Authority Rules Research Articles

When ethnic-racial discrimination from math teachers spills over and predicts the math adjustment of nondiscriminated adolescents: The mediating role of math classroom climate perceptions.

Ethnic-racial discrimination is a pernicious experience that affects discriminated adolescents' healthy human development, but the spillover consequences of discrimination on the nondiscriminated adolescent population are less clear. Adolescents who vicariously witness their classmates experience ethnic-racial discrimination from educators may question their educators' authority and classroom rules, and educators who perpetuate discrimination may engage in other practices that disadvantage the entire classroom. Thus, we posed three research questions: Did classmates' ethnic-racial discrimination from teachers predict adolescents' classroom adjustment outcomes (e.g., class grades, test scores, and engagement), did classroom climate mediate the link between classmates' ethnic-racial discrimination and adolescents' classroom adjustment outcomes, and did the results differ between early versus middle adolescents? To answer these research questions, the present study leveraged longitudinal data among 1,539 adolescents (Mage = 13.81, SDage = 1.49; 60% Black, 30% White, 9% other, 1% Asian; 49% female, 51% male) nested in 104 math classrooms, as math is a subject domain with pervasive ethnic-racial stereotypes about students' abilities and opportunities to succeed in class. Results illustrated that direct and vicarious ethnic-racial discrimination from math educators in the fall semester predicted worse math course grades, state-administered standardized test scores, and classroom engagement across the fall and spring semesters. Math classroom climate perceptions mediated the longitudinal relations between ethnic-racial discrimination and their math adjustment outcomes, and the role of ethnic-racial discrimination varied across different developmental stages of adolescence. Implications for the measurement of ethnic-racial discrimination in the classroom context and the social contagion linked to ethnic-racial disadvantage are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Simulation design of 542kWp DC/480kWp AC Solar Photovoltaic System at Institute of Southern Punjab

Conventional methods of producing electricity are expensive, pollute the environment, need a lot of maintenance, and eventually run out of power. Because of this, it is imperative to take use of the unrealized potential of renewable energy sources that are also ecologically beneficial. At the Institute of Southern Punjab (ISP), Multan, Pakistan geographical location coordinates latitude 30° 17′ 20′′ N and longitude 71° 30′ 1′′ E. Current study developed an effective, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly Grid Tie PV System (GTPVS) to address this issue. One location where solar energy has enormous promise is Multan. At this location, the average yearly horizontal solar irradiance is 1861.8 kWh/m2/year and average diffuse horizontal solar irradiance 898.9 kWh/m2/year. In this study, PVSyst is used to calculate the performance ratio and various power losses, such as inverter, temperature-related losses, and losses from PV modules. Every day, 3026.26 kg of coal are saved, which is the same as growing 29062.87 Teak trees for life time. According to National Electric Power Regulation Authority (NEPRA) rule Tarif A3(66) is applied on universities and schools, where 60 Rs/kWh is unit cost in year 2024. The generated energy costs for Longi solar cell for proposed location in ISP Multan is 0.07 US dollars per kWh, while the standard energy pricing in Pakistan in 2024 is 0.21 US dollars per kWh. The simulation results show that, proposed RTSPVS design energy production is 966.4 MWh/year. Annual performance ratio (PR) for the proposed system is 85.8%.

Data Security and Privacy in Genomics Research: A Comparative Analysis to Protect Confidentiality

The quick progress of genomics examination has driven a surge in the creation of significantly fragile genomic data, making ensuring its security essential. This data contains sensitive information roughly an individual's prosperity, family history, and defencelessness to ailments. Unauthorized access or mishandling can lead to isolation, stigmatization, and mystery breaches. The potential threats to genomic data affirmation are multifaceted, checking the chance of re-identification and extended defense lessness to data breaches, hacking events, and unauthorized get to by harmful actors. To address these challenges, a multifaceted approach is required, tallying solid privacy-preserving methods, securing data capacity, and transmission sharpens, and getting to controls. Encryption techniques, differential security methods, and secure multiparty computation offer promising streets for securing genomic data while progressing collaborative ask approximately. Establishing clear authority frameworks and rules for data management, capacity, and sharing is essential to reduce security threats in genomics research. Collaboration between researchers, policymakers, industry partners, and support groups is essential for developing comprehensive methods to protect genomic data security. By prioritizing security concerns and executing effective safeguards, the community can uphold individuals' rights, maintain open acceptance, and drive advancements in genomics research for the betterment of society.

Investigation into Factors Inflencing Employee Deviant Behaviour in Workplace.

It is an ordinary wonder these days, in different organizations, to see that the employees abuse the essential authoritative rules, and participate in a behavior, which ends up being hostile to the organization. This sort of behavior, which is a deviation from the rules set some place by the organization is called "Deviational workplace behaviors.” This study investigates factors influencing employee deviant behavior in the workplace. The objectives were to determine these factors and rank them based on their impact on deviant behavior. The research employed an exploratory and descriptive approach. Primary data was collected from 100 professors working in deemed universities using a structured questionnaire with 40 questions on a 5-point Likert scale. Secondary data was gathered from various journals. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha, and factor analysis was conducted using SPSS software to determine the relative strength of each factor.

Karierowiczka i egoistka: opór polskich „bezkidek” wobec presji społecznej posiadania dzieci. Analiza przekazów na platformie TikTok

This article delves into the phenomenon of intentional childlessness within the context of many societal pressures prevalent on he Internet and specifically on the social platforms. It encompasses an exploration of recent scientific research and inquiries into the choice of childlessness, with a focus on the #childfree movement on TikTok. The presented study of an author covers an analysis of Polish content related to intentional childlessness on TikTok, dissecting the methods of social shaming directed at individuals opting for a child-free lifestyle, the defensive strategies employed by the child-free community, and the psychological phenomenon of the “authority rule”. This research approach sheds some light on the complex social dynamics surrounding the decision to remain child-free in the face of societal expectations, offering significant insights into contemporary attitudes towards this contentious topic within the TikTok community. This particularly concerns childless women who are almost expected to embrace motherhood as an obligation. TikTok is their space for spreading their views and defending their own position.

The Parallel Worlds of the Book of Job and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

ABSTRACT The book of Job (hereafter italicized to differentiate it from the character of Job) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are both famous for breaking the rules of genre and language. Both stories are told through a frame tale that brackets a series of debates. These debates are full of occasionalisms, visual jokes, homographs, homophones, double entendre, and even triple entendre. Both make use of similar literary devices, such as parody, fourth-wall jokes, and unexpected cliffhangers. Job and Alice go through similar character development, in which they must question their presuppositions and learn simple honesty about how complex societal systems work in the world. This article argues that the breaking of genre rules helps Job and Alice become honest voices of protest, challenging the rules of authority and those who blindly defend them.

Neuro Receptor Signal Detecting and Monitoring Smart Devices for Biological Changes in Cognitive Health Conditions.

Currently, wearable sensors significantly impact health care through continuous monitoring and event prediction. The types and clinical applications of wearable technology for the prevention of mental illnesses, as well as associated health authority rules, are covered in the current review. The technologies behind wearable ECG monitors, biosensors, electronic skin patches, neural interfaces, retinal prosthesis, and smart contact lenses were discussed. We described how sensors will examine neuronal impulses using verified machine-learning algorithms running in real-time. These sensors will closely monitor body signals and demonstrate continuous sensing with wireless functionality. The wearable applications in the following medical fields were covered in our review: sleep, neurology, mental health, anxiety, depression, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, seizures, and schizophrenia. These mental health conditions can cause serious issues, even death. Inflammation brought on by mental health problems can worsen hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction and interfere with certain neuroregulatory systems such as the neural peptide Y, serotonergic, and cholinergic systems. Severe depressive disorder symptoms are correlated with elevated Interleukin (IL-6) levels. On the basis of previous and present data collected utilizing a variety of sensory modalities, researchers are currently investigating ways to identify or detect the current mental state. This review explores the potential of various mental health monitoring technologies. The types and clinical uses of wearable technology, such as ECG monitors, biosensors, electronic skin patches, brain interfaces, retinal prostheses, and smart contact lenses, were covered in the current review will be beneficial for patients with mental health problems like Alzheimer, epilepsy, dementia. The sensors will closely monitor bodily signals with wireless functionality while using machine learning algorithms to analyse neural impulses in real time.

Exploring Classroom Discipline Strategies and Cultural Dynamics: Lessons from the Japanese Education System

This academic study examines classroom discipline strategies and cultural dynamics within the Japanese education system. It focuses on their effects on classroom management and cross-cultural education. The study aims to provide valuable lessons from the Japanese approach to classroom discipline, student engagement, and the influence of national factors on student-teacher relationships and communication. The main objective of the study is to highlight the fundamental rules of Japanese classrooms, emphasizing respect, hierarchy, and authority. It examines how these values shape the overall discipline and approach adopted by Japanese teachers. This will help in providing a framework for understanding unique classroom management practices in Japan. This study provides valuable insights into classroom management strategies in Japan and their relevance to cross-disciplinary education. By understanding Japanese classroom cultural dynamics and discipline strategies, educators and policymakers can gain a broader perspective. They can also adapt effective practices to create inclusive and engaging learning environments. The study also suggests avenues for future research, encouraging further exploration of cultural dynamics and their implications for education systems worldwide.

Reconsidering the Existence of Muhkam and Mutasyabbih in Contemporary Qur’anic Studies

This paper discusses the importance of the study of muhkam and mutasyabbih verses in contemporary Qur'anic studies. The discussion of muhkam and mutasyabbih lately seems to be pushed aside by contemporary approaches that mainly come from Western scholars. Despite being an inseparable part of the classical scholars' products, the discussion of muhkam and mutasyabbih verses is still very relevant to be discussed in this era. This research is library research with a descriptive-analytical approach. The material object of this research is taken from the books of Ulum al-Qur'an from classical to contemporary. As for analyzing it, the author uses theories from Muslim scholars and scholars about the position of the theory of ulum al-Qur'an related to the research problem. The results of the study in this paper concluded that the concept or theme of muhkam and mutasyabbih is a basic theory in the study of al-Qur'anic science formulated by Eastern scholars in the classical era. This theory is well-established and very fundamental. It is grouped as one of the branches of ulum al-Qur'an. Someone who will understand the Qur'an and explore the meaning of the Qur'an must master this branch of science. However, the established theory was shaken because of the results of Western scholars' studies of the Qur'an. The influence of Western studies on the Qur'an makes the Qur'anic scholars seem to discredit the study of muhkam and mutasyabbih. There is even an assumption that the study of muhkam and mutasyabbih is classic and outdated. Whereas without this study someone will not be able to map and explore the meaning of the Qur'an which is so broad and deep. For a Muslim, the Qur'an is a divine manifestation that cannot be doubted. This view is contrary to Western epistemology which always starts from suspicion. Therefore, the study of muhkam and mutasyabbih is still very significant to be discussed in this contemporary era. It cannot only be considered an intellectual treasure of classical scholars but also as an authoritative rule in understanding the Qur'an.

Enforcement of court decisions: analysis of the legal positions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine

Constitutional law is concerned with the fact that the executive branch is responsible for the implementation of laws. The latter is also slightly different from a related concept, which is the application of laws, as evidenced by judicial practice. The concept of execution of a court decision is also understood from the point of view of the ECtHR, since the unreasonableness of the delay in rendering the decision entails the responsibility of the state in national legislation on the basis of Articles 6, §§ 1 and 13, ECHR, as the Court reminds "that the right to the execution of a court decision is one from the aspects of the right of access to a court... and that enforcement must be complete, perfect, and not partial.”
 Effective execution of court decisions is an integral part of the requirements of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Given the volume of cases pending before the Court and the instruments recently adopted by the Council of Europe in the field of law enforcement. There can be no reasonable doubt that the execution of the decision is an integral part of the right to effective judicial protection, as it is a logical consequence of the court's consideration of citizens' legal claims. The right to effective judicial protection and due legal procedure, as the timely implementation of decisions of the Constitutional Court is an imperative of the principle of legal certainty. It is a fundamental element of the requirement of efficiency, which is part of the process and guarantees compliance with the principles of supremacy and constitutional inviolability by all branches of government and citizens.
 The enforcement of judgments issued by constitutional courts or tribunals is adjusted to the right of the party in whose favor the judicial authority rules, so that those who issue them or those who are responsible for their execution are obliged to take the necessary and timely measures measures for their strict compliance, in accordance with current rules and procedures.

Law Abidance Leadership Education for University Students in Hong Kong: Subjective Outcome Evaluation

Adolescence is an “age of rebellion” when adolescents challenge authority and break rules on an experimental basis. Hence, it is important to promote law abidance, particularly when we expect young people to become future leaders. In this study, we implemented a 3-hour face-to-face module on law abidance leadership with national security as a part of the contents. To understand the perceptions of university students taking the lecture (N = 1,285), we employed a 26-item post-lecture evaluation questionnaire to conduct subjective outcome evaluation. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) as well as multi-group CFAs based on two randomly selected samples, demonstrated the three dimensions intrinsic to the scale (i.e., lecture attributes, teachers’ qualities, and appreciation of law abidance leadership) replicated the previous findings, hence supporting the construct validity of the instrument. Regarding perceptions of all respondents (N = 985), students generally held positive views on lecture design and delivery. Besides, they agreed that this module benefited their personal development in critical thinking, problem-solving ability, moral competence, interpersonal communication skills, law abidance leadership, and their understandings about the significance of national security. More than 95% of the participants expressed their desire to become law-abiding citizens and take on social responsibility. The qualitative responses also triangulated the quantitative findings, with most of which being positive responses. This study replicated our previous research, and enriched the scientific database on teaching politically sensitive topics in the context of higher education.

The legal nature of the institution of a constitutional complaint in the doctrine of constitutionalism

The article attempts to comprehensively determine the legal nature of the institution of a constitutional complaint in the doctrine of constitutionalism.
 It is indicated that the legal nature of the constitutional complaint is based on the principles of constitutional law and the rule of law, and acts as an important means of legal protection of the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens. It contributes to ensuring the principle of the rule of law, legal authority and control over compliance with the norms of the Constitution. A constitutional complaint is important in ensuring the constitutional order and functioning of the country's legal system.
 It is noted that constitutionalism promotes the development of democratic principles, including the principles of representative power, citizen participation in making important decisions, and the development of civil society. The Constitution is the main law that provides legitimacy and legal foundation for the activities of state authorities. The basis of the doctrine of constitutionalism is the assumption that the government has the potential to abuse and violate the rights of citizens, therefore it sets itself the task of limiting the power by clearly defining the competencies and duties of various branches of government, as well as establishing mechanisms for monitoring their implementation.
 It is motivated that the renewal of the mechanisms of constitutionalism is manifested in the fact that, unlike the classical model, where only state bodies had the right to appeal to the Constitutional Court, states now often grant individuals the right to question the constitutionality of a normative or individual act.
 It was determined that the legal nature of constitutionalism is manifested in the fact that a constitutional complaint is characterized by the following: acts as a control mechanism on the part of civil society; is a means of achieving the principle of justice, which is the main guarantee of democracy and the rule of law; the doctrine of anthropocentrism is represented, which means an emphasis on the person, his rights, freedoms and interests; endowed with the potential to support the high level, permanent importance of the Constitution in the legal system; embodies the requirement of proper legal certainty of legal norms.

International environmental policy processes that dispossessed developing societies of public land resources: A case study of Nepal

AbstractPublic lands including forests and community pastures are still crucial means of local livelihood, social security, and environmental conservation in many developing countries including Nepal. However, these resources are increasingly managed primarily to offset greenhouse gas emissions of developed countries. The new management has exacerbated many local problems: livelihood constriction, social crises, human casualties (deaths and serious injuries), biodiversity degradation, and water scarcity including cryosphere retreating. Drawing data from multiple sources, this study attempted to explain the international political objectives and processes that dispossessed developing societies of public land resources for the benefit of developed countries. It shows that representatives of the developed countries were proactively and strategically involved in agenda formation, solutions negotiations, and decision-making while developing international environmental policies, and succeeded to structure the policies for managing the resources of developing countries for the best benefit of their own countries. The developed countries provided funds and experts, as strategic tools, through international aid agencies to implement the policies of their interest in institutionally weak countries. In Nepal, the aid agencies influenced the thinking of the public and the decisions of the government and other stakeholders through a series of strategic measures. They propagandized false crises, worked with a coalition of powerful international agencies, offered free technical support, and changed national policies proactively to manage the land resources for achieving their missions. Active involvement in policy implementation also helped the agencies to monitor implementation hurdles and apply other tactics to resolve them. Lucrative flash incentives were provided to motivate and get the support of communities, powerful stakeholders, and politicians to implement the policies. Psychosocial pressures were also applied to persuade local communities and their leaders for getting local cooperation in making and practicing new legal institutions (government authority rules or orders, user group rules, and forest management plans) that bind and control local communities for forest protection. The institutions obliged local communities to contribute free labor or cash for developing, modifying, and protecting the forests. These two levels of interventions led to the further development of reinforcing institutions, resource conditions, and social-ecological systems that secured benefits for developed countries and deprived local communities of power to control, produce and access the public land resources in their own backyard for years. This study also showed that international environmental policies and aid agencies have respectively served as institutional weapons and vehicles for materially and institutionally powerful countries to colonize the land resources of weaker countries, without using of physical coercion or deplyment of military forces.

COAL MINING RECLAMATION POLICY PROFETICAL BASED: STUDY IN EAST KALIMANTAN

This study aims to offer the concept of a prophetic paradigm in managing natural resources, especially minerals and coal, as a reference and guide for stakeholders, coal mining entrepreneurs, and the community on the values of morality and piety to the Creator. Method: This type of research was classified as legal, sociological research, in which the phenomenon was seen directly in the field with the purposive sampling method. It used primary data, namely direct interviews with stakeholders, companies, and communities in coal mining areas in the province of East Kalimantan. Then, the data were analyzed with the approach of case and philosophy in order to get the formulation of legal system factors that were not working properly and prophetic principles in the management of coal mines. Result: From this research, the coal mining reclamation policy made by the local government has not yet reached the legal objective because (1) there was no community participation, (2) unclear structural authority rules in natural resource management, and (3) uncertainty in the implementation of reclamation and post-mining regulations. Therefore, the concept is needed as a solution to solve the problem. Through the prophetic paradigm, the concept of Natural Theology is produced, which is directed to be able to care for nature through the application of Shari'a or moral values that are based on faith. Natural theology is an idea that requires humans to place nature as the highest priority in life. In this position, nature occupies the highest position compared to other materials.

Moral Intuitions About Stigmatizing Practices and Feeding Stigmatizing Practices: How Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory Relates to Infectious Disease Stigma.

Despite extensive stigma mitigation efforts, infectious disease stigma remains common. So far, little attention has been paid to the moral psychology of stigmatizing practices (i.e. beliefs, attitudes, actions) rather than the experience of being stigmatized. Addressing the moral psychology behind stigmatizing practices seems necessary to explain the persistence of infectious disease stigma and to develop effective mitigation strategies. Our article proposes building on Jonathan Haidt's moral foundations theory, which states that moral judgements follow from intuitions rather than conscious reasoning. Conceptual analysis was conducted to show how Haidt's five moral foundations can be connected to (i) moral judgements about stigmatizing practices and (ii) stigmatizing practices themselves. We found that care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal and sanctity/degradation intuitions can inform moral judgements about stigmatizing practices. Loyalty/betrayal and sanctity/degradation intuitions can sometimes also feed stigmatizing practices. Authority/subversion intuitions can inform moral judgements and stigmatizing practices towards people who disrespect authoritative rules meant to protect public health. Moral dumbfounding and posthoc reasoning might explain the persistence of stigmatizing practices. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the relevance of Haidt's approach to infectious disease stigma research and mitigation strategies. We hope that this study motivates researchers to further test and assess this approach.

Representing legislative Rules as Code: Reducing the problems of ‘scaling up’

We propose an approach to analysing the nature of existing legal rules, particularly legislative rules, that regards legislation as fundamentally a set of related propositions. We propose a method for representing these rules, using a coding language developed for the project that uses a quasi-natural language representation. It enables the interpreter program for that coding language to process these rules so as to produce ‘consultations’ to determine the values of goals which the legislation is capable of determining, with dialogues and explanations generated ‘on the fly’.Progress that has been made in automating this coding process to create rules in that coding language directly from existing legislation, using a pre-processor program developed for the project. This can also be described as ‘scaling up’ the production of ‘Rules as Code’ or ‘Law as Code’. If successfully developed further this has potential to make a significant contribution toward realising the practical potential of Rules as Code.We conclude there is now evidence that these processes can be generalised (‘scaled up’) to deal with the conversion or production of large bodies of legislation, and that this has considerable value. The pre-processor software is evolving rapidly, in the variety of structural forms of legislation that it can convert into the coding language, and this work will continue.Based on this experience, we also demonstrate how the drafting of legislation could be changed so that appropriately drafted legislation is directly readable and understandable by humans and also directly usable by machines. To be effective, laws drafted in this way will need to be simultaneously authoritative legislative rules and code.

Leadership Strategies Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Utilise in Addressing Issues in the US-Mexico Border

This paper investigates the administrative procedures utilised by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the United States (US) and Mexico by addressing issues emanating from the US-Mexico border discourse. The boundary presents a complicated maze of problems including drug abuse, undocumented migration, compassionate emergencies, common freedom infringements, and financial differences. Understanding how NGOs practically explore this landscape is essential for constructing fruitful mediation strategies. Drawing from a survey of writing, contextual investigations and reports from three NGOs, this paper recognizes key initiatives or techniques utilised by these organisations. It investigates the characteristics and skills displayed by viable NGO pioneers like versatility, social capability, coordinated effort and key reasoning. Likewise, the paper highlights the basic significance of associations and coordinated efforts among NGOs, neighbourhood networks, states and global associations. These partnerships enhance the compass and effect of NGOs’ drives and highlight the interconnectedness of tending to line issues exhaustively. At last, this paper gives significant insights into the dynamic and advancing scene of NGO administration at the US-Mexico line. It adds to the more extensive comprehension of the powerful procedures and authoritative rules that impede or facilitate the provisioning of care in these critical regions.

The AI Act in light of the EU Digital Agenda: A critical approach

This paper deals with the issue of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our modern societies as well as on fundamental rights and freedoms, mainly those of privacy and security. AI constitutes one of the most essential pillars of the EU Digital Agenda. Despite its use in almost every field of private and public life there is a significant gap regarding its legal regulation. Subsequently, in relation to the proposed AI Act, which corresponds to the first binding legal instrument on AI anywhere, a key consideration arises regarding the governing of AI. Following a brief presentation of the nature and content of the proposed rules, this paper focuses on two major matters which give rise to serious concerns and demand further investigation: those of facial recognition and AI liability. Even though the draft AI Act encompasses provisions relating to these issues, there are still significant points which need to be clarified, such as the potential use of biometric identification tools by private organisations or the liability for AI decisions or actions. Through a comparative analysis of the existing European legal framework covering data protection as well as via the study of significant rulings of European courts and national competent authorities on data protection, this paper aims to demonstrate how to balance the rights, freedoms and interests of the individual against the challenges imposed by the ongoing technological evolutions. Moreover, an original theory is put forward in the area of AI liability which ideally keeps pace with the latest evolutions marked by the proposal of an AI Liability Directive. In addition, an effective mechanism is suggested for the lawful use of facial recognition systems. Therefore, the goal of the study is to indicate fruitful solutions of AI governance in order to build a trustworthy and productive technological environment, with respect to the consolidation of digital privacy and the deployment of modern technological tools.

Confronting Pandemics: Human and Non-Human Agents in the Discourse of the Moscow Authorities on COVID-19

The article is devoted to the discourse of the Moscow city authorities regarding COVID-19. We believe that this discourse is closely connected with the implemented city policies, articulating and legitimising them. The empirical base of the study is news from the official website of the Mayor of Moscow and entries from the blog of the Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin. The article focuses on discursively created agents of urban life, the attitude of city authorities towards them and the relationship between them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 There are many human and non-human agents in the coronavirus discourse: government officials, townspeople, agents associated with the treatment of coronavirus (medical workers and technologies), and agents associated with the life of the city during the pandemic (infrastructure, organisations and companies, employers, education system). All of them are built around a key agent - the virus itself. Citizens as agents in power discourse are represented by a variety of categories that form two large overlapping groups. The first group is associated with the position of people regarding the disease: people with suspected coronavirus, who fell ill with varying degrees of severity of the disease, recovered, died; donors, vaccine study participants, vaccinated. Over the analysed time period, the discourse related to morbidity undergoes at least two turning points: the transition from a small number of cases to statistics disaggregated in terms of age, and from disaggregated statistics to the total number of cases with an emphasis on the number of severe cases of the disease. The second group of categories of citizens includes belonging to certain social groups, for example, an age cohort, socially vulnerable groups, workers (in general and in certain industries), schoolchildren and students, service users, public transport passengers.
 Citizens are viewed by city officials as important agents involved in the fight against the pandemic. Their agency is discursively produced as a result of the interaction between themselves and the city authorities. Citizens who follow the authority rules gain agency, while those who do not follow them are deprived of it due to rare mention or omission.

Argument Continuities in theory and practice

Abstract Argumentation on some public policy issues is conjugated with disagreement and power differentials. Institutionally dominant arguers control the argumentation context through imposing authority rules which sometimes incentivize them to respond to opposing arguers in a fallacious way1 – with “the repeating tokens of the same counterarguments” and without considering the merits of opposing arguments. As produced in accordance with authority rules, such fallacies are embedded in the dominant argumentative discourse and easily pass unnoticed. To detect them, I introduce Argument Continuity (AC) – a new category of argumentative discourse analysis. AC is a set of the same arguments and counterarguments repeatedly produced/reproduced by the dominant arguer through an adversarial reasoning process to disconfirm opposing arguments and dismiss them. ACs are distinguished from other fallacies by their continuous nature and recursive way of production. ACs have their own life cycle – a chain of reasoning dynamics developing in a path-dependent fashion and increasing the cost of adopting a certain argument over time. I test the life cycle of ACs in a single case study – in consultations held by the Crown with Indigenous peoples of Canada over a controversial resource development project. Although ACs are not specific to the Crown-Indigenous relationships, they reveal how dominant arguers treat disagreement from epistemically diverse arguers. Based on observed evidence, I develop three theoretical propositions of ACs, which can serve as guidelines for researching the disconfirming mode of reasoning in other contexts of communication permeated by beliefs clash and power asymmetries.