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BackgroundDietary acculturation is the process by which diet and dietary practises from the environment of origin are retained or changed and/or those prevalent in a new environment are adopted. Despite rapid population growth the U.S., knowledge gaps exist on characterising dietary acculturation among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities (AANHPI). This study characterise dietary patterns in a sample representative of AANHPI on key demographic characteristics.MethodsData were from a 2013-2014 population-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area, U.S. Survey items were adapted from dietary acculturation scales developed for AANHPI populations. Validated measures assessed social capital, social standing, discrimination and immigration experiences. A principal components factor analysis was conducted to characterise dietary patterns of acculturation.ResultsThree dietary patterns were identified: "Asian," "Western," and a distinct "Multicultural" factor. Respondents reporting a high-Asian diet tended to also report smaller social networks, higher levels of stress, and, among those born outside of the U.S., an educational standing that was better before immigration. Respondents reporting a high-Western diet tended to also report the highest level of discrimination. Those reporting a high-Multicultural diet tended to report higher neighbourhood collective efficacy.ConclusionsThe finding of a distinct "Multicultural" factor beyond the typical "Asian" and "Western" factors may reflect the multidirectional relationships between culture, diet, and dietary behavior, in which origin and destination cultures interact in complex ways and where foods from multiple ethnicities intermix.

Law students entering school in 2023 are the most racially diverse group yet, continuing a multi-year trend. 'Forty percent are students of color, compared to 39% in 2022, and 36.9% [...]

Born in London in 1997, Andrej Al-Asadi is among the foremost young poets writing in Macedonian today. In a conversation with Peter Constantine, he discusses his multicultural background and the [...]

Can we celebrate multiculturalism through teachers' training in a heterogeneous and diverse setting such as Israeli society? The current study examines teachers' processes through an online teachers' professional development program and an interactive activity, where 68 Israeli teachers shared their cultural stories with teachers from other cultures. Findings indicate that the teachers who met with teachers from other cultures, whom they usually do not meet, wanted to learn about each other's culture, including their religious values, practices, and traditions while looking for commonalities. Furthermore, such intercultural meetings can occur online if the activities are designed to foster meaningful meetings and discussions between different cultures despite the social rifts and the separation within the education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between the concepts of humility and competition in Confucianism and Daoism, and discusses their relevance to contemporary education. It argues that while both philosophical traditions value humility and caution against excessive competition, they do not outrightly reject competition; instead, they advocate for a harmonious balance between humility and competition through yielding (rang) and showing reverence (gong) or acting through non-action (wei-wu-wei) to resolve conflicts and promote healthy competition. The insights gleaned from this exploration carry significant implications for the moral development and mental well-being of students, particularly in the context of high-stakes testing cultures in China and other countries. They also offer valuable support in nurturing students' qualities such as openness to learning, humble leadership, and appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism essential for success in a diverse and interconnected world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are currently witnessing a turn to racism and anti-racism in Latin America. The recognition of racism is not new, but the attention and challenge to racism, in such an orchestrated way, is. What are the signals of such turn to racism and anti-racism? What are the overall lessons for Latin America and from Latin America to global antiracist efforts? This introduction looks at the arguments of the articles in this special issue to highlight how issues of racial visibility, naming racism, racial data, legal rights and recognition, entrepreneurship, mestizo identity, the possibilities of alliances, racially-aware struggles against class (and gendered) oppression, are key to understanding this turn. While we do not claim that these articles cover the full extent of this turn in Latin America, we suggest that analysing how this turn appears in Latin American opens useful ways of thinking about anti-racism more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research bibliography lists some of the hallmark works in the field of Cultural Linguistics and has an exclusive thematic focus on cultural‐linguistic approaches to world Englishes. Therefore, other important and congenial works that have been published under the umbrella of, for example, Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) or deal with langauges other than English are excluded but can be found in the respective references of the individual contributions of this special issue. The research bibliography offers reference works for research strands of the world Englishes framework, such as English language teaching and language use in multicultural and multilingual contexts, as well as language use in the public space. Furthermore, with a collection of publications ranging from the 1980s to most recent state‐of‐the‐art works from the year 2024, the authors identify trends and topical developments in the synthesized research of Cultural Linguistics and world Englishes and offer an outlook on new frontiers in this realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom's response to growing multiculturalism is subject to debate over how to respond, accommodate, and promote cultural diversity. This impacts on the role of educational psychologists (EPs) who work with children and young people (CYP), their families, and professionals from a variety of cultural backgrounds. EPs are responsible for engaging in, and developing, culturally responsive practice (CRP), an ongoing process which is both intrapersonal and interpersonal. Despite the pertinent influence of culture on educational psychology practice, there is a paucity of research exploring how EPs take culture into account in their work. A two-round Delphi method was used to explore how EPs can develop CRP, by reviewing literature pertaining to culture within school psychology practice, and more broadly within the psychological professions. A deductive thematic analysis was used to identify statements associated with CRP which were presented to EPs (n = 23) in round one, asking them to rate their perceived importance for their practice. In round two, EPs were invited to evaluate their response to statements which had not met consensus in round one (n = 18). 82 statements met consensus as key features of CRP for EPs, which are presented within a guiding self-reflective framework for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercultural competence refers to people's ability to understand and respect each other across all types of cultural barriers, and racial literacy stands out as a fundamental component of this competency. Particularly, in Korea, which has recently rapidly become a multicultural society, understanding diversity and cultivating racial literacy are important competencies. To achieve this goal, the teacher's role is important in developing and operating English classes using various teaching materials. This study introduces the development and application of an innovative online intercultural exchange programme conducted in a middle school using multiple technology resources. Going beyond dealing with superficial textbook coverage of multiculturalism, this programme encourages students to reflect on their own prejudices and share cultural experiences through engaging in technology-based open discussions and critical thinking about sensitive issues. In this paper, we first introduce the online intercultural exchange programme and teaching materials that we designed and operated for one semester and then carefully examine each class activity aimed at improving students' intercultural competence and racial literacy. Finally, we report the presiding teacher's reflections on the impact of this programme on the students in the class and suggest points for further discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent demographic changes in the United States have shown that we live in a multicultural society. However, for some reason, colleges and universities are still floundering in mediocrity when it comes to multiculturalism. What we see in higher education is multiculturalism that is fraudulent and unaccountable and the fact that individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and vulnerable backgrounds consistently endure White supremacy, racism, discrimination, and xenophobia, to say the least. In addition, we consistently see that proactive and measurable efforts are not made in the recruitment, retention, graduation, continuation, tenure, and promotion of students, faculty, staff, and leaders from CLD, immigrant, and vulnerable backgrounds. While there are well-written and documented policies, mission and vision statements, and goals and objectives in institutions of higher learning, there appears to be deficits in applicability and accountability measures of equity, diversity, quality, goodness, and fairness. Most strategies seem to be feel-good, look-good, fake, bandaid, and fraudulent approaches that are divorced from realities. How do we reverse these moves while respecting the traditional roles of higher education? This article responds to this critical question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization has transformed design practices, with multiculturalism influencing product and service development significantly. Incorporating global perspectives into design teams can be challenging. Learn how short documentary films inform and inspire designers to understand other cultures more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines major themes in 24 contemporary Canadian picture books to identify their potential to support children who are newcomers to Canada. Transition to a new country can be challenging for children and picture books are an effective tool for supporting their cultural and often linguistic transition. Through multimodal content analysis, the authors identify major themes that emerge from the visual and textual data in the books. Analysis identified prevailing themes related to family, food, multiculturalism, and geographic information. Each theme offers valuable insights into the diverse perspectives represented in the texts, providing a foundation for meaningful pedagogical applications for immigrant and newcomer children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the continued conundrums of racial and religious diversity in education. While social diversity is steadily increasing in Global North countries, there is little evidence of meaningful conviviality. Conversely, despite decades of dedicated multiculturalist policymaking, there is ample evidence of persisting educational disparities affecting pupils from minority backgrounds, as well as de facto segregation inside classrooms. This paper examines two reasons for the ongoing situation. Firstly, we explore the history of ‘intercultural’ approaches to education and demonstrate that they are too detached from the unequal dynamics of social and political life in diverse contexts. Secondly, we employ the concept of ‘museumification’ to show that diversity is often performed and curated, which ultimately keeps dominant structures intact. We conducted multi‐stakeholder participatory research in Birmingham, UK. The research involved several stages and outcomes, including collecting stories from Birmingham denizens with a refugee/immigrant background, working with a celebrated photographer to produce portraits of participants and using these materials to co‐produce educational resources for primary and secondary schools. Our findings suggest that ‘diversity’ must be approached, taught and learned as a lived/living reality, which will account for its highly complex, iterative and dis/located dynamics at the level of individual and communal identities. We articulate this through the concept of ‘living diversity’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates how Indigenous peoples have been portrayed in citizenship education in Taiwan since the downfall of the authoritarian regime in 1987. The trajectory of citizenship curriculum development elucidates how attitudes towards cultural citizenship and multiculturalism came into play to form the narratives we find in schools. Four versions of the official curriculum from 1983, 1999, 2010 and 2019 and the textbooks authorised for use with each are examined. Interviews with curriculum developers are also conducted to provide explanations behind the curriculum design. Through content and discourse analysis, it is discovered that Taiwanese citizenship education has evolved along conservative, liberal, pluralistic and critical multicultural constructs, and that portrayals of the Indigenous population have swung from depicting invisible, archaic and mythical figures to showing visible contemporary faces. The latest curriculum has adopted ‘question-based’ and ‘inter-curricular communication’ strategies to go beyond simplistic carnival-like multicultural celebrations. These thought-provoking and counter-narrative features aim to bring out critical perspectives in class though the latest curriculum still has room for improvement in terms of its subtlety of intersectionality and its action-oriented design. This Taiwanese case can be an example to young democracies in how a critical framework can be incorporated into the curriculum-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, grounded in sociolinguistics, examines the identity building, language transmission and educational strategies of immigrant d/Deaf multilingual learners (IDML). The scientific literature mainly focuses on a single pair of languages – the national spoken language and the national signed one. For example, Deaf Studies traditionally analyse the situation of the White Deaf user of English and American Sign Language (ASL). A major change has recently occurred with the emergence of multilingual, multicultural and inclusive Deaf Studies. At the same time, professionals and members of the school community regularly have to face the increasing diversity of d/Deaf students’ profiles. Qualitative data were collected on an IDML cohort residing in and attending primary or secondary schools in France from families who use a spoken or signed language other than French or French Sign Language (LSF) at home. The main results reveal how the building of d/Deaf identity depends on linguistic and cultural transmission within families and to what extent the diversity of IDML is considered in educational strategies at school. The goal of the present paper is to stress the urgent need for this new and crucial research area on IDML to be developed in the French context and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a part of applied science, a combination of Linguistics and Psychological Sciences which has been frequently used in various domains since 1970. Its effectiveness in responding to various situations can be seen in the scope of companies, businesses, campuses, education, marketing, health, personal life, and even the improvement of spiritual life. NLP is a powerful and useful methodology that helps us communicate effectively and get the desired results. In this research, NLP technique observations were carried out on the multiculturalism activities of Pandita/Hindu Religious Leaders in Bali. Hindu priests in Bali give religious lectures, cultural seminars, and religious and cultural rituals not only in Balinese and Indonesian but also in English. Multiculturalism activities are also carried out by various ethnic groups, religions, and citizens of the world. There are three NLP patterns used by Hindu Pandita in Bali in their multiculturalism activities: Deletion, Generalization, and Distortion. Frequently, the Deletion and Distortion techniques are most widely used. These techniques can provide benefits such as communication becoming more effective and flexible, the speaker becoming more charismatic, and listeners being curious about what kind of thoughts/views they have and having further curiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early education helping young children manage prejudiced attitudes towards themselves and others is urgent. Early childhood (EC) teachers in Saudi Arabia are making significant changes by applying an anti-bias approach to deal with such issues with young children. In the study reported on here we used a quantitative approach to explore anti-bias education, including an analysis of approaches to the cultural environment, which includes teaching practices and associated learning resources. Many teachers (n = 142) in the cities of Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia contributed to this study by completing a questionnaire. Teachers' classroom practices, such as role-play, pictures, books, toys, and materials in teaching children the concept of antibias, were deeply explored. The results of the study show that the greater the previous experience of teachers in teaching children from a culture different from their own, the greater the application of the concept of anti-bias in creating the classroom environment. There is a need for further studies on the extent to which anti-bias education is being implemented on a larger scale in primary schools in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With English hegemony sustained in 'multicultural' Anglophone universities, non-English speaking research students often develop diverse strategies to improve their English. While such strategies demonstrate a form of resilience, the symbolic power of English remains intact. To grapple with this paradox, we draw on the work of Pierre Bourdieu to probe Chinese international research students' academic language practice in response to English monolingualism in Australian universities. Findings from semi-structured interviews with 18 Chinese international research students in Australian universities indicate that participants' academic language practice is influenced by both the doxic English monolingualism and the evolving exercise of academic multilingualism. Drawing insights from Bourdieu-informed sociology of resilience and post-monolingual theorising, we problematise English monolingualism and provide recommendations for (Chinese) international research students, supervisors, and universities to capitalise on linguistic repertories for the sake of enriching academic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores some of the conversations currently taking place within Asian Canadian studies as they relate to coalitional spaces and community building. Specifically, I look at a co-op radio program from Vancouver called Pender Guy which aired in the 1970s. The members of Pender Guy were comprised of artists and activists from the Asian Canadian community attempting to establish and solidify their own collective identity during a time when minority communities and people of color were often sidelined or else considered as "surplus" to a national narrative that privileged Anglo- and Franco-Canadian identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguistics is conspicuously absent from language teaching in UK schools. A‐level cultural topics cover a range of themes such as cyber‐society, cultural heritage and multiculturalism, but the approach taken to these topics is not informed by linguistics. In previous work, we have argued that this is an unfortunate omission not only because linguistics is appealing to many language students and perceived by them to be useful, but also because the existing cultural topics could be significantly enriched by the inclusion of the critical/analytical study of language itself. In this paper, we provide concrete examples of how linguistics can be integrated into the existing A‐level curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in England and Wales. Reporting on a project in which teachers trialled linguistics materials co‐created by us (a group of academics) and experienced languages teachers, we present evidence that linguistics materials are perceived to be both highly novel and nonetheless compatible with the existing A‐level curriculum. Data from questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews with participating teachers also show that: (i) these new materials can be taught with little or no prior experience of linguistics; and (ii) adding linguistics materials to the curriculum leads to significant impacts on teacher and pupil attitudes towards language(s). Despite some challenges, which we also discuss, the results highlight again the great potential of linguistics as a component of language teaching and the contribution that it can make to the enrichment of the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractEthnic inequalities in housing in England are entrenched and long-standing. Minority ethnic groups are more likely than the White British population to experience housing disadvantage and deprivation. In recent years, little attention has focused on what steps housing policy is taking to promote race equality. This study fills this gap in knowledge. Focusing on four key housing policy interventions, it traces the policy approach to race equality in England since 2000. A paradigmatic shift is revealed. Previously, policy actively promoted race equality. Inequalities remained but progress was made tackling disadvantage. In contrast, the contemporary policy approach is characterised by non-intervention. This shift is related to the retreat from multiculturalism and increasing influence of postracial notions about the fading legacy of racism, allied with neoliberal understandings of inequality as the product of individual responsibility and choice. In conclusion, the paper calls for research to scrutinise these presumptions and explore whether policy is following a similar trajectory in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational feminism has become a prevalent paradigm in feminist theory, but its connection with creative practices such as music remains unclear. This article addresses the relationship between music, culture and feminism and considers the extent to which world music creates spaces for transnational feminist praxis. Applying Chandra Mohanty's 'tourism', 'exploration' and 'solidarity' models for internationalising feminism, I question whose feminism is performed and negotiated at WOMAD, one of the most influential international music festivals in Europe. I argue that world music encounters have the potential to both help and hinder the cause of feminism across borders as music can reinforce and resist power inequalities between women from different places and cultures and intercultural music encounters can create the conditions for locating transnational feminist discourse within specific struggles and working through the mutualities and tensions between different feminisms. In doing so, I seek to show the value of bridging feminist geography and musicology, as the former can be used to critically analyse the plurality of feminisms at play in musical contexts, while the latter can illustrate how transnational feminist work is being undertaken outside the explicitly political realm and how expressive means of communication may disrupt assumptions about empowering/disempowering feminisms and exemplify the complex intersections between feminism, place and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the rigorous efforts made to promote the use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI), EMI teachers still face linguistic and pedagogical challenges in effectively delivering subject content in English. Previous research has revealed that, faced with such challenges, teachers employ various strategies to make subject knowledge accessible to students, including pedagogical translanguaging. However, there is little empirical evidence of how EMI teachers deploy pedagogical translanguaging to facilitate content learning in secondary science classrooms, particularly in countries or regions where English is not widely used outside schools. Against this backdrop, the current study adopts a qualitative approach to examine the pedagogical translanguaging practices of two EMI science teachers, as well as the factors contributing to their practices at an international secondary school in Shanghai, China. The methods used were video‐assisted classroom observation and semi‐structured interviews. These were subjected to multimodal conversation analysis and thematic analysis, respectively. The findings reveal that teachers' pedagogical translanguaging practices involve strategically incorporating and orchestrating all multilingual, multimodal, and multisemiotic resources available to facilitate meaning‐making and enhance students' comprehension of subject knowledge. Meanwhile, personal, social, and contextual factors play an important role in shaping teachers' pedagogical translanguaging practices. This study showcases pedagogical translanguaging as a strategic means to create space for teaching and learning in EMI contexts, and provides useful insights into potential improvements to EMI pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the beliefs of university students at a university in Canada regarding multiculturalism and multicultural society, through examining the metaphors they use to talk about these concepts. We interviewed 50 students about their perceptions and experiences of multiculturalism in Canada and then asked them to explain their choice of metaphors. Many of the metaphors could be grouped under more general metaphor themes, such as a multicultural society is a varied multicomponent piece of art/craft (comprising, e.g., mosaic and tapestry metaphors) and multicultural society is a container to mix things (comprising, e.g., melting pot and salad bowl metaphors). According to the literature, the former theme is compatible with the view that multiculturalism involves integration while preserving diversity, whereas the latter is associated with the notion of assimilation. Canadian students appeared to be more inclined than international students to use the (positive) varied multicomponent piece of art/craft theme relative to the other metaphors in the total data set. The interview data also revealed marked differences among participants as regards their awareness of metaphor but prompting them to reflect on their choice of metaphors often had an awareness‐raising effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicultural and colourblind approaches to managing diversity are often conceptualized to be antagonistic. However, in principle, both have underlying motives for social justice, making it important to understand how they may be psychologically reconciled. In the present research, we examined dialectical thinking as an individual characteristic or condition under which people may endorse them in a conciliatory way. Across five studies (three pre‐registered; N = 1899), using well‐established materials that have measured and experimentally manipulated dialectical thinking, we found that individual differences in dialectical thinking were a replicable factor that moderated the relationship between colourblind and multicultural ideals. By contrast, situational priming of dialectical thinking did not reliably impact this relationship. Therefore, people with a greater propensity to view issues from multiple perspectives and to reconcile seemingly contradictory information appear more likely to take a harmonized approach to endorsing colourblind and multicultural ideals. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how children construct their belonging in culturally diverse early childhood settings in Finland and Iceland. Belonging is understood as a holistic phenomenon that is constructed through various relations. The study is a multiple-case study, influenced by ethnographic approaches, conducted with children in two preschool settings, one in Finland and one in Iceland. The children were invited on walking tours with researchers and tablet computers, and participatory observations were utilised. The findings explore the daily moments in which belonging becomes constructed, involving movements, timing, touch, and play, relationally generated moments between children, and their material relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia first documented national goals for primary and secondary education in 1989 with the Hobart Declaration on Schooling. Since then, Australia's goals for the education of children have been updated in three subsequent National Education Declarations. Each of the Declarations includes specific goals for Indigenous Australian students, as well as goals for students to learn about Indigenous Australian peoples and cultures. Arranged into four thematic sections covering each Declaration, this paper traces colonial representation of Indigenous Australians in these policy documents. Each section discusses the socio-political factors that influenced education policy at the time each Declaration was written, and the socio-political priorities of Indigenous peoples in the same period. We argue that the evolution of representations of Indigenous peoples in education policy is evidence of the continued resistance of Indigenous peoples to colonial dominance in education policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internationalization of specialized healthcare emphasizes multiculturalism, requiring adaptable hospital spaces. Sant Joan de Déu (SJD), a leading pediatric hospital managed by a Christian order, has created a multifaith room for prayer and meditation in the main lobby of the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB). This manuscript presents an unpublished case study, showing the research conducted for the design of the multireligious room and the process of its construction. The methodology includes a bibliographic review, architectural analysis of three meditation spaces, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders. This project highlights SJD's commitment to blending care and design, emphasizing the humanization of hospital spaces. The triad of religion, public space, and society makes more sense here than ever before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What further evidence is needed to effectively address the unsatisfactory schooling experiences and educational trajectory of Black youth to help shape their path toward more successful social outcomes? I return to this persistent question in my research to reflect on how I have used sociological research in prior observations, and to build on earlier studies. I show how following research participants over a period of time, and with attention to how they relate to and are nested in community, family and peers, has enabled me to more effectively document their experiences, imaginations, and ambitions from adolescence to adulthood. I contend that longitudinal studies, framed by a community referenced approach, best ensure that we attend to the complex, diverse, and transitional lives of Black youth, and the social, cultural, educational, economic, and political contexts they navigate. At this time of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, sociology could help to advance education about, and initiate action for, Black people so that the equity promised by Canadian multiculturalism might be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of REMAH Journal is the property of Research & Development of Human Recourses Center (REMAH) 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 research aims to conceptualize and categorize diaspora festivals. The study defines diaspora festivals as events organized by diaspora or transnational associations, public organizations, or event organizers with the aim of providing unique experiential benefits to diasporas while offering opportunities for locals and tourists to participate. These festivals depend on support from various stakeholders and the cooperation of the locals for successful execution. The study introduces seven types of diaspora festivals, classified into primary types including transnational, ethnic-migrant, multicultural, and homecoming festivals; and secondary types including host, homeland, and tourist festivals. These typologies have practical implications for various stakeholders, such as migrant sending and receiving countries, event organizers, diasporic individuals, and international organizations. Furthermore, understanding the concept and characteristics of different types of diaspora festivals can contribute to sustainable development goals and the preservation of intangible heritages while providing researchers with a clear framework for further exploration of these festivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work on linguistic landscapes at schools (schoolscapes) has highlighted the complex dialogic relationship between the semiotics of public signage in educational spaces and policies seeking to enforce dominant ideologies. In this paper, we discuss the results of research conducted in the Deep South of Thailand, a minority region in which the predominant language, ethnicity and religion are different from the rest of the nation, and which has over the last century been exposed to significant assimilatory pressure. Drawing on an analysis of language use in two Islamic schools in the region, as well as interviews and focus groups with administrators, teachers and students, we focus on the temporality of meanings – how schoolscapes are anchored in narratives of the past, present and future. Historical memories evoked by particular elements of the schoolscapes are discussed, particularly in light of the efforts of the local population to resist assimilatory policies. We also discuss the aspirations of our participants for the future, observing that, while recent language policy in Thailand has focussed primarily on promoting Thai and English, our participants saw a much more varied plurilingualism as relevant to their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of internationalisation and growing attention to intercultural experiences in tertiary education, this mixed-methods study examined, in part I, language learning benefits reaped by active participants in intercultural activities. As English is widely used for communication among multilinguals, part II of the study focused specifically on English. We set out to investigate the relationship between individuals' language background (actual and self-perceived English proficiency) and intercultural participation, as well as their views of the formal English language education they received prior to entering universities. The participants (n = 518) recruited from two universities in Hong Kong responded to a questionnaire and 11 of them also attended individual semi-structured interviews. Overall, five categories of benefits emerged from the interview findings, namely psychological benefits, proficiency enhancement, identification of problems, communicative strategies for accommodation, and communicative strategies for expression. A weak positive correlation was found between self-rated English speaking proficiency and participation. The interviewees also commented on the formal English education they received from curricular and environmental perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Elementary Education / Revija za Elementarno Izobraževanje is the property of University of Maribor, Faculty of Education 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.)

Türkiye, the country hosting the most refugees in the world, hosted millions of refugees due to the Syrian civil war, the Taliban coup, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Among these communities, Syrian refugees are the majority in number and have been mainly influencing Türkiye's agenda for the last decade. This unexpected and sudden contact elevated intergroup tension and conflict between host and Syrian refugee communities. We aimed to examine the association between multiculturalism, positive and negative emotions, perceived outgroup threat, social distance, and xenophobia toward refugees among non-WEIRD participants in the prejudice-intense intergroup context through two correlational studies (Ntotal = 898) to shed light on possible remedies for these conflicts. Study 1 revealed that multiculturalism negatively predicted social distance toward Syrian refugees. This association was mediated by positive and negative emotions. Study 2, which focused on xenophobia as an outcome, found that multiculturalism negatively predicted xenophobia, and positive and negative emotions had a mediator role on the association between these variables. We also found that participants with higher social distancing towards Syrian refugees had lower and poorer intergroup contact quality and perceived more outgroup threat than those with lower social distancing. The findings indicated that greater multiculturalism and positive emotions were associated with low social distance and xenophobia in the prejudice-intense context. We discussed the findings in terms of the potential benefits of multiculturalism and the positive emotions for attitudes towards refugees in prejudice-intense relationships between hosts and refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review 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.)

Using Border Pedagogy (Giroux, H. 2005. Border Crossings: Cultural Workers and the Politics of Education. New York, NY: Routledge.) as a guiding lens, this study examines the third-grade Korean American students' responses to multicultural children's literature that illustrates different kinds of borders (i.e. racial, religious, linguistic, and physical). 14 different multicultural children's picture books (Asian, Hispanic, European, and African) are introduced to the Korean students from transnational families in a Korean heritage language school in the U.S. throughout the semester. The findings present that the students' responses during book discussions showed that using multicultural children's literature supported the value of facilitating their border crossing. The findings provide implications for educators that using multicultural children's picture books can be an influential pedagogical instrument to provide experiences of crossing borders between cultures of themselves and others. This border crossing perspective can potentially help the students construct their own cultures, experiences, and histories to better understand those of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiculturalism is increasingly shaping contemporary societies, yet food, a fundamental human necessity, often becomes a point of cultural and belief-based contention. The halal food industry has grown significantly, garnering support both locally and internationally. However, this burgeoning sector faces challenges related to establishing standardized regulations that acknowledge its role in nation-building and promote cultural diversity. This study aimed to assess the awareness and acceptance of pre-certified halal food among non-Muslim students across secondary schools in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat. Employing a descriptive survey research design, the study utilized a researcher-developed questionnaire administered to 350 students selected through simple random sampling from seven identified schools in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat. Findings indicated that despite Lambayong's diverse population, most respondents demonstrated awareness and positive perceptions of pre-certified halal food. However, some community elders and church leaders expressed reservations about allowing younger generations to consume such food. The study also observed that while many vendors and proprietors were Muslim, not all adhered to the practice of wearing hijab (for Muslim women), and some lacked necessary cooking equipment like gloves and hairnets. Furthermore, certain halal establishments were found to have inadequate sanitation and pest control measures. Ultimately, the study concluded that there exists a moderate relationship between respondents' awareness and their acceptance of halal food. Recommendations include schools collaborating with barangay and local government units to monitor the hygiene of nearby restaurants and canteens. Additionally, halal food establishments should prioritize enhancing their sanitation practices and hygiene protocols to ensure compliance and consumer confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The official uniform of the Song Dynasty stands out for its simplicity with the golden leather belt around the waist being its most distinctive feature and an important indicator for distinguishing official ranks. The golden leather belt not only possesses unique stylistic characteristics but also embodies diverse cultural connotations which helps deepen people's understanding and recognition of the clothing style and cultural phenomena of the Song Dynasty. This article delves into the golden leather belt in the official uniform of the Song Dynasty through a combination of excavated artifacts images and ancient literary records. The research reveals that the golden leather belt as an essential accessory for officials is elongated in shape and adorned with gold buckles and tailpieces at both ends with the belt styles being double-buckle or single-buckle. The belt plate serving as the core component varies in shape arrangement pattern and weight. There are two types of belt plate arrangements a combination of round and square plates and a solely tight arrangement of square plates. Patterns on the belt plates such as ball-and-road patterns imperial fairy flower patterns and lychee patterns not only reflect the noble status of officials but also represent the aesthetic tastes and cultural characteristics of the Song society. The research further discovers that the imperial fairy flower pattern is slightly superior to the lychee pattern and the lychee pattern is not a simplified version of the imperial fairy flower pattern. The weight difference in patterns subtly reflects the status of officials. Therefore the golden leather belt is closely related to the court etiquette of the Song Dynasty becoming a symbol of the noble status of high-ranking officials. In addition the uniqueness of the stylistic features of the golden leather belt in the Song Dynasty is profoundly influenced by foreign multiculturalism. Structurally the fusion of the utilitarian concept of northern nomadic peoples and the Confucian value of "priority in rank transformed the leather belt from a hanging tool to a symbol of status and rank. Technologically the robust and unpretentious metalworking skills of Western Asia blended with the aesthetic tastes influenced by Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty jointly creating vivid and plain gold belt plates. In terms of patterns the decorative culture of human-lion fighting motifs in Sassanian style skillfully fused with the harmonious concept of "harmony between man and nature in Chinese culture forming a harmonious lion pattern. In conclusion the stylistic features of the golden leather belt in the Song Dynasty not only reflect the status of officials but also serve as an important example of the integration of social styles and multiculturalism in the Song Dynasty. In future research we will continue to delve deeper into the etiquette and cultural connotations of leather belts made of other materials in the Song Dynasty aiming to more comprehensively reveal the richness and diversity of the belt system and cultural connotations of the Song Dynasty. We strive to further promote the inheritance and promotion of ancient Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociologists have long studied the educational incorporation of immigrants and refugees, but most scholarship focuses on questions of access, achievement, attainment, and acculturation. We extend this literature by examining the incorporation of immigrants and refugees in the cultural content of schooling, drawing on a unique dataset spanning 509 textbooks from 80 countries, representing all regions of the world from 1963 to 2011. Our descriptive and multilevel regression analyses reveal a mixed picture. On one hand, textbook discussions of immigrants and refugees have expanded over time and are especially pervasive in textbooks that invoke post-national conceptions of citizenship and in countries that host large foreign-born populations. But we also document stagnating discussions of immigrants and refugees in recent decades, a casting of these groups as part of the historical past more than contemporary civics and society, and a tendency toward their curricular omission in countries with a recent history of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiculturalism has emerged in the last half-century as a leading if often embattled ideological stance celebrating the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States. One common interpretation traces it to the 1970s, acknowledging a minor precursor in the "cultural pluralism" advanced by intellectuals in the 1910s but casting multiculturalism itself as fundamentally new. Yet this depiction has been challenged by scholars re-examining American pluralist ideologies between World War I and the 1960s, finding that they had wider popularity, stronger institutional roots, and, at times, a role in shaping post-1970 multiculturalism. This new history puts that multiculturalism in a very different light. It is both new and old, a project that has broken with earlier pluralist projects in its broader reach and expanded categories of difference, but one that shares with them an inclusive approach to non-European groups, an institutional base, therapeutic interventions to improve intergroup relations, and a mass audience. This review essay examines the work of two groups of such historians. The first has located vibrant strands of pluralism in American civic culture from the 1920s into the 1960s and the footing they gained in schools, advocacy organizations, and the federal state. The second group has underlined the regional dimension of American pluralism in unearthing pluralist languages and movements in Southern California dating to the 1930s—projects that reflected that region's extraordinary diversity in their focus on multiple groups defined in terms of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of government policies to manage immigration has led to the emergence of an interdisciplinary literature that evaluates policy effects on immigrant integration. This review synthesizes findings from evaluations of policies regulating legal status and citizenship, the labor market, welfare, settlement, education, and cultural rights. It concludes that policies lowering immigrants' costs of adjustment to the host country are consistently more effective in promoting integration than policies incentivizing immigrant effort through withholding resources and regulating access to rights. Policy changes the behavior of both immigrants and native-born citizens through material and psychological pathways, and considering the decision making of each side and their interdependence is crucial for understanding why estimated effects of the same policy differ across contexts and for anticipating unintended consequences. For external validity and useful counterfactuals, a closer connection is needed between empirical research and theoretical models that explicitly account for the equilibrium nature of integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal conceptual theory (OCT) is a holistic model espousing a person's reality is simultaneously spiritual and material, encapsulating biological, social, cognitive, and spiritual elements, conceptualized through an Africana worldview. Although created over 31 years ago, very little literature exists examining OCT as a viable counseling theory with clients. The purpose of this article is to correct that trend and provide a brief case example illustrating how to utilize OCT in a counseling setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the oral life-histories of women who were in long-term heterosexual intercultural romantic relationships, the article examines the food preparation and consumption practices of their intercultural households in 1960s–1990s Leicester, England. The women's narratives expand our historical understanding of how migration to Britain since 1945 has affected domestic foodways. The women's memories illustrate their proactive interaction with, or resistance to, the cultural traditions and practices of their male partners. They show the extent to which cultural exchange permeated life together, including through the couples' social gatherings with families and friends. The article argues the women's execution of their food management responsibilities variably reshaped and adapted their sense of self and the cultural identities of those they were responsible for feeding—a nuanced perspective on the origins, and success or otherwise, of Britain's multicultural society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study we examine how Finnish vocational education and training (VET) experts reflect on multiculturalism in the aftermath of a major reform. The research material consists of interviews with educational policy experts in Finnish VET, namely: principals, government officials and lobbyists (N = 11). A qualitative thematic analysis reveals the following three latent themes through which experts reflect on multiculturalism: 1) multiculturalism as individualisation; 2) multiculturalism as competition; and 3) multiculturalism as shared responsibility. The results show that Finnish VET experts see multiculturalism as a critical challenge for education and working life. On the other hand, it is still unclear whether the 2018 VET reform will be able to resolve the different dilemmas and contradictions that the experts connect with multiculturalism. Experts understand multiculturalism narrowly as synonymous with immigration and as something that happens in encounters with Finns, even though it is not shared by Finns themselves. While most of the experts argue that personalisation and working life are particularly important for immigrants and students with an immigrant background, others are worried about the future of broader social competences in Finnish VET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the meanings and practices of multiculturalism among young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds in one of Australia's most multicultural cities. It is based on a three-year ethnographic study exploring refugee and migrant youth engaged in sports and arts in the suburbs of Melbourne known as "migrant", "ethnic" and "multicultural" areas. The result of the study indicates that multiculturalism from below can happen differently from the "place making" strategy or "ethnic enclave" idea in which ethnic minorities are viewed as creating their own ethnic colonies in isolation from the mainstream society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]