MAP Education and Humanities

When Faith Becomes Ancestry

2026-03-29T15:47:18+00:00

This article examines how religious institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina transform faith into ethnonational belonging by linking religion with ancestry. Focusing on the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Islamic Community between 2015 and 2025, it argues that institutional religious discourse reframes religious identity as inherited rather than chosen. Drawing on constructivist and post-structuralist approaches, the study conceptualizes descent not as biological fact but as a narrative effect produced through language, symbolism, and repetition. Through comparative discourse analysis of sermons, epistles, and public statements, the article identifies three mechanisms: the construction of the community as a transgenerational moral organism, the sacralization of territory as inherited space, and the mobilization of narratives of suffering and martyrdom that bind present generations to ancestral obligation. These strategies naturalize ethnonational boundaries by embedding them in morally authoritative and emotionally resonant frameworks, making alternative forms of belonging more difficult to sustain. By foregrounding the role of religious institutions in the ethnicization of identity, the article contributes to debates on nationalism, religion, and the durability of ethnopolitical divisions in post-conflict societies

Language, Masks, and Solitude: Octavio Paz and the Construction of Mexican Identity

2026-04-09T11:46:28+00:00

This paper examines Octavio Paz’s work The Labyrinth of Solitude, focusing on his critical exploration of how Mexican identity is formed through historical trauma and perpetuated through national myths. Tracing key historical events in Mexico, it contextualizes Paz’s argument that Mexican identity has been shaped by deep psychological wounds. The paper analyses three themes identified by Paz, the use of masks as both individual and collective defense mechanisms, the experience of existential solitude of a Mexican, and the prevalence of rituals as both moments of release and instruments of superficial unity. It further explores language as a site where historical trauma, power structures, and cultural memory are encoded, highlighting the role of the symbolic lexicon, indirectness, and silence in sustaining these patterns. Through this analysis, the paper highlights Paz’s critique of nationalism for reinforcing conformity and masking genuine diversity, ultimately arguing for the necessity of authentic self-exploration in the pursuit of a more inclusive and honest national identity.

"What is called the "genius of a people"

is only a set of reactions to a given stimulus.” (Paz, 1961, p.9)

An SFG-Based Metafunctional Analysis of High School English Lesson Plans and the Gap in Functional Knowledge

2026-04-16T08:03:51+00:00

It is believed that teachers in secondary education prioritise correctness in grammar instruction and, in doing so, often overlook the functional potential of language, which is used to negotiate social meaning. The paper aims to investigate the language instruction gap in high school general English language classes by examining the extent to which lesson plans incorporate Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) as a resource for meaning-making (Schleppegrell, 2017). The analysis in this paper applies Halliday’s (1994) metafunctional framework and Nunan’s (1995) analytical outline in order to investigate a corpus of ten lesson plans and their corresponding materials through a qualitative coding scheme. The findings reveal that the main instructions remain dominated by prescriptive rules that treat language as a static object. The analysis indicates that, despite learner-centred classroom management, the interpersonal resources of Mood and Modality remain teacher-controlled, limiting learners’ ability to actively participate in the meaning-making process. The paper concludes that SFG can contribute to bridging the instruction gap by transforming grammar from a set of restrictive rules into a dynamic, functional resource for successful communication.

Does vocational training change the values of incarcerated individuals?

2026-06-17T20:24:39+00:00

This study examines change in work-related values among incarcerated apprentices in the Austrian prison system. Despite the central role of vocational education for resocialization, systematic longitudinal evidence is lacking. A three-level theoretical framework integrates macro-sociological value stability (Inglehart, 1997), institutional context factors including training climate, Turning Point theory, and the Good Lives Model, and individual action cycles (Hofer et al., 2010). In a prospective panel design, N = 39 male inmates across six Austrian facilities were surveyed at two waves over 24 months (2023–2025). No significant changes in work values (p = .796) or work ethic (p = .776) were found, and both hypotheses are rejected. A latent profile analysis (LPA) identified three trajectory types, with 35.9% showing value improvements (Type 1), 46.2% remaining stable (Type 2), and 17.9% exhibiting deterioration (Type 3). This pattern appears consistent with the action cycle model of Hofer et al. (2010), though causal interpretation remains tentative. Given the small sample, all conclusions remain exploratory.

A Qualitative Inquiry into Cognitive and Perceptual Processes among Speakers of Three or More Languages

2026-07-04T09:09:01+00:00

Bilingual and multilingual individuals often report that the language they use can influence how they think, remember, and create. This research paper investigates these subjective experiences through a qualitative survey of multilingual adults. The study examines internal dialogue, problem solving, memory recall, creativity, and emotional associations across languages. Drawing on cognitive psychology theories (e.g. Vygotsky on inner speech) and empirical findings (e.g. bilingual cognitive advantages), we contextualize the survey responses. Most participants reported using their dominant or context-relevant language for reasoning and reflection, with switches to other languages when facing difficulties or seeking nuance. Abstract concepts (e.g., “freedom,” emotional nuance) were often easier in the language with richer vocabulary. Many felt “more creative” or emotionally expressive in one language versus another, echoing findings that bilingualism can enhance creativity through cognitive flexibility. Memory recall tended to align with the language of encoding (e.g. childhood memories in one’s first language). Notably, participants generally saw their core moral judgments as stable across languages, although research suggests subtle “foreign-language” effects can occur. The findings highlight that language use shapes cognition in nuanced ways. We conclude that bilingual experience contributes to adaptive cognitive flexibility: switching languages can aid problem-solving, creativity is modulated by linguistic context, and inner speech serves as a cognitive tool. These findings show the close connection between language and thought.

AI Literacy Among University Students

2026-08-26T19:00:54+00:00

AI literacy has become an essential competence in higher education, encompassing distinct technical, practical, critical, and ethical dimensions. This study aimed to examine whether students’ AI literacy, as well as its dimensions, namely AI technical understanding, AI practical application, AI critical appraisal, and AI ethics, differed according to gender, age, and educational level. An online survey was conducted across five Austrian higher education institutions to collect data from 245 students. The results showed a moderate overall level of AI literacy. AI critical appraisal showed the highest mean score, whereas AI technical understanding was markedly lower than the practical, critical, and ethical dimensions. All four dimensions were positively and significantly correlated, with the strongest association between AI critical appraisal and AI practical application. Male students scored significantly higher on overall AI literacy and on AI technical understanding, AI critical appraisal, and AI practical application than female students, while no gender difference was found for AI ethics. No statistically significant differences emerged across age groups. Educational-level differences were identified for overall AI literacy, AI technical understanding, and AI critical appraisal, with master’s-level students demonstrating the highest scores; no differences were found for AI practical application or AI ethics. Theoretically, the findings support a multidimensional conceptualization of AI literacy, showing that demographic differences are not homogeneous across individual dimensions and may be masked when AI literacy is treated only as an overall construct. Practically, they emphasize the necessity of dimension-specific, inclusive AI literacy initiatives, which greatly enhance technical understanding and critical appraisal and embed ethical competence across student groups.