Life Choices Research Articles

Anthropocene disorder and the transcultural search for common-ness

In this article I seek a new way to understand the Anthropocene and its ecological crisis. I argue that we must first deconstruct the mainstream Herderian concept of culture, as it seems inadequate to capture how we deal with our life circumstances and choices, especially on the level of global events like the Anthropocene. I also suggest that the concept of transculturality may serve the purpose of understanding this situation better and may even offer a prospect of a process that might induce the common-ness that we are lacking as a species. After discussing the Anthropocene concept, I examine the idea of the search for a common-ness of humanity as a remedy for Anthropocene disorder. Finally, I present an overview of new universalist approaches to the Anthropocene and propose that the concept of transculturality as advanced by Wolfgang Welsch may provide a better basis for understanding the Anthropocene as a human predicament.

The Role of Vocational Schooling in the Empowerment of Rural Migrant Girls in Western China: A Case Study of Ethnic Mongolian Girls

Ethnic minority women in rural parts of China remain excluded from many pathways to economic and social success, including most forms of traditional education. While technical and vocational education and training (TVET) offers an alternative, it carries a degree of stigma and its benefits for these communities are not well-documented. This study uses structured interviews with TVET graduates in a small Inner Mongolian city to explore the benefits and limitations of vocational training for the cultural, economic, and social empowerment of ethnic minority women. Ten participants in the city of Eu-Qi participated in semi-structured interviews. They reported on their experiences in secondary and tertiary TVET programs, their post-graduation careers, and life choices. The study identifies an overall positive trend of empowerment, growth, and self-actualization: these young women lived better lives, had more opportunities, greater friendships, and far more freedom than did women of the previous generation who had remained in rural villages in the surrounding parts of the Mongolian plateau. The systemic barriers they faced were still substantial, however, including a limited local job market and the stigmas attached to vocational schools. Future work should systematically evaluate how well China’s vocational training policies are meeting stated goals, especially in ethnic minority regions.

Population Change as an Aspect of Suburbanization of Major Cities in Poland

Abstract Cities function in people’s minds as reservoirs of opportunities and possibilities. For many people, living in a city seems an attractive and logical life choice compared to areas perceived as provincial. However, the reality of the modern city is also associated with numerous nuisances. The occurrence of these disadvantages has led to the development of mechanisms intended, at least in principle, to counteract the ills of urban life. One such mechanism is the phenomenon of suburbanization. The outpouring of urban functions beyond its boundaries occurs all over the world. However, this phenomenon also entails exacerbating transport bottlenecks, requires a lot of local investment, contributes to the deterioration of the environment, and disrupts household time budgets. This paper addresses population change as one of the demographic aspects of suburbanization. The trends characterizing the outflow of population from cities and the inflow of population to suburban areas has been examined. The study covers several of Poland’s largest cities using data from the 2011 and 2021 National Censuses. The main objectives of this study are to assess the scale of suburbanization in large and medium-sized Polish cities, so as to determine whether suburbanization occurs similarly regardless of city size. To identify those urban centers where the population change in neighboring municipalities is particularly high so as to raise the awareness of decision-makers and real estate market participants in relation to the challenges posed by suburbanization. In addition, using one city as an example, an assessment of how the influx of population affects number of transactions on selected real estate market was carried out. The results of the study may be useful in analyzing investment needs for various types of infrastructure, including roads and technical infrastructure.

Character Strengthening Model of Religious Moderation Praxis Method to Improve and Develop Student Morale

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify various models of strengthening the character of students' religious moderation that have been applied in Madrasah, as well as to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Methods: This method develops model concepts that have been tested for validity, reliability, and effectiveness. This praxis method is a way of thinking, or a mindset that can influence behavior, attitudes, and thoughts, controlling in determining various choices in life. Specifically, praxis is a method in which there is Action, or action on reflection, or evaluation and reflection on action. Results and Conclusion: The results of research and development of a model for strengthening the character of religious moderation of MTs Negeri 2 Purworejo students. The implementation of strengthening the character of religious moderation is combined with strengthening character education in habituation, intracurricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities. The implementation has not been designed or evaluated so that it does not know the outputs and outcomes. Research implications: The application of the character strengthening model of the religious moderation praxis method with valid and reliable instruments can increase effectiveness from an average score of 77.55 to 86.10 up 11.49% in the way students think, act, and reflect both in the Madrasah, family, and community environment. Originality/value: The originality of this research lies in the object at the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia which issues technical guidelines for coaching and strengthening moderate character for Madrasah students with design integration methods, and curricula so that they can be implemented as expected.

Socioeconomic determinants of happiness: Empirical evidence from developed and developing countries

This study aims to understand the factors that contribute to people's happiness or life satisfaction in 166 countries (51 developed, 115 developing) from 2005 to 2020. The study considers the effects of various socioeconomic factors, such as per capita income, social support, freedom to make life choices, perception of corruption, air pollution exposure, and gender inequality, on the level of happiness. We used panel two-way robust fixed effects and panel quantile regression for empirical analysis. The results show that per capita income, social support, and freedom to make life choices positively impact happiness, while air pollution exposure has a negative impact. However, gender inequality does not significantly affect happiness levels. These findings highlight the relevance of the Easterlin Paradox, which suggests that income can mediate happiness by promoting emotional well-being, gender equality, and a clean environment. Therefore, policymakers should focus on creating a more holistic approach to improving the well-being and happiness of its citizens.

Pharmacists' Attitudes towards Medically Assisted Dying.

We aimed to explore pharmacists' attitudes and support toward medically assisted dying (MaiD) through the End of Life Choice Act 2019 (EOLC), their willingness to provide services in this area of practice, and the influences on their decisions. The study was conducted via an anonymous, online QualtricsTM survey of pharmacists. Registered New Zealand pharmacists who agreed to receive surveys from the two Schools of Pharmacy as part of their Annual Practicing Certificate renewal were invited to participate through an email with a Qualtrics URL link. The survey contained questions regarding demographics, awareness, knowledge, support for, and attitudes and willingness to participate. Of the 335 responses received, 289 were valid and included in the analysis. Most participants supported legally assisted medical dying (58%), almost a third of participants did not support it (29%), and 13% of respondents were unsure. The five primary considerations that participants perceived to be beneficial included support from legislation, respect for patient autonomy, discussions around morality, ending suffering, and preserving dignity. The main concerns were legal, personal bias, palliation, stigmatisation, and vulnerability. The influences on the decision by pharmacists to support and willingness to participate in the provision of services consistent with the EOLC are complex and multifactorial. Diverse factors may influence attitudes, of which religion is the most significant factor in not supporting the Act or willingness to participate. Clarity and standardised guidance to ensure that assisted dying queries are appropriately managed in practice would help to address any potential access issues.

A sociology of existence for a late modern world. Basic assumptions and conceptual tools

AbstractIn the present article, we outline basic assumptions and conceptual tools for a sociology of existence. First, we address man's fundamental conditions of existence: that life's finitude and encounters with the uncertainty of existence are fundamental experiences that construct social relations. Second, we outline how existential meaning‐making and the ability to cope with the unpredictability of life are dependent on power resources, where especially the resource poor may experience ‘existential nausea’. Third, we discuss how existential dilemmas may intensify under certain historical eras. Therefore, studying individuals' existential dilemmas is a tool to examine the dominant social issues at a particular time and place. Fourth, we elaborate on the importance of studying turning points during individuals' life courses, as existential meaning – or lack thereof – becomes particularly salient at these times. This includes an understanding that death and rebirth are experienced in the form of various endings and beginnings in everyday life. Fifth, and finally, we emphasize an analysis in which the direction of people's lives is conceptualized in a broad time perspective, where past, present, and future interact and influence life choices and social relations constructed during a lifetime.

Sentiment Analysis of Society Towards the Child-free Phenomenon (Life Without Children) on Twitter Using Naïve Bayes Algorithm

The difference in societal perspective regarding personal well-being and understanding life choices is genuinely diverse. Lately, there is a prevalent thought where individuals believe that personal well-being can be achieved by choosing to live without children. Most of them prefer to prioritize their careers, education, or other activities that they believe can bring greater happiness and well-being to their lives. This topic has become a frequently discussed subject in almost every region of Indonesia, especially in urban areas. Not only facing negative stigma, the choice to live a life without children in Indonesia also carries positive connotations. Views on child-free in Indonesia are highly diverse, considering the many differences in social environments and each individual’s personal experiences. In this research, the Naïve Bayes algorithm is used as a sentiment classifier in the form of textual data collected through Twitter using the Rapid Miner. The data collection period spanned from May 3rd to May 10th, 2023. The research aims to analyze and present data regarding public sentiment towards the child-free phenomenon in Indonesia. The results of this research reveal the presence of 320 positive sentiments and 180 negative sentiments, with the accuracy value of the Naïve Bayes algorithm in conducting sentiment analysis on the child-free phenomenon reached 95.00%.

Viewing life as a timeline: Digital visual research to retrace people's journeys

This research note introduces the experience of using ‘timelines’ as a visual research method during online interviewing. It does so through a series of questions and answers that guide the reader through an exploration, understanding of and reflection on the method. This qualitative approach was used while conducting research on the influence that participation in a Reality TV show had on its finalists, and on the opportunities and life choices that were afforded to participants after the end of the show. The reader is encouraged to draw links between their own work as a qualitative researcher and the possibilities that this method can offer either in filling gaps or in expanding their current endeavour. Ultimately, the ‘quality’ of the answers we find in our qualitative work is illustrative of the way we choose to ask our questions.

The Power of the Default: Investors’ Reactions to Default Amortization Periods and Deviations Therefrom

As standard setters deliberate the accounting for intangibles, the idea of establishing a default useful life with an option to deviate could reduce the costs and complexities inherent in estimating the useful lives of these assets. Across multiple experiments, we investigate investors’ reactions to companies that utilize versus deviate from a default useful life set by standard setters. We find that investors believe (1) a mandated default life is more of an endorsement of that life than are deviations from it, and (2) companies that deviate will have more difficulty determining the useful life and will face increased scrutiny and justification demands. These insights generally hold whether the deviation results in a shorter or longer expected life, and they become more pronounced as the magnitude of deviation increases. Despite this finding, we observe that investors do not generally view a company’s useful life choice as informative about their true beliefs and judged future economic benefits of the intangible. Collectively, the results suggest that investors view deviations from a default as imposing costs on firms, but not conveying credible information about managers’ true beliefs regarding the economic benefits of the asset. Our findings are informative to standard setters and firm managers.

Representation of Women’s Abortion Experiences in Jeritan Dalam Botol Short Stories By Intan Paramaditha: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Sara Mills' Perspective

Literary works have a big role in shaping and changing people's thoughts, feelings, attitudes, opinions, and behaviors about women. This is inseparable from the ideology of feminism of literary works, one of which is in the form of short stories (short stories) based on a gender perspective. This paper aims to describe Sara Mills feminist ideology using a procedure for simultaneous analysis of critical discourse. Based on this goal, the author encourages the author to study in a literature study entitled " Representation of Abortion Women in Short Stories Jeritan dalam Botol by Intan Paramaditha: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Sara Mills' Perspective". This type and approach of research is a qualitative-descriptive method with a method of critical discourse analysis developed by Sara Mills, which is also often referred to as critical discourse analysis with a 'feminist' perspective. The results of the writing show the perspective in which women are beings who have the right to their bodies absolutely because they are the ones who best understand and understand their own circumstances. The act of Abortion is also as a self-existence against patriarchy even though the act of abortion is considered by the wider community as an act of error, in this short story the author tries to narrate the acceptable reasons for the act of abortion both from the abortionist and those that help the abortion process (abortion shaman). The problem of abortion is not only death but a complexity in life choices.

Environmental impact assessment of battery boxes based on lightweight material substitution

Power battery is one of the core components of electric vehicles (EVs) and a major contributor to the environmental impact of EVs, and reducing their environmental emissions can help enhance the sustainability of electric vehicles. Based on the principle of stiffness equivalence, the steel case of the power cell is replaced with lightweight materials, a life cycle model is established with the help of GaBi software, and its environmental impact is evaluated using the CML2001 method. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Based on the four environmental impact categories of GWP, AP, ADP (f), and HTP, which are the global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP (f)) and human toxicity potential (HTP), the environmental impact of lightweight materials is lower than that of the steel box. Among them, the aluminum alloy box has the largest reduction, and the Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound (CF-SMC) box is the second. (2) In the sensitivity analysis of electric structure, an aluminum alloy box is still the most preferable choice for environmental impact. (3) In the sensitivity analysis of driving mileage, the aluminum alloy box body is also the best choice for vehicle life. (4) Quantitative assessment using substitution factors measures the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions following the substitution of steel battery box with lightweight materials. The adoption of aluminum alloy battery box can lead to a reduction of 1.55 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, with a substitution factor of 1.55 tC sb−1. In the case that composite materials have not been recycled commercially on a large scale, aluminum alloy is still one of the best materials for the integrated environmental impact of the whole life cycle of the battery boxes.

Analysis of Leading Actors’ Career Pathways in The Intern based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The essay tells a story that Ben who is a 70-year-old retired man returning to career life and being a particular intern of Jules of CEO who manages a fashion web. The film shows the high-pressure and fast career life, unobvious discrimination against women and the atmosphere of daily life which is featured by family neglect. Basing on the five dimensions of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which includes Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Love and Belongings Needs, Esteem Needs and Self-actualization Needs so that this paper could make an analysis of the two protagonists’ character, figure, psychological journey, life choices, etc. in their career life pathways, at the same time, which has high-level analysis and interpretation on similarities and differences. As a result of the paper, it reflects differences of both sexes’ career life features under the influence of American culture. On the one hand, people deeply recognize this thesis. On the other hand, it is significant to developed the relative researches and western culture thesis in the future by more scholars.

MARKETING ASSIMILATION TACTICS OF THE FIRM TO THE CONSUMERS’ BEHAVIORAL CHANGES FOR PROFIT MAXIMIZATION AND THE MORAL ANTAGONISM OF SUCH COMPANY’S DECISIONS

This article delivers a comprehensive study of marketing instruments used amongst morally compromised industries like alcohol production. Further it describes adverse effects of obesity and alcohol altogether. This article works with fundamental life building constructs such as a choice of life through increased sales in the firm of fattening and silently killing products (i. e. alcohol) over creating a false concepts of acceptance of fat people for whom they are (obese and fat people are being called socially acceptable group of reasonable individuals and somewhere even being idolized for their bravery to accept their fat bodies and being able even to openly present it to public in social media). This article will provide an insight towards creating a bond in between customer and a company. Overall study shows a need towards healthy business attitude and usage of honest marketing instruments.

EXPLORATORY ROLE OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL FACTORS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AMONG YOUTH

An individual is said to be psychologically empowered when the individual has control and can make his/her own life choices, which is essential in present times. In this context, cognitive flexibility and self-control act as effective tools to regulate one’s urges, be motivated and regulate the available resources in the most effective way, so that the individual can make successful life decisions and achieve the goals, while on other hand perseverative negative thinking hampers an individual’s decision making and goal achievement, which is especially true in current times. Considering this aspect the purpose of the current study was to look at the connection between psychological empowerment, cognitive flexibility, perseverative thinking and self-control and to study the interaction of cognitive flexibility, perseverative thinking, and self-control concerning psychological empowerment in present times. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample. The study sample was university students of upper-middle and higher socioeconomic backgrounds aged between 18 and 25 years, from urban domicile. Product Moment Correlation and Regression analysis was administered to test the hypothesis. The result showed that the dimensions of psychological empowerment were significantly correlated with cognitive flexibility, self-control and perseverance, also the three variables of the study (cognitive flexibility, perseverative thinking, and self-control) significantly contributed variance in predicting psychological empowerment. This research implicates that there are clear potential benefits to delivering effective intervention for youth so that they can be taught ego depletion strategies which in turn leads to long term goal satisfaction.

Towards the implementation of law n. 219/2017 on informed consent and advance directives for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementia. Physicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practices in four northern Italian health care facilities

BackgroundOn December 2017 the Italian Parliament approved law n. 219/2017 “Provisions for informed consent and advance directives” regarding challenging legal and bioethical issues related to healthcare decisions and end-of life choices. The law promotes the person’s autonomy as a right and provides for the centrality of the individual in every scenario of health care by mean of three tools: informed consent, shared care planning and advance directives. Few years after the approval of the law, we conducted a survey among physicians working in four health care facilities specific for the care of people suffering from psychiatric disorders, cognitive disorders and dementia located in the North of Italy aiming to investigate their perceived knowledge and training need, attitudes regarding law n. 219/2017 provisions, and practices of implementation of the law.MethodsA semi-structured questionnaire was developed on an online platform. The invitation to participate in the survey was sent by email to the potential participants. Information was collected by means of the online platform (Google Forms) which allows to export data in a spreadsheet (Windows Excel) to perform basic statistical analysis (frequency distributions, bar chart representation).ResultsTwenty-five out of sixty physicians participated in the survey. None of the respondents value their knowledge of the law as very good, 10 good, 13 neither poor nor good, 1 poor and 1 very poor. All the respondents want to learn more about the law (21 yes and 4 absolutely yes). The majority of respondents agrees with the content of the law as a whole (3 absolutely agree, 13 agree), and on each provision. The question on the clarity of the concept of capacity in the law received mixed answers and this impacted on the physicians’ opinion regarding the legitimacy in principle for our groups of patients to realize shared care planning and write advance directives. Thirteen physicians neither introduced the theme of shared care planning nor arranged for shared care planning and the main reason for this was that no patient was in a clinical situation to require it. When shared care planning is realized, a variability in terms of type and number of meetings, mode of tracking and communication is registered.ConclusionsOur survey results indicate a need for more clarity regarding the interpretation and implementation of the law in the patient groups under study. There are in particular two related areas that deserve further discussion: (1) the question of whether these patient groups are in principle legitimized by the law to realize shared care planning or write advance directives; (2) the notion of capacity required by the law and how this notion can be declined in real-life situations.

Fatherhood Lullabies: Masculinity and Aging Paternity in the Basque Country as Portrayed in Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Cinco lobitos

Even though Basque director Alauda Ruiz de Azua’s debut film, Cinco lobitos, revolves around motherhood and its two female characters bear the heavyweight of the narrative, set in a historically perceived matriarchal society, such as the Basque Country, the two male supporting roles—that of the young father and the old grandfather of the newborn child—are critical to articulate the film’s underlying discourse on the complex and evolving relationships amongst the members of a family unit—whether it be the result of a traditional marriage (that of the grandparents) or a modern partnership (the young couple). Despite their age difference and distinct upbringing, the two male characters mirror each other in their embodiment of an emotionally absent life partner and paternal figure who prioritizes his role as a provider rather than a caregiver. Hence, intertwined with the struggles of maternity and its acute impact on women’s life choices, the portrayal of fatherhood in this film equally reflects on the evolution of the paternal role throughout a man’s life and in Basque society, while it evokes that the traditionally assigned gender roles echo across generations.

From social issue to art site and beyond – reassessing rural akiya kominka

ABSTRACT Akiya or vacant houses are often perceived as threats to their neighborhood, as socio-political problems for local communities, and as objects of difficult decisions for their owners. However, recently there has been a reappraisal of their forgotten qualities and a revival in interest in such houses, especially when considered as sites of a special character suited to different types of cultural events. This article explores the implications of the use of akiya in rural communities in Japan, tracing the trajectory of change from irritating nuisance to local (touristic) attraction and art site. Furthermore, it analyzes how this shift has the potential to lead to their reassessment as valuable resources not only for the revitalization of local communities but also for private choices in everyday life. The article analyzes three specific art installations created within the framework of recurring art festivals and staged within the walls of old vacant dwellings, and the artists’ thoughts behind them, which hint at incentives for akiya use inspired by the sites. The artworks offer opportunities for interactions between residents, artists, and visitors, influencing insider and outsider perceptions of the local community, and they function as innovative playgrounds for local citizens’ and newcomers’ individual choices. Examples from the field show that the artist’s role as yosomono (outsider) ultimately has the potential to pave the way towards a more diverse and creative view of these community assets, changing the perception of the vacant house from being a bothersome and useless legacy into a resource.

Toward an Understanding of GSD5 (McArdle disease): How Do Individuals Learn to Live with the Metabolic Defect in Daily Life.

Glycogen storage disease type 5 (GSD) is an autosomal recessive inherited metabolic myopathy caused by a deficiency of the enzyme muscle glycogen phosphorylase. Individuals with GSD5 experience physical activity intolerance. This patient-led study aimed to capture the daily life experiences of GSD5, with a focus on adapting to and coping with their physical activity intolerance. An online survey was composed in close collaboration with patient organizations. It consisted of customized and validated questionnaires on demographics, general health and comorbidities, physical activity, psychosocial well-being and functioning, pain, fatigue and adapting to and coping with GSD5. One hundred sixty-two participants (16 countries) participated. The majority, n = 86 (69%) were from the Netherlands, USA or UK. We observed a high rate of misdiagnosis prior to GSD5 diagnosis (49%), surprisingly a relatively high proportion had not been diagnosed by DNA testing which is the gold standard. Being diagnosed had a strong impact on emotional status, daily life activities and important life choices. A large proportion had not received any rehabilitation (41%) nor medical treatment (57%) before diagnosis. Engagement in vigorous and moderate physical activity was reduced. Health related quality of life was low, most likely related to low physical health. The median Fatigue Severity Score was 4.3, indicating moderate to severe fatigue. Participants themselves had found various ways to adapt to and cope with their disability. The adaptations concerned all aspect of their life, including household chores, social and physical activities, and work. In addition to lack of support, participants reported limited availability of information sources. Participants have provided guidance for newly diagnosed people, including the advice to accept one's limited abilities and maintain an active lifestyle. We conclude that adequate counseling on ways of adapting and coping is expected to increase both health-related quality of life and physical activity.

Education, relationships, and place: life choices in the narratives of university master students.

Choice is one of the most roughly defined concepts in contemporary social sciences. Previous studies have elucidated the factors that influence young people's choices in different life situations. However, it is still unclear how young people evaluate these choices and how they integrate them into their biographies. In this study, we examine the narratives of 30 first-year master's students at HSE University with regard to two categories of life choices: those that they perceive as fortunate and those that they perceive as unfortunate. Using a written online survey, the data was collected in the spring of 2022. To categorize the different decision kinds, thematic analysis was applied. Overall, we discovered that narratives about the life choices made by master students concentrated on education, relationships and place.