The Contours of African Identity: Culture, Diaspora, and Indigenous Knowledge | Chapter 2 | New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies Vol. 3

Culture is a subject dear to my heart. Africa is not just an identity; it is also a destiny, a moral obligation. The culture of each ethnic group holds together the authentic social and metaphysical fabric of traditional practices, oral literature, music, art, and rites through which identities are built. African culture is varied and manifold, consisting of various ethnic groups, with each possessing unique characteristics. This paper explores some of the focal areas of ‘Africanness’ and my position as an “African’. This study aims to critically explore the essence of Africa and African culture by interrogating the historical and contemporary constructions of black identity within both the African continent and the African Diaspora. The study also seeks to examine how colonial domination, imaginative narratives, and interpretive frameworks have shaped political and theoretical understandings of race, culture, and identity. The study also investigates the ongoing relevance of African cultural expressions and identities within Africa itself, questioning how these concepts function, evolve, and resist in the face of internal and external influences. A contextual approach was employed in this study. The primary source for data collection was oral interviews. The participants were selected for interviews in relation to their informative qualities and their dedication, commitment and determination to Local Knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Thirteen participants were interviewed for this study, comprising seven (7) traditional music practitioners, two (2) traditional poets, two (2) creative practitioners and two (2) Anthropologists.  It has emerged from this study that in terms of African identity, establishing and fully owning identity is important for political, economic, and social progression. Oral accounts and literary evidence have also shown that oral tradition is very important in African culture, as it ensures the passage of cultural practices from one generation to another. African renaissance must begin from the smallest sociological unit. It was concluded that central to the idea of African essence is a particular idea of cultural identity associated with indigenous knowledge.

 

Author (s) Details

Morakeng Edward Kenneth Lebaka
Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies, School of Humanities, College of Human Sciences, Muckleneuk Campus, Preller Street, University of South Africa (UNISA), Muckleneuk Ridge, City of Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nicass/v3/5275

Shaping Young Minds: The Power of Social Networking and New Media on Child Socialization in Oman | Chapter 6 | Current Progress in Arts and Social Studies Research Vol. 6

This chapter addresses one of the most significant and contemporary issues: the role of Social Networking and New Media in reshaping the socialization process of children in the Sultanate of Oman. To provide a deep and thorough discussion, the chapter draws upon a scientific study that highlighted both the positive and negative effects of these new media on key dimensions such as language, identity, values, and religious practices. In addition, the chapter presents essential concepts like new media, the Internet, social networks, and socialization, alongside related sub-concepts that influence these dimensions. The goal is to offer a comprehensive understanding of how new media impacts the social and cultural development of Omani children. This analysis builds on previous research conducted by the authors, an exploratory study that employed a descriptive approach and gathered field data through a social survey. The survey was administered to a sample of 270 students from nine primary schools in Muscat. The findings of the study revealed many important insights into how new media influences students' socialization, providing valuable recommendations and perspectives for educators, policymakers, and researchers who are focused on the evolving role of new media in children's socialization.

 

Author (s) Details

Wafa Al-Maamari
Department of Sociology & Social Work, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

 

Emad Farouk Saleh
Department of Sociology & Social Work, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

 

Ahmed T Helal
Department of Sociology & Social Work, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

 

Magdy M. Mostafa
Department of Sociology & Social Work, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

 

Anwar El-Rawas
Department of Mass Communication, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cpassr/v6/2710

Anthropological Explorations of Gender, Identity, and Economics | Chapter 1 | Anthropological Explorations of Gender, Identity, and Economics

 Defined as “Four-field” research endeavor encompassing biological, linguistic, material, and socio-cultural dimensions of the “Human career”, anthropology is clearly the scientific study of humankind in all its components. There are however variations from one academic tradition to the other but the most comprehensive version of anthropological practice is the one developed in the United States of America. In other academic traditions with a few exceptions, the biological dimension – Biological Anthropology [that focuses on the human body] – and the material culture one – Anthropological archaeology – [with a focus on human-made things] are separated from socio-cultural anthropology – [the study of contemporary societies and cultures through participant observation] and linguistic anthropology [the study of language as communication medium].

Students training in anthropology thus varies according academic traditions Despite the tortuous history of teaching anthropology in mainland China, Xiamen university has strived since the re-opening of its anthropology and ethnology department in 2005, with varying success to develop a Four-field approach to the discipline. As conceived and implemented since 2020, the “Writing Anthropology” seminar was designed as an intensive and fast paced graduate students training to craft high standard research papers in English. In the 2022-2023 academic year instalment of Xiamen university “Writing Anthropology” seminar, “Exploration” was the core theme of the work carried out. Graduate students were required to pick a research topic totally different from their planned master and doctoral investigations. They were asked to take risks, to move away from their “research comfort zone” and dare explore new research topics. Exploration in its strict sense refers to entering the unknown. This voyage in the unknown has to be predicated on coherent theoretical orientations and sound methodologies. It was what the seminar sessions combining weekly written and oral presentations were made of. The result of that intensive research semester is presented in this book entitled Anthropological Explorations in Gender, Identity, and Economics. The conducted investigations are arranged in 3 rubrics or parts: gender issues; identity and belonging; and finally, economics.

Author(s) Details:

Augustin F. C. Holl,
Distinguished Professor, Department of Anthropology and Ethnology, School of Sociology and Anthropology, Director of the Africa Research Center at Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/AEGIE/article/view/13568

Crossing Thresholds: Some Philosophical Insights into Fish Farming | Chapter 7 | Recent Research Advances in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 2

 This affiliate seeks to analyze from a philosophical point of view few of the consequences that could have, for a angler, the fact of flattering a fish farmer. Methodologically talking, the instruments are conventional of philosophy:  analysis of ideas –here primarily related to space, occasion and movement-, expression of hypotheses and construction of debates. The possibility that the fishermen have of transforming themselves into chum farmers is, in the case, mainly the result of the work of sea biologists who, established research on local soils, waters, fauna and flora, have more developed methods for the practice of fish farming. For marshy regions like the pertaining to the south Gulf of Mexico, and specially the port of Sisal, at which point there are now conditions for fishermen to train in the civilization of octopus, snook and insignificant, the issue is of utmost significance. Last but not least, the numerous contrasts 'tween fishing and extricate farming when viewed in conditions of personal and friendly identity point at priorities that be successful beyond continuation and sketch what we could call, after Gaston Bachelard, thresholds of bravery. This the reason why the text also has a phenomenological touch.

Author(s) Details:

Nicole Ooms,
Centro Peninsular en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RRAASS-V2/article/view/12603

Postgraduate Level and its Impact on Professional Careers, Occupational Mobility and Identity: A French-Argentine Comparative Study about PhD Graduates and PhD Students, in the Light of a Systemic Paradigm | Chapter 3 | Research Highlights in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 9

 The accepted objective is to know the arising “typologies” that show the convergences and divergences in the representations joint by the actors owned by different organizations and their articulation with stock exchange. Occupational mobility refers to changes in individual occupational rank. The initiative, that was a top priority on the agenda of the Secretary of University Policies, complicated PhD alumni and PhD students from various programs at Cuyo University (UNCuyo, Argentina) and Cnam (France) (Social and Human Sciences). In particular, the sample included PhD nominees who began their studies afterwards 2005 and PhD recipients the one received their degrees subsequently 2005. The model included socio-cultural, insane-social, administrative and structural factors. The latest determinants were related to the influence that the labor market take care of have on the professional courses as well as on the possibilities for individual development. The methods used was quantitative (mathematical analysis) but mainly concerning qualities not quantities (lexicometric analysis, interviews, hieralchical evocations). The methods allowed us to acquire information on the central issues concerning each PhD course  specifically (contextualized scenarios), the connection to the labor market (share representations) and the dissimilarities between what proper and what was achieved, i.e. betwixt the prescriptive world and the here and now of the actors. Additionally, a almost-structured survey was used. Macro-data processing machine-meso-macro (orderly) was the method. Comparing shared likenesses at various PhD courses was made attainable by the subjective analysis, which accepted into consideration various "knots" including academies, PhD degrees, the job retail, professional activities, etc. The fundamental environment makes it questioning for PhD holders to get trade and advance their careers ("top of a room" effect -- saturation of the scientific advertise by holders of PhDs). Although having a academic degree of highest rank is advantageous, neither actual occupational achievement nor pertaining to work mobility are immediately guaranteed.

Author(s) Details:

Miriam Aparicio,
National Council of Scientific Research (CONICET) - Cuyo National University, Mendoza, Argentina.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RHLLE-V9/article/view/11941

The Media and the “Construction” of “Mental Maps”: The Relationship with the Individual, Institutional and Disciplinary Homogenization among University graduates in the Light of a Systemic Theory | Chapter 9 | Recent Trends in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 8

 A insane map shows a person's perception of their environment. Our brains subconsciously devise mental maps to help us understand what our atmosphere looks like and how to communicate with the fundamentals and objects within it. Mental maps are subjective—different public will have different insane maps of the same space, accompanying variations preventing from their experiences, biases, and assumptions. You can even create a mental picture of a place you've never been before. It concede possibility not be entirely accurate from a terrestrial or spatial view, but it'll reveal insights into your backdrop knowledge and acceptances about the space. The theory of "agenda-setting" is individual of several theories examined in this study that are indiscriminate the psychosocial-communicational paradigm, that stresses the long-term intelligent impacts of media and the role of the psychosocial subject as the receiver. Additionally, it complies accompanying the author's latest intrinsic theory, "The Three Dimensional Spiral of Sense," as it relates to the media. It is the first research of allure kind in the region. Macro-micro-meso-large-scale-micro was the action, which is still uncommon. It is a in a way sui generis systemism that includes connections (links and feedback) betwixt people and backgrounds without discounting either, hence avoiding some form of reductionism. It consists same of sui generis systemism which contains relationships (links and response) between things and contexts, without disregarding neither the former nor the latest; thus, avoiding some type of reductionism. Individuals, organizations and big-contexts interaction and feedback themselves. The four main objectives were: a) to explicate the cognitive belongings of the media in university graduates; b) to discover levels of manipulation and homogenization of their “insane maps”; c) to ascertain the personality determinants that condition differential openness (“Filtering” of the news) (151 variables); d) to decide the degree of impact and incidence of media workers in the public’s mental patterns and in the academy graduates identities; e) to analyze the relation middle from two points institutional beliefs, political beliefs and media choice graduates make (established versus more growing media); in other words, the level  of meso, large-scale and micro interaction. The sample was made up of (N=516) graduates from Cuyo University (Argentina). Quanti-concerning qualities not quantities techniques were complemented: almost-structured survey and interviews. The results show: a) a extreme level of influence of the media on the problems that have been prioritized by graduates; b) a extreme level of coincidence of the topics prioritized by Faculties (dominant “ideologies”); c) individual and uniform homogenization which affected by a macro context of homogenization of the information and the globalization. All these facets impact on institutional and individual identities. In essence, the occurrence of psychology and instruction in the differential explanation of “cognitive maps” was confirmed in addition to the stronger occurrence of the press as regards the impact began by news and the insane homogenization.

Author(s) Details:

Miriam Aparicio,
National Council of Scientific Research (CONICET) – National University of Cuyo, Argentina.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RTASS-V8/article/view/11886

Martin Luther King’s Speech ‘I Have a Dream’: Discourse Analysis | Chapter 1 | Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 8

 Using Gee's [1] building tasks, this study examines Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream." To be more specific, the study focuses on King's use of language to construct and deconstruct identity, relationships, and politics. These three categories are employed in an appropriate code scheme for analysis of the selected lines and paragraphs of the speech. The findings also reveal the beliefs and philosophical dogmas that underpin the discourse, which are related to freedom, equality, and civil rights.

Author (S) Details

Dr. Ibtesam AbdulAziz Bajri
Department of English Language, Faculty of Languages and Translation, University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Layla Mohammad Mariesel
University of Jeddah. Saudi Arabia.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/MPLLE-V8/article/view/3185

Ambivalent, Dynamic and Changing Times: The Construction of Racial and Personal Identity in James McBride’s The Color of Water | Chapter 9 | Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 6

 The Color of Water, a memoir by James McBride, is a complex and nuanced account of the author's life as an African American and his relationship with his white mother. Using Bhabha's theories of hybridity, ambivalence, and a Third Space between cultures, this essay illustrates that racial and personal identities are historical constructions that change through time as flexible and mobile entities. The intertwining of narratives and voices over multiple decades depicts the Third Space in McBride's relationship with his mother, as well as each individual's relationship to a larger multiracial community. McBride's developing perspective of multiracial identity in America is also investigated using Lacan's theories of rhetoric and meaning.

Author (s) Details

Yuan-Chin Chang
Department of Applied English Studies, China University of Technology, No. 56, Sec. 3, Xinglong Rd., Wunshan District, Taipei City 116, Taiwan.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/MPLLE-V6/article/view/2312

The Performance of Gender and Race in James McBride’s The Good Lord Bird | Chapter 8 | Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 6

 Gender transitioning and Onion's performance are shown as fluid and open in The Good Lord Bird. Throughout the narrative, there are themes of performance, mobility, and perpetual change. The dramatic storey is fueled by racial and gender tensions, as well as the ways in which associated identities are experienced and performed. The current study looks at race-related issues such as performativity and identification; in Onion's storey, these components of identity influence a certain kind of perception of a social and geographical condition that necessitates subversion. McBride produces a compelling piece with modern resonances through humour and sarcasm. The novel's drama is built on principles of performativity and identity, as well as the understanding symbolised by the "Good Lord" bird in the storey. McBride developed the book for a modern audience, anticipating that they would be aware of topics such as racial performance and identity. In some ways, McBride's uncommon literary representation of a self-identified guy who inhabits a female performed identity throughout the work might be read as a satire on the absurdity of a binary racial categorization system that has been in use since the slave trade. The current work investigates the diversity and hybridity of enacted identities in The Good Lord Bird as they relate to understanding, drawing on ideas from Lacan, Butler, and Bhabha.

Author (s) Details

Yuan-Chin Chang
Department of Applied English Studies, China University of Technology, No. 56, Sec. 3, Xinglong Rd., Wunshan District, Taipei City 116, Taiwan.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/MPLLE-V6/article/view/2311

Detailed Discussion on Pre-service English Teacher Education in the State of Alagoas, Brazil: A Reflection on Identities | Chapter 12 | Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 1

In Alagoas, a state in the northeast of Brazil, this article focuses on the current context of teaching and learning English as a foreign language. We are concentrating on our Federal University of Alagoas undergraduates, who are pre-service instructors. They are on the verge of beginning to teach at the state-run grade and high schools, thus public schools. Centered on the notions of identity and otherness, we have carried out our research. As a consequence, we have observed the existence in the teacher's persona of negative ideals that explicitly conflict with their class activities. We, then, suggest a research on personal narratives aimed at the development of firm alterities. In this way, we expect our undergraduates not to lose track of the positive educational principles and, as a result, not to give in to contextual pressures. We conclude by claiming that it is difficult to ensure that our  The plan for teacher education would bring results in the short and medium term in the educational sense of the state. We can also not assume that until they finally become in-service instructors, the formative phase will last in the undergraduates due to the identity stresses they will undoubtedly suffer in their activities within the school setting. Nevertheless, through their political agency skills, we should reaffirm our confidence in the Freirean perspective of teachers as transformative agents. And that gives us hope to move on.

Author(s) Details

Paulo Rogério Stella
Federal University of Alagoas at Maceió, Brasil. Isabel Correia

Daniel Adelino Costa Oliveira da Cruz
Federal University of Alagoas at Maceió, Brasil.

View Book :- https://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/296

Identity and Well-Being of Bulgarian Adolescents and Adults: Summarized Data for the Period 2002- 2018 | Chapter 9 | New Horizons in Education and Social Studies Vol. 3

 

Aim: Featuring identity and well-being of Bulgarian adolescents and adults and their preferred
adaptation pathways.
Study Design: Comparison of the results from two cross-sectional studies, completed in 2008 and
2018 with 703 Bulgarian volunteers in total, aged 18-60. The focus is the analysis of the adaptive
response to the experienced environment – as stable or unstable, supportive or restrictive.
Results: The general results reveal that there is no change in the distribution of the identity statuses
for a period, lasting more than a decade. Most of the volunteers prefer to postpone their stable
commitments and proceed to attain and reorganize their identity. Furthermore, this is not a result of
inner choice, but mainly adaptive response to the requirements and the restrictions of the context.
Environment, perceived as unstable and preventing strong commitments results in identity choices
postponement as most adaptive person-context transaction. The uncompleted transition period
promotes transitive identity statuses, postponement of stable commitments and continuous
exploration. For adolescence coherent to age development, more adaptive is active exploration,
whereas for adults adaptive is to support previous commitments, as they used to be beneficial in the
past.
Conclusion: When context is perceived as insecure and not supportive, this results in search for new
commitments or identity reorganization and perceived stress. In this sense, the main accent on
individual level is the adaptive feature of the identity statuses and coping strategies and their relations. Support for self-integration through the three steps of identity - self-knowledge, self-acceptance and self-expression - can facilitate identity reorganization. This is related to stress management as well. If person fails to employ enough adaptive strategies of reactive and proactive coping consecutively and coherently, the basic sense of self-authenticity and self-integration is compromised. The main conclusion is that promotion of self-reflection and successful reactive responses can transform into proactive behaviour and become a component of the optimal identity. This overall process can be learnt and implemented as a cognitive, emotional and behavioral mindfulness, based on self-reflection and active coping.

Author (s) Details

Margarita Bakracheva
Sofia University St. Klimеnt Ohridski, Bulgaria.

View Book :- http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/257

The Assessment on the Physical Elements of Klang Royal Town, Malaysia | Chapter 8 | Emerging Issues in Science and Technology Vol. 4

Royal Town is one of the unique elements that can symbolized the identity of Malaysia. There were five Royal Town in Malaysia and one of it is Klang Royal Town. As a Royal Town, it has a certain element that contribute to its identity. The extensive of urbanization and speedy development in most historical Royal Town make it totally unfamiliar [1]. This study explores on the physical attributes that can be inferred as the identity of the Royal Towns in Malaysia. The method of this study involves observation on the heritage trail in Klang Royal Town. Result shows the influence of physical elements in Klang Royal Town. This study contributes to recognizing the identity of Royal Town in Malaysia and can be a reference and advantage for the local authority to conserve and preserve the image of the Royal Town in Malaysia. 

Author(s) Details

Norajlin Jaini
Centre of Studies for Park and Amenity Management, Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Mara, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

Nadiahtul Aini Kamarudin
Centre of Studies for Park and Amenity Management, Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Mara, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

View Book :- http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/184