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Digitalization Methods Of Design Cultural Resources From The Perspective Of Authenticity: A Case Study Of Traditional Chinese Doors And Windows, Qijun Tian, Tie Ji, Hanling Zhang Dec 2025

Digitalization Methods Of Design Cultural Resources From The Perspective Of Authenticity: A Case Study Of Traditional Chinese Doors And Windows, Qijun Tian, Tie Ji, Hanling Zhang

IASDR Conference Series

Based on the concept of cultural heritage authenticity, this study addresses key challenges such as insufficient semantic clarity and limited adaptability in the digitalization of cultural resources. It proposes a three-stage digitalization pathway: "cognitive authenticity, recording authenticity, expressive authenticity," and develops a structured methodological framework for applying digitalized cultural resources to design contexts. Using traditional Chinese doors and windows as case studies, the research systematically undertakes semantic identification, three-dimensional data acquisition, and semantic modeling of cultural elements, subsequently establishing a knowledge representation mechanism that facilitates creative generation. Through the "data-tool-design" process, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed framework …


Cultural Resonance – Understanding Food Cultures To Inform Adaptive Ai For Healthy And Sustainable Eating, Emily Groves, Zeynep Erol, Sebastian Baez-Lugo, Nicolas Henchoz, Margherita Motta Dec 2025

Cultural Resonance – Understanding Food Cultures To Inform Adaptive Ai For Healthy And Sustainable Eating, Emily Groves, Zeynep Erol, Sebastian Baez-Lugo, Nicolas Henchoz, Margherita Motta

IASDR Conference Series

applications in this domain often disregard the complex array of factors that shape food perceptions and practices, leading to exclusion and disengagement. At the same time, AI offers opportunities to adapt digital systems based on individual preferences and behaviours. This paper reports the first stage of work to design an AI-powered digital tool that introduces users to principles of healthy and sustainable eating across different cultural contexts. Using cultural probes and semi-structured interviews, we investigate lived experiences and socio-cultural connections to food and eating practices. Our findings reveal the diversity of eating frameworks and highlight the need for adaptive AI …


Design For All: Mitigating Systemic Bias And Hidden Violence In Ai Voice Assistants For Visually Impaired Users, Jie Meng, Yufei Zhang, Ziwei Lin Dec 2025

Design For All: Mitigating Systemic Bias And Hidden Violence In Ai Voice Assistants For Visually Impaired Users, Jie Meng, Yufei Zhang, Ziwei Lin

IASDR Conference Series

AI voice assistants promise greater accessibility, yet misalignments in their design can reproduce systemic bias. This study examines the usability of AI voice assistants for blind and low-vision users through a multi-method qualitative approach. We combined a literature review with observation- assisted usability sessions (n = 23) and semi-structured interviews (n = 8) with participants in China and the UK. Thematic ally analysing the corpus in NVivo 14, we identified four recurring challenges: elevated task error rates; limited recognition of diverse accents alongside vague or inconsistent auditory feedback; interface barriers that embed visual dependencies; and a resulting sense of exclusion …


A Reflective Lab Journal For Biodesign: Navigating More-Than-Human Sensibilities And Disciplinary Tensions, Jiho Kim, Iohanna Nicenboim, Joana Martins, Elvin Karana Dec 2025

A Reflective Lab Journal For Biodesign: Navigating More-Than-Human Sensibilities And Disciplinary Tensions, Jiho Kim, Iohanna Nicenboim, Joana Martins, Elvin Karana

IASDR Conference Series

This paper introduces reflective journaling as a tool for advancing biodesign practices, merging documentation methods from biology and design while integrating more-than-human sensibilities into laboratory practices. It highlights the need for tools that can flexibly support record-keeping across biology and design, balancing precision and accountability with iteration, creativity, and collaboration. Furthermore, it critically addresses calls to support care ethics and nurturing multispecies interactions within biodesign. Through an explorative review of diverse documentation formats, including laboratory notebooks and annotated portfolios, and informed by our own biodesign experiences, we introduce the Reflective Biodesign Lab Journal as a potential approach to address these …


Designing And Evaluating A Cross-Scale Gamified Learning System For Circuit Education: Bridging Macro-And Micro-Cognitive Levels, Qingyu Hu Dec 2025

Designing And Evaluating A Cross-Scale Gamified Learning System For Circuit Education: Bridging Macro-And Micro-Cognitive Levels, Qingyu Hu

IASDR Conference Series

This study presents the design and evaluation of a cross-scale gamified learning system aimed at enhancing middle school students’ understanding of fundamental circuit concepts. Addressing the cognitive challenge of integrating macro-level circuit structures, micro-level electron dynamics, and symbolic representations, the system adopts a dual-mode interactive design. At the macro level, a tabletop interface enables hands-on assembly of real circuit components, supported by projection- based guidance to visualize circuit logic. At the micro level, a first-person motion-sensing game immerses learners in the oscillator ybehavior of electrons, facilitating embodied cognition. Througha practice-led design process and classroom-based user testing, this study demonstrates how …


Dysphagia Dynamics: Momentary Biofeedback And User-Experience-Driven Wearable System For Post-Stroke Swallowing Rehabilitation, Nan Yin, Zhaopeng Zhu, Qi He, Ting Han Dec 2025

Dysphagia Dynamics: Momentary Biofeedback And User-Experience-Driven Wearable System For Post-Stroke Swallowing Rehabilitation, Nan Yin, Zhaopeng Zhu, Qi He, Ting Han

IASDR Conference Series

Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) profoundly affects patients' physical health, functional independence, and overall quality of life. However, existing rehabilitation strategies often face challenges in treatment adherence due to insufficient real-time feedback and low patient motivation. To address these limitations, this study designed and evaluated Dysphagia Dynamics, a wearable rehabilitation system integrating surface electro myo graphy (sEMG)-based biofeedback to guide Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) training. The system includes a wearable device with adjustable resistance, with embedded sensors for monitoring muscle activity, and a mobile application interface that provides visual and auditory feedback along with progress tracking. A one-week trial (n=36) found …


Making The Cabinet Of Bureaucratic Wonders: Productive Encounters With Non-Human Public Agents, Isabella Brandalise, Lucas Vaqueiro, Judy Park Lee Dec 2025

Making The Cabinet Of Bureaucratic Wonders: Productive Encounters With Non-Human Public Agents, Isabella Brandalise, Lucas Vaqueiro, Judy Park Lee

IASDR Conference Series

In this pictorial, we discuss the Cabinet of Bureaucratic Wonders (CBW), a collection and display of artifacts found in public sector facilities. The CBW invited participants to productive encounters with bureaucratic artifacts, such as coat hangers, stamps, and coffee carafes. Our goal was to investigate the agentic effects of office objects—non-human public agents—in steering conduct in institutions. At once an institution, an archive, and an intervention, the CBW appropriates formats of cabinets and employs design anthropology and participatory design methods to engage with public servants in the local and federal governments in Brazil and the USA. The CBW’s collection is …


Synthetic Realities: Evaluating Human Ability To Distinguish Ai-Generated Videos From Real Footage, Danyal Sarfraz, Raja Mubashar Karim, Kwanmyung Kim Dec 2025

Synthetic Realities: Evaluating Human Ability To Distinguish Ai-Generated Videos From Real Footage, Danyal Sarfraz, Raja Mubashar Karim, Kwanmyung Kim

IASDR Conference Series

Recent advances in generative AI have enabled multiple pathways for high‑fidelity video synthesis; text‑to‑video, image‑to‑video animation, and video out painting. Empirical side-by-side evaluations of how untrained viewers perceive and distinguish these outputs from real footage remain scarce. In this study, we systematically compare human detection accuracy across these three AI generation techniques within three thematic contexts: historical footage, film and media content, and natural environments. We constructed a balanced stimulus set comprising equal amounts of real and AI- generated videos (18 each). The AI clips were evenly distributed across the three generation methods using Google’s Veo 3, Lightricks LTX Video, …


Gongbi Artists' Acceptance Of Aigc: An Extended Tam Analysis With Qualitative And Quantitative Data, Yuhang Mao, Anthony Kong Dec 2025

Gongbi Artists' Acceptance Of Aigc: An Extended Tam Analysis With Qualitative And Quantitative Data, Yuhang Mao, Anthony Kong

IASDR Conference Series

Gongbi painting artists’ acceptance of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) through an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Using mixed methods (204 questionnaires and 15 interviews), we explored the effects of cultural adaptability, creative subjectivity, and ethical risk. Findings show that cultural adaptability significantly increases perceived usefulness and ease of use, while ethical risk negatively impacts adoption. Creative subjectivity strongly promotes willingness to use AIGC. However, perceived usefulness and ease of use do not directly affect intention. Results highlight the need for culturally sensitive AI design that balances tradition and innovation, while addressing ethical concerns.


From Complexity To Capability: Design-Led Transformation Of A Taiwanese Sme Under The Iddi Program, Chun-Ting Wu, Mu-En. Liang, Yu-Han Wu, Chao-Hsin Huang Dec 2025

From Complexity To Capability: Design-Led Transformation Of A Taiwanese Sme Under The Iddi Program, Chun-Ting Wu, Mu-En. Liang, Yu-Han Wu, Chao-Hsin Huang

IASDR Conference Series

This paper explores the design-led transformation of Kimu Design, a Taiwanese SME, through its participation in the Industrial Design-Driven Innovation (IDDI) initiative. Employing a single embedded case study and a mixed-methods approach—including structured surveys and semi-structured interviews—the research applies Maylor et al.'s Complexity Assessment Tool (CAT) to assess how public design programs influence innovation across structural, sociopolitical, and emergent dimensions. Findings show that targeted design support enabled Kimu to launch a new modular product line, improve internal workflows, and broaden market reach. While some limitations in budget flexibility and administrative processes were noted, these frameworks also enhanced project clarity and …


From Tick Marks To Crossbones: Designing And Testing Visual Primitives For Medicine Instructions, Mandar Rane, Karel Van Der Waarde Dec 2025

From Tick Marks To Crossbones: Designing And Testing Visual Primitives For Medicine Instructions, Mandar Rane, Karel Van Der Waarde

IASDR Conference Series

This study investigates whether certain symbols can function as universal visual primitives to convey affirmation, negation, and warning without relying on language or context. Postgraduate design students in India created pictogram-based visual instructions for ibuprofen, from which 56 symbols were extracted and standardized in black and white. After refinement, 12 symbols were tested with 240 participants across diverse demographics using open-ended comprehension tests. The tick mark consistently conveyed affirmation, the cross (X) and diagonal slash inside a circle expressed negation, and the skull with crossbones effectively indicated warning. Results highlight the role of familiarity, exposure, and convention in shaping comprehension, …


Design Asset Formation Through Ai-Driven Interpretation Of Text And Visual Data, Yu Syuan Guo, Wan Ting Jiang, Cheng Yuan Wu, Shyhnan Liou Dec 2025

Design Asset Formation Through Ai-Driven Interpretation Of Text And Visual Data, Yu Syuan Guo, Wan Ting Jiang, Cheng Yuan Wu, Shyhnan Liou

IASDR Conference Series

including Yu-Syuan Guo, Wan-Ting Jiang, and Cheng-Yuan Wu, Researchers, and Shyhnan Liou, Director of R&D, for their invaluable support and collaboration throughout this project. This study aims to explore the evolution of in-house design processes through AI technology. Historically, design projects lacked standardization, result- ing in inconsistent deliverables, costs, and quality, especially in cross-disciplinary projects. To address this, this research developed two AI design think- ing tool prototypes. The goal is to leverage generative AI's strength in organizing nonlinear data to assist enterprises with varying design application ex- periences. This includes structuring first-hand research data using natural language, enhancing asset …


Driving Public Service Reform Through Demonstration Design Handbooks, Li-Ning Huang, Nai-Wen Fan, Junyu Chen, Mu-En Lin, Shu-Ting Ai, Chi-Yi Chang Dec 2025

Driving Public Service Reform Through Demonstration Design Handbooks, Li-Ning Huang, Nai-Wen Fan, Junyu Chen, Mu-En Lin, Shu-Ting Ai, Chi-Yi Chang

IASDR Conference Series

This study addresses the common challenge in public service design: the difficulty of effectively scaling design innovations. It introduces the Demonstration Design Handbook as a strategic interface that translates design thinking into institutional practice. Drawing on practical implementations across transportation, healthcare, and housing, the research develops a systemized, institution ally compatible design process, validated through multiple cross-case applications. Grounded in the Double Diamond model and adopting a Research through Design approach, the study integrates participatory strategies to formulate a handbook format that captures problem exploration, design reasoning, strategic context, and institutional application. Findings indicate that the Demonstration Design Handbook enhances …


Optimization Of Tilt Angle For The Seat Tilting Stool Based On Emg Measurements, Yutaro Demoto, Kouki Watabnabe, Yukio Kawakami, Minami Tanaka Dec 2025

Optimization Of Tilt Angle For The Seat Tilting Stool Based On Emg Measurements, Yutaro Demoto, Kouki Watabnabe, Yukio Kawakami, Minami Tanaka

IASDR Conference Series

Mus cul oskeletal disorders (MSDs) represent a significant occupational health issue for dental professionals, primarily due to prolonged and demanding postures. To address this issue, an operating stool (OS) featuring a tiltable seat was developed to alleviate physical strain during dental procedures; Although, the optimal seat inclination angle remains undetermined. This study investigated the most effective seat inclination angle to minimize muscular load during simulated dental tasks. 11 healthy male subjects performed scaling tasks with seat inclinations set at various directions (front, diagonal, beside) and angles (0°, 3°, 5°, 7°). Electro myo graphy (EMG) measured muscle activity in the lumbar …


Three Locks: Reconstructing Multi-Perspective Narratives With Mr–Vr Hybrid Interactions, Liang Xiao, Wanqi Fu Dec 2025

Three Locks: Reconstructing Multi-Perspective Narratives With Mr–Vr Hybrid Interactions, Liang Xiao, Wanqi Fu

IASDR Conference Series

This study presents Three Locks, an immersive narrative system that integrates Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to investigate multi-perspective storytelling within nonlinear interactive environments. Players manipulate miniature figurines representing gold prospectors with distinct motivations. The MR stage facilitates structural guidance and expectation-building through physical interaction, whilethe VR stage delivers emotionally immersive, first-person narrative fragments. The system adopts a layered temporal structure—structural guidance (MR), emotional immersion (VR), andmulti-linerecomposition (MR)—to support narrative coherence and experiential depth. Amixed- method user study combining questionnaires and interviews was conducted to assess its effectiveness in narrative comprehension, emotional engagement, and character identification. Results demonstrate …


Designing Intuitive Interfaces For Feature Steering Of Llms, Allison Huang, Yihyun Lim Dec 2025

Designing Intuitive Interfaces For Feature Steering Of Llms, Allison Huang, Yihyun Lim

IASDR Conference Series

Feature steering enables users to strengthen or weaken concepts (features) that an LLM has already learned in realtime. It has emerged as an alternative to prompting, allowing continuous rather than discrete control over model behavior. However, given the technical knowledge required to extract and then steer on features, this process is mostly limited to technical researchers. We seek to build a graphical user interface that makes steering accessible to the layperson. Existing interfaces prioritize flexibility over intuition, overwhelming users with the sheer number of options for what to prompt or what features to steer on. We conducted a user-centered design …


Exploring The Metacognitive Regulation Of Emotions During The Design Process, Hsiang-Ting Huang, Hsi-Jen Chen Dec 2025

Exploring The Metacognitive Regulation Of Emotions During The Design Process, Hsiang-Ting Huang, Hsi-Jen Chen

IASDR Conference Series

This study explored how design students employ meta cognition to regulate emotions during collaborative design and examined the influence of different teamwork styles. Nine graduate students participated in a ten-week project developing an educational board game, with data collected through design journals and analysed using content analysis. The results showed: (1) clear goals and effective regulatory strategies enhanced perceived control and fostered positive emotions, whereas task ambiguity often triggered anxiety; (2) teamwork styles shaped emotional trajectories: additive teams achieved stability through intensive interaction, conjunctive teams showed individualized regulation due to limited support, and disjunctive teams reflected the leader’s emotional strain …


Relationship Between Seat Inclination Angles And Physical Strain When Using Sloped Stools, Reo Sato, Yukio Kawakami, Minami Tanaka Dec 2025

Relationship Between Seat Inclination Angles And Physical Strain When Using Sloped Stools, Reo Sato, Yukio Kawakami, Minami Tanaka

IASDR Conference Series

Prolonged static postures during dental procedures, such as implant surgeries, often lead to significant physical fatigue, especially in the lumbar region of dental professionals. To address this issue, a dental operating stool (OS) with an adjustable seat tilt was developed and evaluated. This study aimed to identify the optimal seat tilt angle to reduce physical strain and improve work efficiency. Experiments were conducted at four seat tilt angles: 0°, 3°, 5°, and 7°. Physical fatigue and postural stability data were collected. Results indicated that a 3° tilt significantly reduced physical strain, while a 5° tilt was preferred in terms of …


Empathy In The Headset: Exploring Affective Computing Through Ai In Virtual Reality, Po-Wei Chiu, Tiburcio Schöniger, Chris Wu Dec 2025

Empathy In The Headset: Exploring Affective Computing Through Ai In Virtual Reality, Po-Wei Chiu, Tiburcio Schöniger, Chris Wu

IASDR Conference Series

Advancements in affective computing highlight the growing potential of virtual reality (VR)–based conversational agents to provide emotional support during distressing experiences. This pilot study employed a convergent mixed-methods design to examine how a VR-based empathetic agent influences users’ emotional states, perceived empathy, and trust after recalling negative personal memories. Five participants completed an emotion-induction task followed by a 15-minute supportive dialogue with an AI agent in an immersive VR environment. Quantitative measures indicated general mood improvement with a slight rise in tension, likely reflecting residual arousal rather than discomfort with the agent. Qualitative analysis identified three key themes: technical friction …


No Data, No Time: Designing For Healthcare Using Proxy Datasets And Micro‐Workshops With Clinicians, Mihnea Stefan Calota, Janetyi‐Ching Huang Dec 2025

No Data, No Time: Designing For Healthcare Using Proxy Datasets And Micro‐Workshops With Clinicians, Mihnea Stefan Calota, Janetyi‐Ching Huang

IASDR Conference Series

Designing for healthcare is uniquely challenging when designers have limited access to data and clinicians have little time to engage in the design process. In this work, we reflect on our experiences as design researchers working in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) to offer practical tactics for overcoming these constraints. We present a case study demonstrating a rapid, iterative approach that leverages open‐source proxy data and remote micro‐workshops with clinicians. This method allows us to derive meaningful in‐ sights without requiring extensive healthcare datasets or prolonged clinician engagement. From our pro‐ cess, we extract key lessons to guide designers seeking to …


Making Sense Of Transdisciplinary Sensemaking Of Behavioral And Engine Data In Production Print, Arganka Yahya, Fred De Jong, Lin-Lin Chen, Mathias Funk Dec 2025

Making Sense Of Transdisciplinary Sensemaking Of Behavioral And Engine Data In Production Print, Arganka Yahya, Fred De Jong, Lin-Lin Chen, Mathias Funk

IASDR Conference Series

Understanding operator practices in high-tech environments is critical, not only for improving product and workflow, but also as a design challenge. While these environments collect wealth of data, it is insufficient to understand the practice of operators. We present a research prototype that enhances engine data with operator movement data to facilitate sensemaking of operator practices. Through a transdisciplinary sensemaking session with R&D professionals, we investigated how experts perceive the prototype to make sense of the combined data. Analysis was grounded on Data/Frame Theory of Sensemaking to suggest implications on data, design, and expert sensemaking process. Results show that experts …


Research On The Immersive Experience Design Of Intangible Cultural Heritage Dance Based On Body Schema Theory, Wensi Dai, Yan Shuo Dec 2025

Research On The Immersive Experience Design Of Intangible Cultural Heritage Dance Based On Body Schema Theory, Wensi Dai, Yan Shuo

IASDR Conference Series

This study explores immersive experience design for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) dance based on Body Schema Theory. By analyzing the triadic elements of body schema— corporeal subject, active space, and bodily imagery—we establish a theoretical framework for enhancing ICH dance transmission through digital immersion. Three design methodologies are proposed: coexistence of real-virtual dance bodies, construction of body- field interactive dance spaces, and reconstruction of inner cultural order. These approaches address challenges of homogenized symbol interpretation and low audience engagement by integrating multisensory feedback, physiological signal mapping, and culturally embedded narrative interaction. Case studies demonstrate how bodily perception and spatial dynamics …


Investigating The Application Potential Of Smart Wearable Technology In Craft Practical Instruction, Tzu-Hsu Chiu, Chen-Kuei Fan Dec 2025

Investigating The Application Potential Of Smart Wearable Technology In Craft Practical Instruction, Tzu-Hsu Chiu, Chen-Kuei Fan

IASDR Conference Series

Practical teaching, widely used in vocational education, faces challenges such as blocked views for rear students and reversed perspectives causing misunderstandings. With technological progress, smart glasses offer new possibilities for teaching. This study explored the potential of integrating smart glasses into craft practical teaching, focusing on jewelry and pottery. Conducted in two stages, it involved classroom observations and interviews, followed by teaching experiments evaluated via student questionnaires and teacher interviews. Findings revealed issues like obstructed views and reversed angles. Results showed that: 1. smart glasses’ first-person projections improved visibility; 2. recorded videos supported student review. However, teachers and students noted …


A Burlesque: The Shimmering Body Of Revealing, Lola Montgomery Dec 2025

A Burlesque: The Shimmering Body Of Revealing, Lola Montgomery

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A Burlesque: The Shimmer Manuscript is a hybrid critical–creative work that examines burlesque as an embodied methodology and a mode of knowledge production. Drawing from my two decades as a performer–scholar, the work reframes glamour, desire, and adornment as epistemological practices rather than theatrical ornamentation. The project is significant in that it expands understandings of performance studies, autotheory, and feminist aesthetics by foregrounding the performer’s body as an intelligent, sensing, world-making apparatus.

The methodology is creative practice research and archive-driven, integrating backstage documentation, AI-assisted photomontage, and theoretical reflection. The work draws from poststructuralist and feminist frameworks (Irigaray, Deleuze & Guattari, …


Second- Generation Korean American Adults’ Parenting Styles: The Role Of Acculturation And Enculturation, Teri Lynn Ku'ulei Kim Dec 2025

Second- Generation Korean American Adults’ Parenting Styles: The Role Of Acculturation And Enculturation, Teri Lynn Ku'ulei Kim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative survey study explored whether acculturation and enculturation predicted parenting styles among second-generation Korean American adults. The study was guided by Berry’s acculturation theory, Kim’s enculturation theory, and Baumrind’s parenting typology. Two research questions were addressed: (a) whether acculturation level predicted parenting style when controlling for parent age, gender, and number of children, and (b) whether enculturation level predicted parenting style when controlling for the same demographic variables. Emails and flyers were used to recruit participants from various Korean American groups on social media. A total of 146 Korean American parents completed anonymous online questionnaires about acculturation, enculturation, and …


The Misunderstood Election Of 1876 And Colorado's Rocky Quest For Statehood, Maxwell D. Rotbart Dec 2025

The Misunderstood Election Of 1876 And Colorado's Rocky Quest For Statehood, Maxwell D. Rotbart

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

On December 8, 1873, Representative Jerome B. Chaffee, the non-voting delegate of the Colorado Territory, submitted a proposal in the House of Representatives to make Colorado the 38th state in the Union. What should have been a routine matter — Colorado had the sizable population and economic stability necessary to achieve statehood — dragged on for more than three years. At stake was the outcome of the 1876 presidential election, in which Colorado’s electoral votes had the potential to — and ultimately did — decide which party would control the Executive Branch into the 1880s.

When historians consider the factors …


The Legal Position Of The Religious Communities In The Republic Of Macedonia, Jovan Jonovski Dec 2025

The Legal Position Of The Religious Communities In The Republic Of Macedonia, Jovan Jonovski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The territory of the modern Republic of Macedonia (official name as of recently is Republic of North Macedonia) has historically been exposed to Judaism, Eastern and Western Christianity, Islam, and later to Protestantism. In the People’s /Socialist Republic of Macedonia, the religious communities were kept out of public life and suppressed. The government favored the Macedonian Orthodox Church for strengthening the Macedonian national consciousness. The Republic of Macedonia is a self-declared secular multi-confessional state. The article covers the history of the religious landscape as well as the legal framework and practices of the state toward the Churches, faith communities, and …


Religious Communication In Ukraine's Media Space As Factor In The Formation Of Confessional Identity, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Dmytro Garaschuk Dec 2025

Religious Communication In Ukraine's Media Space As Factor In The Formation Of Confessional Identity, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Dmytro Garaschuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article presents a comprehensive study within religious studies of religious periodicals in Ukraine from the early 1990s to the present. It attempts to analyze the dynamics of the emergence and transformation of printed religious mass media in the context of the democratization of social life, changes in the information environment, and the development of civil society. It is noted that religious periodicals occupy a special place within the media landscape, since they perform not only the function of conveying information but also tasks of catechesis, spiritual-educational ministry, the formation of value orientations, and the preservation of cultural-historical heritage.

The …


Orthodoxy, Culture And Language: Alaska In Russia’S Religious Diplomacy Of The 21st Century, Oleksandr Lukyanenko Dec 2025

Orthodoxy, Culture And Language: Alaska In Russia’S Religious Diplomacy Of The 21st Century, Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to the analysis of the religious factor of the Russian foreign diplomacy in the light of Vladimir Putin’s high-profile visit to Alaska n August 15, 2025. The paper studies a special place of Alaska in the historical imagination of Russian political and church discourse. The status of this particular territory in Russian state worldview – the former “Russian America” – is indicative: it refers to the idea of an unfinished imperial legacy. The research doesn’t touch a main event that included a meeting with US President Donald Trump but an off-schedule meeting with Archbishop Alexei (Trader) …


“Mysterium Tremendum Et Fascinans”: Melian’S And Lúthien’S Numinosity, Alexandra (Oleksandra) Filonenko Dec 2025

“Mysterium Tremendum Et Fascinans”: Melian’S And Lúthien’S Numinosity, Alexandra (Oleksandra) Filonenko

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

At the heart of all the positive changes in Middle-earth, and at the starting point for undoing the great evil wrought by male characters (divine or otherwise), are two female characters: Melian the Maia and her daughter Lúthien. They form a kind of mythological complex of mother and daughter goddesses, similar to that of Demeter and Persephone. Melian, as a static, maternal figure, forms a sacred centre of Beleriand to which all in need of protection gravitate, while Lúthien, representing a dynamic principle, can be considered the greatest hero of Tolkien’s Legendarium, performing feats unmatched by any male character. Yet …