The Heritage Given: Cultural Landscape and Heritage of the Vistula Delta Mennonites as Perceived by the Contemporary Residents of the Region

All tangible and intangible elements of cultural heritage that the past has conceded to local communities create unique landscapes shaped by tightly connected anthropogenic and natural factors. This heritage is a keystone of local identity which plays a significant role in politics, economic development, society and world view. In some regions, such as in the Vistula delta in Poland, the cultural heritage has been created by consecutive groups of settlers who represented different values, beliefs and ways of life. On the one hand, such a rich heritage may be perceived as a valuable asset and become a landmark or tourism product of a region. On the other hand, it may be perceived as alien and unwanted by contemporary residents, especially when they are not descendants of the former communities. The main objective of the study presented herein is to analyse how the residents of the Vistula delta region, called Żuławy Wiślane, perceive and use cultural heritage of the Mennonites, representing the most extraordinary group of settlers who used to live in the region. The analysis covers original data gathered during survey research in the period of 2017–2018 under the project Miniatura I “Perception and usage of cultural heritage of the Vistula delta Mennonites” financed by the National Science Centre in Poland.

Kremlin tightens grip on Russian regional governance

Significance The legislation is the most radical and comprehensive reform of centre-regional relations since Vladimir Putin became president in 1999. Formalising and consolidating a steady process of political centralisation, it further shifts powers from the regional heads and assemblies to the president and the federal executive. Impacts After years of attempts to forge a Russia-wide ethos, local identity politics will become more visible. The September regional elections are another opportunity to pre-select regional leaders before they are approved by voters. Regional leaders removed and replaced ahead of the elections may include the Communist head of Khakassia, Valentin Konovalov.

(Non)fuzziness of Identity in the Spanish-Portuguese Borderland: The Case of the Linguistic Community of A Fala de Xálima (Spain)

(Non)fuzziness of Identity in the Spanish-Portuguese Borderland: The Case of the Linguistic Community of A Fala de Xálima (Spain)This article analyses the social dynamics observable in a conversation with a minoritized language activist about the neighbouring speech communities. The study demonstrates that the local variety, along with its socially meaningful context, can be an important factor for the interactionally constructed local identity. The interviewee is a member of the community of practice of A Fala de Xálima, a Galician-Portuguese Romance minoritized language with about 5,000 speakers; they live in the Spanish province of Cáceres (on the border with Portugal). The analysis applies the ontological and epistemological principles of sociocultural linguistics in order to identify some indexical interactional orientations, such as stance and ideology. (Nie)ostrość tożsamości na pograniczu hiszpańsko-portugalskim – przypadek społeczności językowej A Fala de Xálima (Hiszpania)Celem artykułu jest analiza dynamik społecznych, które można zaobserwować w konwersacji z aktywistą na rzecz języka mniejszościowego, prowadzonej na temat sąsiednich społeczności językowych. W dalszej kolejności, celem jest ukazanie, że lokalna odmiana językowa, brana pod uwagę wraz ze swoim społecznie znaczącym kontekstem, może znacząco wpływać na lokalną tożsamość językową, budowaną w sposób interakcjonalny. Rozmowa została przeprowadzona z członkiem wspólnoty praktyki A Fala de Xálima – języka mniejszościowego należącego do galicyjsko-portugalskiej grupy języków romańskich – która liczy ok. 5000 użytkowników mieszkających w hiszpańskiej prowincji Cáceres (na granicy z Portugalią). W analizie autor posługuje się zasadami ontologiczno-epistemologicznymi tzw. językoznawstwa społeczno-kulturowego i przy ich użyciu opisuje wybrane orientacje indeksykalne o charakterze interakcjonalnym, takie jak pozycjonowania społeczne (ang. stance) i ideologie.

ISLAMIC INFLUENCE ON WOODCARVING MOTIFS IN JOHOR TRADITIONAL MALAY HOUSES

Woodcarving motifs can be influenced by various aspects, including religions and beliefs. Malaysia is known for its cultural diversity and is rich with traditional heritage. Malay is one of the major ethnic groups in Malaysia and is considered as the majority of the country's population, contributing to the significant heritage, including art, decoration, and even architecture. Traditional woodcarving is an intricate Malay heritage and is the symbol of Malay art. A study on Malay woodcarvings is critically needed in order to know the influence that occurs on the selection of the motifs. It is such a waste to see our woodcarving heritage destroyed unappreciated and undocumented, especially on Johor woodcarvings, as many studies in other states have done. More and more traditional Johor Malay houses are being demolished day by day before we know the historical influence on the existence. The objective of this paper was to identify the woodcarving motifs found in Johor Malay houses and to identify their influence. Site visits were conducted in which the woodcarvings of 50 houses were examined, photographed, and documented. Interviews were also conducted with the house owners and the woodcarvers. The samples were analyzed, and the results were verified by experts. The results show that floral motifs lead the statistic, and the pumpkin motif, known as 'labu maya', takes the highest percentage of the overall motifs. It is concluded that the Islamic religion is the biggest influence that contributes to the findings. The findings also show that the 'labu maya' motif is the identity of the Johor woodcarving motifs. It is hoped that this study can bring recognition to Johor woodcarvings, and contribute valuable guides for woodcarvers to apply these motif typologies into their future works to sustain and cherish the Johor local identity.

PRESERVING IDENTITY OF HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENTS IN SIBERIA: A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: Currently, the projects related to the development of identical historical environments in Siberia, Russia, are predominately inconsistent. Yet there is an opportunity to find a more holistic approach to sustaining local heritage, which could address local cultures and identities through an understanding of how the location, as well as specific spatial and architectural practices, evolve. Purpose of the study: The study aimed to establish a theoretical and methodological framework for sustaining the local identity in architectural terms. Methods: According to the methodological recommendations of Groat and Wang, such methods as critical literature review and logical argumentation were used. Results: The research came to the conclusion that the city identity can be unfolded through two or more congruent layers of existence. This study deals with architectural heritage and society as two types of such layers. It suggests that the local identities of historical environments could be sustained by a combination of the following methods: 1) looking to the past, through analyzing the city’s fabric and searching for “social traces” and semiotic meanings; 2) looking to the future, through using participatory design methods. This methodology should be further tested on specific historical environments in Siberia. The critical literature review will provide researchers and practitioners in the field with a fundamental theoretical framework.

Menus for the Soul Changing Food Landscapes in Contemporary Japan

As Nancy K. Stalker (2018) points out, in recent years food in Japan has established itself as a fundamental feature of national and local identity and became one of Japan's most influential cultural brands. An intriguing example is the B-kyū gurume boom, the celebration of creative versions of typical comfort food, intertwined with the obsession for local traditions. Such processes are reflected in representations of food in media and arts: contemporary culture plays a fundamental role in shaping but also in connoting food culture with new meanings. The aim of this paper is to analyze the construction and narration of contemporary Japanese food culture in one of the most recent and successful franchises, Shin’ya Shokudō, the popular manga by Abe Yarō, which inspired the Netflix series that enjoyed unexpected international success in 2017.

Key Identity Features of Urban Youth: The Case of Krasnodar Krai

This article is devoted to the study of urban youth local identity in a large and medium city. This identity is manifested in everyday interaction with the urban community, its socio-political institutions and visitors and affect the level of public and political participation, the presence of constructive civic practices. The aim is to identify and describe the main components and place of local youth identity in the system of social identities in large and medium-sized cities of Krasnodar krai (Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Sochi and Armavir). The empirical basis of the study was made up of focus group transcripts conducted with various groups of young people (schoolchildren, students, and working youth). To verify the conceptual model a modified version of the Kuhn-McPartland method was used. On the basis of the conducted empirical research, the place of local identity in the system of urban youth social and territorial identities was revealed. The dependence between the size of a city and a cohort of young people and a local identity was shown. Such components of young people local identity as awareness of the city and its socio-political life, attitude towards representatives of other communities, a sense of their involvement in city life, the desire to stay and live in the city, the will to work for the benefit of the city, to participate in its socio-political life. The study made it possible to identify the valence of youth identity (negative, neutral, positive). The trajectories of young people spatial mobility that affect the degree of actualization and valence of local identity were also described. The dependence between the strength of youth local identity and participation in public and political activity for the benefit of the city and the region, participation in the activities of public and political organizations has been revealed.