Articles In Issue Research Articles

Of strong swords and fine scalpels: Developing robust clinical principles to cut through heterogeneity.

This is an invited commentary article for the special issue. The main thesis is that an effective strategy for computational psychiatry to handle the (possibly intrinsic) heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders is to focus on developing clinical principles rather than solely precision medicine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Development and inequality: A long‐run view

AbstractWe provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the drivers of long‐run development and inequality, and new datasets for their study. Three distinct elements emerge in the 10 articles of this special issue that broadly characterize the field. First, development should be understood from a multidimensional perspective and when considering long‐run patterns a wide array of indicators must be used, ranging from material living standards to health, education, and gender. Second, the construction of widely used development metrics has to be critically reviewed to arrive at more accurate narratives of how the world developed. Third, the drivers of development and global inequalities are best analyzed and understood from a long‐term perspective. Some sweeping trends with major consequences for countries and regions alike took many years to unfold, such as the emergence of the modern state, or the implementation of large‐scale education reforms. In sum, this special issue shows that global inequalities are the result of long‐term persistent forces that have operated through periods of decades (and centuries), involving institutional change, demographic processes, and cultural persistence (among others). A better understanding of patterns and explanatory factors of development over the long term is key to tackle current‐day challenges for development and inequality.

Conclusion: addressing the labor shortage problem in the hospitality and tourism industries

PurposeThe main objective of this theme issue is to investigate the potential of cutting-edge technologies like AI, robotics and other innovative solutions to mitigate the skilled labor shortage crisis in the Hospitality and tourism (H&T) industries.Design/methodology/approachThis conclusion draws upon the collective insights from the articles in this thematic issue, providing a comprehensive overview of the key findings and their implications. A thorough analysis and discussion of the results are presented, offering a synthesis of the research and its significance for the hospitality and tourism industry.FindingsThis thematic issue examines the profound impact of automation and artificial intelligence on the tourism and hospitality industries, where advancements in technology are juxtaposed with the challenge of skill shortages. The special issue explores the application of AI and automation in operations, training and development as well as the need for a balanced approach to innovation and service delivery standards. As AI transforms the industry, this issue highlights the imperative for hotels and similar establishments to strike a delicate balance between technological innovation and preserving exceptional guest experiences.Originality/valueThis theme issue presents a comprehensive analysis of the key discussions on the strategic use of technology in the hospitality and tourism industries. The articles demonstrate the significance of these advancements in expanding our knowledge and driving innovation, ultimately benefiting various stakeholders in the sector. As these technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, it is crucial for industry professionals, decision-makers and researchers to understand their applications, benefits and challenges in order to effectively address the pressing issue of labor shortages in the hospitality and tourism industries.

Neighborhood Residents in Vulnerable Circumstances: Crisis, Stress, and Coping Mechanisms

The editorial introduces the articles in this thematic issue, which provides a multifaceted analyses on how residents of vulnerable neighbourhoods cope with stressful circumstances and various crises. The aim is to understand daily survival at the neighbourhood level amid rapidly changing conditions. The articles present both quantitative and qualitative analyses that make detailed observations of agency, resilience, and community in diverse sociocultural contexts.

Hidden histories of science and medicine: spirit mediumship and the ‘psychology without a soul’

Mental health professionals working with the dying and bereaved may occasionally feel that a belief in the mind’s persistence after death can function as an important coping device for some of their patients. To facilitate an unbiased reading of the empirical articles in this thematic issue, this essay therefore uses the history of a particularly contested area of ‘survival research’, spirit mediumship, to highlight widely forgotten but pivotal historical contexts and complexities which have failed to inform and balance standard academic receptions of empirical approaches to the mind’s hypothetic survival of death. After sketching diametrically opposed attitudes to mediumship by the founders of modern psychology, William James and Wilhelm Wundt, and psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler’s defences of research with mediums against the dismissive stance exemplified by Emil Kraepelin and Henry Maudsley, I conclude that standard interpretations of any open-minded scientific interest in mediumship and survival research as wishful thinking are asymmetrical and psychologically simplistic.

Amenities and housing market dynamics: Implications for population change, urban attractiveness, innovation, and productivity

This introductory essay aims to provide a comprehensive overview of a collection of 17 articles, previously published in the Urban Studies journal, now consolidated as a ‘virtual special issue’. The articles contribute to numerous strands of what has, over the decades, become an extremely voluminous literature concerning the interplay between population change and productivity within cities. It is important to acknowledge that the volume of this literature makes it effectively impossible to summarise effectively in a single essay. This article instead presents a contextual overview, a glimpse into the various thematic strands arising from the literature, and an introduction to each of the selected virtual special issue articles themselves. It briefly highlights the unique contributions of these articles to the overarching objective of the Urban Studies journal, which is to advance our understanding of the urban condition. Yet, it is also worth noting that the literature does not neatly segregate into distinct strands. Indeed, several contributing authors within the virtual special issue rightly emphasise the significant interdependencies between population change, migration patterns, specialisation, firm location, urban and natural amenities, agglomeration economies, and productivity. This essay attempts to progress logically from one strand to another, with a specific focus on labour and housing markets, as well as transportation costs or systems, as mediators of these complex relationships. Finally, the essay concludes by bringing attention to several strands of future inquiry that might prove fruitful and would be of interest to the readership of this journal.

Introduction: Studying Work Regulation Processes Beyond the Formal/Informal Divide

This introduction provides an outline of what an approach to work regulation processes beyond the formal/informal divide might look like. The first section briefly reviews the different approaches to informal economies that have been developed since the early 1970s. The second section takes a step back from this literature to draw attention to the intellectual and political weaknesses of the concept of informal economy. Building on this critique, the third section proposes avenues for studying work regulation processes beyond the formal/informal divide. To conclude, the fourth section highlights the contributions that the articles of this special issue bring to the analysis of work regulation and labour dynamics in Africa.

Mental Models and Cognitive Frames in International Business

The modern international business (IB) landscape is characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change, making effective decision-making more crucial than ever. Such decisions are made by managers who use mental models and cognitive frames to interpret and act on information. The role such cognitive tools play in shaping how managers perceive opportunities, assess risks, and navigate unfamiliar environments cannot be overstated. The four articles in this special issue of AIB Insights aim to address this issue by examining how mental models and cognitive frames influence decision-making in IB, offering both theoretical insights and, more importantly, practical advice for practitioners.

Shared anthropology of the Middle East: Essays on media in honor of Faye Ginsburg

AbstractThe articles in this special issue are the outcome of the panel: “Papers in Honor of Faye Ginsburg: Visual and Media Anthropology in the Middle East,” which was held virtually for the American Anthropological Association Annual Meetings of November 2021. The reach of Ginsburg's work as well as her mentorship through the creation of NYU's Graduate Program in Culture & Media has shaped the ethnography of media and visual anthropology across a diversity of geographic regions. In this particular issue, we bring together scholars of SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa, a term that more broadly encompasses what is often referred to as the Middle East) whose projects are deeply influenced by Ginsburg's scholarship on shared anthropology, collaborative media practices and cultural activism. This introduction includes excerpts from a conversation with Ginsburg.

Collective Impact-Strengthening the Science and Practice of Implementation Support: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training and Technical Assistance Centers.

We introduce the second of two special issues that examine the science and practice of implementation support with takeaways for training and technical centers (TTACs). Major goals of both issues were to provide: rationale, concepts, and tools for evaluating training and technical assistance (TTA); an evidence-base for TTACs; and greater understanding of what is required to close the research-practice gap. To achieve these ambitious goals, we encouraged submissions from a broad array of individuals and groups involved in TTA. The seven articles in this second issue were written by a diverse mix of individuals affiliated with TTACs, federal agencies, research-oriented think tanks, and implementation scientists whose focus is on advancing the TTA literature. We felt that the collective wisdom garnered from their experiences would complement the first issue (June 2024) and collectively forge ahead and provide a vision of what is to come. We also thought it would be useful to provide perspectives on what it looks like when readers could examine both issues as a whole. Therefore, we included five commentaries-from the two editors and esteemed colleagues-who help provide a holistic perspective on the present and future of the science and practice of implementation support.

The Inquiry Initiative and “Opportunity Gaps”: Collaborative Research Structures and Challenging Inequities in Teacher Education

ABSTRACT While academic conferences and professional associations were amongst those societal structures that were immediately (and arguably forever) changed by the pandemic , many – including this article’s authors and this special issue’s editors – would argue that long before the pandemic, the static structure of professional conferences had made them decidedly less relevant to their members and their fields. In response, in 2022 the Association of Teacher Educators launched the Inquiry Initiative, aiming to develop a novel form of collaborative research structure, uniting teacher education scholars and practitioners to examine and address “opportunity gaps” in education. In this introductory article to this special issue, we explore these professional association contexts and teacher education research circumstances in an effort to help readers understand the unique set of factors that have resulted in this edition of The New Educator. We share a concise history of academic conferences in the US; we situate this history in a brief literature review on collaborative research structures. We outline the elements of the Initiative as it has been implemented over the course of the last three years, concisely detailing the nature of the “opportunity gaps” focus of the first Initiative, and offering short summaries of the articles in this special issue, considering their connections to the “opportunity gaps” topic. We conclude with a reflection on the nature of academic scholarship in the US and the need for and place of such alternative collaborative structures in the service of these research endeavors.

Cities and climate change in developing countries

An increasing proportion of greenhouse gas emissions is coming from urban areas, particularly in developing countries with low- and middle-income economies. While the major challenge for transitions into climate-friendly urban areas in developed countries is the reduction of their consumption footprints, the key factor for advancing the urban climate agenda in developing countries is the link between climate change and the achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals, as these countries struggle with “old problems,” including the provision of basic services and the need to raise incomes. Thus, the contributions of the articles of this special issue explore two main aspects: the understanding of the impacts of climate change in its various dimensions, and the responses and solutions cities have adopted to tackle climate change.

Introduction to the Special Issue: The Lives (and Futures) of Black Children and Youth

Abstract As social science scholarship on Black children and youth continues to expand and to explore their experiences, there remains a need to investigate how families, communities, relationships, and social institutions impact their experiences. The theme for this special issue is inspired in part by our consideration of Black children’s and youths’ present realities and their futures. The editors of this volume are interested in creating space to analyze and theorize the radical possibilities for Black children to flourish in a world that typically ignores, marginalizes, and dismisses their plights and their promise. Privileging the agency of Black youth, the articles in this special issue provide nuanced accounts of how they make sense of many aspects of their lives and futures.

An Introduction to the Modular Forensic Handwriting Method

ABSTRACTThe forensic examination of handwriting utilizes complex human perceptual and cognitive processes that can be difficult to accurately and validly describe since, for the most part, these processes are unseen. The series of articles published in this WIREs special issue present the agreed general approach that government practitioners in Australia use in the majority of the handwriting comparisons that they carry out. The systematic modular approach is informed by research and developments in the fields of motor control of handwriting, human factors, validation of handwriting examination, and evidence evaluation and reporting. The method is based around a process outline which structures the comparison process and provides the reader with a guide to the tasks to undertake and issues to consider at the different stages commonly worked through in practical handwriting examinations. Where decision or assessment points occur within the course of the method, a series of modules have been developed which describe the nature of the matter under consideration and address relevant theoretical and practical issues. Each module (published as an article in this special issue) is, as far as is practical, independent of other modules in the method. This will facilitate changes in the process over time that may result from theoretical, practical or technological advances in the field. The document as a whole can be used by practitioners actively involved in casework, or individuals such as researchers, academics, and legal professionals with an interest in understanding or exploring aspects of the practice of forensic handwriting examination.

Conclusion: sustainability, smart tourism destinations and evolving visitor preferences

PurposeThe primary aim of this themed issue is to highlight the incorporation of sustainability principles in the progress of tourism and the monitoring of tourists' evolving preferences, all within the sustainability framework and smart tourism destinations. The strategic question underlying this theme issue is how can we interpret, relate and monitor the rapidly evolving visitor preferences within sustainability and smart tourism destinations?Design/methodology/approachThis issue’s critical outcomes as they relate to the strategic question are reviewed, with reference to the contributions made to knowledge, policy and practice and the implications for future applied research concerning sustainability, smart tourism destinations and evolving visitor preferences.FindingsArising from the analysis and synthesis of recommendations, the following themes were proposed as critical concentration points for rapidly evolving visitor preferences within sustainability and smart tourism destinations: as in all areas of life, sustainability will continue to be a prominent concept in the tourism sector. Smart solutions and the use of technology have also been identified as determining factors in creating sustainable destinations. On the other hand, changing and evolving tourist preferences are emerging as a driving force for smart destinations and sustainability. Tourism destinations must take steps toward sustainability by considering the changing visitor structure, evolving demands and needs. Some articles in this special issue also analyze tourist demands and sustainability efforts of destinations in specific destinations and provide invaluable insights.Originality/valueAs it is essential for all stakeholders of the tourism industry to achieve competitiveness while securing sustainability, this particular article suggests ways for the industry as a whole, its players, destination administrations, local and national policymakers and other major stakeholders of the tourism industry to address some issues faced by the industry. Factors such as changing customer structure, use of technology and increasing environmental awareness make it necessary for destination management and all players individually to take vital measures. This paper and the collection of articles in this thematic issue offer crucial insights for academics, professionals and decision-makers in creating a complete framework to assess, connect and regularly track changing visitor preferences. The papers include recommendations for creating robust tourism locations that effectively tackle challenges, promote inclusion and prepare for future advancements. This is achieved by examining the convergence of sustainability, smart tourism and changing tourist tastes.

From Believing in Miracles to Contending for Miracles: A Response to Craig Keener

This article responds to Craig Keener’s opening article in a special issue, originating with a Holy Spirit Symposium, Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today, Biola University, October 27, 2023. Keener presents historical, theological, and philosophical reasons to accept intellectually that miracles are credible. My response shifts focus to three psychological and pastoral questions. First, given that many Christians do affirm belief in miracles, why do relatively few Christians—at least in the Global North—pray regularly, expectantly, and persistently for miraculous healing? Second, what are the costs of this gap between beliefs and practices? Third, how might more Christians move from believing in miracles to contending for miracles? I argue that it is insufficient for Christians to believe in the credibility of miracles; the church needs to make it a priority to contend for miracles.

The European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI): in search for legitimacy and resilience of European standardisation

European standardisation, a key institution for the functioning of the EU single market, functions at the crossroads of private rule-making and public policy. Recently, it has been subjected to fierce scrutiny by the European Commission and the European Court of Justice. Expressed concerns relate to the legal value of standards and the legitimacy of institutions creating them but have broader implications for European competitiveness, highlighting the strategic role of standards. By far much of this critique has been directed towards the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the EU’s crown jewel of technology standardisation. ETSI’s normative power manifests itself in policymaking, legislation and market processes, rendering it an interesting organisation to study as a proxy to understand the legitimacy and resilience of European standardisation. Against this backdrop, this introduction sets the theoretical and legal context for this Special Issue. Upon discussing the background and dynamic of European standardisation, it provides a theoretical framework for ‘crises' and ‘legitimacy’, tailoring it to the particular case of ETSI and the challenges it faces at the policy and judicial level. Lastly, it provides a critical reflection on the Research Articles in this Special Issue, linking them to the current discourses on legitimacy and resilience.

Post-pandemic positions: new perspectives on international education and public diplomacy in Australia

PurposeIn an era of internationalism, higher education and vocational training have been core to Australia’s nation-building, regional co-operation and public diplomacy. This essay examines what has become of the people-to-people aspect of Australia’s engagements in the Indo-Pacific region, as discussed in the Australian government’s influential White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century (2012). More recently, established patterns of international educational exchange, and their economic, social and cultural benefits, have been disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, shifting international relations and domestic politics, with consequences for international education and public diplomacy.Design/methodology/approachThis essay introduces the scholarly context for a reappraisal of Australian histories of international education within the Indo-Pacific region since the mid-20th century, and the role of NGOs, academia and government in educational schemes and scholarships. It draws on an approach informed by international history, the history of education and diplomatic studies, to provide an overview of key themes and the past and present case studies discussed in the seven articles of this special journal issue.FindingsThe little-known histories of international education in Australia, and associated scholarship schemes, are important aspects of soft power or public diplomacy and the nation’s relations with the Indo-Pacific region. We argue that there needs to be greater acknowledgement of the vital role of these interpersonal interactions and the international organisations that facilitated such exchanges in histories of Australia’s internationalism and diplomacy. While Australian governments have initiated scholarship programmes, what is becoming clear is that understanding their significance for Australian–regional relationships demands a research focus on student expectations and experiences that often lay beyond government control.Originality/valueThis essay and the articles in this special issue offer new historic and current insights on international education policy and programmes and Australia’s diplomatic relations. Many of the highlighted case studies have not previously been analysed within this context, and fresh analysis makes an intervention into the field, revealing the complexities and limitations of international education and people-to-people relationships for Australia’s past and present connections with the Indo-Pacific region.

Crafting Combinations to Govern Groundwater: Knowledge, Motivation, and Agency

Groundwater is a vital common pool resource for water supply, irrigation, and ecosystems, but can be difficult to govern due to invisibility, conflicting interests, and limitations of available institutions. While there are many policy and technical instruments (tools) available, efforts to apply them are often ineffective. This special issue of the International Journal of the Commons presents a set of papers with insights into policy instruments and other methods for groundwater governance. The relevance and effectiveness of tools and combinations of tools (toolboxes) in addressing problems that emerge from groundwater use is related to how they fit with diverse physical and social contexts. Drawing on research and applied experience, including that presented in this issue, we outline a conceptual framework for groundwater governance that emphasizes attention not just to knowledge, but also to motivations, and to agency for effective coordination among key actors. Articles in the special issue analyze groundwater governance in areas of Africa (east, south, and north), Central Asia, India, and the United States. The articles cover a range of scales from small groups playing experiential games to international agreements about transboundary aquifers. Several papers illustrate the crucial role of knowledge about groundwater, and the need for governance instruments and interventions to go beyond only changing knowledge. Three papers focus on groundwater games and their use to understand and change behavior, especially when combined with other tools that facilitate collective deliberation and action. Several papers illustrate how understanding of the ways people care about and practice care for groundwater illuminates examples and capabilities for groundwater governance. Highlights There are many institutional tools for governing groundwater, but no panaceas, and successes are rare Effective groundwater governance requires that key stakeholders have combinations of knowledge, motivation, and agency to act together effectively Groundwater co-management can combine stakeholders’ knowledge, values, and collective action with external science, resources, and authority Participatory processes can craft combinations of tools to fit contexts and pursue shared gains

Dynamics of transformation and change in actual practice: examples and insights for transforming HRD

ABSTRACT Human Resource Development (HRD) is first and foremost a field of practice, and efforts to transform the field must arise and prove themselves out in actual practice. Practice is always in motion and, thus, its transformation is not static or ever finished, but open-ended, searching, and evolving. This article in the special issue on transforming HRD is written in a personal and narrative style, offering wide-ranging accounts of specific transformation initiatives taken from our professional practice as two white, western HRD people, senior in experience and age. The goal is to tell the stories of particular transformation efforts in different contexts, cultures, and times and to draw out insights for the dynamics of transformation. We suggest that the value of the tales in this article, even in the limited space of a journal article, lies in offering the reader glimpses of the intricacies and dynamics of HRD transformation as it actually unfolds. We invite the readers to reflect on their own projects and draw their own conclusions on the fit between our portrayals of the matter at hand and their own experiences as calls for the need to transform HRD arise loud and clear in many different parts of the HRD ecosystem.