Journal of Special Treatment, 2024. Vol.10.(Special Issue) - full text

Inter-ethnic marriages present a captivating arena for examining assimilation and acculturation processes, where individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds merge their identities. This article delves into the dynamics of inter-ethnic marriages in the Turkestan region of Southern Kazakhstan through the lens of assimilation and acculturation theories. Utilizing data collected from 45 interviews across five villages, including Zhana Iqan, Hantagy, Shornak, Turki poselkasy, and Kentau, the study explores various aspects of daily life such as language usage, religious practices, traditions, cuisine, and ethnic values. Research questions probe how individuals negotiate cultural differences in their interactions and interpret multicultural coexistence through assimilation, acculturation, and dissimilation theories. The hypothesis posits three cohabitation patterns -acculturation, assimilation, and dissimilation- equally valid within the same cultural and geographical space. Employing qualitative methods including interviews and surveys, the study uncovers patterns of adaptation and the degree of assimilation or acculturation within relationships. By analyzing data through the prism of assimilation and acculturation theories, the study sheds light on how cultural elements are integrated into daily routines and decision-making processes within inter-ethnic marriages. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how individuals navigate cultural diversity within marital relationships, enriching scholarly discourse on multiculturalism and societal relations.

The existing ethical leadership literature reflects a Western-based private sector perspective, implying a compliance-oriented view of ethical leadership. Developing a more comprehensive understanding of how ethical leadership is viewed in the Western and Eastern cultural clusters, as well as the private and public sectors, is crucial because today's leaders must lead ethically across cultures and sectors more and more. Addressing this issue, the present study explores how employees from Eastern cultures define ethical leadership and which characteristics they associate with ethical leaders. A qualitative study was conducted through interviews this study conducted 10 confidential individual interviews with leaders and employees in a public organization in Jordan. The findings indicate that while there may be similarities with Western perspectives on ethical leadership such as honesty; respect, fairness, and justice, there are also distinct characteristics and priorities that reflect the unique socio-cultural context of the region like religiosity, accountability, responsibility, and trustworthiness.

Urbanization in Kyrgyzstan, in particular the capital city of Bishkek faces the rapid growth of new settlements that often outpaces the developmental issues such as infrastructure, housing shortages, social services, employment, environmental impact, cultural and social integration, security, land ownership and property rights. These issues can be complex, and lead to disputes and uncertainty for residents. This can hinder development in new settlements. Efforts to address these urbanization issues in new settlements around Bishkek city should involve comprehensive urban planning, infrastructure development, land management, and social policies. It's essential to ensure that urbanization contributes to improved living conditions and opportunities for all residents, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth.

This research aims to identify hygeralai from a historical aspect as one of the local types of local knowledge that lives in the indigenous community of Luang Island, Maluku Province, Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative research method with a historical approach. Data collection techniques in this research through in-depth interviews, field observations and literature studies. The analysis technique used in this research is historical analysis. The results of field research show that the etymology of hygeralai began as a sign of identity, a sign of ownership, a sign of territorial boundaries and used by the ancestors of Luang Island at that time. In its development, it underwent changes related to several attributes and organization when Protestant Christianity entered. The results of exploration in the field show that the etymology of hygeralai is also influenced by the environment and geography. This is evidenced by its affiliation with one of the plants that grow on Luang Island, the koli tree. From this affiliation material, it is also important to display the position of Luang Island in the division of flora in Indonesia according to Wallacea and Weber line. Thus, we can analyze the history of plant movements used by the ancestors in etymology of hygeralai. The hygeralai research results from this historical position are then compared in general with other terms in Maluku related to environmental and natural resource management. The results of this research contribute to local history, especially the management of natural resources based on local wisdom in coastal communities and border areas.

From the sufferings their art was born, from the torture they lived in during their life as slaves their music was created. From the torturing tools used on them they created their own musical instruments. From their screams as slaves, they composed a new music with unique rhythms. Gnawa become a cultural phenomenon in Morocco. A sufi confrerie imploring God, the prophet and the saints to release them from slavery, torture and the sufferings they encountered. Their music is considered spiritual because it calls souls to join its magic. Gnawa plays a psychotherapeutic role in healing people from various diseases through the practices of syncretic rituals and the trance state they put the participants into. All of these elements music, dances and rituals converge and synthesize into an event called lila a rich ceremony in which the sick tormented by spirits could get healed. This paper examines the practices and impact of the lila ceremony on the community from a psychological point of view revealing each step of the collective healing process and methods as used in the rituals.

This work encompasses an analysis of the dictatorship experienced in Brazil between 1937 and 1945, during the Estado Novo (New State), the government of Getúlio Vargas, when there was an attempt to consolidate a fictitious homogeneity in the country, especially regarding culture. In a country where layers of different cultural influences converge, making it rich, unique, and celebrated for its diversity, cultural heritage is of extreme importance. During this period, in a contradictory manner, through repression and adaptation of culture to fit the interests of the State, the period witnessed censorship and sometimes even the forgetting of cultural heritages that somewhat conflicted with the interests of the regime at the time. The issues that emerge are related to the impact of nationalism in the face of the repression of the expression of different cultures, through documentary research in primary sources, including publications in local newspapers and testimonials from descendants of the local community about the collective memory of the repression of the cultural expression of immigrants in the southern region, finally reaching the feelings generated that resonate to this day. The analysis reached a possible rupture and distortion of the collective memory, indicating how nationalism shaped and still shapes imagined communities. Amidst a discussion that also presents an analysis of the role of nationalist discourses in architecture and its homogenization.

Mythological creatures have enchanted and intrigued human beings for ages, and humans unconsciously stimulated their fears and insecurities. People have created a vampire-paranormal obsession that is reflected in everything that human creativity has touched, especially in film adaptations. In this article, readers will see the representation of the mythological creature Vampire on the Serbian film screen. The article dissects two selected films, “She-Butterfly” and “The Holy Place” from the vampire-induced horrors of the South Slavic cinematography. They will representatively be the focus of the study. These examples will reveal how the film of that time conjured up the horror, fear, and general aura of the mythological creature Vampire that has haunted the human race for centuries. In contrast to film representations, the author places a vampire from folklore as a pillar for comparison or a test sample to analyze the similarities, differences, and credibility of the representations in the film. Regarding the supportive material, we will extensively rely on the "Serbian Mythological Dictionary" as it provides a solid collection of various folk explanations and descriptions, which we will use for comparison. The methodological approach includes a description of the film plot with important elements, the analysis of the mentioned elements of interest within separate important parts of the plot, and a comparison with a folklore vampire within the analysis.

The phenomena of migration and diaspora are becoming more common in the context of globalization, and the idea of “home” has taken on several dimensions and complexity for dispersed populations. In order to investigate how the concept of "home" is recreated in the diaspora, this study focuses on Chinese immigrants. The study examines how culture and geography interact to define “home,” drawing on the idea of “diaspora,” and how travel affects “homemaking” in Chinese Migratory Movements. Additionally, the study discusses maintaining cultural continuity in globalization and reshaping individual and collective identities in the practices of “travelling-in-dwelling, dwelling-in-travelling” (Clifford 1992,108).

The article attempts to ponder on the prevalent religious beliefs, urban (vernacular) legends, everyday customs and traditions related to the figure of the jinn and its origins. The study will discuss the mentioned from the point of view of official Sunni Islam, in order to better unweave the disposition Islam towards superstitions and vernacular beliefs.  The aim of study is to provide the generic Islamic concept about the jinn and to place it into a context within the framework of individual interpretations of the interview subjects who reside in Kuwait, are Sunni Muslims, men, and women, between the age of 18-65. The applied resources were the Holy Quran, websites marked authentic for Quran interpretations, and contemporary and past literature written on the subject. Further, several interviews with the local Arabic community, blogs, articles of urban legends, and Ruqyah are the backbones of the present paper.

Filipinos consider Holy Week as the holiest of days of Lent and Easter. During this time, the country is shrouded with centuries-old rituals and practices that persist in contemporary times. Using the framework of gender performativity, this study examines three forms of pamamanata (devotion): pagsasanto (taking care of a religious image), penitensya (penance), and salubong (Easter procession). The aim is to identify pamamanata practices that align with the feminine, masculine, gay, and those bordering between masculine and feminine tropes. The study maximized data from the author’s fieldwork and ethnographic materials written by academics. This study found that the three pamamanata traditions are gendered practices and that these are affected by the agencies of the family, community, and religion.

Intersectionality depicts the intricate interplay of various social categorizations in shaping the experiences of individuals or communities rather than single categorization alone. This article attempts to introduce intersectionality as an essential theoretical framework for research and analysis of migrant workers' lived experience with social inequalities, and at the same time, their social positionings. Initially a critique of academic feminism from a Black activist and more inclusive perspective, intersectionality has been quickly adopted by researchers from other fields as a framework due to its usefulness in researching inequalities. By tracing intersectionality back to the context where Crenshaw coined the term, together with the presentation of its key proponents and analyses of two case studies, this article hopes to shed light on the way intersectionality can be an essential tool to explore the way migrant workers employ their multiple and intersecting identities to seek upward social mobility.

This text delves into the redefinition of the role of women among the Bukusu of Bungoma County in western Kenya from the year 1945 to 2023. The paper’s main objective is to investigate the origin of the change of roles of women among the Bukusu people. The research holds the hypothesis that there is an origin for the prevailing transformations of roles of women among the Bukusu. It makes use of existing literature such as books, journals, articles, magazines, and newspapers, and existing observations. This research is significant in adding new knowledge to the anthropological studies of women with a particular focus on the Bukusu women of Bungoma County in Kenya. The research design employed in the article is historical methods with the utilization of books, journals, and research works as secondary sources that will back and complement the author’s observations. The article establishes that changes in the roles of women in the Bukusu community emanate from missionary activities, colonialism especially the colonial cash crop economy, and political modernization in the region.

On behalf of the Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs of the University of Debrecen (Hungary), and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Special Treatment [Különleges Bánásmód] we kindly invite you to our International Scientific Conference.

Date of the conference:  12 April 2023

Conference venue:

University of Debrecen
Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs, 
4032, Hajdúböszörmény (Hungary), Désány str, 1-9.

The conference program can be read in the study.