Personal Boundaries Research Articles

Four-walled or fourfold? Assessing if the gated community is an antidote to cities or a macrocosm of deprived houses

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study evaluates the effectiveness of established and emerging city typologies, comparing whether the gated city functions as a four-walled microcosm of the deprived concrete house or serves as an antidote to urban sprawl. The fourfold model is grounded in evidence-based theories on residential greenness and urban health, resulting in four variables: greenness, sky views, social enrichment, and personal boundaries. Against the backdrop of the Greater Cairo Region, where urban evolution unfolded over two decades, leading to the emergence of gated cities, adult participants completed surveys representing pre- and post-decades. This shift in the residential landscape towards independent and gated communities allows for an assessment of well-being across city/community types and house typologies, comparing the efficacy of gated cities in relation to macro and micro typologies with the four variables. The results reveal intriguing patterns and pitfalls of gated communities, contributing to the ongoing discourse on creating inclusive and fulfilling residential environments. The study underscores the importance of examining interactive experiences within the macro-scale environment and calls for future research to extend beyond the blueprint, engaging residents with the four variables through urban and architectural designs, rather than closing doors and expecting an experience that enhances their well-being.

Professional–personal boundary work: Individuals torn between integration and segmentation

What drives individuals to work until late at night or during holidays, and how do they stop work or keep work commitment in its place? This qualitative study examines boundary work between the professional and the personal life domains. Drawing on interviews with 26 academics employed at a university, we identify various boundary work drivers and tactics. Norms prevailing in the professional field, career requirements and high workloads, as well as strong intrinsic passion for science drive individuals to work long hours and to blend the professional–personal boundary. At the same time, individuals try to establish boundaries to ensure productivity and one’s health, or meeting family and personal life needs. Furthermore, our research reveals three patterns of the relationship between integration and segmentation. Firstly, individuals utilize segmentation to restrict integration, employing sophisticated tactics such as self-deception or self-isolation to shield themselves from the negative repercussions of excessive integration. Secondly, segmentation tactics can not only restrict integration but also enable it, for instance through the creation of ‘free’ times and spaces. Thirdly, individuals sometimes also utilize integration to enable segmentation. Our findings expand boundary theory by identifying manifold boundary-work drivers and tactics and by revealing that integration and segmentation are not just two opposing poles of a continuum but they are mutually connected, restricting or enabling one another.

“I’ll Be That One Cockblocking Friend”: Understanding Student Experiences of Bystander Intervention in Alcohol-Related Sexual Assault

ABSTRACT The prevalence of sexual assault (SA) among college students (13%) is unacceptable, underreported, and alcohol use by the perpetrator or victim is reported in 50% of SA cases. Bystander intervention (BI) programs, which use prosocial behaviors to prevent or stop a harmful situation from occurring, have been implemented across college campuses to reduce SA. There are several known barriers (e.g. self-intoxication) and facilitators (e.g. peer support) to BI for SA; however, less is known about barriers and facilitators to BI for alcohol-related SA. Alcohol-related SA includes situations in which the perpetrator and/or victim are intoxicated, whereas alcohol-facilitated SA includes situations in which individuals intentionally use alcohol as a perpetration strategy. The current study examined student perspectives of BI for SA opportunities, actions taken in response to opportunities, and barriers and facilitators to action. The team conducted content and deductive thematic analysis of data from focus groups and interviews with diverse undergraduate students (N = 79). Opportunities included perpetrator-focused, victim-focused, and sexual risk opportunities. Actions taken included staying vigilant, monitoring friends, communicating with friends, and removing friends. Barriers included self-intoxication, feeling helpless, peer pressure, not feeling personally responsible, and fearing the consequences of helping. Finally, facilitators included knowing friends’ concerning signals and drinking motives, feeling like some intervention strategies are easy, understanding sex-related risks, acknowledging consent and personal boundaries, and feeling personally responsible for friends. Understanding these situations’ nuances can help to inform more effective and comprehensive BI programs to reduce SA.

WhatsApp: A Blessing or Bane for Communication between Emergency Physicians and Vascular Surgeons?

Abstract The integration of WhatsApp (WhatsApp Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) into the health-care sector is transforming the dynamics of medical communication. Launched in 2009 and incorporated into the Facebook suite of companies in 2014, WhatsApp has become a pivotal platform for health-care professionals. It allows for quick, personal, and group messaging, which is increasingly used to exchange patient information, discuss cases, and make timely decisions. The app’s end-to-end encryption is critical for maintaining patient confidentiality, ensuring that sensitive data are only accessible to the intended recipients. This security feature and the group sharing format enable health-care teams to communicate confidentially and efficiently, bolstering the oversight capabilities of attending senior consultants or physicians over their junior peers. The real-time exchange of information is crucial in providing continuous supervision and facilitating immediate feedback, which is indispensable in clinical training and patient care. However, the widespread adoption of WhatsApp also comes with challenges and potential drawbacks, which have been the focus of past research. These studies assessed the impact of WhatsApp on health-care delivery, considering both the enhancement of communication it offers and the issues it may present, such as data security beyond encryption and the blurring of professional and personal boundaries. In this “medical opinion” from an academic tertiary care center in Muscat, we explored how emergency medicine physicians can effectively use WhatsApp to expedite or bypass referral processes for emergency cases, particularly those involving vascular and other surgical emergencies.

Assessment of the Level of Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Advanced Life Support Skills among Nurses Working in the Critical Areas (CCU, ICU and ER) of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore

Advance life support is the basic intervention to deal with cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest has no time, place, or personal boundaries. According to WHO, it is estimated that about 23 million of people will die every year due to cardiovascular diseases and the chances of cardiac arrest are greater in people who have history of cardiovascular diseases. Advanced life support training consists of a set of life-saving protocols, interventions, and skills. Objectives: To determine the level of knowledge and attitude of critical care nurses regarding Advanced Life Support (ALS) skills and to assess association between level of knowledge and attitude and demographic characteristics of nurses. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among critical care nurses of Punjab Institute of Cardiology. About 115 nurses were selected through convenient sampling method. The study was completed in four months from October 2023 to January 2024. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 25. Results: Findings of study showed that 18 participants were male and 97 were female. Overall results indicated that 8.7% (n=10) nurses have poor knowledge, 39.1% (n=45) have average knowledge, 43.5% (n=50) have a good knowledge and only 8.7% (n=10) have excellent knowledge. On the other side, 71.3% (n=82) have a positive attitude and 28.7% (n=33) have negative attitude regarding ALS. Conclusions: A significant proportion of nurses have average to good knowledge and positive attitude. Only a few nurses have poor knowledge and negative attitude.

EmoiPlanner: Human emotion and intention aware socially acceptable robot navigation in human‐centric environments

AbstractThe deployment of robots in human‐centric environments has significantly increased in recent years. It is crucial for robots to navigate human environments while understanding social norms and personal boundaries to ensure a harmonious coexistence between humans and robots. A socially aware robot should be capable of interpreting and responding appropriately to human cues, expressions, and intentions, thereby fostering trust and confidence among humans. However, prior studies were insufficient or unable to address the navigation challenges in human‐populated environments, as they perceive people as obstacles rather than social agents. Recent studies have utilized proxemic areas that are present in interpersonal interactions for human‐robot interaction scenarios, but they have enforced consistent proxemic areas for social robot navigation. This approach fails to fully capture the highly sophisticated behaviour and preferences of humans. Therefore, we propose a psychologically‐based adaptive proxemic area that fluctuates based on the human's emotional state. Furthermore, we integrate this feature into a reinforcement learning‐based social navigation framework, making our navigation framework robust to the unpredictable affections of humans. Additionally, our navigation framework includes human intention prediction to approximate the future proxemic area, thereby avoiding interference with the path to be taken by individuals. We have named our framework the Human Emotion and Intention Aware Path Planner (EmoiPlanner). Our framework has been subjected to case studies involving realistic crowd navigation scenarios, and the results indicate that it enables robots to navigate through crowds without causing discomfort to pedestrians who exhibit stochastic behaviours and emotional states, while also ensuring efficient path planning.

Морально-етичні норми в юриспруденції

It was found that the moral and ethical norms in jurisprudence were reflected in the relevant Codes, Instructions, Rules of Conduct, etc., which are aimed at ensuring the principle of peoplecenteredness and contribute to the formation and development of a morally mature specialist with high value orientations in the field of professional duties and interpersonal communication Compliance with moral and ethical standards in jurisprudence is a guarantee of maintaining stable professional relationships in the legal team and contributes to maintaining a positive image of the legal profession. It was emphasized that professional activity implemented in the “person-to-person” format requires not only proper expertise, but also perfect standards of moral and ethical interaction to prevent violation of human rights and freedoms and personal values. Jurisprudence is one of the areas where the official-business interaction between representatives of this profession and citizens is tangential to a person’s private life and personal boundaries. That is why it is important to regulate the ethical aspect of such interaction for full cooperation and the most positive resolution of problematic issues. It is noted that ethical codes define a system of value orientations of representatives of a certain professional direction, in particular, persons who perform specific job duties and are empowered to cooperate with their colleagues or subordinates, as well as all physical and legal entities with whom they cooperate. Attention is focused on the fact that the proper level of moral and ethical culture of a lawyer contributes to the prevention and avoidance of his professional deformation, because a high level of professionalism, unfortunately, is not an obstacle to the development of professional deformation. A developed moral and ethical culture and the desire for personal development do not allow signs of antivalue behavior of a person to manifest. When forming and implementing moral and ethical norms in Ukrainian jurisprudence, the experience and practice of the world legal community is taken into account. Recognition and observance of international standards enables the active cooperation of relevant competent authorities with international organizations to ensure law and order and prevent violations of human rights.

How High-Performing Personal Support Workers Set and Maintain Boundaries When Providing Care: A Case Study in Ontario, Canada

Personal support workers (PSWs) provide a large proportion of in-home care services for Canadians. PSWs must negotiate with clients and their family on how prescribed care is delivered. How PSWs set and maintain professional and personal boundaries during care is poorly understood, and failure to manage boundaries can expose both PSWs and clients to risk. High-performing PSWs ( n = 9) and supervisors ( n = 4) within an Ontario, Canada, home care agency were engaged in workshops ( n = 3) to identify field-tested strategies and tactics for identifying, managing, and supporting PSW boundaries. A boundary-management framework was generated, including types of boundary challenges; decision-making principles (e.g., consider the purpose of home care); response strategies (e.g., work with the client on an alternative solution); and tactics for action (e.g., use proactive reminders). Supervisory and organizational supports (e.g., enabling “shop-talk”) were identified. The framework can inform teaching and practice materials for PSWs in Canada and other countries.

Role of maternal imago transformation in psychotherapeutic process

In modern psychology, the topic of human attachments is part of the issue of social relations between people, their regulation in the field of education, upbringing, and psychotherapy. The formation of attachment types is rooted in family communication systems characterized by family rules, personal boundaries, and direct communication. Individual and family psychotherapy offers many effective tools for developing family systems and compensating for the negative effects of their influence on the individual. The family system allows each family member to consolidate the foundations of narcissistic identity, as well as become a subject of their own history and a social subject. Each child is born mentally in the heart of an existing family psychic apparatus, which is supported by a socio-cultural matrix. Culture contains and maintains the syncretic background of the psyche and supports the process of psychic structuring. Interactions and affective exchange have psychic consequences, and the emergence of representations demonstrates the role of caregivers. Psychoanalytic theory is based on the basic premise that the representation of an object arises from the reactivation of traces of pleasure associated with the experience of need satisfaction that unites infants and their mothers. An exceptional place in the inner life of a person is occupied by the unconscious image of the mother, the maternal imago, the change of which entails a transformation of attitudes towards the world, society, people and oneself, which has led to the relevance of this research topic. The object of study of the article is the maternal imago. The subject of the study is the process of transformation of the maternal imago in psychoanalytic work. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the possibility of changing the maternal imago in the process of psychoanalytic work and the reflection of these changes on the client’s attitude towards himself and others.

A Collaborative Approach to Understanding the Intersections of Practice and Policy for Peers in the Alcohol and Other Drugs Sector.

Peers in the alcohol and other drug sectors possess lived-living experience (LLE) crucial for shaping community care. However, genuine consumer collaboration is often confounded by stigma. This study examined peers' perceptions, exploring their experiences regarding workforce dynamics, policy implications, and impacts on health equity. In presenting the research, we sought to synthesise the research methods and illustrate the methodological innovation and knowledge production in substance use research through authentic collaboration. We purposively sampled peer networks and community organisations, involving peer-researchers in planning, design, and analysis. We conducted semi-structured digital interviews with 18 peers and applied iterative coding to analyse the data. This collaborative process provided nuanced insights into sectoral challenges. Peers expressed emotional strain revisiting personal substance use experiences, blurring personal and professional boundaries. Tokenistic peer involvement critiques underscored the need for genuine leadership and organisational support. We advocate for a shift towards equitable and inclusive policy development through both organisational and systemic restructuring. However, these changes are hamstrung by broader policy frameworks, which require a shift to peer-led principles, ensuring the expertise of peers is genuinely valued. Policymakers should invest in expanding peer frameworks, acknowledging the diversity within communities of people who use drugs to improve health equity and public health outcomes. This innovative approach to substance use research emphasises the transformative impact of integrating LLE into research.

(Dis)connected parenting: Context control and information management in single adoptive parents’ social media practice

Drawing on grounded theory research with parents who brought children into their lives in non-traditional ways, this article considers how three UK-based single adoptive parents navigate a complex set of risks, benefits and limitations as they construct mutually beneficial connections, friendships and support networks online. The discussion draws on media scholarship suggesting that, in response to contemporary norms of constant connection, digital availability and online context ‘collapse’, many internet users appropriate the affordances of online platforms and technologies to maintain personal boundaries and keep social groups apart. I argue that such tight context control can be particularly important for single adoptive parents, whose children are often vulnerable in multiple ways, who continue to face social stigma and misunderstanding, and for whom privacy can be vital to their families’ safety and wellbeing. The article pays particular attention to single adopters’ strategic deployment of three interconnected practices for managing and curating their networks and information sharing: compartmentalisation, selective sharing and disengagement. As well as pointing to similarities between participants’ practices, the article considers how the nuances of their individual circumstances shape and influence their ways of both connecting with, and disconnecting from, a range of individuals, groups and networks.

Exploring the gender-sensitive feelings of nurses towards residents with intimate and sexual needs in dementia nursing care

IntroductionPerson-centered care emphasizes close care relations regardless of gender. However, when residents with dementia express intimate or sexual needs, nurses may struggle with their own emotions and need to include personal boundaries. Methods277 (vocational) nurses from 25 Dutch nursing homes completed a survey, including the Feeling Word Checklist for a resident with perceived sexual needs and another for a resident with perceived intimate needs. ResultsPositive-nurturing sentiments towards residents prevail, yet residents expressing intimate needs elicit higher levels of positive-nurturing and lower levels of negative emotions than those with sexual needs. Male residents, who expressed more pronounced sexual needs, received less affection and interest from female nurses who felt especially close to female residents with intimate needs. ConclusionClose care relations established through nurses' personal emotions inadvertently introduce gender-sensitive and differing emotions towards residents. Nurses' capability to include personal boundaries benefits the relationship and well-being of both parties.

Pengetahuan dan Sikap Remaja terhadap Kekerasan Seksual

This study aims to analyze the relationship between knowledge and adolescents' attitudes towards sexual violence. The research method uses a correlational approach, with a sample size of 98 adolescents selected through proportional stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation. The results show that 40.8% of students have poor knowledge, 37.8% have good knowledge, and 21.4% have adequate knowledge. In terms of attitudes towards sexual violence, 57.1% of adolescents have a positive attitude, while 42.9% have a negative attitude. The Pearson correlation test results showed a p-value of 0.147. The conclusion is that there is no relationship between knowledge and adolescents' attitudes towards sexual violence, but efforts to improve attitudes and personal boundaries among students are necessary, as nearly half have a negative attitude. Keywords: Sexual Violence, Knowledge, Adolescents, Attitudes

The Work-life Balance Among Private Secondary School Teachers

The work-life balance emphasizes the relevance of behavioral and psychological development for public and commercial sector workers. It highlights how many workers lack the moral, emotional, and psychological stability for productive work and positive working relationships. It is advised that workers participate in work-life balance programs to help them manage their personal and professional lives. It is essential to comprehend the underlying causes of human attitudes and behaviors and the effects of managerial decisions and the organizational environment. Furthermore, the study used descriptive statistics with 50 faculty and staff through convenient sampling. The instruments also passed through validity and reliability testing. The study reveals that on the demographic profile, there were f=25, 50% of the employees were under probationary; also, it must have f=28, 56% under the tenure of 1-2 years in service to the organization; further, there were f=41; 82% with a salary of 10-20,000 Php, moreover, f=33 or 66% worked teacher. These figures revealed that most of them are establishing individuals. Furthermore, behavioral Management has an M=3.51; SD=.610 as interpreted as a very high work-life balance, while the emotional and psychological has an M=3.44; SD=.593 as interpreted as "very high work-life balance; while intellectual and survival have an M=3.56; SD=.501, as interpreted as "very high work-life balance; while vocational and spiritual with an M=3.48; SD=.583. Further reveals that the overall M=3.50; SD=.572 of work-life balance constitutes that faculty maintains personal and professional composure. Spillover theory proves that every professional has personal and professional boundaries that can influence their performance.

Sexual harassment, abuse and intimate relationships between coaches and athletes: a systematic review

ABSTRACT While sexual harassment and abuse (SHA) can be perpetrated by various individuals in sport, coaches have been studied as one of the most frequent perpetrators due to their physical and emotional proximity to athletes. This systematic review attempted to evaluate the past 20 years of research (2003–2023) examining SHA and inappropriate intimate relationships between coaches and athletes. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline, 20 studies that met the eligibility criteria were identified using four databases (PubMed, PsycNET, ScienceDirect and SportDiscus). Findings reveal common thematic measures among the studies reviewed, including characteristics of SHA (n = 9), coach-athlete sexual relationships (CASR; n = 7) and grooming (n = 4). Based on the narrative synthesis of each thematic measure, SHA in sport is experienced and/or perceived as various forms of sexual misconduct, ranging from harassment (e.g. sexual jokes, unwanted comments, fondling) to abusive behaviors (e.g. kissing, showing coach's private body parts, sexual intercourse). Although some studies show the acceptance of CASR especially when athletes are above the age of legal consent, the strong majority of studies suggest that CASR in general is harmful and unacceptable given the unequal power dynamics between the two parties. Additionally, grooming was often involved as a conscious strategy to cross athletes’ personal boundaries for eventual sexual misconduct through building trust and manifesting seemingly innocuous behaviors. Overall, these findings shed light on the current state of research on SHA occurring between coaches and athletes and have implications for sport governing bodies and organizations to be better aware of the issue, which in turn can result in creating a safer environment for youth athletes.

Using Twitter (X) to Mobilize Knowledge for First Contact Physiotherapists: Qualitative Study.

Twitter (now X) is a digital social network commonly used by health care professionals. Little is known about whether it helps health care professionals to share, mobilize, and cocreate knowledge or reduce the time between research knowledge being created and used in clinical practice (the evidence-to-practice gap). Musculoskeletal first contact physiotherapists (FCPs) are primary care specialists who diagnose and treat people with musculoskeletal conditions without needing to see their general practitioner (family physician) first. They often work as a sole FCP in practice; hence, they are an ideal health care professional group with whom to explore knowledge mobilization using Twitter. We aimed to explore how Twitter is and can be used to mobilize knowledge, including research findings, to inform FCPs' clinical practice. Semistructured interviews of FCPs with experience of working in English primary care were conducted. FCPs were purposively sampled based on employment arrangements and Twitter use. Recruitment was accomplished via known FCP networks and Twitter, supplemented by snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted digitally and used a topic guide exploring FCP's perceptions and experiences of accessing knowledge, via Twitter, for clinical practice. Data were analyzed thematically and informed by the knowledge mobilization mindlines model. Public contributors were involved throughout. In total, 19 FCPs consented to the interview (Twitter users, n=14 and female, n=9). Three themes were identified: (1) How Twitter meets the needs of FCPs, (2) Twitter and a journey of knowledge to support clinical practice, and (3) factors impeding knowledge sharing on Twitter. FCPs described needs relating to isolated working practices, time demands, and role uncertainty. Twitter provided rapid access to succinct knowledge, the opportunity to network, and peer reassurance regarding clinical cases, evidence, and policy. FCPs took a journey of knowledge exchange on Twitter, including scrolling for knowledge, filtering for credibility and adapting knowledge for in-service training and clinical practice. Participants engaged best with images and infographics. FCPs described misinformation, bias, echo chambers, unprofessionalism, hostility, privacy concerns and blurred personal boundaries as factors impeding knowledge sharing on Twitter. Consequently, many did not feel confident enough to actively participate on Twitter. This study explores how Twitter is and can be used to mobilize knowledge to inform FCP clinical practice. Twitter can meet the knowledge needs of FCPs through rapid access to succinct knowledge, networking opportunities, and professional reassurance. The journey of knowledge exchange from Twitter to clinical practice can be explained by considering the mindlines model, which describes how FCPs exchange knowledge in digital and offline contexts. Findings demonstrate that Twitter can be a useful adjunct to FCP practice, although several factors impede knowledge sharing on the platform. We recommend social media training and enhanced governance guidance from professional bodies to support the use of Twitter for knowledge mobilization.

When backstage becomes frontstage? A critical ethnographic study of Norwegian recovery colleges

This study investigates the co-creation process between course facilitators and students while the course takes place at recovery colleges (RCs), emphasising the synergistic partnership where individuals with lived experience of mental health issues collaborate with professionals in course delivery. This paper focuses on understanding the dynamics of these interactions from the students’ perspectives and the dynamic shifts between the private realm and the public space. We conducted a qualitative study inspired by critical ethnography, collecting data from participatory observations in RCs at two locations and focus group interviews with students. Goffman’s dramaturgical approach guided us in examining social interactions in RC as theatrical performances with students playing specific roles, managing impressions, and navigating the front and backstage of their lives. During the analysis, we separated the data into front- and backstage contexts where we identified moments where students were actively performing a social role and moments revealing more authentic sides of themselves. We demonstrate that a RC is a stage where students can test their performance and adapt to their audience’s reactions. Uncertainty about their roles, social scripts, and the audience’s reactions lead them to switch between front- and backstage appearances, either performing a role or revealing their authentic sides. While exploring appearances, students develop social scripts aligning with their roles as performers and audience, eventually promoting security by mutual understanding of appropriate appearances. Emotional support, collaborative relationships, and group dynamics were critical factors in fostering an environment conducive to authentic participation. Challenges persist, such as vulnerability, recognizing the value of personal contributions, and establishing personal boundaries. Safety within the college environment was paramount for genuine engagement in co-creation, leading to personal and collective benefits for mental health services. The study suggests an in-depth investigation into the structural and power dynamics that shape such interactive processes within RCs.

Konsep Diri Jurnalis Perempuan (Studi Fenomenologi Tentang Pengalaman Traumatik Jurnalis Perempuan Saat Menjalankan Profesinya)

This research aims to understand how female journalists develop their self-concept after experiencing traumatic events while performing their professional duties. Traumatic experiences include incidents such as invasion of privacy, sexual violence, terror, destruction threats, and verbal abuse. The phenomenon examined in this research is the impact of this experience on self-concept and the actions taken to restore the psychological condition of female journalists. A qualitative approach with phenomenological methods and symbolic interaction theory was employed. In this research, researchers involved 5 (five) female journalist informants using snowball sampling techniques. The finding reveal a variety of responses among female journalists, ranging from self-blame and doubt to positive self-concepts achieved by establishing personal boundaries. The essence of female journalists' responses to traumatic experiences obtained from structural descriptions extracted from narrative textural descriptions resulting from participant interviews is that even though they are faced with challenges and trauma, female journalists show resilience, determination, and a willingness to learn and grow from their experiences. which impacts their affirmation of their profession and personal well-being. This research contributes to the literature by providing a new perspective on the psychological dynamics and professionalism of female journalists in a local context. Apart from that, this research also has practical implications for media organization and government policies regarding the protection of female journalists and support for female journalists in various concrete forms.

British small talk as an ecolinguistic phenomenon

The article analyzes modern small talk as a way of establishing contacts, which is typical for British linguistic culture, as it manifests the speaker’s wish to achieve emotional and intellectual understanding and create a friendly atmosphere at the initial phase of the conversation, especially when it is necessary to avoid long and inconvenient silence. Speech clichés, etiquette formulas for establishing and maintaining communicative contact, as well as specific topics for discussions are determined by the socio-ethical norms of the British cultural community. Interlocutors are guided by the goals of regulating social contacts, serving the purpose of strengthening contacts. The limits of phaticity in the contact-establishing phase of social conversation and the transition to informativeness in the process of conversation depend on a type of discourse, a type of situation, and communicative goals of the speakers. Under the conditions of the situation threatening the speakers’ lives, or a change from an ecological unison model of communication to a non-ecological dissonant one, the speakers’ rejection from phaticism in the phase of establishing contact in favor of informativeness has been observed. British communicative culture ensures the balance of the ecosystem due to the use of a significant number of linguistic elements ensuring the implementation of harmonious communication: polite forms of encouragement instead of the use of the Imperative Mood which sounds too categorical for British culture, disjunctive questions that combine both the features of interrogative and affirmative statements, superlative forms of adjectives. Small talk components, such as the ability to listen, minimal transmission of negative emotions, limited or zero use of negatively colored vocabulary, the creation of a safe and convenient atmosphere of communication, observance of the personal boundaries of the interlocutor, the interest in what the interlocutors say, as well as sincerity correspond to the main principles of ecological communication.

How education professionals manage personal and professional boundaries when using social technologies

AbstractThis study investigates how education professionals balance their private and professional lives when using social technologies. Based on boundary theory and interviews with 57 education professionals, we identify which tactics they use to separate or integrate their private and professional life. We identified twice as many segmentation tactics compared to integration tactics and found that the education professionals struggled most with finding segmentation tactics that work. We argue that this is because social technologies are designed to support integration and therefore teachers using these technologies must work harder to separate their private and professional roles. There is a need to further investigate how boundary theory can be used, and segmentation tactics understood, when the object of study is social technology, which is specifically built to integrate time and professional and private spaces. For practice, there is a need to better support teachers in their use of social technologies.