War Culture

This article is a extensive discussion from a Māori perspective into issues around the use of Māori cultural items, in particular haka, to commemorate the fallen in WWI. Embedded in the are key theories of cultural memory, ‘war culture’ and ‘post-war culture.’ The research outlines the differences between European and Indigenous war and post war cultural practices focusing on Māori. It seeks to understand the reluctance of Turkish officials to see haka being performed when it was apparently banned from ceremonies in 2005. It outlines the media reporting on the issue and the subsequent reintroduction of haka in August 2015 at the centenary of the Chunuk Bair battle. It unpacks deep problems inherent with using such items as they are vehicles of cultural memory. These memories carry with them deep seeded issues in relation to colonisation and the military. It highlights problems around the cultural assimilation of haka and Māori and the lack of support from wider New Zealand for protecting Te Reo Māori (Māori language). It holds that there is a place for haka in commemoration and that Māori need to be mindful of Turkish cultural sensitivities as haka was used to wage war against them. However, it explores a counter-argument to that in that haka and cultural items can be used in post-war culture to promote understanding and peace while recognising the tikanga concept of mana whenua. It points out the words of Atatürk about the embracing of those who fought at Gallipoli as the sons of Turkey. It asks Turkish officials to recognise that under no circumstances is the performance of cultural items meant to cause offence and that Turkey’s multicultural nature should recognise the practice as indigenous religious practice. As such it questions the role of Turkish officials approving Māori cultural items for commemorative ceremonies. Lastly, it opens avenues for further research into the issues raised.

Il passaggio dalla guerra alla pace è un tema raramente
affrontato dagli storici contemporaneisti. Eppure, è proprio
nelle turbolente stagioni che seguono i due conflitti mondiali
che l’Italia vive le crisi più traumatiche della propria storia
unitaria. I dopoguerra sono il momento in cui si mettono in luce
continuità e insufficienze di una classe dirigente incapace di far
fronte ai traumi della guerra di massa; sono anche il contesto in
cui si consumano le rotture più radicali con il passato, con esiti drammaticamente diversi.

This article is an extensive discussion from a Maori perspective into issues around the use of Maori cultural terms, in particular haka, to commemorate the fallen in WWI. Embedded in the article are key theories of cultural memory, 'war culture' and 'post-war culture'. The research outlines the differences between European and Indigenous war and post war cultural practices focusing on Maori. It seeks to understand the reluctance of Turkish officials to see haka being performed when it was apparently banned from ceremonies in 2005. It outlines the media reporting on the issue and the subsequent reintroduction of haka in August 2015 at the centenary of the Chunuk Bair battle. It unpacks deep problems inherent with using such items as they are vehicles of cultural memory. These memories carry with them deep-seeded issues in relation to colonisation and the military. It highlights problems around the cultural assimilation of haka and Maori and the lack of support from wi...

Article presents a theoretical and practical importance of the study of cultural dimension of the phenomenon of war. It presents not only the historical examples of mutual and complex connections between war and culture, but also proposes an answer to the question – “how to study these connections?” The author examines existing concepts (including history, political science, strategic science or Russian anthropology of war) and proposes the concept of “culture war”, understood as that part of general culture, which refers to the phenomenon of war. Its division into three areas – material, organizational and non-material – helps not only the description and analysis of the various war cultures in historical times, but also to comparison them with each other. The analysis of the connections between war culture and wider environmental and geopolitical surrounding and political, economic, social and cultural environment, as well as the study of its adaptation to changes in these areas, is also interesting. Study of the cultural dimension of war phenomenon also has practical significance. It facilitates understanding of the historical and contemporary reality, which to a large extent, is shaped by warfares.