Biographical Influences Research Articles

Attachment Orientations: Associations with Romantic Partners’ Self-Regulation and Dyadic Coping

The ability to effectively cope with stress is impacted by early relationship experiences and, thus, is related to attachment security. We examined how different forms of attachment insecurity (namely, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) impact romantic partners’ capacity for coping with stress individually (via self-regulation) and together (via dyadic coping) in a community sample of 261 heterosexual couples. We also explored links between these coping strategies and measures of well-being. Multiple regression analyses in this cross-sectional, self-report study indicated that attachment avoidance, but not anxiety, was linked to less effective dyadic coping. In men, this was also the case for partner’s attachment avoidance. Attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, was related to self-regulation problems for women, while in men, both facets of attachment insecurity were negatively associated with self-regulation. Individual and dyadic coping strategies each uniquely contributed to individuals’ well-being and satisfaction with life. Relationship interventions and counseling processes might benefit from sensitizing clients for biographical influences on their coping strategies.

Can L2 motivation be modelled as a self-system? A critical assessment

Some two decades ago, Dörnyei (2005) proposed that motivation for L2 learning could be modelled as a self-system. Despite the profound influence of Dörnyei's scholarship and impact of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) model, the fundamental premise that motivation for L2 learning can constitute a self-system has escaped critical scrutiny. Highlighting how the self-system constitutes a framework within which self-referential cognition is organized, and that self-appraisal occurs in relation to socially-derived standards (Bandura, 1978; Higgins, 1990), this article critically assesses the utility of a self-system conceptualization. This is accomplished by addressing five problem areas connected with the L2MSS and which relate to the model's self-system conceptualization: the “fantasy problem” (nondifferentiation of desire and fantasy), the “ought-to L2 self problem” (unspecificity of relevant others and internalization processes), the “integrativeness problem” (difficulty of incorporating affiliation motives), the “learning experience problem” (failure to account for relational and biographical influences), and the “context problem” (inadequate modelling of learner–environment interactions). Critical engagement with these problem areas demonstrates how the self-system conceptualization embodied in the L2MSS is tightly circumscribed, and how a self-regulatory system framework can provide greater utility.

An Androgynous Alliance: Evelyn De Morgan and ‘The Little Mermaid’

Evelyn De Morgan (1855–1919) was a second wave Pre-Raphaelite artist, best known for her large-scale paintings of female figures. In this article, I conduct a detailed study of her androgynous mermaid triptych based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1837), taking into account the artist’s biographical influences, as well as the cultural significance of the story itself. The three oil paintings, namely ‘The Little Sea Maid’ (1886), ‘The Sea Maidens’ (1888) and ‘Daughters of The Mist’ (1914), depict three different scenes in the tale, from the mermaid’s transition into human form, to her sisters’ plea for her to return to sea, to her eventual death and absorption into a purgatory-like state. I argue that these three paintings act both as a vehicle through which to support the ongoing fight for women’s rights, and as a symbol for De Morgan’s concept of theistic evolution. These two motives have been identified separately in the limited scholarship on these works, but the possibility that both exist simultaneously is as yet unexplored.

Acculturation and Anger Expression Among Iranian Migrants in Germany.

Cultural and biographical influences on the expression of emotions manifest themselves in so-called “display rules.” These rules determine the time, intensity, and situations in which an emotion is expressed. To date, only a small number of empirical studies deal with this transformation of how migrants, who are faced with a new culture, may change their emotional expression. The present, cross-sectional study focuses on changes in anger expression as part of a complex acculturation process among Iranian migrants. To this end, Iranian citizens in Iran (n = 61), German citizens (n = 61), and Iranian migrants in Germany (n = 60) were compared in terms of anger expression behavior and acculturation strategy (assimilation, separation, integration, marginalization) was assessed among the migrants, using the Frankfurt Acculturation Scale (FRACC). A questionnaire developed in a preliminary study was used to measure anger expression via subjective anger experience and anger expression within 16 hypothetical situations. Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that Iranians and Iranian migrants reported higher anger experience ratings than Germans and directed their anger more often inward (anger-in). Further findings suggest that transformation processes may have affected Iranian migrants in terms of suppressed anger (anger-in): Iranian migrants with a higher orientation toward German culture reported lower average anger-in scores. These results suggest that there was different emotional expression among Iranian migrants, depending on their acculturation. The results provide new insight into socio-cultural and individual adjustment processes.

Creativity, Madness, and “the light that dances deep in Pontchartrain”: Glimpses of “The Passenger” from Cormac McCarthy's 1980 Correspondence

Abstract Letters Cormac McCarthy wrote in 1980 to Robert Coles, Deaderick Montague, and John Fergus Ryan reveal that he was working on “The Passenger” at least by that year, when he expected it to be published after Blood Meridian (1985). The project was partly inspired by an unpublished poem by Louis Diehl about New Orleans jazz clarinetist Leon Roppolo, who is said to have thrown his clarinet into Lake Pontchartrain in an act of artistic suicide. The novel was not to focus on Roppolo, but its origin in the poem McCarthy quotes suggests that the tragic theme of creative potential spoiled or unfulfilled was central to it, and that originally the domain of creativity may have been artistic rather than scientific. Biographical influences that may also inform McCarthy's early thinking about the novel include his familiarity with three men he met in Ibiza in the late 1960s, art forger Elmyr de Hory and writers Clifford Irving and Leslie Garrett, all of whom followed paths that undermined their artistic potential.

Thinking through Urban Place, Space and Locality in Youth Research

The interdisciplinary “spatial turn” (and “mobilities turn”) within sociology and the social sciences and humanities has given rise to renewed interest in the conceptual frameworks and theorisation of place, space and locality (localities). In contemporary child (childhood) and youth research, immediate place, space and localities are powerful frameworks for understanding and examining young people’s everyday lives, realities, biographies as well as meaning making, construction of their identities and sense of belonging or exclusion. The emplaced hierarchies, inequalities, power relations and differentiations—in combination with innate, biographical, proximal and distal influences—will shape and direct young people’s interactions, activities and networks within and across different places, spaces and localities. There remains a lacuna regarding such research in developing countries, including South Africa post-1994. This paper examines how and why the concepts of space, place, and locality are of significance and contribute to an understanding of urban young people’s diverse everyday lives, challenges, needs and experiences. This paper focuses, firstly, on a discussion of the contested, conflicting and varying constructions of the concepts place, space and locality. Secondly, there is a discussion on some of the themes, debates and discourses shaping knowledge production in this area.

Beyond organizational ties: foundations of persistent commitment in environmental activism

ABSTRACTMovement scholars commonly treat persistent commitment as an aspect of activism that is set in motion when recruits join a group or organization. To investigate the phenomenon of sustained activist commitment that exists separately from or in addition to organizational membership, I examine activist commitment to environmental causes. I base this analysis on thirty open-ended interviews, averaging eighty minutes, with activists whose persistent commitments to environmental causes range from ten to fifty years. I (a) identify patterns that long-term environmental activists express in their personal biographies and activist trajectories, (b) generate insights about commitment mechanisms that exist independently of organizational membership, (c) discuss how existing conceptions of activist commitment might be extended. I recommend that scholars look beyond organizational ties to pinpoint specific mechanisms that produce and sustain activist commitment to causes. I find that committed environmental activists link their activism to strong connections with nature, biographical influences, individual tactics, and personal missions rather than to organizations.

The Prevalence and Magnitude of Social Loafing, and Biographical Influences, in a Team - Based Organizational Setting

This paper assesses the prevalence and magnitude of social loafing in a team-based organizational setting as social loafing has the potential to threaten and disrupt the effectiveness of teams. The presence of social loafing is evaluated in terms of perceived co -worker loafing, nature of tasks, visibility of contribution, group size, individual outcomes and rewards and, group cohesiveness. Biographical influences on perceptions of the factors having the potential to influence social loafing are also assessed. A consensus sample of 80 employees formed part of the sample. Data was collected using a self- developed, precoded questionnaire whose psychometric properties (validity and reliability) were assessed using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha respectively. The results indicate that social loafing does exist in the organization and is sparked by various factors which in descending level are perceived co -worker loafing, visibility of contribution, nature of tasks, group size, individual outcomes and rewards and, group cohesiveness. Furthermore, social loafing is moderate in magnitude and is not influenced by biographical variables (gender, age, marital status, tenure) except for the influence of age on individual outcomes and rewards. Recommendations are presented, which when implemented, have the potential to reduce the prevalence and magnitude of social loafing in a work environment.

Was Gertrude Stein the Twentieth-Century’s Henry James?

This article considers how Henry James and Gertrude Stein were connected between 1916 and 1947, the years of their respective deaths. When Stein became a household name in the U.S. soon after the publication of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (1933), she used her celebrity to defend James’s honor. Despite occasional attention to the intimate and professional ties Stein shared with the Jameses dating back to the 1890s, several literary and biographical influences remain unexamined. Of particular interest in this survey are the ways Henry James’s “Four Meetings” (1909) informed Stein’s avant-garde opera, Four Saints and Three Acts (1934).

Learning from the Past for the Future: How to Make Adult Education Sustainable

AbstractWhen compared to education with children, adolescents and students, adult education has particular opportunities and challenges, depending on stronger biographical influences: adults have developed their own learning style and learning competence and apart from more formal learning opportunities facilitated through digital learning and/or learning in schools/universities, there are many opportunities for informal learning, often influenced by experiences of education as a child. In this regard, biographical learning offers opportunities for transformational, organic, remembrance and experiences. The study, therefore, focuses on such kinds of adult education as a core element, particularly of Protestant adult education.This paper presents a multidimensional concept of Protestant adult education, which integrates existing concepts into a memory oriented educational framework. Therefore, the theoretical considerations explain the phenomenological background of this particular concept. In a second step, this concept will be contextualized within the historical context of Protestant adult education. The summary emphasizes the particular aspect of educational coping with past, current and future experiences and situations.

A Review of Physical Education Teacher Resilience in Schools of Poverty Through the Lens of Occupational Teacher Socialization

The increase in teacher attrition has been substantial in U.S. public schools over the past three decades. The impact this trend has on student learning is pronounced, especially in high-poverty schools. Minimal research has focused on the resilient teachers who stay in these settings and the personal, professional, and biographical influences that guide that decision. This review of literature, guided by resilience theory, occupational socialization of physical education teachers, and research on poverty, attempts to demonstrate the importance of recruiting, training, and retaining resilient physical education teachers in high-poverty schools.

Principles of social gerontology

Social gerontology is seen as a science-based but application-oriented subdiscipline of gerontology. It focuses particularly on social relationships in old age, social participation of elderly and old people and the protection of their individual needs. Self-determination and autonomy are important value orientations. Central issues are the quality of life and life satisfaction from the perspective of personal resources and biographical influences and the conditions of individual aging in the sense of differential gerontology. Against this background, in the first part of this article Kirsten Aner discusses the social construction of aging and in part two Ines Himmelsbach describes the typical life events and developmental tasks in the process of aging. The article concludes with a theoretical basis in which Cornelia Kricheldorff outlines social aging theories and derives a brief description of approaches and interventions.

Employee assistance programmes (EAPS) and quality of work life in a public sector organization: Biographical influences

This study aims to determine biographical influences on facets of employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and the quality of work life of employees in a public sector organization. Employee perceptions were conducted via questionnaire distribution and the data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A sample 85 employees was drawn using the stratified random sampling. Significant differences surfaced with the length of service and with the three components of the study, that is, the programme on stress-related problems, the programme on personal issues and, mentoring programmes. Also, a significant difference emerged for the programme for substance abuse and the highest educational level. The literature review and the results highlight a compelling need for quality of work life and for spearheading EAPs programmes effectively in organizations

Assessing the effectiveness of financial compensation, promotional opportunities and workplace spirituality as employee motivational factors

This study aims to determine whether employees are motivated to a greater extent by monetary (financial compensation) or non-monetary (promotion opportunities, workplace spirituality) incentives and, to assess whether biographical influences exist in this regard. The study was undertaken in a large municipality department in eThekweni (Durban), South Africa. A sample of 108 participants was drawn using the cluster sampling technique. In this quantitative, cross-sectional, hypothesis-testing methodology, data was collected using a questionnaire whose psychometric properties of validity and reliability were statistically assessed using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicate that financial compensation is the main motivating factor for employees in the organisation, followed by workplace spirituality and lastly, promotional opportunities. It is evident that the elements of workplace spirituality have not yet been embraced by this public sector institution and, unhappiness exists with regards to perceptions of unfair and inconsistent implementation of promotional opportunities which are not linked to performance. Biographical influences of gender on financial compensation and, tenure and marital status on promotional opportunities respectively were noted. Recommendations are presented, which when carefully implemented, has the potential to bring about enhanced employee motivation in the organisation.

Employee perceptions of job characteristics and challenges of job rotation

This study assesses employees’ level of satisfaction with the nature of work and specific job characteristics (task variety, challenge, remuneration, recognition and skills variety) and their perceived challenges of job rotation. Biographical influences on these were also assessed. The study was undertaken in an operations environment of a textile company in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The population includes 77 full time shift employees in the organization and due to the small population size consensus sampling was used. Data was collected using a self-developed, pre-coded, self-administered questionnaire whose reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results reflect some doubt regarding the potential for job rotation to reduce work pressure and stress and, indicate the potential of job rotation to disrupt work flow in the short-term and reduce productivity as a result of a reduction in motivation of those employees that are not rotating. Recommendations presented aim to enhance the implementation of job rotation as a work design such that its potential benefits may be realized.

Perceptions of the impact of job rotation on employees, productivity, the organization and on job security

This study assesses employee perceptions of the impact of job rotation on employees, production, the organization and on job security. Biographical influences (gender, age, marital status, division, organizational level, tenure) regarding these impacts were also assessed. The study was undertaken in an operations environment of a textile company in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The population includes 77 full time shift employees in the organization and due to the small population size consensus sampling was used. Data was collected using a self-developed, pre-coded, self-administered questionnaire whose reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reflect that employees perceive that job rotation has a high degree of positive impact on employees, productivity, job security and on the organization respectively. Recommendations have been presented that have the potential to enhance and sustain the positive impact of job rotation in the workplace

Participative Management as a Critical Ingredient for TQM

Increasing competition has necessitated the need for human capital to ensure continuous improvement in quality in order to secure customer satisfaction, loyalty and sustainable development. This study aims to assess managerial perceptions of the extent and nature of participative management (delegation, involvement/empowerment, coaching, supportive leadership style) that takes place in the organization in efforts to achieve total quality management. Biographical influences on these managerial perceptions are also assessed. A sample of 202 managers (middle, senior, top) was drawn using a stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected using a pre-coded, self-developed questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reflect managers believe that participative management takes place at a moderate pace in the organization with the greatest focus being on coaching, followed by supportive leadership style, delegation and lastly, involvement/empowerment. Based on the results, recommendations for bringing about effective delegation, enhancing involvement/empowerment, ensuring valuable coaching and nurturing a supportive leadership style in efforts to accomplish TQM are presented.

Investigating the sixties at a sixties institution: teaching as historiography

This article considers historical approaches to the sixties over the last thirty years, and argues in favour of an integrative transnational and thematic approach to the period. Rather than a conventional survey of historiography, it anchors its analysis in an account of teaching practice at a particular university, itself founded in the sixties. It considers the relationship between emerging research perspectives and teaching, taking into account biographical trajectories, institutional influences and constraints. By re-locating historical practice and perspectives in the ‘everyday’ encounters between researchers, students and institutions, it seeks to demonstrate how historians can connect with and historicize contemporary concerns.

The Importance of Teamwork, Continuous Top Management Support and Training in Bringing About TQM

As a result of increasing competition, organizations have realised the importance of its human capital in bringing about continuous improvement in quality in order to secure increased customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as sustainable development. Strategic approaches frequently, though not always successfully, adopted in a TQM environment include teamwork, management support and training. Hence, this study aims to assess managerial perceptions of the importance of teamwork, continuous top management support and training in bringing about TQM. Biographical influences on these managerial perceptions are also assessed. A sample of 202 managers (middle, senior, top) was drawn using a stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected using a pre-coded, selfdeveloped questionnaire whose psychometric properties were assessed using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha respectively. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reflect that in this organization, the focus in bringing about total quality management is on continuous top management support, followed by continuous training and learning and lastly, teams and teamwork. These dimensions also significantly inter-correlate with each other. Biographical influences were also noted in terms of position, qualifications and gender. Based on the results, recommendations are presented for enhancing team performance, managerial support and training in efforts to bring about TQM.

Toward a genealogy of a cold war communication sciences: the strange loops of Leo and Norbert Wiener

A modest footnote in the mid-century annals of digital communication sciences, this article observes several strange loops in the dual biographies of Norbert Wiener, a primary founder of cybernetics – an American-born computer-compatible communication science that later took root in the Soviet Union – and his father, Leo Wiener, a Byelostock émigré who began Slavic studies in America. It proceeds in two parts: first, a biographical reflection on Norbert Wiener's method by analogy, which he first developed under his father as a youth, and second, a reflection on how Wiener's mature cybernetics combine analogy, feedback, and their contradictions ripe in biographical mind–body tensions. Among other notes, this article contends that the origins of a leading theory of digital communication may best be understood not as a disembodied abstraction of information, but rather in the messy world of biographical influences that helped usher in a cold war era of calculating communication.