Changes In Power Dynamics Research Articles

'It Made Me Change the Way I Do Business': Outcomes from Age-Friendly Community Initiatives as Systems Change.

Since the early 2000s, a global age-friendly communities (AFC) movement has called for improving the built, social, and service environments of localities for aging. Yet research on the outcomes of AFC initiatives, as programmatic efforts toward AFC progress, remains in its nascence. Drawing on "The Water of Systems Change" framework, our study aimed to address this gap by exploring the extent to which accomplishments of AFC initiatives are indicative of altering six conditions for systems change: policies, organizational practices, resource allocations, power dynamics, relationships, and mental models. We analyzed qualitative data from 26 key informant interviews across eight mature AFC initiatives in the northeastern United States. We engaged in iterative phases of thematic analysis to explore how the initiatives' accomplishments, as described by the participants, align with each of six focal conditions for systems change. We found especially robust and consistent evidence for outcomes in terms of enhanced organizational practices on aging; resource flows; connections within and across communities; and mental models about older adults. Evidence for outcomes concerning changes in power dynamics and policy was more limited. Conceptualizing AFC initiatives as systems-change interventions can bolster research, evaluation, and program development as the movement proliferates and diversifies into the 21st century. Insights can help to advance praxis that empowers AFC leaders as changemakers for "successful aging" at the level of society.

Breaking boundaries: children activist as epistemic agents within contours of epistemic marginalisation

The article delves into the realm of child environmental activism, portraying it as a concerted response aimed at challenging the prevailing social and political status quo, which systematically underestimates the role of children in decision-making within political and social spheres. It highlights the paramount importance of the epistemological framework that encompasses children's experiences, emphasising how their exclusion from political and social discourse leads to epistemic marginalisation. This exclusion not only prevents children from assuming the role of epistemic agents but also deprives them of agency and perpetuates existing inequalities. From a philosophical perspective, the article proposes a thorough analysis of children's epistemic agency, introducing the concept of 'epistemic capability'. It argues that, despite their social marginalisation, knowledgeable children can equip themselves with epistemic resources to interpret their reality and effect change. Furthermore, it posits that environmental activism plays a crucial role as an epistemic resource for children, facilitating the expression of their ideas, challenging dominant narratives, and addressing environmental and social issues head-on. The article emphasises the transformative potential of activism as an epistemic resource, enabling substantive participation and empowering children to navigate and transcend such marginalised circumstances. In conclusion, it highlights how child environmental activism not only challenges the status quo but also provides children with crucial tools for their development as epistemic and social agents, promoting significant change in power dynamics and in the fight for social and environmental justice.

Understanding the 2022 Kenyan presidential election outcome: insights from Key’s critical elections theory

ABSTRACT The ethnicisation of election and the concomitant diffusion of violence has been widely explored in the literature on Kenyan presidential elections. However, the critical character of the elections has been understudied, especially as it concerns the depth and intensity of involvement occasioned by the realignment of political actors. Oftentimes, this has resulted in the emergence of fundamental changes in power dynamics. This study drew insights from Key’s critical elections theory to analyse the 2022 Kenyan presidential election. Relying on primary and secondary sources, the study contends that the election exhibited critical characteristics owing to the economic crisis and the accompanying hardship on Kenyans, which united the poor electorate behind then-candidate William Ruto. The election revealed a sharp alteration in the pre-existing cleavage within the electorate and a profound readjustment in power relations as Key’s theory posited. This was amply demonstrated by Raila Odinga’s alliance with Uhuru Kenyatta, his old political foe, and Ruto’s populist campaign tenor – hustlers versus dynasties. We argue that the hustler narrative transcended primordial identity because it resonated with the poor electorate irrespective of their ethnicity. Therefore, it is the dynastic realignment and Ruto’s pro-poor campaign strategy that effectively set the tone for a critical election. We concluded that despite the seemingly subpar performance of President Ruto, he is still the candidate to beat in the 2027 presidential election if Odinga wins the African Union Chairmanship election in 2025. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on presidential elections in Africa.

Reperkusije petooktobarskih promena 2000. godine u svetlu dokumenata, memoara i svedočenja

Drawing upon documents, memoirs, testimonies, and scholarly literature, this study elucidates the dynamics underlying the October 5th alterations in 2000 within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia. „The Fifth October“ refers to a sudden shift in political authority driven by compounded socio-political, economic, and societal tensions, alongside external influences. These multifaceted political and security upheavals, culminating on October 5, 2000, exhibited characteristics akin to a „colored revolution“, signifying a change in power dynamics without altering the prevailing political structure or formal power mechanisms. While temporal detachment affords a more impartial inquiry, the analysis contends with entrenched political narratives, oscillating between glorification and complete denial of the significance of October 5th.

Dinamika Hubungan Politik dan Pendidikan Agama di Kampus: antara Keseimbangan dan Konflik

Politics and religion have a close relationship and are important subjects in social and political studies. This research presents an analysis of the dynamics of the relationship between religious education on campus and politics in the context of contemporary dynamics. This research focuses on the role of religion in the formation of public policy, political identity, and the dynamics of social conflict. This research study is a discourse or literature search, to find out the relationship between these two problems. This research pays attention to phenomena and changes in power dynamics, transformation of religious identity, and ideological conflicts involving religion as a central aspect. This article also considers the implications of the interaction between religion and politics for democracy. The research method used is a qualitative approach. The data sources used are a combination of educational and religious political perspectives. Literature is used to explain how religion is often a source of inspiration for political movements, both in practical contexts and as a basis for thought. The analysis of this research aims to encourage a broader and deeper dialogue about how society, especially educational institutions, can manage and understand the role of religion in a democratic and inclusive political space.

Concepts of Domestic Space and the New Family in Rabbit Hole and Clybourne Park

This article examines two modern American plays, Rabbit Hole (2006) by David Lindsay-Abaire and Clybourne Park (2010) by Bruce Norris, in order to demonstrate the changing characteristics of domestic spaces. These plays depict the ways in which characters’ identities and familial dynamics are influenced by disruptions to their home lives, shifts in representations of femininity, the decline of patriarchy, and the generation gap. Although domestic dramas are often criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes about women, these plays challenge these perceptions in several ways. The families depicted in both plays are white, heterosexual, and relatively affluent, and while they may conform to societal norms in terms of race, sexuality, and wealth, they still reflect changes in power dynamics within contemporary American society. These families have become a site for social progress and a symbol of the weakening of patriarchal structures. This trend is slow but steady, offering insight into the evolving dynamics of family values and gender roles, and providing a clear picture of the ongoing changes within families. Both plays address a variety of issues that contemporary American families face, from dysfunctionality to communication breakdowns, and offer innovative solutions while presenting a different family structure than that of previous generations.

Influence of quality of work life on psychological capital of organizational leaders using artificial neural networks: a study on learning in hybrid workplace

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted work, leading to the adoption of remote work practices and changes in power dynamics and trust. Although managing remote work has received much attention, the impact of the quality of work life on the effectiveness of hybrid workplaces has been less studied. This study aims to examine the relationship between quality of work life and psychological capital among organizational leaders using an artificial neural network (ANN) model.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a cross-sectional quantitative methodology. A structured questionnaire was used to collect 268 responses from organizational leaders using the convenience sampling method. The data collected were analyzed using the ANN model in the Python interface.FindingsThe ANN model training and testing revealed that there is a positive relationship between the quality of work life and psychological capital among organizational leaders. The R-squared values for hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism were 85.19%, 82.08%, 78.55% and 81.08%, respectively, in the training set, and 81.30%, 78.95%, 76.52% and 71.41% in the testing set.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research in the context of studying the relationship between quality of work life and psychological capital among organizational leaders using the machine learning approach – ANN model.

Balancing a seesaw – leaders perspectives on design and traditional quality improvement in healthcare

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the perspectives and reasoning of senior development leaders in healthcare organizations, when reflecting on design as theory and practice in relation to more traditional methods and tools for improving quality and support innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a qualitative interview design with five development and innovation leaders from separate healthcare regions in Sweden. They have, to varying degrees, applied design theory and practice for quality improvement and innovation in their organizations. The interview transcript was analysed using a content analysis together with an interpretive approach.FindingsThe major findings are to be found in the balancing act for leadership and organizations in healthcare when it comes to introducing and combining different theories and practices for improving quality and support innovation. The balance is between the change in power dynamics and pushing traditional boundaries in a complex healthcare world.Practical implicationsThe narratives from the leaders' experience of applying design theory and practice for improving healthcare quality can help us create readiness and knowledge about how we prevent and/or facilitate planning and implementing design theories, practices, methods and tools in a healthcare context.Originality/valueThe study provides a unique insight when it captures and illustrates five different organizations' experiences when applying design for developing healthcare quality.

Surveillance and Panopticism in the Digital Age

With the advancement in technology over the past few decades, there has been a rapid increase in state of the art surveillance tools and techniques. Surveillance is becoming a global issue in the digital age. The world is compelled to understand the dynamics of surveillance in the contemporary world. Surveillance has changed from being physical and spatial to being networked and it relies heavily on modern technology. So, it is indispensable to recognise the ever-changing forms of surveillance. The capacity of surveillance has dramatically increased with new digital technology. It has become an important issue in surveillance studies and we need to understand its intangible risks and complexities in the digital age. The revisitation of the ideas of Jeremy Bentham, Michel Foucault, Karl Marx as well as those of contemporary social theorists like David Lyon, Zygmunt Bauman, F�lix Guattari, Gilles Deleuze and others plays a vital role in the development and understanding of new theoretical approaches in surveillance studies. With the rise in surveillance tools and techniques there has also been a change in power dynamics in the society. So, surveillance studies not only provide a helping hand to understand the complexities of new and different forms of surveillance but also help to understand the changing power dynamics in the society. Living in a �Surveillance Society� has led to new, different and extreme forms of power and control. The misuse of surveillance technologies leads to exploitation of the masses, discloses their intimate lives as well as becomes a threat to privacy and freedom of expression and liberty. The world should be made conscious of the repercussions associated with surveillance in the digital world.

Structural Family Therapy with a Client Diagnosed with Dissociative Disorder.

Structural Family Therapy is one of the most widely used family therapy model which focuses on bringing change in structural and functional aspect of the family. This article focuses on the use of structural family therapy with a client diagnosed with Dissociative Disorder. An in-dept analysis of the case was done by using case study design. The Case Study is presented with client's background, individual assessment, family assessment, the treatment plan with techniques and outcome of interventions. Individual assessment showed that client had low self-esteem, poor problem-solving skills, insecure attachment and inter-personal conflict with the father. Family assessment revealed that client was never allowed to explore and develop according to his individual and unique characteristics. As he grew older the mother became more enmeshed and father became too rigid in terms of his expectation from the client. In order to reduce tensions between parents and cope up with stressful situation client started dissociating. Individual therapy focused on enhancing client's current level of functioning, improving his coping skills and learning to be more assertive in a relationship. Therapy with family emphasized on restructuring unhealthy boundaries by regulating power dynamics within relationship and correcting dysfunctional hierarchies. The outcome of interventions was improvement in family's functioning, interaction pattern and changes in power dynamics within relationship.

The future of travel writing: Interactivity, personal branding and power

Changes in technology and media in the twenty-first-century have had significant implications for the travel writing profession. In the social media era, where information about travel is readily accessible for many audiences online, both travel writers and publishers are altering the way that they function to succeed in this new environment. This phenomenological qualitative study, based on interviews with 47 travel writers, explores their experiences in the digital age. Findings resulted in three new conceptual models illustrating the different experiences of contemporary travel writers: (1) The Interaction Model, (2) The Personal Branding Model, and (3) The Power Model. The models reflect the fact that the online environment has facilitated interactivity with readers and personal branding, created a change in power dynamics, and given some writers a sense of communitas with their peers. These experiences have implications for the profession and the depth of travel writing and writers' travelling experiences.

Power Dynamics in 21st-Century Food Systems.

Food systems are central to our very planetary existence, yet they are not fit for purpose in the 21st century because of the enormous damage they do to the environment and human health. Transforming food systems to optimize human health, ecological health, social equity and economic prosperity will require major changes in power dynamics between players to shift the status quo. The purpose of this paper is to assess these power dynamics and the opportunities for the Great Intergenerational Food Transformation (GIFT)—how this current generation in power can transform food systems within one generation for future generations. The current ‘policy inertia’ preventing food policy action is due to the strong opposition from the commercial food sector, the reluctance of governments to regulate and tax, and the lack of demand for policy action from civil society. The translation of the market power of large food industries into self-serving political power is the dominant barrier to action. The most promising systemic lever for holding the major power players (governments and food industries) to account for the GIFT is increasing the power of civil society (including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), researchers, professional societies and the public) to demand changes in the political economy of food.

Cold Interests, Hot Conflicts: How a Professional Association Responded to a Change in Political Regimes.

In South America, the 1970s began with ardent sociopolitical crises leading to a wave of repressive military regimes. In Chile, most professional bodies suffered profound structural and functional modifications resulting from internal political polarization as well as state intervention. Nurses saw the same fate befall them, which created both a historical blackout and abrupt changes in power dynamics. Given the prominence of this process in the reconfiguration of modern nursing's identity, this article traces the association's political process during the short-lived 1970s Marxist-inspired government and the response of nurses collectively to the rapid shift into a repressive regime leading to a profound internal crisis and an identity break-up within nursing. By using archival sources and oral testimonies1 of 1970s and 1980s nurses, we reconstruct a historical account of a key period in the history of the country that for the nurses meant a progression of discord and division along with a self-imposed silence on the past. In so doing, the article adds to a growing literature on the participation of women in political life.

Ecopsychology and Relationship Competency: The Empowerment of Women Graduate Students Through Nature Experiences

Professional psychology has struggled to find ways to enhance graduate students' relationship competencies. An Ecopsychology course can increase relationship competencies and also empower women students through exercises and experiences that help women connect with nature and shift into an ecofeminist, equalitarian framework. Through the Ecopsychology course, women can undo internalized negative stereotypes they have held about themselves and other women as a result of their gender minority status in society. The course can also enable women to experience a change in power dynamics and relinquish impression management rituals, thereby empowering them to “be themselves” in public as well as in private. Evaluations over 10 years of the course are consistently very high—close to Outstanding. Qualitative analysis of course participants' evaluation feedback reveals that students derive benefits in relationship, intervention, and research competencies.

The communication adaptiveness and power dynamics of the state, the market, and civil society in the information age: the case of Korea

The authority of the state and the market, the duumvirate of the industrial society, has been challenged in various ways in the current information era advanced by the rapid development of information and communication technology. By comparison, the weight of civil organizations has increased sharply, and netizens equipped with information technology have emerged as a major player in civil society. This article experientially examines the changes in power dynamics of the state, the market, and civil society in the Korean context, based on a survey of people's perception of the communication adaptiveness of these spheres, that is, their openness and exclusiveness internally and externally. The survey results suggest that the state sphere tends to be perceived as less communicative and open than the market and civil society. By contrast, civil society is perceived to be the most open and communicative sphere. This may reflect some change in power dynamics of these spheres, which can be characterized as the rise of civil society and the relative decline of the state. In terms of the power dynamics of the three spheres, the results challenge the conventional trichotomous model assuming somewhat clear boundaries between the state, the market, and civil society. Given that the findings of this article derive from the Korean situation and, thus, are valid mainly in the Korean context, this article shows an important socio-political change in the information age: that is, mutually interactive and overlapping processes among the spheres can accelerate by the rise of ‘digital citizens’ and civil society's increasing power.