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Copyright of Clinical Epileptology / Zertifizierte Fortbildung is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Background: A society’s culture, beliefs, and values are important and effective factors in lifestyle and health status. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the correlation between older adults’ tendency towards superstitions and their healthylifestyles.Methods: This study was descriptive-analytical and of a correlational type. The statistical population consisted of all the older adults covered by healthcare centers in the North of Iran. The sample size was determined to be 360 using the multistage random sampling method. Data were collected using the Elderly Healthy Lifestyle and Tendency to Superstitions Questionnaires. Spearman’s test, regression analysis, chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and SPSS 28 software were utilized to analyze the data.Results: Among a total of 360 elderly participants in the study, 173 were male, and 187 were female, in the age range of 60 to 91 years. The results indicated a significant correlation (P

This study aimed to explore mental health and wellbeing perspectives among Arab Muslims and assess the impact of Arab-Islamic culture on their understanding of mental disorders and treatment options. Semi-structured interviews with 12 participants (six men; six women) were conducted online during the COVID−19 pandemic and analyzed thematically. The results identified six themes that demonstrated the significant influence of Arab-Islamic culture on participants' comprehension of mental disorders and preferred treatment methods. The absence of mental disorder-related concepts within the formal mental health treatment framework led to hesitancy in seeking professional help, and relying on Arabic resources for mental health information further perpetuated misconceptions and stigma within the Arab Muslim community. The study concludes that Arab-Islamic culture plays a crucial role in shaping the understanding of mental disorders and treatment preferences among Arab Muslims, but the lack of formal mental health treatment concepts and reliance on Arabic resources may hinder professional help-seeking and exacerbate misconceptions and stigma in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beliefs about supernatural phenomena that have no scientific basis are called paranormal beliefs (Lyons, 2005). Religions may have a significant influence on the development of paranormal beliefs; therefore, the current study compared and contrasted paranormal beliefs among Muslims and Buddhists. Both Islam and Buddhism believe in the existence of jinn or ghosts; however, the beliefs about ghosts are different in the two religions. Buddhists believe that some humans are transformed into any of seven different types of ghosts and that one may safeguard oneself against ghosts by using ghost traps. They also believe in ghost marriage, i.e., a marriage between deceased people. Islam proposes three types of jinn, and these jinn can be categorized as either believers (Muslims) or nonbelievers (Kafirs). Muslims believe that jinn can cause mental and/or physical harm to human beings through possession, causing misfortune, or inflicting sickness. Islamic teachings testify to the harmful effects of the evil eye. Islam allows verses of the Holy Qur'an to be worn as charms or amulets to safeguard against the evil eye and jinn. However, the true teachings of Buddha prohibit all types of charms and amulets; Buddhism does not believe in the evil eye or possession by supernatural forces. We observe that cultural influences play an important role in shaping superstitious behaviors as both Muslims and Buddhists of the South Asian region wear specific kinds of amulets and charms to treat different physical and mental diseases. Similarly, going to living saints and touching their feet and other practices are performed by people of both religions in the subcontinent. Moreover, certain phenomena such as a black cat crossing one's path or the shattering of a mirror are considered signs of misfortune and curses by people of both religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how language is used to show shared beliefs between caregivers and pregnant women in antenatal classes in the Nigerian context, which hitherto suffers neglect. The data consist of tape recordings and observational notes taken during antenatal classes in selected hospitals in Lokoja, Nigeria. The study adopted a top-down analytic approach using Odebunmi's model of contextual beliefs, supported by van Dijk's epistemic context model, and Fetzer and Fischer's lexical markers model. The analysis shows three categories of shared knowledge: a. state of pregnancy and postnatal care b. sexual relationships and spice lexemes c. traditional child care and superstitions. Shared knowledge of the state of pregnancy and postnatal care manifests in pregnancy misconceptions, nutrition during pregnancy and postnatal care orientations highlighted by lexical markers such as recoverable knowledge connector and joint attention builder. Shared knowledge of sexual relations and spice lexemes reflect sexual communication and native spices using metaphorization and proximal deictic lexical markers. Grandmothers' involvement and insistence on using traditional methods and superstitions frame shared knowledge of traditional child care and superstitions through belief affirmative and self-reformulation markers. Analysis of the shared beliefs shows how caregivers represent pregnant women's mental knowledge in interactions as well as how pregnant women interject beliefs for clarification and validity. This way, both participants demonstrate how contextual beliefs facilitate communicative processes and meaningful understanding in their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This World Affairs 2023 special issue contains six contributions, including this one, exploring some of the key political consequences of traditional beliefs such as magic and superstition in the developing societies of the Global South as well as in certain industrially advanced societies of the Global North. To show why traditional beliefs matter, we provide an explanation in this introduction for why traditional beliefs exist in developing countries, why they survive in developed countries, and why they may become more popular over time. By utilizing a simple game theoretic approach, we explain why rational people can sometimes increase their payoffs by subscribing to a superstition while superstitious people never gain by switching to rationality. In fact, the superstition—which has no causal connection with the natural course of events—may even yield better results, not only for the individual but also for the group. This is the reason why, in the framework of evolutionary stable equilibrium, superstitious people can demographically dominate an entire population over time. In addition to explaining the existence and the persistence (or the popularity) of traditional beliefs, we highlight the key findings presented in the articles included in this special issue. All of them underline a cardinal point: traditional beliefs matter. They shape electoral behavior, they shape attitudes toward democratic governance, and they influence voters' assessment of political figures and historical events. Precisely because traditional beliefs have such extensive implications for a country's political life, we believe that in the future scholars will have to pay greater attention to such beliefs to have a better understanding of political phenomena and trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Res Humanitariae is the property of Res Humanitariae 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.)

Abstract Background Cultural and religious beliefs are effective on people’s attitudes towards schizophrenia and their help-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to explain the experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Baloch ethnicity. Methods This is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach. Purposive sampling was used and 21 participants, including family caregiver for patients with schizophrenia, a psychologist, a prayer-writer, and a normal person were interviewed in Sistan and Balochistan province in the southeast of Iran. Qualitative data were analyzed by Granheim and Lundman method. Results One main theme, three categories, and 10 Sub-categories were extracted from analysis of interviews. “Immersion in the cultural beliefs” was the main theme of the study with categories of “Belief in the superstitious and supernatural nature of the psychological disease”, “Superstitious beliefs, an attempt to free the patient”, and “Conflict between cultural beliefs and science”. Conclusions Help-seeking behaviors of family caregivers in Baloch ethnicity are influenced by their religious, superstitious, and cultural beliefs. Psycho-education should be part of all mental health education programs in these communities, as delays in treatment worsen the prognosis of people with schizophrenia. Training the medical staff to consider the culture, religion and therapeutic preferences of the Baloch people can be effective in advancing the goals. In addition, local influencers should stress the importance of health care alongside harmless local remedies.

Background: Cultural and religious beliefs are effective on people's attitudes towards schizophrenia and their help-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to explain the experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Baloch ethnicity. Methods: This is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach. Purposive sampling was used and 21 participants, including family caregiver for patients with schizophrenia, a psychologist, a prayer-writer, and a normal person were interviewed in Sistan and Balochistan province in the southeast of Iran. Qualitative data were analyzed by Granheim and Lundman method. Results: One main theme, three categories, and 10 Sub-categories were extracted from analysis of interviews. "Immersion in the cultural beliefs" was the main theme of the study with categories of "Belief in the superstitious and supernatural nature of the psychological disease", "Superstitious beliefs, an attempt to free the patient", and "Conflict between cultural beliefs and science". Conclusions: Help-seeking behaviors of family caregivers in Baloch ethnicity are influenced by their religious, superstitious, and cultural beliefs. Psycho-education should be part of all mental health education programs in these communities, as delays in treatment worsen the prognosis of people with schizophrenia. Training the medical staff to consider the culture, religion and therapeutic preferences of the Baloch people can be effective in advancing the goals. In addition, local influencers should stress the importance of health care alongside harmless local remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV testing rates among recently arrived (≤5 years) Asian-born men who have sex with men (MSM) in Australia remain suboptimal. Research indicates that belief in supernatural determinants of health (supernatural beliefs) may be an important barrier to greater HIV test uptake. We examined potential associations between supernatural beliefs and HIV testing among recently arrived Asian-born MSM in Australia. In 2019, an online survey was completed by 186 self-identified MSM born in Asia, and who arrived in Australia within the past five years and were never diagnosed with HIV. Supernatural belief was measured as the extent to which one felt that health was influenced by supernatural forces. Measures of association were estimated with multiple logistic regression. Participants with supernatural beliefs were significantly less likely to have tested for HIV in the past year. The adjusted predicted probability of not testing for HIV in the past year was 44.8% among those who held supernatural beliefs (95% CI: 30.5–59.2%), but only 5.2% among those who did not hold supernatural beliefs (95% CI: 1.9–8.6%). Religious affiliation was not significantly associated with testing for HIV. Supernatural beliefs may be an important but underappreciated barrier to HIV testing among recently arrived Asian-born MSM in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superstitions have their origins at the beginning of human civilization and makeup part of the very essence of human intellect. Indigenous peoples, due to their ethnic diversity, contributed in different ways with many cultural aspects. Religious beliefs and superstitions play an important role within Indigenous culture. The objective of this study was to accomplish a survey of the superstitions of some Indigenous peoples of the Amazon about certain species of birds. The method for collecting the data was used open and semi-structured interviews with Indigenous people from the Arara, Tenharim, Kayabi, and Apiaká ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars discussing the pandemic issues tend to use Western perspectives. To question this hegemony, this paper investigates Albert Camus’s The Plague (1947) by using Islamic perspectives to challenge the dominant views in evaluating literary canon and pandemic studies. By engaging with postcolonialism and pandemic studies with the frameworks of Islamic studies, this research investigates what differences in pandemic issues are explored in Camus’s novel and how Islam advocates for Muslims to deal with the pandemic problems. The focus of this novel is mainly on European culture and perspectives, although the setting of the novel is Algeria, which is one of the largest Muslim populations in the world. Thus, it is essential to apply the Islamic perspectives in investigating this novel to understand how Islam encourages Muslims to believe and worship God as a way of living instead of being atheists, selfish, and hedonists, as this novel reveals. This research found that the author uses the ideas of absurdism, isolation, and superstitions by depicting the characters as struggling to face the bubonic plague. However, the characters still live in atheism and believe in superstitions instead of worshipping God as Islam advocates.

The paper attempts to outline a general theory of knowledge in economics based on the work of Harold Demsetz. We identify that "knowledge encapsulation" is a key Demsetzian idea that could unite the otherwise fragmented or narrow research on knowledge in economics. The knowledge encapsulation concept holds that mobilizing cognitive resources and acting under full knowledge is costly. This creates an incentive to compress knowledge into an algorithmic form, which can then be transferred in a cost-efficient manner between a multitude of agents. From this idea of Demsetz, we create a simple theoretical model. To prove its generalizability, we extrapolate it onto a wide range of cases, from traditions and superstitions to institutions and division of knowledge. We conclude that knowledge encapsulation applies to an extensive array of phenomena. However, such encapsulation must also be supplemented by adequate enforcement and mechanisms of coping with ex-post consequences of its use. If our analysis is correct, then the Demsetzian theory could be a strong contender for becoming a fruitful alternative research paradigm on knowledge in economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based practice is a problem-solving approach to healthcare delivery that reflects the best current scientific evidence. When healthcare providers face unexpected changes in a patient's condition or uncontrollable situations during care delivery, they may have less confidence or feel fearful / anxious about the care process and result. As people, healthcare providers may hold beliefs regarding the effect of external, supernatural forces on events, which may lead to superstitious beliefs and behaviors. Also, superstitious beliefs may be adopted by healthcare providers as a mechanism to cope with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty in situations where standard medical practices offer no ready solution. Although superstitious beliefs may help ease anxiety and feelings of failure in healthcare providers, this issue and the effects of these beliefs on medical staff behavior have not been adequately studied. The concept analysis strategy of Walker and Avant (2019) was applied in this study to define this concept and to examine (1) healthcare providers' loss of environment control and domination of irrationality in decision making, (2) the lack of objective evidence to explain cause-and-effect relationships in health-related situations, and (3) how unverified true or false claims become a compliance criterion among healthcare providers. Typical, borderline, and contrary cases were used to explain the concept of superstition in medical staff. The antecedents and possible consequences of healthcare providers holding superstitious beliefs were identified and the empirically addressed measurement tools were evaluated. This analysis may be used to improve the understanding of healthcare workers regarding superstitious beliefs. The results are expected to benefit clinical practice, facilitate further research, and enhance healthcare quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of development and efflorescence, Islamic medicine was founded on the principle of four temperaments; therefore, the prevalence of various diseases and their treatment methods were carried out based on the view mentioned above, namely, temperament balance loss. According to available resources, it is clear that the recognition and treatment of some dermatoses, such as warts, were affected by this view. Warts are a common dermatosis that is discussed from various aspects and problems based on the four temperaments as perceived by doctors in Islamic civilization. Despite the big misunderstanding in identifying the origin of this disease, mainly due to the lack of required technology and lack of accurate tools, Muslim physicians, unbelievably, were able to accurately examine and explain the type and location of their occurrence. Furthermore, the physicians could adopt appropriate treatment based on their type, extent of infection, and location. It is important to keep in mind that, with some advancements in technology and medicines, most of the treatments and medications that were widely used until the end of the 20th century can be modified to work in modern medicine.

Islam places great emphasis on matters related to faith and shariah. All practices and beliefs that are not based on original sources such as the Quran, Hadith, Ijma' and Qiyas are rejected by Islam. All forms of superstition, whether in the form of practice or belief, can lead to polytheism and are contrary to Islamic creed and shariah. However, some people today still believe and practice it in certain circumstances due to certain factors. This paper aims to identify the superstitious practices against babies that are still practiced among the Malay community in the state of Malacca. In addition, it will assess the level of understanding of superstitions against babies among them. The study respondents included 45 Malay women in a village in Central Melaka who had been married, pregnant and given birth. Data was analyzed as a percentage using Microsoft Excel software based on a Likert scale of 1-5. Findings show that there are 5 highest superstitious practices and 2 lowest superstitious practices ever performed by pregnant mothers towards babies during pregnancy, childbirth, and abstinence. In addition, pregnant women's understanding of superstitious practices against babies is at a moderate level. The highest mean value of 4.93 refers to respondents understanding that superstitious acts against babies are included in major sins and shirk to God while the lowest mean value of 1.57 refers to the statement 'I understand the entire practice of superstition against babies and have never done it'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Cultural beliefs influence the conceptualization, adaptation, and coping strategies for diseases. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cultural beliefs and customs on the willingness to undergo cataract surgery in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: The data were retrospectively retrieved from the national Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000). From the national database, we enrolled patients that were diagnosed with cataracts and underwent cataract surgery from 2001 to 2010. All the patients were stratified according to their gender and living area. Gender was categorized as male or female, and the living area was classified as urban or rural. We compared the difference in the number of surgeries between stratified patient groups in each Chinese lunar month. Results: The number of cataract surgeries decreased significantly in the seventh and twelfth lunar months for both genders. There was a significant reduction in cataract surgeries in both the urban and rural groups during the seventh lunar month. Interestingly, only the seventh lunar month had an association with sex in different living areas, which meant that in the seventh month, there was a gender-specific difference in the surgical numbers. Conclusions: The Taiwanese population holds a belief that surgical procedures, including cataract surgery, during the lunar ghost month is inauspicious. Citizens tend to avoid elective surgery due to cultural practice, resulting in a decrease in surgical numbers during the period of the Chinese New Year. The authorities should consider these cultural behaviors when developing medical policies and allocating resources. Healthcare providers should be aware of these superstitions and take them into account when providing medical care and advice to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The present study aims at identifying and interpreting the role that the horse plays in disenchantments and other magical formulas recited during spell casting. Furthermore, it points at the significance that this complex animal has in dreams or superstitions. More specifically, we extracted our corpus from the answers to question number 138 of the first survey issued by The Museum of the Romanian Language in 1922 (the first one in a collection of eight surveys): "What do people believe about the horse? What role does it play in carols, spells, and disenchantments?" The answers were provided by village intellectuals, mostly teachers and priests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early medieval societies, it is not only social differences that are expressed by the grave goods, but also genders. If we associate the 10th century finds with gender, the general picture is that women were buried with jewellery and men with weapons. Beads are also typically a type of artefact that is mainly associated with female artefacts, although the male burials currently under discussion reflect the fact that there was no regularity by which they could not have been included in male graves. Thus, in the first part of this study, we will seek to answer the question of whether it is indeed possible to classify finds according to their recovery from male or female graves, or the situation is much more complex. According to our current data, only a small number of beaded male graves dated to the 10th – 11th centuries were found in the Carpathian Basin : 36 graves from a total of 28 burial sites. Based on the beads found, men’s graves are not characterized by the wearing of long strings of beads. In male burials, there are usually 1– 3 beads and very rarely 4 – 5. Examining the beaded male graves of the Carpathian Basin, two chronological groups emerge : 1. Includes weapons‑horse burials with richer grave goods. These may have been buried mainly in the first half of the 10th century, but before the end of the 10th century at the latest. 2. A group of beaded men with more modest grave goods, dating as early as the mid‑ or rather mid‑late 10th century. The S‑ended ribbed lockring, found in Szegvár, suggests that the custom may have been practiced as late as the early 12th century. But by this time, beads might have been placed in burials with far fewer, or even in the absence of other grave goods. Two trends emerge in the types of beads. One is that only monochrome beads are placed in graves. The other is when they just put beads with eye ornamentation in these graves. In contrast to other ornamental beads, eye beads may have been used in men’s burials because they had a protective function, protecting the wearer from the evil eye. Given the wide distribution of the eye beads and their long period of use, it seems that the superstition of the evil eye was known among the conquering Hungarians.

In the age of development and efflorescence, Islamic medicine was founded on the principle of four temperaments; therefore, the prevalence of various diseases and their treatment methods were carried out based on the view mentioned above, namely, temperament balance loss. According to available resources, it is clear that the recognition and treatment of some dermatoses, such as warts, were affected by this view. Warts are a common dermatosis that is discussed from various aspects and problems based on the four temperaments as perceived by doctors in Islamic civilization. Despite the big misunderstanding in identifying the origin of this disease, mainly due to the lack of required technology and lack of accurate tools, Muslim physicians, unbelievably, were able to accurately examine and explain the type and location of their occurrence. Furthermore, the physicians could adopt appropriate treatment based on their type, extent of infection, and location. It is important to keep in mind that, with some advancements in technology and medicines, most of the treatments and medications that were widely used until the end of the 20th century can be modified to work in modern medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue du Nord is the property of Revue du Nord 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.)

Eastern versus Western culture pricing practices differ with respect to price endings; however, Eastern cultures are increasingly influenced by Western multinational corporations. At the same time, increasing antiglobalization sentiment suggests the use of localization strategies in these markets. The authors investigate whether pricing practices still differ in this new environment, examine the role of superstition, and ask whether Western brands can benefit from localizing pricing practices. They explore the use of lucky number price endings and consumer responses to such pricing strategies in Singapore, an Eastern culture that is strongly exposed to Western multinational influence. Using a content analysis of newspaper advertisements and two experiments, the authors find that superstitious pricing practices continue, especially with high-priced items and brands of Eastern (vs. Western) origin. In the experimental studies, they find that superstitious pricing has a positive effect on price attractiveness and that foreign brands that localize their prices benefit from a more positive brand attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Cultural beliefs influence the conceptualization, adaptation, and coping strategies for diseases. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cultural beliefs and customs on the willingness to undergo cataract surgery in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: The data were retrospectively retrieved from the national Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000). From the national database, we enrolled patients that were diagnosed with cataracts and underwent cataract surgery from 2001 to 2010. All the patients were stratified according to their gender and living area. Gender was categorized as male or female, and the living area was classified as urban or rural. We compared the difference in the number of surgeries between stratified patient groups in each Chinese lunar month. Results: The number of cataract surgeries decreased significantly in the seventh and twelfth lunar months for both genders. There was a significant reduction in cataract surgeries in both the urban and rural groups during the seventh lunar month. Interestingly, only the seventh lunar month had an association with sex in different living areas, which meant that in the seventh month, there was a gender-specific difference in the surgical numbers. Conclusions: The Taiwanese population holds a belief that surgical procedures, including cataract surgery, during the lunar ghost month is inauspicious. Citizens tend to avoid elective surgery due to cultural practice, resulting in a decrease in surgical numbers during the period of the Chinese New Year. The authorities should consider these cultural behaviors when developing medical policies and allocating resources. Healthcare providers should be aware of these superstitions and take them into account when providing medical care and advice to patients.

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Institute / Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi is the property of Bingol University / Rectorate 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.)

Подана стаття охоплює таку особливу частину національного світогляду українців, як забобони і повір’я. Наші предки споконвіку вірили у зв’язок із потойбічним світом і виражали свій страх перед ним у різноманітних обрядах і забобонах. Вони розглядали весь світ навколо як живий. Духи або магічні істоти, котрі жили в деревах, травах, водоймах могли або шкодити людині, або, навпаки, допомагати їй досягти життєвого успіху. Забобони стосувалися широких сфер життя. Деякі з них слугували оберегом від злих сил. Окремі мали на меті привернути в оселю щастя і добробут. 174 Формування забобонів має довгу історію. Деякі дослідники пов’язують народні уявлення з описами чудес святих, відомими з християнської житійної літератури. Давня література України повна згадок про різні забобони. Приміром, у “Повісті минулих літ” розповідається про народження князя Всеслава Полоцького. Наші предки пильно приглядалися до новонародженої дитини і до її характерних ознак, і з цих ознак прогнозували їй майбутнє. Так Всеслава Полоцького, народженого “у сорочці”, названо віщим. Міцною була віра українців у вампірів(упирів). Іпатіївський літопис розповідає, що “нав’є(мерці) на конєх” вбивають людей у Полоцьку по ночах. Окрім згадок з глибокої давнини нами використані справи міських і магістерських судів з книг Ковельського магістрату, Подільської губернії, виданих і аналізованих В. Антоновичем. Застосовуючи текстологічний аналіз давніх і сучасних літературних набутків, розглянемо формування деяких забобонів у історичній ретроспективі. Українське письменство широко використовувало забобони і повір’я у своїх творах. У статті містяться посилання на твори Лесі Українки, Тараса Шевченка, І. Нечуя- Левицького, П. Мирного та інших. Деякі забобони міцно вкоренилися у генетичній пам’яті українців і наразі доволі поширені. Вони надзвичайно яскраво демонструють особливості національного світогляду українців. Ключові слова: забобони, повір’я, чудеса, побутова магія, виробнича магія

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

The paper investigates the possibility of evolution in superstitions that support self-governance arrangements. To show that superstitions may adapt to changes in economic constraints, I study a Russian religious sect called the beguny. The sect originated in the eighteenth century and operated in continual opposition to the Russian state. The beguny relied on a system of self-governance, centered around the notion of religious purity. As economic conditions shifted, the beguny rationally amended the concept of religious purity to adapt to change. As a result of its malleability, the sect first evolved from nomadic wandering to a system of refuge providers. Afterwards, the beguny endured an evolutionary split, after which one-half of the sect became a complex hierarchical organization living in a network of hidden monastic cells, whilst the other established monasteries deep in the Siberian taiga. That division allowed the beguny to survive until the twenty-first century. The simple, yet important conclusion of my analysis is that superstitions do not need to be discarded when they cease being socially productive. Instead, they can evolve to continue an efficient supply of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeological Materials & Research / Materiale şi Cercetǎri Arheologice is the property of Institute of Archaeology "Vasile Parvan" 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.)

We study the influence of numerological superstitions on family-related choices made by people in Denmark. Using daily data on marriages and births in Denmark in 2007-2019 we test hypotheses associated with positive perception of numbers 7 and 9 and a negative perception of number 13, as well as the impact of February, 29, April 1, St. Valentine’s Day and Halloween. There is significant negative effect of the 13th on the popularity of both wedding and birth dates. However, some other effects associated with special dates and the cultural representations of unofficial holidays have a stronger effect. In addition, after controlling for many factors, February 29 and April 1 turn out to be desirable for weddings, but not for childbirth, implying the context dependence of cultural stereotypes. Evidence of birth scheduling for non-medical reasons is especially worrisome because of the associated adverse health outcomes associated with elective caesarian sections and inductions.

The folk culture denotes the aboriginal culture and knowledge covering tangible and intangible entities such as literary and artistic products, beliefs and customs, science and technology, and the common practices. Taboos and superstitions are the manifestations of popular beliefs, whose reflection on literary texts, similar to proverbs, anecdotes and myths, has a profound effect on the hearts and minds of the masses. The Algerian author Abdelhamid Ben Hadduga, the author of Rih al-janoub, has portrayed the numerous manifestations of popular culture in this novel, as in other literary works by this author. While examining the purposes and themes in which taboo and superstition are employed by Ben Hadduga, this research is built on a descriptive-analytical and critical approach to find out Ben Hadduga’s goal in addressing social, economic, and social characteristics as well as describing the traditional and modern Algeria. His work presents a better portrayal of the intellectual challenges of the younger and older generations and occasionally criticizes the traditions. He depicts these traditions in a wide range of taboos and superstitions by considering the circumstances of the time, events, and the evolution of the story. Punishment, place, monopoly of women, and the restricted social interactions of girls are the examples of taboos. Moreover, a few clear examples of superstitions in the Rih al-janoub novel include placing earthenware on graves to water souls of the dead, overeating at funerals to bestow more mercy upon the deceased, attributing problems and adversities to fairies and spirits, and putting the tongue on red hot sickles by dervishes to pray for rain.

Concept exploration and development of superstition is the aim of this research. Superstition is a complex concept, needs to be clarity, removes it from its mundane state, and gives it a scientific richness. To use a list of questions extracted from a review of the literature to analyze, develop, and explore superstition. It was assessed according to studies conducted in three fields sociology, psychology, and nursing. The maturity of the concept was determined in four areas, epistemology, practicability, semantics, and deduction/logic. Nurses must discover people's beliefs and superstitions. Although the concept of superstition is commonly used, many of its features and aspects were still unclear.

Introduction Superstition as a cultural category in any society is one of the aspects of the spiritual culture of that society that has social damages and psychological consequences. Also, it affects every stratum of society in a variety of ways and forms appropriate to time and place. Although the prevalence of supernaturalism seems to decrease with the increase in the level of literacy and public culture of the society, even modern humans cannot completely reject or actually get rid of superstition. Superstition has its special place in nations, within them there are still some people who are following the superstitions of their previous generations and transferring these superstitions to their next generation. In fact, in the mind of each human there are beliefs that are incompatible with any scientific logic and that their beliefs cannot be understood with any rational justification. But, these beliefs exist and sometimes find functions in life that can change the course of one’s life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of social and psychological security on the tendency toward superstition among Isfahan University students. Research showed that although students were the educated and the future-maker group of the country, superstitious beliefs have always been found among them. The theoretical framework for the research has been based on theories of Pareto’s Irrationality, Weber's Traditional and Irrational Behavior, Maslow's sense of psychological security, and Ingelhart's Social Security. Superstition has become widespread in response to the insecurities of individuals in life. In fact, it is an inevitable attempt to influence the future course of events to make things enjoyable. Material & Methods The statistical population of the study included all students of Isfahan University in 2018 (1397 AH). The population size was 14375 and the sample size was 375 using Cochran formula, among them 400 questionnaires were distributed. The sampling method was quota sampling from each faculty. In the present study, content validity was based on the endorsement of articles by specialists and experts. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for assessing reliability. The alpha coefficients for the variables of feeling of psychological security, social security, and the tendency toward superstition were 0.771, 0.745, and 0.766, respectively. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and the findings were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software. The results showed that the mean of mental security was 28.03 and social security was 34.56 which were 1.7 and 1.44 lower than the total mean, respectively. The mean of superstitions was 41.21 with the standard deviation of 2.21 higher than the mean. The relationship between psychological security with the tendency toward superstition (-0.317) and social security relationship with superstition (-0.145) was directly and negatively confirmed. In regression analysis, in order to determine the equation with which to predict superstitions, we obtained an equation with variables of psychological security, social security, gender and employment status. Finally, 22.5% of the variance of the dependent variable was explained by this equation. Discussion of Results & Conclusions The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between the variable of feeling of psychological security and social security and tendency toward superstition. In fact, the obtained data supported the main hypothesis of the above research. Namely, those students who had the least sense of economic security, uncertainty about the future, lack of happiness, and other micro-dimensions of psychological security and social security showed the highest tendency for superstition. The relationship of psychological and social security with the tendency for superstition was different for men and women, different ethnicities, educational levels and unemployed persons, with women, unemployed, undergraduates and ethnic Lur being more prone to superstition.

Superstitious rituals are common in sports and can play a role in athletes' optimism, sense of control, and confidence in performance. Superstitious rituals have characteristics rooted in tradition and need for perfection. While superstitious rituals vary in type of activity, it is necessary to consider their impact on players and the team, and to guide athletes into positive forms of expression to optimize their performance and overall well-being when engaged in their athletic activities. This paper explores the potential benefits and challenges of superstitious rituals, and the ways in which positive alternative pathways can contribute to peak performance in athletes.

Superstitions are behaviors human beings use to gain a sense of control over certain events in their lives. Thus, sport and its inherent uncertainty provide fertile ground for superstitious behavior. Research on this subject has focused mainly on athletes while examining the behavioral expressions, motivations, and characteristics of fans’ superstitions that have remained marginal; therefore, the present paper aims to address this lacuna by analyzing these behaviors as part of sports fandom and fans’ daily routines. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 Israeli football fans of local teams. Key findings illustrate two themes: time dependent acts of superstition; and place. It is argued that superstitious behavior serves fans in two ways. First, making them feel their actions influence the match outcomes and helping their favorite team beyond simply cheering in the stands. Second, reducing the level of uncertainty and subsequent stress level characteristic of being a sports fan. Furthermore, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when fans’ access to stadiums was restricted, the results show that the fans’ absence from the stadiums led to a reduction in the quantity and frequency of their superstitious behaviors, pointing to the significance of sporting venues in fan behavior.

Copyright of Culture & Folk Literature / Farhang va Adabiyyāt-i ̒āmah is the property of Tarbiat Modares University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Culture & Folk Literature / Farhang va Adabiyyāt-i ̒āmah is the property of Tarbiat Modares University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The difficult conditions berared by Herta Müller in her childhood in the native village, during the communist times, the absence of communication with her family and a continuous lack of affection coming from the maternal figures in the house, left a deep mark on the later life of the Nobel awarded writer. Discussing the world of her childhood with the journalist Angelika Klammer, Herta Müller shows that, in those times, in order to compensate the reality, she created a magic world of her own. This world operated on three coordinates: the relation with nature, the relation with the divinity and the interpretation of death, as presented in our article.

The article analyzes the situation associated with the introduction of the Ukrainian language in worship and other aspects of building a national Church. In this context, analyses the specific moments with the pastoral work of Metropolitan Basil (Lipkivsky). It is noted that 70 years have passed since the martyrdom of Metropolitan Basil. During this time, Ukraine became an independent country, but the problems for the solution of which Vasily lipkovsky was martyred, and remain deadlocked. Thus, the Orthodox of Ukraine still lack unity – part of our Orthodoxy is still connected (like shackles) with the Imperial Church, the Church of another state! And the end of this abnormal situation is very difficult to predict.In the time of Vasily lipkivsky, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Bolshevik government stood in the way of the UAOC's approval. The bishops and supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church noted "necrosociety" Ukrainian autocephaly, the Bolsheviks – it "kontrrevoljucionnoj". The Metropolitan rejected both arguments. In particular, in discussions on the Church system, he noted that the Russian Orthodox Church does not accidentally draw attention to the Church canons. However, in the circumstances of General significant changes in life, instead of the monarchicalecclesiastical system, it is necessary to establish a people's right system. It would seem that the Bolshevik authorities did not perceive the Autocephalous Church for fundamentally different reasons than the ROC. In fact, there was a deeply common ground that United the Bolsheviks and Russian churchmen in their irreconcilable attitude to the UAOC. Neodnorodnosti autocephalists scared as the Russian Orthodox Church and the Bolsheviks. The Communists could not allow the existence of the UAOC, because it was a spiritual organization beyond the control of the authorities. It was unacceptable for them that Ukrainians should start to organize themselves on a spiritual basis and remember that they are a separate ethnic community from the Russians with their history, culture, customs, Church, and that they should finally address God in their native language.

Signs ingrained in our everyday lives have already become an integral part of our nature, although insufficiently perceived yet. The purpose of the paper is the research of signs in modern life, in particular, in tourists’ lives. The scientific review of definitions “sign”, “ethnic tourism” is presented. National signs are predictions checked by time, based on an assumption of peoples’ communication with natural phenomena, various properties of objects and events which happen to them, expressed in a short, figurative form. The national sign passes from generation to generation. Signs form behavior stereotypes in ordinary situations, promote thinking dogmatization as a certain defense mechanism preserving cultural tradition from external influence; maintain separate mythological ideas about interdependence of the nature and society.In this article national signs of Yakuts and Evenks which reflect their culture, traditions and customs are considered. Studying signs gives tourists a chance to get acquainted not only with nature, but also with original culture; to make comparisons of national characters, mentality and archetypes. Tours oriented to learning foreign traditions and customs gain more popularity nowadays. As a result ethnocultural tourism aimed at studying socio-cultural and traditional patterns, including signs, reflect the way of life of people living in extreme conditions, as well as their environmental friendliness, in the best way possible. The author concludes that preservation and revival of national signs is critical for tourists’ acquisition and the development of ethnic tourism.

Background and Aim: One of the components of every culture is beliefs. Some of these beliefs are based on actual proven and solid foundation. Some of them are superstitions which are baseless and have been accepted by people. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of belief in superstitions and its related factors among the students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Material and Methods: This was a study with mixed method design which was a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The quantitative section was cross-sectional and the qualitative part of the study included views of the experts on the psychological, social, religious and political fields. In this study we used a valid and reliable researcher-made superstition questionnaire. The questionnaire had 2 parts: belief in superstitions and tendency to superstition. We used stratified random sampling method and the sample size was estimated to be 386 students according to Cochranchr('39')s formula. Data were entered into SPSS-20 software and analyzed by ANOA and chi-square test. Results: In this study 184(54%) students were male and 157 (46%) were female with the mean age of 20.26 ± 1.60 years. 309 students (90.6%) lived in urban areas, 54 (15.8%) had a tendency to superstition, 46 (13.5%) had high level and 122 (35.8%) had low level of superstitious beliefs. In this study, there was a significant relationship between gender (P=0.037) and age (p

В рамках изучения особенностей абхазской народной педагогики рассмотрены особые приемы назидательного воздействия на подрастающее поколение. Упреждающие аксиомы, предостерегающие акты, постулаты-воспитания, запуги – явления, существующие в этнопедагогике испокон веков, призваны уберечь, образумить. Упреждающие аксиомы широко известны в этнопедагогической науке, однако их исследованию и систематизации уделено немного внимания. Стоит отметить отсутствие значимых трудов по изучению данного аспекта, собраний или сборников народных предостережений, позволяющих глубоко раскрыть их сущность и содержание. Наиболее употребляемые назидательные обороты, применяемые абхазами в быту, были предоставлены информаторами, представителями данного этноса, проживающими на территории Республики Абхазия. Иными источниками явились произведения фольклора, поскольку предостережения встречаются и в устном народном творчестве абхазов. Научная новизна обсуждаемого опыта заключена в отсутствии должного внимания к подобного рода средствам воспитания, эмоционального в том числе. Актуальность анализа данного средства воспитания заключена в чрезмерной его эффективности, отсутствии необходимости прибегать к прочим методам убеждения. Целью изучения вопроса предостережений является стремление вычленить положительные и отрицательные стороны подобного воздействия и определить возможность его применения с учетом требований и норм современной педагогики и современных реалий. Абхазский народ ковал собственные меры предостережения, апробировал их веками, дабы подобрать то, что подходит молодой смене именно данного этноса. Несмотря на всю самобытность обсуждаемых средств, их изучение представит интерес и может быть полезно для всего человечества.

The article analyzes materials collected by Ulyumdzhi D. Dushan (1892–1974) among the Kalmyks in the 1920s to 1930s, the former serving as a valuable folklore and ethnographic source. Being a professional physician to have received a classical European medical education, he displayed an interest in the traditional ethnic culture in its various aspects. First, he was attracted by the Kalmyk culture as a sum of traditional knowledge of the world and man; secondly, due to his professional duty, he could not help emphasizing those features of the traditional Kalmyk lifestyles that required certain intervention so as to be transformed ― everyday life and traditional mentality ― from Socialist perspectives. The 2016 publication of U. D. Dushan’s works provides an opportunity to scrutinize into his research heritage which ― along with most valuable ethnographic descriptions of the material and spiritual culture of the Kalmyks, their pre-Buddhist religious ideas — contain his characteristics of separate folklore genres, narrative texts, and quite numerous examples of the aphoristic genres of Kalmyk folklore.