Global Journal of Cultural Studies provides a common platform for scholars, researchers and students of culture studies across the world to keep themselves abreast of the latest developments and debates within the field. The journal covers a wide range of topics including, historical, theoretical and practical analyses of meanings, impacts and issues of culture on global as well as local scale. Articles that broaden the existing concept and understanding of culture or generate new theories in culture interpretation are welcomed. Culture-relevant scholarly submissions from other domains such as social sciences, humanities, information sciences, politics, technology, economics and arts etc; are also considered for publication. Original research, review articles and literary comparisons of variant cultures and cultural changes as they relate to language, religions, arts, films, literature, aesthetics, law, institutions, ideology, social structures, social conventions, cuisines, fashions, public perceptions, cultural dynamics under the globalization and industrialization background, social and technological developments, society and population, cultural development and sustainability, etc. are accepted to submission.
Policy for Journals with Open Access Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work
Toward a Holistic Planning Culture Framework: Integrating Individual, Collective, and Societal Dimensions
Planning culture scholarship has evolved significantly over six decades, yet fundamental analytical tensions persist: between systematic comparison and contextual specificity, between structural determinism and agential capacity, and between cultural continuity and institutional change. Existing frameworks, particularly the influential Culturised Planning Model, struggle to address these tensions because they inadvertently reproduce the structure-agency dualism they seek to transcend, treating institutional contexts as relatively fixed parameters that shape but are not shaped by planning practice. This paper presents a holistic planning culture framework that bridges this divide by drawing on sociological institutionalism’s insights into how actors simultaneously work within, reshape, and transform institutional arrangements. The framework distinguishes three interdependent cultural layers: individual attitudes (encompassing knowledge, beliefs, and actions), collective practices (including procedural rules and actors’ constellations), and societal environment (reflected in steering styles). Unlike hierarchical models that imply unidirectional causation, this framework conceptualises these layers as mutually constitutive – simultaneously structuring and being structured by planning practice. This recursive character explains both cultural reproduction (through mutually reinforcing relationships) and transformation (through contradictions creating openings for institutional entrepreneurship). The framework enables more nuanced analysis of how planning cultures operate across multiple scales, how identical formal instruments produce divergent outcomes, and how endogenous change emerges through everyday planning practice. By treating planning culture as a dynamic institutional field rather than a static context, the framework supports more reflexive, culturally-informed planning practice.
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Reimagining Culture and Arts Education through the Integration of Artificial Intelligence and the Sixth Industrial Revolution: Demands, Challenges, and Future Implications
This scoping review explores the demands and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Sixth Industrial Revolution (IR 6.0) in culture and arts education. It maps existing literature to understand how these technological advancements reshape educational practices, enhance creativity, and prepare learners for a rapidly evolving digital society. Anchored in Technological Determinism and Social Constructivism, the study investigates five key researc h questions on AI and IR 6.0 demands, integration challenges, alignment strategies, and educational implications. Findings highlight the transformative potential of AI in delivering personalized learning, fostering creativity, preserving cultural heritage, and facilitating immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality. Likewise, IR 6.0 demands integration of digital tools, blended learning, interdisciplinary approaches, and sustainability. However, challenges such as resistance to change, limited expertise, unequal access to technology, and ethical concerns persist. The review underscores the need for proactive strategies including project-based learning, equitable access, ethical AI use, and continuous teacher training. It concludes that AI and IR 6.0, if harnessed responsibly, can enrich culture and arts education. Gaps in long-term impact studies, ethics, access, and student perceptions are identified, with recommendations for future research to foster inclusive, innovative, and future-ready educational practices.
Foreign Aid and Economic Conditionality in Africa, 1960-2010: A Historical Analysis of Complex Relations
This study examines the nature and patterns of foreign aid and economic conditionalities in sub-Saharan Africa from the early 1960s, when most African countries gained independence, to the early 2000s, a period that saw the rise, consolidation, and gradual transformation of economic conditionality as a central feature of aid relations. It notes that economic conditionality refers to the policy requirements, often based on neoliberal economic principles, that donor countries and multilateral institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, impose on recipient states as a precondition for accessing loans, debt relief, or development grants. The article argues that these conditions were most aggressively implemented during the 1980s and 1990s, especially through Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), which sought to reshape African economies by enforcing market liberalization, privatization, and fiscal austerity. The focus on sub-Saharan Africa is intentional, as this region was disproportionately targeted for policy-based lending and remains the most aid-dependent part of the continent, making it a crucial site for assessing the long-term impact of foreign aid conditionalities. This study scrutinizes the rationale behind these aid conditions by analyzing the policy objectives of donor institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, and major Western governments, as well as the perspectives of African scholars and policymakers. The study draws on theoretical debates among dependency theorists, neoliberal economists, and postcolonial scholars, who disagree on whether conditional aid promotes sustainable development or reinforces neocolonial dependency
Translating from Igbo (Nigeria) – A Bumpy Journey
Literatures in African languages have remained largely untranslated and thus unknown outside their linguistic domain. This situation led the ELLAF http://ellaf.huma-num.fr/ team to start gathering oral and written texts and build an online encyclopaedia of literatures in African languages. Igbo language, one of the three major national Nigerian languages, is also one of the eleven African languages chosen for this project. Igbo rich oral and written literature remains largely unknown to this day, with only one translation into French, that of its first novel, Omenuko (1933). This article will present the difficulties and challenges experienced by the French translation of the Igbo text during this long period, from a first attempt in the 1990s unto its 2010 publication in Paris. It will equally contribute to the on-going reflection on challenges facing the translation and publication of literary texts in African languages.
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
From 1997 to 2025: The Evolving Relevance of 'Ma 6-T Va Crack-Er' in Modern France
This study investigates the continued relevance of Jean-François Richet's Ma 6-T va crack-er in addressing France's persistent socio-political issues related to the banlieues. Combining historical analysis, theoretical frameworks, and comparative film studies, the paper explores how themes of urban segregation, cultural identity, systemic inequality, and youth rebellion remain pressing in 2025. It also examines how successive policy failures and media representations have entrenched negative perceptions of these marginalised communities. Drawing on the works of Hall, Balibar, Wacquant, Gilroy, and Crenshaw, this paper offers a multidisciplinary analysis while proposing policy solutions to address the long-standing issues in the banlieues.
A Hoplological and Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Lechitic Roots of Today's Poles and Poland
Problem: There are ongoing disputes over the origins of Western Slavs and Poles. The author attempts to describe the state of knowledge in light of recent research and analyzes the content of the new scientific monograph ”About military and physical culture in the lands of Lechia.” He does so with an emphasis on the heritage of military culture. Method: The results of archaeogenetic and hoplological research, as well as an analysis of the relevant literature, are considered together. Logical arguments are used. Results: An approach synthesizing the current state of knowledge, presented in the monograph, is described. This particularly falsifies the hypothesis of the late arrival of the Slavs in Central Europe. The analysis of the author's monograph is supplemented with new observations regarding weapons and other attributes of legendary heroes and demigods. Conclusions: The monograph provides a series of logical proofs of the presence of Slavs, known for example as the Veneti, in Polish lands since at least 2000 BCE, which refutes the hypotheses of a late arrival of Slavs in the Lechitic lands. Genetic studies have demonstrated the continuity of settlement of these lands by the direct ancestors of today's Poles. Similarities have been observed in weaponry and military culture.
Kalu Kumale and the Aesthetics of Wrath: Sculptural Practice, Affective Labor, and Cultural Resilience in Contemporary Nepal
This article offers a critical examination of the life, work, and legacy of Kalu Kumale, a pioneering figure in contemporary Nepali sculpture whose oeuvre spans over seven decades. Drawing upon a multidisciplinary qualitative methodology—comprising in-depth interviews, ethnographic observation, and archival analysis—this study investigates how Kumale’s sculptural practice engages with, reinterprets, and transcends traditional Newar iconography. Central to this inquiry are two seminal works, The Corpse of Sati Devi and Two Farmers Fighting, which serve as case studies for exploring the intersection of personal affect, socio-political commentary, and religious symbolism in his art. Framed within the theoretical perspectives of postcolonial aesthetics and affect theory, the article contends that Kumale’s sculptures function as embodied texts that mediate grief, resilience, and communal memory. His integration of wrathful deity motifs and autobiographical narratives exemplifies a form of cultural hybridity that challenges static notions of tradition and modernity. Moreover, Kumale’s sustained engagement in artistic philanthropy and community activism positions him not merely as an artisan, but as a cultural agent who mobilizes art for ethical and social transformation. By situating Kumale within both local traditions and transnational visual discourses, this article contributes to broader debates on indigenous visual sovereignty, cultural resilience, and the evolving role of the artist in postcolonial South Asia.
Research on Renewal Design of Humanistic Space under the Perspective of Chinese Poetic Space: Study on the Renovation Design of Fotuguan Park in Chongqing
In traditional Chinese culture, there is a concept of "poetic space", which emphasizes the atmosphere full of poetic romantic emotions in the environment. This atmosphere has rich emotional feelings and can convey a delicate personal aesthetic, which is an important feature of traditional Chinese aesthetic. In modern urban renewal, the implementation of poetic space transformation for areas with historical and humanistic aesthetic can better activate traditional humanistic and historical resources, which is conducive to the renewal and improvement of traditional parks and the maximization of social, cultural and economic benefits. Starting from the perspective of poetic space construction and public art, this paper explores the renewal design path of the unique landscape of Fotuguan Park, a traditional historical footpath park in Chongqing, and focuses on how contemporary public art intervenes in urban parks to establish effective site space and emotional connection between ancient and modern culture, so as to promote the improvement of urban humanistic quality.
Political Ecology in Transition in the Global South: Examining the Interplay of Environment, State, and Society in Colonial India (1800-1947)
This paper presents an analysis of how historical transitions occurred, emphasising human actions and their interactions with the natural world, geography, climate, and the planet Earth. Anthropogenic actions have influenced changes in ecology and the environment throughout history. This impact intensified since the Industrial Revolution in England during the nineteenth century, spreading across the globe through the colonial and imperial pursuits of Western European nations. The paper adopts a methodological framework for understanding how historical transitions unfolded within the realm of political ecology in the Global South, drawing examples from colonial India under British rule. British colonial rule and its politically and economically driven ideologies drastically affected India’s natural environment, including its flora and fauna. This led to a reduction in ecological biodiversity from the latter part of the nineteenth century until the end of their rule in 1947. By employing transition theory as the primary method of historical investigation, this study aims to illustrate how the colonial state and its ideologues and officials influenced the Indian environment and society and how the transition framework can inform significant ecological changes in the Indian subcontinent during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Materiality and Immateriality: Exploring Material Culture in the Construction of Cultural Meanings
Material culture encompasses more than objects; it represents the dynamic interactions between people and artifacts, embedding cultural practices, values, and social structures within tangible forms. Rooted primarily in archaeology and anthropology, Material Culture is closely associated with technology, understood as the processes and systems underlying artifact creation and use. This relationship underscores technology´s role as a cultural process, involving the organization of knowledge, practices, and social interactions. While Material Culture focuses on artifacts as cultural symbols, technology explores their production processes. Holistic technologies, characterized by individual artisans’ control over production, contrast with prescriptive technologies, which employ segmented labour, reflecting advancements in social and economic organization. The distinction highlights the interplay between technological practices and societal dynamics. Anthropological studies demonstrate how cultural factors influence technological practices, including gendered roles in the creation of artifacts. Artifacts encode information, not only serving utilitarian purposes but also acting as media for memory, identity, and power relations. The meanings embedded in the objects often transcend their materiality, reflecting complex social and cultural ideologies. By bridging the tangible and intangible, Material Culture provides a critical framework for understanding the relationship between culture, technology, and society. This perspective reveals how technological processes shape human experience and contribute to the materialization of cultural values and beliefs, offering valuable insights into the evolution of social systems and identities.
Urban Planning Across Europe: Insights into Planning Cultures of Switzerland, Greece, and Serbia
The research explores the planning cultures in three distinct European contexts: Solothurn (Switzerland), Patras (Greece), and Belgrade (Serbia). Grounded in the conceptual framework of planning culture, which posits that spatial planning practices are deeply influenced by societal, institutional, and professional contexts, the analysis examines three key dimensions: social setting, planning process, and planning environment. The multiple case study methodological approach employed in this research illuminates both the diversity and commonalities in planning cultures, highlighting the importance of cultivating context-sensitive planning practices. The Solothurn case exemplifies a decentralised, consensus-based planning culture rooted in Swiss direct democracy, where collaborative processes and independent expertise are pivotal in shaping innovative spatial solutions. In contrast, the Patras and Belgrade cases reveal the challenges of centralised decision-making, administrative fragmentation, and the marginalisation of planning professionals and public participation in Greece and Serbia, respectively. On the one hand, these findings underscore the profound influence of political, economic, and cultural factors on the conceptualisation, implementation, and experience of spatial planning across diverse European contexts. On the other hand, the analysis suggests that effective spatial planning must be tailored to local cultural environments rather than applying universal models. The research ultimately contributes to the broader discourse on the cultural embeddedness of planning and offers insights for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars seeking to develop more nuanced, adaptive approaches to addressing contemporary urban challenges.
Gender Representation in the Gwangju Democracy Movement (Gwangju Uprising): A Discussion of the Films A Taxi Driver (2017) and A Petal (1996)
Between 18 and 27 May 1980, South Korea witnessed what became known as the Gwangju Democracy Movement or the Gwangju Uprising. On this occasion, South Korean citizens, especially young people belonging to the student movement, took to the streets of the city demanding democracy and were violently repressed by the government, resulting in a death toll that is still unknown today. This paper aims to analyze two films that deal with the Gwangju Democracy Movement, A Taxi Driver (Hun Jang, 2017) and A Petal (Jang Sun-woo, 1996), focusing mainly on gender issues as the two films differ in this regard: A Taxi Driver has a story centered on male characters and brotherhood between men, while A Petal has as its protagonist a girl who is the victim of various forms of violence as a result of the Gwangju Uprising. We will try to show that the films construct a masculinist representation of the Gwangju Democracy Movement, even when they use female characters. The methodology used is based on Pierre Sorlin's sociology of cinema.
Examining the QAnon movement through a Jungian lens, this analysis draws parallels between archetypal defense mechanisms and the Homeric myth of Odysseus, specifically his stay on Ogygia Island. The paper introduces terms like "Dark Religion" and "theocalypse," exploring the phenomenon of mind possession in religious fundamentalism and conspiracy theories. Symbolically, Calypso, as "the concealer," functions as an archetypal protective system, diverting ego-consciousness from reality and constructing a false belief system. "Theocalypse" describes religious inflation by unconscious contents, resulting in specific mytho-poetic ideologies and archetypal images whose function is to protect ego from experiencing painful emotions. The manifestation of Dark Religion is evident in QAnon Conspiracy Theory followers who believe in a secret war led by Donald Trump against a satanic child-trafficking cabal. This dark belief system is characterized by traits such as seeking secret signs and clues, absolutism, rejection of modernity, reactivity, aggression, a paranoid worldview, and the assertion of a special ability to see with their hearts—reading between the lines, to name a few. Commonalities between conspiratorial and fundamentalist thinking emerge from the dynamics of inferior consciousness and subsequent ego inflation, explaining both the archetypal nature of conspiracism and its resistance to rational correction. Conspiratorialists assert additional qualities, such as being chosen to perceive the truth, promoting a superior truth without relative values or "gray" areas (superiority). Their knowledge is held unwaveringly and treated as infallible faith, often invoking sources like idols and refusing to question their authority. Vehement rejection of opposing theories (defensive selectivity) characterizes their mindset, along with a surrender of will to their leaders (submission to authority). Conspiracists actively pursue the goal of converting others (reactivity) and accept responsibility for the state of affairs only in a fantasy world, avoiding self-reflection (projection). Conscious thinking remains free from unconscious influence only when recognizing numinous contents and withdrawing projections from objects. A symbolic perspective, treating conspiracy theories as symbols rather than rational constructs, provides a non-dismissive understanding of strong adherence to such beliefs. Examining QAnon symbolically through the lens of Jungian psychology, while understanding how adherents enact unconscious complexes and cultural complexes, offers more effective ways of understanding their beliefs than what traditional schools provide. Breaking away from restrictive beliefs requires embracing living symbols tethered to reality, facilitating genuine feeling-insight, authentic suffering, and thereby fostering a connection with one's psyche.
Spiritual Nexus: The Interwoven Sacred Sites of the Kailash Region
This article investigates the complex network of sacred sites within the Kailash region, an axis of profound spiritual significance for a multitude of faiths. The central figure of this sacred web is Mount Kailash, surrounded by the mystical Lake Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal, the restorative springs of Tirthapuri, and the reflective sanctuary of the Bon Monastery. This study delves into the spiritual importance, historical connections, and intricate cultural practices maintained across these sites. Darchen, the starting point for the spiritually charged Kailash Kora, marks the pilgrims' journey towards potential enlightenment. Moreover, the paper investigates the ecocultural dynamics, emphasizing the monasteries around Manasarovar, including the Bon Monastery, as enduring custodians of spiritual wisdom despite historical tribulations. Harnessing a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, the article portrays how these sites collectively constitute a spiritual heritage that continually shapes the socio-religious fabric of the region. It also addresses modern challenges due to increased pilgrimage, advocating for sustainable conservation efforts. By intertwining the cosmic symbolism and earthly presence of these sites, this article contributes a holistic view of the Kailash region's perpetual sacredness and its essential place within the global spiritual domain.
The article examines everydayness as an integrative sphere of society, which is dominant for a person since it is at the micro level that an individual forms his or her social reality. Dialectical relationships between the individual and the general can be traced in everydayness, a semantic content is formed, which makes it possible to understand what happens every day in the everyday life of a person. Therefore, everyday life acts as one of the mechanisms of formation of values, socialization and a source of formation of social capital at the micro-, meso-, and macro levels. On the basis of empirical data, it is shown that social capital accumulates in the everyday sphere, which is strong and can withstand external aggressive manifestations, such as Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian society can withstand full-scale military aggression due to solidarity ties, dense network communications, and social trust at the level of horizontal relationships. In this way, everyday life has a latent effect on the functioning of social institutions at the level of the city and the state which are the field of implementation of people's everyday routines.
On the way to the Kingdom of Reason: Irrational Rationality of the Early Soviet Period
The authors take a deep dive into the correlation between rational and irrational in both Enlightenment philosophy and classical Marxism, which is embodied in Russia in the form of Marxism-Leninism. The cult of Rationalism prevailed during the first years of Soviet power, which was expressed in V.I. Lenin’s academic works and was implemented into political practice. However, the established rationality resulted in the Mythology of Reason and mystification of science, which, like magic, “is capable of everything”. This kind of rationalism penetrated deeply into different forms of mass consciousness and gave birth to the irrational Kingdom of Reason, based on which all spheres of life within Soviet society were supposed to be transformed.
Bestiality in the West: Geraldus of Wales’s Fantasies about the Irish Borderlands: A Medieval Colonialist’s Worldview
Medieval legal, theological, and scientific discourse was highly interested in the monstrous element both out of simple curiosity and because it represented ‘the other’ in epistemological terms. Monsters, however, were normally far-removed, and did not create real fear because they were the products of human fantasy. Bestiality, on the other hand, constituted a direct threat to the well-being of human society, breaching the boundary between humans and animals in a dangerous fashion. This article examines the discourse on bestiality in Geraldus of Wales’s Topographia Hibernica (1187) through which he succeeded to erect a cultural barrier between the Irish on the one hand and the British on the other and to project them as uncivilized, backwards, and as a people that would need to be colonized. Geraldus thus emerges as a stalwart ‘imperialist’ avant la letter. A critical reading of his treatise allows us to apply this ‘anachronistic’ term to this influential medieval writer, which in turn makes it possible to extent our modern anti-colonialist discourse to the high Middle Ages, and perhaps also vice-versa.
Geographical Global Rural Cultures and Cultures in Particular Geographical Realities: Some Particular Ideas for a Global Debate
Scientific contributions to global culture are scarce from a rural geographic perspective. The vision of global rural culture is framed between global as a product of particular cultures or as particular cultures contributed to geographically global rural. Furthermore, the emergence of new politics of rural cultures associated with re- and territorialization processes and small tactics in place is analyzed. Finally, the bases are established for the joint and integrated study of the concept and approaches to global rural and global culture in different geographical scenarios in the global South and North.
Achieving Humanist Cities: Learning From Urban Feminism and Feminist Planning
As planners and urbanists continue to debate urban reforms needed to achieve humanist ideals – including just forms of sustainability – several different schools of thought are vying for influence, including cultural urbanism (celebrating the everyday, temporal, occasional, and timeless), pluralist urbanism (aiming for a co-produced city that is more democratic, participatory, and open-ended), and inclusive urbanism (focusing on the right to the city and its accommodations for all populations). Here, we examine feminist urbanism – the specific challenge of gender-equal spaces, particularly public spaces – as a model framework that suggests how the other schools of thought can be combined and translated into practical action. We focus on the nature and importance of public space and the role of gender inclusiveness in assuring public spaces that are more broadly open, participatory, pluralist, and supportive of temporal and everyday activities. We thus find that the emerging concept of feminist urbanism reveals essential issues for a wider humanist urbanism – in particular, who the city is meant to serve and whether the public realm is equitably ‘public’ to all its users. We note major remaining questions and research lacuna to be investigated, and we conclude with several policy and design recommendations.
Sustainable Construction Materials for Bangladesh in Tropical C-Limate, Literature Review
Bamboo is one of the most significant materials in Bangladesh which can play a vital role in the construction sector. It is a natural device, unique, strong, and long-lasting, as well as variously used in every circle of life. Nowadays, it is becoming an attractive and fashionable material throughout the world. Most architects all over the world are using bamboo as a construction material in modern design and techniques. Bamboo is most commonly used in construction for walls, partitions, roofs, and main elements such as posts, beams, and structural frameworks with a range of traditional and modern connections, among other things. However, there are almost no suggestions for using bamboo in this case. The objective of this investigation is to outline crucial instructions for using bamboo, which is not prominently mentioned. There were a total of 18 articles examined and analyzed for this paper.
The Culture of Business: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Culture and Business
The concepts of national culture play a substantial role in the everyday course of business in modern organizations. Globalization has created an environment where national culture has significant impacts in determining the success of multi-national organizations. This article presents a comprehensive literature review of the topic of culture and business. Focusing on two separate areas of culture (national culture & localized culture) the article seeks to provide clarity to the cultural concepts and finishes with how these concepts impact business decisions and processes. The article provides information to support the key concepts that culture is an important aspect of business and is crucial to the success of multi-national organizations.
The Monumental Kurgans in Bronze Age in River Kura Basin
The article contains with the archaeological excavations of the Deller Jayir kurgans at 322.700 km of the SCPX (South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion Project) pipeline corridor. These kurgans are located in the territory of Deller Jayir village of Shamkir district of Azerbaijan Republic. About 10 kurgans were recorded in the kurgan field located on a relatively high hill on the right bank of the river, about 100-150 m away from the Jayir River, only 2 of them fell into the pipeline corridor, excavated and explored. The surface of the Deller Jayir kurgans consists of stone formations with a clearly visible circular shape and a relatively concave center. They are located close to each other at a distance of 5-6 m. Preliminary analysis of the structures and burial rites in the Deller Jayir kurgans and the forms of the few pottery fragments found in these kurgans show that these kurgans date the transition stage from Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age, to be precisely, to the 15th-14th centuries BC.
Global (Sustainable) Commercial Urbanism and Culture
The decision makers of western cities have utilized commercial urbanism to help improve urban livability for several decades. The upgrade and redesign of shopping areas as well as the modernization of small and medium size retail establishments appear central to this goal. However, the unpredictability of technological innovations, lifestyles, consumer demand, and the uncertainty of global and regional markets contribute to the difficulty in delivering the most adequate and long-lasting urbanistic solutions. To what extent can professionals and elected officials utilize local cultures and regional identities to craft urban policies and programs capable of enabling flourishing businesses with both positive impacts in local economies and urban cultures? The purpose of this paper is to revisit a series of urban planning research programs, which the author studied over the past three decades in the Iberian Peninsula, the Americas, and Macau SAR. The research methods comprised literature reviews, public policy and case study analyses, teaching and research engagements, residence periods, and extended visits in Portugal, the northeast and southwest of the United States, Latin America, and Macau SAR. The argument is twofold: First, globalization is simultaneously homogenizing commercial landscapes while contributing to environmentally damaging car dependent lifestyles; and second, professionals ought to establish localized and culture-based (sustainable) commercial urbanism programs capable of assuring the long-term success of cities. The key finding is that livability assurance guarantees and cultural patterns are highly dependent on each city’s idiosyncratic characteristics such as size, place in the urban hierarchy, as well as historic roles performed in regional, national, and global dynamics.
Copyright (c) 2023 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Production of Independent Popular Music during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Guayaquil City
This work delves into the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Guayaquil's music scene, with a focus on the adaptation strategies of independent music producers. Drawing on the concepts of musical scenes proposed by Bennet and Peterson (2004), the study reveals how a traditional local music scene shifted towards a virtual one, impacting various cultural circuits. The pandemic necessitated the migration of music production and recording processes to digital platforms, revolutionizing the modes of listening and audio production. The study employs a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory research approach, encompassing field research, netnography, and ethnomusicology. It offers a holistic understanding of how independent producers coped with the challenges of the pandemic and continued their work.
Frevo is a Brazilian cultural expression composed of music and dance. Its musical genre is popular, but part of its musical structure is based on classical music theory. In recent years, research on frevo music has been growing. This is likely related to the recognition of frevo as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In this literature review, I present the current state of the art of frevo music. Research on frevo music is primarily focused on the field of Ethnomusicology and technical aspects, such as technical and interpretive analysis.
Retracing a Historical Waterway and its Impact on the Community Life of Tangail City, Bangladesh
Modern urbanism is consuming significant features of the land comprehensively to accommodate the massive population to accelerate economic growth. The navigation system of the Bengal Delta is one of the most affluent and beneficiary features in Bangladesh. Tangail is a city near the capital of Bangladesh (Dhaka) situated on the bank of the Louhojong River. In the colonial period, there was an essential canal through the town, which inspired and shaped the core layout of the city. Several historically important pieces of architecture were also built on both sides of the canal. This study traces the lost navigation and only historically important riparian landscape, architecture, and community spaces, which was spatially connected by the water source. The study emphasizes social and urban interaction with landscape and architecture. It takes the help of mapping and qualitative research to simulate the community activities of the colonial city. The research illustrates the impact of a water source on a community-responsive city. An analysis of how the city consumed the most important historical evidence can be visualized through illustrations based on the demonstrations of a local history-conserving organization and the evidences collected from local inhabitants.
Sacred Space and the Modes of Intersection in Paulo Coelho’s The Pilgrimage
To analyze the depiction of sacred space and rituals in Paulo Coelho’s The Pilgrimage is the purpose of this essay. The bulk of studies on the functions and aims of pilgrimage have produced a multifaceted field of research for the further development of both secular and religious conceptualizations of this ritualized behavior. Whether pilgrimage is a matter of ideology, union with the sacred space, spiritual enlightenment, superstition, political identity, primitive religiosity, post-mortem body, or simply a matter of our attitudes toward pilgrimage as outsiders or insiders is still unresolved. In this article, I review the significance and purpose of pilgrimage in its traditional and anthropological context and in regard to the importance of sacred space or destination in various religions. Next, I approach the tradition of pilgrimage in the novel by drawing upon Gilles Deleuze’s critique of being, becoming, and animal. I subsequently explore three principal intersections that the protagonist experiences in his spiritual journey to the holy space, the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I discuss how The Pilgrimage presents a non-traditional portrayal of sacred space and pilgrimage. I also explore the reciprocity between the pilgrim’s body and mind in developing a physical and mental relation with his natural environment. Whereas man’s desire for the divine or holy space has received considerable attention in the studies on pilgrimage, Coelho’s novel reorients the focus of attention from the final destination to the pilgrim’s modes of symbiosis along the road. This article also intends to demonstrate how the novel presents a new perspective for the study of the ritual, recognized as pilgrimage.
Exploring the Affordable Housing Solutions for the Resettlement Projects of Padma Bridge
The construction of Padma Bridge in Bangladesh has necessitated the resettlement of displaced residents, highlighting the need for affordable and sustainable housing solutions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduce inequality), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This study aims to engage undergraduate architecture students in a design studio exercise to develop innovative housing models for resettlement projects, addressing displaced communities' social, economic, and environmental challenges. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework is introduced, integrating stakeholder data. In the design studio, students explore housing alternatives and concentrate on community-driven cooperative housing, assessing their effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability using the MCDA framework. The exercise produces a range of housing solutions that balance affordability, sustainability, and community-centric design. Students demonstrate the potential of novel approaches to address the complex challenges displaced communities face and contribute to equitable development in Bangladesh. Engaging architecture students in developing affordable housing solutions provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in resettlement. The study emphasizes the need for holistic, participatory approaches and highlights the role of innovative, sustainable housing models in enhancing the quality of life for those affected by the Padma Bridge project, aligning with the SDGs.
Exploring Social Realities and Identity Struggles through Content Analysis of Dialogues in La Désintégration by Philippe Faucon
This paper delves into the intricate social realities and identity struggles depicted in the film La Désintégration by Philippe Faucon through a meticulous content analysis of dialogues. This study aims to unveil the underlying sociopolitical themes embedded within the characters' dialogues by employing content analysis as the primary methodology. La Désintégration offers a poignant exploration of issues such as cultural and religious identity, socioeconomic marginalisation, and the process of radicalisation. Through a detailed analysis of selected dialogue excerpts, this paper sheds light on the characters' nuanced interactions and internal conflicts. By engaging with the dialogues as narrative devices, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how banlieue cinema captures and reflects broader societal concerns. The findings extend the existing discourse on banlieue cinema and highlight the significance of dialogue in conveying the intricate web of social complexities in contemporary societies.
Cinema as a Mirror: Analysing Racial Conflicts in Agathe Cléry
This academic article delves into the intricate portrayal of racial conflicts in the film Agathe Cléry. This analysis contributes to our broader understanding of how visual media shapes societal perceptions of race and ethnicity by critically examining how cinema represents racial tensions. It engages with critical theories on racial identity, racism, and multiculturalism to illuminate the film's social significance. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this article offers new insights into the evolving dynamics of racial conflicts in contemporary society. It explores the enduring relevance of cinematic narratives in challenging prevailing notions of racial identity and discrimination, aligning with and extending the work of scholars who have explored the impact of media on societal attitudes and behaviours. This study serves as a synthesis of film analysis and sociological perspectives. It not only dissects the complexities of human interactions as depicted in Agathe Cléry but also highlights the transformative potential of cinema as a tool for promoting inclusive narratives and addressing pressing social issues. Through this analysis, we gain a deeper appreciation of how cinema can initiate meaningful conversations about social problems, challenge preconceived notions, and foster tolerance. It invites viewers to critically engage with racial prejudices, encouraging them to strive for a more inclusive and equitable society. This article underscores the decisive role of cinema in challenging societal norms and fostering essential discussions on racial identity and discrimination. It reflects on the significance of authentic representation, avoiding stereotypes, collaboration with experts, and promoting dialogue within the film industry. It suggests future research directions, including audience reception studies, comparative analyses of films from diverse cultural contexts, investigations into the long-term effects of anti-racist films, and explorations of intersectionality in film. Agathe Cléry is a compelling example of cinema's ability to address social problems, challenge preconceived notions, and foster tolerance. This article comprehensively analyses the film within the context of racial conflicts, emphasising the importance of authentic representation and responsible storytelling. As the film industry evolves, embracing these recommendations and exploring future research directions will contribute to a cinema that reflects our diverse world and actively engages in the ongoing journey toward social justice and equity.