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Modernity At Large: Cultural Dimensions Of Globalization
... Literatürde 1990'lı yıllara kadar kabul görmüş varsayımları sorgulayan Appadurai, kültürlerin sınırlarının belli bir mekâna bağlı sabit yapılar olmadığının altını çizerken 'yersizyurtsuzlaşma' (deterritorialization) kavramına değinmektedir. Bu kavram, Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization kitabında da belirtildiği üzere, yalnızca uluslararası şirketleri ya da finans piyasalarını değil, farklı etnik grupları, mezhepsel hareketleri ve siyasi oluşumları da kapsamaktadır (Appadurai, 1996). Özetle, Appadurai'ye göre günümüzde kimliklerin tek bir toprak parçasına ya da ulusa ait olması mümkün değildir. ...
... Appadurai'ye göre de bu durum kimliğin 'çok-yerli' (multi-sited) ve zamansal olarak parçalanmış bir biçimde yapılandığına işarettir. Özetle, Appadurai'ye göre kimlik yalnızca etnik köken ya da ulus üzerinden değil; medya, göç, teknoloji, yerel uygulamalar ve hatta hayal gücü aracılığıyla da yapılanmaktadır (Appadurai, 1996). ...
... Hal ini dapat dilihat dari pergeseran pola konsumsi yang mengarah pada produk makanan cepat saji yang lebih mudah diakses dan lebih sesuai dengan gaya hidup urban (Schneider & Craddock, 2020). Penurunan nilai simbolis dari sagu ini menunjukkan adanya dislokasi budaya yang bersumber dari modernisasi, di mana nilai-nilai dan pengetahuan lokal tergeser oleh nilai-nilai yang lebih modern dan sering kali lebih terstandarisasi (Appadurai, 1996). Dengan kata lain dislokasi budaya terjadi ketika masyarakat tidak lagi memiliki kejelasan tentang nilai dan identitas kolektifnya, karena semuanya digantikan oleh cara hidup modern yang lebih individualistik, konsumtif, dan praktis (Bauman, 2000: 7-10). ...
... Selain itu, penelitian oleh Nugroho (2019) menunjukkan bahwa upaya pelestarian budaya lokal yang dilakukan oleh kelompok-kelompok masyarakat adat di Indonesia, termasuk di Papua, berperan penting dalam memperkuat rasa solidaritas dan kebanggaan terhadap warisan budaya. Ini sejalan dengan teori local revitalization yang dipopulerkan oleh Appadurai (1996), yang menyatakan bahwa di tengah arus modernitas, beberapa komunitas malah mengalami kebangkitan budaya yang justru memperkuat identitas lokal mereka. Masyarakat Asmat, misalnya, berusaha memperkuat pendidikan budaya yang menekankan pentingnya sagu sebagai warisan budaya, yang tidak hanya memberikan makanan, tetapi juga menyimpan makna spiritual dan simbolik. ...
Artikel ini menganalisis dampak modernitas terhadap dislokasi budaya dalam masyarakat Asmat, dengan fokus pada hilangnya praktik kearifan lokal yang telah lama menjadi inti dari identitas budaya mereka. Penelitian ini menggunakan dua teknik utama, yaitu wawancara mendalam dan Focus Group Discussion (FGD), untuk menggali perspektif masyarakat Asmat mengenai perubahan sosial dan budaya yang mereka alami. Hasil temuan menunjukkan bahwa modernitas, yang dipicu oleh globalisasi, perkembangan teknologi, dan arus informasi, menyebabkan pergeseran nilai-nilai tradisional, merubah pola hidup, dan mengancam pelestarian kearifan lokal. Dislokasi budaya ini tidak hanya berdampak pada aspek sosial, tetapi juga pada identitas dan keberlanjutan budaya Asmat. Penelitian ini memberikan wawasan mengenai tantangan yang dihadapi masyarakat dalam mempertahankan tradisi mereka di tengah arus modernitas, serta menawarkan rekomendasi strategis untuk menjaga warisan budaya yang hampir terlupakan. Temuan ini diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi penting untuk pengembangan kajian budaya dan pelestarian kearifan lokal.
... In the context of deepening globalization and digital technology integration, the international dissemination of cultural heritage is undergoing a paradigm shift from "unidirectional export" to "bidirectional dialogue" [1]. The Zhedong Tang Poetry Road, a cultural corridor spanning eastern Zhejiang and connecting cities such as Shaoxing, Ningbo, and Taizhou, epitomizes the poetic essence of Chinese civilization. ...
... Rooted in the Tang literati's philosophical pursuit of "harmony between humanity and nature" (tianren heyi), this heritage site functions not merely as a geographical "poetic -pictorial corridor" but also as a repository of high-context cultural symbols. Iconic imagery such as "solitary boat" (guzhou) and "emerald peaks" (qingfeng), immortalized in verses like Li Bai's "The lake moon casts my shadow, guiding me to Shanxi" and Wang Wei's "After rain, the empty mountain greets autumn's dusk," encapsulates the interplay of classical Chinese aesthetics and metaphysics [1]. However, when communicated to low-context audiences, these symbols encounter dual challenges: "cultural discount", where Western visitors often reduce guzhou to a literal "small boat," and "experiential disembedding," where static exhibitions and textual translations fail to evoke profound emotional engagement. ...
Amid the integration of globalization and digital technologies, the international dissemination of high- context cultural heritage faces dual challenges of cultural discount and experiential disembedding. This study, centered on the Zhejiang East Tang Poetry Road, proposes the SPACE Synergistic Model (Symbolic Translation, Participatory Immersion, Academic-Industry Collaboration, Cultural Economy, Ethical Localization), integrating semiotics, neuroaesthetics, and blockchain to explore cross-cultural poetic translation and digitally empowered cultural tourism
integration. Mixed-methods research reveals: (1) multimodal symbolic translation (e.g., AR tactile narratives) adapts to low-context audiences’ cognition; (2) immersive scenarios enhance cultural identity by activating θ waves (35% intensity increase, p < 0.001); (3) NFT economic loops synergize with the Cultural Fidelity Index (CFI) to achieve cultural-economic symbiosis. Case studies demonstrate that technology-driven narrative reconstruction increases tourist dwell time by 120%, yet necessitates caution against technological misuse. This research provides an interdisciplinary paradigm for digitizing high-context heritage, propelling innovation in cultural tourism, and contributing theoretical- practical insights to the global dissemination of Chinese culture.
... Although speakers of German have adopted many loanwords from other languages throughout history including from Latin, Greek and French, recent diversification of language use in Germany is mainly driven by the global mobility of English (see Mair, 2024). This diffusion of English is intrinsically linked to global cultural flows, which, according to Appadurai (1996), are objects in motion due to accelerated globalisation (i.e., people and ideologies, technologies and media messages) mobilised across several scapes: media-, techno-, ideo-, ethnoand financescapes. As part of this cultural mobility, English language resources also become mobilised in linguascapes (Pennycook, 2003). ...
... All anglicism lexemes found in the Instagram corpus were additionally categorised into lexical fields according to the context in which each anglicism token was used. Since linguistic and cultural resources are jointly mobilised in global cultural flows (see Appadurai, 1996), an analysis of lexical fields of English linguistic resources allows for insights into how cultural flows have an impact on the station's content choice and language use on Instagram. In addition, the analysis of lexical fields shows how the youth radio station positions itself within these global cultural currents, as the mass media are Languages 2025, 10, 96 9 of 23 themselves part of global cultural flows. ...
While speakers of German have adopted many loanwords from other languages throughout history, recent diversification of language use in Germany is mainly driven by the global mobility of English. Previous research has therefore focused on various domains in which English linguistic resources are used, particularly in traditional media and social media communication. Furthermore, many studies on social media communication have also examined English language internet memes more broadly. Despite this plethora of research, little attention has been paid to how English is used in internet memes and reels produced by professional journalists in Germany. Playing a significant role in communication amongst young people, internet memes and reels are used by many German youth media organisations. In particular for youth radio stations in Germany, which have become multimedia outlets, online communication via Instagram is vital for their audience interaction. This paper examines the use of English linguistic resources in a professionally produced Instagram corpus of internet meme and reel captions produced by journalists working for one of the largest youth radio stations in Germany. Data for the analysis of Instagram content were collected as part of the larger ethnographic research project CIDoRA (funded by the European Union). For this project, a mixed methods approach was applied. Methods of data collection and analysis include linguistic ethnography both at the youth radio station and on the station’s Instagram profile page, informal interviews and 20 semi-structured interviews with journalists, and a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 980 meme and reel captions produced for the station’s Instagram profile. Since the youth radio station’s Instagram profile functions as a means of the station’s online self-advertisement, the analysis of this article also draws on a previous study by the researcher. This study analysed possible facilitating factors for the use of catachrestic and non-catachrestic anglicisms in radio station imaging (radio self-advertisement) of six German adult contemporary radio stations. The article therefore includes an analysis of the possible facilitating factors lexical field, brevity of expression, diachronic development of the pragmatic value of lexical items and semantic reasons for the use of English in Instagram content. It thereby explores the differences in anglicism use between these two media formats (radio broadcasting and social media communication) and whether possible facilitating factors for the use of English in adult contemporary radio station imaging are also facilitating factors for the use of English in meme and reel captions produced by the youth radio station.
... Keila, além disso, ostenta seu empoderamento feminino e tem a ambição de se vender para fora da periferia. Contudo, mesmo quando o discurso empreendedor forte desses personagens se emparelha com a fraseologia neoliberal -esta, por sinal, globalizada pelas tecnologias de comunicação, como observa Appadurai (1996) -, não é o cálculo monetário que os motiva, e sim a busca por reconhecimento. Pode-se argumentar que a incapacidade de lidar com o fracasso é uma consequência subjetiva do neoliberalismo. ...
The article analyzes the possibility of consolidating popular entrepreneurship as a significant identity in São Paulo. The text is an outcome of an ethnography conducted between 2017 and 2022. Two profiles of self-employed workers are analyzed: a case of “weak” entrepreneurship, in which the little articulated entrepreneurial ethos is linked to a family project; then, two cases of “strong” entrepreneurship, in which their characters express the lexicon characteristic of entrepreneurial discourse, but with different results depending on the aspiration for social distinction. For each of the three cases, experiences in relation to work, neighborhood, formal and non-formal education and prospects for social mobility are analyzed.
... Related codes were grouped into potential themes and sub-themes to address the research questions. The dataset was analyzed using various theoretical frameworks, including Transnationalism theory (Appadurai, 1996;Glick Schiller et al., 1992), Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love (1986), intercultural communication (Gudykunst, 2003), diaspora studies (Cohen, 1997), and adaptation theory (Berry, 1997). These theoretical perspectives provided a comprehensive lens for examining the intersection of social media content, cultural expression, and community interaction within a diasporic context. ...
Background: This qualitative study examines the factors driving the international marriage migration of Thai women to Indian men in the digital age, focusing on how socio-cultural and religious themes are expressed through their YouTube channels and Facebook pages. Methods The research uses a desktop methodology to analyze secondary data, including publicly available videos, posts, comments, and interactions from six selected YouTube channels, each boasting over 100,000 views and active user communities relevant to the topic. Data collection occurred from September to November 2024. The study integrates concepts from globalization, Robert Sternberg's Triangle Theory of Love, intercultural communication, identity, and diaspora to dissect these dynamics by content analysis. Key findings include the stages of meeting and falling in love, the adaptation process to new family environments, and content produced on social media addressing themes like food culture, religious practices, cultural values, and child-rearing methods. The audience's reflections on these topics were also analyzed. Finding: Although India's population of Thai wives is relatively small, their YouTube and social media platforms have attracted international attention. This visibility can foster greater socio-cultural and religious understanding between India and Thailand, promoting interconnectedness and cooperation in the region. If the Thai embassy and consulates in India were to facilitate a network for these Thai wives, they could effectively champion "Thainess" within the context of "Indianness." As "civilian ambassadors," these women could enhance cultural diplomacy between the two nations, contributing to stronger ties and mutual respect. Conclusion: No studies have investigated Thai wives in India functioning as YouTubers. This research underscores the meaningful and authentic socio-cultural and religious perspectives disseminated by these women through digital channels, perspectives largely unacknowledged within the Thai context.
... In the simple definition provided by Taylor the term social imaginaries refers to the ways in which people collectively imagine their social existence, 'how they fit together with others, how things go on between them and their fellows, the expectations that are normally met, and the deeper normative notions and images that underlie these expectations' (Taylor, 2004). Others have defined imaginaries as 'an organized field of social practices… and a form of negotiation between sites of agency (individuals) and globally defined fields of possibility' (Appadurai, 1996). The extensive scholarship on imaginaries has described the ways in which the 'conjuring' (Bhan, 2014) and circulation (Valaskivi and Sumiala, 2014) of imaginaries influence governance, illuminating 'how systems come to be legitimized and what comes to be perceived as possible' (Dencik, 2018). ...
What might be required for us to inhabit a present defined by crises and collectively imagine a hopeful future? This paper explores some of the ways in which the dominance of crisis framings in contemporary life might shape our ability to 'imagine together', and identifies a burgeoning body of work aligned with the concerns of spiritual ecology, that endeavours to cultivate the field of our collective imagination as an act of deep meaning-making. I identify a set of interlinked themes or qualities that resonate throughout and animate this work, and argue that these may gesture towards ways of cultivating spaces rich with imaginative potential to enable us collectively to imagine 'beyond crisis'. These include a recognition of the ways in which Western scientific modernity continues to shape spaces of imaginative possibility; a resurgence of contemporary animism and a 're-membering' of humans in broader kinship with the animate earth; challenges to temporalities of crisis; the honouring of emotions such as joy, hope, and grief; and the reconnection with somatic wisdom and ritual.
... Different historical periods have required or favoured different types of infrastructures, creating new geographies (Sparke 2005). Following Appadurai (1996), we thus see infrastructures, and particularly dams, as technological artefacts that create and shape not only landscapes, but also other scapes by enhancing or hindering the flows of people, technologies, capital, images, and ideas. In particular, we specifically look at the ways in which exposed dams as ruined infrastructures are creating new geographies of temporality or timespaces (May and Thrift 2001) by weaving together the hopes and dispossessions of the past, the warnings of the present, and the uncertainties of the future (DeSilvey and Edensor 2013). ...
... Darvish, both through his own actions and the undulating currents of a technologically driven celebrity mediascape in Japan and abroad has became a rebellious, exotic, and athletically dominant figure(Appadurai 1996).Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. 07 May 2025 at 09:38:05, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use. ...
In early December 2011 the Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) “posted” Yu Darvish, making him eligible to field contract offers from Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in the United States. Darvish, a tall, handsome then 24 year old who, from 2005-2011, was the team's ace pitcher, had been the frequent subject of speculation: would he, and if so when, leave Japan for American baseball. By December 19 the Texas Rangers had won the posting process with a bid of 60 million dollar agreement was signed and the next round of Darvish's athletic endeavors was set to unfold outside Japan. The month long process assumed its place alongside other moves by prominent Japanese baseball players to the United States, with baseball fans in both countries discussing and dissecting how he would fare against MLB competition.
... Bajo el lema de la tranquilidad, se esbozaba un repertorio común para los numerosos barrios de la zona suburbana, creando un efecto de unidad a pesar de sus diferencias. Los editores de estos periódicos eran, en este sentido, agentes de un proceso de producción de localidad, entendida aquí en los términos definidos por Arjun Appadurai (1996), para quien la "localidad" debe entenderse como un aspecto fenomenológico de la vida social, constituido por prácticas materiales y una estructura de sentimiento que da sentido a prácticas sociales situadas y cotidianas. ...
El artículo parte de la percepción actual de que los suburbios de Río de Janeiro son una región marcada por la carencia y la precariedad para entender cómo se formó esta representación. Centrándose en los primeros años del siglo XX, a partir de testimonios de diferentes órganos de prensa, el texto busca desnaturalizar la asociación entre los suburbios cariocas y la pobreza, revelando los procesos que llevaron a la consolidación de esta idea. El objetivo es, a partir de este caso específico, sugerir caminos analíticos para reflexiones más amplias sobre los procesos de estratificación social del espacio en Río de Janeiro, destacando la importancia de las dimensiones materiales y simbólicas que permean este fenómeno.
... Cultural memes, as the basic units of cultural transmission, carry shared meaning systems within specific communities . Building on Lefevere's rewriting theory and digital humanities techniques, this study operationalizes cultural meme translation as the process of extracting, deconstructing, and cross-media reassembling core cultural symbols through technological mediation to achieve cognitive adaptation of high-context heritage for low-context audiences [1].For the Zhedong Tang Poetry Road, cultural memes manifest as clusters of imagery (e.g., "solitary boat," "moonlit peaks," "verdant mountains") that require digital twin technology to translate textual symbols into multisensory narratives. Digital twin technology constructs tripartite mappings of physical space, digital space, and cognitive space through high -precision modeling and real-time data interaction. ...
In the context of deepening globalization and digitalization, the international dissemination of cultural heritage faces dual challenges of cultural discount and contextual contradictions. Focusing on the Zhedong Tang Poetry Road, this study proposes a theoretical framework of "digital twin-enabled cultural gene translation" to explore pathways for enhancing cross-cultural communication efficacy through immersive narratives and cultural-tourism synergy mechanisms. Using a mixed-methods approach (digital ethnography, computational text analysis, and controlled experiments), the findings reveal: (1) Digital twin technology enables cross-contextual lossless translation of Tang poetry imagery through virtual-physical symbiosis, with a core pathway of "image extraction, semiotic deconstruction, and contextual reconstruction"; (2) Immersive narratives significantly enhance international audiences' cultural identity via emotional resonance (37% increase in θ-wave activation intensity) and induce behavioral transformation (22% rise in revisit rates); (3) The "STEAM model" (Storytelling-Technology-Emotion-Action- Monetization) serves as a nexus for synergistic value creation between cultural dissemination and local economies. This study provides theoretical innovation and practical paradigms for cultural heritage communication in the digital humanities era, while offering neuroaesthetic evidence for the "cultural premium" effect mediated by technology.
... In an era of deepening globalization, the international dissemination of cultural heritage has become a critical arena for soft power competition. The Zhedong Tang Poetry Road, a poetic crystallization of Chinese civilization, embodies the spiritual pursuits and natural philosophy of Tang Dynasty literati through its unique "landscape-poetic-heart" cultural genes [1]. However, as a high-context cultural artifact, its transmission to low-context audiences faces persistent challenges, including cultural discount and semiotic misinterpretation. ...
In the context of accelerating globalization, the international dissemination of high-context cultural heritage faces persistent challenges, including cultural discount and semiotic misinterpretation. This study explores the Zhedong Tang Poetry Road—a quintessential embodiment of Tang Dynasty literary and philosophical traditions—as a case to examine how digital technologies, such as digital twins, generative AI (AIGC), and blockchain, enable adaptive translation of cultural genes and foster symbiotic relationships between cultural preservation and tourism economies. Through a mixed-methods framework integrating digital ethnography, computational text analysis, and neuroaesthetic experiments, the research validates that multimodal narratives (e.g., LiDAR-scanned landscapes, AR-enhanced poetry) significantly enhance cross-cultural empathy, evidenced by a 35% increase in θ-wave activation and a 41.2% rise in cultural identity scores. Economically, blockchain-driven models, including NFT-based IP monetization and smart contracts, demonstrate an 18% growth in international tourist spending and a 15% increase in derivative revenues. Theoretically, the study advances a "Three-Phase Cultural Meme Translation Model" and a "STEAM Synergy Framework," offering scalable strategies for globalizing high-context heritage while addressing technological and ethical constraints. These findings provide actionable insights for bridging cultural depth with global accessibility, supporting rural revitalization, and advancing sustainable tourism ecosystems.
... Свого часу Арджун Аппадурай увів в обіг термін «кабінетна ностальгія» (armchair nostalgia) (Appadurai, 1996) періодом часу, яку переживають люди, котрі не мали в тому безпосереднього особистого досвіду, але, тим не менше, відчувають сентимент до них. Цією прихильністю вони завдячують впливу різноманітних медій, літератури, оповідям інших тощо 46 . ...
«Кейс Булгакова» чудово надається для препарування й аналізу процесу змін символічного ландшафту і публічних просторів українських міст зараз. Іншими словами, ми проаналізуємо що (не) впливає на практики і «концептуалізації» надання чи позбавлення або ж знов надання статусу історичного спадку (пор. heritagization — de-heritagization — re-heritagization у перспективі деколонізаційних процесів у теперішній Україні так, як ми розуміємо і пояснюємо собі ці процеси. У рамках цієї статті ми плануємо розглянути як імперська уявність формувала «Київський міф» і образ Києва, до створення якого долучився Булгаков і який він так заповзято ретранслював у своїх текстах. Також розглянемо, із чого постав образ Києва в його текстах і спробуємо з’ясувати, звідки взявся «міф Булгакова» та яку роль він відіграє у формуванні історичного/культурного спадку сьогодні, коли процеси деколонізації набирають обертів, і проаналізуємо можливі способи роботи з дуже відмінними групами об’єктів — пам’ятниками/монументами та будинками/пам’ятками і процесами надання/позбавлення їх статусу історичного/культурного спадку, тобто конструювання масиву історичної/культурної пам’яті в сучасній Україні.
... For this chapter, we used the INVENT project's interviews (n = 103) from Croatia, Finland, the Netherlands, and Spain (cf. the Methodological Appendix of this volume). Through the selection of these four countries, we aimed at a rich sample with countries from both Northern (Finland, the Netherlands) and Southern (Croatia, Spain) Europe with different cultural policy regimes and levels of globalisation and migration, none of which has either an extremely central or extremely peripheral location in the global or European cultural systems (Appadurai, 1996). The participants were recruited using survey respondents who had indicated that they were willing to participate in follow-up interviews and provided their contact details. ...
... Better communication and mass media enabled this process. Arjun Appadurai (1996) explained the concept of cultural globalization which was furthered by mass media and immigration of people. This phenomenon is common among several communities and the case of Apatanis can be understood as one such instances where local indigenous culture gets rolled over by the dominance of foreign cultural phenomena. ...
Sociology of the body as an area of study has been concerned with many social aspects of the body. Foucault’s body-politic led us to understand the relation between the individual body and the many political aspects of the society. This paper similarly deals with the relationship between power and the body in an indigenous community. Taking the case of facial tattoos among the Apatanis, we have looked at the body as a socio-political space where power is contested and colonial relations of domination are prominently played out. The study is based on ethnographic methods of data collection, including in-depth personal interviews, participant observation, and focused group discussion. The paper found that several factors like what constitute “modernity,” and how the youth want to represent themselves, played an essential role in how the community’s identity and body is shaped.
... Más allá de reafirmar el sello unitario de la nación, el turismo requiere de la construcción de mundos imaginados. La relación se torna, en consecuencia, dialéctica: convergen en torno al imaginario turístico tanto visitantes como lugareños, al reforzarse recíprocamente, constituyendo tales mundos (Appadurai, 1996). ...
The analysis of children’s magazines in Chile in the aftermath of the crisis of the nitrates highlights the importance that the creation of a tourist imaginary had in the reconfiguration of the national identity and its assimilation by the country’s younger population. The magazine El Cabrito, born in a context of profound changes and with the purpose of educating its readers and readers, was the object of such analysis. The pages of the magazine display the map of the nation to be explored by children, in whom it is intended to forge a tourist imaginary. This imaginary is anchored in scenic landmarks, in emblematic towns of typical Chilean traditional activities, in historical figures, in the metropolitan monumentality, and by the icons of progress. The tourist imaginary provides a bridge between traditional countryfolk practices that have lost their validity, the constitution of urban girls and boys as tourist subjects, and the reconfiguration of national identity. In this exercise, it is evident that the magazine articulates the symbols of modernity with the preservation of the values of the elites while trying to integrate the middle classes into a nation built upon the denial of indigenous peoples.
... My concept of takhayyul, which I develop extensively elsewhere (Sehlikoglu 2025) offers a transformative capacity rooted in Classical Arab Scholarship where imagination operates as a terrestrial yet celestial faculty that simultaneously engages with worldly conditions while connecting to prophetic truth (haqiqa). Unlike Appadurai's (1996) formulation, where imagination merely mediates consciousness rather than creates, takhayyul provides creative potential that aligns with Castoriadis (1987) understanding of imagination as 'creation ex nihilo'. In Istanbul's context, these imaginative attachments function as 'terrestrial imagination that is simultaneously realistic and worldly yet also prophetic' -shaping how communities relate to place and history while informing doxastic thinking and political action. ...
Turkey's transformation from a multi-religious and multi-ethnic empire into a nation-state has caused the dismissal, transformation, replacement, denial and destruction of several unrecognised material and immaterial heritage. The livelihoods and diverse artisanship once ingrained into nature and its medians have been shattered after decades of war, generations killed in violence and later with the destructive eJects of neoliberalism. Built on the understanding that heritage is beyond the cultural and the human, this paper connects a series of ethnographic data collected in a historically Jewish and Greek neighbourhood of Istanbul, Balat and Fener, to understand the interplay between the heritage as an imagined realm and the physical relationship to the inherited. SpeciGcally, it focuses on how the new inhabitants have been developing rapport and making sense of this historic area and its native Iora (ie Gg trees) through fetih (conquest). The paper reads fetih as an imaginative heritage-making attempt and a reference point used in the processes of heritage removal and ecological destruction perpetrated by the area's inhabitants of 1950s onwards. By studying the interplay between cultural and ecological heritage as co-created realms, it questions the limits of the very idea of heritage as a social concept. ARTICLE HISTORY
... Social structures, available resources, and the rhythms of daily life also influence the opportunities available for ER expression. This can lead to the creative blending, fusion, and syncretism of cultural elements from diverse traditions, resulting in new hybrid forms of art, music, language, identity, and ER expression (Appadurai, 1996;Bhabha, 1994;Nederveen Pieterse, 2009). AI tools might even accelerate this process of remixing and hybridization (as discussed in Section 3), though often based on surface patterns rather than deep cultural understanding. ...
Existential Redundancy" (ER), defined within the Existential Symbiosis Theory (EST) (Kwok, 2025F) as those quality dimensions transcending direct utility that constitute the core of current human experiential depth (e.g., meaning generation, intrinsic value judgment, aesthetic appreciation, non-utilitarian creativity, affective depth, existential awareness), forms a cornerstone for understanding human uniqueness and grounding humanistic AI ethics (Kwok, 2025N; Kwok, 2025R). However, any concept aiming for broad relevance, particularly one rooted in potentially universal claims about human nature while simultaneously informing ethics, risks ethnocentrism if not rigorously examined across diverse cultural contexts. This paper undertakes such a critical cross-cultural exploration of the ER concept, delving into the complex and dynamic tension between the potential universality of the underlying human capacities enabling ER dimensions and the profoundly diverse cultural specificity observed in their concrete manifestations, interpretations, and value priorities. It first reviews biological (e.g., shared embodiment, affective potentials) and psychological (e.g., meaning-seeking drive, cognitive creativity) evidence suggesting a potential universal basis for the human potential for ER dimensions, while carefully refining the connotation of "redundancy" as signifying value beyond immediate, narrowly defined instrumental needs. Subsequently, the core of the paper focuses on a comparative analysis-drawing primarily on secondary literature from cultural psychology, anthropology, and comparative philosophy and acknowledging the inherent limitations of such broad comparisons-illustrating significant differences in the expression, meaning, and valuation of key ER dimensions across diverse cultural backgrounds. This analysis intentionally moves beyond simplistic dichotomies (like individualistic vs. collectivistic) to incorporate more nuanced insights regarding relationality, context-dependency, and differing value hierarchies informed by frameworks like Schwartz's values theory and specific philosophical traditions (e.g., Confucianism, Ubuntu). Furthermore, the paper explores the interactive mechanisms through which universal human potentials and specific cultural environments (including language, social structures, institutions, ecological contexts, historical trajectories) co-shape the diverse expressions of ER, considering the complex and often asymmetric impacts of globalization and global power structures (Kwok, 2025H), particularly as mediated by technology (Kwok, 2025A). Building critically on this comparative analysis, the paper undertakes a profound theoretical self-reflection, explicitly examining potential Western-centric biases within the initial formulation of the ER concept (Kwok, 2025F), acknowledging the epistemic risks of constructing overly simplistic or universalizing theories of human nature, and exploring concrete pathways towards developing ER as a more culturally sensitive meta-framework. This involves foregrounding relationality and contextuality as central analytical dimensions and emphasizing methodological humility and collaboration in future research. Methodological challenges and recommendations for future cross-cultural ER research, prioritizing epistemic justice and diverse voices, are discussed. This paper ultimately argues that rigorous cross-cultural scrutiny is not merely an academic exercise but is essential for refining the ER concept itself, enhancing its theoretical validity and practical applicability (e.g., in multicultural education (Kwok, 2025G) or global AI ethics (Kwok, 2025N)), avoiding cultural misinterpretation and potential epistemic violence, and promoting genuine cross-cultural understanding as we collectively navigate our relationship with increasingly powerful AI systems (Kwok, 2025P) within the broader context of EST (Kwok, 2025R).
... • Human Agency, Interpretation & Meaning-Making: As emphasized throughout, users are not passive recipients. They actively interpret, appropriate, critique, and repurpose global cultural forms and technologies within their specific local contexts, often leading to creative cultural hybridity and syncretism rather than simple homogenization (Appadurai, 1996;Bhabha, 1994). Meaning is ultimately made by humans in specific situations, even when the available cultural materials are increasingly mediated by globalized algorithms. ...
Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly powerful generative models and pervasive social algorithms, is intervening in cultural production, dissemination, and consumption in unprecedented ways, acting as a significant new force within the complex cultural ecosystems humans inhabit (a perspective aligned with the ecological turn, Kwok, 2025H). This paper proposes a theoretical framework for understanding AI's profound and potentially long-term influence on these ecosystems, examining its complex dual role: acting metaphorically and critically as both a potential catalyst for novel cultural variation and a powerful algorithmic filter shaping cultural transmission and selection dynamics. This impact extends far beyond mere efficiency gains, potentially reshaping meaning systems and core human values. Drawing critically on concepts heuristically adapted from cultural evolution theory (variation, selection, transmission), social network analysis, and computational social science, while continuously emphasizing the centrality of human agency (interpretation, resistance, adaptation), the specific computational nature of AI (pattern-based, lacking deep understanding, Kwok, 2025P), and the profound influence of structural power dynamics (political economy, platform control, digital colonialism, Kwok, 2025H) governing its deployment, this paper analyzes the mechanisms through which AI can influence the introduction of new cultural elements (styles, narratives, ideas) and significantly alter the propagation patterns of specific cultural traits. It explores potential long-term dynamical consequences for cultural symbols, narratives, aesthetic norms, value systems, collective memory practices, and shared meaning frameworks, paying particular attention to identifying potential pressures on dimensions of human "Existential Redundancy" (ER) (e.g., potentially marginalizing deep meaning generation, non-utilitarian creativity, or diverse aesthetic expression, Kwok, 2025F). The paper frankly acknowledges the significant empirical challenges in isolating AI's causal impact amidst complex, multi-causal cultural change and calls for methodologically pluralistic approaches. Furthermore, it critically analyzes the tangible socio-technical risk of "algorithmic cultural hegemony"-where platform-controlled algorithms reflecting specific commercial logics and concentrated power structures (Kwok, 2025H) might foster cultural homogenization or reinforce dominant global ideologies-emphasizing this as a phenomenon contingent on human choices, economic incentives, and structural forces, not an autonomous action by AI itself. Possibilities for human resistance, cultural hybridity, and the formation of alternative cultural niches within these structures are also explicitly acknowledged. Finally, the paper discusses the necessity, principles, inherent trade-offs, and significant structural barriers associated with designing more human-controllable, value-sensitive AI systems and implementing effective governance strategies (including structural interventions targeting platform power, promoting diversity, ensuring fair compensation for creators, and addressing international cooperation challenges) aimed at fostering healthier, more diverse, resilient, and equitable cultural ecosystems. It underscores the centrality of human agency (even as reshaped) and collective societal choices in navigating these complex processes, situating this analysis within the broader framework of the Existential Symbiosis Theory (Kwok, 2025R). This paper ultimately provides a critical analytical framework and a cautionary perspective, grounded in cultural evolutionary dynamics but critically informed by STS, political economy, computational limits (Kwok, 2025P), and a commitment to humanistic values (Kwok, 2025N), calling for rigorous, critical, and interdisciplinary research into AI's profound and unfolding cultural implications.
... Globalisasi sebagai fenomena multidimensional menimbulkan dilema antara integrasi global dan proteksi identitas lokal. Menurut Appadurai (1996), arus globalisasi menciptakan scapes (landscape of culture, ideology, economy, etc.) yang saling bertubrukan dan memengaruhi konstruksi identitas nasional. Di sinilah pentingnya memperkuat narasi kebangsaan yang mampu menjembatani antara lokalitas dan globalitas. ...
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pemikiran Soekarno tentang nasionalisme dan multikulturalisme serta relevansinya dalam membangun identitas nasional Indonesia pada era Revolusi Industri 4.0. Di tengah arus globalisasi yang menantang eksistensi budaya lokal dan semangat kebangsaan, pemikiran Soekarno dinilai mampu memberikan orientasi ideologis yang kokoh dan inklusif dalam menjawab krisis identitas generasi muda serta fragmentasi sosial yang muncul akibat dominasi nilai-nilai global. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode studi literatur. Data dikumpulkan melalui telaah mendalam terhadap karya-karya asli Soekarno, buku akademik, serta jurnal ilmiah terakreditasi nasional dan internasional. Analisis dilakukan dengan pendekatan hermeneutik dan content analysis guna menafsirkan nilai-nilai substantif dari gagasan Soekarno tentang nasionalisme yang emansipatoris dan multikulturalisme yang egaliter. Hasil pembahasan menunjukkan bahwa pemikiran Soekarno tentang nasionalisme bersifat emansipatoris, progresif, dan berakar pada realitas plural masyarakat Indonesia. Soekarno menekankan bahwa nasionalisme sejati harus mampu membebaskan, mempersatukan, dan mengakui keberagaman budaya sebagai kekayaan bangsa, bukan ancaman. Dalam konteks Revolusi Industri 4.0, pemikiran tersebut tetap relevan untuk membentuk identitas nasional yang tangguh dan berdaya saing global, sekaligus menjaga integrasi sosial dan kedaulatan budaya. Dengan demikian, revitalisasi pemikiran kebangsaan Soekarno menjadi kebutuhan mendesak dalam merespons tantangan ideologis dan kultural era kontemporer.
... Kondisi tersebut menunjukkan bahwa praktik kultural Generasi Z di TikTok tidak hanya mencerminkan realitas digital yang cair, tetapi juga menjadi indikator transformasi kultural dalam masyarakat post-tradisional (Giddens, 1991;Appadurai, 1996). TikTok sebagai ruang dialog kultural memungkinkan berlangsungnya praktik reaktualisasi budaya lokal secara transformatif dan kreatif. ...
TikTok sebagai platform media sosial berbasis video pendek telah berkembang menjadi ruang dialog kultural yang strategis bagi Generasi Z dalam merepresentasikan, menginterpretasikan, dan mendistribusikan ulang warisan budaya lokal. Perubahan dinamika budaya dalam era digital menuntut adaptasi baru terhadap cara pelestarian dan transformasi nilai-nilai tradisional. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis bagaimana Generasi Z memanfaatkan TikTok sebagai medium partisipatif dalam membangun kembali relasi antara identitas generasi dan tradisi lokal. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan jenis studi literatur, yang melibatkan telaah terhadap buku, artikel ilmiah, dan publikasi akademik relevan, serta konten-konten TikTok yang menjadi bahan kajian dalam penelitian terdahulu. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah analisis isi kualitatif untuk mengeksplorasi makna simbolik dari representasi budaya yang tampil di platform tersebut. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa TikTok membuka ruang baru bagi pelestarian budaya lokal dengan cara yang lebih kreatif, visual, dan mudah diakses oleh khalayak luas. Generasi Z tidak hanya menjadi pewaris pasif budaya, tetapi juga aktor utama dalam proses transformasi budaya melalui narasi digital yang mereka ciptakan. Namun, proses ini juga membawa tantangan seperti komodifikasi budaya dan pemutusan konteks nilai tradisional. Dengan demikian, TikTok berperan sebagai media sosial yang mampu menjembatani masa lalu dan masa kini, antara lokalitas dan globalitas, dalam satu ruang digital yang cair dan dinamis.
Le simulacre, phénomène protéiforme, s’impose comme une trame importante des sociétés africaines, où il innerve les pratiques politiques, les structures sociales et les expressions culturelles. Héritier des fastes symboliques des traditions ancestrales, il s’est transmué au fil du temps, trouvant une nouvelle légitimité dans les modes de gouvernance postcoloniaux, marqués par la prééminence de l’apparence sur l’essence. La démocratie, souvent invoquée, y prend les traits d’une mise en scène savamment orchestrée, où le décor supplante l’engagement sincère. Cette logique de l’illusion est renforcée par les dispositifs médiatiques et la marchandisation de l’exotisme, qui réduisent l’Afrique à un objet de spectacle ou de consommation symbolique. Ainsi s’installe un éloignement progressif du réel, masqué par des artifices répétés. D’où l’impérieuse nécessité d’une restauration de l’authenticité, tant dans la pensée que dans l’action, pour réconcilier les peuples avec leur vérité profonde.
This paper critically addresses the pervasive neglect of indigenous approaches to social transformation within the field of international development cooperation. It shows how commonly used evaluation frameworks—shaped by Western assumptions about evidence, measurement, and progress—tend to exclude non-Western knowledge systems. Focusing on African Initiated Churches (AICs) as exemplars of development actors with transformational approaches that incorporate the spiritual, this study explores the possible reforms required in mainstream evaluation practices to recognise and include development alternatives. An analysis of AIC evaluation practices reveals the potential for decolonised frameworks rooted in African and Indigenous epistemologies, including relational, communal, and spiritual ways of generating evidence. This paper argues that fostering mutual learning and dialogue in the field of development evaluation is fundamental to driving more inclusive and sustainable social change.
Social mobility in the pre-industrial era has become a key topic in historiographical debate, with implications for the present. This volume examines the sources, methods, and dynamics of the phenomenon through both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The collection is structured into six areas: study methodologies, links with economic growth and inequality, geographical and demographic mobility, the impact of family structures and inheritance systems, dynamics of social decline, and the perception of mobility. The use of interdisciplinary tools provides new perspectives on understanding social trajectories in the past.
One feature of contemporary writings on Japan is the framing of a ‘false’ homogeneous Japan ‘myth’ against the ‘reality’ of a mixed or multicultural Japan. One problem with this approach is that it ignores the fact that these positions represent (largely) indigenous discourses which, at different points in Japan's history, have had – and, in the case of the former in particular, continue to have – a key role in structuring both national identity and social reality for many Japanese. This paper uses the notion of discourse, together with associated theories such as invented tradition, imagined communities, and the social stock of knowledge, to re-evaluate the myth vs. reality binary. A number of concrete examples are presented – both historical and contemporary – to illustrate how those discourses which resonate with popular lived experience can successfully take root in the popular psyche and become part of the Japanese world-view. The argument is that rather than dismissing such popular assumptions, perceptions, and beliefs as ‘illusory’, it would be more useful to closely examine their role in constructing and maintaining social reality and public policy in Japan.
Today’s politics is dominated by bleak images of the future. While there is a widespread recognition that images of the future play a political role in the present, there is little knowledge on how do such imagined futures become socially performative. Drawing on constructivist sociological theory, this paper proposes a dramaturgical analysis using the concepts of ‘techniques of futuring’ and ‘dramaturgical regime’. The paper has three aims: to (1) identify the leading social-theoretical work on the future; (2) conceptualize the relationship of the imagination of the future with social practices and the performance of reality; (3) provide a theoretical framework explaining how images of the future become performative.
Section 1. Digital Death: Expanding The Death-Positive Narrative Online 1. Introduction Undoubtedly, the ways in which we communicate and receive information are undergoing a significant transformation. With the digital age in full swing, we can expect even more advancements in technology in the future. Content creators of all kinds have adapted to these changes and have learned how to take advantage of them to their benefit. Caitlin Doughty is an author who has embraced the opportunities that multimodality and digitalization offers. Her YouTube channel and podcast are excellent examples of how writers can transition their work into something more interactive and engaging for a younger audience that is accustomed to this mode of communication. By combining various elements such as the written word, illustrations, audio-visual components, and a robust digital community, Doughty has created a web of multimodal elements that are impossible to undo. Her passion for her work and ideas are evident in her death-positive manifestos, which form a crucial part of this community. Without her dedication, this community would not have been as well-defined as it is today. Multimodality is an unavoidable element that we ought to interact with during our digital age. It encompasses a wide range of modes used to transmit information, no matter the topic chosen by the digital creator. However, writers can also be creators and use their texts as inspiration to build extensions of their work for a more impactful encounter with the reader/viewer. One example is Caitlin Doughty, a mortician, and death positivity activist, who uses creative nonfiction to express her beliefs about the modern individual’s increasing death phobia and how we can fight it. She is not only a writer but also a YouTube creator. Her videos and her written discourse mirror each other perfectly, and readers/viewers take on these two roles interchangeably. This section aims to show in what ways the written text and the YouTube videos resemble, where the two intersect, and how they impact the readership/viewership regarding death positivity. The importance of this study can be seen in the way in which social media and digital modes are now used by activists to grow the popularity of cultural movements and to transmit their manifestos to a large mass of people.
Section 1. Caitlin Doughty’s Cosmopolitanism in Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From There To Eternity: Cultural Conversation and Death Acceptance 1. Introduction This chapter is influenced by the cultural side of Caitlin Doughty’s discourse. And because we cannot separate it from the literary side, this section will provide explanations as to the way Doughty uses cosmopolitanism in two of her books, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity. Understanding the author’s attitude towards death is essential to comprehend what she wants to transmit to her readers. In the twenty-first century, cosmopolitanism acquires global proportions, especially in the context of present cultural and political changes (Pagden 1977; Beck 2012). To discuss death acceptance and phobia, we must look at cosmopolitanism from a certain angle: that of duality between local and general and, more precisely, that of conversation, as presented by Appiah (2006) and Jeffers (2013). This section aims to highlight the connection between the cosmopolitan attitude towards death and death practices and how Caitlin Doughty (2015, 2017) presents it as an essential element in the process of death acceptance with the help of cultural conversation. In two of her books, we witness a stance that draws its power from the positive consequences of globalization: observation, lack of judgement, and exchange of cultural information. Today’s cosmopolitanism is situated on the axis of international education (Gunesch 2004) and cultural creativity (Pogge 1992, Held 2013). But the paradox is that the world has never been so unified and at the same time so divided (Boia 2000); this affirmation comprises the duality of contemporary cosmopolitanism: on the one hand, we experience the coexistence of local and global culture, and on the other hand, we sustain the preservation of local values despite our natural curiosity for the Other (Appiah 2006). This duality plays a massive part in understanding the death rituals of other cultures without expressing any judgement when some might appear absurd to us. When we are locked in our own cultural bubble, everything outside of it is odd. When we pop it, it takes time to adjust to the novelty of something never encountered before in the modern world, such as choosing to be buried in a piece of cloth under a tree. These are the times we are living right now: of self-awareness, discovery, and bubble popping.
The Canary Islands have long been a major European destination for mass tourism, often associated with ‘sun-and-beach’ vacations. Critiques of mass tourism have intensified in recent years, as reflected in the 2024 protests in the Canary Islands, which linked mass tourism to economic inequalities and concerns about sustainability. Through the case example of Icelandic tourism to the Canary Islands, this research asks two questions: (a) why mass tourism destinations are appealing, and (b) how these reasons can be more fully understood within a broader geopolitical and structural context. The research methods include a survey conducted in Iceland in 2022 and an analysis of media coverage in Iceland related to the Canary Islands from 2017 to 2022. Survey data indicate that the islands are primarily perceived as an easily accessible, well-established holiday destination. Simultaneously, an analysis of media discussions reveals a limited discourse on the islands in Icelandic media, mainly focusing on tourism. The results illustrate how specific destinations become desirable by prioritizing infrastructure associated with mass tourism, where tourism’s impact on host communities, economies, and environments tends to be invisible.
Buku ini mengajak pembaca untuk melihat sejarah dari sudut pandang yang berbeda, di mana teknologi digital memainkan peran penting dalam memahaminya. Seiring dengan kemajuan zaman, sejarah tidak lagi hanya dipelajari melalui arsip tradisional, tetapi juga melalui digitalisasi, media sosial, dan kecerdasan buatan. Buku ini menggali bagaimana teknologi membantu kita mengakses dan melestarikan sejarah dengan cara yang lebih mudah dan menarik.
Buku ini juga membahas proses digitalisasi sumber sejarah, keberadaan arsip digital, dan bagaimana teknologi multimedia dan interaktif mengubah cara kita belajar tentang masa lalu. Tak ketinggalan, dampak globalisasi terhadap identitas sejarah serta peran kebijakan publik dalam menyatukan sejarah dan teknologi juga dibahas secara mendalam.
Dengan gaya penulisan yang mudah dimengerti dan dilengkapi dengan berbagai studi kasus, buku ini menawarkan perspektif baru bagi siapa saja yang tertarik pada sejarah, dari pelajar hingga akademisi. Buku ini menjadi sumber inspirasi untuk memahami sejarah dengan cara yang lebih relevan dan sesuai dengan perkembangan zaman.
Along the coast of Gujarat, nineteenth-century merchant houses or havelis still stand in historic cities, connecting ports from Durban to Rangoon. In this ambitious and multifaceted work, Ketaki Pant uses these old spaces as a lens through which to view not only the vibrant stories of their occupants, but also the complex entanglements of Indian Ocean capitalism. These homes reveal new perspectives from colonized communities who were also major merchants, signifying ideas of family, race, gender, and religion, as well as representing ties to land. Employing concepts from feminist studies, colonial studies, and history, Pant argues that havelis provide a model for understanding colonial capitalism in the Indian Ocean as a spatial project. This is a rich exploration of both belonging and unbelonging and the ways they continue to shape individual and social identities today.
The accelerating imperative to decarbonize the global energy system has exposed not only the physical
obsolescence of fossil fuel infrastructures but also the epistemic dislocation of the knowledge systems
underpinning Big Oil. This paper explores the strategic and ontological transition of oil conglomerates
from hydrocarbon extractors and petrostate enablers into data-driven, knowledge-centric actors within an
emergent post-fossil political economy. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks from political economy,
science and technology studies (STS), and environmental systems theory, we examine how fossil capital
seeks to reconfigure its operational legitimacy - shifting from geophysical to digital, from combustion
based value to climate stewardship, and from extractive sovereignty to algorithmic governance. Through
critical case studies and scenario analysis, we map the transformation of oil’s epistemological regimes
across geological surveying, financial modeling, regulatory compliance, and carbon accounting. The
analysis reveals that while fossil-based incumbents increasingly engage in renewable integration, carbon
capture, and energy systems optimization, their reterritorialization into the so-called "knowledge
economy" risks entrenching techno-managerial path dependencies and perpetuating unequal geopolitical
control under a greenwashed guise. The paper concludes by evaluating whether this epistemic
metamorphosis represents a genuine paradigm shift or a strategic adaptation aimed at safeguarding fossil
capital under the conditions of ecological constraint and public scrutiny.
This article examines the cinematic period referred to as the "Long 90s”, which extends from the release of Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) Dir. Sooraj R. Barjatya to Ham Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002) Dir. K. S. Adiyaman. Within this timeframe, a series of films redefined the romantic comedy genre, including Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) Dir. Sooraj R. Barjatya, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) Dir. Aditya Chopra, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) Dir. Yash Chopra, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) Dir Karan Johar, Mohabbatein (2000) Dir. Aditya Chopra, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) Dir. Karan Johar. These films developed a cinematic language that intricately wove the themes of youthful romance with familial harmony, with Maine Pyar Kiya laying the groundwork and Ham Tumhare Hain Sanam marking its conclusion. This article identifies seven defining features of these films: romantic love as a societal force, elaborate song-and-dance sequences, the negotiation between modernity and tradition, the presence of star performers, an emphasis on the extended family, spatial power dynamics, and the familial regulation of sexuality. This article attempts to understand the latitude and longitude plausible for a journal article. Drawing upon the insights of political thinkers, film scholars, and cultural theorists, this article situates these developments within broader discussions of nationalism, globalisation, and cultural identity. Additionally, it explores how the advent of multiplexes and streaming platforms has transformed audience demographics and film interpretation. The article posits that the Long 90s Bollywood romantic comedies significantly influenced millions’ conceptualisation of love, family, and belonging, thereby illustrating Hindi cinema's capacity to craft narratives that both entertain and codify social hierarchies.
In an era characterised by unprecedented interconnectedness and rapid technological advancements, global communication emerges as a pivotal force shaping contemporary notions of citizenship. The transformative role of global communication in heralding a new era of citizenship, one that transcends traditional boundaries and fosters inclusive engagement on a global scale is the focus of this study. The study is anchored on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework such as the network society theory, theory of global citizenship, and the agenda-setting media theory. The study is based on a survey-based approach and relied on questionnaire as instrument of data collection. Findings showed that there is relationship between global communication and global citizenship. However, the study also showed that factors that influence individuals' perception of identity are in the form of diverse cultures, globalisation and international trade (economic factors), social interactions, media representations, and political events as well as social issues. Furthermore, the study revealed that social media and related technology have promoted global awareness and citizen engagement. Researchers concluded that global communication serves as a herald of citizenship by facilitating cross-cultural dialogue, empowering civic engagement, and fostering a sense of global belonging. Embracing the transformative potential of global communication offers new opportunities for building a more inclusive, empathetic, and socially responsible form of citizenship in the 21st century. It was recommended, among others, that government and other stakeholders must promote digital inclusion through digital literacy programmes across underserved communities.
Contemporary higher education emphasizes glocal frameworks that accommodate both global and regional priorities in development. Decolonization of education becomes crucial in this context, where colonization led to the marginalization of Indigenous cultures, including Native American cultural traditions and knowledge systems. Multicultural inclusivity in higher education observes marginalized epistemic systems and gives them a place in the curriculum. By incorporating Native American texts in the English studies university syllabi in India, decolonization is brought into purview. This chapter deals with how the South Indian universities introduce Native American texts. The authors argue that multiculturalism in this context contributes to decolonial pedagogy, and the existing epistemic gap due to colonial oppression is problematized by inspecting the epistemic traditions of former colonies outside India. Content analysis of syllabi in the Central and state universities is the qualitative method used.
Studying abroad has been emphasised to increase the cultural influence of sending countries and promote international understanding. This study re-examines study abroad as part of the internationalisation of higher education, using concepts of soft power, knowledge diplomacy, public diplomacy, and cultural diplomacy. Specifically, the study highlights the limitations of the conceptual frameworks of ‘nation’ and ‘formal educational opportunities’ in studying abroad, and discusses a perspective on learning that goes beyond the physical space of the university and the formal educational opportunity. Furthermore, this study considers cultural studies and a public pedagogy perspective to examine where and how studying abroad and international learning can occur. Therefore, this research aims to provide a more interdisciplinary perspective on higher education research surrounding the phenomenon of studying abroad, and to examine the academic boundaries that define the field of research on the internationalisation of higher education. The paper concludes that studying abroad and international education should be reconsidered as a ‘medium’ that promotes cross-border learning by understanding culture and social structure.
The ritual insignia of the Śrīvidyā tantric tradition is the śrīcakra, a symbol which has become ubiquitous in the South Indian visual and religious lexicon. Following the suggestion of Arjun Appadurai, this article unpacks the social and economic life of this potent symbol which has a complex theological significance. Identifying a key case study in support of my argument, I argue that the Mah Meru Trust (Gopalapuram, Chennai) defies the hierarchical arrangement suggested by other scholars. Exemplifying a form of public esotericism, this family-based religious enterprise simultaneously supports ritual practices across the spectrums of elite to popular and traditional to modern: their clients include the Kanchi Periyars, senior upāsakas from old mandalis, newcomers to Śrīvidyā worship, and also to the general public who may be afflicted by drishti dośa, or have some other worldly desire they’d like help in attaining. The complexity of this tantric commercial enterprise is a nexus of brokerage across conceptual boundaries. As a modern commercial religious institution, we may expect it to be a work of appropriating icons, stripping away their meaning, and churning out disposable commodities; in distinct contrast, this is a case of an orthodox tradition opening up to contemporary forces, and contributing its specialties for public benefit on a number of diverse registers of religious performance and among varied publics.
In an era characterised by unprecedented interconnectedness and rapid technological advancements, global communication emerges as a pivotal force shaping contemporary notions of citizenship. The transformative role of global communication in heralding a new era of citizenship, one that transcends traditional boundaries and fosters inclusive engagement on a global scale is the focus of this study. The study is anchored on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework such as the network society theory, theory of global citizenship, and the agenda-setting media theory. The study is based on a survey-based approach and relied on questionnaire as instrument of data collection. Findings showed that there is relationship between global communication and global citizenship. However, the study also showed that factors that influence individuals' perception of identity are in the form of diverse cultures, globalisation and international trade (economic factors), social interactions, media representations, and political events as well as social issues. Furthermore, the study revealed that social media and related technology have promoted global awareness and citizen engagement. Researchers concluded that global communication serves as a herald of citizenship by facilitating cross-cultural dialogue, empowering civic engagement, and fostering a sense of global belonging. Embracing the transformative potential of global communication offers new opportunities for building a more inclusive, empathetic, and socially responsible form of citizenship in the 21st century. It was recommended, among others, that government and other stakeholders must promote digital inclusion through digital literacy programmes across underserved communities.
This Chapter: Contextualising Community Radio utilises the literature reviewed to provide foundational knowledge about community media. The key readings consulted for a deeper understanding were arranged into five main areas: (1) paradigmatic shifts in understanding communication; (2) participatory communication and development; (3) public sphere, counter public sphere, civil society; (4) community; and (5) alternative media, community media, citizens’ media. The first thematic area addresses the development of Communication Studies as a discipline from the diffusionist era to the participatory era in an attempt to provide a clear picture of where community media fit into the larger mediascape. The following four thematic areas in the chapter then problematise and operationalise multiple ideals to highlight the ever-evolving nature of communication—an intrinsic part of the positive social change of any community.
Chapter 13 focuses on the impact of polygamy on the lives and loves of elite Malay women in urban Malaysia. As polygamy is becoming increasingly prominent among a new class of urban elite men, the ‘threat of polygamy’ increases for elite women. Polygamy is sanctioned by Islamic law, yet its social and personal acceptability is ambiguous, and some men choose to keep their second wives secret. The possibility that their present or future husband might marry another wife, perhaps secretly, has fundamental implications for elite women’s relationships, marriages and kinship. Elite men and women may both use polygamy strategically, but whereas polygamy is often considered a status symbol displaying wealth and power for men, women generally experience it as disempowering.
This study examines the educational practices for developing intercultural communication competencies in higher education institutions within the context of unprecedented global interconnectedness. Contemporary higher education environments, characterized by increasing international student mobility and digital connectivity, present both significant opportunities and challenges for intercultural engagement. The research investigates pedagogical approaches that facilitate effective intercultural communication skills acquisition among university students, analyzing their impact on cultural identity formation and preservation. Through a mixed-methods approach combining survey data from master’s students (n=44) and theoretical framework analysis, this paper identifies key challenges in cross-cultural educational settings and proposes evidence-based interventions. Findings indicate that establishing dedicated intercultural communication centers, implementing culturally responsive teaching methodologies, and developing comprehensive assessment criteria significantly enhance students’ intercultural competence. The study contributes to the scholarship on educational innovation by demonstrating how structured pedagogical practices can foster intercultural skills while simultaneously preserving cultural diversity. This research has implications for curriculum development, institutional internationalization strategies, and educational policy in multicultural higher education contexts.
Chapter 7 scrutinizes identity and belonging. How people identify themselves and their sense of belonging is no longer based on their life in Syria but after the experience of displacement. The following questions are explored in this chapter: How does time within the past, present, and future forms have a direct effect on people’s spatial experience? What kind of meaning is associated with the place? Can one keep the meanings associated with the place intact? Does the relationship between time and space influence decisions of return? The chapter further articulates how refugees spatially live through dual experiences continuously, always negotiating “here” and “there.” They also exist within multiple time frames: “before” and “after.” The meaning of today is always in relation to the bleakness of the future or the disappearance of the past as they know it. The chapter deals with the complexity of dual spatiality and multiple temporalities of identity and belonging in terms of proximity to the lost home, the idea of return in terms of security and memory, and the sense of displacement both in the home and the host country. Chapter findings show that relationality to time differs. How the past is located influences future projections differently, which, in effect, decides who they will be in the present moment.
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