CU e-Journals

Journal of Urban Culture Research (JUCR)

JUCR aims at establishing a broad interdisciplinary platform for studies of cultural creativity and the arts that brings together researchers and cultural practitioners to identify and share innovative and creative experiences in establishing sustainable and vibrant, livable communities while fostering cultural continuity. The journal embraces broad cultural discussions regarding communities of any size as it recognizes the urban community’s rural roots. JUCR encourages researchers and the full range of artists in visual art, design, music, the creative arts, performance studies, dance, cultural studies, ethnomusicology, and related disciplines such as creative arts therapies and urban planning. Articles related to either the academic or wide vernacular interpretation of urban culture and the arts as a tool promoting community and individual well-being, health, and diversity are welcome.

Current Issue

Journal of Urban Culture Research (JUCR)
Volume: 21, Issue: 1 (July-December 2020)

	As One Door Closes,Another One Opens New Opportunities from COVID Crisis
	Bussakorn Binson
	Page: 1 - 2
	[PDF]

	Strategy & Social Interaction for Making Creative Community: Comparative Study on Two Cities of Crafts in South Korea
	Dongsuk Huh, Su-Hee Chung, Byung-Min Lee
	Page: 3 - 24
	[Abstract] [PDF] This study aims to explore the different strategies of the crafts cities on utilizing local cultural assets and socio-economic potentials. Building a culturally creative community has been based on cultural and place-making strategies which include cultural-political factors, i.e. sustainability, authenticity, inclusiveness, network, and economic effect. Icheon became the chair city of the crafts and folk arts divi-sion of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in 2018 and has been transform-ing into a global city that is actively leading cultural exchanges. However, Cheongju was dropped at the preliminary domestic UCCN competition, then the city tries to reconsider a new framework for crafts and city identity. The cultural-political fac-tors contribute to the forming of cultural milieu, place-specific identity, and vari-ous cultural expressions, which are the dimensions of the creative communities. Policymakers and stakeholders need to consider the importance of not only the strategic development of cultural assets itself but also social interaction regard-ing place identity and social empathy in order to achieve sustainable regional development.

	Schumann's Last Piano Work: Geistervariationen
	Eri Nakagawa
	Page: 25 - 37
	[Abstract] [PDF] Robert Schumann was one of the greatest composers of the nineteenth century. Schumann suffered from a long-term mental disorder dating back to 1833 and his health deteriorated in February 1854. His Theme and Variations, WoO 24, a set of five variations known as Geistervariationen (Ghost Variations), was his last piano work, written between February 10 and 28, 1854, in the midst of his final mental break-down, which resulted in a suicide attempt. The complete Theme and Variations were not published until 1939 as his wife Clara Schumann (who was also one of the most recognized musicians of the day) jealously guarded the manuscripts of this piece. The Geistervariationen is infrequently played and considerably different from his earlier sets of variations, such as the ABEGGVariations, Op. 1 and Étudessympho-niques, Op. 13. This article discusses the details of the work in relation to the state of his health and his compositional process, which is pieced together from the diaries of his wife Clara Schumann and other sources, as well as comparing the work with Clara Schumann's Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann Op. 20, which was written and dedicated to her husband in 1853.

	Analysis of the Causes of Most Chinese Private Entrepreneurs' Nonparticipation in Charity
	Leilei Zhang
	Page: 38 - 53
	[Abstract] [PDF] Enterprise charity is not only an important way for enterprises to fulfill their so-cial responsibility, but also related to their strategic development. However, most private entrepreneurs in China are not interested in doing charity. The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons why they do not participate in philanthropy. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 charitable and 10 non-charitable entrepreneurs in 24 cities of 12 provinces in China. By applying continuous ana-lytic induction, three-level coding with NVIVO software and comparative analy-sis, The results show that this is not due to the lack of economic strength of the enterprises, or the influence of China's special national conditions, but because the entrepreneurs do not possess their own charity faith. It also provides a certain theoretical reference for entrepreneurs in other countries to fulfill their social responsibilities, In other words, to cultivate entrepreneurs' sense of social respon-sibility, it is important to help them establish their charitable beliefs.

	The Cultural Development of Vietnam: Updating Policy for 2020
	Dung Nguyen Manh
	Page: 54 - 66
	[Abstract] [PDF] The officials and resolutions of the Party and the State of Vietnam stress to con-tinue to renew Vietnam's culture within a contemporary context. However, points just try to focus on the relationship between culture and sustainable develop-ment, that is, it seeks to clarify the role of culture in economic development and environmental protection with general comments. Culture is guided as a founda-tion of politics and society, even further than economy and environment, in which the center of the center is human. Nonetheless, how has cultural policy evolved during the past two or three decades, at present and in the coming time? Given analyzing party documents, especially the brainstorming of both 12th party's documents and the political report draft for the 13th party congress (in 2021), the purpose of the article is to propose the updated and updating policy on culture of Vietnam for 2020. In doing so, it is to review the policy making process of the top leadership for a new culture which would harmony with the economic and social transformation today and the future.

	From Ghanaian Modernist Painting Genre to Contemporary Functionality: A Spotlight on Samuel Prophask Asamoah
	Dickson Adom, Mavis Osei, Joe Adu-Agem
	Page: 67 - 89
	[Abstract] [PDF] This is a biographic study of Samuel Prophask Asamoah, one of Ghana's remarkable artists. It was aimed at showing how his philosophy and technique of painting are influenced by the early Ghanaian modernist painting genre while explaining how his themes reflected contemporary functionality in Ghana. The Feldman system of criti-cism guided the scholarly analysis of five selected paintings of Asamoah to unearth their contemporary significance. Personal interviews with Asamoah, as well as the intelligent comparison of his works with his contemporaries and other published scholarly literature, pivoted the intellectual discussions of his skillfully executed paintings. The discussions revealed that Asamoah's paintings present the develop-mental challenges in Ghana and also offer solutions to them. His style of painting demonstrates that the Ghanaian modernist painting genre still exerts a strong influ-ence on some young artists despite the radical changes seen in the art of the con-temporary over the last two decades.

	Measuring the Quality of Life and City Competitiveness: A Methodological Frameworkfor the Iranian Metropolis
	Kamran Jafarpour Ghalehteimouri, Afshar Hatami, Hanieh Asadzadeh
	Page: 90 - 111
	[Abstract] [PDF] Recently competitiveness has become one of the most used concepts in the urban and regional planning literature. This research aims to show the competi-tive situation of the eight metropolises in Iran based on the quality of life indices. The analytical, descriptive method used in this research to show the facts that are involved in different metropolises. Applying framework, required information gathered from world cities information center (NUMBEO https://www.numbeo.com/). ELECTRE III (ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalite, in French) is an ef-fective Multi Criteria Decision Analysis method. The results indicate that impor-tant effective factors in population selection of living in the metropolis are com-muting time or traffic, the ratio of income to property price and health. Hence, metropolis ranking demonstrates that in terms of quality of life Shiraz placed on the first level and Ahwaz at the last level. Isfahan, Qom, Tabriz, Mashhad, Tehran, and Karaj respectively ranked from second to seventh. Tehran as the capital city with the highest population concentration does not have enough competitive power against other metropolises and for entering into the international system require deliberate attention to the effective factors of quality of life. In addition, the results show the application of the framework in measuring metropolis com-petitiveness based on the quality of life is very important and competitive can promote sustainability, adaptability, and quality of planning.

	Composition Inspired by ASEAN Drums: Sakodai
	Rangsan Buathong, Bussakorn Binson
	Page: 112 - 124
	[Abstract] [PDF] This article describes the research behind a composition named Sakodai which is based on musical dialects found in Cambodia. Cambodia is one of the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This Cambodian drum inspired composition is one of a set of 11 compositions titled ASEAN Drums where representative drums from each ASEAN country were selected (2 for each drum in Singapore). The drums included are the Sakodai of Cambodia, Sabadchai of Thai-land, Rebana Anak of Brunei, Pat Waing of Myanmar, Debakan of the Philippines, Rebana Ibu of Malaysia, Ping of Lao, Tay Son of Vietnam, Kendang of Indonesia and versions of Chinese drums and Indian Tablas from Singapore. Using these drums, 11 distinctive musical pieces were composed based on Thai traditional music theories and concepts. In this article, the composition inspired by rhythm patterns of the Cambodia Sakodai hand drum has been selected to be presented and discussed. The resulting piece is based on one Khmer dialect comprised of four lines with a medium tempo performed by a modified Thai Kantrum ensemble rooted in the dialect of traditional Khmer folk music from Cambodia.

	Three Pillars of a Sustainable Creative City in ASEAN:Examples From Thailand, Singapore & Indonesia
	Grisana Punpeng
	Page: 125 - 142
	[Abstract] [PDF] This study attempts to critically examine practices towards building sustainable creative cities in ASEAN, particularly Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. The main aim is to identify key factors for sustainable creative cities by means of qualitative data analysis. The results show that to create a sustainable creative city in ASEAN government leaders must not focus on the designation of UNESCO Creative City as a goal for the economy, but as a firm commitment towards sustainable develop-ment. Creativity should be reinforced through art education from an early age. The distinction as well as the relationship between the terms "culture" and "creativ-ity" must be made apparent in cultural policies, while the classification of creative activities should be redefined. Diversity and inclusion, not only in culture but also in art forms and genres, must be embraced as it allows for more freedom and pos-sibilities in the development of creativity, especially from the bottom up.

	Journal Policies

	Page: 143 - 146
	[PDF]

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