Capacity Of Agents Research Articles

DO SOCIAL MEDIA UNDERMINE STRUCTURES? RETHINKING THE STRUCTURE-AGENCY DEBATE

The study reconsiders the structure-agency debate in a world dominated by internetisation and social media. To answer the question of whether social media weaken the structures embedded in societies, four phenomena are analysed: Dissemination and control of information are the main areas of conflict between actors and structures. The cyber public sphere has emerged as social media has become an important medium for shaping public opinion. Cyber activism, which has made important strides in moving political networks into the virtual world, has become an alternative to activism in the physical world. As individuals engage in human relations in virtual world just as in physical world, cyber identity has entered our lives. The study’s main finding is that although structures have developed new strategies and instruments to monitor, control and regulate the cyber world; social media continues to be a ground that increases the capacity of agencies for actors against structures.

More Lessons of the Accord: The 1986–87 Plumbers’ Union Dispute

The early phases of the Price and Incomes Accord sought to constrain money-wage increases in order to reduce the rate of inflation. Despite this, in 1986 and 1987 the Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees’ Union of Australia engaged in industrial action to pressure employers into increasing wages. Using this case study, we examine the capacity for individual trade union agency for wage increases in the context of Accord Mark II. The article draws on document analysis combined with interviews with six of the dispute’s key actors and close observers. It finds that trade union agency was quashed by various political and industrial actors and institutions. This threatened the financial survival of the NSW Australian Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees’ Union, which faced legal sanctions during the dispute.

Effectiveness of Legal Protection for Whistleblowers in Corruption Cases in Indonesia

Combating corruption is a crucial priority for Indonesia, which strives to improve the quality of governance and institutional integrity. Whistleblowers play a vital role in uncovering corrupt practices, often serving as the initial source of information that reveals systemic and organized corruption. However, whistleblowers face significant risks, including intimidation and retaliatory actions. Effective legal protection is essential to shield them from these risks and encourage the public to report corruption. This study aims to review the effectiveness of legal protections for whistleblowers under Indonesian legislation and explore measures that can be enhanced to ensure their safety and well-being. Utilizing a literature review method, this research finds that although regulations exist to protect whistleblowers, their implementation remains inadequate. Obstacles such as lack of legal awareness, insufficient resources in law enforcement agencies, and a culture of fear of retaliation hinder optimal protection. Specific legal reforms, increased capacity of law enforcement agencies, and education and cultural changes that support whistleblowers are needed to improve the effectiveness of protection. Strengthening legal protections will better motivate whistleblowers to report corruption, supporting creating a more transparent and accountable government.

Judicial Review of Child Violence Committed by Caregivers

This study examines the legal protection of children from violence in Indonesia, focusing on the implementation of Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection. The research methodology employed is a normative juridical approach with analysis of primary and secondary data. Primary data includes the law itself, its implementing regulations, and court decisions related to child abuse cases. Secondary data comprises legal articles, academic journals, and reports from the Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI). The findings indicate that Law Number 35 of 2014 provides a comprehensive legal framework for protecting children from various forms of violence. However, its implementation faces challenges in terms of consistent law enforcement, access to adequate social and mental health services, and the need for increased public awareness. Case studies such as that of Janna Amira Priyanka underscore the urgency of improving child protection from violence. Recommendations from this research include enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies, expanding social service networks, educating and raising awareness among the public about children's rights, and improving inter-agency coordination to effectively enhance child protection in Indonesia.

Preventive Resilience: The Role of Long-Term Care Organizations’ Collective Agency Capacity

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified pressure on healthcare organizations (HCOs), particularly long-term care organizations (LTCOs. An HCO’s resilience is closely linked to its proactive ability to address and manage both novel and persistent stressors. This proactive approach, termed ‘preventive resilience,’ involves preemptively averting stressors to safeguard the organization’s resilience mechanisms. Objectives The aim of this presentation is to examine the hypothesis asserting that preventive resilience is, to a significant extent, nurtured by the collective capacity of a Long-Term Care Organization (LTCO) to act and react as a cohesive social system. This collective agency capacity of an LTCO is posited to play a pivotal role in fortifying preventive resilience of HCOs. Methods We conducted a pooled cross-sectional study on long-term care organizations in Germany during the initial (April 2020) and subsequent waves of the pandemic (December 2020-January 2021). Our sample comprised 503 leaders during the first wave and 294 leaders during the second wave from various long-term care organizations. The study involved top managers of these facilities reporting their perceptions of the collective agency capacity of the LTCO, assessed using the AGIL short scale. Additionally, they were asked to gauge the facility’s exposure to both general non-pandemic demands and pandemic-specific demands. Results We discovered a notable inverse relationship between leaders’ perceptions of the collective agency capacity within their Long-Term Care Organizations (LTCO) and their assessments of general demands. However, no significant association was observed between the agency capacity and the magnitude of pandemic-specific demands. Conclusions The findings tentatively endorse the notion that cultivating the collective agency capacity of nursing facilities enhances their resilience to familiar general demands, particularly during periods of exceptional stress. Key messages • Cultivating the collective agency capacity of nursing facilities enhances their resilience to familiar general demands. • The collective capacity to act and react in a cohesive way is a general resistance resource of healthcare organizations.

Corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector: Causes, Consequences and Sustainable Solutions

Corruption in Nigeria's public sector has long hindered the nation's development, stability, and prosperity. It permeates various facets of governance and society, leading to detrimental consequences, including economic stagnation, social injustice, and the erosion of public trust. Historical factors, such as the legacy of colonial exploitation and successive post-independence governments' mismanagement, have entrenched a culture of corruption. Despite efforts to combat it, including the establishment of anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), corruption remains pervasive. This study adopts a qualitative research design to explore the complex dynamics of corruption in Nigeria's public sector. Using Albert Bandura's social learning theory as the theoretical framework, and it explores how corrupt behaviors are observed, imitated, and reinforced within the public administration. The research identifies multiple causes of corruption, including institutional weaknesses, economic pressures, and cultural norms, which create an environment conducive to corrupt practices. The consequences of corruption are enormous: It undermines economic growth and development, deters foreign direct investment, exacerbates poverty and inequality, erodes public trust in government, and fuels political unrest and instability. Addressing corruption requires a comprehensive approach involving the strengthening of institutional frameworks, promoting transparency and accountability, improving public sector management, and fostering a culture of ethical leadership. Sustainable solutions to combat corruption include; enhancing the capacities of anti-corruption agencies, to be independent of the executive body, implementing public procurement reforms, ensuring budget transparency, and enforcing stringent anti-corruption measures.

Peruvian Migration and Community Organisation in Argentina: Transnational and Intergenerational Knowledge in the Social Production of Habitat

This paper analyses the transnational and intergenerational knowledge that Peruvian migrant women bring to the social production of habitat in Argentinean cities. In a context of increasing difficulties for Peruvian families to access urban space, this study highlights migrant women's capacity for agency through community organisation. Based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collected from research carried out in a neighbourhood built by migrants in the city of Cordoba, the article shows that urban experiences of Peruvian women reveal not only spatial segregation, but also a subaltern urbanism that attempts to ensure the sustainability of life.

Capacity and crisis: examining the state-level policy response to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, India.

The capacity of government agencies to develop effective policy responses to external shocks is an important area of focus for health policy processes, as illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few empirical studies exploring sub-national capacity of governments and the influence of institutional, organizational and political factors in shaping the policy response to complex emergencies have been conducted. The purpose of this study is to examine the governance capacity to develop and implement a policy response to a major health emergency-COVID-19-in Tamil Nadu, India, and to understand the factors shaping governance capacity during the first and second waves (2020-2021). Tamil Nadu offers a useful case for exploring governance capacity due to its longstanding public health institutions and previous experiences with disaster and outbreak response. We utilized three sources of data: (1) a review of key policy documents (n = 164); (2) a review of English-language media articles in the Indian press (n = 336); and (3) in-depth interviews with senior decision-makers, technical experts and other stakeholders (n = 10). We present four key findings from this analysis. First, Tamil Nadu's institutional framework enabled state-level governance capacity during an emergency of massive complexity, allowing for flexibility and nimbleness to adapt to evolving dynamics of centralization and decentralization over the course of the pandemic. Second, the ability to integrate public health expertise was circumscribed at important phases. Third, while coordination with external experts was utilized extensively, engagement with civil society groups was perceived as limited. Fourth, the electoral cycle was perceived by some to have constrained governance capacity at a critical point in the pandemic. By analysing the dynamics of state-level capacity in Tamil Nadu during a complex emergency, this study provides important learnings for other contexts globally regarding the drivers shaping capacity to develop and implement policy responses to crises.

Understanding delusions to improve our mutual interactions: A précis of <i>"Why Delusions Matter"</i>

Why Delusions Matter is a reflection on the importance of the study of delusions for better understanding and reshaping our mutual interactions. The study of delusions has transformed the philosophy of mind and psychology in the last thirty years, helping redefine the relationship between rationality and intentionality. It has still a lot to offer to emerging areas at the intersection of ethics and epistemology. These are areas where the focus of the investigation of beliefs is moving from a painstaking assessment of the individual’s cognitive achievements and failures to a broader examination of the environmental and social pressures on the adoption, revisions, and maintenance of beliefs at individual and collective levels. In the book, there is an exploration of the notion of delusionality across clinical and non-clinical contexts which shows how delusions are meaningful beliefs that matter to the speaker's identity but are received by the interpreter as implausible and unshakeable. Delusions are not pathological by default, but they can bring epistemic and psychological costs as well as temporary benefits. Although a speaker's delusions can make collaboration difficult, this should not discourage interpreters from attempts at genuine engagement. Delusions are not a sign of a breakdown in the speaker's capacity for agency and thus understanding them can help interpreters appreciate the speaker's perspective.

Playful enactive interventions can enhance agency, empathy and social integration in children

Theoretical frameworkPlay is vital for children's healthy development and growth. According to the enactive framework, play can foster socialization, self-regulation and cognitive processing. When children become active participants in pleasurable activities, they engage with their environment in diverse ways, engendering new meanings and transforming existing ones. Previous studies have shown that social integration and agency can be cultivated from an early age. Purpose or motivationIn the current study we review prior research, taking into consideration the enactive approach. From this perspective, we revalue play as a particularly fruitful activity, which enables embodied interactions between peers, contributing to participatory sense-making processes. This study examines the impact of playful enactive interventions on transformative agency and social integration. MethodsThe study involved 161 children aged 6–8 years, who attended four schools in Bariloche, Argentina. We conducted enactive interventions which propitiated playful affective instances through non-competitive play and self-awareness practices. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed to evaluate changes in social integration and agency in children. ResultsThe children showed changes both in the social domain - including peer relationships, empathy and classroom climate - and in their capacity for agency and emotional regulation. In addition, most children reported that they continued to use the self-awareness practices in stressful situations outside of school. ConclusionThe present study reveals that playful enactive interventions can foster agency and empathy during childhood. Embodied experiences within playful contexts may have enabled participatory sense-making processes that contributed to the recreation of peer relationships.

Neuroidealism, perceptual acquaintance and the Kantian roots of predictive processing

Perception, according to advocates of the predictive processing (PP) framework in cognitive science, is a kind of controlled hallucination. Philosophers interested in PP, however, differ on how best to interpret this slogan. Does it suggest a new kind of idealism about perceptual objects or is it just a useful metaphor, illustrating something about how PP systems work without entailing a radical shakeup of mainstream realist views in the philosophy of perception? In this paper, I take a historically informed approach to this question, drawing on the Kantian roots of the contemporary framework. What perception reveals, according to PP, is a world shaped by the neurocomputational capacities and limitations of perceiving creatures. This means that the properties of perceived objects are, in an important and surprising sense, perceiver-dependent. Nonetheless, thanks to the integration of perceptual and agential capacities envisioned by PP, we should also accept a central claim of realism: in encountering this world we also encounter—come to be acquainted with—mind-independent particulars. PP thus supports a promising next step in the development of a Kantian argument linking the unity of agency to the objectivity of perception. The argument was advanced in its modern form by P.F. Strawson and has later been developed by Susan Hurley and others. In the revised form presented here, it says that PP-perceivers must be practically self-aware agents and that practically self-aware agents embedded in an environment can be acquainted with objects it contains.

An intersectional life course approach to explore the narratives of ageing migrant women

This article aims to demonstrate a concrete example of how to apply an intersectional life course perspective into the study of ageing migrant women. The empirical material is based on a qualitative in-depth interview study conducted with 20 Turkish-born women who have migrated to Sweden in their early to mid-adulthood years. Despite increasing urgings from gerontologists to include intersectionality in studies on migrants, research often neglects how age, gender, and migration status interact, failing to recognise the diverse experiences of racialised older migrants. The analysis shows that the intersection of age, gender and migrancy generates racialised and gendered experiences of later life which renders the women in different positions of power. The analysis also reveals the importance of agential capacity through the mobilisation of resources, negotiation, and resistance. By cross-fertilising two perspectives, the study suggests that intersectional life course could shed light on the experiences of ageing migrant women, thus, sensitising gerontological research to diversity and heterogeneity.

Native seed collector networks in Brazil: Sowing social innovations for transformative change

Abstract To investigate whether and how Social Innovation (SI) can contribute to transformative change, we explored nine Native Seed Collectors Networks (NSCNs) in Brazil. Employing Social Network Analysis, we delved into the organisational structure of four NSCNs. Additionally, we identified five instances of social innovations (SIs) using the guiding questions of the Social Innovation—Forest and Landscape Restoration (SI‐FLR) framework. These networks, which received a total of US$ 12 million in investments from 2018 to 2021, have not only contributed to the production of 180 tonnes of native seeds but also had a significant socioeconomic impact. They have generated a total income of US$ 1.01 million for 997 seed collectors, 46% of whom are from traditional communities and marginalised groups. Furthermore, 55% of these collectors are women, and 23% rely solely on seed collection as their only source of income. While the NSCNs represent a fledgling economy, they have effectively activated local agency capacity. With the support of the NSCNs' social capital, a favourable context and clear motivations, this agency capacity can trigger SIs. By generating positive impacts, these SIs are changing values and empowering local agents (scaling deep), inspiring agents in other geographies (scaling out) and even influencing policies favourable to socially inclusive landscape restoration (scaling up). This three‐dimensional scaling underscores the catalysing power of SI in NSCNs and their potential contribution to transformative change. We also emphasise the role of public bodies in promoting enabling conditions, the vital role of local experimentation and the rarely evidenced local agency capacity to leverage SIs in FLR. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Comparative Study of Management Information Systems in Cement Companies in Southeast Nigeria, South Sulawesi, Kenya

This study explores the impact of Management Information Systems (MIS) and technological innovations on the performance of cement manufacturing firms in Southeast Nigeria, South Sulawesi, and Kenya. This study examines the use of management information systems in the cement industries of Southeast Nigeria, South Sulawesi, and Kenya using a literature review methodology. Through a comprehensive literature review of three key journals, the findings reveal a significant positive correlation between the use of decision support systems, transaction processing systems, and executive support systems, and the enhancement of corporate performance. In Southeast Nigeria, these systems increased firm performance by 0.321, 0.496, and 0.501 respectively. Impact of information technology on agency capacity in the cement industry in South Sulawesi. The effect of information technology on body skills is 0.267 and p-value 0.025, it has a significant effect on the statement, which proves that information technology has a direct effect on the body. They have the ability to support movement. In Kenya, the adoption of strategic and technological innovations notably improved sales volumes, operational efficiency, and cost reduction, with a mean aggregate score of 4.12 from surveyed department heads. The findings underscore the importance of strategic innovations tailored to specific industry needs and the necessity of training programs to equip employees with essential technical skills. This research provides actionable insights for cement firms aiming to enhance their competitive edge and achieve sustainable growth in a dynamic global market.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned From the Public Health Disability Specialists Program: Addressing the Needs of People With Disabilities During COVID-19.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) applied funding issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement the Public Health Disability Specialists Program, part of a project to address the needs of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disability specialists (subject matter experts) were embedded within state, territorial, and city/county health departments to help ensure disability inclusion in emergency planning, mitigation, and recovery efforts. To evaluate the success of the Disability Specialists Program in improving emergency response planning, mitigation, and recovery efforts for people with disabilities within participating jurisdictions. Disability specialists worked with their assigned jurisdictions to conduct standardized baseline health department needs assessments to identify existing gaps and inform development and implementation of improvement plans. CDC, ASTHO, and NACCHO implemented a mixed methods framework to evaluate specialists' success. State, territorial, and local health departments across 28 jurisdictions between January 2021 and July 2022. Average number of categories of gaps addressed and qualitative documentation of strategies, barriers, and promising practices. Specialists identified 1010 gaps (approximately 36 per jurisdiction) across eight needs assessment categories, most related to mitigation, recovery, resilience, and sustainability efforts (n=213) and communication (n=193). Specialists addressed an average of three categories of gaps identified; common focus areas included equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution and accessible communications. Specialists commonly mentioned barriers related to limited health agency capacity (eg, resources) and community mistrust. Promising practices to address barriers included sharing best practices through peer-to-peer networks and building and strengthening partnerships between health departments and the disability community. Embedding disability specialists within state, territorial, and local health departments improved jurisdictional ability to meet evolving public health needs for the entire community, including people with disabilities.

‘Unions et germanies’. Armed Mobilisation, Plebeian Politicisation and Historical Memory in the Kingdom of Valencia (fourteenth-seventeenth centuries)

Although the ‘Unions et germanies’ were forbidden, popular movements arose in the Kingdom of Valencia that expressed themselves mainly through judicial means, but sometimes also resorted to arms. Analysis of the actors’ capacity for agency is therefore complex. In particular, the Germania (1519-1522) revalued the participation of the urban majorities in public affairs, based on the armed and legal mobilisation of the city’s artisans. Other grievances throughout the Kingdom of Valencia strengthened the movement. The conflict was radicalised, giving rise to armed actions against privilege that redefined its trajectory. The classist writings of the chroniclers repudiated this collective violence. The adoption of rational choices to achieve objectives reveals the political subjectivity created by the war, which marked the memory of the commoners. A widespread resistance kept alive their banners, which became the cultural substratum of later struggles. The essay rescues the forms assumed by plebeian political identities in the sixteenth-century conflict, inscribing them in the cycle of collective action that began with the Union (1347-1348) and ended with the Second Germania (1693), also comparing the potentialities of these dissimilar experiences.

A community center to mobilize public policies and human rights in mental health: “the door is always open”

PurposeThis study aims to describe the perceptions of some participants from a community mental health center in the Department of Chocó, Colombia.Design/methodology/approachA case study with a qualitative approach was carried out in 2023. Focus groups were conducted with mental health leaders and members of a community mental health center. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis.FindingsTwo categories emerged: characterize the Community Mental Health Center of Chocó and Reaffirm human rights. In the first category, the community center is described as a place of recovery that mobilizes social services and works to increase agency capacity. In the second category, the human rights were assumed as part of community services, not only to eliminate coercive practices but also to support the increase of autonomy.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study are the analysis of strategies from the perspective of global politics, without delving into the structure of community actions themselves, which are not necessarily based on global recommendations.Practical implicationsDespite the design and development of public policies the study of their implementation still poses several challenges. The strategies carried out by regions that follow evidence-based practices and participation routes are not officially recognized as good practices in mental health and, therefore, independently supported to be sustained.Originality/valueA community mental health center is described that manages to be implement and deliver a service despite not being able to be financed by current national regulations. This indicates, apart from a need, the capacity of the regions to build their solutions beyond regulations.

Health systems response to climate change adaptation: a scoping review of global evidence

BackgroundThe health system plays a critical role in safeguarding the well-being of communities in the face of health risks associated with climate change. This review maps evidence on health systems' adaptation to climate risk and barriers to effective adaptation.MethodsThis review followed the recommendations by Arksey and O’Malley for conducting scoping review. Search for records was conducted in PubMed, Central, Web of Science, JSTOR, Google, and Google Scholar. Only peer-reviewed papers published in English language were included in this review. All the 63 included studies were critically appraise d.ResultsWe found that efforts are being made to create resilient health systems by incorporating climate change into health policies. Investments are being made in innovative technologies, climate-resilient health infrastructure, enhancing healthcare delivery, developing the capacity of climate specialists and agencies to provide high-quality evidence for resilient health systems. We also found that several obstacles prevent health system adaptation to climate risk, including poor policy implementation and evaluation. The obstacles are further exacerbated by financial constraints, including poverty, a lack of political commitment, inadequate data, and deficient healthcare systems, especially in developing countries. There is also a lack of integration of climate change into mental health actions and the health and safety of healthcare workers.ConclusionEfforts to develop resilient health systems against climate risks are underway, but persistent obstacles, including inadequate policy implementation, resource limitations, and a lack of integration of climate change into critical health domains, hinder comprehensive adaptation measures, particularly in developing nations.

Tracey’s small stories in the figured world of regular track high school

This study investigates how Tracey, a Black 9th grade female student, constructed her academic identities and capacities for agency within the figured world of her regular track English class. Drawing on Holland and colleagues’ theory on identity and concept of figured worlds, the study uses Tracey’s small stories to demonstrate how she challenged the prevailing sociohistorical model of schooling through her multiple literacies. Through analysis of her stories, the study reveals how Tracey contested the ascribed role of a regular track student and asserted her own agency as a learner.

Strengthening Law Enforcement to Address White-Collar Financial Crime in South Africa's Private Sector

With the government's focus on combatting public sector corruption and violent crime, the plight of white-collar financial crime in the private sector is of subordinate priority. This contribution seeks to explore means to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat white-collar financial crime in the private sector. We clarify the salient terminology and give an overview of the role of financial sector regulators in financial crime prevention in South Africa, focussing on the Financial Sector Regulation Act 9 of 2017. Financial sector regulators have an important role to play against financial crime, though they are dependent on the criminal justice system to protect the financial sector against criminals. This section is followed by an overview of the role and functions of the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority, and the court system. We identify difficulties which may hinder the prosecution of white-collar financial crime. First, there is a tendency that companies do not investigate conduct that may amount to white-collar financial crime, and otherwise do not report such incidents. Second, there is a need for a specialised and independent law enforcement agency to attend to serious white-collar financial crime. There is also a skills shortage in the National Prosecuting Authority relative to the intricacies of white-collar financial crime. As remedial measures, companies ought to apply the corporate governance principles of King IV more robustly. Artificial intelligence can also be utilised to prevent white-collar financial crimes committed in cyberspace. Private sector agencies should be vested with a more comprehensive duty to report white-collar financial crime to the authorities, and the protection and scope of whistle-blowers should be increased. We propose the introduction of Deferred Prosecution Agreements, as well as cooperation between the State and the private sector, to weaken capacity constraints in the prosecution process.