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This paper comprehends the global research scenario about incorporating cultural components in contemporary urban planning practice. Various urban cultural elements have been analysed under the umbrella of 'Urban Cultural Dynamics' (UCD). This study aims to identify hot spots and explore influential sources through a bibliometric investigation of the evolutionary patterns of cultural dynamics in urban planning research. Data was collected from the Web of Science core collection (1965-2021). The data mining tools VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, KNIME, and WordStat were used to analyse hot topics, keywords, influential journals, core papers, top authors, and cooperation networks of countries and institutions. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed in journal analysis. The analysis showed that publications on UCD increased exponentially between 2016 and 2022. Italy (32), China (26), and Spain (18) are the top countries in total publications. Technical universities of Dresden and Munich have the most significant influence on UCD's research, with 103 and 101 total citations, respectively. Landscape and Urban Planning, Journal of Cultural Heritage, and Tourism Geographies are the top three consistently influential journals. The top ten core papers were identified. The keywords and topic analysis charted out the evolution of multidisciplinary UCD research topics. The hotspot analysis revealed the significance of cultural dynamics in sustainable urban development. The results highlighted the need for intercontinental cooperation between developed countries and the third world. The future scope of research on UCD topics is discussed in the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun (2021) philosophizes on how in the current technologically saturated culture, the gradual evolution of the empathetic humanoids has, on one hand, problematized our normative notions of cognitive and affective categories, and on the other, has triggered an order of emotional uncanniness due to our reliance on hyperreal real objects for receiving solace and companionship. The novel may be conceived to be a commentary on the emerging discourse in the domain of cognitive and emotional computing that aspires to transform the inner life and social relationships of the human community. The novelty of the paper lies in its ability to showcase how Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun (2021) creates a rupture in the existing research and literary narrative by critiquing the theoretical underpinnings of emotional computing that optimistically foresees a future where simulated empathetic minds will be able to decode the complexities of the human emotions. It discusses how literature turns into an apt tool to reflect on the limitations of the programmed machines to decode the elusiveness of the human mind that defies the one-to-one correlation between words, multiple connotations, and their underlying emotions. Through the lenses of the fictional narrative, the paper foregrounds how the concept of the social robot designed to offer empathy, care, and companionship turns into a failed project. The paper draws on critical perspectives from disposability theory, posthuman affect, and immaterial bodies to foreground the noncodified feature of affective experientialities that emerge as a result of the interface between humans and nonanimate beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why have Singapore's unique developmental state arrangements persisted in a region which has experienced democratic change? This paper argues that this is due to the PAP state's successful legitimation of its unique brand of meritocracy, one which has both competitive and interventionist elements. During the colonial era, a culture of economic meritocracy evolved in a bottom-up process through social and commercial interactions between the British class and Chinese community. This was then transmuted by the PAP's top-down imposition of the institutions and discourses of political meritocracy. This cultural hybrid allows the state to sustain its hegemony in the face of progressive social change. Accordingly, our emphasis on the wider institutional environment within which merit is conceived helps to better illuminate Singapore's challenges of encouraging organic innovation, alleviating social stratification, and opening up its political arena. This paper suggests that the problems in these areas stem not from meritocracy per se, but from the PAP's "monocentric meritocracy" where merit is narrowly defined and singularly imposed in the post-colonial era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges that appear in maritime human resource management, in the face of the digitalized environment in maritime business, due to the diffusion of new technologies, such as big data analytics, blockchain technology, and future MASS technology. The current study is based on a systematic review of the relevant literature attempting to respond to the analysis of the challenges described above. The study reveals that existing scientific interest concentrates on the training and education of the maritime workforce, the new skills required as well as the possible loss of traditional jobs and the creation of new ones, while mainly examining the seagoing personnel. However, limited attention has been paid to the practices of human resource management, which could facilitate the transition to the new era of maritime business. This study aims at contributing to the research in the field of Maritime HRM by revealing gaps in existing literature and suggesting areas for future research as well as new methodological approaches in addressing these gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As various forms of nonmonogamy have grown in social visibility, the subject has received academic treatment across a range of literatures, including philosophy. To aid in philosophical treatment, the paper addresses the narrow but fundamental topic of the meaning of nonmonogamy. By engaging with recent literature, it examines nonmonogamy as the rejection of or opposition to monogamy. After exploring the nature of opposition in this case, the paper develops the beginnings of a more detailed theory of nonmonogamy. How do monogamy and nonmonogamy relate? If nonmonogamy is a rejection, what content does the concept of nonmonogamy have? The paper does not criticize monogamy or defend nonmonogamy, but it aims to take part in building the conceptual foundations for nonmonogamy as a political project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the proportion of males who have sexually coerced someone. In this survey, we extracted data from 60 published papers with a cumulative sample size of 26,717 men. From these data, we calculated the weighted mean proportion of males who reported having sexually coerced someone. While we did find studies that contained non-heterosexual data, the dearth of such data reveals the need for more research on male non-heterosexual coercion. Our results show that 29.8% of heterosexual males have sexually coerced a woman some time in their lives, which is consistent with previous estimates of male heterosexual coercion. We also found that 27.3% of non-heterosexual males have coerced someone, a number close to the perpetration rate for non-heterosexual females. When compared with previously reported rates of heterosexual female perpetration of sexual coercion, the heterosexual male rate of 29.8% will be shown to be consistent with known rape data, such as results from the Online College Social Life Survey, which show that 85–90% of raped men are raped by women. The concurrence with previous research on American and Canadian college students suggests that the proportion of sexually coercive heterosexual men is the same for these countries as the overall rate internationally. [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]

In this introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Adult Development on Established Adulthood, we begin by providing a brief overview of the conceptualization of Established Adulthood. We then provide an overview of each paper included in the special issue, highlighting how this work contributes to the growing field of established adulthood by answering important questions and proposing new ones. Taken together, this collection of articles lay the groundwork for continued theorizing and research in a new, exciting, and flourishing area of developmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper advances epistemic reflexivity as a methodological process for dealing with knowledge biases in International Business research. By drawing upon Bourdieu's (1989) reflexive sociology, the paper develops an epistemic form of reflexivity that moves beyond the limiting focus on the researcher's social background and interpersonal relations with the researched, towards the conditions of knowledge production contained in the researcher's subjective role as well as intellectual bias and positioning. Such an approach enhances trustworthiness and credibility in all research processes (qualitative, quantitative, mixed and multimethod), through a systematic exploration of social scientific claims. This can be achieved by the IB researcher scrutinising their own Self, cultural practices, biases and 'unthought categories of thought', which, if not problematised, may limit our understanding of other peoples' 'social reality' and the IB phenomena that we investigate. The paper contributes to IB research methods literature by developing an epistemic theoretical foundation for reflexivity in addition to devising a methodological process for researchers to intellectually engage with, comprising of six reflexive, self-interrogating 'thinking tasks'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the culture and environment, vernacular architecture has provided suitable solutions. People are looking for more environmentally friendly structures in today's globalized world. To comprehend the sustainable qualities of indigenous housing tradition, thus it is important to look back in time. This article has used the idea of sustainable development to evaluate the worth of Gurage, an Ethiopian traditional architecture. The indigenous architecture of the Gurage communities is constructed in line with the community's history, culture, and surroundings. In light of this, the research investigates traditional houses and the socio-cultural practices of the locals that promote resilience. In order to find a scientific basis and encourage its implementation in the future, this paper analyzes the architectural expression in Gurage, holistically in light of the knowledge and experience of the local populace. Using a phenomenological research design and a qualitative research approach that involves observation, key informant interviews (20), and focused group discussions (3) with carefully chosen participants, an explanation for the vernacular architecture of the study areas was established. The outcome of the paper reveals how much the rich vernacular traditions of the study site are still relevant today in creating an environmentally and culturally sustainable settlement. It implies that the traditional building practices and cultural heritage of the Gurage people can contribute to the development of a sustainable settlement that is both environmentally friendly and culturally appropriate. By expressing concern about these issues, it highlights the importance of taking proactive measures to safeguard the environment, preserve cultural heritage, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary comprises of three sections. The first section summarizes Sinha's perspective and approach to the development of Indian psychology. The second section provides a bird's eye view of a few major developments in the field of science in general and in psychology in particular. This section also elaborates on the need for developing Indian psychology (IP) not just for the Indian context but for its global relevance. The third section documents some of the developments that have taken place in India in the past six decades since the publication of Sinha's paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the pressures of fluctuating external environments, organizations are constantly seeking ways to be responsive and able to improve their performance with lower costs. Employer–employee relationships have changed rapidly in recent years, and there is growing interest in considering human resources as a form of capital, and a strategic factor for business excellence. A focal point for HR professionals is employee loyalty, recognized as pivotal in realizing long-term organizational goals. This paper delves into the concept of Wasta social capital and its pivotal role in fostering employee loyalty and innovation within the unique cultural context of the Arab world. It is argued here that Wasta social capital is the fundamental dynamic that stimulates employee loyalty in the workplace. This conceptual paper provides new insights through understanding the significant role Wasta social capital plays in affecting employee loyalty in a collectivist culture, differing from the conventional business-context factors of loyalty. Obtaining a deeper understanding of employee loyalty and how it is developed in Arab-world business contexts can promote innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National culture (NC) plays a crucial role in transitioning societies toward sustainable development (SD) which is based on the triple bottom line (TBL) approach. The impact of NC should be broadly analyzed, taking into account the perspective of individuals, organizations, societies, etc. This constitutes the general field of "national culture sustainable development" (NCSD). To the author's knowledge, this is the first literature review conducted on the above-defined NCSD field and based on a mixed-methods analysis. It contributes to the development of knowledge by presenting the scientific structure of the general NCSD research field and the main detailed problems addressed in the papers assigned to this field, synthesizing the previous research findings, and emphasizing the need to examine SD holistically. This study revealed that the interest of academics in the NCSD field is growing. The scientific structure of this field is formed by 80 articles, including 63 empirical papers which were based mostly on the analysis of secondary data. The most popular topic in previous studies was the relationship between cultural dimensions (authored by Hofstede) and practices related to reporting on sustainability. Cultural characteristics were combined with the data from different sources and covered different numbers of countries. Subsequent research projects were methodologically separate from the previous ones which implied inconsistent results. Papers discussing the linkage between national culture and all elements of the TBL concept together are rare. The above highlights, i.e., the need for more research based on a holistic approach to SD, methodological rigor and continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few primary studies that focused on the older immigrants' food habits and meal preferences after immigration and settlement in a new country. A comprehensive database search for literature was conducted in May 2021 and upgraded in September 2021. Ten databases (Medline (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), PsycInfo (Ovid), Cinahl (EBSCOhost), Food Science Source (EBSCOhost), SocIndex (EBSCOhost), Social Care Online, Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA), Web of Science and Google Scholar), were scanned for original, peer-reviewed papers published in English. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and SWiM items. Out of 3069 records, 10 papers were included for thematic synthesis. A data synthesis across all studies resulted in three main findings: (i) the significance of food in maintaining cultural identity, (ii) the continuity of traditional food culture and (iii) adapting to the host country's food culture. Although different forms of dietary acculturation occur throughout life, older immigrants often want to maintain their traditional food habits and meal preferences. For them, traditional eating habits offer comfort and security by serving as a means of identifying who they are and reminding them where they have come from. Public health and social services play an important role in providing cultural nutritional care to older immigrants; therefore, this issue should be carefully addressed by professionals and future research. Registration: The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 27 September 2022 with registration number CRD42022358235. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent series of papers between Sampaio and Haydu (Behavior and Social Issues 32(1):115–133, 2023a; Behavior and Social Issues 32(1):141–146, 2023b) and Ardila-Sánchez and Hayes (Behavior and Social Issues 32(1):134–140, 2023) on the cultural milieu construct is of critical import for culturo-behavior science. By constructing a revised version of Houmanfar and colleagues' (Ardila-Sánchez et al., Behavior and Social Issues 28(1):298–315, 2019: Houmanfar, Ardila-Sánchez, & Alavosius, Behavior science perspectives on culture and community, pp. 151–170, Springer, 2020: Houmanfar & Rodrigues, Behavior and Social Issues, 15(1):13–30, 2006: Houmanfar, Rodrigues, & Ward, Behavior and Social Issues 19(1):78–103, 2010) elaborated metacontingency model, Sampaio and Haydu address confusion inherent in the concept of the cultural milieu by separating it into two different components—cultural antecedents and selecting environment variables—with different functional properties. This allows the cultural milieu to be conceptualized more coherently within a behavior-analytic framework, a framework into which the cultural milieu does not quite fit when described in interbehavioral terms. However, given differences in integrated field and contingency logic, an interbehaviorally conceptualized cultural milieu does not belong in any metacontingency model, elaborated or otherwise. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue—the elephant in the field—and confusing aspects of the cultural milieu that Sampaio and Haydu do not address when one considers the elaborated metacontingency model from an interbehavioral perspective. In doing so, I discuss issues with the model warranting attention and the prospect of a unified culturo-behavior science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research attention to family firms has significantly increased in recent years, with a growing application of economic theories such as agency theory and resource-based theory to explain differences between family firms and nonfamily firms and heterogeneity among family firm populations. Despite this progress, the formulation of an economic theory of family business remains notably absent. Merely applying existing economic theories of the firm to the realm of family business is inadequate, as these general theories fail to incorporate the idiosyncratic aspects of family firms, such as the pursuit of socioemotional wealth. This paper seeks to advance economic theories specific to family firms and lay the groundwork for future studies. We advocate for interdisciplinary research using insights from fields such as economics, management, sociology, and psychology to investigate the complex dynamics governing family firms and their economic behaviors, decision-making, and performance. Plain English Summary: Research on family firms is increasing. Scholars are using economic theories like agency theory and resource-based theory to explain differences between family and nonfamily firms as well as variations among family firms. However, there is still no clear economic theory of the family firm. Using existing economic theories does not work well because they do not consider the unique aspects of family businesses. Essentially, the economic theory of family business must tackle three core inquiries: What makes family firms distinct from nonfamily organizations? What factors dictate the scale and scope of family businesses? And what influences the heterogeneity within the family business sector? This paper contributes toward the development of an economic theory of family firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University social responsibility is an intrinsic discourse in South Africa. Universities grapple with their identities relating to learning, teaching, research and community engagement. This paper explores how the drive for transformation particularly at universities of technology has promoted a culture of social responsibility among student and staff agents. Two universities were considered in the analysis of existing norms and understanding how institutions integrate the culture of social responsibility while adhering to mandates of creating knowledge societies. This study provides recommendations that could be endorsed as policy to develop innovative developmental strategies and enact new social responsibility partnerships within university spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultured meat is a novel technology-based meat alternative with the potential to complement protein supply for a growing world population. An increasing body of consumer research has investigated personal factors explaining consumers' acceptance of cultured meat. Research on cultural and economic drivers impacting consumer responses across countries, however, is scant. In this light, this article aims to provide a cross-cultural perspective on cultured meat acceptance and guide future empirical research in this domain. First, this article proposes a framework to explain cross-national differences in cultured meat acceptance comprising societal factors (i.e., culture and religion), indicators of the food environment (i.e., meat production and consumption), and economic market parameters (i.e., gross domestic product, carbon dioxide emissions, and population growth). Second, the paper applies a systematic literature review, including 105 empirical consumer studies related to cultured meat. Third, the identified papers are analyzed according to the proposed framework. The findings of this descriptive analysis demonstrate that empirical research to date has predominately been conducted in countries that produce and consume high amounts of meat and are characterized by high gross domestic products per capita. Many of these surveyed countries harbor secular-rational and self-expressional cultural value orientations. Other country types have been less prominently explored, although they represent potentially relevant target markets for cultured meat in the future. Cross-cultural research aiming to explain differences across countries is scarce. To guide future research, the paper develops research propositions relating societal factors, food environment, and market-related factors to consumer acceptance of cultured meat across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents and addresses the concept of "spontaneous sustainability", the informal and unplanned sustainable development of communities, as the basis and framework to support the notion, drives, and agendas of "formal sustainability". It follows the interdependence between the "spontaneous sustainability" of "distinct" communities and their "cultural" characteristics, including history, spatial continuity, values and behaviors, the associated physical settings, and tangible and intangible products, which enabled them to continue, survive, and develop. The research aims at formulating and validating a "framework" for monitoring and enhancing the "spontaneous sustainability" of "distinct" communities to enable, support and link it, to the broader frameworks of "sustainable development". The proposed "framework" combines "sustainability" dimensions: environmental, economic, and socio-cultural; and the levels of community contexts, and spatial impact. The "framework" is formulated by integrating selected "urban sustainability" approaches, and systems, with later research that developed the key aspects, criteria, and indicators of those systems, together with research addressing "social and cultural sustainability", and assessment aspects, criteria, and indicators. The "framework" is developed and validated through a limited questionnaire, involving local experts and specialists, academics, and practitioners, to point out limitations and potential, and to suggest the relative importance of its components, key aspects, and criteria. The validation supported the research propositions, the formulation, and development of the proposed "spontaneous sustainability framework" and emphasized its flexibility to include other approaches and agendas, and potential for further development and application in distinct local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on 32 semi structured in-depth interviews with Egyptian women, this paper discusses determinants of sexual knowledge and attitudes among premarital and married women and women's agency in presenting sexual desires and gaining sexual knowledge in Egypt. Three main themes emerged as follows: (1) Attitudes toward being sexually educated; the findings show that most women have a positive attitude toward sexual knowledge and being sexually educated. However, there is still some embarrassment and shame associated with expressing their sexual needs or seeking more information about them. (2) Gender inequity in sexual knowledge: respondents have reported that they face social oppression and challenges when expressing their sexual desires, and there is gender inequity in obtaining knowledge about sex. Additionally, women agreed that men have the right to obtain knowledge about sex and that Egyptian society supports men in acquiring such knowledge. (3) General knowledge about sex; the internet is the most common source of information about sex. There is agreement that intimate relationships should be an enjoyable experience for both partners. Furthermore, women have stated that there are some indicators of successful sexual relationships. The current research contributes by filling a gap in the knowledge about women's sexual education in Egypt, where empirical literature on women's sexual knowledge in such conservative culture is lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little research has been undertaken to examine the prevalence of sex-trading behaviors among transgender adults, and even less is known about how engaging in this behavior affects sex-trading individuals. This paper examines the nexus of sex trading and psychological distress and suicidal ideation. Data from the 2015 U.S. National Transgender Survey were used to examine the factors associated with sex trading in a sample of 27,715 transgender Americans aged 18 or older. The Kessler-6 scale was used to measure psychological distress and a dichotomous measure of suicidal ideation during the past year was the other main outcome measure. Covariates in the multivariate analysis included sociodemographic measures, numerous measures of anti-transgender harassment, discrimination, and violence, and several transition milestones. Approximately one person in six had engaged in sex-trading behaviors. Multivariate analysis revealed that sex trading was related to psychological distress and to an increased risk of suicidal ideation. Structural equation analysis showed that sex trading had both a direct impact upon suicidal ideation and an indirect effect through its influence on psychological distress, which was the strongest predictor of suicidal ideation. Although sex trading is relatively uncommon among transgender persons, it is much more common in this population than it is in the population-at-large. Among persons who engage in this practice, though, there is a greatly elevated risk for suffering from psychological distress and suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both public stigma and perceived self-stigma are prevalent during pandemics threatening a divide among the global community. This systematic review examined the cultural factors associated with viral respiratory-related pandemic stigma. Following PRISMA guidelines, the keywords, "culture, stigma, and pandemic" were searched across relevant databases for empirical papers between January 2000 to March 2022. Quality assessment and coding were adopted in the screening process. Thirty-one articles were included in the final analysis. Themes revealed that collectivistic values, cultural identities, and non-western regions were associated with public (others) stigma; mismatch of cultural values, minority groups, and North America, Asia, Oceania, and African regions were associated with higher perceived and self-stigma. We further mapped the themes into a proposed systemic cultural stigma model to integrate the dynamic intersection of cultural values, identity, and ecology. The cultural factors and their influence on stigma were then explained by drawing on two evolutionary theories: Cultural rationality theory and scapegoating theory. Lastly, we proposed culturally sensitive and responsive practices for stigma management at the community level, especially in non-Western regions during the pandemic recovery phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on an institutional logics perspective to illuminate a hitherto underexplored context for CSR professional identity construction. It draws on an empirical study of 65 CSR professionals in South Korea and aims to deepen our understanding of CSR professional identity construction by investigating the contested nature of the CSR professional field between, on the one hand, societal-normative expectations of the profession, and, in the absence of stable professional logics, CSR professionals' desired professional identity, on the other. Our study reveals how CSR professionals engage with, and respond to, this complexity through constructing one of three distinctive professional identities based on different logic constellations. This process reveals a snapshot of professional logics 'in-the-making'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gond painting, an integral part of the Gond cultural identity of central India, has emerged as highly appreciated and recognised tribal art form worldwide in the recent times. These traditional paintings are believed to have started with the transformation of Gond oral folklores. The Pradhan Gond, a subgroup of the Gonds, who were traditionally assigned to sing songs of the glorification of the gods, goddesses and nature with a Bana, a traditional single-stringed musical instrument, was assumed to initiate the paintings of Gond folktales. They narrated the collective beliefs, values and legends of the Gond tribe on the origin, relationship and divine powers in the form of paintings. The traditions of performing the assigned responsibilities of Pradhan Gond were believed to have lost during the Mughal era and British rule. This research paper focuses on the study of the reflections of three popular Gond folk stories, i.e. Basin Kanya, Mahua tree and Bada Dev, in the contemporary Gond paintings of Madhya Pradesh. The paintings of Jangarh Singh Shyam and Durga Bai have been chosen for the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the tension between endorsements of relativism and anti-relativisms in the European historical culture between 2000 and 2020. Relativism, defined as the idea that the authority of a claim is always and only dependent on the context in which it is made, has historically been controversial. In the EU's historical culture, relativism is sometimes endorsed, and sometimes not. This paper finds that in the EU historical culture, anti-relativism should analytically be distinguished from anti-relativizing—even though the terminology of "relativism" and "relativizing" is often used interchangeably. This insight helps to understand what is at stake in EU debates around memory and history and replaces the question of whether (not) to be relativist, with that of when (not) to relativize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do crisis conditions affect longstanding societal narratives about hunger? This paper examines how hunger was framed in public discourse during an early period in the COVID-19 crisis to mobilize attention and make moral claims on others to alleviate it. It does so through a discourse analysis of 1023 U.S.-based English-language posts dedicated to hunger on Twitter during four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis finds that Twitter users chiefly adopted hunger as a political tool to make moral claims on the state rather than individuals, civil society organizations, or corporations; however, hunger was deployed to defend widely diverse political agendas ranging from progressive support for SNAP entitlements to conservative claims reinforcing anti-lockdown and racist "America First" sentiments. Theoretically, the paper contributes to understanding how culture and morality operate in times of crisis. It demonstrates how culture can be deployed in crisis to reinforce longstanding ideological commitments at the same time that it organizes political imaginations in new ways. The result, in this case, is that longstanding cultural narratives about hunger were used to defend dissimilar, and in some ways contradictory, political ends. Practically, the paper demonstrates how moralized calls to alleviate hunger are vulnerable to political manipulation and used to further conflicting political goals, yet may also offer opportunities to leverage support for bolstered state investments in food assistance during times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latter approach would facilitate the comparison of set QoL improvement agendas and the actual state of regional QoL and, as such, is a highly welcomed addition to the methodological discussion on QoL measurement. The developed composite regional QoL indicator allows the analysis of QoL performance across different geographical scales and the identification of the QoL dimensions with weakest performance within regions via the utilized reference level approach. By utilizing data for 380 regions (local units) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the paper constructs three separate composite indices - both for 2004 and 2018: overall QoL, material QoL and social QoL. There is an emerging scientific interest in the connection between well-being (WB) or quality of life (QoL) on the one hand, and place on the other, particularly within human geography and regional sciences. [Extracted from the article]

Despite the abundant literature in Happiness Science, no paper to date has studied the joint effects of human values on subjective well-being at individual and contextual level. Using European Social Survey data for life satisfaction and Salomon H. Schwartz's scale for human values with four and ten dimensions, this paper presents novel evidence on the direct effects of individual, regional, and national human values, utilizing two different ways of building cultural indicators of human values. We show that regional factors explain approximately 2% of the dispersion of individual life satisfaction, whereas national factors explain around 12%. The results on the effects of individual human values support Sortheix and Schwartz's hypothesis, with a significant difference: Individual Conformity has a positive impact on well-being, not the negative sign Sortheix and Schwartz predict for Conservation values. We also find positive direct cultural effects for Benevolence and Conformity and negative effects for Tradition. Additionally, we propose a research agenda for human values and contextual effects on well-being studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins with a sketch of a few themes in the philosophy of property insofar as they relate to the concept of cultural appropriation. It then offers a survey of Edmund Husserl's account of culture. These reflections put us in a better position to ask whether property ownership provides a suitable interpretative framework for acts of intercultural copying and influence. On the contrary, Husserl's account of culture leads us away from the claim that members of a cultural group should be understood to have property in cultural formations arising within their group. By putting meaning, rather than ownership, at the center of our understanding of culture, the paper offers an alternative account of what might be wrong, when there is something wrong, with events typically labeled culturally appropriative. The paper concludes by connecting concerns for cultural appropriation with conceptions of cultural authenticity, distinguishing between an autochthonal sense of authenticity, focused on internal origins and protection from outside forces, and a Husserlian sense of authenticity, connected to reason, responsibility, and truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the social cultural setup of the world, the differentiation between a man and a boy is almost universally established, with the man representing the evolved, comprehensive, mature and wise end of the spectrum, whereas the boy being the imperfect, meek, ignorant and premature organism. This polarity structures an acutely gendered concurrence, in that, a boy is always defined in a grown man's world with a lack that also characterizes the female species. The aggrandizing features and the cultural reinforcements of the masculine inadvertently lead to the genesis of a tendency to prioritize this trait as the most desirable and the negation of all that falls outside its predefined markers. With the onset of puberty and the appearances of physiological changes in the body, the young boys with a generous influence of these alterations, tend to assert their superiority over others through both open and covert forms of bullying, the latter often falling within the growing menace of the phenomenon of cyberbullying. This paper attempts to argue that the phenomenon of bullying is both infused and ingrained in the psyche of the young through the primary institutions in the society, that is, the family, the schools, the external world, even often without consciously aiming to do so. The paper charts out the concept of bullying in schools and makes an assessment of the various biological as well as socio-cultural influences which generate this tendency among school boys. Making use of psychosocial data and real-life examples, the paper also suggests how schools, teachers and parents, may tackle bullying by regarding it as a behavioural problem and adopting approaches that bring positive interpersonal connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geodiversity, geoheritage, geoconservation, and geotourism insights are meticulously interrelated. Their investigations are of comprehensive attention worldwide because of their high scientific, educational, scenic, and recreational values. Various new destinations in Egypt have been promoted for the geotourism and abundance in significance geological heritages in which Samalute-Minia Area is one of the most energetic tourist’s magnetism. The study area is an imperative geo-cultural province that has significant number of geosites and geotouristic fascinations, demonstrating broad array of distinctive phenomena. The latter are assigned to remarkable geomorphological, volcanological, hydrogeological, quarrying, historical, and cultural landscapes that are deliberated a vital part of the polythematic geopark. All of these sites allow the visitors, sightseers, and indigenous populations to enjoy different aspects of tourism such as religious, antiquities, recreational, safari, or ecological tourism as the root for providing the commitment, education, and pleasure. The goal of the present paper aims to stress the reputation of the geological heritage earmarked by Samalute-Minia Area. A quantitative assessment of geodiversity at the study area was carried out using the Brilha’s method (2016) in which the evaluation outputs are labeled for geotourism obligations. A list of eight geosites has been inventoried. Among the principal geosites are (1) geomorphology and karst landforms (GKL), (2) circular structural landforms (CSL), (3) volcanic landforms (VL), (4) riverine landforms (RL), (5) Christian Religion sites (CRS), (6) ancient Egypt monuments (AEM), (7) industrial sites (IS), and (8) hydrogeological aquifers (HA). Quantitative valuation has been revealed that the bunched geosites of GKL, VL, and RL have great scientific and educational value scores, while the geosites of CRS and AEM have high potential touristic use compared to low value for the IS. Regarding the risk evaluation, a high degradation risk is assigned to the sites of AEM, RL, and HA. Severe threats comprising pollution, rapid urbanization, intense degradation of underground water, illegal water pumping, quarrying/excavation, bumpy tourism, and lacking of environmental management are the chief causes for the degradation risk. The lasting five geosites display a moderate to low risk of degradation because there are no extreme observed denudation processes that generate degradation. The protection and geoconservation, increasing the touristic attractiveness, and the socio-economic development for the local community could be proposed in order to decrease the high degradation risk for some geosites. Lastly, the Samalute-Minia Area needs more scientific and potential geoheritage study, improvement in the security circumstances, promotion of the geosites, and strategic implementations as well as regulation constraints for continuous regional development to improve geotourism and geoconservation. The geotourism development would diminish the rate of joblessness and immigration, offer scenarios for dropping poverty through engaging the local inhabitants in tourism activities, and ensure the protection and educational stopovers to well-known geosites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural Psychology (CP) is a relatively young perspective, growing in the field of social sciences, nevertheless, its ideas are found throughout the fields and its ancestors' -Naturwissenschaften and Philosophy- history. CP has several central notions which are introduced in the following paper. Thru their introduction, the central goal of the revelation of the essence of the idea of CP is proffered. The core idea of CP is a general psychological concept that should be considered as a starting point from where new ideas, innovations and challenging theories can emerge. In other words, a new general psychological perspective we can use as a starting point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main concern of this paper is to explore and analyze the influence of the environment on the built heritage in Saudi Arabia. It is hypothesized that the environment formed and initiated the main features of the built heritage in Saudi Arabia. This influence, in addition, is adapted through different variables such as cultural, natural, and climate, including religion, traditions, geology, location, land nature and soil, and macroclimate and microclimate. These variables, in fact, formed the main features of the built heritages, including pattern, type and character. Other external factors, to some extent, also influenced the architectural elements of the built heritage, especially the interrelationship with other civilizations (Wang et al in Heritage 4:2942–2959. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040164, 2021). The investigation of the environmental variables, therefore, used to define the influence of each variable on the main features of different buildings of the built heritage, particularly houses, and palaces in Saudi Arabia. The analysis, moreover, focused on the shared features of these buildings in the main regions of Saudi Arabia. The purpose is to define that although the climate and the natural variables may differ in Saudi Arabia, the built heritage shares the main urban pattern and architectural features mostly as a result of the influence of the cultural variable, particularly the religion, traditions, and habits. In other words, cultural variables have a direct influence on defining the shared features of the built heritage. Furthermore, the rationale of this analysis is to prove that the built heritage is highly valuable because it was initiated and developed as a part of its environment. It afforded its residents with their religious, traditions, habits, social, and living necessities. Therefore, it requires protection for the future generations in Saudi Arabia (Alnaim MM (2022b) J Archit Plann 34:223–238. https://doi.org/10.33948/JAP-KSU-34-2-5, 2022b; Spahic in A conceptual framework for sustainability in Islamic architecture: the significance of the islamic concepts of man and the environment. Conference on Technology and Sustainability in the Built Environment, 3–6 January 2010. Riyadh, 2010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a clinical ethics case study which sheds light on several important dilemmas which arise in providing care to patients from cultures with non-individualistic conceptions of autonomy. Medical professionals face a difficult challenge in determining how to respond when families of patients ask that patients not be informed of bad medical news. These requests are often made for cultural reasons, by families seeking to protect patients. In these cases, the right that patients have to their own medical information in order to make autonomous decisions is in tension with the possibility that patients could hold values that require limiting their autonomy with regard to medical information disclosure, often based on the idea that family should take on difficult decision-making as an act of care. We describe one such case, of an 83-year old Russian woman whose husband requested she not be informed of a new cancer diagnosis. The appropriate response to this request was to ask the patient about her values separately, without disclosing any medical information until her values were clear. This patient indicated she wanted the care team to uphold her husband's request. This response makes the importance of determining a patient's values before moving forward with disclosure clear: she would not have wanted to be informed of her cancer. We describe our conversation strategy, which allowed value exploration without disclosure and highlighted that the obligation to respect a patient's autonomy sometimes includes an obligation to allow a patient to choose to limit their own autonomy. This case also highlights that this kind of conversation prioritizes the patient's values rather than the family's or care team's, centering patients in the way that is ethically appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the impact of ethnocentrism and cultural intelligence on employee outcome during corporate restructuring or expansion. The authors propose a theoretical model to test this relationship. In-depth interviews of 122 professionals in Northern India who have either been a part of an international assignment or have expanded their businesses were conducted and analysed for testing the proposed model. Key findings suggest that an ethnocentric person finds it difficult to perform well at his workplace as he is constantly faced with dilemmas of cultural fitness. A culturally intelligent person easily adapts oneself to the new environment without any adverse effect on performance. To provide a smooth transition during restructuring, mangers should take measures to encourage cultural intelligence and promote ethno-relativism among the employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wujiafentou site is located at the heart of the Youziling (5900–5500 cal BP) and Shijiahe (4500–4200 cal BP) cultures in the Handong region, a core area to understand the relationship among economic networks, sociopolitical integration, and regional identity in the middle Yangtze River valley (MYRV) of central China during the Late Neolithic times. Its pottery assemblages are important clues to understanding the pottery production and use before and after the extensive walled town construction activities in the Neolithic MYRV. Wujiafentou is less than 5 km from the Shijiahe walled town, the largest city of its time in the MYRV. This paper applies microscopic examination and chemical and mineralogical analyses to a sample of 152 sherds of the Youziling-period and Shijiahe-period utilitarian vessels unearthed from the Wujiafentou site, revealing the changes and continuity in pottery production and use over time. We also probe into the socio-economic ties between Wujiafentou and the Shijiahe walled town mainly through hong tao bei (red clay cups), which were widely distributed and presumably highly symbolic items of the Shijiahe culture related to drinking, feasts, and rituals. We propose that the Wujiafentou inhabitants produced their red clay cups by mimicking those made within the Shijiahe walled town. Our study highlights an alternative interpretation of the formation of a regional identity during the Shijiahe period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the diverse impacts of religious sacred places on specific spheres of contemporary international relations, particularly in the context of public health governance as well as the fight against COVID-19. The spread of disease or germs and viruses within the context of pilgrimage, the healing purposes associated with such practices, as well as historical conquests of sacred places have attracted the attention of ancient physicians and modern scientists. In the nineteenth century, many Abrahamic religions sought to strengthen their influence in the Holy Land, particularly in the sacred city of Jerusalem. As part of their efforts, they focused on constructing modern hospitals, which became a means of religious competition over the region. From the perspective of the specific relationship between the sacred places and the public health governance system in the modern age, sacred places continue to succeed in animal management (native animals and sacrifice animals), water source management (sacred water and holy rivers), and management of sanitary quarantine (the extension of homeland health security defense), which have present positive effects. Based on the literature review, case analysis and interdisciplinary research methods, several findings have emerged regarding the global fight against COVID-19 since early 2020. Mecca-Medina, Jerusalem-Bethlehem, Rome-Vatican, Santiago de Compostela, Qom, and other religious sacred cities have faced huge pandemic pressures. These cities have played unique roles in protecting the health of pilgrims and have implemented measures to reduce the number and scale of pilgrimages in response to the global mobility challenges posed by the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compulsory sexuality refers to the ways that social institutions both assume and privilege sexualities while marginalizing asexuality—the relative lack of sexual attraction. However, experiences of compulsory sexuality are not uniform. This paper documents how the institutions of compulsory sexuality can variously impede or facilitate the development of asexual citizenship, sometimes simultaneously. Data come from exploratory, semi-structured interviews with young adults who identify as asexual in the central U.S. Informants talk about their experiences with intimate relationships, religion, media, and LGBTQIA + groups in contradictory ways: each institution figures into discourses of both citizenship and alienation. We argue that there are multiple pathways to sexual citizenship for aces, which depend not only on how compulsory sexuality intersects with other structures, like race and gender, but also according to one's experiences with the institutions of compulsory sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review provides an overview of cancer interventions implemented with Arab Americans across the cancer control continuum, including an examination of outcomes and implementation processes. The search strategy included database searching and reviewing reference lists and forward citations to identify articles describing interventions with Arab adults living in the US, with no restrictions on date of publication or research methodology. The review included 23 papers describing 12 unique cancer interventions. Most interventions focused on individual-level determinants of breast and cervical cancer screening; used non-quasi-experimental research designs to evaluate intervention effectiveness; and demonstrated improvements in short-term cancer screening knowledge. Implementation processes were less commonly described. Most interventions were culturally and linguistically tailored to communities of focus; were delivered in educational sessions in community settings; engaged with the community mostly for recruitment and implementation; and were funded by foundation grants. Suggestions for research and intervention development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current definitions of migraine that are based mainly on clinical characteristics do not account for other patient's features such as those related to an impaired quality of life, due to loss of social life and productivity, and the differences related to the geographical distribution of the disease and cultural misconceptions which tend to underestimate migraine as a psychosocial rather than neurobiological disorder. Global differences definition, care access, and health equity for headache disorders, especially migraine are reported in this paper from a collaborative group of the editorial board members of the Journal of Headache and Pain. Other components that affect patients with migraine, in addition to the impact promoted by the migraine symptoms such as stigma and social determinants, are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clifford Geertz's essay, "Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture" comprehensively explored the basic problems encountered in the theoretical efforts of 20th century social sciences. As a response to his reflection, this paper tries to reveal the methodological roots of the predicament of interpretive anthropology and all social sciences, through an epistemological analysis of social science. In addition, with the Theory of Belief as an analytical tool, it also tries to offer a solution to one of the classic predicaments in social sciences: "what is ethnography". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theorization of social sciences in the 20th century walked forward with difficulty. Clifford Geertz's essay, "Thick description: Toward an interpretive theory of culture", which comprehensively explored the fundamental problems in the process, is an essential document in the history of thoughts in the social sciences in the twentieth century. In response to Geertz's reflection, this paper tries to reveal the predicament of interpretive anthropology and the entire social sciences and its methodological roots through an epistemological analysis of social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) need improving, with poor return-to-sport rates and a high risk of secondary re-injury. There is a need to improve rehabilitation strategies post-ACLR, if we can support enhanced patient outcomes. This paper discusses how to optimise the early-stage rehabilitation process post-ACLR. Early-stage rehabilitation is the vital foundation on which successful rehabilitation post-ACLR can occur. Without high-quality early-stage (and pre-operative) rehabilitation, patients often do not overcome major aspects of dysfunction, which limits knee function and the ability to transition through subsequent stages of rehabilitation optimally. We highlight six main dimensions during the early stage: (1) pain and swelling; (2) knee joint range of motion; (3) arthrogenic muscle inhibition and muscle strength; (4) movement quality/neuromuscular control during activities of daily living (5) psycho-social-cultural and environmental factors and (6) physical fitness preservation. The six do not share equal importance and the extent of time commitment devoted to each will depend on the individual patient. The paper provides recommendations on how to implement these into practice, discussing training planning and programming, and suggests specific screening to monitor work and when the athlete can progress to the next stage (e.g. mid-stage rehabilitation entry criteria). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study is to provide a synthesis of prior research of estimates of the willingness to pay (WTP) for chronic disease treatment and examines the impact of economic and political institutions, cultures, and other important factors on WTP. Subject and method: The paper applies meta-regression analysis to 1053 estimates of WTP from 188 medical treatment studies from 40 countries. Results: The results suggest that patients assign higher values for medical treatment in more capitalistic and more democratic countries. Cultural traits also appear to matter, with higher WTP in societies characterized by individualism and indulgence. Further, disease types matter. Compared to cancer, WTP is lower for diabetes, obesity, asthma, and heart disease treatment, but higher for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis therapy. GDP per capita is positively associated with WTP. The higher public health expenditure is in a country, the higher citizens value health benefits. If individuals expect to live longer, then they will spend less on their health. The published studies estimate a lower value than unpublished studies. Conclusion: This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of estimates of chronically ill patients' WTP for medical treatment and identifies the key factors determining WTP through a meta-regression analysis. The main finding is that economic and political institutions, cultural traits, the types of disease, socio-economic characteristics, and valuation methods all influence WTP estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay takes up the framework of Semiotic Cultural Psychology, which in last decade was very productive in analyzing societal phenomena. Digging into complex sensemaking mechanisms, underlying the interaction between individual and his surrounding environment, has consolidated a base of empirical data gathered from different societies. Aiming to better understand the role of culture in this interaction, the current paper proposes to bridge these findings of observable macro-processes with the ones from the Active inference theory and cognitive science. Similarities between the two frameworks, as well as possible benefits of employing them for one goal, are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advocates for a renewed focus into the experiential domain of religious and spiritual expression in research on physical and mental health. Most studies, up to now, have investigated risk or protection associated with behavioral measures of religiousness, whether public behaviors such as religious attendance or private behaviors such as personal prayer. Religious attitudes, beliefs, and identity have been studied, as well, as have religious self-rating scales of various types, but, relatively less emphasized have been subjective experiences, such as feelings of transcendence or unitive connection with the divine. There is good reason to believe that such experiences may impact on well-being, based both on previous studies and on theory and clinical observation. This paper suggests that although researching the domain of such seemingly ineffable experiences may present certain conceptual and methodological challenges, these would be worth facing in order to gain deeper insight into the human spiritual dimension and into connections among body, mind, and spirit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we turn to the notion of networking theories with the aim of contrasting two theoretical mathematics education perspectives inspired by Vygotsky's work, namely, the Theory of Objectification and the Documentational Approach to Didactics. We are interested in comparing/contrasting these theories in accordance with the following three main questions: (a) the role that the theories ascribe to language and resources; (b) the conceptions that the theories bring forward concerning the teacher, and (c) the understandings they offer of the mathematics classroom. In the first part of the paper, some basic concepts of each perspective are presented. The second part includes some episodes from a lesson on the teaching and learning of algebra in a Grade 1 class (6–7-year-old students). The episodes serve as background to carry out, in the third part of the paper, a dialogue between proponents of the theoretical perspectives around the identified main questions. The dialogue shows some theoretical complementarities and differences and reveals, in particular, different conceptions of the teacher and the limits and possibilities that language affords in teaching–learning mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we argue that adopting an inclusive approach where diverse cultures are represented in research is of prime importance for cognitive psychology. The overrepresentation of participant samples and researchers from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) cultures limits the generalizability of findings and fails to capture potential sources of variability, impeding understanding of human cognition. In an analysis of articles in representative cognitive psychology journals over the five-year period of 2016–2020, we find that only approximately 7% of articles consider culture, broadly defined. Of these articles, a majority (83%) focus on language or bilingualism, with small numbers of articles considering other aspects of culture. We argue that methodology and theory developed in the last century of cognitive research not only can be leveraged, but will be enriched by greater diversity in both populations and researchers. Such advances pave the way to uncover cognitive processes that may be universal or systematically differ as a function of cultural variations, and the individual differences in relation to cultural variations. To make a case for broadening this scope, we characterize relevant cross-cultural research, sample classic cognitive research that is congruent with such an approach, and discuss compatibility between a cross-cultural perspective and the classic tenets of cognitive psychology. We make recommendations for large and small steps for the field to incorporate greater cultural representation in the study of cognition, while recognizing the challenges associated with these efforts and acknowledging that not every research question calls for a cross-cultural perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural influences are pervasive throughout human behaviour, and as human–robot interactions become more common, roboticists are increasingly focusing attention on how to build robots that are culturally competent and culturally sustainable. The current treatment of culture in robotics, however, is largely limited to the definition of culture as national culture. This is problematic for three reasons: it ignores subcultures, it loses specificity and hides the nuances in cultures, and it excludes refugees and stateless persons. We propose to shift the focus of cultural robotics to redefine culture as an emergent phenomenon. We make use of three research programmes in the social and cognitive sciences to justify this definition. Consequently, cultural behaviour cannot be explicitly programmed into a robot, rather, a robot must be designed with the capability to participate in the interactions that lead to the arising of cultural behaviour. In the final part of the paper, we explore which capacities and abilities are the most salient for a robot to do this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major proponents of both Distributed Cognition and Predictive Processing have argued that the two theoretical frameworks are strongly compatible. An important conjecture supporting the union of the two frameworks is that cultural practices tend to reduce entropy —that is, to increase predictability— at all scales in a cultural cognitive ecosystem. This conjecture connects Distributed Cognition with Predictive Processing because it shows how cultural practices facilitate prediction. The present contribution introduces the following challenge to the union of Distributed Cognition and Predictive Processing: the problem of entropic cultural practices. The problem lies in the existence of multiple cultural practices that tend to increase entropy instead of reducing it. This paper discusses these entropic cultural practices and the nature of the problem at hand. Finally, the paper advances an expanded conception of cultural practices that could unite the two frameworks and explores the difficulties of committing to such a conception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]