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The knotted carpet is a woolen fabric with a long history in China. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties dragon carpets were extensively used in spatial decoration serving as significant material embodiments of various cultural contexts. This paper focuses on dragon-patterned knotted carpets from these periods. By collecting both domestic and international samples and employing a tripartite evidence method combining 'objects' 'literature' and 'images' the article analyzes 159 samples from a contextual perspective. The study categorizes dragon carpets based on their decorative use into three types 'palaces' 'temples' and 'residences', and examines the forms and functions of these carpets in different settings. The research reveals that palace carpets can be divided into three types used as hall carpets and throne carpets temple carpets can be divided into four types primarily used as decorative covers for Dharma-seats walls and columns and residence carpets are all square in varying sizes used as floor rugs kang blankets or seat cushions. Additionally by employing textile methods the article examines the structures of carpets provided by collectors to elucidate the distinctions and lineage connections in the craftsmanship of Ming and Qing dragon carpets. The carpets in the available samples are categorized into two types based on variances in 'warp' and weft materials 'knot' materials and density. Discrepancies in weaving techniques lead to variations in the structure it was discovered that the craftsmanship of palace carpets originated in the Ming Dynasty and persisted in Qing Dynasty palace adornments whereas the other two types signified Ningxia craftsmanship from the Qing Dynasty. Pattern analysis using design methods is central to this study. The paper deconstructs the decorative patterns of dragon carpets into 'internal patterns' and 'border' patterns discussing the themes shapes and layout characteristics of these components. Finally based on the historical context of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the variations in dragon carpet decorative art across different settings the article delves into the cultural reasons behind these differences and proposes that dragon carpets symbolize 'imperial politics' ' Buddhist thought and 'literati aesthetics' . In palaces the dragon symbolizes imperial authority. The patterns are intricately detailed often featuring grand expansive dragon designs. The color scheme typically uses a deep red background to accentuate the dragon motifs representing the grandeur and supremacy of the imperial family. In temples dragon patterns serve a religious purpose and are used to decorate Dharma-seats columns and walls. These carpets feature dynamic dragon motifs combined with various Buddhist symbols. The color schemes reflect Tibetan Buddhist art enhancing the sacred and auspicious atmosphere. In residential settings dragon carpets often feature simplified abstract dragon designs. These carpets are typically small practical and easy to move showcasing designs that mirror the refined taste and scholarly aesthetics of literati. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the connotative meanings of the color terms “red” and “yellow” in Algerian culture from a pragmatic perspective. The study aims to explore the different connotative representations that these colors can acquire in various contexts. The data for this study were primarily obtained from Algerian newspapers, TV series, and social media posts. To pinpoint the accuracy of the analysis, a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) questionnaire was distributed among male and female Algerian students at Jordan University. The DCT comprised 12 situations, with six for each color, and participants were required to determine the appropriate meaning in each situation. The collected data was then analyzed qualitatively in detail. The results have shown that while the red color in Algerian culture has both positive and negative connotations, yellow always bears a negative connotation. These findings provide valuable insights into the cultural associations and symbolism of these colors in Algerian society, which can be relevant for professionals in fields such as marketing, advertising, and international business to enhance their cross-cultural communication and understanding.

Myths and mythological figures serve as cultural symbols that people live by and emulate. Śravaṇ Kumār is one such mythological figure. He carried his blind parents on his shoulders and, with great hardships, tried to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage. However, before he could complete the journey, he met a tragic end at the hands of Prince Daśrath. Due to his devotion to his parents, he is revered as an ideal youth in the Indian Hindu context. One wonders what values are conveyed about a society that has, for centuries now, idealised the tragic mythical figure of Śravaṇ Kumār? What could be the underlying fascination with the tragic story of Śravaṇ Kumār, his parents, and the guilt-ridden prince responsible for their tragic deaths and the subsequent ordeal the prince's son Rām had to endure in accordance with a curse? This paper reinterprets this myth and examines its relevance in contemporary times. The reinterpretation of the myth is further discussed in connection with the relevant psychoanalytic identity development theories, keeping in view the adolescents in the urban metropolitan context in India. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of having relevant mythical and cultural ideals for the identity development of youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city on social media has become a hot topic in the study of city communication and city image. From the perspective of spatial theory and the communication characteristics of social media, this paper divides the spatial imagery of TikTok into three spaces: material space-cognitive attention, mental space-mental association, and relational space-emotional involvement. Based on the content analysis of 40 videos, we analyze the process of social media using cognition, association, and emotion as the starting points to increase the material space, expand the mental space, and expand the relational space. We find that spatial imagery can be co-constructed from the material space, mental space, and relational space. Lastly, the model is changed, and the value of using spatial theory to understand how city images are made is talked about. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In a world of increasing global mobility, we investigate how feelings of cultural distinctiveness—feelings of being different and separated from the surrounding cultural environment—influence consumers’ preferences for brands that symbolize a related cultural group (i.e., a group that is geographically proximal and/or shares sociohistorical and cultural roots with one’s own cultural group). Results from seven studies demonstrate that consumers experiencing cultural distinctiveness are likely to evaluate favorably and prefer brands associated with a related cultural group, in a choice set or consumption situation, even if they are not the favored option in the choice set. This pro-in-group bias for culturally related brands is driven by a heightened desire to connect with “home,” which prompts consumers to expand their in-group boundaries to include the related cultural group within a broadened definition of home. However, this pro-in-group bias is attenuated when the salience of intergroup rivalries is high, where experiencing cultural distinctiveness can backfire and result in less favorable evaluations of brands associated with a related cultural group. This research is the first to demonstrate that cultural consumption is a dynamic process, and that in-group boundaries can be malleable and expandable, depending upon the motivation of the consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myths and mythological figures serve as cultural symbols that people live by and emulate. Śravaṇ Kumār is one such mythological figure. He carried his blind parents on his shoulders and, with great hardships, tried to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage. However, before he could complete the journey, he met a tragic end at the hands of Prince Daśrath. Due to his devotion to his parents, he is revered as an ideal youth in the Indian Hindu context. One wonders what values are conveyed about a society that has, for centuries now, idealised the tragic mythical figure of Śravaṇ Kumār? What could be the underlying fascination with the tragic story of Śravaṇ Kumār, his parents, and the guilt-ridden prince responsible for their tragic deaths and the subsequent ordeal the prince’s son Rām had to endure in accordance with a curse? This paper reinterprets this myth and examines its relevance in contemporary times. The reinterpretation of the myth is further discussed in connection with the relevant psychoanalytic identity development theories, keeping in view the adolescents in the urban metropolitan context in India. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of having relevant mythical and cultural ideals for the identity development of youth.

From The Irish-Nigerian Author Emma Dabiri's Works Don't Touch My Hair And Twisted: The Tangled History Of Black Hair Culture, This Study Examines Textual Narrativity With Regard To Symbolic Representation Of Hair As A Cue To Portrayal Of Potential Self In The World Of African People. The Article Investigates How The Narrator In Both These Works Reasons The Importance Of Hair Among Blacks As An Introspection To Decolonization From Pre-Colonial Africa, Through The Harlem Renaissance, Black Power And Into Today's Natural Hair Movement, The Cultural Appropriation Wars And Beyond. In The Narration, The Narrator Delineates The Scope Of Black Hairstyling That Ranges From Pop Culture To Cosmology, From Prehistoric Times To The Futuristic. Through Her Narration, Emma Dabiri Uncovers Classy Native Practices In Black Hair Styles Conjunction With Styles That Aided Enslaved Africans To Freedom. Don't Touch My Hair Is A Textual Accumulation Of Visual Symbolism That Proves Black Hair As An Allegory For Black Oppression And Ultimately Liberation Through A Stream Of Consciousness Technique Reflecting The Frame Of Mind Of The Character, Memories, Aspirations, Dreams, And Fears, Working In Ways Comparable To Paratactic Accumulation In Narration. In Twisted: The Tangled History Of Black Hair Culture Dabiri Takes Us To A Historical And Cultural Investigation Of The Global Past Of Racism As Well As Her Own Unique Perspective Of Self-Love And Affirmation Through The Prism Of Hair Texture. Profoundly Documented And Deeply Distinctive, Twisted Shows That Black Hairstyling Culture Can Be Interpreted As A Metaphor Of Institutionalized Racism. Finally, These Sample Texts Taken As Examples Combine The Modes Of Narration And Cultural Experience To Comment On Existing Schematization Of Hair Politics In Blacks And Invite Reconsideration Of Conventional Structures. While Most Scholarly Work On Literature Concentrates On Popular Culture Like Mass Media, This Study Aims To Create A Theory Of Hair Politics Through Individual Texts As That Of Dabiri That Qualifies Sampling Of Texts Based On Their Narratological Qualities. Whether Such Books Pose Philosophical Challenges Or Are Meant As Pure Entertainment For Literary World Make Up The Complex Web Of Hair Dynamics In Its Social And Political Context. This Paper Also Explores The Relations Between Narrativity And Experience In Dabiri's Works Specifically Aspects Of Narrativity That Describe Reliability And Performative Aspects Of Narrativity On The Ethnographic Spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the "Christology of Water" from Feng Shui cosmology, which promotes liberating women and nature from the oppression perpetrated against them by contemporary Korean churches, which have sexism and eco-antipathy at their heart. The presentation of the "Christology of Water" from Feng Shui envisions a new eco-feminist theological solution to the critique of patriarchies and anthropocentricism alienating and suppressing women and nature. This "Christology of Water" developed from the metaphorical languages of Feng Shui suggests a contextual hermeneutic through reinterpretation from the eco-feminist perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the various ideals of beauty which globalization has created for women at the international, national and local level. It also highlights the various facets of beauty pageants which feed into these ideal types and notions. Furthermore, this paper looks at the claim that beauty pageants make, of being inclusive of diversity. Despite having women from different cultures, race and countries participate and even win the Miss World pageant, there are still a lot of categories which have been left out and the pageants are not completely inclusive. We have never seen a Fat Miss World or Short Miss Word. These aesthetics are very usual but they have been completely excluded from the wider scope of the contest. Hence, this paper calls attention to the universalized standard of beauty and highlights how the global image of thin, tall and fair is idealized.

In this paper, on the basis of the Conventional Figurative Language Theory of Dobrovol'skij and Piirainen (2005), we focus on the symbolic background in the metaphorical use of the figure of the mandarin duck, and the traces of its symbolisms in the figurative expressions, from a linguo-cultural perspective. First, we collect a sample of idioms and verses from ancient poems related to the mandarin duck; then we organize and classify these data according to their symbolisms reflected in the idioms and figurative expressions which are subsequently analyzed semantically and culturally. This study demonstrates the productivity of the mandarin duck image, reflecting its particular cultural connotations in the Chinese language. In this way, this investigation provides reference materials which may facilitate learning, teaching and translation of Chinese, as well as intercultural communication. Besides, it also contributes to a better understanding of the interaction between language and culture in general, and between phraseology and culture in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypothesis of this article is that Sarah was the equal of Abraham in establishing the faith of the Hebrew nation, and therefore, she was also a party to a constitutive covenant that was most likely concealed and omitted from the canonical version of the Bible. First, this article introduces research claims regarding Sarah’s central role as a formative leading matriarch. The article then goes on to examine the significance of the tradition of the covenant with Abraham in terms of cultural symbolism. And finally, the article tries to identify this symbolic significance in the Hebrew scriptures in a feminine context, assuming that ritual or ceremonial expressions may be associated with Sarah’s covenant as a founding matriarch in Israel’s religion and heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados 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.)

Smoke, an ever-present source of comfort in day-to-day Warlpiri lives, is also a powerful ritual symbol and theme in the poetic language of Warlpiri songs. Rather than signalling these soothing qualities, in this more formalised sung context, smoke symbolically alludes to tension, uncertainty and unknown liminal states of transition. Here, I analyse examples from Warlpiri song texts to argue that, rather than being a semantic paradox, the cultural symbolism surrounding smoke has a functional poetic purpose in that it flags circumstances of discomfort or unknown states within the Dreaming narratives upon which Warlpiri songs are centred. To illustrate this point, I analyse song imagery in which smoke and other visually similar phenomena are focal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the modern and grandiose appearance of most architectural projects, closer examinations cast doubts on their sensitivity to the cultural and traditional past of the societies for which they were intended. Space for human habitation and interaction is one of the primary aspects of man's culture, and is basic to any architectural discussion. For a long time, architecture in most developing nations was shaped by colonial contexts and ideologies. The architects seemed more committed to revitalizing the civilization of other advanced countries within a new world setting. The focus of this paper is on the interplay between architecture and culture. The relationship between spaces created by architects and the local culture is examined within the context of place - the house, the community, the region, as well as the nation. The study identifies ties that bind groups together. It also explores the components that constitute spatial character. Physical and intangible aspects of materials in achieving environmental character are evaluated. Key questions regarding the professional and ideological inclination of architects are addressed. Finally, the impact of emerging global trends occasioned by contact of cultures is analyzed.

The vast domain of the gardens - defined from a semiotic perspective as major semiosic non-verbal constructions, is usually made up of heterogenous elements connected to each other through various relationships, so that to create a meaningful whole. The heterogenous elements - be they natural or artificial, created by people- are selected, arranged, combined and ordered in a targeted manner to form a coherent whole, producing a unity in diversity - the attribute or the defining characteristic of any garden. The constitutive elements are involved in different levels of communication, starting from biological communication up to cultural symbolism, from personal cognition up to social identities, enabling a better understanding of the garden's design, related to the multitude of social, philosophical, religious, and cultural discourses, as well as the traditions which give them a meaning. The gardens represent a space of convergence where nature and culture (art, science, techniques) intertwine, complementing each other, creating a whole, in other words a unity in diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When and why do local communities display negative or exclusionary responses to mixing and blending of local and foreign cultural symbols in the same space or percept? Results from three experiments showed that the local community reacted most negatively to culture mixing when both objects were perceived to be icons or symbols of their culture of origin (Experiments 1-3). Experiment 3 further shows that concern about cultural contamination underlies exclusionary responses to culture mixing. We also identified two conditions that can deactivate such responses. First, even when the cultural symbols were presented simultaneously, keeping a distance between them assuages the concern over cultural contamination (Experiment 3) and reduces the perceivers' negativity to culture mixing (Experiments 1-3). Second, not attributing cultural symbolism to either cultural object also makes exclusionary responses less likely (Experiments 1-3). These effects were observed among Americans (Experiments I and 2) and Chinese (Experiment 3) and across three different examples of culture mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of botanical exchanges between Africa and the Indian subcontinent reaches back in time over 5,000 years. Recent advances in archaeobotany have revealed these connections through evidence of food crops of African origin found at various archaeological sites in the subcontinent. However, little is known about the people that brought the crops to these places and other parts of the Indian Ocean world. This is also the case with other plants from Africa such as the charismatic baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) that appears to have had a longstanding presence in South Asia. Most scholarly accounts assume that 'Arab traders' were responsible for introducing baobabs to this region but do not offer any reasons for their doing so. Few scholars, if any, have sought to relate the dispersal of baobabs with the history of African migrations to the region. This paper reveals the elusive traces of their entwined environmental histories by linking baobab genetics with historical accounts and cultural evidence of the presence of African diasporic communities in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes symbolism pertaining to and popular receptions of the project Skopje 214, an architectural journey in the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. While attempting to understand the multifaceted symbolic meanings and perceptions associated with this project, we pay attention to the existence of previous narratives of Macedonian national identity prior to the announcement of Skopje 2014 and therefore position the project against that backdrop. We want to argue that Skopje 2014 represents a monumental and spectacular turning point in official narratives of Macedonian national identity. The gap between the previously dominant narrative of Macedonian national identity, and the new official discourse offered and realized in and through Skopje 2014, and the multicultural reality of the country are the central themes of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city on social media has become a hot topic in the study of city communication and city image. From the perspective of spatial theory and the communication characteristics of social media, this paper divides the spatial imagery of TikTok into three spaces: material space-cognitive attention, mental space-mental association, and relational space-emotional involvement. Based on the content analysis of 40 videos, we analyze the process of social media using cognition, association, and emotion as the starting points to increase the material space, expand the mental space, and expand the relational space. We find that spatial imagery can be co-constructed from the material space, mental space, and relational space. Lastly, the model is changed, and the value of using spatial theory to understand how city images are made is talked about., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Liu, Sun, Hong and Zhang.)

For a long time, the Dutch family living room has been the most prestigious domestic space, reflecting in its furnishing and decoration the status and class of the male breadwinner without any material indication of the presence of children in the household. In the latter part of the twentieth century, children were increasingly acknowledged as family members in their own right and allowed to extend their play into the living room. More recently, the situation has developed into the extreme opposite of the pristine family living rooms of yore. Nowadays, with baby equipment visibly predominant, the living room of a young family looks more like a day-care center, the playpen taking a focal position, surrounded by large toys and baby furniture. This article presents a sociological explanation of the material transformation of the living room in its relation to the rise in labor participation of young Dutch mothers over the last two decades, as well as a cultural interpretation of the material living room as a reflection of Dutch family life in the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present article is to disclose the multicultural dialogue in the poetry of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1894-1980), one of the most outstanding Polish poets of the 20th century. The dialogic nature of his poetry is realized through allusions to cultural symbolism emerging from the Bible and Roman-Greek mythology, Polish and world literature as well as from the world of music, art, sculpture and architecture. Thus the poetic heritage of Iwaszkiewicz can be ascribed to the movement of neo-classicism, represented by the famous British poet T. S. Eliot, who appealed to timeless dialogue among representatives of various cultures and creation of eternal values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dearq is the property of Universidad de los Andes 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.)

Historic Palestine/modern-day Israel has traditionally been visualised through paradisiacal images of splendour: historical, architectural, culinary and cultural. The travel industry's vivid descriptions of exotic fruit, succulent olives, crystal- clear coastlines and peaceful prophets, although romantic, belie the region's long and turbulent history of contested land ownership. As the second Palestinian uprising for independence (Intifada) nears its fifth year, the Holy Land as mythical paradise has transformed into a hellish daily reality fraught with political violence and terror. This article examines how the metaphors and evaluative language employed by a group of Palestinian children from the West Bank city of Ramallah during the second Intifada conceptualize the natural, cultural and political landscapes of Palestine. Particular attention is paid to how important national and cultural symbols such as the olive tree contribute to the establishment of identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A religious festival of Sicilian origin is celebrated each year by the community of Silkwood in the tropical far north of Australia. The following account is based on the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the festival, held in 2000.

The location of tobacco production in western Wisconsin cannot be explained in terms of climate, topography, soils, markets, labor, or economic inertia. Approximately seventy percent of the tobacco growers are Norwegian, and four-fifths of the growers have Norwegian spouses. The diffusion of tobacco culture among other ethnic groups indicates the importance of church association and intermarriage between ethnic groups. The strong correlation between Norwegians and tobacco production in this region suggests that ethnicity should be included as a significant variable in the analytical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]