Pontic Greek cuisine: the most common foods, ingredients, and dishes presented in cookbooks and folklore literature

Introduction The Pontic Greeks, besides their long and distinguished history, have a special and important culture and identity, elements of which are still preserved and active by their descendants a century after their settlement in Greece. One element of their identity and culture is their basic yet diverse cuisine, which is an important and recognized local cuisine in contemporary Greece. This study aimed to identify the most common foods, ingredients, and dishes found in Greek Pontic Cuisine. Methods Six cookbooks, two cooking magazines, four folklore books, and four folklore magazines were reviewed in this study. A considerable amount of data was collected and processed using a text analysis tool. Results and discussion The study provides the most frequently encountered dishes, foods, and ingredients that feature in the publications. The most common dishes are soups, including tanomenon sorva (soup with coarse grains, salty strained yogurt, and mint). Among other dishes, siron (a pre-baked filo-based pastry dish), chavitz (a thick corn dish resembling porridge), and foustoron (an omelet with fresh cow butter) are quite common. Common staples are anchovies and greens. In cookbooks and cookery magazines, ingredients include butter, wheat, eggs, tomatoes, milk, bulgur, corn-flour, and cheese. Meanwhile, the study publications are an excellent way of passing down traditional food knowledge intergenerational, as they are largely descended from Pontic Greek progenitors. Conclusion After analyzing all the publications, it was declared that dairy products, grains, and vegetables were commonly used in Pontic cuisine. It was concluded that cookbooks are crucial for the preservation of the Greek Pontic culinary tradition.

Including residents in the rebranding of tourist destinations to achieve sustainable development goals

PurposeThis paper aims to indicate the importance of including residents in the rebranding of a destination.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on a literature review.FindingsThe World Tourism Organization recently adapted the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to show their relevance to tourism. The quality of life of the residents was a common theme of these goals. Through a review of literature, the paper identified the negative and positive effects of tourism on the residents' quality of life. This was done to show how destination management organizations (DMOs) could design and manage their tourism activities to avoid the negative effects on residents and maximize the positive benefits.Originality/valueAs tourist destinations strive to meet sustainability goals, we argue that many will have to be rebranded. The paper shows how through the rebranding process the destination can create brand identity elements that communicate as well as guide their sustainability efforts. Also, just as corporations need to include and have employees that believe and support the company's brand identity elements, DMOs must include residents in the branding process and gain their support of the destination's brand identity elements. As practical implications for DMOs, the paper shows the importance of developing tourism policies that will enhance the life of residents, demonstrating how this can be accomplished through a rebranding process. As research implications, there is a call for researchers to measure the results of destination's rebranding efforts including the satisfaction of residents as a construct. To accomplish this there is also a need to develop a reliable and valid scale of resident satisfaction with tourism polices.

Positive and negative valences of identities: Longitudinal associations of identity content valences with adaptive and maladaptive functioning among Japanese young adults

Erikson's psychosocial developmental theory assumes that valence of one's identity (i.e., identity content valence) defined by positive and negative identity elements is important for understanding patterns of (mal)adaptation. However, previous empirical research on identity and (mal)adaptation has focused on how individuals deal with identity issues (e.g., exploration and commitment), while neglecting identity content valences. In contrast, this study assessed identity content valences in terms of positive and negative identity elements. Theoretically, identity content valences affect (mal)adaptation, whereas individuals’ (mal)adaptation influences their identities. Consequently, this study examined reciprocal relationships between identity content valences and adaptation (i.e., prosocial behaviors) and maladaptation (e.g., externalizing symptoms) in a sample of Japanese young adults, including socioculturally relevant indicators of maladaptation (i.e., hikikomori symptoms and suicidal ideation). This study includes 2,313 Japanese young adults who participated in a three-wave longitudinal study. The cross-lagged panel model and random intercept cross-lagged panel model revealed reciprocal relationships between identity content valences and (mal)adaptation at the between-person level. Negative identity elements positively predicted suicidal ideation. Meanwhile, prosocial behaviors positively predicted positive identity elements, whereas hikikomori symptoms and suicidal ideation positively predicted negative identity elements. These relationships were significant only for socioculturally relevant indicators, suggesting the importance of considering sociocultural contexts.

ADAPTATION OF SOUTH CAUCASIAN IMMIGRANTS IN MODERN-DAY SWITZERLAND

The article examines the main aspects of the adjustment of political and work immigrants from the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) who settled in Switzerland in the 1990s and 2000s. Field ethnographic materials were collected in 2018-2019. In the course of the study, the peculiarities of the perception of the culture, lifestyle, and the value system of the Swiss were analyzed. Separately, the author examined the types of immigrants’ employment in the new country. The article’s main focus is the age factor in the adjustment and integration processes. The study also addresses the problems of the preservation of Caucasian cultures and languages ​​under the conditions of immigration and the formation of communication environments for South Caucasians in Switzerland. The author concludes that the South Caucasian immigrants are united by professional and social criteria rather than ethnic kinship. The adults adapt to the new conditions, and the youth integrates and acquires a Swiss identity. Elements of Caucasian cultures, languages ​​and environment are gradually being lost in Switzerland.

Determining Urban Identity of a Historical City from Inhabitants’ Perspective: Erzurum, a Case from Asia Minor

Aims: This study aims to explore the urban identity of Erzurum, which has a rich cultural and historical background dates back to 4000 BC, from the perspective of inhabitants. Additionally, the differences between perceptions about urban identity elements of various inhabitants' groups, categorized in terms of age, gender, education level, being a native of Erzurum, and length of residence in Erzurum, are determined. Study Design: The research was designed as a case-study and pursued an exploratory research approach. Place and Duration of Study: The study has been conducted in Erzurum, located in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Interviews have been conducted with 268 inhabitants of Erzurum between May and June 2015. Methodology: Within the context of the study, Erzurum's urban identity is determined through its elements that are commonly classified as topographical properties, climate and flora, elements at settlement level, urban equipment, symbolic elements, socio-cultural properties, and socio-economical properties. The present study has been designed as an exploratory case study in which qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques have been used. Results: This study, through answering its research questions, reveals that, first, environmental identity elements have more significance than social identity elements; second, natural environmental elements as Palandöken Mountain and cold climate, and artificial identity elements as Cumhuriyet Street and the Twin Minaret Madrasa are the most significant identity elements; and, third, differences between the respondents’ age and education helps to explain the differences between their perception on urban identity elements, in the case of Erzurum. Conclusion: This exploratory case study, departing from the idea that urban identity is a social and cultural phenomenon and unique for each individual and society, explored the urban identity elements from the perspective of the inhabitants of Erzurum. In the end, the importance of determining urban identity based on inter-subjectively built consensus to protect the uniqueness of the cities has been highlighted.

El monstruo humano. El yo homosexual en El amor del revés (2016), de Luisgé Martín

The aim of this research is to study Luisgé Martin’s El amor del revés. This autobiography will be approached not only as a literary text, but also as a testimony of what it meant to be a homosexual man in the early Spanish democracy and in the following years. Therefore, the analysis will be centered on the interaction between concepts like homosexuality and difference. It will be focused on those identity elements that shape the autobiographer’s self, and the voice that recognizes itself as homosexual and writes itself from that position. In order to achieve that objective, a sociological approximation based on the ideas of scholars such as Brubaker, Cooper, Guasch, Eribon and Mira will be applied.