Dealing with Cultural Identities: A Study of Nepalese Families in Tokyo

In recent years, the Nepalese migrant population in Japan has increased exponentially. The number reached 88,951 in 2018, becoming the largest south Asian population in Japan. This number includes people in various visa categories: skilled labor, engineer, business, dependent, student and so on. The number of school children lies somewhere around 10,000. A child born and raised in a culture different to their parents’ culture goes through a complex cultural identity formation process. In this context, this paper explores children’s cultural identity development and promotion by migrant Nepalese families in Tokyo. In particular, it examines which cultural identities they are prioritizing and how they are developing host cultural identities while maintaining their native culture. The experiences of these migrant Nepalese parents were collected through in-depth interviews with 45 parents. The responses suggest that these parents are prioritizing the promotion of a Nepalese cultural identity for their child(ren). Parents focus on promoting and participating in Nepalese festivals, cooking Nepalese food at home, and meeting other Nepalese families in Japan. However, almost every parent expressed their desire for the development of a multicultural sense in their child(ren).

Formovanie kultúrnej a etnickej identity Maoriov prostredníctvom príslušnosti ku gangu

Though often called a “heaven on Earth” New Zealand suffers from a serious problem with gangs. Ethnic gangs have dominated the New Zealand gang scene since the 70s when many Maoris left traditional rural areas and migrated in search of work to the cities but ended up in poverty because of lack of skills and poorly-paid jobs. Maori urbanization and the dual pressures of acculturation and discrimination resulted in a breakdown of the traditional Maori social structures and alienated many from their culture. Maoris who have been unable to maintain their ethnic and cultural identity through their genealogical ties and involvement in Maori culture attempt to find it elsewhere. For many of those that have lost contact with their cultural and ethnic links gangs have replaced families and community and provides individuals with a sense of belonging and safety. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the role of gangs in Maori ethnic and cultural identity development. This paper demonstrates the impact of gang environment on individual identity development and provides evidence that cultural engagement initiatives can enhance Maori identities, which in turn could increase psychological and socio-economic wellbeing.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as an example of separatism in China

Though often called a “heaven on Earth” New Zealand suffers from a serious problem with gangs. Ethnic gangs have dominated the New Zealand gang scene since the 70s when many Maoris left traditional rural areas and migrated in search of work to the cities but ended up in poverty because of lack of skills and poorly-paid jobs. Maori urbanization and the dual pressures of acculturation and discrimination resulted in a breakdown of the traditional Maori social structures and alienated many from their culture. Maoris who have been unable to maintain their ethnic and cultural identity through their genealogical ties and involvement in Maori culture attempt to find it elsewhere. For many of those that have lost contact with their cultural and ethnic links gangs have replaced families and community and provides individuals with a sense of belonging and safety. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the role of gangs in Maori ethnic and cultural identity development. This paper demonstrates the impact of gang environment on individual identity development and provides evidence that cultural engagement initiatives can enhance Maori identities, which in turn could increase psychological and socio-economic wellbeing.

PENGEMBANGAN LITERASI SAINS DAN IDENTITAS BUDAYA SISWA MELALUI PENDEKATAN ETNO-PEDAGOGI DALAM PEMBELAJARAN SAINS

SCIENCE LITERACY AND STUDENT CULTURAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ETHNO-PEDAGOGY APPROACH IN SCIENCE LEARNING AbstractThis study aims to develop and apply ethno-pedagogy learning models in science learning to develop scientific literacy and students' cultural identity in the solar system topic. The study was conducted at SMPN 4 Bolo in the even semester of the 2018/2019 school year with 26 research subjects consisting of grade seven students. The study was conducted using qualitative analysis methods by collecting data through observation, reflective journals, student interviews, and scientific literacy tests. The ethno-pedagogy model is carried out through five stages of learning: self-identification, Content Integration, Collaboration, Dialogue, and Reflection. The results showed that the Etnopedagogy learning model impacted the development of students' scientific literacy and student's cultural identity. Based on the students' scientific literacy test as a whole showed that as many as 6.25% of students reached excellent levels and 31.25% of students reached good levels, 50% of students reached sufficient levels, 12.50% of students reached unfavorable levels, and there were none of the students who are at a not very good level. Science learning with the Ethno Pedagogy model provides opportunities for students to develop scientific literacy and learn to understand their cultural identity, foster a sense of love and pride for Indonesia, and responsibility to preserve its culture. AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan dan menerapkan model pembelajaran etnopedagogi dalam pembelajaran IPA untuk mengembangkan literasi sains dan identitas budaya siswa pada materi sistem tata surya. Penelitian dilaksanakan di SMPN 4 Bolo pada semester genap tahun ajaran 2018/2019 dengan subyek penelitian terdiri dari 26 orang siswa kelas VII. Penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode analisis kualitatif dengan mengumpulkan data melalui observasi, reflektif jurnal, wawancara siswa, dan tes literasi sains. Model etnopedagogi dilakukan melalui lima tahapan pembelajaran, yaitu self-identification, Content Integration, Collaboration, Dialogue, dan Reflection. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa model pembelajaran Etnopedagogi memiliki dampak dalam pengembangan literasi sains siswa dan identitas budaya siswa. Berdasarkan tes literasi sains siswa secara keseluruhan menunjukkan sebanyak dapat diketahui bahwa sebanyak 6,25% siswa mencapai level baik sekali dan 31,25% siswa mencapai level baik, 50% siswa mencapai level cukup, 12,50% siswa mencapai level kurang baik, dan tidak ada lagi siswa yang berada pada level kurang baik sekali. Pembelajaran sains dengan model Etnopdagogi memberikan kesempatan kepada siswa untuk mengembangkan literasi sains dan belajar untuk memahami identitas budayanya, menumbuhkan rasa cinta tanah air, bangga dan tanggung jawab untuk melestarikan budayanya.

Young people's perception of sociocultural threats to the digital transformation of society

Introduction. The article analyzes the problem of socio-cultural threats to the digital transformation of society. The digital transformation of society leads to the presence of large socio-cultural threats associated with the instability of the value system and Russian society as a whole, and as a result, with the distortion of socio-cultural identity. The study and comparison of socio-cultural threats will allow us to answer the question: where is the modern socio-cultural environment ofRussia in General and individual regions (socio-territorial communities) in particular in terms of the importance of the threats produced? The problem of studying young people's perceptions of sociocultural threats is becoming relevant and timely.Materials and Methods. To study the perception of socio-cultural threats to the digital transformation of society by young people, a 13-point questionnaire was developed. The study involved 583 people, residents of the cities of Ivanovo, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl (23% – men, 77% – women; average age 20,5 years). The responses received were interpreted and processed using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis.Results. There are two types of threats to the security of digital transformation of society: social (growth of cybercrime, reduction of interpersonal communication, growth of aggression and antisocial behavior, information stress) and cultural (decrease in the cultural level of society, weakening of the unity of the people, growth of interethnic conflicts, erosion of traditional values). Regions are dominated by various socio-cultural threats, but usually include both social and cultural threats.Discussion and Conclusions. The problem of digital transformation of society can be determined by the lack of a sense of security in the main spheres of life of socio-territorial communities-interpersonal, everyday, ethnic, religious, political, economic, information, etc. Insecurity in these areas determines the actualization of relevant threats and risks. Prevention of sociocultural threats will be facilitated by an objective assessment of their reality by young people through the formation of socio-cultural identity, development of critical thinking and social interaction skills.

Cultural Identity Development in Second Language Teacher Education: Toward a Negotiated Model

This is a two-phase study toward understanding the cultural identity development of the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers when they participated in cultural negotiation programs and developing a negotiated model of cultural identity development for the second language teacher education programs. To such ends, the analysis of the narratives authored by five experienced and four novice EFL teachers was done by using Wenger’s (1998) community of practice and Pennington’s (2014) TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher identity model to track the cultural identity development of the EFL teachers during the cultural negotiation sessions. Then, by meticulously examining the theoretical and empirical underpinnings about cultural identity including the theories and previous empirical studies along with the results obtained from the first phase of the study, we developed a negotiated model of cultural identity development for the EFL teachers. The model is a theoretical one which can be applied to different second language teacher education programs to develop the cultural identity of the language teachers by participating in negotiation sessions. The study concluded with some implications for second language teacher education programs to develop the cultural identity of the EFL teachers.

“I’m in Between”: Cultural Identities of Chinese Youth in Canada

This constructivist grounded theory study unpacks how Chinese youth in Canada navigate and negotiate their cultural identities. Participants aged 16 to 24 years ( N = 22) were invited to provide a biographic account of where they were born and raised, the social contexts they interacted with, and how they grappled with their cultural identities growing up. Despite noting the differences between Chinese and Canadian cultures, participants found the concepts of culture elusive and questioned the categorical notion of culture. They indicated their cultural identity as being “in-between,” and their identity development as an ongoing, nonlinear process, involving a constant exchange between them and their environments. Study results highlight the fluid and nonstatic nature of cultural identity development in the context of immigration.