Epistemological Changes Research Articles

Tasks as needs: reframing the paradigm of clinical natural language processing research for real-world decision support.

Electronic medical records are increasingly used to store patient information in hospitals and other clinical settings. There has been a corresponding proliferation of clinical natural language processing (cNLP) systems aimed at using text data in these records to improve clinical decision-making, in comparison to manual clinician search and clinical judgment alone. However, these systems have delivered marginal practical utility and are rarely deployed into healthcare settings, leading to proposals for technical and structural improvements. In this paper, we argue that this reflects a violation of Friedman’s “Fundamental Theorem of Biomedical Informatics,” and that a deeper epistemological change must occur in the cNLP field, as a parallel step alongside any technical or structural improvements. We propose that researchers shift away from designing cNLP systems independent of clinical needs, in which cNLP tasks are ends in themselves—“tasks as decisions”—and toward systems that are directly guided by the needs of clinicians in realistic decision-making contexts—“tasks as needs.” A case study example illustrates the potential benefits of developing cNLP systems that are designed to more directly support clinical needs.

The Stone Guest. The Soviet Rediscovery of Formal Linguistics Towards the Early Chomsky

After Stalin’s death, Soviet linguistics seemingly steered in a new direction, enthusiastically adopting mathematical methods within the upsurge of interest in machine translation. This fostered the acceptance of formal models disjointed from the rigid dictates of dialectical materialism and paved the way for the rediscovery of the scientific legacy of (post-)structuralist Euroamerican schools. In the eyes of the protagonists of this epistemological change, linguistics seemed to be freed from the traditional methodological constraints imposed by philology and literature. This short-lived yet intense period, however, is characterized by the polyphonic coexistence of several ideas and personalities, whose research activity can be properly understood and evaluated only from a broader historical perspective, encompassing both earlier and later stages, thus substantially curtailing the explanatory power of historical and thematic periodization. The study aims at examining the salient characteristics of the scientific environment surrounding the early critical reception of Noam Chomsky’s Syntactic Structures in the Soviet Union. By tackling specific terminological and epistemological issues, it is argued that the evolution of Soviet linguistics was not defined by abrupt saltational processes, but rather by a constant pendular oscillation which – depending on cultural, political, and historical circumstances – would grant temporary priority to some scientific approaches and orientations at the expense of others.

Dai in the “Land of Tropical Miasma”: Encounters of Early Chinese Anthropology in Yunnan

In early- to mid-twentieth century China, the tropical landscapes and indigenous peoples of southern Yunnan entered public consciousness in two different modes of representation: as a desolate and unfamiliar frontier fraught with the peril of diseases and in desperate need of environmental and social engineering; or, as a haven of fertile land with an ideal of harmonious society. In the process of making new senses of this tropical border region, anthropology played a major role as Chinese anthropologists working in this newly institutionalized discipline turned the Dai, traditionally regarded by Han people as a marginal group living within a dangerous land of zhangqi (tropical miasma), into an ethnographic subject. From Ling Chunsheng’s vision of environmental modification and medical advancement as a twofold project to engineer a new landscape and a new people, to Tian Rukang’s cultural critique that imagined the way of life of Dai people as an antidote for modernity, this article examines early Chinese anthropological discourses on the Dai people and their lived environment. I investigate how technological and epistemological changes fundamentally reshaped the meaning of tropical landscapes in China, a multi-ethnic country of a vast and diverse territory struggling to rejuvenate within a new global order, and I ponder the symbolic and material consequences of this recent history.

Critical applied linguistics in the 2020s

ABSTRACT Critical applied linguistics remains deeply relevant today, arguably more than ever, but it needs constant renewal. This paper returns to these concerns to assess where this project has got to and where it may be headed. I review first both long-term and short-term political trends, from the rise of neoliberalism to the COVID pandemic. Next, I discuss responses to these conditions – questions of pessimism or hope – and their relevance for applied linguistics. This is followed by a discussion of epistemological changes (or turns) in applied linguistics, and an argument that we need to be both responsive to and skeptical of such shifts. Above all, we need to be adept at looking at them in relation to each other – material and discursive, translingual and raciolinguistic, queer and practice, multilingual and decolonial, for example, – to disrupt their apparent novelty and ensure there is always a critical dimension. Finally I conclude by looking again at a critical applied linguistic agenda for the future, suggesting ten key principles we need to keep in mind.

Digital Transformation as an Epistemological Event: Predigital Transformation

The paper describes the circumstances in which digital technology arises; the change is recognized in the literature as the basis of digital transformation. This transformation is understood as a deterministic economic process. However, the analysis of the deeper circumstances of this process shows that we are dealing with a vast change in the ways of understanding and describing the world, i.e. with an epistemological change. This change concerns, on the one hand, the method of creating general mathematical (including geometric) structures that are the basis of models used to describe the world, and on the other hand—tools for its description, e.g. network theory, systems theory, complexity theory. Such a broadly understood change makes the deterministic description proposed by the digital transformation too simple and shallow. Instead, the concept of predigital transformation is proposed. It includes not only the omitted historical part but also creates better and richer conditions for understanding the digital transformation process, as well as for developing appropriate conceptual tools for its use.

FICÇÃO ESPECULATIVA: O processo de hibridização na Ficção Científica e na Fantasia

ABSTRACT: This study aims at promoting a debate about speculative narratives, particularly those commonly classified as Science Fiction or Fantasy, assuming that the first works of speculative literature were not intended to encompass a single generic category given their dialogue with epistemological changes and their close connection with religious and mythological discourses. By close readings and bibliographic analyses, we build on the literary scholarship of Gunn (2005), Alkon (1994), Araújo (2020), and Manlove (1975), among others. The results suggest that there is no stylistic uniformity in Science Fiction or Fantasy narratives, as they directly dialogue with historical, political, and cultural moments, as well as with existing literary styles or movements.
 Keywords: Speculative fiction; Science Fiction; Fantasy; Hybridization

The Quest for Whiteness in Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia" (1918) and Henry Roth’s "Call It Sleep" (1934)

The aim of this paper is to trace the assimilation process of European immigrants to the United States at the turn of the century in Willa Cather’s My Antonia (1918) and Henry Roth’s Call It Sleep (1934). Bearing in mind the historical relevance of race and whiteness in the United States, I analyse the changes performed by Cather’s and Roth’s protagonists in order to achieve the status of white. To this purpose, I provide a brief overview of the nature of whiteness in the United States and its epistemological changes to account for its importance within the novels. I then look at the transformations characters perform in terms of religious faith and gender norms, as well as their interaction with English and spaces to become integrated in the new land. In doing so, differences between the novels arise, but so does a subtext of violence common to the immigrant experience.

RELIGIOUS NATURALISM AND CREATION: A COSMOLOGICAL AND THEOLOGICAL READING ON THE ORIGIN/BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE

AbstractAccording to the reconceptualization of science that emerged in the twentieth century, our approach to nature is changing. There is a calling for an enlarged rationality and for a multilevel analysis of the Cosmos around us, because the reality itself shows new depths and complexities, while new methodologies in the scientific research, such as cross‐disciplinary and multi‐messenger, are necessary. In this epistemological change of paradigm, escaping from empiricism, mechanistic determinism, reductionism, and relativism, appears “natural” the reference to metaphysics and to theology exactly because we need to get outside and to “open the system” to obtain better and more complete descriptions. Theology, referring to the Revealed Personal God as Trinity and Unity and in particular Christology, mostly with Incarnation, adds the conditions for a “natural” landing in a profound and rich cross‐disciplinary study concerning the beginning and origin of the Universe. We will explore these passages for an integrated and encompassing reading of the Universe.

Spiritual Struggle and Spiritual Growth of Bereft College Students in a Christian Evangelical University

This article examines spiritual struggle in bereft Christian evangelical students and how struggle might potentiate spiritual growth. The death loss of a close person can result in shattered assumptions about the world that trigger spiritual questions and struggle and spiritual struggle can be a catalyst for growth. To our knowledge, spiritual growth has not been measured utilizing the actual voices of those struggling with the loss, nor has it been measured in Christian evangelical populations who may find it more threatening to yield to spiritual questioning. The Spirit-centered Change Model guides our conceptualization of spiritual growth from a Christian evangelical perspective. Utilizing a mixed methods design, bereft college students (n=161) at a Christian evangelical university answered questionnaires about religious coping, daily spiritual experiences, meaning in life, and open-ended questions about their spiritual growth and how students’ beliefs about God had changed after the loss. Compared to non-bereft peers, bereft students reported higher daily spiritual experiences, but bereft students who struggled spiritually reported less meaning and daily spiritual experiences than bereft students who did not struggle. Narrative responses indicated that spiritual struggle simultaneously tended to reflect more expansive beliefs around God and a deepened spirituality, according to the Spirit-centered Change Model. Results reflect a first empirical step toward measuring spiritual growth as epistemological change.

Spiritual Struggle and Spiritual Growth of Bereft College Students in a Christian Evangelical University

This article examines spiritual struggle in bereft Christian evangelical students and how struggle might potentiate spiritual growth. The death loss of a close person can result in shattered assumptions about the world that trigger spiritual questions and struggle (Chen, 1997; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2006; Pargament et al., 1998), and spiritual struggle can be a catalyst for growth (Lord & Gramling, 2014; Magyar-Russell et al., 2014; Pargament et al., 1998; Pargament et al., 2011). To our knowledge, spiritual growth has not been measured utilizing the actual voices of those struggling with the loss, nor has it been measured in Christian evangelical populations who may find it more threatening to yield to spiritual questioning. The Spirit-centered Change Model (Buker, 2015) guides our conceptualization of spiritual growth from a Christian evangelical perspective. Utilizing a mixed methods design, bereft college students (n=161) at a Christian evangelical university answered questionnaires about religious coping, daily spiritual experiences, meaning in life, and open-ended questions about their spiritual growth and how students’ beliefs about God had changed after the loss. Compared to non-bereft peers, bereft students reported higher daily spiritual experiences, but bereft students who struggled spiritually reported less meaning and daily spiritual experiences than bereft students who did not struggle. Narrative responses indicated that spiritual struggle simultaneously tended to reflect more expansive beliefs around God and a deepened spirituality, according to the Spirit-centered Change Model. Results reflect a first empirical step toward measuring spiritual growth as epistemological change.

Academic Mobility and Epistemological Change in State Socialist Romania

This article explores the connection between academic mobility, epistemological change, and generational belonging in state socialist Romania. Drawing on insights from intellectual history and recent literature on the use of generation as an analytical concept for the study of state socialism, it addresses academic mobility both as a generation-defining experience and a source of epistemological change. On the issue of generations, it reviews the types of academic mobility available and their roles in the careers of social scientists trained before 1945, in the early 1950s, and after the re-institutionalization of sociology in 1966. Across these three generations, this article analyzes how academic mobility was reflected in the knowledge produced on one theme in particular: quality of life. Empirical and theoretical research on quality of life in Romania was carried out under the umbrella of futurology (early 1970s), socialist modes of living/lifestyle studies (late 1970s–early 1980s), and finally demography and migration studies (1980s).

Езиковият обрат като модел на обратите в хуманитарните науки през втората половина на ХХ век

The paper discusses the development of the humanities during the twentieth century in relation to the methodological and epistemological changes in the scholarly field. Particular attention has been paid to the so-called Cultural Turns phenomenon, and more specifically to The Linguistic Turn.

Unlearning racism through transformative interracial dialogue

Presenting an empirical study of critical public pedagogy, this paper analyzes interracial dialogues on an internet forum run by conscious Black people who set the terms and challenge White participants who reflect a colorblind ideology. Drawing on Freire’s education for critical consciousness and bell hooks’ work on unlearning racism – understood as structural and interpersonal dominance relations – the paper shows how transformative interracial dialogues are possible despite difficulties. It proposes that epistemological change is required from White participants to cross the perception gap. Analysis of empirical examples shows how Blacks; who follow Patricia Hill Collins’ Black feminist epistemology, and show emotions, speak from experience, and demand rhetoric to be translated into action; challenge White people’s detached, Eurocentric perspectives, and dominating communicative behavior. Honest confrontation and critical dialogue lead several White participants to acknowledge their subjectivity, become aware of White privilege, and examine and change dominating communicative behavior towards Blacks.

The effects of a gamified project based on historical thinking on the academic performance of primary school children

History education research has long defended a transformation of the teaching and learning process in order to overcome the repetitive and conceptual learning of history, advocating an approach based on the development of historical thinking. Gamification is an innovative educational tool which may facilitate the learning of historical thinking concepts in the classroom. The objective of this quasi-experimental research was to verify whether the learning of history of 4th year primary school children improved following the implementation of a gamified project in the classroom compared with a control group which followed a traditional methodology. For this purpose, the learners completed a mixed performance test before and after the classroom intervention. The results showed significant differences in the intergroup (posttest) and intragroup (pretest–posttest) comparisons. This research may serve as a reference point for promoting the implementation of gamification in the primary classroom, and for orienting teacher training programmes towards an epistemological and methodological change.

Unearthing Colonial Violence: Griotic Archaeology and Community-Engagement in Guiana

This article intends to address archaeological coloniality and points to the urgent need for epistemological changes within the field. Conceived as an Afroguianese epistemological disobedience, Griotic Archaeology represents an attempt to step away from the disciplinary reiteration of colonial violence. This approach and the engagement of two communities, Moun'Roura and Moun'Wayam, allowed to open space for Afroguianese and Indigenous knowledge, memories, and world-perceptions in the archaeological work conducted at Habitation La Caroline, a site of enslavement in Guiana.

O papel dos saberes docentes na formação pedagógica da licenciatura em Química:

Este estudo foi desenvolvido em um curso de licenciatura em Química de uma Instituição Federal de Ensino Superior do interior do Ceará e teve como objetivo analisar a percepção dos seus professores formadores quanto o papel dos saberes docentes na formação dos seus alunos, futuros professores de Química, bem como discutir a importância desses saberes para a construção da identidade docente. Participaram da pesquisa seis professores da área específica e dois da área pedagógica através da aplicação de um questionário, sendo os dados analisados através da a análise textual discursiva. Constatou-se uma concepção variada sobre estes saberes, incorporando ideais reducionistas e tecnicistas até percepções mais amplas do trabalho docente, sendo, portanto, necessárias mudanças epistemológicas entre os professores formadores.

Conhecimento científico no contexto big data

Apresenta o contexto big data e sua relação com o conhecimento científico a partir da seguinte pergunta: A extração de informações de grandes volumes de dados representa uma mudança epistemológica para a ciência de forma geral? O objetivo geral é o de refletir sobre as implicações epistemológicas do contexto big data a partir das proposições do epistemólogo Karl Popper. Especificamente, os objetivos são: a) discutir as implicações teóricas da ciência no campo da epistemologia; b) discorrer sobre os conceitos do que se convencionou chamar de “big data”; c) analisar os possíveis impactos do contexto big data ao conhecimento científico. Metodologicamente, trata-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo de caráter teórico para auxiliar a reflexão crítica acerca do fenômeno big data e suas consequências para o fazer científico de qualquer área do conhecimento. Como resultado apresenta-se uma análise crítica acerca de um fenômeno pouco estudado no aspecto epistemológico. Conclui-se que o contexto big data tem revolucionado os processos de tomada de decisão nas empresas, mas não é possível afirmar que a mesma revolução ocorre no aspecto epistemológico.

Implementación de políticas lingüísticas en el contexto universitario

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo mostrar cómo las políticas lingüísticas deben conducir a una correcta planeación lingüística y no respaldarse simplemente mediante exámenes de certificación de lengua extranjera. El estudio se llevó a cabo con 11 mil 707 estudiantes de la UNAM que presentaron el examen de comprensión de lectura en lengua extranjera con fines de titulación o de ingreso a un posgrado. Los resultados muestran que prácticamente el único idioma extranjero que los estudiantes utilizan durante sus cursos académicos es el inglés; y que certificar si se tiene dominio de otras lenguas distintas cuando ya han finalizado sus estudios no parece ser pertinente si el objetivo es que utilicen esta habilidad durante sus estudios. Se sugiere un cambio epistemológico en la concepción del examen de certificación de lengua para que se utilice preferiblemente con fines diagnósticos y no con fines de titulación o de ingreso a un posgrado.

Calculating sameness: Identifying early-modern image reuse outside the black box

Abstract In this article, we present a method for identifying image reuse in a corpus of 358 books printed between the 15th and 17th century. The approach is based on image hashing, an established method for finding near duplicates of images. Our historical interpretation of the method’s result produces two important insights hinting at a radical material and epistemological change taking place around 1530. We then evaluate the image hash approach against a method that employs a neural network for image recognition.

Reassessing the Inculcation of an Anti-Racist Ethic for Christian Ministry: From Racism Awareness to Deconstructing Whiteness

This paper outlines the means by which candidates training for Christian ministry are encouraged to engage with the deontological positionality of anti-racism as a substantive element of Christian praxis. The first part of the paper provides some brief historical reflections on what was then the conventional approach to teaching an anti-racist ethic for Christian ministry, namely, the practice of “racism awareness”. Following these reflections, the author proceeds to outline the epistemological change that has occurred in his own ethical teaching, moving from the focus on racism awareness to a more critical, postcolonial deconstruction of Whiteness and its concomitant links to Mission Christianity. Mission Christianity, the religion that underpinned the British Empire, is identified as the repository that helped to institutionalise the existence of “white supremacy” and racism within the body politic of colonialism and the rise of notions of “manifest destiny”. In switching the modus operandi for an anti-racist ethic within Christian ministry, this paper seeks to reframe the ways in which the ethical basis for opposing and resisting racism is effected within Christian theology