressure on cemetery sites. Public health narratives and the sanctity associated with death matters in Asian urban landscapes have fed into the rhetoric of cemeteries as undesirable heritage spaces. Often lacking protection, many cemeteries have been exhumed, cleared, and relocated to allow room for new developments and infrastructure, risking the survival of this quiet element of the urban cultural patrimony. Within an Asian context, synergies between nature and cultural heritage preservation are not prevalent in major cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. In light of increasing recognition of urban cemeteries as multi-valued sites with both natural and cultural heritage values, this paper turns to deconstructing the nature–cultural binary and the concept of entanglement to frame an investigation of collaborative interactions. A focused study on Asian urban cemeteries follows, examining existing trends and adapted mix uses and highlighting the region's unique conservation challenges. The analysis reveals three major typologies encapsulating the region's current nature–cultural heritage entangled preservation approaches: sustainable compromises, memories, and everyday sustainability. To conclude, the paper distils respectful alternative futures for these spaces to be better integrated into the modern textures of the cities, unlocking functional recourses to destruction or oblivion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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On 26 May 2011, the Russian People's World Council issued a document entitled The Basic Values: The Fundaments of National Unity. The document, prepared by the Synodal Department for Church–Society Cooperation, provided a catalogue of 17 traditional values whose general framework was constituted by a combination of freedom, unity, patriotism, family, and devotion. At that time, the Moscow Patriarchate considered religious faith to be the foundation of traditional values and it continues to do so. The defence and promotion of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values were also central in the Russian National Security Strategy (2015); this was the case in the updated version of this document as well, put out in July 2021. Furthermore, they have been the core of the Moscow Patriarchate's participation in the Council of Europe and of Patriarch Kirill's speeches about the war in Ukraine. Finally, on 9 November 2022, The Foundations Of State Policy For The Preservation Of Spiritual And Moral Values was approved. This framework permits us to understand the strict interplay between the Church and the State in the Russian Federation and to see why it is important to refer to the concept of post-secularism when talking about the role of religion in post-Soviet Russia. Proceeding from the Abstract, the present paper aims to analyse this interplay in a specific sector of visual culture: the cinema and television industries. Manuel Castells highlighted the relevance of cultural values in the age of information and the connection between the values and social mobilization that follows it. He pointed out that the Internet has become a way to render this connection predominant, inevitably leading to the development of social movements and networks that have a religious basis. This is unquestionably true; surveys conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (OJSC «VCIOM») and by Nevafilm Research confirm that a high percentage of Russians watch films not only at the cinema or on television (especially the older generations) but also on the Internet (as far as the younger generations are concerned). The importance of this market is also confirmed by the success of the cinema and TV distributor Orthodox Encyclopaedia (2005); in the words of the philosopher Sergei Kravets, who, commenting on it during an interview published in 2006 by the website Sedmits.ru, declared that the expression "orthodox cinema" can be understood as a way to express Russian culture. He asserts that "the fact that today Orthodox films have begun to appear on the central TV channels testifies that Russian film producers and viewers have apparently begun to be aware of themselves as Orthodox, to feel that they are bearers of a special Orthodox culture. [..]". At the same time, consideration should be given to the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Minister of Culture's condemnation of films such as Matilda or Monastery. In addition, it is important to consider that, according to a survey conducted in 2022 by the Levada Center, Russian people consider television the most reliable source of information (54%). The long-term implications of this tendency may have very important effects, not only in terms of its objectives but also in terms of the consideration that, after the beginning of the war, many Western film distributors withdrew their licenses from Russia. This paper will analyse "the effect of religion on the institutional system, the regulatory environment of the media and the public sphere" by studying the features of films and TV programs distributed by Orthodox Encyclopaedia, their relations with traditional values promoted both by the Kremlin and the Church, how these have contributed to strengthening the interplay between the Minister of Culture and the Moscow Patriarchate, and the impact this process has had on Russian society and Russia's relations with the European and Western World in the 2005–2022 period. A list of the films and TV programs being discussed will be provided, and then statements about the project and reviews of the serials and films will be analysed. The analysis will be conducted mainly through the official sites of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin and by browsing the Integrum database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thangka is a kind of ancient painting that originated from Tibetan culture. Considering its value in cultural and historical fields, digital protection and restoration of Thangka images are important. In this paper, we propose an automatic colorization framework for a Thangka sketch. First, we propose a network structure with a feedback generator to restore the true color of a Thangka painting based on semantic matching. Second, we design a color gradient algorithm for Thangka coloring. Finally, we construct an automatic coloring framework for Thangka paintings that supports user customization. The experimental results show that the algorithm has a highly accurate response to a user's selection process. Compared with traditional methods, the proposed method improves the image quality by 22.3% on average. The data for our approach are publicly available at https://github.com/wangfubo123/SMAC-CGAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional villages, rich in historical and cultural value, hold a high level of preservation value. In the process of urbanization, traditional villages face the crisis of decline, making it difficult to perpetuate the carried cultural heritage. The Ganjiang River Basin hosts numerous traditional villages with rich research value, making the study of their preservation and development in this region a significant topic. This paper, from the perspective of landscape ecology, employs geographic detectors to analyze the driving factors behind the emergence of traditional villages in the Ganjiang River Basin, summarizing the spatial distribution characteristics of traditional villages. A classification method based on village landscape features is adopted to categorize traditional villages in the Ganjiang River Basin, providing a reference for planning the preservation and development of traditional villages. The research results show that plain areas are more suitable for the continuation of traditional villages; a single suitable environmental element cannot provide an environment conducive to the development of traditional villages, which is the result of the combined effect of multiple suitable elements; the study has divided traditional village landscapes into nine types, with clear distribution differences among different types of villages; for different regions and types of traditional villages, it is necessary to balance development and protection tendencies and plan differently according to environmental characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the intersection of cultural processes and immigration in parental understanding of adolescent mental health and mental health seeking behaviors among African immigrants in Western countries. The present study examines the perspectives of Congolese immigrant parents on adolescent mental health in Brussels, Belgium, and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA – two geographic regions with relatively large Congolese migrant populations. This study highlights a needed understanding of cultural and acculturative context in shaping the beliefs of Congolese immigrants and explores potential barriers of seeking health services. Additionally, it recognizes health issues among this underrepresented and underserved population. Design/methodology/approach: Fifteen Congolese immigrant parents, eight in the USA and seven in Belgium, participated in structured qualitative interviews using an adapted version of Kleinman Questions and behavioral scenarios on depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Interviews were audio recorded, and participants were assigned pseudonyms to de-identify responses. English interviews were transcribed verbatim by a trained team of undergraduate research assistants, and French interviews were transcribed verbatim by the first author and a graduate research assistant. Following transcription, the first and second authors used a rapid analytic approach (Hamilton, 2013). The first and second authors conducted a matrix analysis to observe thematic patterns. Findings: Parents interpreted adolescent behavior to be more problematic when the scenarios were overtly outside of their cultural realm of values and beliefs. Parents preferred methods of intervention through religious practices and/or family and community efforts rather than seeking mental health services in their host countries as a secondary option. The authors' findings provide an understanding of the values and beliefs of this underrepresented demographic, which may be useful to guide health professionals on how to support this community in a culturally responsive way. Research limitations/implications: Limitations to the current study include the structured nature of the interview guide that did not allow for in-depth qualitative exploration. Interviewed participants had lived in their host countries for more than 10+ years. Thus, the authors' findings are not reflective of new immigrants' experiences. Parents' perspectives were likely shaped by exposure to Western beliefs related to support for mental health (e.g. knowledge of psychologists). Future studies should focus on recent refugees due to exposure to traumatic events and experiences reflective of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC's) current socio-political situation, and how these are understood in the context of adolescent mental health. Further, due to the hypothetical nature of the scenarios, the authors cannot be sure that participants would engage in the identified approaches with their children. Additionally, hearing from the youth's perspective would provide a clearer insight on how mental health and seeking professional help is viewed in a parent–child relationship. Finally, the data for this study were collected in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the authors cannot speak directly to Congolese refugee and immigrant experiences during this significant historical period, given the rise in mental health concerns in refugee populations more broadly (Logie et al., 2022), the authors' findings speak to how parents may have responded to increased mental health symptoms and point to additional barriers that these populations may have faced in accessing support. The authors' study emphasizes the need for dedicating resources and attention to this population, especially the development of culturally tailored messaging that invites community members to support the mental health needs of their community. Practical implications: The authors' findings provide important implications for mental health professionals. This study provides a clearer understanding of how Congolese immigrant parents view mental health and help-seeking within their cultural frame. Although parents may seek professional help, a distrust of mental health services was expressed across both cohorts. This suggests that mental health professionals should acknowledge potential distrust among this population and clarify their role in supporting the mental health of adolescent immigrants. Clinicians should inquire about familial cultural beliefs that are parent- and child-centered and modify their interventions to fit these belief structures. Originality/value: This paper addresses the gap in knowledge about mental health perspectives of Sub-Saharan African immigrant populations, specifically those from the DRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Slavica Slovaca is the property of Slavisticky Ustav Jana Stanislava SAV and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Problems of Sustainable Development / Problemy Ekorozwoju is the property of Faculty of Environmental Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the past few years, there has been a big rise in the number of relationships and agreements between businesses in India and the UK. But the results of these cross-cultural projects are very different. Some are huge successes, while others have a hard time. The purpose of this study paper is to find the cultural factors that affect the behaviour and productivity of business ties between the UK and India in a good or bad way. The first part of the paper sheds light on well-known cultural aspects theories, like Hofstede's model, to look at and compare the core values of Indian and UK cultures. It is made clear how the two countries' cultural values are very different. A qualitative exploratory research methodology was employed. Secondary research was conducted analysing scholarly literature on cross-cultural management, cultural dimensions theories, and case studies of real-life UK-India partnerships. What should be done is suggested based on the results. To have long-lasting partnerships with people from other countries, they need to learn about each other's cultures by getting to know each other, being open and flexible, and always learning. The study's result is that companies can do well in different countries by overcoming the challenges that come with their differences and working to be culturally competent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image inpainting aims to restore the damaged information in images, enhancing their readability and usability. Ancient paintings, as a vital component of traditional art, convey profound cultural and artistic value, yet often suffer from various forms of damage over time. Existing ancient painting inpainting methods are insufficient in extracting deep semantic information, resulting in the loss of high-frequency detail features of the reconstructed image and inconsistency between global and local semantic information. To address these issues, this paper proposes a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based ancient painting inpainting method using multi-layer feature enhancement and frequency perception, named MFGAN. Firstly, we design a Residual Pyramid Encoder (RPE), which fully extracts the deep semantic features of ancient painting images and strengthens the processing of image details by effectively combining the deep feature extraction module and channel attention. Secondly, we propose a Frequency-Aware Mechanism (FAM) to obtain the high-frequency perceptual features by using the frequency attention module, which captures the high-frequency details and texture features of the ancient paintings by increasing the skip connections between the low-frequency and the high-frequency features, and provides more frequency perception information. Thirdly, a Dual Discriminator (DD) is designed to ensure the consistency of semantic information between global and local region images, while reducing the discontinuity and blurring differences at the boundary during image inpainting. Finally, extensive experiments on the proposed ancient painting and Huaniao datasets show that our proposed method outperforms competitive image inpainting methods and exhibits robust generalization capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Painted cultural relics hold significant historical value and are crucial in transmitting human culture. However, mold is a common issue for paper or silk-based relics, which not only affects their preservation and longevity but also conceals the texture, patterns, and color information, hindering cultural value and heritage. Currently, the virtual restoration of painting relics primarily involves filling in the RGB based on neighborhood information, which might cause color distortion and other problems. Another approach considers mold as noise and employs maximum noise separation for its removal; however, eliminating the mold components and implementing the inverse transformation often leads to more loss of information. To effectively acquire virtual restoration for mold removal from ancient paintings, the spectral characteristics of mold were analyzed. Based on the spectral features of mold and the cultural relic restoration philosophy of maintaining originality, a 3D CNN artifact restoration network was proposed. This network is capable of learning features in the near-infrared spectrum (NIR) and spatial dimensions to reconstruct the reflectance of visible spectrum, achieving the virtual restoration for mold removal of calligraphic and art relics. Using an ancient painting from the Qing Dynasty as a test subject, the proposed method was compared with the Inpainting, Criminisi, and inverse MNF transformation methods across three regions. Visual analysis, quantitative evaluation (the root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean absolute error (MEA), and a classification application were used to assess the restoration accuracy. The visual results and quantitative analyses demonstrated that the proposed 3D CNN method effectively removes or mitigates mold while restoring the artwork to its authentic color in various backgrounds. Furthermore, the color classification results indicated that the images restored with 3D CNN had the highest classification accuracy, with overall accuracies of 89.51%, 92.24%, and 93.63%, and Kappa coefficients of 0.88, 0.91, and 0.93, respectively. This research provides technological support for the digitalization and restoration of cultural artifacts, thereby contributing to the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction provides an overview of the major constructs that are the focus of this Special Issue. Individualism and collectivism have been the cornerstones of theoretical work on cultural values in psychological science, and conformity is an important component of theories related to motivational values. Individualism, collectivism and conformity values are reviewed in relation to parenting (warmth, knowledge solicitation, rules/limit‐setting, parents' expectations regarding children's family obligations) and children's adjustment (internalising and externalising behaviours). Background on the Parenting Across Cultures project, a study of children, mothers and fathers, in nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the United States) is provided as a prelude to the country‐specific papers from each of these countries that follow in the rest of the Special Issue before a final concluding paper that focuses on between‐country versus within‐country variation in cultural values, parenting and children's adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Educational Studies (1673-1298) is the property of Journal of Educational Studies Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Values-based approaches are among the best practices for management and conservation planning. However, cultural significance assessments (of the attributes and values of cultural heritage) have generally been performed by experts (top-down) instead of including expert and nonexpert communities (top-down and bottom-up). Objectives: This paper presents a multitechnique approach in which different strategies are applied to assess the perceptions of cultural significance held by several actors (users, managers, staff, experts, children, students, virtual community) within the framework of the Keeping It Modern Grant awarded by the Getty Foundation (2020–2023) for the Ocean Swimming Pool (1960–1966) designed by Álvaro Siza in Matosinhos, Portugal. Method: Interviews, surveys, social media analysis, and workshops with children, students, and experts were adopted for the method, and, whenever possible, the 'Imagine Ballarat' Love, Change and Imagine questions were utilised as a resourceful instrument for assessing the significance attributed by multiple stakeholders. Results: Based on the results, stakeholders' opinions and values regarding the heritage site could be compared, which revealed the relationship between the values and the groups of actors, thereby deepening the complexity of heritage sites as National Monuments. Conclusion: By using this integrated perspective, we could define the cultural significance of a modern heritage site through an inclusive methodology while also establishing the grounds for conservation policies within a more broadly participative management of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]