Sociocultural specifics of Russia’s regions: common features and differences

There is abundant evidence of the correlation between culture (or sociocultural characteristics, by which we mean here values and behavioral attitudes shared by a certain community and changing slowly over time) and economic and innovation development. At present most studies have been carried out at national level. At the same time, sociocultural differences within the countries with a large territory and significant socio-economic and ethnic diversity (Russia, in particular) are understudied. The subject of the research is the differences in socio-cultural characteristics between Russia’s regions. The purpose of the paper is to determine the presence or absence of differences in socio-cultural characteristics according to G.Hofstede between the regions of Russia. The empirical basis for the study is data from representative polls, collected by the Russian Venture Company and the Institute for National Projects in 14 regions in 2018–2020. Econometric analysis (ecological approach) and univariate disperse analysis shows the existence of sociocultural heterogeneity between Russian regions measured with Hofstede characteristics: individualism and power distance (more pronounced differences) and uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation (less pronounced differences). Statistical differences between regions in masculine dimension are non-existent. Regions tend to form sociocultural clusters that are not explained by geographic, socio-economic or ethnic factors separately. The results are useful for the analysis of sociocultural drivers and barriers for regional development, as well as for institutional design, raising efficiency of formal institutions by harmonizing them with regional culture.

S.М. Solovyov’s Conception of the “Struggle between the Forest and the Steppe”: “For” and “Against”

Based on works by representatives of the Marxist and the Eurasian direction, the article considers arguments “for” and “against” S. M. Solovyov’s conception of the “struggle between the forest and the steppe” as an important part of his historiological and philosophical-historical doctrine. This essay shows that the main arguments against Solovyov’s conception are connected to the interpretations of historical facts corresponding to the theoretical positions of the Marxist and Eurasian paradigms of history. They include: the thesis about the class character of the Russian state and of the state enslavement of the population; that of the subordination of the course of a nation’s history to the action of universal historical laws; that of the decisive role of geographical and ethnic factors; that of the mutual influence of the “forest” and the “steppe” on the formation of the Eurasian state. To determine the balance of arguments “for” and “against” the conception of the “struggle between the forest and the steppe,” the author proposes to use the model of a structural and hierarchical history, where there are stable and dynamic levels in space and time. The essay concludes that the geohistorical fact of the division of the East European plain into forest and steppe belts, which makes it possible to theoretically explain the premises behind the conception of the “struggle between the forest and the steppe, raises no objections from any of the critics of such a struggle. At the same time, historical facts concerning the understanding of the nature of social integrity, on the level at which the struggle took place, lead to fundamentally different theoretical interpretations. Even more discrepancies are found concerning the causes of the changes that determine the historical dynamics. As the real course of history shows, in a changing and interconnected world, such causes can actually become a global conflict of cultures.

Frequency of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and associated uveitis in pediatric rheumatology clinics in Turkey: A retrospective study, JUPITER

Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), is the most common pediatric rheumatologic disorder with unknown etiology. Currently, no population-based data are available regarding the distribution of categories and frequency of uveitis in patients with JIA in Turkey. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of JIA-associated uveitis (JIAU) and distribution of JIA categories in a Turkish JIA cohort. Methods This was a retrospective study of 500 randomized patients in four pediatric rheumatology clinics in Turkey. Results Oligoarticular JIA (oJIA) was the most common JIA disease category in this study cohort (38.8%). The frequencies of the other categories were as follows: enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), 23.2%; rheumatoid factor (RF)–negative polyarthritis, 15.6%; systemic arthritis, 12.2%; juvenile psoriatic arthritis, 5.2%; undifferentiated arthritis, 2.8%; and RF-positive polyarthritis, 2.2%. JIA-associated uveitis was observed in 6.8% of patients at a mean (Standard Deviation, SD) age of 9.1 (3.8) years over a mean JIA disease duration of 4 (1.9) years. Uveitis developed after joint disease, with a mean (SD) duration of 1.8 (1.9) years. Patients with oJIA had the highest rate of uveitis (12.9%) followed by patients with ERA (5.2%) and polyarticular RF-negative disease (3.8%). Compared with persistent oJIA, the extended oJIA category had a > 3-fold higher risk of uveitis (11.3% vs 27.7%; odds ratio, 3.38 [95% Confidence Interval, 1.09–10.4]). The most frequently administered drug after development of uveitis was tumor necrosis factor–alpha inhibitors (38.2%). Five patients (14.7%) had uveitis-related complications that required surgical intervention. Conclusions Turkish pediatric patients with JIA experience a lower frequency of oJIA and higher frequency of ERA than their white European counterparts; the occurrence of uveitis is also somewhat lower than expected. Geographic and ethnic factors may affect these differences and need further investigation.

Youth Violence and Human Security in Nigeria

The failures of governance and statehood in Nigeria breed an anarchical or disruptive system in the state and provide a platform for youth violence and justification for disruptive behaviour against the state systems and structures. Contributing to the available research, this study shifts its focus to understand and address the linkage of disruptive behaviour by studying and discussing Human Security through the lens of youth violence in Nigeria. In doing so, this study adopts a mixed method approach of quantitative and qualitative data with Ted Robert Gurr’s theory of relative deprivation to investigate, analyse and discuss the issues herein. From the findings, cultism and ethnic factors were identified as major causes of youth violence among others. Thus, effective institutions, quality education, economic and security regional or geopolitical zones programs is noted as a means to address youth violence in Nigeria.

Social Determinants and Ethnic Factors Associated with a New Spatial Distribution of Maternal Mortality for a City of Colombia (2000-2019)

Introduction: Maternal mortality in our region observed a significative reduction, however, it continues to be a a public health problem. In Cali-Colombia was traditionally concentrated in the eastern and hillside areas and with high prevalence of afroamerican patients. Materials and methods: To analyze the behavior of maternal mortality during the last twenty years in the city, an ecological analytical study of spatial correlation was carried out including in the analysis, economic, sociocultural and health care factors. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyzes were performed. Results: The spatial analysis showed clusters of maternal mortality in the northern and central areas of the city. As a risk factor for maternal mortality, it was observed that in pregnant women belonging to the mixed ethnic backgrounds and spanic white ethnicity from low socioeconomic income (IRR: 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24). Access to basic education (OR: 0.66, 95% CI 0.53-0.83), attendance at prenatal care (OR: 0.95 95% CI 0.93-0.98) and access to health institutions (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95-0-97) identified as protective factors for maternal mortality. Conclusion: The clusters for maternal-perinatal mortality in the city during the last two decades had a significant spatial change with a new pattern of risk factors associated to maternal mortality.

Genocide of Rohingya Muslims and Role of Contemporary World Actors

Myanmar is the region of Buddhist religious community where lived other races as minorities like Rohingya Muslims. From many decades the Muslims have been victims of widespread violation policies of the Myanmar government. It is adopted gradual, multidimensional discriminatory and oppressive policies against the Rohingya people. The proposed research is an attempt to explore the reasons behind genocide activities took against the Rohingya as a Muslim minority in Myanmar (former Burma). The Muslim minority issue in Myanmar is attached to the past when they came and settled in southern areas of the former Burma (Myanmar). The Rohingya minority crises are also creating the political and regional tensions. So, the local and international powers are diverting their attention to handle the issues of Rohingya Muslims as well. Through the deductive and analytical approach very best tried to analyze the social and ethnic factors into the scenario of Rohingya Muslims genocide confronts within the structure of non-traditional security crisis. The inhuman activities against Rohingya Muslims can stop and bring about a durable solution by the concrete efforts of the local and international communities.

FOREGROUNDING OF POSTCOLONIAL ELEMENTS IN HANIF KUREISHI’S THE BLACK ALBUM

Purpose of the study: This study aims to examine the postcolonial elements i.e, hybridity, mimicry, and ambivalence concerning Hanif Kureishi’s novel The Black Album (1995). The protagonist of the novel faces religious, economic, social, racial, and ethnic identities in a tormenting and perturbing social order of England. Methodology: This article is based on inductive reasoning and thus exploratory due to its qualitative nature. A close reading method is applied to the text of this paper. For this purpose, the researcher has read carefully the book Close Reading (The Basics 2018) by David Greenham. The method consists of five stages through which the paper scrutinized. Main Findings: The researcher endeavors to find out religious, economic, ethnic, cultural, and social factors behind the identity crisis faced by the protagonist. Hybridity, mimicry, assimilation, and ambivalence play a very vital role in the social life of the protagonist. The researcher found that Shahid Hassan is caught between two identities i.e, Islamic fundamentalism and liberalism. Islamic fundamentalism offered him much peace and satisfaction with the Islamic religion whose leader is Riaz Al Husain but the liberalism attracts his attention with drugs, sex, music, freedom, rock n` rolls, and carefree life in form of Deedee Osgood who is his mentor and is a college lecturer too. He becomes the victim of hybrid identity and remains in an ambivalent state of mind. Being a British immigrant, he always remains in search of his true identity. Being a postcolonial novel, it helps the students, teachers, and literature lovers to know about the biased and rude behaviour of the whites towards non-whites. Application of the study: Foregrounding of postcolonial elements is very significant only in the field of postcolonial study because it highlights economic, religious, political, social, cultural, and ethnic factors of identity crisis. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study is an original contribution as it examines the economic, political, racial, social, and ethnic issues faced by the protagonist. The researcher employed Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial elements to examine the identity crisis faced by the protagonist. Moreover, the close reading method for data analysis is based on originality as well as novelty.

THE SCIENTIST IS ONLY HUMAN: THE DIALECTICS OF SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE IN SCIENTIFIC STYLE

В рамках проблемы соотношения объективного-субъективного рассматривается специфика научного стиля. Показано, что традиционное представление о доминированиии объективного, внеличностного начала в стиле научных работ может быть пересмотрено на основе учета индивидуально-этнических и иных параметров стилеобразования. The specifics of scientific style are surveyed within the frame of correlation of the subjective and objective. It is shown that the traditional idea of domineering of objectivity in the scientific style can be revaluated in case individual and ethnic factors of style-forming are taken into account.