Anthropological Researches and Studies

13-24

Authors: Owusu Kyei Justice Richard Kwabena, Rafal Smocynski

Objectives. Scholars of immigrant integration generally agree that the success or failure of the integration of immigrants in the host society is determined by the course followed by the second-generation migrants. This research investigates if Ghanaian churches in Amsterdam bond Ghanaian second-generation migrants to their ethnic group and/or bridge them to the mainstream Dutch society. The study of the effect that social capital generated within Ghanaian churches has on the process of assimilation of Ghanaian second-generation migrants in Amsterdam is relevant because of the recent arrival and rapid increase in Ghanaian immigrants and Ghanaian Christian churches in Amsterdam. Material and methods. This work is carried out through ethnographic research methodology of life history interviews, participant observation, informal conversation and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results and conclusions. The findings show that bonding social capital within some Ghanaian churches in Amsterdam breeds intergenerational intra-marriage rather than intermarriage. Moreover, the research reveals that the religious-cultural identity formed by some of the analysed Ghanaian second-generation migrants contests the politico-legal understanding of citizenship bound to the nation-state and they call for citizenship of participation in everyday life which is marked by equality of rights. The notion of immigrant integration as defined in this research is contested by some of the analysed Ghanaian second-generation migrants that result from their experience of discrimination in the mainstream Dutch society. The enforcement of social control mechanisms on the choice of spouse in Ghanaian churches in Amsterdam is gendered, as the pressure weighs more on the female respondents than the male ones.

33-42

Authors: Anna E. Kubiak

Objectives. The aim of the article is to present history and recent changes in Polish funerals. Contemporary changes are introduced by new actors of this social drama: undertakers, owners of crematoria and masters of ceremonies. Methods. In the research conducted in 2010-2012 I employed qualitative methods in the form of semi-structured interviews. Results. The modern funeral rite in Poland is influenced by the burial rituals of the Slavs and the Christian cultural traditions. The Second World War was followed by a period of modest funerals organized by the municipal authorities. Then, the standard ritual with theatrical rules and decorum was launched by modern undertakers in the ’90s. Funerals – being the most traditional of Polish customs – nevertheless undergo the processes of professionalization and institutionalization. As the funeral parlour takes control over the body of the dead it shapes a certain standard of the Catholic traditional funeral. This leads on one hand, to the unification of the Catholic burials along with the fading of regional differences. On the other hand, the parlours have rich offerings, which affect the diversification of funerals depending on financial resources and social hierarchy. The dead acquires a social-economic status. The mourners lost their influence on the ritual forms and assumed the role of customers expecting the performance of all services. The burial rite was transferred into the public space, the institutions professionally controlling the ritual. Instead of regional diversification of folk traditions, there are differences between the funeral in the country (and in small towns) and in the city. Conclusions. A characteristic of the Polish funeral culture is the clash of modernity and premodern persisting customs and beliefs.

55-62

Authors: Valbona Alikaj, Isid Xhura, Elga Spaho, Anila Hashorva, Valmira Skendi

Self-injury in the 12 to 18 years old age group is of public concern and the majority of self-injurious behaviors do not reach professional attention. The frequency of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents is increasing and it often presents as a long history of self-injury, in absence of physical pain and associated with a higher rate of lifetime suicide attempts compared to the general population. Admission to a psychiatric ward often occurs to prevent further self-injury or attempted suicide. Objectives. The purposes of this study were to examine the socio-demographic/clinical characteristics, to evaluate the functions and the trend of self-injury among adolescents aged 10-20 years, attending the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic (CAPC) in Tirana, Albania. Material and methods. The period of the study was from March to June 2014. All adolescents admitted to CAPC were interviewed by a psychiatrist and completed the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory. Descriptive data are reported, using different tables and graphics. SPSS v17 was used for statistical analysis. Results. The mean age of the study participants was 16.5 years old (SD = ± 1.571), 83 % of them being female. The most common method of self-injury was cutting / scratching of the skin, in 84.2% of all cases. The most frequently reported function of NSSI was external emotional regulation. Conclusions. This is a first attempt to study NSSI as a new phenomenon among Albanian adolescents. Further research is needed to examine outpatient and community samples of adolescents.

73-79

Authors: Maria Serafimova

Objective. In postmodern culture, individuals explore ways to orient their worlds by a certain “invisible” religiosity, which penetrates throughout the so-called secular societies. The existence of societies is impossible without religions, neither the authentic ones, nor the so-called “earthly”, civil or laic religions. This is the transition from institutional religions to something that can be defined as "personal religion", a type of religiosity in which individuals construct their own conceptual systems. Methods. Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used in an attempt to obtain the necessary authentic and thorough information. This means that data from a representative survey have been combined with an additional analysis of discussions within focus groups and with the results of participant observation and interviews for the purposes of the final analysis. Results. Bulgarians have a healthy dose of skepticism. This is due to their high level of education and not least to their alertness and inquisitive nature in real life, including faith. Many people are influenced by popular culture. Originally, the main elements of human culture, including religion, are phenomena with great momentum. They change slower and more difficult than other phenomena. Most people say that the path to the temple can be found in a different way. Unfortunately, young people turn to religion only when something bad happens to them, if they suffer, or if they have a dilemma that excites them. Conclusions. If “traditional” and “modern” are two ideal-typical poles, the present day Bulgarian society is situated somewhere in the middle between both of them. In all cases, it is a mixture that combines the pole of traditionalism, defined through continuity with the past, and the pole of modernity, defined by change, novelty and innovation.