scholarly journals The Mystery of Vlach Magic in the Rural Areas of 21st century Serbia

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anđelija Ivkov-Džigurski ◽  
Vedrana Babić ◽  
Aleksandra Dragin ◽  
Kristina Košić ◽  
Ivana Blešić

Abstract This article offers an ethnographic exploration of the Vlachs in the Branicevo region of Serbia. The Vlachs rarely exist anywhere as a distinct ethnic group due to their permanent assimilation with other ethnic groups. The thing that has always been linked to the folklore of the Vlachs and still attracts a large number of people to come and visit some remote parts of Eastern Serbia is definitely a certain mystery which represents the essential part of the culture of this nation. Instances of Vlach magic can be seen in the Timok area, all over Eastern Serbia and across its borders. Vlach magic is a miracle or is miraculous, when looking at how long it has been present, its unique rituals, beliefs, shamans and spells. Vlach culture intertwined with pagan customs and interesting rituals, makes the municipalities in Eastern Serbia mysterious places in modern 21st century Europe, because the Vlachs are a mostly closed (endogamous) population which do not blend with people of other nationalities.

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 881-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.-L. LI ◽  
L. DONG ◽  
Q. LI ◽  
L. ZHANG ◽  
J. CHEN ◽  
...  

SUMMARYEating raw pork and/or liver is a custom of the Bai ethnic group in China. Most people living in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, southwestern China are of Bai ethnicity. Little is known of the seroprevalence ofToxoplasma gondiiin Bai and Han ethnic populations in this region. In the present survey, a total of 555 and 595 blood samples were obtained from Bai and Han ethnic groups in Dali urban and rural areas, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to examineT. gondiiIgG antibodies. Total positive rate of anti-T. gondiiIgG in Bai and Han groups in this region was 21·6% (248/1150). The total seroprevalence ofT. gondiiwas significantly higher in the Bai ethnic group (32·3%, 179/555) than in the Han ethnic group (11·6%, 69/595) (P < 0·01). The results of statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between cat feeding/non-cat feeding groups in the Bai ethnic group, the most important risk factor was consumption of raw pork and/or liver for the Bai group, but feeding a cat may be the main route ofT. gondiiinfection for the Han group. Therefore, it is essential to implement integrated strategies to prevent and controlT. gondiiinfection in this unique region of the world.


Adam alemi ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 106-113
Author(s):  
D.S. Kaliyev ◽  
◽  
A. Ventsel ◽  

Ethnicity, nationality, and ethnic identity remain to be unresolved issues that need to be addressed. It is thus important to compare different approaches to understand the nature of ethnic phenomena and to identify appropriate techniques to understand the essence of «nation-building» concept. First, the article discusses the concepts of nation, ethnicity, changes in ethnic identity where the concepts of ethnos and nation are further explained. Second, the nature, dynamics and factors of the processes of ethnic identity are analyzed. Third, the author seeks answers to questions of why some ethnic identities change, while others remain unchanged. Fourth, ethnicity in conflict, the role of «belonging to a certain ethnic group» is considered. Finally, past and present debates of the primordialist and constructivist approaches to nation-building are described. The main methodology of the article is a comparative analysis of the theoretical literature of foreign and domestic research through the lenses of primordialism and constructivism. The paper argues that there is no reason for all ethnic groups to reach the level of a nation, that constructive theory has advantages at the highest level of integration between nations and ethnic groups in the 21st century, and that ethnic identity is adaptable and changeable over time. The results of this work contribute to further studies and scientific works related to the nation-building in Kazakhstan.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 545-555
Author(s):  
Atere Clement Olusegun

It is a known fact that not few Nigerians believed that the country has committed atrocities against her citizen and this has caused mutual suspicion, deep divisions, inter-ethnic wrangling, and unending disputations in this ethnically and geographically diverse nation. The aim of this paper is to provide fresh insight on the causality of the deep mistrust and mutual suspicion among the various ethnic groups which in turn has caused the Nigeria nation much needed unity. The paper argued that recurring memorialization of unresolved historical injustices has been a potent poison to the glowing of communal and organic wellbeing of the nation. The paper concluded that the government must redress the past historical injustices, explore how Nigerians together can search for common memories to meet present needs,  and allow the various ethnic group to come to terms with their past. The paper recommended new Truth and Reconciliation Commission  


Author(s):  
Nguyen Duy Dung

New rural construction is one of the key tasks identified by the Party and State as the national target program until 2020. Many documents of the Party and the State have been issued expressing political will to implement the tasks of building new rural areas, over 6 years of implementation, the National Target Program for new rural construction has achieved certain achievements, the appearance of rural areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas has gradually changed dramatically, contributing significantly to promoting socio-economic and cultural development. Many provinces and cities throughout the whole country have built some new rural models that meet nineteen criterias and arrive on time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 159-173
Author(s):  
Darya Yu. Vashchenko

The article discusses the inscriptions on funerary monuments from the Croatian villages of Cunovo and Jarovce, located in the South of Slovakia, near Bratislava. These inscriptions reflect the complicated sociocultural situation in the region, which is particularly specific due to the fact that this territory was included to Slovakia’s territory only after 1946, while earlier the village was part of Hungary. In addition, the local Croatian ethnic group was actively in close contact with the German and Hungarian communities. At the same time, the orthographic norms of the literary Croatian, German, Hungarian, and Slovak languages, which could potentially be owned by the authors of the inscriptions, differ in many ways, despite the Latin alphabet used on all the gravestones. All this is reflected in the tombstones, representing a high degree of mixing codes. The article identifies the main types of fusion on the monuments: separate orthograms, writing the maiden name of the deceased in the spelling of her native language, the traditional spelling of the family name. In addition, the mixing of codes can be associated with writing feminitives, also order of name and surname within the anthroponym. Moreover, the settlements themselves represent different ethnic groups coexistence within the village. Gravestones from the respective cemeteries also differ from each other in the nature of the prevailing trend of the mixing codes. In Jarovce, where the ethnic groups live compactly, fusion is often presented as a separate foreign language orthograms. In Cunovo, where the ethnic groups constitute a global conglomerate, more traditional presents for a specific family spelling of the names on the monument.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Krisnawati Krisnawati

Minangkabau ethnic group, as other ethnic groups in Indonesia, has many kinds of cultural heritages. Among other is Badampiang, an oral tradition. Badampiang (acting of accompanying) is mutually responding poetry (berbalas pantun) by the time accompanying a groom to a bride’s house to do the procession of wedding. This tradition is currently threatened to extinct, whereas in fact, it has many positive values which are deserved to be inherited to the next generations. Thus, it is important to do a research on Badampiang. This paper discussed about the speakers, the music instruments, the place, the time and the condition of Badampiang utterances. Besides, this paper also discussed the meaning contained in the text of Badampiang. The method used to investigate the tradition of Badampiang is hermeneutics method and theory of values. Therefore, the various elements that exist can be found so that badampiang will realize and the values that contained in the oral tradition.AbstrakSuku bangsa Minangkabau, sebagaimana suku bangsa lainnya di Indonesia, memiliki berbagai warisan budaya. Di antara warisan budaya tersebut adalah tradisi lisan badampiang. Badampiang (melakukan pendampingan) adalah berbalas pantun ketika mendampingi mempelai laki-laki menuju rumah mempelai perempuan ketika hendak melakukan ijab kabul (pernikahan). Tradisi lisan badampiang saat ini terancam punah digerus waktu, padahal banyak nilai positif dalam teks badampiang yang layak diwariskan kepada generasi penerus. Oleh sebab itu, kajian terhadap badampiang sangat penting dilakukan. Melalui makalah ini dibahas pedendang, alat musik pengiring, tempat, waktu, dan suasana pedendangan badampiang. Selain itu, dibahas pula makna yang terkandung dalam teks badampiang. Metode yang digunakan untuk mengkaji tradisi lisan ini adalah metode hermeneutika dan teori tentang nilai-nilai. Dengan demikian, terlihatlah berbagai unsur yang ada sehingga badampiang terwujud dan nilai-nilai yang terkandung dalam tradisi lisan tersebut.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Du

Moral foundations theory is claimed to be universally applicable and is classified into 5 foundations of morality: care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, respect/subversion, and purity/degradation. This theory has not been tested in the Eastern cultural context. Therefore, in this study I addressed this lack in the context of China, where there are people of a number of different ethnicities. I adopted the Moral Foundations Questionnaire, which was completed by 761 Chinese of Han, Uygur, and Tibetan ethnicity. The results show that there was no gender difference in morality foundation scores, but the differences among ethnic groups were significant: Tibetans scored lower than did Han and Uygur in care and fairness, and Uygur scored higher than Han and Tibetans did in loyalty, respect, and purity. The interactions between gender and ethnic group were significant for care, fairness, and respect. These findings suggest that moral foundations theory is applicable to China, that the Moral Foundations Questionnaire can also be partially applied to Chinese, and that ethnicity is an influential factor when people make moral judgments.


FACE ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 273250162110290
Author(s):  
Adegbayi Adeola Adekunle ◽  
Abiodun Yusuff Olowo ◽  
Moses Adetona ◽  
Olutayo James ◽  
Olawale Olatubosun Adamson ◽  
...  

Objectives: The aim of the study is to highlight variations in facial anthropometric measurements among the major ethnic groups in Nigeria using 3D photogrammetry. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in Lagos, Nigeria. Acquisition of 3D facial photographs was done using a Vectra H1 portable 3D photogrammetry imaging system. Descriptive analysis of collected data was done and a test of associations performed using independent samples t-test. The level of significance was set at <.05. Results: The total number of participants in this study was 503. The study population was made up of 302 (60%) males and 201 (40%) females. Mean upper facial height among Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and other ethnic groups were 68.93 ± 5.85, 70.18 ± 5.99, 63.79 ± 4.80, and 69.29 ± 5.95 mm respectively, while mean interpupillary distances were 66.99 ± 3.70, 67.34 ± 3.56, 66.73 ± 3.80, and 67.09 ± 3.72 mm respectively. A Tukey posthoc test revealed significant pairwise differences for upper facial height between the Yoruba and Hausa population with a mean difference of 5.15 mm ( P < .001, 95% CI 2.94-7.35) ( P < .001, 95% CI 2.94-7.35), and Hausa and Igbo population with a mean difference of 6.39 mm ( P < .001, 95% CI 3.75-9.03). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed the presence of significant inter-ethnic differences between Hausa ethnic group and the Yoruba ethnic group for midfacial height ( P < .001), upper lip height ( P = .004), lower lip height ( P = .003), total face height ( P = .010), and orbital fissure width ( P < .001). Conclusion: The result of this study shows that distinct difference does exist in the facial anthropological measurements between the ethnicities included in this study especially in vertical facial measurements.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2129
Author(s):  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Lu Song ◽  
Zhiyan Peng ◽  
Jianqin Yang ◽  
Guize Luan ◽  
...  

Using toponym data, population data, and night-time light data, we visualized the development index of the Yi, Wa, Zhuang, Naxi, Hani, and Dai ethnic groups on ArcGIS as well as the distribution of 25 ethnic minorities in the study area. First, we extracted the toponym data of 25 ethnic minorities in the study area, combined with night-time light data and the population proportion data of each ethnic group, then we obtained the development index of each ethnic group in the study area. We compared the development indexes of the Yi, Wa, Zhuang, Naxi, Hani, and Dai ethnic groups with higher development indexes. The results show that the Yi nationality’s development index was the highest, reaching 28.86 (with two decimal places), and the Dai nationality’s development index was the lowest (15.22). The areas with the highest minority development index were concentrated in the core area of the minority development, and the size varied with the minority’s distance. According to the distribution of ethnic minorities, we found that the Yi ethnic group was distributed in almost the entire study area, while other ethnic minorities had obvious geographical distribution characteristics, and there were multiple ethnic minorities living together. This research is of great significance to the cultural protection of ethnic minorities, the development of ethnic minorities, and the remote sensing mapping of lights at night.


2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonora Kovacs Rac ◽  
Sabina Halupka-Rešetar

Abstract A large body of academic literature (e.g. Fishman 1977, 1999; Giles and Johnson 1981; Romaine 2000, among others) claims that language is one of the most significant markers of ethnic identification and that it plays a crucial role not only in the external perception of an ethnic group by outsiders but also in the selfidentification of an ethnic group. In a minority environment, sense of ethnic identity and language retention are connected very tightly, which is why it is of extreme importance to study attitudes towards the dialects of a language and value judgments about them. The paper presents the results of a research into attitudes toward dialects, conducted with approximately three hundred 5th and 8th grade pupils (age 12 and 15, respectively) attending school in Hungarian in two regions of Vojvodina, Serbia. It explores the subjects’ local features of identity, given that the research was conducted in eight different localities. The results of the research serve as a sound basis for developing use-centered, functional-situational mother tongue education of Hungarian minority pupils living in Serbia, since the current curriculum completely disregards the language varieties of many Hungarian minority pupils brought up and living in rural areas, who acquire and use the dialect spoken in the family.


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