Areas Of Dissonance Research Articles

Living an ethical ‘Muslim lifestyle’ within and beyond neoliberal governmentalities: discourse and practice of a youth-led British Muslim charity

ABSTRACT In the early 2010s the then Conservative-led coalition UK government implemented its ‘Big Society’ agenda for the neoliberal renegotiation of the relationship between the state, civil society, and individual citizens. More or less inadvertently, Big Society opened up spaces for everyday ethical agency and postsecular rapprochement. In this environment, faith-based organisations enjoyed a renewed role in the British public sphere, presenting both areas of resonance where neoliberal forms have been co-constituted; and areas of dissonance where neoliberal forms have been resisted. This contribution presents how the youth-led British Muslim charity Muslim Action for Development and the Environment (MADE) inserted itself at the intersection of these spaces, by articulating and trying to enlist young British Muslims into a project of ethical ‘Muslim lifestyle’ – that is, one where everyday ethical agency and pious self-cultivation are mutually integrated and shaped through a constant engagement with, and commitment to, the Islamic tradition. At one level, MADE’s discourse and practices replicated technologies of agency and ‘ideal citizen’ subjectivities constructed by Big Society. However, MADE also resisted this mode of governmentality (and wider neoliberal forms) by explicitly grounding its motivations, values, and norms within an Islamic ethical framework that it self-confidently mobilised as a hopeful counternarrative.

Iranian EFL teachers’ self-reported and enacted culture teaching techniques: A case study

This study sought to explore the degree of convergence between EFL teachers’ self-reported and enacted culture teaching techniques and the reasons for possible incongruities as perceived by them. Data were collected from 10 teachers through a three-stage process of pre-lesson interviews, classroom observations, and post-lesson interviews. Anchored in qualitative content analysis, a compound taxonomy comprising six elements (i.e., agent, medium, interaction, modality, pedagogical objective, and cultural orientation) emerged to describe the participants’ self-reports about culture teaching techniques in five categories – namely contrast, authentic material, group work, codeswitching, and role play. Field observations further suggested inconsistencies between teachers’ self-reports and their class performance. Following rationales disclosed by the teachers, areas of dissonance were attributed to institutional policies/time constraints, learners’ religious beliefs, disinterest in the target culture, and low language proficiency, as well as teachers’ subjective judgment of local culture. The participants’ particular set of self-reports was explained in light of their action-based, affective, communicative, and comprehension-based orientations to culture teaching. The inconsistencies between their self-reports and practices were also justified with regard to institution-, learner-, and teacher-related factors. The paper concludes with discussing the implications of the study and providing suggestions for further research.

GP and parent dissonance about the assessment and treatment of childhood eczema in primary care: a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo compare parents’ and clinicians’ perspectives on the assessment and treatment of children with eczema in primary care.DesignQualitative interview study with purposive and snowball sampling and thematic analysis.Setting14 general practices...

Unsatisfactory colposcopy: clinical decision-making in conditions of uncertainty

BackgroundUnsatisfactory colposcopy, where the cells of interest are not visible in women with a positive cervical screening test, is a common area of clinical uncertainty due to the lack of clear evidence and guidance. Colposcopists’ opinions and experiences are likely to have a significant influence on service provision and the development of national policy. The aim of this study was to analyse decision-making when applied to women with unsatisfactory colposcopy.MethodsA multi-centre qualitative study utilizing a series of focus groups in an English healthcare region. Sampling aimed to ensure heterogeneity of experience and healthcare provider demographics. A topic guide covered a range of clinical and cytological variables and was compiled by the researchers and three expert Colposcopists. Using an iterative approach, thematic analysis was selected as the most appropriate method to identify factors affecting decision-making.ResultsTwenty-three Colposcopists from four units participated. The decision to treat was easier in women with high-grade cytology and high risk women with low-grade cytology such as heavy smokers, poor attenders, older women, those who had completed their families and women opting for treatment. Where decision-making was more complex, intuition and a multi-disciplinary approach were used to guide management. Areas of dissonance, which are affected by paucity of evidence and emotive factors, included cytological collection device, clinical setting and length of conservative follow-up and depth of excision in women at high risk of treatment-related morbidity.ConclusionsAnxiety of missing a cancer deters long-term cytological follow-up, resulting in heterogeneity of care and higher than anticipated excisional treatments in women with low-grade screening and unsatisfactory colposcopy. In areas of clinical uncertainty when decisions are dominated by affect, clinical guidance can reduce the difficulty and anxiety of decision-making.

Gender Differences in Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance explains how humans strive to attain internal consistency. The theory of cognitive dissonance was proposed by Leon Festinger(1956). This particular study is aimed at studying the gender differences in cognitive dissonance. The tools used were a socio-demographic questionnaire developed by the researcher along with the DISS-R questionnaire (Cassel and Chow, 2000). The scores were analyzed with the help of a one-way ANOVA to assess for gender differences in the scores obtained on the eight different areas of dissonance assessed by the DISS-R. It was found out that females were more dissonant in the Internal and Personal areas specifically the Personal Adjustment and Health and Wellness, whereas males were more dissonant in the External and Impersonal areas especially in Schooling and Learning and Subservience/Dominance divisions. .

Applying enterprise: active learning environments for business Higher National Diploma students

This article details an approach to teaching entrepreneurship to Higher National Diploma (HND) students that combines lecture-based and experiential learning processes to increase student learning, comprehension, and entrepreneurial skills. A UK university redesigned an entrepreneurship course to have students design and implement business plans for a pop-up shop and an event in the local community, while working closely with instructors and outside stakeholders. The lectures used in the lessons were designed to complement the enterprise activities and be immediately applied in group work settings. Data were collected from student reflections and analysed against instructor reflections to highlight both the success and challenges of this approach, as well as any areas of dissonance between student and instructor observations. While the benefits of active and experiential learning processes are highlighted in the literature, this article examines these teaching methods specifically in a HND context, an area in which research on the benefits of these teaching methods for developing entrepreneurial students and for developing students prepared for undergraduate education has been limited.

Paul’s Imperium

The socio-historical context of the Pauline letters was dominated by the Roman Empire. But the Empire amounted to more than a material entity, and positing it as a negotiated concept is helpful for interpreting the Paul and Empire nexus. While areas of dissonance between Paul and Empire can be argued, the impact of Empire is discernible in other ways also in the letters. The lasting legacy of Paul’s imperium requires attention for Empire’s push and pull in his letters.

Critical illness trajectory for patients, families and nurses - a literature review.

In the 21st century, we are starting to discover and understand the longer term sequelae of critical illness from both patient's and family members' perspectives. The consequential effects on physical and psychological function and the social landscape are being slowing realized. We are beginning to understand the long-term legacy of critical care, with survivorship possibly the greatest challenge within the critical care setting. To draw together research that has appraised the experience of surviving critical illness from the holistic, triadic perspectives of survivor, relative and critical care nurse. In doing so, knowledge of the complexities of the critical care trajectory is enhanced. Using Medline; Assia; CINAHL Plus; SCOPUS; Web of knowledge searches from 2000 to 2015 were conducted utilizing the terms 'critical care'; 'intensive care', ITU; patient*; relative*; family member*; experience*; nurse*, and trajectory. Relevant exclusion criteria were applied to provide a generalist adult critical care perspective. Following a process of constant comparative analysis of the literature and thematic synthesis, seven themes were highlighted. Facing mortality, critical junctures, physiological sequelae, psychological sequelae, family presence, beyond meeting the needs of family members and technology versus humanity were all emergent themes. As humans, we do not live an isolated life; we are interdependent upon each other. This inclusive review of literature has highlighted the lacunae and areas of dissonance both in the literature and in clinical practice in relation to the critical care trajectory as experienced by survivors of critical illness and their families. Critical care nurses can and should play a role in preparing and supporting patients and families beyond the critical care unit. In turn, Registered Nurses needed to be supported to fulfil this important role in enabling the process of moving patients and their families from surviving to thriving (survivorship).

Perception Differential between Employers and Instructors on the Importance of Employability Skills

This study examines employers and instructors’ perspectives towards university graduates’ work attainment (readiness) as indicated by their generic skills. The specific objectives of the study are 1) to examine the perception of employers and instructors towards generic skills required and displayed by fresh graduates; 2) to examine the perception of instructors towards generic skills being taught (or inculcated) at universities; 3) to identify the mismatch between employers and students’ perceptions toward generic skills required in terms of level of priority; Stratified random sampling was used to obtain the data and samples comprised 66 employers (29 multinational companies and 37 local companies) and 58 instructors from Science and Social Science backgrounds from three public universities in the Klang Valley. The data was collected using a questionnaire which was analysed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The findings indicate that there are indeed several areas of dissonance in the perception differential between employers and instructors on the importance of generic skills in terms of their priority in the workplace and the higher education curriculum.

Diversity, value and technology: exposing value pluralism in institutional strategy

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to explore ways in which value pluralism in institutional learning‐technology strategy can be exposed and managed with the use of learning activities involving stakeholder groups across and between educational institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe case‐study of a series of national workshops on technology strategy in the UK is situated against a broader model of “intervention points” in strategy development in institutions. The model is used to explain the rationale behind the workshops, and to situate their efficacy against the broader objectives of strategy development.FindingsThe workshops revealed significant areas of dissonance between the expressed values and priorities of different stakeholder groups within universities: particularly between the expressed wishes of learners, those of teachers and those of learning technologists. Revealing these value conflicts can be attributed to the particular ways in which the communications were managed using learning activities in the workshops.Practical implicationsThe managed coordination of learning activities within and between stakeholder groups in universities can be effective in exposing the value pluralism that lies behind different approaches to technology. It is argued that, with more explicit identification of the tension between different stakeholder values, the likelihood of more realistic strategy development is increased.Originality/valueThe practical example of the case study has been used to articulate a deeper theoretical framework drawn from sociology. This framework has potential for use in situating a further range of strategic interventions in learning technology in the university, which extend beyond the scope of the strategy workshops.

Expectation and reality: Korean sojourner families in the UK

Increasing numbers of Korean sojourner families are moving to an English-speaking country on a short-term basis in the hope of improving educational and linguistic outcomes for their children. This study reports the findings of an ethnographic case study of 10 families in southern England. The motivation for the move to the UK is explored, paying particular attention to the influence of parents’ dissatisfaction with the education system in Korea and the role of English as an international language. Interviews and focus group discussions with parents, children and their teachers as well as classroom observation are used to highlight the disjunction between the expectations and the actual experiences of Korean sojourners. Key areas of dissonance were found to include classroom behaviour and skills and strategies for learning. Such information is critical for both families – ideally before they make the move to the new country – and teachers in the receiving countries. There are also clear implications for policymakers in Korea.

Variability Pattern in Conflict Management Strategies among School Administrators of Secondary Schools in Nigeria

The present study examined current management strategies adopted by school administrators for resolving conflict, with a view to determining the extent to which these actors agree on conflict management procedures. Adopting a stratified random sampling technique, to ensure adequate national representation, 2400 administrators from rural and urban school districts were surveyed. Key stakeholders in the education enterprise, such as teachers, principals, proprietors of schools as well as members of the school board were, in addition interviewed. Clear disparity appear to exist between sampled groups, in a majority of the tested variables of avoidance, forcing, and bribing, but a clustering pattern, indicating group consonance, was observed in the application of bargaining method. The result highlights administrators' preference in the use of bargaining as a conflict management tool in school districts. This research has identified the preferred conflict management strategy among school administrators. In addition it has thrown light on areas of dissonance, in conflict management strategy, among education managers.

Authenticity, Autonomy, and Authority: Feminist Jewish Learning among Post-Soviet Women

This articles explores how a group of women in the Former Soviet Union grapple with questions of Jewish identity and Jewish “authenticity” as they participate in adult Jewish learning program that employs methods of feminist pedagogy and transformative learning. The study reflects on areas of dissonance between the transformational learning process and the tenacity of the women's world assumptions that are shaped by background, history, and worldview. While the learning process seems to be prompting these women to seriously and critically reflect on and reframe their self-understanding as learners and as Jews, their limited content-knowledge combined with a tentative sense of personal authority about Jewish life seems to impede their ability to harmonize their learning with a clear sense of what constitutes authentic practice of Judaism.

Relative professional roles in antenatal care: results of a survey in Scottish rural general practice

There is evidence of variation and some ambiguity about self-perceived relative professional roles in antenatal care in the UK. There is little information about models of antenatal care provision in UK rural areas. In rural areas, in particular, women have limited choice in accessing health care professionals or alternative primary care delivery settings. In the light of a recent review of Scottish maternity services, it is important and timely to examine models of care and interprofessional working in antenatal care in rural areas. This study explores midwives' and GPs' perceptions about their relative professional roles in remote and rural general practice in Scotland. A questionnaire survey involving all 174 Scottish remote and rural general practices (using one definition of rurality) was conducted, followed by 20 interviews. At least one professional returned a completed questionnaire from 91% of rural practices. A number of areas of dissonance were noted between GPs' and midwives' perceptions of their roles in maternity care and, given the context of service provision, these may impact upon rural patients. Findings are relevant to wider debates on extending the primary care team and strengthening inter-disciplinary working, particularly in rural areas.

A mirror to ourselves? The educational experiences of Japanese children at school in the UK

Summary This paper reports the main findings of the ESRC‐funded study ‘The Educational Experiences of Japanese Children at School in the UK’. Research for this project was carried out by Janet Powney and Joanna McPake, at the Scottish Council for Research in Education, between April 1994 and January 1995. The work was based in two areas with thriving Japanese communities, one in Scotland and one in England; and focused on children in the 11‐13 age‐group, attending UK schools during the week and Japanese Saturday schools. This was a small‐scale study, intended principally to explore areas of dissonance in Japanese children's experiences of school in the UK: the researchers defined a ‘dissonant’ experience as: one in which the children encountered contradictory notions of what school is and of the roles which pupils should play. It was postulated at the outset of the research that these dissonances would arise from the very different educational philosophies and practices in Japan and the UK. In the course of the research, however, the researchers realized that an additional and very powerful influence on the children's perceptions of school and of themselves as pupils was the experience of transition from one educational culture to another. The researchers identified four principal areas of dissonance for Japanese pupils: (1) understanding the role of talk and silence in the classroom; (2) the relative importance placed on knowledge and skills for learning; (3) expectations of academic achievement and educational aspirations; and (4) notions of cultural identity. This paper gives a brief account of the causes of these dissonances and the effects on Japanese children's school lives. The researchers believe that the relevance of this work lies not only in the fact that Japanese children are an under-researched, though economically important, minority group in UK schools, but also that some of the issues raised in the study pose questions about aspects of UK educational philosophy and practice often taken for granted. Of particular concern is the apparent absence of teaching strategies which take into account culturally diverse approaches to learning among schoolpupils.