The paper follows and compares the narratives around sacred bread in four religious communities within the multicultural Transylvanian area of Brasov: Orthodox Christianity, Lutheran Christianity, Romano-Catholic, and Judaic. Information regarding the practice of bread making during key religious celebrations was gathered via six semi-structured interviews and analysed by interpretative phenomenology analysis (IPA), thus providing a summary of what unites and what distinguishes the four religious communities and also indicating a few directions for the common ground in building an inclusive multi-narrative perspective.  The study approaches a field less scrutinized, that of comparative studies regarding similarities, differences, and influences between various religious communities in basic life situations – like food and symbolism associated with religious celebrations.

Throughout the history of Architecture and Urbanism, many efforts were made and continue being done in order to learn how to successfully design good built environments for human beings. This goal has not only expanded to several other fields such as Geography, Sociology, and Environmental Psychology but also received new and invaluable contributions from several other unexpected fields. Such might be the case with the field of Viticulture and its interesting concept of terroir which has already been used to address topics connected with urbanism and against the increased globalization. The process of globalization in which people are instead considered as citizens of a new global world order reduces the place and rather creates a world of “placelessness”. As a concept, terroir sheds light on the importance of authenticity and how a sense of feeling can generate a cultural identity. However, in a time where neoliberal politics are increasing with a strengthened nationalism, it can also be a source of politics. Although its authenticity can be used as a means to work against globalization, it can also install a perception of unity to the local people, therefore excluding foreigners and maintaining an ideal that is unattainable for multicultural cities. The purpose of this paper is to primarily suggest a definition for a new concept entitled urban terroir and to reveal the elements of the interactive urban ecosystem of a place embodied in our cities’ characteristic and distinctive qualities. In addition, the paper also has an objective of understanding how architects, planners, politicians, and developers can deeply understand terroir when creating places and policies without excluding people from the developed cultural identity it is meant to create. This is possible by interviewing residents from three cities in France, Mulhouse, Dunkerque, and Toulouse, and different areas in the municipality of Stockholm about their respective perception of terroir in the form of authenticity and its linkage to placemaking that may act as an accelerator to further exclusion of cultural minorities in the urban environment. The obtained results conclude a definition of urban terroir as a compilation of elements and certain characteristics that collectively, with respect to the residents in an area, make up the essence of a city. These elements comprise the architecture and its historical significance, inherent traditions tied to the region, temporal legibility, the elements of scale including nodes, paths, landmarks, districts as well as edges, and ultimately, the inclusion of minorities. The author also raises the potential romanticization of nationalism with terroir and authenticity. Thus, policies according to Interculturalism are derived which firstly include acknowledging the impact that politicians have. This includes securing housing, providing strategies to work against the identified ethnic segregation, and developing an agenda that promotes interactions whilst simultaneously nurturing inclusive cultural identities. As for architects and urban planners, the study concludes the potential placemaking has in fostering micro-public places in the city where different cultures can meet. The authenticity behind these places should go beyond the physical attributes and instead include the people living in the city. It becomes crucial to view the city as not limited to the inner-city, but also validate the right to the city and placemaking of inhabitants residing in the periphery by organizing initiatives that foster growth in such areas of the city. By working against the identified current state, in the form of generating authentic interactions with a social attachment to minority cultures, urban planners are able to present an understanding of the inevitable political aspect of placemaking.

This thesis explores the relationship between architecture, cultural identity, and context in a pluralistic reality, focusing on the context of Indian temple complexes in the American suburb of Jersey City. It argues that Architecture becomes alienating when its form and function do not reflect the culture of its occupants, resulting in inflexible and un-adaptable spaces. Traditional temple complexes in India serve as examples where space is activated daily, expressing authentic cultural symbols that emerge from the community's experiences and demand for expression. However, With the increasing prevalence of Indian culture in American cities, insular temples so thoroughly commit to traditional authenticity to such an extent that they lose the ability to self define and relate to their surrounding context. By analyzing customs and traditions, this thesis emphasizes on the importance to reinterpret and incorporate them into contemporary architectural terms, rather than merely adapting traditional forms, The project proposes a contemporary design intervention for the Indian community in Jersey City's India Square, aiming to provide a space that represents their cultural identity while engaging with the broader American narrative. By studying the principles of a temple in a secular way and integrating elements that represent the Indian community, the design seeks to create an immersive experience for visitors and foster a stronger sense of community and connection to the built environment. Through an exploration of architectural design processes, historical context, and community engagement, the thesis aims to demonstrate how architecture can respect existing conditions, relate to current needs, and provide opportunities for expansion and adaptive reuse. Through the integration of archetypal experiences and rituals related to the site's festive celebrations, it creates a dialogue with the surrounding socio-cultural context that also promotes collaboration and inclusivity. / Master of Architecture / The thesis explores the question of how architecture can preserve cultural identity and experience in a foreign context. The thesis explores the challenges of adapting religious architecture in different contexts and the potential loss of authenticity when adhering strictly to traditional forms. The research focuses on Indian temples in the United States, particularly in New Jersey, where Indian culture has become prevalent. It argues that integrated and adaptive temple complexes are more effective and authentic in expressing cultural identity than insular ones, as they allow for a stronger connection with the surrounding context. As a response, this thesis proposes a contemporary design intervention for the Indian community in Jersey City's India Square, aiming to provide a space that represents their cultural identity while engaging with the broader American narrative. By studying the principles of temples in a secular way and integrating elements that explicitly represent the Indian community, the design seeks to create an immersive experience for visitors and foster a stronger sense of community and connection to the built environment. By exploring architectural design processes, historical context, and community engagement, the thesis demonstrates how architecture can cater to community's needs, and provide opportunities for expansion and future reuse.

The purpose of this thesis is to create a conceptual framework for designing culturally responsive game based learning (GBL) with diverse students by including their cultural capital. This addition of cultural capital can contribute to the students' learning capabilities. This framework provides a structure of workshops and best practices for game designers and pedagogical professionals to jointly incorporate cultural capital into GBL, specifically in an Aotearoa/New Zealand context. Although many studies have been conducted on the benefits of culturally responsive teaching, limited research exists on GBL in this context. New Zealand educators are already implementing GBL in classrooms, but they can have difficulties with creating culturally responsive perspectives. The proposed framework facilitates collaboration with game designers, educators, students, cultural leaders and community members to co-create GBL that reflects a multicultural society's cultural capital. The key contribution is the conceptual framework that identifies how to incorporate cultural capital into GBL. Future research is needed to evaluate the framework's effectiveness for culturally diverse student groups in NZ and other culturally diverse student groups with similar colonial histories.

No description available.

[pt] O presente trabalho estuda o movimento modernista no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, por meio do periódico A Revista, que circulou entre os anos de 1919 a 1923 e refletiu o interesse dos intelectuais fluminenses em destacar a relevância de seu modernismo nos debates que pensavam a nação no início do século XX. A Revista promoveu um intenso discurso de valorização da modernidade como elemento fundamental ao progresso e, por conseguinte, ao destaque do Estado do Rio. Essa argumentação partia da antiga capital, Niterói, e difundia-se para os demais municípios interioranos. Para essa tarefa, os letrados, que dirigiam esse periódico, ponderaram sobre educação, ciência, reformas urbanas, progresso e civismo, e realçaram os fluminenses no quadro da federação brasileira, especialmente, às vésperas de se completar cem anos de independência. Nesse sentido, as comemorações dos centenários, não só da pátria (1922), mas, também, da fundação de Niterói (1919), foram momentos especiais para criar uma memória peculiar do Estado do Rio. O modernismo fluminense provocou um conjunto de reflexões, que seus intelectuais utilizaram como instrumento de transformação da sociedade, a fim de redefinir a identidade cultural fluminense no cenário nacional. / [en] The present work studies the modernist movement in Rio de Janeiro from the magazine A Revista, which was diffused between the years of 1919 to 1923 and it represented the fluminenses` intellectual interests on distinguishing the relevance of their modernism in the debates which thought the nation in the beginning of the 20th century. A Revista encouraged an intense speech which added value to modernity as fundamental component to the progress and therefore to emphasize the Rio de Janeiro state. This reasoning came from the former capital city, Niterói, and it was spread over the other villages. To this task, the thinkers, who managed this magazine, thought about education, science, urban reforms, progress and civism, and it detached the fluminenses in the Brazilian federation frame specially on the verge of completing one hundred years of independence. In this sense, the celebrations of the centennials, not only of the country (1922), but the foundation of Niterói (1919) as well, were special moments to create a peculiar memory to Rio de Janeiro state. The fluminense modernism provoked many thoughts which were used by intellectuals as a tool to change the society, in order to redefine the fluminense cultural identity in the national scenery.

Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka vilka historiska händelser och begrepp som är det samlande kittet för ungdomars svenska kulturella identitet idag. För att undersöka detta har vi genomfört en kvantitativ studie på Pauliskolan, en gymnasieskola i Malmö. Enkäten fokuserar på frågeställningar som berör den svenska efterkrigsidentiteten. Begrepp som vi har lyft fram är bl.a. den svenska neutraliteten och folkhemmet. Med hjälp av aktuell forskning kring identitet och svensk mentalitet har vi analyserat vårt material. Resultatet av studien visar att den svenska efterkrigsidentiteten fortfarande är starkt närvarande hos ungdomarna i vår undersökning. Detta kan förklaras framför allt genom kombinationen av narrativ identitet och kamouflerad försvenskning. / The purpose of this essay was to examine which historical events and concepts that are the unifying cement of the Swedish cultural identity for today’s youths. We have made a quantitative study on Pauliskolan, a high school in Malmoe. The poll focuses on questions about the Swedish post-war identity. Neutrality and the Swedish welfare state are examples of concepts that we have highlighted. We analyse our material by using current research about identity and Swedish mentality. The result of the study shows that the Swedish post-war identity is still strongly present among youths in our study. This can be explained through a combination of narrative identity and camouflaged swedification.

In my drawings and animation, I create a representation of a culture that is instilled in me, yet foreign. The work is inspired from a childlike perspective to depict a personal primitive experience with the Korean culture. The subtleties of the animations are meant to reflect the quiet nature of Asian paintings and to allow the viewer to experience and interpret it as they choose. I want others to see without hearing words in an already noisy world.

The growing Thai community in Eastern Massachusetts has an unofficial ethnic enclave that surrounds the neighborhood of Allston/Brighton. Studies of Thai communities in the United States indicate that Thai-Americans have limited access to quality health care in the United States due to factors that contribute to health disparities such as language barriers and cultural beliefs. As a result, Thai people have different approaches to how they treat illnesses through traditional Thai medicine (TTM), Western medicine (also called biomedicine), or a mixture of both medical systems. This study examines healthways Thai/Thai Americans in Eastern Massachusetts draw on in response to different illnesses. In-depth stories of how this community engages in illness prevention and responses to the experiences of illness illuminated by Thai people’s approaches to different medical systems helps us understand how they present their values when seeking medical care. I argue that responses to various illness episodes experienced by members of the Thai community in Eastern Massachusetts influence perceived health and health-seeking behaviors. Factors that contribute to Thai-American health practices include: religion, sociocultural elements (cultural identity, generational differences, cross-cultural differences, structural violence), and Thai constructs of illness and well-being.

The thesis intends to analyze the Caribbean as more than "elsewhere" in modernism through food research. The Eurocentric viewpoint is that the islands are the "other" and that the Caribbean's contributions are not central to the past and present. Representations of food in Caribbean literature reveal dualism, such as Western/African in the tropic's identity, and this dualism can lead to identity issues. Chapter 1 analyzes Caribbean cuisine's mosaic origins from Indian, European, Native, and African influences. Food imagery in Caribbean literature does not separate the Caribbean from its complicated past. However, it notes that the islands should embrace their differences while being cautious of foreign identity dominance. Chapter 2 explores the Caribbean's continuous modernity with other powers. Continuous modernity is established from the beginning of the plantation system, and the pattern of colonial trade remains apparent in the Caribbean's current import dependency. The chapter analyzes how constant interactions with global trade leave the islands with food insecurity, sometimes leading to revolutions or resistance. The section suggests self-sufficiency in the islands by strengthening domestic food production and reshaping past trade patterns.