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We construct a finite-dimensional metabelian right-symmetric algebra over an arbitrary field that does not have a finite basis of identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how women and men appraise and interpret their experiences of cyberbullying at work and how they respond to such behaviours within a gendered cultural space, using the theory of sensemaking. Within the interpretive research paradigm, data was collected through in-depth, in-person interviews from 10 male and 25 female employees who had experienced cyberbullying. The findings indicated the similar and different ways that sense was made by men and women employees about their cyberbullying experiences. While making sense of cyberbullying experiences has been a very social endeavour for women, it has been a relatively private and individual process for men. Further, women had been more assertive and had relentlessly attempted to clear their image and regain their fractured identities as respectable women, while men mainly had been passive in trying to protect their fractured identities as good performers. Further, gender role stereotypes and gender scripts appeared to have influenced the sensemaking process and the participants' reactions. This article contributes to the limited literature on cyberbullying at work and develops existing understandings of how men and women understand and react to cyberbullying experiences in a gendered cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances existing work on the geographies of homelessness by considering the phenomenon of sofa‐surfing—defined as the practice of living in a host's home, without a right to reside, in the absence of more permanent accommodation—as a distinctive, and until recently somewhat hidden, form of homelessness. Examining sofa‐surfing is important as it recognises the varied and intersecting spatial, temporal and mobility characteristics of vulnerable populations, often thought to be living at the margins of homelessness. Across the globe, the significant increase in sofa‐surfing since the 2010s, coupled with the unique, and frequently hidden, movements between 'host' homes, and the interrelationships that exist between sofa‐surfers and hosts, makes sofa‐surfing an essential lens through which to interpret the diverse geographies of 21st Century homelessness. To achieve this, we draw together work from a range of global contexts that examine the roots of stigmatised homeless identities and punitive public policies, alongside studies of homeless mobilities and performative homeless identities, to help understand the complex precarities associated with feelings of dislocation and (not) belonging. Investigating patterns of sofa‐surfing mobilities alongside sofa‐surfers' fluid performative identities matters, and this paper provides new ways of understanding how such unique interactions impact sofa‐surfers' felt capacities to belong within and between sofa‐surfing spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociologists have extensively studied the prevalence of intensive parenting among middle-class families as a response to uncertainties about maintaining their privileged class status. Most studies, however, have focused on traditional school systems, which overlooks the full spectrum of middle-class parenting values and practices, particularly those beyond mainstream schooling. To address this gap, this study explores an alternative middle-class choice for raising and educating children through the lens of Chinese homeschooling. Drawing on in-depth interviews with middle-class parents from 30 Chinese families of school-age children being homeschooled in Taipei and Hong Kong, this study investigates the paradoxes and ambiguities that arose as the parents navigated and negotiated competing values for their children. The findings reveal that the parents mobilised their cultural repertoires to seek a coherent narrative that made sense of and justified their homeschooling goals and practices in the Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates that the social categories of indigenous and white-mestizo are essentialist, reductionist, and therefore insufficient to encompass the diverse expressions of identity that exist. Understood through fluid and interchangeable lines, a new category is proposed: the border identity. Exemplified through the ethnic communes of the parish of Manglaralto, in the province of Santa Elena, Ecuador, this new category is intended to reconcile opposites and dismantle existing binaries to better capture the multifaceted social diversity of different sociocultural expressions. Previously agricultural, these communes have been transformed into internationally known tourist destinations, while being denied recognition of their ethnic identity due to the acculturations they have been subject to through various historical periods. Their members are labeled as acculturated indigenous or cholos, too mestizo to be considered indigenous and too indigenous to be considered mestizo. Qualitative methods such as participant observations, informal conversations, and semi-structured interviews were used for the ethnographic work spanning more than four years. The data collected and analyzed data showed how these communities, through constant negotiation with the white-mestizo world, achieve autonomy even within deeply dependent relationships. The study illustrates how they operate from an interstice, an intermediate space, which complicates their placement within existing social categories, underscoring the need to conceptualize new social categories beyond traditional binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article develops and applies the concept of liminality and liminal identities to illustrate the relative positioning of graduates within the transitional spaces of moving from one institutional context to another and navigating an uncertain and challenging labour market. The current pandemic-affected labour market provided a rich context through which recent graduates have to sense-make and negotiate a future identity trajectory, exacerbating challenges evident over the past several decades. Drawing on qualitative interview data with recent graduates, this article depicts the liminal spaces they occupy through a typology of transitional positionings, including movement between these spaces. These ideas carry wider implications for supporting graduates' transition to a challenging and volatile labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion 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.)

Pairing affect theory with raciolinguistic perspectives, this study examines the racialized and embodied identities of second-generation Chinese American heritage language learners. Drawing on the data collected through in-depth interviews, the study observes that second-generation Chinese Americans' affective experiences, such as their racialized and embodied encounters with food, fashion, accent, and physical appearance, play a crucial role in shaping their identities. These individuals reported a mix of both heritage and American identities, which stemmed from their embodied exposure to languages and cultures. While they originally felt pressured to assimilate to the dominant culture, the Chinese American individuals reported that their heritage identities evolved over time as they began to counter raciolinguistic ideologies through reflecting on their embodied and racialized experience. This study raises a number of pedagogical issues regarding second-generation heritage language learners and discusses ways to develop antiracist pedagogy in the context of heritage language education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What do tests performed on human bodies tell us? Hormones and genetics have become increasingly central to contemporary understandings of identities and kinship. In this article, narratives around hormone and genetic testing are examined through two examples: the use of DNA testing in migration control and hormone testing in sports. In the name of "fair sport" and "fair migration", people are being tested because of regulations by the federation or by the state. Testing is said to produce better knowledge, where knowledge without testing is unreliable and defined as a problem which constitutes a risk to fair participation or belonging. In the narratives examined in this article, there is a simultaneous stabilization and destabilization of identity, gender and race. We argue for a slightly different articulation of molecularization, compared to how it has previously been conceptualized in canonized scholarly work. When considered as strategic and entangled with gender, race, and sexuality, molecularization appears as not only a development within or from biopolitics but also as a part of necropolitics. The relation between politics and molecularization is here centred on control by knowing the individual through biological tests, a form of control which we call testinaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Luxury consumption has evolved, and two important reasons behind the change include globalization and the COVID-19 crisis. These factors have led to the rise of new luxury consumption, which is different from traditional luxury consumption. This study examines how consumers' identities shape their intentions to consume traditional luxury and new luxury brands. Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical underpinnings of the schema congruity theory and heuristic systematic framework were applied to understand the role of identities in determining consumers' regulatory focus, price luxuriousness inference and preference for traditional and new luxury brands. Findings: Findings suggest that the global identity of consumers shapes their promotion focus and price luxuriousness inferences. However, their local identities induce a prevention goal. Consumers with such a goal are unlikely to make price luxuriousness inferences. Further, these inferences lead to the choice of traditional luxury over new luxury brands. The results also establish the moderating effects of consumer flexibility. Originality/value: The extant literature is inconclusive on the role of globalization in luxury consumption and ignores new luxury brands. The current study shows the impact of identities and regulatory focus on traditional and new luxury consumption. The findings also indicate consumers' regulatory focus and price luxuriousness inference as the reasons behind the influence. The paper also implies that consumers open to renting, sharing or buying second-hand goods will prefer new luxury over traditional luxury brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates that the social categories of indigenous and white-mestizo are essentialist, reductionist, and therefore insufficient to encompass the diverse expressions of identity that exist. Understood through fluid and interchangeable lines, a new category is proposed: the border identity. Exemplified through the ethnic communes of the parish of Manglaralto, in the province of Santa Elena, Ecuador, this new category is intended to reconcile opposites and dismantle existing binaries to better capture the multifaceted social diversity of different sociocultural expressions. Previously agricultural, these communes have been transformed into internationally known tourist destinations, while being denied recognition of their ethnic identity due to the acculturations they have been subject to through various historical periods. Their members are labeled as acculturated indigenous or cholos, too mestizo to be considered indigenous and too indigenous to be considered mestizo. Qualitative methods such as participant observations, informal conversations, and semi-structured interviews were used for the ethnographic work spanning more than four years. The data collected and analyzed data showed how these communities, through constant negotiation with the white-mestizo world, achieve autonomy even within deeply dependent relationships. The study illustrates how they operate from an interstice, an intermediate space, which complicates their placement within existing social categories, underscoring the need to conceptualize new social categories beyond traditional binaries.

Let A be a finite-dimensional superalgebra with superautomorphism φ over a field of characteristic zero. In [11] the authors gave a positive answer to the Amitsur's conjecture in this setting showing that the φ -exponent of A exists and it is an integer. In the present paper we extend the notion of minimal variety to the context of superalgebras with superautomorphism and prove that a variety is minimal of fixed φ -exponent if, and only if, it is generated by a subalgebra of an upper block triangular matrix algebra equipped with a suitable elementary Z 2 -grading and superautomorphism. Along the way, we give a contribution on the isomorphism question within the theory of polynomial identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish Basmajian's identity for certain (1 , 1 , 2) -hyperconvex Anosov representations from a free group into PGL (n , ℝ). We then study our series identities on holomorphic families of Cantor non-conformal repellers associated to complex (1 , 1 , 2) -hyperconvex Anosov representations. We show that the series is absolutely summable if the Hausdorff dimension of the Cantor set is strictly less than one. Throughout the domain of convergence, these identities can be analytically continued and they exhibit nontrivial monodromy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A be a superalgebra over a field F of characteristic zero. We prove tight relations between graded automorphisms, pseudoautomorphisms, superautomorphisms and K-gradings on A, where K is the Klein group. Moreover, we investigate the consequences of such connections within the theory of polynomial identities. In the second part we focus on the superalgebra U ⁢ T n ⁢ ( F ) {UT_{n}(F)} of n × n {n\times n} upper triangular matrices by completely classifying the graded-pseudo-super automorphism that one can define on it. Finally, we compute the ideals of identities of U ⁢ T n ⁢ ( F ) {UT_{n}(F)} endowed with a graded or a pseudo automorphism, for any n, and the ideals of identities with superautomorphism in the cases n = 2 {n=2} and n = 3 {n=3} . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Everyday life is where our passions and interests are staged. This research analyzes how new information and communication technologies, especially smartphones and socio-digital networks, have transformed the socialization of football information in Uruguay and Argentina. With a socio-anthropological approach, football identity practices and processes are observed in online and inperson contexts, and changes in the production, circulation and appropriation of football information, as well as in the interaction between fans and players, are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A real linear combination of products of minors which is nonnegative over all totally nonnegative (TN) matrices is called a determinantal inequality for these matrices. It is referred to as multiplicative when it compares two collections of products of minors and additive otherwise. Set theoretic operations preserving the class of TN matrices naturally translate into operations preserving determinantal inequalities in this class. We introduce index-row (and index-column) operations that act directly on all determinantal inequalities for TN matrices, and yield further inequalities for these matrices. These operations assist in revealing novel additive inequalities for TN matrices embedded in the classical identities due to Laplace [ Mem. Acad. Sciences Paris 1772] and Karlin (1968). In particular, for any square TN matrix A , these derived inequalities generalize – to every i th row of A and j th column of adj A – the classical Gantmacher–Krein fluctuating inequalities (1941) for i = j = 1. Furthermore, our index-row/column operations reveal additional undiscovered fluctuating inequalities for TN matrices. The introduced index-row/column operations naturally birth an algorithm that can detect certain determinantal expressions that do not form an inequality for TN matrices. However, the algorithm completely characterizes the multiplicative inequalities comparing products of pairs of minors. Moreover, the underlying index-row/column operations add that these inequalities are offshoots of certain "complementary/higher" ones. These novel results seem very natural, and in addition thoroughly describe and enrich the classification of these multiplicative inequalities due to Fallat–Gekhtman–Johnson [ Adv. Appl. Math. 2003] and later Skandera [ J. Algebraic Comb. 2004] (and revisited by Rhoades–Skandera [ Ann. Comb. 2005, J. Algebra 2006]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research delves into the representation of homosexuality in the television series Game of Thrones, adapted from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga. The study focuses on the navigation and portrayal of homosexual identities and relationships within a historically patriarchal and heteronormative genre. Methodology: A qualitative research approach, specifically thematic analysis, was utilized to scrutinize the portrayal of homosexuality across all eight seasons and 73 episodes of Game of Thrones. The analysis encompassed pivotal scenes, character development, and dialogues related to homosexual representation. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed several significant themes concerning the representation of homosexuality, including heteronormativity, the interplay of love and war, and the societal and personal impacts of sexual identity. The series portrays the challenges and resilience of homosexual characters, such as Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell, against a backdrop of political intrigue and personal ambition. However, the depiction at times veers into sensationalism, which may potentially desensitize viewers to the real-life struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals. Discussion: The study findings suggest that while Game of Thrones aims to depict homosexual relationships with complexity and depth, it also risks perpetuating negative stereotypes and sensationalizing trauma for dramatic effect. This dual portrayal underscores the broader challenge within popular media to balance representation with responsible storytelling. The study emphasizes the necessity for more nuanced and empathetic portrayals of marginalized groups to promote greater understanding and inclusivity in media narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social identities and representations are factors of necessary analysis for a better understanding of why collective action arises and endures. In this direction, this article investigates such elements and their diffusion through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in two social movements in Mexico and Spain. To this end, a mixed methodology is used, consisting of interviews and questionnaires on activists. The results highlight the high degree of identification of activists first with the way in which each movement conceives reality and the goals they pursue, and second with the status attributed to communication as a key tool for generating social change through the digital dissemination of their own contents and values. In conclusion, the research directly verifies the interrelation of the social representations of each activist with the causes of participation, the ends they pursue, the strategies employed and the values and contents disseminated through ICTs by the movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article aims to analyze the identity reconfiguration in migratory processes from interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and how significant, representative, and symbolic transformations are visible. The nature is descriptive-analytical, whose source of information derives from bibliographic reviews, the state of the art of scientific research, and theoretical developments of the subject: a) the notion of identity as a dynamic, multiple, and multidimensional axis; b) theoretical perspectives and trends on identities in migrants; and c) migrations as an element that reconfigures identities, accounting for the experiential, differential dimensions: past, present, and future. The epistemological findings show that migrants configure their synthetic structure (time and space), based on the reasoning of their realities and experiences. A political exercise that generates subjective, individual/collective reorganizations. Understanding that these processes should not be reduced to figures, geostrategic problems, or Western and ethnocentric perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines Vesna Parun's journey to Bulgaria as a mental construction, whose optical framework is the meeting ground of the dialogue about borders and identities, about surmounting time and space, about the physical and its metaphysical dimension, about escape and return. Immersed in the waters of the "inner self ", the author focuses on suggestion in order to invigorate intuition and unravel the essence of her own existence. The brainchild of her deep self-reflection and philosophical insights, her contact with Bulgarian topoi, artists, historical and cultural realities is presented as an ontological route that is a rationale for creative inspiration and a condition for spiritual resurrection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Asparkía. Investigació Feminista is the property of Instituto Universitario de Estudios Feministas y de Genero Purificacion Escribano 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 article explores the existing dynamics between languages and identities in a changing multilingual indigenous context in Nunavik. Although immersed in Inuit culture throughout their lives, many Inuit today do not understand or speak their ancestral language, Inuktitut. This ethno-sociolinguistic study (Blanchet, 2012) exposes Inuit cultural and linguistic experiences which revealed that by actively participating in their Inuit way of life, young and old alike learn to live their "inukness" (Qilavaaq, 2012), the Inuit way to say, act, think and live. An identity cultivated through the myriad practices that make up the Inuit oral tradition. I examine the emerging representations of Inuit participants through the way they expressed their experiences in their ancestral culture. Culture which, today, is undergoing significant sociolinguistic changes (Weinreich, 1953; Thomason & Kaufman, 1988; Wendel & Heinrich, 2012; McCarty & Nicholas, 2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pasado y Memoria. Revista de Historia Contemporánea is the property of Pasado y Memoria 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.)

Gender studies in Western institutions of higher education tend to focus on the deficiencies of female students in adjusting to new cultures compared to their male counterparts (Contreras-Aguirre & Gonzalez, 2017; Manese et al., 1988; Mallinckrodt & Leong, 1992). Few researchers have delved into female Chinese international students’ ways of self-fashioning and the opportunities it brings them. Using a phenomenological theoretical framework combined with a critical lens to conduct detailed interviews, this study shifted the lens of focusing on female students’ deficiencies, instead exploring how a group of Chinese female international students self-fashioned as they navigated the U.S. higher education environment. Three major themes emerged in our female Chinese international students’ stories: their “self-fashioning” helps them (1) sophistically navigate the U.S. system better, (2) tactically fit into the new U.S. society, and (3) adaptively create more genuine personal identities. Implications were discussed at the end of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the intersection of sexualities and identities, with a particular focus on the ways these elements can be transgressed in Western theater. The study postulates that theater represents a distinctive forum for challenging established societal structures, thereby enabling actors and, by proxy, spectators to perform multiple identities that challenge conventional constraints and break traditional expectations. The research demonstrates the dynamic nature of identity formation on the modern stage, illustrating that identity can both reflect societal norms and serve as an alternative to them. This allows for the expression of diverse sexual identities that deviate from the heteronormative order. Consequently, the theater becomes a site for subverting conventional codes and for negotiating with mainstream society the potential for exploring a plethora of nonstandardized identities. This process culminates in the crystallization of norm-divergent gender identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activism, as a manifestation of citizen engagement for social purposes, can be practiced by individuals and communities alike, such as communities of professionals and, in this case, professionals in academia. Academic activism is a novel form of socio-political engagement in scholarly communities. Recently, communities engaged in academic activism have multiplied, mostly due to the climate emergency and increased awareness on human-induced climate change. This paper focuses on the learning elements and self-transformative potential of becoming an academic activist. This is done by analyzing three key areas: (a) the perceptions of self, (b) the learning component, and (c) the educational component, namely teaching the very activities that activists carry out at their universities. To serve these objectives, we conducted eight semi-directive interviews during the summer of 2022 in which participants drew upon their personal experience and life trajectories in their journey to becoming academic activists. Using a Discourse Analytical framework, we scrutinized the semantic fields summoned and the discursive spaces mobilized by the interviewees. The findings of this study highlight the participants' determination for activism, depicting it as a conscious act, a duty. Moreover, three types of learning have been depicted, demonstrating the wealth of learning trajectories experienced. The potential impact of academic activism on teaching practices (societal role of education) has also been depicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an open proposal on how to include questions that capture different gender identities and sexual orientations in quantitative research. Our theoretical framework is feminist theory and the evolution of feminist debates on identity categories, where the introduction of an intersectional gender perspective has been an important paradigm shift. We have compiled different previous categorization proposals and consider the consequences of not including categories that reflect identity diversity in surveys in order to finally offer our proposal for operationalizing identities. The proposal aims to ensure comparability in longitudinal studies and, at the same time, to incorporate new identity frameworks and an intersectional perspective in quantitative methodology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, making use of certain known identities, we have established some result involving q-series and continued fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a larger project that investigates the issue of identities in Hong Kong, this study anchored on the sociocognitive paradigm in second language acquisition (SLA) explores the potential relationship between one's identity and perceived language accentedness. Our study set in Hong Kong (HK) aims to extend Gatbonton and colleagues' works (e.g. [2005]. Learners' ethnic group loyalty and L2 pronunciation accuracy: A sociolinguistic investigation. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 489–511. ; [2008]. The ethnic group affiliation and L2 proficiency link: Empirical evidence. Language Awareness, 17(3), 229–248. ; [2011]. Ethnic group affiliation and patterns of development of a phonological variable. Modern Language Journal, 95(2), 188–204. ) that examine the relationship between ethnic group affiliation (EGA) and language proficiencies in diglossic contexts. HK is a multi-glossic context where Cantonese, English and Mandarin are the official languages, and they perform distinctive functions in various public and private domains. Through analysing participants' (n = 65; born between 1970s–1990s) self-identification and their reported accentedness in English and Mandarin, we address the question of whether EGA as a set of social factors has a bearing on a person's linguistic achievements. Findings indicate that participants' identification with the Chinese/ HK identity is related to their perceived accentedness in the targeted languages in intricate ways that do not align completely with our predictions. We conclude by calling for further socio-cognitively informed research that investigates multiglossic situations where languages/ language varieties complement or compete with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational European identities influence public debates and electoral dynamics across Europe, with sociodemographic factors strongly associated with these identities. Meanwhile, little attention has been paid to how people's perceptions of a political group's sociodemographic profile relate to their identification with Europe. I argue that such perceptions, in combination with social identities, are significantly associated with the strength of individuals' identification with political groups. An individual is more likely to have a robust European identity if they perceive that social groups they like share the same pro-European opinion. In contrast, if they perceive that groups they like align with the anti-European camp, they are likely to have a weaker European identity. By employing novel survey data from Italy and Austria, I find empirical support for my argument. This paper contributes to the debate on the mechanisms that connect social and political identities and explains how cleavages emerge in the mass public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Migration & Ethnic Themes: MET / Migracijske i Etničke Teme is the property of Institut za istrazivanje migracija / Institute for Migration Research (IMIN) 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.)

With this paper, we aim to look into the issue of identities among the immigrant population living in the West using an integrative multimodal approach. Although this topic has been in fashion for quite some time, most studies analyze either the political or mass-media discourse related to immigrants or reflect on how immigrants see themselves, on the basis of textual analysis of immigrants' narratives and interviews. Our study takes a different approach and analyzes a video recorded and published on YouTube, focusing not only on the text but also on by analyzing non-verbal manifestations of changing positions on the part of the narrator. In particular, we examine identities/positions that the main protagonist, a Moroccan immigrant named Omar, assumes in the course of the story. We show how one particular gesture (pointing), coupled with other verbal and non-verbal markers, can signal a change of identity/position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality, the article closely reads the interplay of race, gender and class in shaping female identities and experiences with witchcraft in selected isiZulu creative literature. We use a qualitative research approach in conjunction with thematic analysis as a data collection tool to extract recurring themes from the chosen novels. The study identifies overlapping themes regarding the representation of black South African women and witchcraft practices as depicted in the novels under examination. These themes illuminate the intersection of race, gender and class in constructing black female identities within cultural discourses. Contribution: This study contributes to scholarship on the literary works of B.J. Dube, Mandla Nxumalo, Christian Msimang, Langalibalele Mathenjwa, E.D.M. Sibiya, M.J. Mngadi and Mjajisi Wanda. It further adds to post-structural feminism in the field of African literature studies by analysing how race, gender and class converge in shaping the lived experiences of South African black women accused of witchcraft in isiZulu novels. By examining these themes, the study highlights how social power structures influence the construction of black female identities within South African cultural landscapes.

Background. Acculturation strategy choice and success of adaptation to new cultural environment depend both on individual characteristics of participants of intercultural interaction and on characteristics of the context. In this regard, it is important to apply an integrated approach to study the mutual contribution of contextual and individual-personal predictors of acculturation. Objective. The study aims at identifying complex contextual and individual-personal predictors of adaptation of Russians in Estonia and Kyrgyzstan, and revealing relationship between these complex predictors, acculturation strategies, and psychological well-being of Russians in these republics. Study Participants. The sample consisted of 302 Russians in Estonia (Mage = 37.51; SD = 16.55; 52% females) and 300 Russians in Kyrgyzstan (Mage = 35.56; SD = 17.40; 64,8% females). Methods. We used scales from the MIRIPS questionnaire, instruments for measuring identities and intercultural attitudes developed in CSCR of HSE, and local identity scale by O. Droseltis and V.L. Vignoles. Results. The study revealed three complex predictors of adaptation in each country: perceived inclusiveness of context, ethnocultural identity and closeness to host country. These three complex factors in both countries were positively associated with life satisfaction, and in Estonia with self-esteem as well. Perceived inclusiveness of the context and closeness to host country negatively related to separation and positively related to integration, ethno-cultural identity positively related to separation. In Kyrgyzstan we also revealed culture-specific positive links between ethno-cultural identity and integration and between closeness to host society and assimilation. Conclusion. The study of the mutual contribution of personal and contextual characteristics to success in adaptation to new cultural environment contributes to a deeper understanding of acculturation as a complex dynamic process, the components of which are in constant interaction with each other.

Abstract Introduction The study explored and described the professional identity of diagnostic radiographers in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Methods The methodology employed for the study was qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with thirteen diagnostic radiographers from private, public practices and individually owned practices. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted, and the responses underwent thematic analysis and used Braun and Clarke's six steps for analysing qualitative data. Results The thematic analysis revealed three themes and six categories. The three themes identified were: perceptions of identity, environment influences and organisational institutions. Conclusion This study provided an insight into the current perspectives of the professional identity of diagnostic radiographers in Johannesburg, South Africa, which reflected a positive professional identity. The three themes identified could inform guidelines for education in diagnostic radiographers' professional identity in the future.

AbstractIt is no longer debatable that China has become Africa’s most significant trading partner having surpassed the United States and its allies back in 2009 as Africa’s main trade partner in the world. During this period, South Africa has emerged as one of China’s imperative allies in the world and its most important partner in Africa. This article draws on historical secondary data sources and relies on constructivism theory to delineate the evolution of South Africa-China relations. This analysis reveals the range of historical, social, economic and political interests that contributed to the evolution of South Africa-China relations in the manner that it did for the past few decades. This analysis also shows how the relations between South Africa and China have been shaped and influenced by a range of interests and identities in line with constructivism theory postulations. This article discusses the contested phenomenon of whether the relationship between South Africa and China represents symmetrical or asymmetrical cooperation. The article concludes that asymmetry exists in the relations between the two countries in the economic sphere, however, this could not be argued to the same extent in other areas of their engagements. Therefore, it is expected that the two countries will continue to advance their relations despite the criticism against their collaboration, as both remain committed to this relationship anchored on long-shared historical interests and identities.

AbstractThis article discusses the use of multiple identities in narratives by refugees engaged in higher education paths at Kakuma camp (Kenya). Following the Positioning theory, we explored identity displays in narratives collected through semi-structured interviews. The analysis deepens 5 narratives which had been considered exemplary to showcase the transformative valence of higher education. Different identity positioning was analyzed looking at before and after graduation as a crucial episode. Results showed three different narratives, and a range of diverse identity positions: the first narrative is about becoming a community leader, which responds to the very aim of the diploma course; the second narrative is about becoming successful, prevalently as professionals and as community members; and the third one concerns women perspective about an emancipatory and empowering educational path that challenges the status quo. This study contributes to the analysis of refugees’ identities from a critical perspective that challenges stereotyped notions by showing the use of narratives to mobilize and display multi-faceted selves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we analyse the process of identity construction and reconstruction that is occurring on the coasts of southern Chile, in the framework of the formal creation of indigenous associations and communities, including the demands of indigenous peoples for marine coastal spaces. Through a study of ethnographic strategies and the specialist literature, we problematise the appearance of indigenous nomenclatures and symbolisms — in particular Mapuche flags — as a political-ideational correlate of this process. We point out that territorial demands in the marine coastal space of southern Chile possess an instrumental aspect that is superimposed on Mapuche identity narratives, and appears to derive more from deliberate political actions or projects than from a social memory anchored in a historical consciousness of indigenous life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores a Japanese-Korean-English trilingual Asian-American child's identity negotiation in a multicultural book club. Drawing upon the conception of figured world (Holland et al. 1998. Identity and Agency in Cultural Worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press), it investigates how the book club as a space of authorship offers the 9-year-old girl of migrants opportunities to negotiate her multiple identities while responding to the books and interacting with the book club members. The weekly multicultural book club was held in a local public library for 34 weeks. The data included field notes of the book club sessions, transcripts of the book discussions, interviews with the child's mother, and the child's journal entries. The data were analysed on a weekly/monthly basis with interpretative approaches. The findings revealed that the child appreciated diversity and fortified her identity as an activist self who stood against social practice that marginalised people from different backgrounds. However, the identity was questioned and challenged by the book club members. The book club pushed her into a space where she encountered different perspectives and negotiated conflicting identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Genetic testing for BRCA1/2 is recommended for individuals at high risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, yet racial and ethnic disparities persist. Diverse and mutually influencing factors contribute to BRCA health disparities, including socially constructed identities (e.g., gender, race, and ethnicity), sociodemographic factors (e.g., income and education), and societal factors (discrimination). Such factors can be additive and multiplicative. Viewing BRCA health disparities through an intersectional lens may provide a more nuanced, comprehensive understanding of lived experience by considering individuals' unique, intersecting identities. A deeper understanding of the individual can inform more person-centered approaches to genomic healthcare and help bridge BRCA health disparities. Significant health disparities exist in relation to pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2. This study aimed to better understand the barriers and facilitators to BRCA1/2 genetic testing and intrafamilial communication of risk in racially and ethnically diverse individuals. We conducted qualitative interviews with non-Hispanic White (n = 11) and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) individuals (n = 14) who underwent testing for pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants. We employed template analysis, case study analysis, and comparative case study analysis to examine healthcare experiences related to genetic testing as well as intrafamilial communication of risk. Applying an intersectional lens, we sought to inform more person-centered approaches to precision healthcare and help dismantle disparities in genomic healthcare. Template analysis revealed salient factors at the individual (psychosocial well-being), interpersonal/familial, and healthcare system levels. A two-part case study analysis provided insights into how race/ethnicity, cultural norms, and socioeconomic status interact with systemic and structural inequities to compound disparities. These findings underscore the need for person-centered, tailored, and culturally sensitive approaches to understanding and addressing the complexities surrounding testing and the communication of BRCA risk. Applying an intersectional lens can inform more person-centered approaches to precision healthcare and may help to surmount existing disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article emphasizes significant historic events that influenced the ethnic group of Vlachs of Veria that resulted in the emergence of two conflicting identities, the "Graecoman Vlachs" and the "Romanized Vlachs." The Vlachs of Veria were divided into two subgroups forming new representations of the self and the other. In the midst of radical changes such as the transition from the multicultural Ottoman Empire to the Greek state, the article will highlight the complex historical processes of major or minor importance that contributed to the division and conflicting relations between the Vlachs of Veria. The article analysis, by considering as reference points the role of education in identity construction as well as the influence of local elites: their ability to direct the views of those whom they rule and to exercise power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the formation and preservation of a distinctive "Moroccan Judaism" ethos, rooted in a connection to the homeland and an idealized Moroccan past. Through an examination of secularism, traditionalism, and modernity in Israel and France, alongside the resurgence of religiosity in secular societies, it assesses the impact of diasporic experiences on the religious practices of Moroccan-origin families in these countries. The argument posits that diasporic sentiments and the allure of Moroccan heritage significantly influence the negotiation and affirmation of religious identities within these families. Rituals and religious practices serve as expressions of this identity, undergoing adaptation and transformation both in Morocco and abroad. Consequently, "Israeli" and "French" approaches to Moroccan Jewish observance reflect distinct socio-political and historical contexts. The analysis draws from five family cases, illustrating a range of experiences within national and transnational frameworks, enriching our understanding of the dynamic interplay between personal narratives and broader social and historical landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]