Theory Of Alienation Research Articles

An investigation into barriers to student engagement in Higher Education: Evidence supporting 'the psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’

The purpose of this research was to examine the new concept of, ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’; the potential influence of self-concept, self-esteem and trust as barriers to student engagement. The study was conducted in a Higher Education University campus located within a 16-19 year old Further Education Institution.A constructivist epistemology, underpinned by symbolic interaction theory utilising a mixed methods approach formed the research design. The sample population were students enrolled at the participating institution and employed teaching staff. Quantitative surveys were completed by 39 students, supported by two qualitative staff focus groups and one qualitative student case study to examine an outlier result. Findings suggest 87% of the student participant sample aligned with the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’. Barriers to student engagement were; specific classroom and assessment activities, relationships with teaching staff and peers, staff absences and staff turnover, all having a significant impact on students’ psychosocial and academic trust. The contribution of this research to the field of Higher Education is three-fold; firstly, findings support the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’, secondly it provides insights into the psychological barriers to engagement for the Widening Participation student demographic, thirdly it proposes practical strategies for supporting Widening Participation students in Higher Education. Recommendations for practice include i) counselling, coaching and mentoring support from teaching staff, ii) initiatives to reduce staff turnover and sickness, iii) social pedagogical teaching approaches, iv) teacher training, and, v) peer based learning opportunities to cultivate communities of practice. These strategies could strengthen Widening Participation student’s psychosocial and academic trust, thus reducing barriers to student engagement in Higher Education, contributing to increased social mobility success rates in the United Kingdom and beyond.

Investigating consumer alienation toward broiler leading to food insecurity

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to study the changing consumer behavior toward broiler meat and apprise its consequences toward food insecurity.Design/methodology/approachThis is a sequential exploratory mixed-method study in which qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 38) by snowball sampling. The quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire survey (n = 975) by convenience sampling. The qualitative data were analyzed through NVivo 10 software by using thematic analysis, i.e. the qualitative content analysis (QCA). The theory of consumer alienation provides the theoretical underpinning for a quantitative study. The established scales were adopted and adapted. The quantitative data was analyzed through AMOS 24 software by using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsIt was found that people have many reservations regarding broiler meat. Thus, consumer alienation negatively (ß = −0.10) and the subjective norm positively (ß = 0.82) affects the intention to buy broiler meat.Research limitations/implicationsThe ongoing consumer alienation toward broiler will force them to avoid using this cheapest protein and ultimately will lead to food insecurity in developing countries. It is recommended that people must be adequately educated about the real broiler business and its operations to counter their ongoing misperceptions.Originality/valueIt is the original empirical Research Work.

“Why I Left BuzzFeed”: Alienation, YouTube, and Creative Labour in the Digital Age

Digital media companies on YouTube, exemplified by BuzzFeed, reinforce the perception of employment in the creative industries as an ideal opportunity for young millennials to make money “doing what they love.” In 2016, dozens of videos made by former BuzzFeed employees announcing their departures from the company went viral, challenging this view and granting the public unprecedented insight into the company's labour practices. BuzzFeed thus serves as a valuable case study for digital labour in the contemporary creative industries during a time when formal companies, individual creators, and unpaid users compete for viewership on the platform. This research paper reveals and critically engages with the tradeoffs that creative workers face when negotiating the benefits of working for a company, versus “going independent.” Using Marx’s theory of alienation to analyze “Why I Left BuzzFeed” videos, this paper argues that the option for professional creative workers to become independent creators on YouTube represents a shift towards the ideal of “non-alienated labour.” This article concludes by examining how, despite this shift, independent creative workers are still subsumed under capital.

Gogol’s traditions in V. Kaverin’s novel “The Troublemaker, or Evenings on Vasilyevsky Island”

The novel The Troublemaker, or Evenings on Vasilyevsky Island by V. Kaverin is one of the most representative manifestations of the Russian Hoffmanian of the 1920s, as evidenced by the grotesque imagery of the novel. The very understanding of the grotesque is not limited to the Bakhtin theory, but implies a reference to the works of V. Kaiser and V. Shklovsky. Besides, it is suggested that the Saint Petersburg theme, which is relevant to the writer, is being developed under the banner of the formalist concept of literary life, as well as other ideas and theories of Russian formalism (including the theory of alienation). Kaverin succeeds in putting not only literature itself into the context of the Saint Petersburg myth, but also literature studies, which makes it possible to talk about the work as one of the brightest embodiments of the philological novel, the most important characteristic of which is the accentuated intertextual beginning. The work asserts that motives and themes, images and details, syntactic constructions, and even a composition (including a chronotope) of V. Kaverins first novel fits into Gogols system of coordinates. The Kaverins text is a construction assembled from fragments and details of Gogols text according to Gogols own rules.

The Politics of Alienation in Gary Shteyngart’s Lake Success

ABSTRACT This article considers Gary Shteyngart’s Lake Success as a literary exploration of alienation that is set against the backdrop of the 2016 presidential election in the United States. It exposes alienation as involving and also transcending immigrant identity, the central subject of most of Shteyngart’s works. By putting Lake Success into conversation with Rahel Jaeggi’s theory of alienation and American authors who comment on the subject, I argue that Shteyngart showcases its ubiquity and the ways in which self-alienation and social alienation relate to one another in the face of President Donald Trump’s attempts to alienate and vilify immigrants and other diverse individuals in America. In the process, Shteyngart exposes missed opportunities for self-realization and invites America as a nation to subvert alienation and find success in and through its hybridity and diversity.

The Dual Alienation in Waste Tide

Abstract Environmental and sociological crisis is currently a global phenomenon. Addressing contemporary debates and urgent problems in environmentalism and sociology, the Frankfurt School's critical theorists criticize the capitalist domination of both human and nature. Their concept of domination describes the internalization of alienation. This article uses the Frankfurt School's critical theorists' domination thesis and alienation theory to examine the dual alienation—the interrelated processes of the alienation of human nature and the alienation of nature in Chen Qiufan's Waste Tide. Though the environment is currently a focus for young Chinese, ecological issues in Chinese science fiction writings still seem to be inadequately addressed. Thus, the author argues that the alienation of external, nonhuman nature is intimately and inevitably related to that of human beings and human beings' inner nature. It also points out that science fiction holds a similar potential as the critical theory in playing a significant role in sociology and environmentalism. Furthermore, Chinese science fiction's fictional explorations of ecological and sociological relationships, as represented by Waste Tide, engage with the more broadened area of the global environmental and social crisis.

Policy Alienation and Street-level Bureaucrats’ Psychological Wellbeing: The Mediating Role of Alienative Commitment

AbstractIn an era of New Public Management reforms, public sector policies often create a mismatch between social and economic values that can lead to public policy alienation—professionals’ feelings of disconnection from public policies. Policy alienation can create unrest among public professionals and carry several negative repercussions for their wellbeing and work-related attitudes. The negative repercussions of policy alienation are likely to inhibit public service delivery. However, existing research on policy alienation and its consequences for street-level bureaucrats’ wellbeing is scarce. Thus, it is unknown how policymakers can curb policy disconnect and counter its negative implications. To contribute to both general policy alienation theory and practice, our study hypothesized that the two dimensions of general policy meaninglessness—client meaninglessness and societal meaninglessness—are negatively related to street-level bureaucrats’ psychological wellbeing. We hypothesize this negative relationship is due to alienative commitment. A time-lagged survey data collected from 401 public professionals and analyzed using structural equation modeling supported our hypothesized relationships. The present study extends the nomological networks of the antecedents and consequences of alienative commitment and offers important implications that can help policymakers counter the issues related to public professionals’ alienative commitment and psychological wellbeing.

ROUSSEAU’S “SOCIAL CONTRACT” AND THE CONCEPT OF ALIENATION

The article actualizes the problem of the possibilities of achieving freedom in civil society. The authors consider this problem through the analysis of the conceptual essence of the phenomenon of “social contract” in its relationship with the concept of alienation. Purpose of the article: to analyze the concept of alienation in versatile historical interpretations of historical and socio-philosophical thought. The article examines the views of Rousseau on the relationship between citizens and the state. The texts of Hobbes, Locke, Hegel and Marx, which considered the concept of alienation, are analyzed. The article substantiates the escalation significance of the socio-philosophical understanding of the state of “civil” freedom, analyzes the essence of the general logic of legal consciousness, identifies the main positions of Rousseau’s concept, which defines a social contract as a dialectical unity of alienated potentials that form a dynamic whole “political machine”. The article also details the positions of Hobbes, Locke, Hegel and Marx, given in comparison with the views of Rousseau. The category of “alienation” is analyzed in the context of specific relations between the subject and his definite function, arising as a result of the loss of the initial integrity/unity and being a predictor of the impoverishment of the nature of the subject itself, leading to the transformation of the function itself. The article concludes about the relevance of Rousseau’s theory of alienation for socio-philosophical knowledge. The authors come to the conclusion that the concept of alienation in versatile historical interpretations makes a full turn before returning to its most “balanced” interpretation - Rousseau’s “social contract”. These provisions remain relevant today. The social contract destroys the “natural” generic quality of a person - to be free, alienating her arbitrary, and often just random gifts in favor of a voluntary association that rationally uses all possible and ultimate values of this ideal and real state of a person burdened with social duty.

Nonjudicial Influence on Family Violence Court Cases

Family courts have rarely considered how their decisions are perpetuating domestic violence and child abuse in the many cases where custody disputes are before them. Rather than judges playing King Solomon themselves, they frequently leave the decision making to mental health professionals and lawyers whose credentials rarely include an understanding of what is needed to recognize, stop current abuse and prevent future violence. This article employs a literature review to examine the consequences of this decision making. Research shows that both male and female judges are skeptical of mothers’ claims of abuse and that their opinions contain negative stereotypes of women on which theories of parental alienation are based. More frighteningly, when guardians-ad-Litem or Custody Evaluators were entrusted with these decisions, research shows an intensification of the courts’ skepticism toward mothers’—but not fathers’—claims of abuse. Traditional family court procedures continue the serious risk of harm to women and children by minimizing domestic violence and child abuse, often using unproven and unscientific alienation theories as an excuse not to protect them. The article concludes with a discussion of the role specialty courts that employ therapeutic jurisprudence can play in improving this process for children.

Battered mothers and children in the courts: A lawyer's view

AbstractThe prevention of harm to battered mothers and children during custody and divorce litigation requires a trauma‐informed judicial approach. The existence of competing definitions of domestic violence, gender‐biased theories of parental alienation, and requirements that battered mothers co‐parent have undermined legislation intended to protect victims of domestic violence and their children. An informed judicial response to domestic violence requires mental health professionals who are able to identify the multiple patterns of abuse including physical, emotional, economic, and sexual coercively controlling behaviors, as well as the risks of post‐separation violence. The family courts' lack of transparency and limited public access has further contributed to its reliance on empirically weak gender‐biased parental alienation theories. Mental health professionals who provide interdisciplinary support to these courts must have graduate clinical education in domestic violence, child maltreatment, development, and trauma. Additional systemic changes should include neutral court watch observers to promote accountability and transparency, as well as appropriate services, to these vulnerable families.

What is resonance? What is alienation? How do the two relate? Reflections on Rosa’s theory of resonance and alienation

ABSTRACT This article explores the concepts of resonance and alienation. Resonance is the phenomenal core of the relationship between social subject and the recreation of meaning. This is normatively neutral concept . Normatively desirable resonance involves enchantment Alienation derives from a particular relationship between subject and object, whereby the object controls the social subject. This is normatively objectionable because the subject becomes a means to the ends of the object. There are two form of alienation, means-ends alienation, (consumerism or exploitation) and end-state alienation(acceleration, reification, and utopian projects). In end-state alienation the social subject loses all capacity for living in the present, thus enchanted resonance disappears.

Self-Efficacious Subjects: Rosa on Alienation and its Antithesis

ABSTRACT Alienation is a central concept in Rosa’s critical social theory. Rejecting the idea of freedom as self-determination, he introduces instead self-efficacious subjectivity as the antithesis of alienated agency. He thereby loses sight of a component historically central for theories of alienation: a critically reflective relationship by individual subjects to their own life-activity. Without such a relationship, I argue, subjects may be entrapped by their particular life-orienting commitments and convictions concerning what it means to lead ethically good lives. I conclude that Rosa’s rejection of the idea of self-determining agency impairs the critical scope and vision of his critical social theory.

A Comparison of the Logical Structure of Marx and Marcuse's Alienation Theory

“Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844” is one of Marx's early important works. In the manuscript, Marx, based on his criticism of "alienated labor", provided a new method or a new perspective for people to analyze practical problems. Marcuse inherited Marx's theory of "alienation" and depicted the historical prospect of "comprehensive alienation" in developed industrial society. Starting from Hegel, this paper analyzes and reveals the basic structure of alienation logic. Based on this, a systematic and comprehensive comparison is made between Marx's theory of alienation and Marcuse's theory of alienation from two aspects: the internal logic of alienation and the external logic of alienation. The final aim is to show Marcuse's inheritance and transcendence of Marx's theory of alienation. Marcuse basically followed the logical structure of Marx's alienation theory and abandoned the application of this concept in speculative sense. Marcuse based on the reality of the development of capitalism in new era, developed it into a theory of social criticism, and even regarded it as the inner motive force of the real political revolution.

Higher education students: barriers to engagement; psychological alienation theory, trauma and trust: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This paper is a systematic review of the UK Widening Participation (WP), Higher Education (HE) student demographic. It argues that the presence of traumatic emotional experiences in WP student populations connected to psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory contributes to engagement barriers in HE. Using PRISMA guidelines, 43 publications were screened based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. This paper identifies WP students’ experiences of trauma and how this affects their HE educational engagement. Secondly, it encourages the HE community to consider commitment to the WP demographic. Thirdly it identifies support strategies for WP student success and improvements for HE Institutions (HEI’s) commitment to meeting WP agendas. Additionally, educational and psychological links that have not previously been examined are presented acknowledging the complexities of the WP student demographics. Furthermore, reinforcement for HEI’s commitment to social mobility from both a political and institutional standpoint aligning to the WP student demographic barriers to engagement is articulated.

A Theory of Subversion that could not also Serve the Cause of Oppression?

May ‘68 is the peak of a transformation within radical thought that followed the discovery of the nature of Stalinism and the difficulties of decolonization. If it finished with a series of socioeconomic reforms, it had started as a revolutionary movement that tried to implement what Jacques Rancière referred to as a theory of subversion that could not also serve the cause of oppression. This movement was also deeply influenced by transformations in theories of alienation that started at the end of the Second World War. This is studied here in the works of writers who looked at historical alienation from the point of view of mental alienation: Frantz Fanon, Isidore Isou and the Lettrists, and Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.

The Social Media, Politics of Disinformation in Established Hegemonies, and the Role of Technological Innovations in 21st Century Elections

Deep concerns about the rise in the number of technological innovations used for perpetrating viral dissemination of disinformation, via major social media platforms during multiparty elections, have been expressed. As strategy scholars observe, it is inimical to democratic systems whose election results are questioned by reason of faulty electoral processes. The Marxian alienation theory and Marilyn's ex-post facto research designs were used for evaluating the consequences of adopting political disinformation strategies (PDS) as tools for manipulation, via innovative artificial intelligent technologies, on established social media networks during recent democratic elections in the US and other rising hegemonies. The study observed that most governments and expert political campaigners continue to find it a politically viable platform suitable for swinging the votes of electorates in desired directions. Authors recommended stiffer regulations for media platforms and party agents as this would aid discontinuing the practice of PDS during elections in established and rising hegemonies.

Commercialism and Writers’ Alienation in George Gissing’s New Grub Street

George Gissing’s New Grub Street is set in the 1880s when rapid industrialization was transforming every aspect of Victorian society. Writers, who were once under the protection of noble patrons, were now subjected to brutal market forces. Those who could appeal to the public enjoyed unprecedented wealth and popularity, whereas those who held on to their artistic ideals and refused to compromise often ended up in poverty and neglect. New Grub Street is especially concerned with these changes and the impact on writers. Gissing delves deep into the commercial trend of his age and depicts the disintegrating literary world with unrelenting realism. Utilizing the theory of alienation, this paper analyzes the dilemmas facing professional writers in the commercial society, specifically, writers’ self-estrangement, social isolation, and cultural estrangement as depicted in New Grub Street. Since writing is both an intellectual and physical form of labor, the paper uses Karl Marx’s theory of estranged labor to analyze writers’ alienation in the writing process.

A Frommian perspective on the socio-psychological structure of post-fascism in liberal democracies

ABSTRACT My research explores Erich Fromm’s social theories of narcissism, alienation and authoritarianism for the purpose of linking those theories together, thereby analysing current populist phenomena as an extension of a fascist development in terms of Enzo Traverso’s conception of post-fascism. In my view, Fromm’s critical social theory of narcissism, which pertains to his two other theories, has great potential to unravel current political issues in liberal democracies that are generally tackled in terms of populism. Through a demonstration of the theoretical scope of Fromm’s social theory, which sheds light on pathological social and political phenomena in historical continuity, I argue that the primary tasks of Critical Theory in Frommian terms are to divulge the sources of fascist orientations in seemingly democratic practice and to offer appropriate remedies for these difficulties. In this light, I conclude that in terms of a Frommian social theory of narcissism, fascist types of politics thrive even in advanced liberal-democratic countries, taking the form of authoritarian populism, particularly where society rests on a narcissistic character structure intertwined with an authoritarian orientation.

Gatekeeping by Allegations: An Examination of Verified, Unfounded, and Fabricated Allegations of Child Maltreatment Within the Context of Resist and Refusal Dynamics

Allegations of child maltreatment and neglect, including child sexual abuse, in the context of child custody disputes pose particular challenges for child protection services, family law professionals and the courts to identify children at risk of harm, as well as children impacted and exposed to other risk factors. Accurately identifying child maltreatment requires assessing the background, the history and the context of the allegations in order to differentiate confirmed, unfounded, and fabricated allegations. The paper provides a review of the history and current understanding of allegations within the context of child custody disputes by considering the connections of fabricated allegations to the theory of alienation and the role of gatekeeping. The paper then examines the social science literature regarding allegations within child protection investigations (the prevalence, types of maltreatment, reporter of allegations, and case outcomes) and explores the factors that have contributed to the challenges faced by child protection services to investigate and make determinations regarding allegations within the context of child custody disputes. We argue for early assessment protocols for child protection services to screen child custody cases, to differentiate allegations of alienation from other types of harm, to enhance role clarity in these volatile situations, to refrain from “taking sides” and to work collaboratively with the family law community. Lastly, we offer legal implications to improve collaboration between child protection services and the family law field to better respond to these complex cases.

Confronting America: The Cold War between the United States and the Communists in France and Italy. by Alessandro Brogi, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011. 533 pp. $55.00.

<i>Confronting America: The Cold War between the United States and the Communists in France and Italy</i>. by Alessandro Brogi, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011. 533 pp. $55.00.