Along the Rivers and into the Plain: Early Crop Diversity in the Central and Western Balkans and Its Relationship with Environmental and Cultural Variables

Agriculture is a complex and dynamic socio-ecological system shaped by environmental, economic, and social factors. The crop resource pool is its key component and one that best reflects environmental limitations and socio-economic concerns of the farmers. This pertains in particular to small-scale subsistence production, as was practised by Neolithic farmers. We investigated if and how the environment and cultural complexes shaped the spectrum and diversity of crops cultivated by Neolithic farmers in the central-western Balkans and on the Hungarian Plain. We did so by exploring patterns in crop diversity between biogeographical regions and cultural complexes using multivariate statistical analyses. We also examined the spectrum of wild-gathered plant resources in the same way. We found that the number of species in Neolithic plant assemblages is correlated with sampling intensity (the number and volume of samples), but that this applies to all archaeological cultures. Late Neolithic communities of the central and western Balkans exploited a large pool of plant resources, whose spectrum was somewhat different between archaeological cultures. By comparison, the earliest Neolithic tradition in the region, the Starčevo-Körös-Criş phenomenon, seems to have used a comparatively narrower range of crops and wild plants, as did the Linearbandkeramik culture on the Hungarian Plain.

THE EFFECT OF CULTURE ON PERFORMANCE EXPECTANCY, INTENTION AND TRUST IN MOBILE PAYMENT ADOPTION

This study aims to investigate the role of culture at an individual level in the context of m-payment adoption. Specifically, it examines the effect of uncertainty avoidance and collectivism based on the Hofstede cultural dimensions on three important constructs in technology adoption as well as m-payment adoption which are performance expectancy, behavioural intention and consumer trust. The data was collected in Vietnam which ranked first in m-payment development worldwide in 2019 to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed the significant impact of cultural variables in the context of mobile payment adoption. The positive and significant impacts of performance expectancy on behavioural intention and consumer trust, and consumer trust on behavioural intention are also confirmed which are aligned to previous studies. This research contributes to the body of literature of not only m-payment adoption, but also the impact of culture in m-payment adoption in particular and technology adoption in general.

THE EFFECT OF CULTURE ON PERFORMANCE EXPECTANCY, INTENTION AND TRUST IN MOBILE PAYMENT ADOPTION

This study aims to investigate the role of culture at an individual level in the context of m-payment adoption. Specifically, it examines the effect of uncertainty avoidance and collectivism based on the Hofstede cultural dimensions on three important constructs in technology adoption as well as m-payment adoption which are performance expectancy, behavioural intention and consumer trust. The data was collected in Vietnam which ranked first in m-payment development worldwide in 2019 to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed the significant impact of cultural variables in the context of mobile payment adoption. The positive and significant impacts of performance expectancy on behavioural intention and consumer trust, and consumer trust on behavioural intention are also confirmed which are aligned to previous studies. This research contributes to the body of literature of not only m-payment adoption, but also the impact of culture in m-payment adoption in particular and technology adoption in general.

THE EFFECT OF CULTURE ON PERFORMANCE EXPECTANCY, INTENTION AND TRUST IN MOBILE PAYMENT ADOPTION

This study aims to investigate the role of culture at an individual level in the context of m-payment adoption. Specifically, it examines the effect of uncertainty avoidance and collectivism based on the Hofstede cultural dimensions on three important constructs in technology adoption as well as m-payment adoption which are performance expectancy, behavioural intention and consumer trust. The data was collected in Vietnam which ranked first in m-payment development worldwide in 2019 to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed the significant impact of cultural variables in the context of mobile payment adoption. The positive and significant impacts of performance expectancy on behavioural intention and consumer trust, and consumer trust on behavioural intention are also confirmed which are aligned to previous studies. This research contributes to the body of literature of not only m-payment adoption, but also the impact of culture in m-payment adoption in particular and technology adoption in general.

Early Mesoamerican Cities

Urbanization is a phenomenon that brings into focus a range of topics of broad interest to scholars. It is one of the central, enduring interests of anthropological archaeology. Because urbanization is a transformational process, it changes the relationships between social and cultural variables such as demography, economy, politics, and ideology. As one of a handful of cases in the ancient world where cities developed independently, Mesoamerica should play a major role in the global, comparative analysis of first-generation cities and urbanism in general. Yet most research focuses on later manifestations of urbanism in Mesoamerica, thereby perpetuating the fallacy that Mesoamerican cities developed relatively late in comparison to urban centers in the rest of the world. This volume presents new data, case studies, and models for approaching the subject of early Mesoamerican cities. It demonstrates how the study of urbanism in Mesoamerica, and all ancient civilizations, is entering a new and dynamic phase of scholarship.

“Flemish Legends” by Charles de Coster. The Peculiarities of the Traslations into Dutch

Introduction. Charles de Coster's “Flemish Legends” were published in 1858 in French. With the growth of the national consciousness of the Flemings, this book, having particular artistic and cultural meaning, had to be translated, anyhow, into the Flemish variant of Dutch. There have been several translations, which differ significantly. To understand the specifics and success of a particular translation, it is necessary to analyze the cultural-linguistic and socio-political circumstances of its creation, to study the personalities of the translators, their artistic biographies, and also to assess the impact of the culture-forming factors.Methodology and sources. The research methodology is based on the descriptive method. At that we take into account a lot of linguistic, historical, social and cultural variables. As a study material two translations of “Flemish Legends” into Dutch (1917 and 1998) are chosen, as well as several sources describing the history of Belgium after 1830. For collating the translations the comparative method is used, taking into account the lexical, grammatical and stylistic features of the analyzed texts.Results and discussion. Charles De Coster, being a bilingual, preferred the French language. This can be explained by his desire to make folklore an asset of the upper social class, mainly bilinguals and francophones, upon these legends being already known among the Flemings. In addition, for the proper resonance, it was more profitable to publish the book in French. It can also be assumed that the legends were collected throughout Flanders; therefore, there were significant dialectal differences and problems for choosing a unified version of the Flemish language. To convey the medieval flavor, Charles de Coster used a deliberately archaized language. At the beginning of the 20th century S. Streuvels created a specific translation, more reminiscent of calque from French and preserving the features of the original text. At the end of the 20th century, W. Spillebeen translated the French text into a modern language, which was not the Belgian Dutch, but the standard Dutch.Conclusion. The translations discussed are quite different. S. Streuvels retained the style and structure of the original text, so his work was difficult for perception even by his contemporaries, and today the translation has become practically unreadable. W. Spillebeen tried to translate the legends into a modern language, bringing the structural components in line with the modern norm and preserving only the most necessary archaisms. Nevertheless, the text of the “Flemish legends” in the Belgian Dutch does not exist: they are written either in dialects, or in the “Frenchified” Dutch, or in the standard Dutch.

Conditions (Predictor Variables): Theories Explaining Prosperity Differences (B), (C), (D), (E)

This chapter defines the conditions elements of the research model in this study (Fig. 10.1007/978-3-030-78498-0_2#Fig1). Therefore, Sects. 5.1–5.7 refer to some influential theories that have sought to explain differences in prosperity between countries from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Potential prosperity factors/theories can be clustered into three groups: (1) cultural and religious values; (2) institutions and economic growth; (3) environment and geography. Each of these distinct theories may contain “a grain of truth” about understanding prosperity imbalances between countries. Ideally, prosperity theories should be complementary instead of competing explanations. For example, geography and environmental theories explain how seasonal lands can provide a society and its economy better conditions to prosper. Institutional theory helps explain how institutions model social prosperity by perpetuating equality loops or by concentrating wealth. Cultural theory contributes to the understanding of the influence of cultural variables, such as religious beliefs and values, on prosperity. Yet, the relations among environment/geography, culture, institutions, and prosperity are highly complex and involve massive historical dynamics which would normally far exceed the scope of empirical research.

The Internal Demand of Cultural Tourism: Understanding Satisfaction and Fidelity to Destination in Spain through a Non-Linear Structural Model

The new habits of tourist consumption favor the rise of cultural tourism, either as the primary or complementary offer of a destination. Therefore, it is necessary to deepen the study of the behavior of cultural tourism demand. This research aims to develop a structural model that allows measuring the main variables that affect the satisfaction and loyalty of the internal demand of the cultural tourist to a heritage destination. The results are helpful for the design of tourism management. The hypotheses posited have been tested using non-linear structural equations (SEM), estimated with data from the National Statistics Institute on internal demand for cultural tourism in Spain (n = 18,024). The results confirm the importance of socio-cultural variables and the tourist’s experience on fidelity to the visited destination. Furthermore, the negative relationship between the repetition of the visit and satisfaction is striking.

Analysis of the role of collectivism in light of the recent literature on the big triangle: Institutions, culture, and economic development

Why do similar economic and political institutions function differently in various cultures? Do cultural traits, differences in individualism versus collectivism, have a causal impact on economic behavior and development? This article presents a recent survey of the literature on the relationship between culture, institutions, and economic growth. On the one hand, part of the literature indicates that there is a one-way causality from culture to institutions and economic performance. On the other hand, there is an extensive literature that has established causality from institutions to economic growth and culture. However, a growing body of empirical research demonstrates that culture and institutions interact in two ways and complement each other affecting long-term growth. Research documents cultural variables affecting a great deal of economic activity and institutions across the world. Recent dominant discourse on the role of the individualism-collectivism cleavage in the determination of the wealth of nations has attempted to examine the positive effects of individualism rather than collectivism. This paper shows that the advantages of collectivism have been rarely researched within economic literature. Taking into account collectivism can shed light on various puzzles in economics, such as solving collective action problems.

Getting to Know Yourself Across the Lifespan

New teaching and learning methods must be developed to accommodate exclusive online environments. The utilization of experiential learning in an aging course is a key teaching method that helps tap into the affective domain of learning (i.e., feelings, values, and attitudes). In a society where ageist attitudes abound and are often internalized, purposeful challenges to the "othering" of older adults is needed to disrupt this cycle. This presentation will share an experiential/age inclusivity activity that can be utilized in any teaching environment. Over a semester, students are required to write themselves four separate letters from their older selves at varying ages to their younger selves. They must research and provide a snapshot of what their life will be like at these ages in predetermined areas (i.e., health, mobility, family/friends, policy, and cultural variables, etc.) Worksheets will be provided capturing this "Getting to Know Yourself Across the Lifespan" experiential learning activity.