Views on the preservation of intangible cultural heritage in China amid the growing awareness of intangible cultural heritage

With the development of globalization since the beginning of the 21st century, every country has been striving to show its traditional culture and art of living passed down from generation to generation as its cultural strengths. In response to this situation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization（UNESCO） adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003 and the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in 2005. This stimulated countries throughout the world to actively establish their global cultural identities based on their traditional and folk cultures, and many countries made significant progress over the last ten years. The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which signifies the preservation of cultural identities of all countries and ethnic groups, now numbers 161 States Parties. Moreover, as of November 2014, 369 cultural practices and expressions were inscribed on the Conventionʼs major list of intangible cultural heritage. This high number indicates that the innovative significance of the list is recognized by national governments around the world.　In light of this background, this paper will look at the history and development of activities to preserve intangible cultural heritage that countries have been engaged in with the aim of forging their cultural identities. Challenges that those countries face will be also examined. Then, Chinaʼs nation-wide efforts to safeguard its intangible cultural heritage will be introduced and discussed. Furthermore, based on the past studies, this paper will reveal basic policies that the country has been following in protecting its intangible cultural heritage over the course of history.論

maternal mental status, social supports

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between maternal mental status and social supports during pregnancy and until one month after childbirth in order to evaluate the actual situation in a local city. A survey was conducted on 78 pregnant women who completed the CES-D (depression score), STAI (anxiety score) and Social Support Scale. Data were collected four times : during the second trimester, the third trimester, postpartum hospitalization, and 1 month after childbirth. The CES-D and STAI scores were initially high during pregnancy and decreased during the postpartum period. The Social Support Scale score, however, was initially low during pregnancy and increased during the postpartum period. The CES-D and STAI scores was significantly and negatively correlated with The Social Support Scale score during all four time periods. Participants ≧ 35 years of age scored lower on The Social Support Scale than did participants < 35 years of age in the second trimester, third trimester, and 1 month after childbirth. These findings should assist with the implementation of a comprehensive support center and may be useful for a local city in Japan

育児をする父親のメンタルヘルス測定尺度の開発

The mental health of fathers influences the development of children and the functioning of families significantly. However, there is no useful scale for the mental health screening of childrearing fathers. This study developed a Mental Health Scale for Childrearing Fathers (MSCF) and determined its reliability and validity. Childrearing fathers are working fathers who co-parent with their spouses. This survey was conducted in two stages: a pilot study and a main survey. Data were obtained from 98 fathers raising preschoolers in the pilot study and 306 fathers in the main survey. The collected data were used to confirm the construct validity, criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and internal consistency reliability. The final MSCF consisted of 25 items comprising four factors: peaceful familial connection, healthy mind and body, satisfying paternal alliances, and leading a meaningful life as a parent. The internal consistency reliability estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.918. The validity of the MSCF was logically secured using a confirmatory factor analysis. The MSCF can be an effective tool for mental health screening among fathers in relation to the burden of childrearing during regular infant health checks

Breastfeeding : factors associated with the continuation of breastfeeding, the current situation in Japan, and recommendations for further research

There are a number of research reports that address the various advantages that breastfeeding brings to mothers and children, as well as to families and society, and in addition to a number of physically positive effects, breastfeeding has an important role in terms of mental and psychological effects. Ninety-five % of mothers desire to breastfeed, which reflects social acceptance, but the actual breastfeeding rate of the first month after childbirth is 42%, which accounts for about a half of all mothers. Breastfeeding is a natural behavior, but it cannot be performed only by instinct, so mothers discontinue breastfeeding for various reasons. While these reasons for the discontinuation of breastfeeding have been studied in many countries, research regarding the usability of care to support breastfeeding is being conducted in other countries at a level that can be considered evidential, but not yet in Japan. In addition, the current situation is that breastfeeding is strongly promoted but the support provided remains inadequate for mothers who cannot breastfeed, regardless of whatever efforts they make. This article will review several factors associated with the continuation of breastfeeding and the current situation in Japan, with the intention of identifying desirable areas for further research