International Journal Of History And Political Sciences

Images of Power, Gender, and Ritual in Archaic Etruria: Visual Culture and Social Structure in the Formation of Etruscan Identity

2026-02-01T02:17:03+00:00

This article presents a comprehensive investigation into the role of visual culture in shaping, expressing, and sustaining social order in Archaic Etruria. Drawing exclusively on the scholarly corpus provided, it argues that Etruscan imagery was not merely decorative but constituted a structured system of social communication through which hierarchy, gender relations, ritual authority, and political legitimacy were negotiated and made visible. The central analytical premise of the study is that images in Etruscan society functioned as active agents within social processes rather than passive reflections of them, a position grounded in D’Agostino’s seminal theory of the social embeddedness of imagery in Archaic Etruria (D’Agostino, 1989).

The research integrates archaeological, art historical, and social theoretical perspectives to examine how tomb paintings, banquet scenes, architectural ornamentation, and ritual iconography created a visual grammar of Etruscan life and death. By situating Etruscan visual practices within broader Mediterranean developments while maintaining their distinctive cultural logic, the article challenges long-standing interpretations that portray Etruscan culture as a derivative offshoot of Greek or Roman models. Instead, it demonstrates that Etruscan visuality articulated a unique synthesis of communal identity, elite power, and religious belief that differed in both structure and intent from neighboring societies (Pallottino, 1975; Haynes, 2000).

Particular attention is devoted to the representation of gender, especially in banqueting scenes and funerary contexts, where Etruscan women appear as socially visible, named, and ritually significant figures. This stands in sharp contrast to Greek and Roman conventions and supports interpretations advanced in gender archaeology that material culture reflects distinct social regimes of authority and participation (Arnold, 2006; Small, 1994). The article further explores how these images were embedded within spatial and architectural settings, such as tomb chambers and urban sanctuaries, thereby reinforcing social memory and civic continuity (Leighton, 2004; Boëthius et al., 1992).

Through an interpretive methodology grounded in iconographic analysis, comparative archaeology, and cultural theory, the study reconstructs how visual narratives structured Etruscan understandings of ancestry, power, and the afterlife. It argues that these visual systems played a decisive role in stabilizing elite dominance while simultaneously expressing collective identity. In doing so, the article contributes to broader debates on how pre-Roman societies used images as instruments of social organization, challenging reductive models that prioritize political or economic factors alone (Spivey and Stoddart, 1990; Wallace-Hadrill, 2008).

Ultimately, this research demonstrates that Archaic Etruscan imagery constituted a coherent visual ideology through which society represented itself to both the living and the dead. By embedding social values in durable visual forms, the Etruscans created a powerful medium for transmitting cultural norms across generations, making images central to the endurance of their civilization.

Chinese Companies And Cultural Diplomacy In Central Asia Within The Bri Framework: The Cases Of Kazakhstan And Uzbekistan

2026-02-14T01:47:15+00:00

This article analyzes China’s cultural diplomacy and economic influence in Central Asia within the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI), with particular focus on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The study examines the role of Confucius Institutes in China’s soft power strategy, the expansion of the Chinese language in the region, educational exchanges, and cultural programs that shape China’s attractiveness. In addition, the article highlights the participation of Chinese companies in energy and infrastructure projects, their impact on local labor markets, manifestations of Sinophobia in society, public protests, and the cautious stance of Central Asian governments toward China. Using the cases of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the study provides a scholarly analysis of the areas in which China’s soft power has been effective, the domains where it has faced social resistance, and the geopolitical implications of these processes. The findings suggest that although China’s cultural and economic influence is steadily increasing, regional governments continue to pursue a multi-vector policy while striving to maintain internal stability.

Models Of Corporate Accountability In Comparative Perspective Scenarios For Uzbekistan

2026-02-09T11:34:32+00:00

This article examines models of corporate accountability from a comparative corporate law perspective, with particular attention to their applicability to emerging and transition economies such as Uzbekistan. It conceptualizes corporate accountability as a framework of enforceable legal and institutional mechanisms designed to subject corporate power to control and oversight, and distinguishes it clearly from voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study analyses shareholder-oriented, stakeholder-oriented, public-interest, and ESG-based models of corporate accountability, focusing on their doctrinal expression, institutional enforcement mechanisms, and interaction with different ownership structures. Drawing on comparative insights, the article argues that reliance on voluntary CSR initiatives is insufficient in contexts characterized by concentrated ownership and significant state participation. Instead, it proposes a hybrid and enforceable model of corporate accountability as the most viable approach for strengthening corporate governance, protecting affected stakeholders, and promoting long-term corporate sustainability in Uzbekistan.

Classification And Scientific Characteristics Of Medieval Historical Sources Of Uzbekistan

2026-02-13T06:46:20+00:00

This article analyzes the classification of medieval historical sources created in Uzbekistan and their scientific characteristics based on modern methodological requirements of source studies. The purpose of the study is to systematize medieval sources based on genetic, typological and critical criteria and determine their scientific significance in historical reconstruction. Historicity, systematics and comparative-analytical approaches were used in the work. Written, archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic and pictorial sources were considered in a comprehensive manner, and their information potential, level of reliability and discursive characteristics were assessed. The results showed that multi-criteria classification of sources strengthens the empirical foundations of historical knowledge and allows for a multi-layered reconstruction of the political, economic and cultural processes of medieval society. The prospects for integrating traditional source studies methods with digital history technologies were also substantiated. The study serves to form a single conceptual classification model in the study of the medieval history of Uzbekistan.