Reality Clash Research Articles

Creating Alternative Reality: A Case Study.

The sense of reality that underlie political beliefs are created through a group process that emerges from the intersection of the psyches of leaders and followers. An alternative reality is constructed by the demagogue's assertions which express or channel unconscious needs. Antecedents of the contemporary American situation are evident in earlier populist and Fascist movements, the hallmark of which were an attack on all "truth" except that which reflects the power of the leader. Faults in the social field and demagogic techniques lead to alternative narratives and "facts" that are maintained with fervor. Reality is characterized by a lack of complexity or ambiguity. Emotional investment is intensified by primitive needs of the self. Cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias guarantee a resistance to reflection. Evidence and logic give way to wish, loyalty and power as the criteria for truth. Ultimately a clash of realities results in complex social trauma.

It takes two to Tango: the difficult Japan–South Korea relations as clash of realities

AbstractWhy do Japan–South Korea relations remain tense despite repeated efforts to overcome the past? Elite narratives in Japan and South Korea reify the bilateral relationship as a difficult problem. For the Japanese policy elites, the difficulty is due to South Korean unwillingness to embrace a future-oriented relationship; whereas for the South Korean policy elites, the source of the problem is the unwillingness of the Japanese to sincerely address past wrong-doing. The result is a self-fulfilling prophecy of an intractable mutual misapprehension, suggesting that the difficult relationship is here to stay. I analyse pronouncements by both the Japanese and South Korean policy elites appearing in official documents and media reports for clues into the manner in which the bilateral relationship is reified into a difficulty purportedly due to the recalcitrance of the neighbour. The narratives consistently show that both the Japanese and South Korean policy elites consider the onus of improvement lies with the troublesome/insincere neighbour. In short, the bilateral relationship is a clash of realities, with the logical conclusion being that the difficult relationship will persist for the foreseeable future.

Clash of Realities: Gazprom’s Reasoning on the EU Gas Trade

Gazprom, the state-controlled Russian energy company, has major export markets in the European Union, but these are changing, challenging the established trading principles of Russian gas. The EU promotes switching to hub-based pricing, whereas Gazprom, despite adapting to some degree, has continued to highlight the advantages of long-term contracts. This article analyses the reasoning of selected Gazprom actors from an institutional-cultural perspective. Apart from conflicts of interest between Russia and the EU, it finds deep-seated differences in worldviews and perceptions of appropriate behaviour in trade relations. Such factors may play a larger role in decision-making than is generally acknowledged.

Early childhood teacher cultural Otherness and belonging

Early childhood education settings are arguably places of community, togetherness and belonging. But what if they are not? What if individuals’ senses of identity, place or reality clash, do not fit or, worse, repel or offend? This article picks up on the largely under-researched area of teachers’ belonging and sense of cultural identity in early childhood settings. It argues for the critical importance of elevating and paying attention to teachers’ subject formation and identity. Drawing on some of the concerns and common conceptions of cultural Otherness in early childhood education, the article uses Kristeva’s foreigner lens and her theory on the subject in process to argue that teachers’ sense of belonging, of their own cultural identity and place, in their teaching team and in their early childhood setting is critical for an overall sense of openness and belonging throughout the setting. Teachers are commonly called on to nurture children’s and their families’ cultural identities. The sense of belonging intended through such practices depends on teacher attitudes and orientations to cultural Otherness that go beyond the surface – that allow for the difficult, complicated, unpredictable processes of becoming part of a centre community. This article offers a challenge to rethink teacher Otherness, for the (re-)elevation of their own sense of belonging in early childhood settings and teaching teams.

Satisfaction among accounting professors in Brazil

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of satisfaction among accounting professors in Brazil throughout their careers. The research is classified as descriptive and used a quantitative approach to data analysis. 641 valid responses were obtained from professors from all regions of Brazil. The results show that a feeling of satisfaction prevails among accounting course professors, as most of them “like the profession” and, in general, "are satisfied with it”. It was found that levels of satisfaction are higher among individuals with more experience, in that in their first years in the job (one to three years), professors have lower satisfaction rates; the highest levels of satisfaction are found in the final stage (over 35 years). The main factor that influences satisfaction is personal fulfillment (teaching work and relationship with students). It was also possible to identify that positive feelings about teaching predominate (67.3%) compared to negative ones (32.7%). These results show the need for greater attention to be paid in the early years of the career in order to avoid a "reality clash". They also show the need for other studies to investigate how the phases in the life cycle of accounting professors are characterized.

Reality clash: is space or time the more fundamental?

If we want to progress towards a theory of everything, we need to understand how space and time fit together – if they do at all, says Anil Ananthaswamy

When Memory and Reality Clash: The First World War and the Myth of American Neutrality

When Memory and Reality Clash: The First World War and the Myth of American Neutrality

When intentions and reality clash: Inherent implementation difficulties of an induction program for new teachers

New teachers are often required to go through an induction program in order to become fully certified. Induction programs are varied and the overall picture regarding their implementation is uneven. The present paper addresses the gap between program policy and implementation regarding various aspects of the Israeli teacher induction program. Data obtained from program documents, interviews, questionnaires, and observation in a large-scale formative evaluation revealed discrepancies between intentions and implementation regarding all program components. Implementation difficulties are discussed mainly in relation to obstacles inherent in the education system.

When Law and Reality Clash–The Imperative of Compromise in the Context of the Accumulated Evil of the Whole: Conditions for the Exercise of the International Criminal Court's Jurisdiction over the Crime of Aggression

AbstractThis article assesses the legal and policy arguments for and against determination by the Security Council of the occurrence of a State act of aggression for the purpose of the prosecution of a crime of aggression before the International Criminal Court, investigating several issues largely neglected by commentators and States Parties to date. It concludes that legal and policy arguments overwhelmingly favour independent determination by the ICC, but nonetheless recognises that the constraints of international politics mean it is unlikely the Assembly of States Parties will be able to reach agreement on provisions that allow for such independent determination. As such, the article assesses the merits of existing compromise proposals, before concluding by offering an alternative compromise provision for the conditions under which the ICC can exercise its jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.