Search Results (112)

This study investigates the cybersecurity landscape of Aotearoa-New Zealand through a culturally grounded lens, focusing on the integration of Indigenous Māori values into cybersecurity frameworks. In response to escalating cyber threats, the research adopts a mixed-methods and interdisciplinary approach—combining surveys, focus groups, and case studies—to explore how cultural principles such as whanaungatanga (collective responsibility) and manaakitanga (care and respect) influence digital safety practices. The findings demonstrate that culturally informed strategies enhance trust, resilience, and community engagement, particularly in rural and underserved Māori communities. Quantitative analysis revealed that 63% of urban participants correctly identified phishing attempts compared to 38% of rural participants, highlighting a significant urban–rural awareness gap. Additionally, over 72% of Māori respondents indicated that cybersecurity messaging was more effective when delivered through familiar cultural channels, such as marae networks or iwi-led training programmes. Focus groups reinforced this, with participants noting stronger retention and behavioural change when cyber risks were communicated using Māori metaphors, language, or values-based analogies. The study also confirms that culturally grounded interventions—such as incorporating Māori motifs (e.g., koru, poutama) into secure interface design and using iwi structures to disseminate best practices—can align with international standards like NIST CSF and ISO 27001. This compatibility enhances stakeholder buy-in and demonstrates universal applicability in multicultural contexts. Key challenges identified include a cybersecurity talent shortage in remote areas, difficulties integrating Indigenous perspectives into mainstream policy, and persistent barriers from the digital divide. The research advocates for cross-sector collaboration among government, private industry, and Indigenous communities to co-develop inclusive, resilient cybersecurity ecosystems. Based on the UTAUT and New Zealand’s cybersecurity vision “Secure Together—Tō Tātou Korowai Manaaki 2023–2028,” this study provides a model for small nations and multicultural societies to create robust, inclusive cybersecurity frameworks. Full article

Campus climate research has long been a focus of higher education scholarship; however, studies show that inequalities and a pervasive sense of not belonging continue to negatively affect students. This paper presents the results of a campus-wide survey conducted at a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), with a sample of 820 undergraduate, master’s, Ph.D., and non-degree students. The authors explore students’ experiences on campus in relation to their identities as well as students’ perceptions of campus climate. Specifically, the paper examines students’ intergroup relations and how these influence their sense of belonging. The survey instrument developed in the frame of this project also included questions designed to assess opportunities students have to develop key values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding related to intercultural and democratic competences necessary for life and work in multicultural societies. This study identifies the areas students perceive as important for development, highlighting which values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding they have had the opportunity to cultivate during their time at the university and those they would like to develop further. The authors hope these findings will inform efforts to strengthen institutional support for more inclusive practices on culturally diverse university campuses and provide evidence-based guidance for designing effective pedagogical interventions. Full article

Legislative documents are crucial to democratic societies, defining the legal framework for social life. In Brazil, legislative texts are particularly complex due to extensive technical jargon, intricate sentence structures, and frequent references to prior legislation. The country’s civil law tradition and multicultural context introduce further interpretative and linguistic challenges. Moreover, the study of Brazilian Portuguese legislative texts remains underexplored, lacking legal-specific models and datasets. To address these gaps, this work proposes a data-driven approach utilizing large language models (LLMs) to analyze these documents and extract knowledge graphs (KGs). A case study was conducted using 1869proposals from the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Norte (ALRN), spanning January 2019 to April 2024. The Llama 3.2 3B Instruct model was employed to extract KGs representing entities and their relationships. The findings support the method’s effectiveness in producing coherent graphs faithful to the original content. Nevertheless, challenges remain in resolving entity ambiguity and achieving full relationship coverage. Additionally, readability analyses using metrics for Brazilian Portuguese revealed that ALRN proposals require superior reading skills due to their technical style. Ultimately, this study advances legal artificial intelligence by providing insights into Brazilian legislative texts and promoting transparency and accessibility through natural language processing techniques. Full article

In superdiverse societies like Canada, characterized by high levels of cultural and ethnic plurality, national identity boundaries are often blurry. While policies may officially promote inclusiveness, public discourse on national identity is frequently dominated by mainstream groups, whose willingness to expand these boundaries plays a crucial role in fostering minority inclusion. Despite the importance of inclusivity for social cohesion, little is known about what enables majority group members to adopt a more inclusive national identity. This study addresses this gap by exploring the role of cognitive flexibility in facilitating an acculturative shift toward inclusiveness. Using latent class regression analysis (N = 202), we identified two distinct national identity profiles: one more inclusive and the other more exclusive. We also examined how factors such as ethnic vs. civic views on national identity, acculturation orientations toward integration, and personal identification with traditional English Canadian vs. multicultural identity representation shape these profiles. Our findings revealed that higher cognitive flexibility was positively associated with the likelihood of belonging to the more inclusive profile. This study contributes to a limited body of work on majority group acculturation, offering insights into how cognitive flexibility may encourage a broader and more inclusive national identity. Implications for policy and social cohesion are discussed. Full article

Between 1871 and 1969, Native Americans (American Indians) endured the U.S. Federal Indian Boarding School system, while Chinese Americans faced enduring impacts from the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1943). Drawing on historical sources, this paper examines literary works by and about Native Americans and Chinese Americans, focusing on their sufferings under forced isolation policies. Through works like Ceremony and Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko and Eat a Bowl of Tea by Louis Chu, this study illustrates how systematic oppression, characterized by erasure of cultural identity, manifested through institutions such as “boarding school” and “bachelor society”. It explores how forced policies (like assimilation and isolation) and institutional oppression, through cultural erasure and the severing of family ties, dismantled family structures, weakened cultural transmission, and led to identity crises, inter-generational alienation, and psychological trauma in marginalized communities. These ethnic narratives not only document histories of oppression but also highlight the ethnic groups’ resilience and their efforts to reconstruct multicultural identity through cultural heritage and community ties under multifaceted pressures. Full article

This interdisciplinary study examined the migration, settlement, and identity formation of Afro-Caribbean communities in Canada, with a focus on Haitian and Jamaican diasporas. It explored the historical transitions from racially exclusionary immigration policies to contemporary multicultural frameworks and assessed their impact on the socioeconomic integration and cultural identity of these communities. Drawing from archival records, government reports, and sociological literature, this research highlights how Afro-Caribbean populations have navigated systemic barriers while contributing significantly to Canadian society. Using racial capitalism as a theoretical lens, the study critiqued the structural inequalities embedded within Canadian immigration and labour policies, underscoring the persistent challenges of economic marginalization and racial discrimination. Additionally, it engaged with cultural capital theories to examine the resilience and agency of Afro-Caribbean communities in forging new opportunities through cultural knowledge and community networks. Ultimately, this research advocates for policy reforms that foster a more equitable and inclusive society by addressing the systemic exclusions that continue to shape the experiences of Afro-Caribbean Canadians. Full article

Dongba painting is an ancient art form created by the ancestors of the Naxi people. As a masterpiece of Dongba scroll painting, The Road to Heaven, exemplifies the simplicity and beauty of the primitive Dongba religion and stands as a unique treasure within Naxi painting, possessing significant value for both art and religious research. The Road to Heaven serves as an essential religious ritual artifact in the Dongba religion of the Naxi people. Utilizing the format of a long scroll painting, it depicts the Naxi people’s reflections on the origins of life; the relationships between humans, nature, and society; and the exploration of life’s ultimate destiny, thereby presenting a distinctive worldview. This article constructs a theoretical analysis framework based on an iconographic study of The Road to Heaven, exploring the unique artistic representation, aesthetic spirit, worldview, and religious origins of the Naxi people to gain a deeper understanding of the construction of their spiritual homeland. At the level of pre-iconographic description, this article primarily analyzes the subject matter and contents of The Road to Heaven, the materials employed in the painting, and its artistic features. The iconographic analysis examines the thematic elements of The Road to Heaven; the virtual world structure of the Dongba religion’s imagined realms of gods, humans, and spirits; and its simple, natural, vivid, and imaginative aesthetic style. At the level of iconological interpretation, in this article, the characteristics of the religious beliefs shown in The Road to Heaven and the main factors influencing its aesthetic spirit are analyzed. We reveal that although the Dongba religion intersects and integrates with Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Daoism, and other ideologies and cultures, ancestor worship remains a dominant force guiding Naxi behavior. The unique natural environment, historical migrations, and multicultural exchanges of the Naxi people are the primary factors shaping their aesthetic spirit. By systematically analyzing The Road to Heaven from the perspective of iconology, this study provides evidence of its profound connections with Naxi social history, offering a more comprehensive view of the Naxi people’s aesthetic spirit and cultural connotations while presenting new approaches for researching The Road to Heaven. Full article

Assessment is an integral core component of the educational process (learning–teaching–assessment), influencing learning and teaching. Its impact extends beyond these core elements, shaping decisions that affect students, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and the wider community. Recognizing the critical role and broad impact of assessment on educational practices, we must leverage its power to foster better education that caters to diverse multicultural learners and promotes a more equitable society. In this theoretical paper, we comprehensively explore the transformative potential of assessment focusing on culturally responsive assessment, on both teaching and learning practices, emphasizing the needs of diverse learners. We discuss possible solutions to enhance educational outcomes through assessment redesign, critically examine the barriers to implementing these solutions, and propose viable strategies to mitigate these challenges, ensuring all learners reach their full potential. Full article

Background: Hereditary hemoglobin disorders are the most common globally distributed monogenic red cell diseases. The rights of women with thalassemia or sickle cell disease (SCD) to motherhood need to be protected by creating a roadmap to guide her, and her family network, along all the phases of the event. In fact, pregnancy in these vulnerable patients requires special attention and guidelines from the counseling stage (giving information about the special requirement and risks posed by their pregnancy with respect to the general population) the pre-conception stage, the early and mid-late pregnancy stage, to labor and lactation. The biocomplexity of these diseases requires a multidisciplinary team synergizing with gynecologists and obstetricians. In addition, the presence of a multicultural scenario requires healthcare workers to overcome stereotypes and adopt appropriate anthropological tools that might help them integrate the different cultural models of disease and motherhood. Methods: The Management Committee of the Society for Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathies (SITE) selected and brought together a multidisciplinary and multiprofessional group made up of experts in hemoglobinopathies and experts in anthropology, flanked along with by experts with methodological and organizational expertise in order to create recommendations based on the integration of available scientific evidence together with expert opinion. Results: The panelists critically analyzed the literature, combining in a single document practices developed over several years of managing young women with hemoglobinopathies in a sensitive phase of their lives. Conclusions: This good practice document is the result of a collegial effort by Italian experts on hemoglobinopathies who are members of SITE. (SITE). Full article

Contemporary societies are increasingly embossed with migration. Multi-cultural and multi-ethnic communities often live side by side with host communities in cities all over the world. Significant efforts have been made to embrace the different challenges occurring at different levels, among which are the social structure and layout of such cities; however, challenges still prevail, and continue to showcase socially fragmented patches with significant relevance to everyday life. In this research, a qualitative approach will be adopted to investigate the qualities of life that hinder sound integration, and, therewith, call for new types of planning to overcome such challenges, such as fluid planning. Celebrating identities through integrating new ethnic economies in different settings has resulted in a stepping stone towards integrated solutions, leading to a more coherent and integrated community. Full article

With its rich history as a center for commerce, cultural interactions, and a tapestry of spiritual traditions, Singapore has evolved into a vibrant amalgamation of diverse ethnic and religious heritages. Various communities have harmoniously woven themselves into the fabric of Singaporean society, each enriching it with their distinct influences. Throughout history, the rich and varied tapestry of the Indian community has often been underestimated by external observers. In a parallel manner, the distinct identity of the Singaporean Indian community frequently remained in the shadows, eclipsed by the prevailing presence of the Tamil Hindu population. The Jain community in Singapore, though a small minority, has played a notable role in the nation’s growth and the enhancement of its diverse cultural landscape. This article draws upon ethnographic materials collected by the author through comprehensive fieldwork in Singapore. It unveils the multifaceted nature of identity within the Jain community, even though they represent a modest presence in Singapore. The Jains in Singapore exemplify the complex interactions of their multiple identities as they engage with the rich tapestry of Singapore’s diverse and multicultural landscape, where global viewpoints and local traditions intertwine. By engaging actively and adapting to diverse social contexts within Singaporean society, the Jain community has skillfully navigated the complexities of spatial dynamics, and vividly demonstrated the notion of “religious hybridity”. Full article

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has been adopted by schools to equip students with the competencies and language skills needed in today’s multilingual and multicultural society. However, teaching content courses through a foreign language requires specific teacher training, both initial and ongoing. This qualitative descriptive study analyses the development of bilingual teaching knowledge in terms of teaching skills among pre-service CLIL teachers (n = 15) at the University of Cádiz in Spain. Two reflective reports written by each pre-service teacher before and after participating in the course CLIL I: Foundations and Curricular Proposals for the Primary School Classroom (2022/23) were analyzed. The responses were categorized using Qualitative Content Analysis. The reflective reports included questions about their conception of bilingual teaching; methods for teaching bilingual courses; and justifications for their teaching methods. In addition, a focus group was conducted with a representative sample of participants. The results reveal a significant development in pre-service teachers’ knowledge of the teaching skills required for bilingual teaching. Particularly, there is an increase in contributions related to justifying their teaching methods. Moreover, the findings highlight pre-service teachers’ recognition of the differences between foreign language and CLIL teachers, as well as their ability to plan CLIL teaching effectively. Full article

This study analyses the way young Europeans, aged between 10 and 20, construct their sense of identity with geo-political entities such as the nation, the state and the European Union; how these are expressed; and how young people manage the potential multiplicity of identities. It re-analyses earlier data, some 224 transcripts of young Europeans discussing their identities and sense of attachment to the geo-political entities of the state and the nation. This study looks specifically at how they discuss affiliations to a country or nation and does so within the historical context of the development of European nations in the 19th and 20th centuries and the ‘strict definition’ of nationality, as based on either birthplace or parentage. The young people’s discussions identify a wide range of reasons for attachment (or not) to one or more states: these include parentage, birthplace, passports, culture, language, residence, etc., many of which are incompatible with each other. Their response to this is often to profess multiple identities, switching to use that is most appropriate to a particular context or contingency. How does this behaviour meet the various models of identity formation, such as the psychosocial, the socio-cultural, and the poststructuralist? These young people also offer a range of qualities or values that they expect a state to uphold and deliver and are sometimes critical of states’ behaviour in this area. The combination of these attributes and qualities leads to a range of attitudes towards a polity or polities, ranging from acceptance of their status to indifference. The explanations suggested in this paper are that globalisation and migration have led to the realisation that the ‘strict definitions’ of nationality are no longer appropriate, and there are new potential attributes for identity, and secondly, that the development of supranational codification and the implementation of human rights are weakening the sovereignty of states. Together, these two factors reduce the perception of the requirement to develop a single overriding national identity. This combination of multiple identities and recognising the importance of human rights values is most commonly found amongst young people who have grown up in multicultural societies, often urban, and the corollary of this is that combination is least likely to be found among the older population in more rural, monocultural settlements. Full article

In today’s globalized world, more children are born to parents who speak two or more languages between them. These families manage complex language dynamics, with diverse language practices influencing communication among family members. The complexity intensifies when multilingual and multicultural parents move with their children to a country with a new majority language, while keeping connections to their original society. In such cases, balancing heritage and host country languages affects both cultural preservation and integration into a new society. Based on semi-structured interviews with seven Generation 1.5 Russian–Hebrew bilingual parents living in Finland, this paper explores their strategies for managing their children’s multilingual development. The study poses two key questions: What are the language management strategies reported by the parents? What are the major challenges these parents face in maintaining heritage Russian and Hebrew languages in Finland? Thematic data analysis using ATLAS.ti software highlights the parents’ persistent commitment to maintaining multilingualism within their families, focusing on preserving existing social connections and fostering new ones for the entire family. The findings reveal key aspects of parental language management, parental involvement and home environments, along with reported challenges, both personal and institutional, in maintaining Hebrew and Russian as heritage languages in Finland. This study offers a new perspective on language management strategies in multilingual families, handling a less-explored language combination. By analyzing individual language management approaches, this study reveals common strategies used to support multilingualism and balance heritage languages with those of a new environment, thereby contributing to discussions on linguistic diversity and multicultural integration in transnational settings. Full article

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence of the Chinese Christian community in Singapore not only embodies religious diversity, but also contributes significantly to Singapore’s social development. This paper zooms into the founding and evolution of the Jubilee Church to see how Chinese Christians contributed to the revolutionary cause, took part in the anti-opium movement, and advanced educational activities in Singapore. Particularly, by establishing the Singapore Reading Room, participating in the founding of the Anti-Opium Society and the Chinese Kindergarten, the Jubilee Church played an important role in Singapore’s history, contributing to the modernization of Singapore in terms of advancing ideas, improving social order, and promoting education. We aim to shed light on how Chinese Christians were engaged in social activities, taking up significant roles in the transformation of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. More importantly, we argue that these varied social engagements significantly impacted the development of Christianity. Through a detailed historical case study on the Jubilee Church, this paper proposes that social functions and religious evangelization are mutually constitutive, thus complicating our understanding of the entangled relationship among Chinese diaspora, Christianity, and motherland China. Full article