Burgeoning Of Research Research Articles

American Agony: Richard Wright’s Language of Pain in Black Boy (American Hunger)

This article examines Richard Wright’s description of bodily pain in his autobiographical book Black Boy (American Hunger): A Record of Childhood and Youth (1945). In the last few decades, there has been an ongoing debate about both the nature of physical pain and, in turn, its relationship to language. After the publication of Elaine Scarry’s monumental The Body in Pain (1987), in which the argument is made that physical suffering is “language-destroying,” there has been a burgeoning of research that has challenged this claim by tracing the dynamic relationship between the experience of pain and the social institutions, cultures, and languages that influence our perceptions of it. This article analyses the way in which Richard Wright’s text situates the first-hand qualia of hunger-pains (along with other forms of somatic anguish) within the broader social setting of anti-Black racism and violence during America’s Jim Crow era to, in turn, offer a representation of bodily agony that entwines it with the psycholinguistic dimensions of consciousness. Instead of depicting physical pain in terms of what Patrick Wall calls “a rigid, simple signaling system,” Wright collapses the dichotomy between psychological torment and corporeal distress to offer a nuanced portrayal of pain that entwines its moment-to-moment sensations with the psychological process of navigating America’s cultural matrix of anti-Black dehumanization, poverty, and hostility. As a result, Black Boy serves as a valuable example of the way in which creative storytelling can represent the culturally codified structures of feeling that shape even the most private forms of bodily hurt.

Eliciting metaphors from narratives of collaboration experiences with teachers in writing a textbook

Collaboration of teacher educators with school teachers in developing lesson materials is paramount for professional development. A burgeoning of research on educator-teacher collaboration in writing a textbook, for instance, has existed; however, there is little attention to the narratives on the collaborators’ experiences through the metaphorical lens. Telling stories about collaborative experiences through the metaphorical lens can help understand the complexity of phenomena because thoughts are implicit and difficult to express. This study attempted to fill the void by analyzing the experiences of partnering with English teachers in developing the textbook of classroom action research (CAR). It involved stories of the researchers upon their collaborative writing experiences working with twelve primary school teachers in Aceh, Indonesia. In analyzing the collaborators’ experiences, this study drew upon Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). Analyses of the collaborators’ stories upon their experiences generated four primary implicit metaphors that represent acquisition metaphors rather than participation metaphors, such as ‘collaborative writing is listening to the trainers’, ‘collaborating teachers as the trainees’, ‘university collaborators as the experts’, and ‘product is more important than the process’. The findings offer insights into the importance of reflecting on the experiences and generating metaphors to make sense of roles played by collaborating teachers and lecturers involved in a collaborative project.

The reconceptualisation of the industrial revolution and why it matters for Japanese studies

The concept of the industrial revolution remains central to most accounts of the birth of the modern world, including, whether consciously or not, standard interpretations of Japan’s modern history. However, recent decades have seen a burgeoning of research into the onset of industrialisation in Britain and elsewhere in Europe that has led to a significant reassessment of what the classic industrial revolution actually involved. Historians of Japan understandably have little time to take such developments on board and have therefore tended to rely on what is now an out-dated model as the background against which to describe the Japanese experience of industrialisation and modernisation. The purpose of this ‘think-piece’/literature survey is therefore to outline the ongoing reconceptualisation of the industrial revolution and to provide some examples, using the English-language literature, of the ways in which the work of historians of Japan in various fields might be viewed from the new angle that it offers. In this light, such work can be seen as opening a rare window on to ordinary lives over the distinctive course of the first non-Western example of a reconceptualised industrial revolution.

Moral injury, mental health and behavioural health outcomes: A systematic review of the literature.

Despite a burgeoning of research on moral injury in the past decade, existing reviews have not explored the breadth of consequences and the multitude of pathways through which moral injury and potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) influence mental and behavioural health outcomes. This study aimed to identify associations between moral injury on mental and behavioural health. Literature searches of psychological and medical databases were conducted through April 2020. Eligible studies measured moral injury or PMIEs, and health outcomes (e.g., depression, substance use and suicidality). Fifty-seven publications representing 49 separate samples were included. Studies examined the impact of moral injury on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n = 43); depression (n = 32); anxiety (n = 15); suicide (n = 15); substance use (n = 14); and 'other' health outcomes, including pain, burnout, sleep disturbance and treatment-seeking behaviours (n = 11). The majority of studies found significant positive associations between moral injury-related constructs, mental health and behavioural health outcomes; however, the majority were also cross-sectional and focused on military samples. Proposed mediators included lack of social support, negative cognitions and meaning-making. Moderators included self-compassion, pre-deployment mental health education and mindfulness. Moral injury is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. Research is needed to determine the mechanisms by which moral injury may influence these outcomes over time.

The Effect of Teacher, Peer, and Self-Assessment on Subsequent Learning: The Case of Oral Presentations

There has been a burgeoning of research in teacher, peer, and self-assessment in terms of reliability and validity, the use of rubrics, the implementation of these kinds of assessments in different academic settings, the effect of demographic variables in these assessments, and the benefits of these assessments. However, the effect of these assessments on subsequent learning has rarely been explored. To fill that void, this study set out to examine the effects of these kinds of assessments on subsequent learning as evidenced by students’ final exam scores. Two intact classes were chosen and teacher, peer, and self-assessments were employed in a general English class. The scores achieved on the students’ oral presentations exhibited a statistically significant correlation between the teacher awarded scores and those on the final examination of general English proficiency as a course. Peer awarded scores could also predict final exam scores, though not as good as teacher awarded ones. Self-assessment failed to correlate significantly with final exam scores and teacher/peer assessments. The reasons for the findings are discussed further in the paper.

“It’s like Taking Your Man Card Away”: Male Victims’ Narratives of Male-to-Male Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a serious organizational problem. Despite the burgeoning of research over the past 30 years, there has been less attention provided to male victim voices. The current study qualitatively explores the experiences of two male victims of sexual harassment who were harassed by male perpetrators. The study explores the interplay of uncertainties, threats, and negotiation of masculine, heterosexual identities. We also highlight the differences and similarities between the men’s communication practices during what we call the build up, the realization, and others’ responses to the men’s narratives. Theoretical implications are offered for hegemonic masculinity and liminality in relation to the experiences of male victims.

Understanding the work passion–performance relationship: The mediating role of organizational identification and moderating role of fit at work

Despite a burgeoning of research that examines work passion, the relationships between harmonious and obsessive work passion and job performance have received insufficient attention. Using data from 233 employee–supervisor dyads from multiple organizations in Russia, this study examines the mediating role of organizational identification and the moderating roles of three different types of fit perceptions on this relationship. Results indicate that organizational identification mediates the effect of harmonious work passion – but not obsessive work passion – on performance. Only two types of fit perceptions – person–organization and demands–abilities – were found to moderate the relationship between work passion and performance. Finally, the results showed that person–organization fit perceptions moderate the indirect effect (through organizational identification) of both types of work passion on performance, whereas needs–supplies fit perceptions only moderate the indirect effect of harmonious work passion on performance. This study contributes to the work passion and fit literatures by empirically addressing the complex relationship between work passion, fit, organization identification and job performance.

Rural Economies in the ‘Age of Migration’: Perspectives from OECD Countries

AbstractAn important feature of globalisation processes has been the increased level of immigration. For the most part, this has been considered an urban phenomenon. As a consequence, a less well‐known feature of contemporary global immigration patterns is that an increasing proportion of immigrants are now settling in rural locations. Over the last decade, however, there has been a burgeoning of research into the political‐economic processes that have produced an increased level of immigration into rural regions in many OECD nation‐states. This paper begins by reviewing some of the reasons why this dimension of rural demographic change has gone under the radar of both researchers and policy makers. It then examines how immigration into rural regions is both an important feature of the multifunctional rural transition and a product of the ‘regionalisation’ of immigration policy as a distinct regional development strategy employed regarding rural areas.

The conception, construction, and maintenance of the identity of Roman Catholic female religious teachers: a historical case study from Ireland

Over the last three decades, there has been a burgeoning of research on teacher identity. While the various bodies of work produced are very valuable, further lines of enquiry need to be pursued in order to take account of the complexities involved. This paper on the conception, construction, and maintenance of the identity of Roman Catholic female religious teachers in Ireland from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s is offered as one contribution. Being restricted to a particular time and place, it is a response to those who have emphasized the need to investigate teacher identity in different national contexts. Secondly, by focusing on female teaching religious, it highlights the importance of studying different ‘types’ of teachers other than those identified by age group, school subject, or grade level taught. Thirdly, it represents a shift in research framing away from the more usually utilized concepts of ‘personal identity,’ ‘social identity,’ ‘professional identity,’ and ‘the self.’ Documentary evidence and oral testimony indicate that the professional life of the female teaching religious was viewed by them as being integral to their religious vocation. This particular notion of vocation embodied a spiritual belief in being called by God, to work for God. Thus, it meant that the female teaching religious approached teaching, quite literally, with religious zeal. It also meant that their commitment was, first and foremost, to their religious life and that teaching, while deemed to be very important, was always in accord with and, where necessary took second place, to that life.

When and Why does Harmonious Passion Lead to Increased Performance

Despite a burgeoning of research that examines passion for work, passion‒ performance relationships have received insufficient attention. Using data from 233 employee-supervisor dyads from multiple...

Roman Medicine: Science or Religion?

In ancient Greece and Rome magical and religious healing continued to be practised at the same time as a burgeoning of research and learning in the natural sciences was promoting a seemingly more rational and scientific approach to medicine. Was there, then, a dichotomy in medical treatment or was the situation more complex? This paper draws on historical textual sources as well as archaeological research in examining the question in more detail. Some early texts, such as the Egyptian papyri from about 2,600 bc and the Hippocratic Corpus from the third and fourth centuries bc, contain an intriguing mixture of scientific and religious material. Archaeological evidence from, for example, sites of healing sanctuaries from ancient times, show medical prescriptions used as part of votive offerings and religious inscriptions on surgical instruments, while physicians were prominent among donators to shrines. Other archaeological finds such as the contents of rubbish tips, buried hoards, sepulchral deposits and stray artefacts from occupation levels, have also added to the archive of medical material available for discussion. The paper concludes that such intertwinings of religion and science were not only common in Roman medicine but, in fact, continue into the present time.

Psycho-science: Where do we go from here?

The last 25 years have seen a burgeoning of research and publications in the field of psychosocial oncology. For example, in 1998, the frequency of publication of Psycho Oncology (the official organ of the International Psycho Oncology Society) was increased from four issues per year to six issues per year, and by 2004 the frequency had increased to 12 issues per year (currently over 1200 pages per annum). There have been a number of significant achievements during this time, notably (a) the universal realisation that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer commonly cause significant psychosocial and psychiatric morbidity, (b) the increasing recognition of the importance of good communication between health care professionals and their patients (and other family members) as well as the importance of providing appropriate information and support, and (c) the acceptance of the need to include measures of quality of life and related psychosocial parameters as outcomes in clinical trials of new oncological interventions. There has also been increasing recognition of the need for specialist palliative care services [1]. Unfortunately, too much recent research, both qualitative and quantitative, has been devoted to describing and quantifying ad nauseam the nature and prevalence of cancer-related distress, at the expense of developing and evaluating ways of preventing and treating such distress. Despite this, a number of well-designed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that psychosocial interventions can be effective in reducing treatmentrelated distress (for example, treatment-related nausea and anxiety treated to medical investigations and procedures) as well as in treating clinically significant anxiety and depression [2]. Other RCTs have shown that various psychosocial interventions, for example, relaxation and guided imagery, can improve quality of life more generally following the diagnosis as well as during and after treatment [3]. Quo vadis

Practitioner review: adolescent alcohol use disorders: assessment and treatment issues.

Alcohol use disorders in adolescents are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Over the past decade, there has been a burgeoning of research on adolescent alcohol use disorders. A summary of the alcohol assessment tools is provided, and randomized studies reviewed and synthesized to provide an overview of state of the art knowledge of treatment of adolescent alcohol use disorders. Animal models of addiction are also briefly reviewed, and the value of translational research approaches, using findings from basic studies to guide the design of clinical investigations, is also highlighted. Comorbidity is the rule, not the exception in adolescent alcohol use disorders. Comprehensive assessment of psychiatric and other substance use disorders, trauma experiences, and suicidality is indicated in this population to optimize selection of appropriate clinical interventions. In terms of available investigated treatments for adolescents with alcohol use disorders, Multidimensional Family Therapy and group administered Cognitive Behavioral Therapies have received the most empirical support to date. There is a paucity of research on pharmacological interventions in this patient population, and no firm treatment recommendations can be made in this area. Given the high rate of relapse after treatment, evaluation of combined psychosocial and pharmacological interventions, and the development of novel intervention strategies are indicated.

The role of emotion theory and research in child therapy development.

A burgeoning of research on emotion has identified the importance of emotionally competent functioning to children's psychosocial adaptation. As a consequence of this basic research, we argue that prevention and treatment programs for youth would benefit from direct consideration of the role of emotion when designing developmentally appropriate programs. The rationale for including a greater focus on emotion in youth prevention and treatment programs is drawn from the affective neuroscience and clinical psychology literatures. Preliminary data from prevention and treatment programs that have a strong emotion focus are promising. Future work needs to examine how emotion-related processes are related to psychopathology in youth, develop developmentally sensitive programs that are influenced by basic research on emotions, evaluate the relative effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs, and assess the potential long-term impact of emotion-focused and emotion-informed programs.

Relapse revisited: A critique of current concepts and clinical practice in the management of alcohol problems

How a problem is understood dictates how it is responded to. In this paper the problem of relapse and alcohol dependence is reconsidered. The existing major relapse paradigm is evaluated against the last two decades of research. It is concluded that the available research strongly questions the notion that relapse is an addiction-specific event. Instead, relapse is probably better understood as a complex, generic, human behaviour, undertaken at times by all of us. Given this, it is possible that mainstream psychological theories, such as decision making and attribution theory, are important in coming to any understanding of the phenomenon of relapse. It is also contended that the investigation of relapse is potentially an error of focus. Such study invites the investigation of those who do not succeed in changing behaviour, as against the study of those who do. For those concerned with the treatment of alcohol dependence, studying the successes may be a more informative process than studying the putative failures. Given the burgeoning of research over the past two decades the impact on treatment practice is reviewed. It is concluded that relapse prevention and management is very much on the alcohol-intervention agenda. However, the research evidence to date is consistent with the general psychotherapy literature in that doing something appears better than no intervention, but that an optimum, effective, intervention has yet to be devised.

Wither Thou Goest?: Introduction

In the last thirty years we have witnessed a burgeoning of research in thanatology. As in most disciplines, the revolution has been followed by a period of filling-in. As we confront the possibility of nuclear and biological annihilation, we need to recover the pioneering vision and spirit that heralded the beginning of thanatology. The authors in this volume call for broad-based interdisciplinary, multi-method, collaborative studies that not only contribute to the development of thanatological theory and research, but also are of use to clinicians, social planners and legislators.

The Rural Elderly and the Church

The growing numbers of rural elderly in America has resulted in a burgeoning of research on this constituency. Such research has identified information on the living cirumstances of rural elderly as well as on the advantages and disadvantages of the rural milieu as a context for aging. Research has also demonstrated the central role which religion and the church play for the rural elderly, and it is iwth this knowledge that the church must expand its role in service to this population. The church may enhance its role by beginning with four major areas: (1) increasing church accessibility; (2) complementing formal service programs; (3) enhancing indigenous support networks; and (4) providing educational programs.