Global Journal of Cultural Studies

The Culture of Business: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Culture and Business

Erik S. Wright — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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

Shamil N. Najafov — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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 15^th-14^th centuries BC.

Sustainable Construction Materials for Bangladesh in Tropical C-Limate, Literature Review

Apu Hrishi — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Achieving Humanist Cities: Learning From Urban Feminism and Feminist Planning

Tigran Haas, Michael Mehaffy — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Bestiality in the West: Geraldus of Wales’s Fantasies about the Irish Borderlands: A Medieval Colonialist’s Worldview

Albrecht Classen — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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

Angel Paniagua — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

On the way to the Kingdom of Reason: Irrational Rationality of the Early Soviet Period

Olga F. Rusakova, Vasiliy M. Rusakov, Yan Yu. Moiseenko — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Everydayness of Peace and War

Irina Bukrieieva — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Spiritual Nexus: The Interwoven Sacred Sites of the Kailash Region

Nabraj Lama — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

QAnon: A False Prophets Conspiracy

Vladislav Solc — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Gender Representation in the Gwangju Democracy Movement (Gwangju Uprising): A Discussion of the Films A Taxi Driver (2017) and A Petal (1996)

Marina Soler Jorge, Júlia Santos Andrade — Wed, 15 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Urban Planning Across Europe: Insights into Planning Cultures of Switzerland, Greece, and Serbia

Ana Perić — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Materiality and Immateriality: Exploring Material Culture in the Construction of Cultural Meanings

Álvaro Sánchez-Climent — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Political Ecology in Transition in the Global South: Examining the Interplay of Environment, State, and Society in Colonial India (1800-1947)

Vijaya Ramadas Mandala — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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.