ENHANCING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY IN A GLOBALISED WORLD: A TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF PROVERBS IN FLORA NWAPA’S EFURU

CULTURAL NON-EQUIVALENCE IN TRANSLATING HAMKA’S DI BAWAH LINDUNGAN KAʿBAH: AN ANALYSIS OF MEANING AND CROSS-CULTURAL CONTEXTS

This study demonstrates that the primary challenge in translating Indonesian literary works into Arabic lies in the cultural elements embedded in metaphors, proverbs, and local expressions. Employing a qualitative textual analysis of Hamka’s Di Bawah Lindungan Kaʿbah, the research reveals that differences in worldview between Indonesian and Arab societies influence lexical choices and stylistic expressions, making literal translation insufficient. The findings highlight the necessity for translators to grasp the cultural context of the source text to ensure comprehensive meaning transfer. The study contributes to translation studies by formulating strategies that integrate semantic and stylistic approaches, including transliteration with explanatory notes, functional equivalence in the target culture, and the preservation of social metaphors. These strategies prove effective in maintaining cultural authenticity while ensuring readability for Arabic audiences. Overall, the research reinforces the view that literary translation is an act of intercultural mediation, synthesizing linguistic, semantic, and cultural dimensions to preserve meaning, aesthetic nuance, and cultural resonance in the target language.

Implicit Meanings of Social Issues in The Animated Series Freej: An Umberto Eco Semiotic Analysis

This study investigates the implicit meanings of social issues in the animated series Freej through the semiotic framework of Umberto Eco. Previous studies on Freej have primarily focused on cultural representation, identity construction, and the preservation of Emirati traditions, while limited attention has been given to the processes through which social meanings are implicitly produced and interpreted. Addressing this gap, the present study examines how social criticism is constructed through Eco’s typology of sign production. Employing a qualitative semiotic approach, the study analyzes five purposively selected episodes from Season 1 of Freej, chosen for their representation of tensions between tradition and modernity in contemporary Emirati society. The findings reveal that issues of modernization, cultural marginalization, and identity negotiation are communicated through visual composition, spatial organization, performative contrast, and linguistic interaction. These meanings emerge through the semiotic processes of recognition, ostension, replica, and invention, which enable viewers to actively interpret the social messages embedded in the narrative. The study demonstrates that Freej functions as an open text that conveys social criticism implicitly rather than through direct verbal expression. Theoretically, this research extends the application of Eco’s typology of sign production to animated media and contributes to the understanding of how implicit social meanings are generated through audience-text cooperation. Practically, the findings highlight the potential of animation as a medium for social reflection, cultural awareness, and social critique in contemporary society. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى الكشف عن المعاني الضمنية للقضايا الاجتماعية في المسلسل الكرتوني فريج (Freej) من خلال الإطار السيميائي لأومبرتو إيكو. وقد ركزت الدراسات السابقة حول فريج بصورة أساسية على التمثيلات الثقافية، وبناء الهوية، والمحافظة على التراث الإماراتي، في حين لم تحظَ عمليات إنتاج الدلالات الاجتماعية الضمنية وتأويلها باهتمام كافٍ. وانطلاقًا من هذه الفجوة البحثية، تسعى الدراسة الحالية إلى تحليل كيفية بناء النقد الاجتماعي من خلال أنماط إنتاج العلامة عند أومبرتو إيكو. وتعتمد الدراسة المنهج السيميائي الكيفي من خلال تحليل خمس حلقات مختارة قصدياً من الموسم الأول لمسلسل فريج، وذلك بناءً على تمثيلها لحالة التوتر بين التقاليد والحداثة في المجتمع الإماراتي المعاصر. وتكشف النتائج أن قضايا التحديث، والتهميش الثقافي، والتفاوض الهوياتي تُنقل عبر التكوين البصري، والتنظيم المكاني، والتقابل الأدائي، والتفاعل اللغوي. وتنبثق هذه المعاني من خلال العمليات السيميائية المتمثلة في التعرّف (Recognition)، والإشارة (Ostension)، والاستنساخ (Replica)، والابتكار (Invention)، مما يتيح للمشاهد المشاركة الفاعلة في تأويل الرسائل الاجتماعية المتضمنة في السرد. وتبين الدراسة أن فريج يعمل بوصفه نصًا مفتوحًا ينقل النقد الاجتماعي بصورة ضمنية بدلاً من التعبير اللفظي المباشر. وعلى المستوى النظري، توسع هذه الدراسة نطاق تطبيق أنماط إنتاج العلامة لدى أومبرتو إيكو في مجال الوسائط المتحركة، وتسهم في تعميق فهم كيفية إنتاج المعاني الاجتماعية الضمنية من خلال التفاعل التعاوني بين النص والمتلقي. أما على المستوى العملي، فتبرز نتائج الدراسة إمكانات الرسوم المتحركة بوصفها وسيلة للتأمل الاجتماعي، وتعزيز الوعي الثقافي، وإيصال النقد الاجتماعي في المجتمعات المعاصرة.   Penelitian ini mengkaji makna-makna implisit dari isu-isu sosial dalam serial animasi Freej melalui kerangka semiotika Umberto Eco. Penelitian-penelitian sebelumnya tentang Freej umumnya berfokus pada representasi budaya, konstruksi identitas, dan pelestarian tradisi Emirat, sementara perhatian terhadap proses pembentukan dan penafsiran makna sosial secara implisit masih terbatas. Untuk mengisi kesenjangan tersebut, penelitian ini menganalisis bagaimana kritik sosial dibangun melalui tipologi produksi tanda yang dikemukakan oleh Umberto Eco. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan semiotika kualitatif dengan menganalisis lima episode terpilih dari musim pertama Freej yang dipilih secara purposif berdasarkan representasinya terhadap ketegangan antara tradisi dan modernitas dalam masyarakat Emirat kontemporer. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa isu-isu modernisasi, marginalisasi budaya, dan negosiasi identitas dikomunikasikan melalui komposisi visual, pengorganisasian ruang, kontras performatif, dan interaksi linguistik. Makna-makna tersebut muncul melalui proses semiotik berupa pengenalan (recognition), penunjukan (ostension), replika (replica), dan invensi (invention), yang memungkinkan penonton secara aktif menafsirkan pesan-pesan sosial yang terkandung dalam narasi. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Freej berfungsi sebagai teks terbuka yang menyampaikan kritik sosial secara implisit, bukan melalui ekspresi verbal yang langsung. Secara teoretis, penelitian ini memperluas penerapan tipologi produksi tanda Umberto Eco pada media animasi serta berkontribusi pada pemahaman mengenai bagaimana makna sosial implisit dihasilkan melalui kerja sama antara teks dan audiens. Secara praktis, temuan penelitian ini menegaskan potensi animasi sebagai media refleksi sosial, peningkatan kesadaran budaya, dan penyampaian kritik sosial dalam masyarakat kontemporer.  

Teaching Literature Through Cultural Paradoxes

This study is significant for its efforts to strengthen the understanding of regional literature as a medium for reflecting on sociocultural dynamics and as a source of literature learning grounded in local wisdom. The research questions of this study are (1) How is cultural paradox represented in Madura literary texts? (2) How can a semiotic approach help in understanding the meaning of cultural paradox? and (3) How can the implementation of semiotic-based literary teaching improve students’ cultural understanding? A descriptive, qualitative method grounded in Umberto Eco’s semiotic theory was used in this study. Data in the form of words, sentences, quotations, and transcripts were obtained through literature study, interviews, and observation. The analysis used objective hermeneutics without statistical analysis, as the study focused on the meaning of signs and cultural context. The results of the study showed that the representation of Madura cultural paradoxes, especially those related to women’s bodies, cultural rituals, and individual identity, is in the flow of modernity. The semiotic approach proved effective in revealing the relationship between signs, ideology, and social reality hidden in literary texts. The pedagogical implications of the research indicate that the semiotic approach can be applied to literary learning through symbol analysis and interpretive discussion, thereby improving students’ critical thinking skills and cultural awareness. This study recommends developing semiotic-based literary teaching materials and conducting further studies on other regional literature in Indonesia.

An Exploration of Different Afrocentric and Eurocentric Cultural Identities: (De)coloniality in John Kani’s Nothing But the Truth

John Kani’s Nothing But the Truth (2002) is a play that was inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. This article aims to explore the conflicting Afrocentric and Eurocentric cultural identities portrayed by the characters Sipho, Thando, and Mandisa. The play was prescribed for Grade 12 learners in 2008 and currently forms part of the literature and drama curriculum in tertiary institutions. This qualitative article adopts a literature review approach to explore the influence of European cultural practices on African customs. It is undergirded by the decoloniality framework to demonstrate how the conflicting African and Eurocentric cultural influences impinge on the characters’ customary practices and identities. Purposive sampling was employed to select Nothing But the Truth (2002) from Kani’s other works because the play evokes the confusion arising from the direct conflict between different cultures, thereby forcing the characters to seek a possible middle ground between cultures. Thematic textual analysis is used to unravel the nuanced influences of Western European cultures and values on African bereavement rituals. The article contributes to literature studies by recommending an approach that allows for a rethinking of literary criticism to integrate alternative methods such as decoloniality theory. This is necessary to promote and support alternative knowledges to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity.

Journal of Arts, Meaning and Public Life

The Concepts of “Wise” and “Foolish” in Kazakh Proverbs: Cultural Code and Social Evaluation

The article provides a critical overview of the concepts of “wise” and “foolish” as examined in both domestic and international scholarship, and analyzes their representation within Kazakh culture and language. The primary objective of the study is to identify the interrelation and semantic-structural dynamics of the “wise foolish” opposition in the Kazakh sociocultural context through a linguocultural and social analysis of the paremiological corpus, specifically proverbs and sayings. Proverbs and sayings constitute the principal empirical material of the study, as they encapsulate the worldview of an ethnos and reflect its evaluative attitudes toward intelligence and foolishness. This accounts for the relevance of the research. The examination of the concepts “wise” and “foolish,” which occupy a significant place in the Kazakh linguistic worldview, through the paremiological corpus enables a deeper understanding of the interaction between language and culture, as well as the reconstruction of underlying cognitive structures. Drawing on relevant scholarly sources, the study employs comparative, semantic, and linguocultural methods to analyze Kazakh proverbs associated with the “wise foolish” opposition. Particular attention is paid to the evaluative meanings of lexical units and the delineation of their semantic fields. The findings are systematized in tabular form, highlighting the core features of the “wise” concept as represented in Kazakh proverbs. On this basis, the linguocultural characteristics of expressions associated with the concept of “foolishness” are further elucidated. The study concludes that proverbs and sayings should be regarded not merely as fixed linguistic units, but as culturally dynamic elements subject to ongoing interpretative transformations.