Active Dialogue Research Articles

The US-India Dialogue: A Look from China

The overlapping relations of the three major powers - the United States, India and China - continue to serve as a recognized factor in shaping the situation in Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. This topic, being the subject of rather wide international expert discourse, provides a number of theses and, in particular, the view, that the recently active US-India dialogue is developing along with increased consideration for China's policy. In a given context the point of view expressed on this issue in the PRC turns out to be of specific interest. China's approaches to the US Indo-Pacific strategy are simultaneously touched.

Analisis Penerapan Konsep Demokrasi Pada Mahasiswa PPKn Universitas Riau

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the concept of democracy among students of the Pancasila and Citizenship Education (PPKn) study program of the University of Riau (UNRI). The understanding of democracy as a system of government that involves community participation needs to be realized and carried out by the younger generation, especially students. The method applied in this study is a literature study research method. Data was obtained from articles published on the national journal website which can be accessed through Google Scholar. Data is also obtained from books, magazines, and various other media. Qualitative descriptive data analysis was carried out to conclude the results of the use of the concept of democracy among students. The results of this study state that although Civic Studies students have a high awareness of the importance of democracy, further efforts are needed to promote the implementation of these ideas in everyday life. It is recommended to strengthen democracy education in the campus environment, such as holding activities that promote active participation and open dialogue among students

Dumitru Solomon și teatrul de idei (I)

In the early years of communism, Romanian drama encountered major difficulties due to censorship and political control. Great writers, such as Camil Petrescu and Victor Eftimiu, produced mediocre plays, aligned with socialist realism. Likewise, Lucia Demetrius and Aurel Baranga wrote pieces in a socialist style, but rarely ignored official ideology. Part of a select few, Teodor Mazilu, with Fools under the moonlight, drew attention to the abuses of the totalitarian system, in an aestheticized, masked manner. In 1965, Nicolae Ceaușescu imposed a directive for realistic and optimistic art. In the 1970s and 1980s, censorship intensified, culminating in the scandal of the staging of Gogol’s play The Inspector General, directed by Lucian Pintilie, at the “Lucia Sturdza Bulandra” Theater, which was quickly banned after only three performances. In this context, Dumitru Solomon’s dramaturgy focused on dialectics and selfknowledge. His theater, characterized by polemical dialogue and the effects of parody, sought to confront clichés and incite self-reflection. His plays emphasize how dramas transform actions into history and people into characters, reflecting Brecht’s theory of social transformability. The difference between historicism (related to Marxism and the relativity of truths) and historicity (with a focus on a continuous present) is emphasized. In general, Dumitru Solomon believed in uncompromising theater and in performances that do not distort the original message of the dramatic author. In his opinion, it is necessary to balance the comic and dramatic elements, by involving the audience in an active dialogue. At the same time, Dumitru Solomon considered metaphor as essential in theater, through which the relationship between reality and the abstract is explored. The author also insisted on the moral dimension of stage art, stating that theater must interpret reality, not imitate it. In this way, a theater of ideas and debate was promoted, essential for the development of the consciousness of the spectators. With the help of the metaphor, which connects the dream state with reality, utopian ideals are explored, but also the truth about people, with the aim of maintaining a balance between the self and the world.

Cooperation or conquest: A case study of school takeover

School takeover has become an increasingly popular policy strategy to improve schools despite a lack of evidence that points toward its success in increasing student academic achievement. This case study focuses on the takeover of a rural school district in the Southeastern United States and utilizes the work of Paulo Freire to examine if the state’s actions are dialogic or antidialogic action. This qualitative explanatory case study leverages data from State press releases, policy documents, community meetings, and interviews with parent participants to conceptualize takeover as dialogic or antidialogic action. The findings of this study are organized around the domains of the theoretical framework: cooperation or conquest, divide and rule or unity for liberation, manipulation or organization, and cultural invasion or cultural synthesis.

Harnessing the power of peer dialogue to support GTAs’ professional development: Two reflective stories

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have played an essential role in supporting teaching and learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) across the globe. Enhancing GTAs’ professional development (PD) is critical for ensuring the quality of higher education. The influence of peers in GTA’s PD has been widely acknowledged (e.g., Bale & Moran, 2020; Dobbins et al., 2021). However, there is limited research on the benefits of peer dialogue, one of the most accessible means of harnessing peer powers in GTAs’ PD. This qualitative study aims to explore how peer dialogue can contribute to GTAs’ PD. This study will use data from two narratives detailing the experiences of peer dialogue, completed independently by two senior GTAs in a UK-based university, who are also the first and second authors of this study. Through thematic analysis, the two researchers will first identify the themes of the data separately and then work together to synthesize the key themes from the data, to uncover the key benefits of peer dialogue in promoting GTAs’ PD. The findings of this study will add to the literature on the power of peers in GTAs’ PD and provide insights into the positive impacts of engaging in peer dialogue activities to promote GTAs’ PD. This study will have significant implications for GTAs interested in seeking PD opportunities and for stakeholders who support GTAs in higher education. By highlighting the benefits of peer dialogue, this study also underscores the need to create a supportive environment or platform for GTAs to be engaged in open and collaborative peer dialogue.

On the Being and Becoming of Appreciative Inquiry and Christian Faith

Appreciating Church suggests that active dialogue between Christian faith and Appreciative Inquiry can address challenges facing longstanding Christian denominations in the UK. It is important to keep working and living appreciatively, drawing creatively from scripture, tradition and experience. This article makes eight key suggestions for embedding Appreciative Inquiry in church life to encourage generativity and spark transformation.

Social conflicts and their resolution paths in the commercialized renewal of old urban communities in China under the perspective of public value

Constructing a sustainable community renewal model and effectively resolving social conflicts are key issues in urban governance and social stability in contemporary China. This study focuses on the social conflicts arising from the commercialization-driven renewal of the Workers' Village community in Chengdu. Using a combination of case study methods, structured interviews, and participant observation, we explore the public value conflicts and their resolution pathways in the process of community renewal. The study reveals that the formation of public values is a dynamic process characterized by the interplay of multiple value systems, with various public value conflicts emerging in the commercialization of communities. To resolve these social conflicts, it is essential to fully consider the diverse interests of different groups and contexts, as well as the varying public values at stake. By promoting democratization and institutionalization, the different public values that arise from these conflicts can be transformed into a widely recognized value consensus. Grounded in public value theory, this study proposes a social conflict resolution model that transcends traditional approaches. It not only examines the key stakeholders involved in social conflicts during community renewal and the manifestations of value conflicts among them, but also emphasizes the importance of integrating and transforming divergent public values through active dialogue and negotiation. This process, involving multiple stakeholders, follows a trajectory from the aggregation of public values to negotiation and ultimately to value reshaping. The proposed model provides a new governance framework and methodological support for addressing social conflicts in community renewal, offering innovative insights into the integration and reconciliation of public values.

Relational ethics in immigrant families: The contextual therapy five-dimensional framework.

Contextual family therapy offers a unique explanatory and clinically valuable framework to address complex multigenerational processes in families of immigrants who experience cumulative migration-related traumas. In this paper, we offer a new extended, specific conceptualization of immigrant families' generational dynamics using existing literature within the five-dimensional contextual therapy framework illustrated with a clinical example. We highlight the importance of social and relational justice, loyalty, entitlement, and parentification in transgenerational processes in addressing manifestations of these traumas that are frequently overlooked in clinical practice with different generations of immigrant families. Clinical guiding principles include acknowledgment of the social nature of situational injustices and their consequences for relational justices, exploration of loyalty conflicts (familial, cultural, and national), active dialogue of mutual care, exoneration, and stimulating constructive entitlement through active giving. This paper contributes to further development of contextual therapy theory and provides practical guidance for clinicians working with international migrants including second and third generations.

Participants in a peer-based nutrition and health program in Zimbabwe value dialogue, peer support, and tangible action: A qualitative exploration of peer group experiences.

Peer support groups are implemented globally, and viewed as cost-effective, scalable platforms for delivering health and nutrition programming. Quality is important for participation and achieving social and behavior change goals. Little research has explored the perspectives of peer group participants on quality. This manuscript describes community-based implementation research, and associated findings, which was conducted to learn how participants of a nutrition and health program define quality peer groups and how they suggest improving peer groups. In-depth interviews on experiences, benefits, and challenges were conducted with participants of health and nutrition peer groups, including group members (n = 64) and facilitators (n = 30), in three districts in Zimbabwe. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and preliminary results were presented in six follow-up focus group discussions with interviewees to provide input on results and interpretation. Peer groups met some of participants' needs for knowledge, social support, and visible improvements in their lives and homes. Participants described generally positive experiences that sustained participation and motivated behavior change. They highlighted group dynamics, interactive facilitation, and community recognition which support the credibility and motivation of group facilitators. Implementation could be improved by strengthening family engagement and more hands-on learning for encouraging participation. Local adaptation of group activities can address influences on behavior change and increase relevance to participants' needs. The perspectives of core stakeholders are essential to understand what aspects of peer groups are most important to implement the approach with quality across contexts. Implementation research and continued monitoring to understand participant perspectives should be an integral part of all programs to ensure the application of adult learning principles and an appropriate balance between fidelity and adaptation for local relevance and engagement.

Empowering Online Teaching: A System Review of Online Instructors’ Professional Development in Higher Education

This paper begins with the introduction of online education development in U.S. higher education. It examines the challenges of online learning, highlighting that online education often yields poorer outcomes, with lower completion rates and fewer educational learning outcomes. It identifies key determinants impacting online learning outcomes: student agency, the level of interaction within online courses, and digital literacy. The study emphasizes the importance of professional development (PD) for online instructors, especially in community colleges. Critical pedagogy serves as the conceptual framework for the PD, advocating for educational systems that empower students and teachers to challenge oppressive structures and to contribute to educational equity. It stresses the need for instructors to be facilitators of learning, promoting active dialogue and collaborative knowledge construction. The paper discusses scaffolding strategies, promoting student agency, enhancing interaction, and integrating technology-enhanced learning (TEL) as essential components of PD for online instructors. The paper concludes by arguing for the necessity of humanizing online education, aligning it with the principles of critical pedagogy to create more inclusive and empathetic online classrooms. It suggests that as online education evolves, there is a responsibility to ensure that PD programs reflect these humanizing principles, contributing to a more equitable and reflective education system.

Collective learning in pre-service teacher education: exploring challenges, negotiations, and co-constructed solutions towards continuing professional learning and development

ABSTRACT Despite extensive research on professional learning and development in education, there is a significant gap in adopting action research methods as a localised approach to explore professional learning, especially in the pre-service domain. This article delves into the process of collective experiences, joint negotiations, co-constructed solutions, and reflective practices among pre-service teachers, cooperating teachers, and the university mentor throughout the five-phase teaching practicum, driven by action research methods. Through first- and second-person inquiries, observations, reflective notes and sharing sessions as research instruments, findings reveal that joint reflective discourse among stakeholders led to a deeper understanding of unvoiced challenges in teaching practicum, including teaching approaches, classroom management, diversity, learner differences, multiple roles, and heavy workloads. Findings explore how interactive processes within and among individuals facilitate ongoing negotiation and the development of shared solutions, fostering a dynamic and transformative professional learning environment for both pre-service teachers and in-service educators. Creating a platform for the recursive sharing of perspectives is crucial for promoting continuous professional learning during a teaching practicum. This entails promoting active dialogues among school placements, universities, and local authorities, facilitating the exchange of critical reflections, and ultimately supporting continuing professional learning and development in education.

Mencegah Konflik di Aceh Strategi Komunikasi untuk Menjembatani TNI dan Eks Kombatan Gam

The Aceh conflict was one of the bloodiest conflicts in Indonesia which lasted for 30 years. Even though a peace agreement was signed in 2005, the potential for conflict still exists, especially between the TNI and former GAM fighters. This is caused by several factors such as distrust, past trauma, and lack of effective communication. The aim of this research is to analyze effective communication strategies in preventing conflict in Aceh, especially between the TNI and former GAM fighters. This research uses a qualitative method with a descriptive analytical approach. Data collection was carried out by interviewing various parties, including the TNI, former GAM fighters, community leaders and researchers. The results of this research identified several effective communication strategies for preventing conflict in Aceh, including: First, establishing open and transparent communication between the TNI and former GAM fighters. This can be done through dialogue, regular meetings and joint action. Second, increase mutual understanding and tolerance between the TNI and former GAM fighters. This can be done through education and training on Acehnese culture and history. Third, build trust and mutual respect between the TNI and former GAM fighters. This can be done by showing a commitment to resolving problems peacefully and fairly. Fourth, civil society must be involved in conflict prevention activities. This can be done through community empowerment programs and peaceful conflict resolution. The conclusion of this research is that effective communication is the key to preventing conflict in Aceh. The communication strategy proposed in this research can help build trust and mutual respect between the TNI and former GAM fighters and encourage lasting peace in Aceh.

The ethnopragmatics of Akan leave-takings and farewells

Abstract The paper examines leave-takings and farewells as linguistic routines in Akan. It emerged from my previous works on ethnopragmatics of Akan linguistic routines, namely apology, requests, greetings, thanking, advice, compliments, etc. This paper adopted Weigand’s (2010) Mixed Game Model, which deals with dialogic action games. It employs qualitative approaches including interviews, observation, and the recording of natural ethnographic events in the Akan society. These include closings and farewells at funerals, durbars, visits, travelling, arbitrations, folksongs, etc. The paper discusses the ethnosemantics of the leave-takings and farewell expressions. The findings of this paper will contribute to the use of dialogic action games in discussing other linguistic routines. This study will help further research in leave-taking and farewell in other Ghanaian languages.

Rethinking and advancing the movement of resistance, activism, and advocacy in health in four central arenas of the Middle East Region

AbstractThe Middle East region has a long history of resistance, activism, and advocacy movements in health, most recently as part of the 2011 region‐wide Arab Spring. Despite this storied history, however, movements of resistance, activism, and advocacy in health in the region are rarely unpacked, examined, or documented. This historical and contextual analysis aims to examine the long‐standing confiscated health rights and subsequent experiences of resistance, activism, and advocacy in health in populations in Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq. Promoting a health equity and health rights‐based approach is key to achieving Universal Health Coverage and health‐related Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in contexts that experience fragile socioeconomic and humanitarian conditions and political instability such as many countries in the Middle East. Marginalized populations, including Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, Lebanese Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender+ (LGBT) communities, Egyptian women and girls affected by Female Genital Mutilation, and Iraqi refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, have been severely impacted by decades of oppression, conflict, and displacement. These populations have faced various forms of discrimination, neglect, and violence that have hindered their access to quality healthcare and basic health rights. Rather than relying on government efforts, local and international movements to advocate for and protect the health rights of these populations are key. Innovative approaches, strategic dialogue and collective actions are prerequisites for promoting resistance, activism, and advocacy in health in all country's systems structure. This analysis highlights the important of this social public health issue in the most turbulent region and provides evidence to guide all countries to realize equitable human rights for health for all populations.

A Target-Driven Planning Approach for Goal-Directed Dialog Systems.

Existing dialog systems mainly build social bonds reactively with users for chitchat or assist users with specific tasks. In this work, we push forward to a promising yet under-explored proactive dialog paradigm called goal-directed dialog systems, where the "goal" refers to achieving the recommendation for a predetermined target topic through social conversations. We focus on how to make plans that naturally lead users to achieve the goal through smooth topic transitions. To this end, we propose a target-driven planning network (TPNet) to drive the system to transit between different conversation stages. Built upon the widely used transformer architecture, TPNet frames the complicated planning process as a sequence generation task, which plans a dialog path consisting of dialog actions and topics. We then apply our TPNet with planned content to guide dialog generation using various backbone models. Extensive experiments show that our approach obtains the state-of-the-art performance in automatic and human evaluations. The results demonstrate that TPNet affects the improvement of goal-directed dialog systems significantly.

The Effects of Dialogic Activities Using Explanations in Consideration Situations on Junior High School Students’ Understanding of Scientific Concepts

The Effects of Dialogic Activities Using Explanations in Consideration Situations on Junior High School Students’ Understanding of Scientific Concepts

Tweeting environmental pollution: Analyzing twitter language to uncover its correlation with county-level obesity rates in the United States

BackgroundEnvironmental pollution has been linked to obesogenic tendencies. Using environmental-related posts from Twitter (now known as X) from U.S. counties, we aim to uncover the association between Twitter linguistic data and U.S. county-level obesity rates. MethodsAnalyzing nearly 300 thousand tweets from January 2020 to December 2020 across 207 U.S. counties, using an innovative Differential Language Analysis technique and drawing county-level obesity data from the 2020 Food Environment Atlas to identify distinct linguistic features in Twitter relating to environmental-related posts correlated with socioeconomic status (SES) index indicators, obesity rates, and obesity rates controlled for SES index indicators. We also employed predictive modeling to estimate Twitter language's predictive capacity for obesity rates. ResultsResults revealed a negative correlation between environmental-related tweets and obesity rates, both before and after adjusting for SES. Contrarily, non-environmental-related tweets showed a positive association with higher county-level obesity rates, indicating that individuals living in counties with lower obesity rates tend to tweet environmental-related language more frequently than those living in counties with higher obesity rates. The findings suggest that linguistic patterns and expressions employed in discussing environmental-related themes on Twitter can offer unique insights into the prevailing cross-sectional patterns of obesity rates. ConclusionsAlthough Twitter users are a subset of the general population, incorporating environmental-related tweets and county-level obesity rates and using a novel language analysis technique make this study unique. Our results indicated that Twitter users engaging in more active dialog about environmental concerns might exhibit healthier lifestyle practices, contributing to reduced obesity rates.

Young people as co-researchers in schools: a collaborative research methodology which benefits young people and school culture

ABSTRACT The voice of young people in schools is often tokenistic. They are asked to contribute to surveys for OFSTED or are part of an adult-led school council. Rarely are they asked to work with adults to create new knowledge for school improvement. Returning to my previous school to conduct research resulted in developing an inclusive and collaborative methodology. Whilst initially intending to use a participative action research (PAR) process, I synthesised this with Critical Communicative Methodology (CCM) to create Youth Participative Dialogic Action Research (YPDAR). This approach created a research power dynamic where responsibility was shared more equally between the young people and the researcher. The results of this approach were unexpected. As the process developed, the young people’s confidence grew, their trust in the school developed, and they felt empowered to act. This paper explores the processes involved and how YPDAR could be used as a school improvement model with the potential not only to transform young people’s lives, but also the culture of the school.

“STOP BEING RACIST”: WHAT MALAYSIANS SAY ABOUT RACE ON SOCIAL MEDIA - A THEMATIC ANALYSIS

In recent years, social media platforms, exemplified by X (Twitter), have evolved into pivotal arenas for individuals to connect over shared interests and advocate for important societal issues collectively. This trend has notably surged since GE15, with these platforms serving as dynamic spaces for Malaysians to actively participate in national dialogues spanning social, political, religious, gender, and human rights topics. Through the medium of posts (tweets), these discussions not only spotlight pertinent issues but also unveil the diverse array of Malaysian perspectives. This study employed Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework to delve into social media conversations among Malaysians concerning race/ethnicity and its intersections. Utilizing publicly available posts (tweets) from January 1 to June 30, 2023, which were linked to significant local events, the analysis unearthed several salient themes. These include (1) Race and Ethnicity in Malaysian Society, (2) The Political Dimensions of Race, (3) Religious Influence on Politics, (4) Social Harmony and National Identity, (5) Media and Public Discourse, and (6) Human Rights and Equality. Collectively, these themes offer nuanced insights into Malaysia's multifaceted socio-political landscape. Despite the sometimes cursory nature of discussions on X (Twitter), the analysis reveals that these themes not only reflect racial/ethnic biases and perpetuate stereotypes and oppression but also underscore the urgent need for inclusive policies, respectful dialogue, and collective action to nurture harmony and equity within Malaysian society.

Dynamic capabilities for nimbleness and resilience in a continuous digital transformation: action design research in an Australian financial services organisation

PurposeThe research aims to understand the co-existence of nimbleness and resilience in a continuous digital transformation, along with the dynamic capabilities needed to balance the challenges of their co-existence.Design/methodology/approachThe current study draws on dialogical action design research (D-ADR) to investigate interactions among practitioners and executives. Data are collected from a major Australian financial services organisation (FSO) and many international experts.FindingsThe study presents a framework, the continuous transformation model (CTM), to describe digital transformation within an FSO context, emphasising nimbleness and resilience as its foundational pillars. This framework facilitates the identification of the critical role of organisational capabilities in managing continuous digital transformation, supported by dynamic IT capabilities. More importantly, the findings underscore how these capabilities enable managers to effectively balance the coexistence of nimbleness and resilience.Research limitations/implicationsThe CTM contributes to the enterprise information systems literature by offering a coherent understanding of balancing resilience and nimbleness to succeed in digital transformation. In particular, the research model elucidates the relationship between dynamic capabilities and continuous digital transformations.Practical implicationsDigital transformations are not a one-off exercise. Managers in the FSO context must cultivate their organisational capabilities to achieve nimbleness and resilience during their digital transformation journey.Originality/valueThe relationship between dynamic capabilities and continuous digital transformation sheds light on establishing successful management processes within FSOs.