scholarly journals Cultural and Media Identity Among Latvian Migrants in Germany

2019 ◽  
pp. 183-201
Author(s):  
Laura Sūna
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Communicative Practices ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Collective Narratives ◽  
Transnational Media ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
The Eu

Abstract This chapter explores how transnational media and culture impacts on the identity formation of recent Latvian migrants in Germany. In the context of the EU, Germany opened its labour market to the new EU countries rather late, when compared to other ‘old’ EU countries. This has had an effect on the composition of the group of Latvian migrants going to Germany, and their identities. In the light of this, this chapter examines how Latvian migrants in Germany feel and experience their belonging to Latvia and its culture. It analyses the social and communicative practices crucial for the development of belonging, including the rootedness in the country where they live and the cultural references that are important for them. The evidence for the analysis in this chapter comes from in-depth interviews, open media diaries and network maps of Latvian migrants in Germany. The chapter situates the description of evidence in the framework of cultural identity concepts and discusses the role of culture and media in the process of building migrant identity. The chapter argues that culture is shaping the transnational self-perception of Latvian migrants in Germany – as it provides collective narratives of imagined common frames of references, and confirms feelings of belonging and distinction.

The temporary employed in Poland: Beneficiaries or victims of the liberal labour market?

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Pilc
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Temporary Employment ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Future Career ◽  
The Social ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Eu

Poland has had the highest incidence of temporary employment among the EU countries since 2009. However, due to a lack of proper data, only a few empirical studies have been devoted to analyse the consequences of temporary employment for future career and economic prospects on the Polish labour market. In this study the data from the Social Diagnosis panel study for the years 2009–2013 are used in order to analyse these consequences. The results reveal that although the chances for the temporary employed of finding a permanent job increase and the risk of being unemployed decreases over time, the negative consequences of temporary employment for income and its perceived stability do not seem to diminish.

The Service Sector in the Economy in Poland and European Union Countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-207
Author(s):  
Walentyna Kwiatkowska
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Total Employment ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Gross Value Added ◽  
European Union Countries ◽  
Service Sectors ◽  
Sector Theory ◽  
The Eu

The role of the service sector in the economy is increasing in the process of socio-economic development. This tendency has been confirmed and explained by the three-sector theory formulated by A.G.B. Fisher, C. Clark, and J. Fourastie. The main goal of the paper is to show development tendencies in service sectors in Poland and the EU countries and assess them in view of the three-sector theory. The share of the service sector in the total employment and in the total gross value added in the years 2005-2013/2014 will be analysed together with two sub-sectors including market and non-market services. The research shows that the share of the service sector in total employment and total gross value added has been recently increasing in Poland as well as in other EU countries, but there is a gap in this process between Poland and the most developed EU countries. Moreover, in Poland, the role of market services has been recently increasing much faster than the role of non-market services. 

scholarly journals Narratives of Change: Identity and Recognition Dynamics in the Process of Moving Away From a Life Dominated by Drug Use

2021 ◽  
pp. 009145092110270
Author(s):  
Inger Eide Robertson ◽  
Hildegunn Sagvaag ◽  
Lillian Bruland Selseng ◽  
Sverre Nesvaag
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Positive Identity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Changing Practices ◽  
Struggle For Recognition ◽  
Depth Interviews

The concepts of identity and recovery capital are recognized as being an embedded part of moving away from a life dominated by drug use. However, the link between these two concepts and the effect of broader social structures, and the normative assumptions underpinning the condition of recovery, is less explored. This article focuses on the social practices of everyday life in the foreground of identity formation, meaning that “who I am” is an inseparable part of “what I do.” A narrative approach was employed to analyze qualitative follow-up data extracted from 48 in-depth interviews with 17 males and females with drug-using experience that were conducted posttreatment on three separate occasions over a period of 2.5 years. Theories of identity formation were employed to analyze the interdependent dynamic between social structure, persona and social resources, and way of life and identity. The analyses identified four narratives related to how people present themselves through the process of changing practices. Following the work of Honneth, we argue that the positive identity formation revealed in these narratives is best understood as a struggle for recognition via the principle of achievement. However, the participants’ self-narratives reflected cultural stories—specified as formula stories—of “normality,” “addiction,” and the “addict,” which work into the concepts of self and confine options of storying experiences during the recovery process. This study demonstrate that the process of recovery is culturally embedded and constitutes a process of adaption to conventional social positions and roles. We suggest challenging dominant discourses related to “addiction as a disease” and “normality” in order to prevent stigma related to drug use and recovery. In so doing, it may contribute to broaden conditions for identity (trans)formation for people in recovery.

scholarly journals Academic Identity and Communities of Practice: Narratives of Social Science Academics Career Decisions in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 388
Author(s):  
Gregory Siy Ching
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Career Decisions ◽  
Academic Identity ◽  
Hiring Practices ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
The Social

Academic identity is an important aspect of organizing an academic career. An academic identity is distinct and unique and can be defined as the core attitudes that determine how individuals approach the concept of work. In the current era of neoliberalism, changes to university governance in Taiwan have transformed working conditions and hiring practices in academia. Inevitably, role conflicts have emerged, and work stress within higher education institutions has increased. The current study summarizes the narratives of nine academics from the social sciences. The study is anchored in the concept that academic identity formation is rooted in the doctoral education stage. Using a qualitative narrative inquiry lens, interactions between different communities of practice during the doctoral education stage are analyzed, along with later career decisions and the role communities of practice play in those decisions. The findings show that doctoral mentors and fellows all contributed to the formation of a core academic identity, while later career decisions were equally affected by neoliberal policies. It is hoped that by recognizing the role of academic identity, administrators may be able to influence how academics adapt amidst the competing pressures within the academe.

scholarly journals Social Capital: Higher Resilience in Slums in the Lagos Metropolis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3879
Author(s):  
Olabisi S. Obaitor ◽  
Taibat O. Lawanson ◽  
Marion Stellmes ◽  
Tobia Lakes
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Land Allocation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Community Group ◽  
The Social ◽  
Structural Social Capital ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Slum Community

Different slums exhibit different levels of resilience against the threat of eviction. However, little is known about the role of the social capital of the slum community in this context. This study investigates the factors contributing to slum resilience in the Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria, through a social capital lens. This study first investigates land allocation in slums, then the available social capital, and subsequently how this capital influences resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Data were collected in two slum communities, in Lagos, through in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion. This study shows that land allocation is done by the traditional heads, contrarily to the mandate of the Nigeria Land Use Act of 1978. Furthermore, there is a form of structural social capital through the presence of government registered community development associations in the slums; however, their activities, decision-making process and the perception of the residents’ towards their respective associations, differs. This led to differences in trust, social cohesion and bonding ties among residents of the slum, thereby influencing resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Since community group associations, through the appointed executives, drive the efficient utilization of social capital in slums, this study therefore recommends their restructuring in order to support a sustainable solution to the threat of eviction in slums in Lagos.

scholarly journals The Influence of Masculinity and the Moderating Role of Religion on the Workplace Well-Being of Factory Workers in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6250
Author(s):  
Quan Gao ◽  
Orlando Woods ◽  
Xiaomei Cai
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Support ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Factory Workers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Being There ◽  
Role Of Religion ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Moderating Role

This paper explores how the intersection of masculinity and religion shapes workplace well-being by focusing on Christianity and the social construction of masculinity among factory workers in a city in China. While existing work on public and occupational health has respectively acknowledged masculinity’s influences on health and the religious and spiritual dimensions of well-being, there have been limited efforts to examine how variegated, and especially religious, masculinities influence people’s well-being in the workplace. Drawing on ethnography and in-depth interviews with 52 factory workers and 8 church leaders and factory managers, we found that: (1) Variegated masculinities were integrated into the factory labor regime to produce docile and productive bodies of workers. In particular, the militarized and masculine cultures in China’s factories largely deprived workers of their dignity and undermined their well-being. These toxic masculinities were associated with workers’ depression and suicidal behavior. (2) Christianity not only provided social and spiritual support for vulnerable factory workers, but also enabled them to construct a morally superior Christian manhood that phytologically empowered them and enhanced their resilience to exploitation. This paper highlights not only the gender mechanism of well-being, but also the ways religion mediates the social-psychological construction of masculinity.

Generative pedagogies from and for the social production of habitat: Learning from HIC-AL School of grassroots urbanism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Wesely ◽  
Adriana Allen ◽  
Lorena Zárate ◽  
María Silvia Emanuelli
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Popular Education ◽  
Global South ◽  
Generative Learning ◽  
Social Production ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Depth Interviews

Re-thinking dominant epistemological assumptions of the urban in the global South implies recognising the role of grassroots networks in challenging epistemic injustices through the co-production of multiple saberes and haceres for more just and inclusive cities. This paper examines the pedagogies of such networks by focusing on the experiences nurtured within Habitat International Coalition in Latin America (HIC-AL), identified as a ‘School of Grassroots Urbanism’ (Escuela de Urbanismo Popular). Although HIC-AL follows foremost activist rather than educational objectives, members of HIC-AL identify and value their practices as a ‘School’, whose diverse pedagogic logics and epistemological arguments are examined in this paper. The analysis builds upon a series of in-depth interviews, document reviews and participant observation with HIC-AL member organisations and allied grassroots networks. The discussion explores how the values and principles emanating from a long history of popular education and popular urbanism in the region are articulated through situated pedagogies of resistance and transformation, which in turn enable generative learning from and for the social production of habitat.

Brand and influencer strategies in social media marketing of luxury brands in African cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehita Iqani
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
African Cities ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Global Brand ◽  
Critical Theories ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews

This article explores the role of social media promotions in the marketing of luxury, from the perspectives of both representatives of global brands and the local influencers contracted to promote them online. It provides insights into role of social media in marketing luxury in ‘new’ markets (African cities) and the complexities attendant to the relationship between brand representatives and influencers. It reports on in-depth interviews with brand representatives and social media influencers working in the luxury sector in large anglophone African cities. Empirical findings show the role of social media in how luxury is promoted by those working in the industry. Three key complexities to do with value, trust and authenticity were evident in how global brand representatives and local influencers discussed social media. In terms of value, influencers emphasize strategies for monetizing visibility, while brand managers emphasize the need to get their money’s worth. Regarding trust, influencers express caution about brands trying to exploit them, while brands express scepticism about the extent of influencer’s abilities. On the topic of authenticity, influencers emphasize how the integrity of their personal brands is paramount, while brand representatives are mostly concerned with how genuine the social media posts seem. The article provides original empirical details about the relationships between brand managers and social media influencers, as well as to the nuances of social media luxury marketing in African cities. It contributes to critical theories of branding practice in media economies of the global south.

scholarly journals MUSEUMS, MIGRATION AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY – RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MUSEUM WORK

Muzealnictwo ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margherita Sani
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Institutions ◽  
European Level ◽  
Social Responsibilities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Migration Flows ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Theoretical Issues ◽  
Effective Integration ◽  
The Eu

The role of museums in society has expanded significantly in the last decades: from temples of knowledge to forums for debate and discussion, from repositories of objects to people-centred institutions with social responsibilities and functions. This shift reflects an ongoing trend to democratise museums and make them more accessible to wider audiences and responsive to the public’s changing needs, in particular the interests of local communities, whose composition has changed in recent years to include migrants and people of different ethnic backgrounds. With annual migration flows to the EU as a whole projected to increase from about 1 043 000 people in 2010 to 1 332 500 by 2020, the question of how cultural institutions can contribute to effective integration and dialogue has become more relevant than ever. Funders and society at large expect museums to play their part in facilitating the integration and peaceful coexistence of newcomers, with financial resources being made available, also at the EU level, to support them in this effort. Many questions can be raised as to whether it is right and appropriate to charge museums with these responsibilities and whether this would push the boundaries of their work too far and give the social function an exceedingly prominent role over the traditional conservation and educational tasks museums already fulfil. But this discussion seems to be already obsolete in the light of the growing body of evidence on good practices available at the European level. This essay aims to illustrate some of them, as well as to discuss some underpinning theoretical issues and methodological approaches.

scholarly journals PERAN PESANTREN DALAM MENCEGAH FUNDAMENTALISME-RADIKALISME AGAMA (STUDI KUALITATIF DI PESANTREN NURUL UMMAH DESA KEMBANG BELOR KECAMATAN PACET KABUPATEN MOJOKERTO)*

ASKETIK ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Puji Laksono
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Students ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Religious Fundamentalism ◽  
Know How ◽  
Social Construction Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
Religious Radicalism ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Religious Understanding

Religious fundamentalism that leads to the action of religious radicalism becomes a common event that must be prevented. Religion that should be the source of love, peace, and salvation in human life is used as an instrument of abomination. This can be seen from the recent events of global terrorism acts today. This research has a theme about the role of Pesantren Nurul Ummah in preventing religious fundamentalism-radicalism which is a the form of acts of terrorism. The purpose of this research is to know how the role of Pesantren Nurul Ummah in preventing religious fundamentalism-radicalism in the form of acts of terrorism. This research was conducted on foreign students at Pesantren Nurul Ummah, Kembang Belor, Pacet, Mojokerto. The method used is qualitative The theory used is the Social Construction theory of Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann. Data were collected through direct observation and in-depth interviews. The validity of the data was done by using triangulation. The results of this study indicate that the root problem of religious fundamentalism that led to the action of religious radicalism, can be seen from the aspect of a shallow religious understanding. The teachings of Islam contained in the Qur’an and Hadith in their understanding are not adapted to the social context. The role of pesantren in preventing religious fundamentalism radicalism, namely by playing the three functions. Among other religious functions, by giving an understanding of the text of the Qur’an and Hadith in accordance with its context, which is called asbab al-nuzul or asbab al-wurud. Then the function of education, by inculcating social values, such as the value of nationalism and pluralism. And the last is the social function, namely to equip students with social activities related to society. Keywords: Pesantren, religious fundamentalism, Islam.

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