Description
The research will focus on the common acoustic aspects of the traditions and will allow cross-cultural aural presentation, reference and access to important artifacts of the corresponding communities as manifested by their traditions in songs, lullabies, fairy tales and ceremonial chants, wedding songs, etc. As a consequence of the proposed project plan, significant cultural elements of these different linguistic traditions will become easily accessible and hence directly communicated, improving the understanding among these communities and thus ultimately social cohesion. The validity and performance of the adopted method in terms of the cultural diffusion among the cultural communities will be quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated via an appropriately designed questionnaire-based study. This study will be addressed to a control sample of non-habitants of the area of interest, as well as a sample of the population of each lingual community group before and after the utilization of the web site. Sustainable results and benefits of the project could be a result of the open-source approach exploited in the implementation of the technological tools and interfaces along with the open-access to the material mainly aimed to be used as an intercultural reference in education.
Summary of project results
The general purpose of the project was the development of cross-communal communication links providing a common platform through technology. During the implementation of the project, an online platform that hosts and displays the most significant samples of the oral and written tradition of the three main lingual communities (Greek, Pomak, Turkish) coexisting in Thrace was created. The project envisaged to improve the attitude of each community towards the others via the introduction to their customs, everyday activities, habits and the awareness of cultural similarities. The adopted approach has resulted in the improvement of knowledge, contact and attitude among the communities and thus in the reduction of inequalities. The sustainability of the results and benefits of the project is obtained via the online availability of the material recorded during the project through the open source approach, which will be available for a long time after the completion of the project and contribute to the cultural promotion of the region, mainly aiming in intercultural diffusion in education or for the tourist exploitation of the material. In the context of linguistic research the following results were delivered:(i) 1 report on the most significant oral tradition samples of each community(ii) 1 report on the most significant cultural buildings in Thrace(iii) 6 reports on the translation and transcription of the material in the language of each community(iv) 1 report on common cultural findings among the language communities, as referred in the recorded oral samples and songsThrough the acoustic research the following were delivered:(i) 1 database of recorded files(ii) 1 database of building acoustic measurement files(iii) 1 database of virtual auralization files(iv) 1 report on the acoustic measurement results concerning each building(v) 1 comparative report on the acoustics of traditional buildings(vi) 1 correlation report concerning the acoustic properties of the buildings and the characteristics of the cultural events that are hosted. Thrace, as a multicultural territory, often suffers from manifestations of prejudice among lingual communities and low social cohesion. As a result, social marginalization phenomena and inequalities arise from such behaviors that originate from the lack of cultural cohesion, knowledge and communication. The main achievement of the project was the foundation of a common platform, free from subjective prejudice, that presents each lingual community through their everyday activities, custom and habits.
Summary of bilateral results