Comparing cultural diversity perspectives among public service employees in the Netherlands in 2008 and 2018

PurposeThe Netherlands' national government (Rijksoverheid) is an example of a large public organization that strives to recruit and retain employees from different cultural groups, and aims to reap the benefits of workplace diversity. Research has shown that a major predictor of the effectiveness of diversity policy and interventions is the diversity perspective of employees, i.e. which outcomes they associate with cultural diversity in their work environment.Design/methodology/approachThe present study compares public servants' diversity perspectives in two similar independent samples, from 2008 (n = 1,617) and 2018 (n = 2,024), using the Benefits and Threats of Diversity Scale (BTDS; Hofhuis et al., 2015).FindingsResults show that in 2018, employees of the Netherlands' national government perceived more benefits of diversity for gaining insight about and access to different groups within society. Additionally, contributions of cultural diversity to creativity and innovation within teams are reported significantly more often in 2018 than in 2008.Originality/valueThe findings may be of interest to diversity scholars, since data on changes in cultural diversity perspectives across time are rare, and the paper provides a unique comparison of measurements at two time points, one decade apart, within the same organization.

The Impact of Product Tagging on Trust and Purchase Intention: A cross-cultural perspective in visual e-commerce

The present study aims to examine the opportunity of in-app shopping, more specifically, analyzing the influence of product tags and cultural background on consumers’ trust and purchase intention. For this purpose, a comparison was made between European and South American female consumers from two cultures: the Netherlands and Paraguay. A total of 225 subjects, 143 from the Dutch background and 82 from the Paraguayan background, participated in an experimental survey where they judged an Instagram product page (product tag: present vs. absent). The analysis of the results revealed that the Paraguayans had higher purchase intentions than the Dutch. Additionally, the presence of a text appeal in the visual product presentation had a direct positive effect on consumers’ purchase intentions and perceived trust in the shopping environment, for both the Dutch and Paraguayan cultural groups. In virtual web shops, perceiving trust is a decisive point for purchase intentions. This study contributes to the fast-growing investigations on social media effectiveness and visual marketing as an informative and persuasive tool. The findings pinpoint the synergic value of visual and textual cues of product presentation online in the atmospheric trust of in-app shopping.

Hatenography: An Analysis of Hate Speech on Facebook in 2019 Indonesian Presidential Campaign

This article discusses hate speech on Facebook from two groups of supporters for the presidential candidates in the 2019 Presidential Election in Indonesia. The study used a virtual ethnography approach to analyze cultural groups or communities through their conversations on the Facebook platform. Data collection was conducted by observing and collecting words, phrases, and sentences in the Official Facebook account of two presidential candidates in the 2019 Presidential Election and statements of both presidential and vice-presidential candidates in 2019. In addition, researchers also observed three voluntary group accounts for each candidate. Therefore, the total number of accounts observed was eight. Data was analysed with Nvivo 12+ to obtain statistics on the strength of the chosen speech word and the dominant phrase or word that appears. The result shows that specific phrases or terms to intimidate each supporter of both parties in massive numbers appeared in the form of hate speech during the campaign. The purpose of the hate speech is to insult/humiliate, intimidate or accuse others of doing something inappropriate or evil (accusation which involves sarcasm and foul language directed to the opponent. Candidates also provoked each other by accusing the other party of being stupid, disgusting, pathetic, ugly, and retarded. The implication was that hate speech has disunited the public on the social media space. Accusing and attaching bad characters to other groups through hate speech has strengthened inter-group stereotypes and formed an unhealthy democratic climate. Keywords: Provocation, hate speech, verbal message, virtual ethnography, communication.

One Facet of Ethnic Categorization, Ethnicization and Ethnic Activism in Nepal

Ethnicity and identity. particularly for Nepal with diverse human and cultural groups, has become more important in the context of number of ethnic upsurges accompanying macro-level social movements in Nepal, resulting in a radical transformation in the political system. Given the context, this paper aimed to reflect one of the many dimensions of ethnic activism in historical context focused on one of Nepal's least studied ethnic groups, the Paharis. Further, the paper also attempted to connect the categorization of human groups with the politics of identity. The paper is prepared by extensive reviews supplemented by a number of in-depth interviews among the given community around Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kabhrepalanchok, and Sindhupalchok district. The paper concludes that Pahari ethnicity and activism have their own trajectory within the broader ethnic movement and activism that became apparent after 1990, followed by the movement initiated by other ethnic groups.

COVID-19 Viral Logics, Social Inequality and Hegemonic Mimicry: Deconstructing the Language of Cultural Parasite

Drawing on Michel Serres’ philosophical notion of the parasite, this essay examines human responses to COVID-19 that mimic parasitic behavior and uncovers social inequalities by exploring the cultural hegemony of viral logics perpetuated by the media. How can Serres’ notion of the parasite help us reconfigure structural inequalities experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic? First, the essay examines the viral logic of internalization, which seeks to normalize, if not appropriate, the impact of the pandemic through the rhetoric of togetherness. This particular viral logic induces people to internalize the coronavirus pandemic’s illusion as a crisis shared equally by all. The essay argues that this viral logic of internationalization resonates with the French philosopher’s parasite logic, which, in Serres’s words, “expresses a new epistemology, another theory of equilibrium.” Second, this study examines the viral logic of correlation, which designates certain marginalized cultural groups as infected, and therefore regarded and (mis)treated like the virus itself. This blame-game behavior mimics the parasite’s violation of the host’s chain of order and the creation of a new order that is self-serving. Hence, the parasite becomes, according to Serres, “an interruption, a corruption, a rupture of information.” The essay argues that although mimicry becomes the theatre of cultural inequality that dominates communication for the parasitic operator, both viral logics of parasitic mimicry eventually slip into mockery.

Intersections of immigration law and family violence: Exploring barriers for ethnic migrant and refugee background women

INTRODUCTION: Action on family violence1 remains a policy priority for the New Zealand government. Accordingly, this article explores the Immigration New Zealand’s Victims of Family Violence (VFV) visa. Specifically, it explores possible barriers preventing MELAA2 cultural groups from utilizing the VFV visa.APPROACH: The discussion is based on administrative immigration data, gathered by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), on applicants for VFV visas between July 2010 and March 2021.FINDINGS: Over the last 10 years, INZ received 1,947 applications for the VFV Visa. People of Asian (40%) and Pacific (38%) backgrounds made most of these applications, with India, Fiji, China, the Philippines, and Tonga making up the top five source countries. MELAA communities made only 11% of the total VFV visa applications. Applicants from South Africa, Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, and Argentina made up the top five source MELAA countries. Analyses showed that MELAA applications were mostly work-type visas.IMPLICATIONS: Data presented shows that the VFV visa is still underutilised within these communities. Possible reasons for these notable outcomes are explored in this article, with suggestions for remediating strategies for barriers preventing MELAA communities from utilising the VFV visa. This article concludes that more research is required to gain an in- depth understanding of the specific cultural contexts within which these women engage with this visa.

The Level and Specifics of Intercultural Sensitivity of the Russian Students Attending Chinese Universities

Studies on intercultural sensitivity as an affective aspect of intercultural competence have been gaining increasing attention in today’s globalized world where representatives of different countries and cultural groups are supposed to function effectively and supportively in various spheres of life. This paper has reported some of the research results indicating the level and specifics of intercultural sensitivity of the Russian students attending Chinese universities. Building students’ intercultural sensitivity is an essential aspect of the Chinese language and culture teaching experience. Practical recommendations have been provided for increasing the students’ level of intercultural sensitivity in order to reduce stress and avoid conflict situations in multinational educational organizations.

The role of Zambian civil society in evaluation

Without active civil society and their evaluations, Zambia would still be a colonised nation. It is the welfare societies and cultural groups of indigenous Africans that were the foundation for the political movements that fought for its independence from the British. After political independence, civil society grew because of the 1970s global oil and financial crises. This was to mitigate the adverse effects on ordinary citizens of the conditionality of borrowing from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and developed nations. The increase in foreign development assistance led to an increase in development projects and programmes along with their associated internal management requirements for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Government, during this time, also started to formulate plans and programmes that required components of M&E (for example, poverty reduction strategies). After the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, M&E rose to prominence in Zambia’s national development processes. Civil society played a major role in the return to multi-party democracy politics of Zambia in 1991. Post 1991, it began to also play a major role in M&E governance and ensuring that the democratic gains of 1991 were protected. Part of the demand for external M&E capacity development was to enhance its watchdog role over the Zambian government. Though the government recognises civil society as a partner in national democratic processes, it is sometimes mistrustful and hostile to evaluation revelations that are critical of government. There remains a need to strengthen this partnership to ensure that national evaluation capacities are developed. Improved capacities will in turn lead to good governance and public service delivery in Zambia. In this way, sustainable development goals will be attained, and no one will be left behind.

Intercultural Polylogist of Modern Acting Training

The article examines the features of intercultural polylogue of modern acting training; identified and analyzed ways to unleash the potential of cultural diversity of theatrical, physical and spiritual practices, as well as identified strategies for the most effective exchange of methods and techniques of training actors between different cultural groups. It is revealed that modern world theatrical culture is characterized by increasing interest in methods of acting training, which, despite their diversity, combines not only the idea of the importance of the actor's training method and the need to develop his psychophysical apparatus, but also specific principles of training as a unique research method. helps to achieve a harmonious interaction of soul and body. Modern acting training in many countries is becoming increasingly intercultural: crossing borders, intercultural exchange in modern theatrical practice and the growing interculturality of the actor mean that at the present stage acting training is determined by many ways of learning and different worldviews. It is stated that the intercultural polylogue in the globalization period is becoming more intense, due to the rapid development of information technology, and this, in particular, applies to modern acting training. The phenomenon of acting training is that, differing in its unique intercultural principles, it becomes a kind of point of intersection, which marks a qualitatively new era in theatrical culture. It was found that the result of intercultural polylogue of different methods and techniques of acting skills was the formation of a unique approach to training as the most important condition of the creative process in the context of understanding the value system of another culture, the development of universal values

Representations in Intergroup Relations: Reflexivity, Meta-Representations, and Interobjectivity

Social and cultural groups are characterised by shared systems of social objects and issues that constitute their objective reality and their members' identity. It is argued that interpersonal interactions within such groups require a system of comprehensive representations to enable concerted interaction between individuals. Comprehensive representations include bits and pieces of the interactant's representational constitution and potential values and behaviours to reduce possible friction in interactions. On a larger scale, the same is true in encounters, communication, and interaction between members of different cultural groups where interactants need to dispose of a rough knowledge of the other culture's relevant characteristics. This mutual knowledge is called meta-representations that complement the actors' own values and ways of thinking. This concept complements Social Representation Theory when applied to cross-cultural and inter-ethnic interactions.