School-based linguistic and cultural revitalization as a local practice: Sakha language education in the city of Yakutsk, Russian Federation

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan F. Chevalier

In the 1990s, efforts were launched in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Russian Federation to support the revival of Sakha (Yakut) language education. This interdisciplinary study examines the evolution of school-based Sakha language education in the city of Yakutsk over a 25-year period beginning with the launching of the first reforms in the 1990s. Language education reform in the capital city has been shaped by a dynamic interplay between federal, regional, and local factors. Grassroots social and cultural activism continues to play a key role in school-based language revitalization in Yakutsk, influencing how policies have been received and implemented at the local level. Local community stakeholders are working together to counteract federal education policies, which direct school resources away from minority language education. This case study shows that the Sakha (Yakut) language revival has taken root in the capital city, and it provides important evidence that civic activism continues to develop in urban areas of the republic.

Author(s):  
O.A. Bogatova ◽  
E.I. Dolgaeva

The article based on the data of qualitative and quantitative res earch undertaken by the authors in the capital of the Republic of Mordovia - Saransk, identifies and analyzes the symbolic components of the social identity of the population of the administrative center of the repub lic in structure of the Russian Federation - the images of a capital city on the example of Saransk. There are such levels of metropolitan identity as the level of representations (ideas about the territoriality of the city as a "space of belonging" and its visual images) and the level of social practices, including a set of ideas, assessments and attitudes for the use (individual and shared with other citizens) of urban social sp ace in those spheres of activity and in those territories that are the residence of individuals and groups of the urban population (for example, in certain urban areas). The "representative" components of the identity of citi zens include integral visual images of the city, artistic and architectural sights that perform the fu nctions of "places of memory" and asso ciated performative rituals, traditional "folk" toponyms in the "mental maps" of citizens. The level of representations, as more superficial, is most likely a product of urban and regional symbolic identity politics, while the formation of metropolitan identity at the level of social practices depends on the results of urban development and the degree of participation in it of individuals and population groups that are subjects of urban identity. The soci al construction and transformation of the "practical" level of the capital's identity are mediated by the satisfaction of the population of the capital with the state of the urban environment as a means of meeting various needs, as well as the personal experience of citizen s, in particular, the experience of staying in larger cities, acting as a comparison criterion. Such experience creates limitations to the influence of republican symbolic politics, giving grounds for assessing the status of Saransk as a peripheral city and becomes the basis for a critical assessment of the authorities' activities in th e development of the capital city and the very concept of the capital's identity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-230
Author(s):  
Raluca-Daniela Duinea

"The City of Oslo in Jan Erik Vold’s Poems. The aim of this paper is to examine, from a cultural and social perspective, the Norwegian urban areas and everyday situations in Jan Erik Vold’s (b. 1939) poems. Our close-reading technique reveals important social aspects, different places and streets, located in the capital city of Norway, Oslo. These urban poems written by the contemporary Norwegian poet Jan Erik Vold contribute to the reconstruction of a new Norwegian cultural identity as it is reflected in a selection of poems taken from Mor Godhjertas glade versjon. Ja (Mother Goodhearted’s Happy Version. Yes, 1968), followed by the poet’s wanderings in the city of Oslo in En som het Abel Ek (One Named Abel Ek, 1988), and concluding with his bitter social criticism in Elg (Moose, 1989) and IKKE. Skillingstrykk fra nittitallet (Not: Broadsides from the Nineties, 1993). Vold’s urban poems emphasise the transition from nyenkle (new simple), friendly and descriptive poems which present closely the city of Oslo on foot, to short, political and social critical poems from the 90s. Thus, it is of great importance to traverse various urban ‘landscapes’ in different periods of time, beginning with the 1960s, followed by the 80s and the 90s. Keywords: Jan Erik Vold, urban poems, social criticism, Norwegian urban areas, the city of Oslo "


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-81
Author(s):  
Malsawmi Pachuau

Local government plays an integral part in the mechanism of Disaster Management in Mizoram. The local bodies are the direct representatives of the local community and the local community places their full trust in them. Post disaster measures such as mock drills, training of search and rescue teams, physical and economic relief and rehabilitation are not something new to us, yet the aspect of disaster mitigation is something which has not bred familiarity among the Mizos. The need for sensitization of the public on the importance of Disaster Mitigation is a necessity. The saying ‘Earthquakes do not kill people; buildings do’ is pertinent in urban areas. Urban areas are congested and more prone to disasters. High rise buildings, squatter settlements due to high densities and low availability of land has endangered not just the lives of the public but has also caused a massive disturbance of the ecological system. The paper covers certain Acts and Regulations of the Aizawl Municipal Corporation dealing with structural mitigation and the detection of illegal construction, unsafe buildings, and encroachments on municipal and public properties. At the local level, the councillors are involved in making, unmaking and carrying out these rules and regulations, with direct bearing on the local people. The paper also gives an account of the need of reimplementation to generate awareness, knowledge and education on Disaster Management to the people of Mizoram.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Ivanova ◽  

This paper examines the case of Chisinau urban milieu in the context of the ongoing process of transition. The capital city of the Republic of Moldova represents the reflection of society as a whole, being not just a political, cultural and economic center of the country, but a migration hub for the rest of the Moldovan population as well. As a post-Soviet and East-European city, it combines features of both modernization and degradation, generating such phenomena as ruralisation, gated communities in the center of the city, semi-public spaces, chaotic parking, lack of city planning, lack of heterogeneity of the urban space, etc. The urban milieu of Chisinau represents a complicated formation of coexisting social strata with different cultures, memories, aesthetics and urban identities, which can be sometimes conflicting. More uniform representations about the city need the actualization of its symbolic capital, as well as the creation and maintenance of a brand, which should unite core features of different urban identities.


Author(s):  
EA Moskvitina ◽  
EG Yanovich ◽  
ML Kurilenko ◽  
VD Kruglikov ◽  
AK Noskov

Background: Within the framework of cholera surveillance in the Russian Federation, annual isolation of nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains from water bodies is registered in the Republic of Kalmykia. This fact is the rationale for the present study and analysis of data on contamination of water bodies with V. cholerae O1 with account for some environmental and quality indicators of water bodies used for recreational purposes. Objective: To study contamination of water bodies with V. cholerae O1 as a component of cholera control surveillance in the Republic of Kalmykia. Materials and methods: We used notifications issued by Offices of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, passports for V. cholerae O1 strains, and information from “Cholera vibrios. Russia” database for 1991–2019. Results: In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, several outbreaks, sporadic and single imported cases of cholera were registered in the republic. The total of 446 strains of V. cholerae O1 El Tor were isolated during the analyzed period. The PCR analysis identified them as V. cholerae O1 ctxA–tcpA– and V. cholerae O1 ctxA– tcpA+. We observed an increasing trend in the number of isolated strains with the approximation coefficient of 0.374 against its general decrease in the country in 1991–2019. Strains were isolated annually, mainly from the Elista River, Zayachy Pond and other water bodies with poor microbiological and chemical water quality parameters. V. cholerae O1 ctxA– tcpA+ were isolated mainly at the wastewater discharge sites, which indicated their imported origin, along with V. cholerae O1 ctxA– tcpA– with InDel and PCR genotypes not previously found in this region. We consider the contamination of water bodies with V. cholerae O1 ctxA– tcpA– and V. cholerae O1 ctxA– tcpA+ as prerequisites for possible deterioration of the local epidemiological situation due to cholera importation from endemic areas. Conclusion: When analyzing the pollution of water bodies in the Republic of Kalmykia with V. cholerae O1, we established a long-term annual isolation of cholera vibrios from some water bodies in the city of Elista, including Elistinka river, Zayachy and Kolonsky ponds, notorious for poor microbiological and chemical water quality indicators. The contamination was mainly attributed to domestic wastewater discharge and poorly treated effluents of sewage treatment plants into the Elistinka river within the city boundaries, as well as watercourses from hollows. This proves the imported origin of the bacterium confirmed by isolation of V. cholerae O1 ctxA– tcpA– with InDel- and PCR-genotypes not previously found in this region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco de la Barrera ◽  
Cristián Henríquez ◽  
Fanny Coulombié ◽  
Cynnamon Dobbs ◽  
Alejando Salazar

Abstract Urban expansion in Latin-American cities is faster than urban planning. In order to implement sustainable planning the capacity of peri-urban areas to provide ecosystem services must be evaluated in the context of competing urbanization and conservation pressures. In this study we analyzed the effect of urban expansion on peri-urban vegetation of the Metropolitan Area of Santiago and what ecosystem services are provided by El Panul, land rich in biodiversity embedded in the fringe of the city. The city has lost vegetation while urbanized areas grow. Under this context, we evaluated the multi-functionality of El Panul through the quantification of three ecosystem services (ES): sense of place through the interviews of 60 residents, recreation via GIS analyses, and local climate regulation determined with air temperature measurements. El Panul increased the provision of urban green spaces, where inhabitants recognize and appreciate ES, and it plays a significant role in mitigating the urban heat island on summer nights. ES have emerged as a concept and framework for evaluating competing urban development alternatives.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Светлана Хуснутдинова ◽  
Svetlana Khusnutdinova ◽  
Мария Сафонова ◽  
Mariya Safonova

The article is devoted to study the role of intangible cultural heritage in the development of modern urban areas. Modern cities are experiencing a transformational load associated with the transition from industry to the post-in- dustry – service industry comes on the place of the plants, and one of the leading sectors becomes tourism. Social and environmental factors on the one hand, reflect the general level of development of the city and, on the other hand, in a post-industrial economy are the main actors in the development of all areas, including city tourism. Intangible cultural heritage is seen as a social factor, the formation of which is related to the environment (natural- ecological spheres), and history of the city. Intangible cultural heritage serves as a catalyst for the creative economy and the events of the city, which in turn have a positive impact on city tourism. The city squares, streets, parks are becoming the immediate territorial areas, where the intangible cultural heritage are demonstrated to the citizens and tourists and their level of status, comfort and attractiveness depends largely on the implementation of the tourism potential of the intangible heritage. Cities skillfully combining the intangible heritage, creative industries, event and educational tourism receive an additional impulse for the development of city tourism and the whole economy of the city. The Republic of Tatarstan last decade is actively moving towards the formation of territorial attractive tourism product. Kazan has ranked among the leading cities of domestic tourism sector. Moreover, any tourism city is interested in attracting more tourists for longer periods, which is possible due to the diversity of the program in the city or region. Intangible cultural heritage can play an important role in solving this problem. In the article using the example of the three cities of the republic – Kazan, Chistopol and Elabuga – is shown as a combination of social factors, such as intangible cultural heritage, and natural factors can create an attractive tourism route. Publication of the article was supported by Russian Humanitarian Research Foundation and government of the Republic of Tatarstan as part of scientific project № 15–13–16004.


2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Köppen

In December 1997, the Republic of Kazakhstan officially proclaimed that the city of Astana would be its new capital. The decision to transfer the seat of government from the city of Almaty in the south to the more centrally located Astana was connected to the process of nation building in a multi-ethnic society where the titular nation represents little more than half of the population. Efforts to transform the rather remote regional center, Akmola (later renamed Astana) into a modern capital city have been underway since the late 1990s. One important component of this transformation is the idea of building a “metabolic” and sustainable “Eurasian” city. As the symbolic center of the whole country, this new capital would function as a showpiece of Kazakh culture and identity. The city would also become a symbol of economic prosperity and the regime's geopolitical vision. While the government's intensions are expressed rather openly, it remains unclear to what extent these politically verbalized leitmotivs are actually being realized through contemporary architecture and structure. This article offers a critical assessment of what has been achieved to date and argues that the production of the new Kazakhstani capital has often failed to translate rhetoric into reality.


2021 ◽  
Vol XXII (2021) ◽  
pp. 9-25
Author(s):  
Tanja Mišlicki Tomić ◽  
Vesna Rajcevic

This paper covers internal migrations in the Republic of Srpska, in the period 2007-2015 and their impact to urban and peri-urban development of urban areas of the Republic. Migration directions show a continuity of permanent abandonment of rural areas and settlement of urban and peri-urban areas of the Republic, also including the migrations (immigration) from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The scope of migrations has the trend of decrease as result of decrease in the rural population of the Republic of Srpska and its aging. Urban centres of the northern part of the Republic of Srpska (Banja Luka, Doboj, Bijeljina, Prijedor and Gradiška) have the largest scope of immigration, due to a number of attractive factors. In the southern part of the Republic, in the sub-Mediterranean area, the City of Trebinje is the main immigration area for the population of eastern Herzegovina, but also, more and more, for the population of the rest of the Republic of Srpska, as well for the wider regional environment. Spatial scope of research consists of eight cities in the Republic of Srpska, which defined the status of the city in the period from 1995 to 2019. Those cities are: Banjaluka, Bijeljina, Prijedor, Gradiška, Doboj, Istočno Sarajevo, Zvornik and Trebinje. The specificities in the territorial organization of the Republic of Srpska are the result of complex socio-political processes and the formation of the entity line of demarcation in post-war period (1992-1995), between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska. Given the physiognomy of space and developmental processes, the Republic of Srpska has complex settlement function. In four urban areas, Istočno Sarajevo, Doboj, Zvornik and Trebinje, the settlements are divided by the entity line, which caused the migrations. In 2014, population migration was also affected by administrative separation of the municipality of Stanari from the Doboj city area. Due to the above mentioned, compared to other cities of the Republic, Doboj has the highest negative values of the migration balance in the observed period (2007-2016). Statistical data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics of BiH and the Republic Institute of the Republic of Srpska were used in research related to migrations, as well as other relevant statistical material produced in the period from 1991 to 2016. The key demographic indicators, internal migrations, immigration and emigration and migration balance were taken into consideration. In order to compare the research areas, data were prepared on the basis of demographic indicators. Conclusions on spatial integration of migration, as well as its direction, have been drawn based on internal migration, spatial distribution of population and change in number of inhabitants in urban and suburban settlements.


Author(s):  
Kanteler Despoina ◽  
Katsaros Evangelos ◽  
Bakouros Yiannis

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death and is regarded as a significant public health issue. Immediate treatment with an automated external defibrillator (AED) increases OHCA patient survival potential. For AEDs to be used and fulfil their lifesaving potential, they need to be in close proximity to the victim and accessible at the time of a cardiac arrest. The current paper sheds light upon an optimized location-allocation method achieving full coverage with immediate accessibility in an urban context given a limited number of available AEDs for deployment using GIS. The case study is the Region of Western Macedonia (RWM) in Greece for a pilot AED placement program for the Governance of RWM. The focus of the current study is the capital city of RWM, Kozani. The initial number of the defibrillators (120) that are needed to be distributed is very small and cannot cover the needs for every major city or rural area in the region. Out of the 120 AEDs, the challenge is to find the minimum required number of AEDs to allocate in the city providing full coverage and accessibility. This paper focuses only on one city, however, the same methodology was applied to allocate AEDs in the other selected cities of the region. The rural dimension and methodology are not in the scope of this paper. <br> <strong>Methods</strong>: Road network data, spatio-temporal analysis of accessibility network, digital elevation model, land uses, population density, seasonal fluctuations and socio-demographic variables were used. GIS algorithms such as spatial analysis, kernel density, hot spot analysis, maximal covering location problem (MCLP) tests, proximity algorithms, buffer zoning, were a few of the tests made in order to find the most efficient positions and maximize coverage keeping in mind that access to an AED until defibrillation time must not exceed the time range of five minutes. <br> <strong>Results</strong>: optimised sites and allocated AEDs in urban areas we managed to achieve full city coverage with 17 AEDs. In every part of the city, people can have access to a nearby AED with its critical radius of less than or equal to 250m achieving defibrillation in the critical period of 5 minutes. The results are promising for the establishment and expansion of optimised AED deployment in cities. <br> <strong>Conclusions</strong>: The progress of the project must be monitored and there are still unresolved problems that need to be tackled to provide a robust allocation of future defibrillators. Further research to enhance our understanding on public access defibrillation and optimize the accessibility and functionality of the medical health care services is needed. A network of engaged and informed citizens ready to act is required for a successful public access defibrillation program.</p>


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