Close Bonds Research Articles

SWOT Analysis in Quality Improvement Graduate Competency Standards in Elementary School

This study aims to describe the implementation of the Graduate Competency Standards (SKL), the SWOT analysis of the SKL implementation, and to propose an action plan. action plans in different elementary schools. This study applied a qualitative descriptive approach and data triangulation model to include orientation, exploration and investigation phases. The 123 study participants were school principals, classroom teachers, subject teachers, education staff, school committees, and parents. Most of the quality indicators have been implemented and developed in primary schools, according to the results. Students are unfamiliar with writing and do not participate in school curriculum committees, both unconsolidated indicators of quality. The school's vision and aim are already aligned with the SKL, and all teachers hold at least an S1 certificate. Teacher IT skills are still insufficient, and some teachers lack formal educational degrees, which are problems. In terms of possibilities, the school, school committee, teachers, and student parents have created a close bond, with most school programs Obtaining full parental support. Meanwhile, external competition, particularly from private schools that do not yet have an alumni forum, poses a challenge. The bulk of the SKL quality indicators has been implemented and developed in elementary schools, according to the study's results. Internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors, as well as an action plan, are unique to each institution (action plan). In certain primary schools, SKL offers a variety of activities, schedules, and objectives.

Visual Gender Stereotypes (Advertisement, Social Media)

Visual Gender Stereotypes (Advertisement, Social Media)

Exploration of Potential Targets and Mechanisms of Fisetin in the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma via Network Pharmacology and In Vitro Validation.

Purpose The morbidity and fatality rates of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were high, although a combination of multiple treatments was used. Fisetin, a small flavonoid compound, had shown anticancer activities. Thus, we aimed at exploring the mechanisms of Fisetin in the treatment of NSCLC. Methods TCMSP and Swiss target tools were used to screen the targets of Fisetin, and GeneCards was used to collect the genes related to NSCLC. The genes common to Fisetin and NSCLC were obtained by Venn analysis, whose possible functions were further annotated. A “Compound-Target-Disease” network was then constructed and hub genes were filtered. Also, molecular docking was performed to predict the binding abilities between Fisetin and the hub genes. Then, the effects of Fisetin on the expression of hub genes in lung adenocarcinoma cells were preliminarily evaluated in vitro. Results A total of 131 genes common to Fisetin and NSCLC were filtered out, which might be enriched in several biological processes including antioxidation, cell proliferation, and various signaling pathways, such as PI3K-Akt and IL-17 signaling pathways. Among them, PIK3R1, CTNNB1, JUN, EGFR, and APP might be the hub genes. Molecular docking indicated the close bond between Fisetin and them. Experiments implied a possible effect of Fisetin on the expression of hub genes in A549 cells. Conclusion The present study found a series of novel targets and pathways for Fisetin treating NSCLC. Multiple angles, targets, and pathways were involved in the biological processes, which need to be verified in further experiments.

Health, illness, and schools in Argentina: marks of epidemics in the history of a changing relation

ABSTRACT This article discusses the connections between health, illness and education from a historical perspective, aiming at providing clues for understanding these relationships that, as demonstrated in recent global events, cannot be analyzed separately. Over the centuries, societies have always found different ways of educating their new generations and deal with their health problems. The relationship between education and illness has varied throughout history, but in certain extreme cases, such as epidemics, this relationship intensifies and becomes more evident. Each particular situation affected the educational system and the school institutions in different ways, as it changed the life of teachers, pupils and their families, represented pedagogical challenges, and marked all of them at different levels and had an impact on their futures.This focuses on the marks left in education by certain events that took place during the epidemic since the foundation of the modern educational system until more recent times in Argentina. Such events are the succession of “plagues” from 1870 to 1920 (as the “Yellow Fever” in 1871 and the “Spanish Flu” in 1918) during the modernization processes, as well as the “Poliomyelitis Outbreak” in 1956 during the political struggle between Peronism and anti-Peronism. In both cases, we will try to a) reconstruct the ways in which society and specially school institutions went through these epidemics, b) analyze the close and changing bonds between health and education, which turned the school into a privileged space where that bond was enhanced, and c) present the consequences regarding instruction.

“We are our own worst enemy”: a qualitative exploration of work-related stress in the construction industry

PurposeAround 400,000 working days per year are lost in the construction industry due to stress, depression or anxiety, but a large proportion of the industry – those primarily not based “on-site” – is not included in these statistics. Little research has been conducted in this group about their experiences of occupational stress. The authors explored how stress was experienced and managed by construction professionals and its perceived impact on health.Design/methodology/approachThe authors interviewed 32 construction professionals in a British construction company, with varying levels of seniority and years in the industry. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically.FindingsStress was viewed an inevitable and increasing part of the construction industry, exacerbated by recent economic challenges. Participants talked about a culture of stress and overwork but often felt unable to challenge it due to job insecurity. Senior management acknowledged stress was a problem within the industry and something that potentially threatened company productivity. Company-wide initiatives had been implemented to address stress levels (e.g. Mental Health First Aiders), but were criticised for ignoring underlying issues. Informal means of managing stress were identified, such as careful consideration of team dynamics, which allowed employees to form close bonds and using “banter” and camaraderie to relieve stress. However, the persistence of a macho male image meant some participants were reluctant to talk about their feelings at work. Participants described individual coping strategies, such as exercise, but these were hard to prioritise in challenging times.Originality/valueThere is growing recognition that health and well-being must be given greater priority in the construction industry. Industry pressures and competitive practices undermine efforts to improve staff well-being. Action must be taken at senior levels to address this conflict, while building on existing informal mechanisms of support and stress relief.

Ex-military personnel's experiences of loneliness and social isolation from discharge, through transition, to the present day.

This study aimed to examine the unique factors of loneliness and social isolation within the ex-military population from discharge, through transition, to the present day. A qualitative, Phenomenological approach was adopted. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with 11 participants who had all served in the British Armed Forces and represented all three military services (Royal Navy; Army; Royal Air Force). Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data. Three themes were generated-a sense of loss; difficulty in connecting in civilian life; and seeking out familiarity. The findings of this study were examined through the lenses of the Social Needs Approach and the Cognitive Discrepancy Model. Individuals developed close bonds in the military through meaningful and prolonged contact, reducing feelings of loneliness and social isolation during their time in service. The sense of belonging was key to social connection, but transition out of the military severed existing relationships, and a lack of belonging hindered the development of relationships within the civilian community. This study has implications for service provision relating to ex-military personnel and future service leavers.

Supporting Resilience and the Management of Grief and Loss among Nurses: Qualitative Themes from a Continuing Education Program.

Caring for patients with cancer is highly stimulating and rewarding, attracting health professionals to the field who enjoy the challenge of managing a complex illness. Health professionals often form close bonds with their patients as they confront ongoing disease or treatment impacts, which may be associated with multiple losses involving function and/or eventual loss of life. Ongoing exposure to patient loss, along with a challenging work setting, may pose significant stress and impact health professionals' well-being. The prevalence rates of burnout and compassion fatigue (CF) are significant, yet health professionals have little knowledge on these topics. A 6-week continuing education program consisting of weekly small-group video-conferencing sessions, case-based learning, and an online community of practice was delivered to health care providers providing oncology care. Program content included personal, organization and team-related risk and protective factors associated with CF, grief models, and strategies to mitigate against CF. Content analysis was completed as part of the program evaluation. In total, 189 participants (93% nurses) completed the program, which was associated with significant improvements in confidence and knowledge of CF and strategies to support self and team resilience. Qualitative themes and vignettes from experiences with the program are presented. Key themes included knowledge gaps, a lack of support related to CF and strategies to support resilience, organization- and team-based factors that can inhibit expression about the impacts of clinical work, the health professional as a "person" in caregiving, and the role of personal variables, self-skill practices, and recommendations for education and support for self and teams.

Creation and Validation of a Tool for Evaluating Caregiver Burnout Syndrome in Owners of Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) Diagnosed with Behavior Disorders.

Simple SummaryGlobally, over half of the human population has at least one companion animal, with the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) standing out above other species. While this bond has mutual benefits, research shows that it can break due to canine behavioral disorders, leading to consequences including abandonment and/or euthanasia. The wear and tear implied by the physical, psychological and emotional demands when facing the care of a sick animal can lead to a continuous and prolonged level of stress, which in human medicine is referred to as caregiver burnout syndrome. Parallels can be drawn with dog owners handling animals with behavioral disorders, which makes it necessary to have a validated measurement instrument for this problem. The exhaustion of the caregiver of dependent people is evaluated through the Zarit Scale. The present study, through the Delphi method technique, modified and validated this scale to measure this overload in people with dogs with behavioral disorders. Three levels of overload were obtained (Low, Medium-Low and Medium-High Overload). Having an instrument that allows assessing the level of exhaustion of caregivers of dogs with behavior problems will provide information to help these people, and consequently their dogs, avoid the negative consequences of bond degradation.Currently, domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are the most common species among companion animals. The close bond that can grow between owners and their dogs could be worn out and finally broken due to various causes. One main cause is canine behavioral problems, leading to dogs being abandoned or euthanized due to the costs faced by the owner when caring for the animal. Tools have been developed to evaluate the mental and emotional cost of caring for humans, but there is currently no validated tool for evaluating this particular problem. The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire to evaluate caregiver burnout syndrome for owners of dogs with behavioral disorders. The methodology used consisted of drafting the tool, peer validation using the Delphi methodology and internal validation via Cronbach’s alpha. Non-linear snowball sampling was used (n = 156 participants). A questionnaire with 35 questions was obtained which referred to various aspects of caregivers’ lives. Regarding the description of the sample used, 50% had Low Burnout, 41% had Medium-Low Burnout and 9% had Medium-High Burnout. Furthermore, regarding the internal validation of the questionnaire, the general Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was α = 0.9468. We can thus conclude that the questionnaire is valid for measuring caregiver burnout syndrome in owners of dogs with behavioral disorders.

Local Sensibility and Nostalgia: The Tanshe Poetry Society in Colonial Singapore

Abstract Under the leadership of Qiu Shuyuan, the “Poet Master of the South,” a group of Singapore Chinese poets formed the Tanshe poetry society in the 1920s and published the only group collection of classical-style poetry in the colonial period. This society forged a close social bond between the resident- and sojourner-poets, who used traditional poetry to create a cultural space for themselves in overseas Chinese communities. Although they still possessed a sojourner’s mentality and often expressed their nostalgia for China or their hometowns in China, they also attempted to accept and appreciate the unique Nanyang culture and customs. By sharing their individual narratives and experiences with fellow members, they together constructed a collective memory and multiple narratives of the homeland while exchanging opinions about the host society. Through textual analysis of Tanshe group compositions, this paper proposes that localization and nostalgia, two seemingly contradictory concepts, are in fact compatible, as emotional attachments to both homeland and hostland both appear in Tanshe society writings. It thus seeks to offer an alternative viewpoint for current Sinophone studies and scholarship about overseas Chinese, holding that nostalgia could prompt Chinese immigrants to contemplate the many potentialities and possibilities of their future, their relationship with “routes and roots,” and connections between past and present. The transplantation of many of their cultural practices, of which the poetry society was a significant manifestation, also helped them create a more familiar living place in their out-of-placeness.

Variation in the Mu-Opioid Receptor (OPRM1) and Offspring Sex Are Associated With Maternal Behavior in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta).

A μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) single-nucleotide-polymorphism, found in both humans and rhesus macaques mediates the mother-infant attachment bond. Because mothers treat their sons and daughters differently, it is somewhat surprising that the role of infant sex has not been assessed in the context of a maternal-OPRM1-genotype-by-infant-sex interaction. The present study investigates the effect of maternal-OPRM1-genotype and infant sex on mother-infant behaviors. Over the first 6 months of offspring life, mother-infant behavioral data assessing attachment quality was collected twice weekly from a large number of rhesus monkey mother-infant pairs (N = 161 dyads; n = 64 female infants, n = 97 male infants). Mothers were genotyped for OPRM1 variation. Factor analysis of the observed behaviors showed two factors: Attachment (maternal-infant cradling, rejections, and infant approaches and leaves), and Maternal Restraints (mother restrains infant, preventing exploration). Further analyses showed a two-way, maternal-genotype-by-infant-sex interaction for both factors. For Attachment, mothers with the CC genotype cradled and restrained (Maternal Restraints) their female infants more and rejected them less, when compared to female infants of CG mothers. Perhaps as a consequence, female infants of CC genotype mothers approached and left their mothers less often, when compared to female infants of CG mothers, likely an indication that female infants from mothers with CG genotype play a greater role in maintaining the mother-infant bond than do female infants from CC genotype mothers. This finding may also indicate a more secure attachment in infants from CC genotype mothers. Unlike female infants, on average, the mother-infant relationship of dyads with a male infant was largely undifferentiated by maternal genotype. These findings suggest that, in contrast to female infants from CG mothers, CC mothers and their female infants appear to have a closer mother-infant relationship which may portend close life-long bonds, as mothers and female offspring remain together throughout life. Male offspring appear to have a more aloof mother-infant bond regardless of OPRM1-genotype. The results of this study indicate that maternal-OPRM1 variation mediates mother-infant attachment behaviors for female infants and has less effect for male infants. This suggests that offspring sex should be included in studies investigating the effect of maternal-OPRM1 genotype on the mother-infant attachment relationship.

L’éditeur et le poète. Klaus Reichert se souvient

The translator and essayist Klaus Reichert is a scholar in English and American studies (especially a renowned expert on James Joyce), editor of Hans Carl Artmann’s poetical works, and former President of the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung (2002-2011). From 1965 to 1969, he served as Paul Celan’s first reader at Suhrkamp. His book Paul Celan. Erinnerungen und Briefe (2020) is the testimony of the last contemporary who knew both the poet and the man. His many notes on personal matters and aesthetic debates testify to a close bond with the sensitive, often reserved, sometimes even irritable Celan. In response to his uncomprehending interlocutors, critics, and the literary establishment in general, Celan’s vehement clarifications shed new light on his conception of language, poetry and the poet in the face of “that which happened” (das Geschehene).

Grief as a mediator of the relationship between empathy and compassion fatigue.

Oncology nurses are at high risk of developing compassion fatigue (CF) because of the persistent exposure to patients' suffering and death. Empathy is a prerequisite cognitive reaction for CF. Nurses with greater empathy levels are more prone to develop an emotional connection with patients. However, it is this kind of close bonds that led nurses to experience a deep sense of grief. Cumulative grief may eventually develop into CF. This study examined the levels of grief, empathy and CF, evaluated the correlation among empathy, grief and CF, and verified the role grief as a mediator of the relationship between empathy and CF. Participants were 794 Chinese oncology nurses in a cross-sectional study. We measures consisted a demographic questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief-Present, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Oncology nurses showed moderate levels of empathy and grief, moderate to high levels of CF. Perspective taking was negatively related to grief and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Empathic concern was negatively related to burnout (BO). Personal distress was positively related to grief, STS and BO. Grief was positively related to STS and BO. Grief played a partial mediating role between empathy and STS. Oncology nurses commonly experience CF. There is a need to provide interventions and effective supports for oncology nurses to improve their empathy ability, and help them cope with grief and CF.

Evaluation of the Mucoadhesive Properties of Chitosan-Based Microstructured Lipid Carrier (CH-MLC).

Different mucoadhesive systems have been studied in recent years to increase the residence time of the delivery systems and to prolong the release of the drug. The aim of this work was to evaluate the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan-based Microstructured Lipid Carrier (CH-MLC) with a new approach which requires chitosan and mucin to be compacted into a tablet and mucoadhesion to be assessed on a non-mucoadhesive substrate. This type of test showed that chitosan maintains a close bond with mucin even in the presence of a fluid and even encapsulated in microparticles. After this, using a bioreactor, the release of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) from the microparticles (NA-CH-MLC) through a layer of mucus mimicking the pathological conditions of a patient with cystic fibrosis was tested. The release of the active from NAC-CH-MLC demonstrated how the chitosan inside the microparticles acts as a penetration enhancer and how the microparticles can impart a prolonged release over time.

Balancing between professional and private life

Abstract
 The idea of reconciling work with personal life was in its heyday at the turn of the 20th century when people realised that it was impossible to completely separate these inextricably linked spheres of human existence. Neglecting either of them, and not only in the scientific discourse but also in everyday life, is in many aspects detrimental to close relationships and to the performance at work. Nevertheless, a perfect combination of these two dimensions of human activity seems almost unattainable, as a growing number of contemporary studies show. Becoming involved in one entails some negligence in the other. The family context represents a relevant example of the attempts to reach the work-life balance. It is increasingly frequent that the contemporary young adults’ generation prioritise work, individual career, and personal development in their hierarchy of values. They delay their decisions on starting a family, having children, or simply settling down until they have achieved an adequate status and prosperity. Seeking to satisfy the need for close bonds, many young adults engage in only temporary relationships (cohabitation, swingers), but also create substitutes thereof. This generation succumbs to a growing sense of loneliness, despite the fulfilling careers or satisfying material and social statuses.

A review of theories and methods in the science of face-to-face social interaction

For most of human history, face-to-face interactions have been the primary and most fundamental way to build social relationships, and even in the digital era they remain the basis of our closest bonds. These interactions are built on the dynamic integration and coordination of verbal and non-verbal information between multiple people. However, the psychological processes underlying face-to-face interaction remain difficult to study. In this Review, we discuss three ways the multimodal phenomena underlying face-to-face social interaction can be organized to provide a solid basis for theory development. Next, we review three types of theory of social interaction: theories that focus on the social meaning of actions, theories that explain actions in terms of simple behaviour rules and theories that rely on rich cognitive models of the internal states of others. Finally, we address how different methods can be used to distinguish between theories, showcasing new approaches and outlining important directions for future research. Advances in how face-to-face social interaction can be studied, combined with a renewed focus on cognitive theories, could lead to a renaissance in social interaction research and advance scientific understanding of face-to-face interaction and its underlying cognitive foundations.

Bordejar sentidos e sensações: uma educação em deslocamentos

ABSTRACT The field of Education, when traversed by philosophy, art and science, can be connected to the universe of images, differing intensively from its usual capacities of thinking, imagining, creating and inventing the new, especially focusing on relationships between subjects and knowledges. Thinking the urgency of pointing fissures of a modern constitution closed in a structure of subject education linked to knowledges authorized to say it as a truth. It borders the potencies of images and their possible effects on bodies and matters of expression, external to a perception that do not work in a conciliatory or habitual way in which they are usually felt. Dialoguing with the theoretical framework of the philosophies of difference, especially the works of Gilles Deleuze, two movies were chosen as an intercessor for analytical and creative operations that inspire displacements of usual relations between subjects and knowledges into education field. Thus, it traces lines of flight to think in the interval, from the idea of contrast and its important intensification ‘between poles’: genre, classification, judgment. It is also thought through the infantile-image, a concept that arises within the margins of cinema, education, and philosophy, and which has a close bond with the contrasts that dimension childhood and its lacunar senses.

Paul Fahr. Remonstration als Institution. Ein Beitrag zum Herrschaftsverstandnis im frühen chinesischen Kaiserreich (Remonstration as an Institution. A Contribution to the Concept of Rulership in Early Imperial China). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2021. 339 pp. ISBN-10 3447115815, ISBN-13 9783447115810.

Paul Fahr. Remonstration als Institution. Ein Beitrag zum Herrschaftsverst ändnis im frühen chinesischen Kaiserreich (Remonstration as an Institution. A Contribution to the Concept of Rulership in Early Imperial China). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, .  pp. ISBN- , ISBN- . The book under review here is the published version of a Ph.D. dissertation submitted at the University of Münster in . It is the first book-length study of the institution of remonstration in early imperial China, and it deserves attention because of the thorough research it provides. After a brief introduction, Fahr begins with a chapter on the theory and concept of institutions both in Western social sciences and in ancient Chinese terminology. As far as the latter is concerned, he discusses such terms as fadu 法度, zhidu 制度, guoti 國體, or jiuzhang 舊章 in order to show that ancient China had, indeed, several concepts at its disposal that are similar to the modern Western term “institution.” Fahr also understand the famous compound yi jia 一家 as an institutional term, following Gan Huaizhen’s idea that guojia actually means “the family that rules the state.” I have to confess that in this case I remain somewhat skeptical. To me, it still makes more sense to understand this compound as “the families (or family) of the capital,” because first there are also guoren 國人 who certainly do not belong to just one family, and second, branches of the ruling family usually had their bases in other cities. In this chapter, Fahr also shows that we should not understand documents (which he calls “Inserate” = insertions) contained in Chinese standard histories as direct quotations from original texts. In this he follows observations that have been made by two other young German scholars recently, namely, Kathrin Messing in her dissertation on the Sanguo zhi and Sebastian Eicher in his work on the Hou Han shu. The third chapter of Remonstration as an Institution is devoted to the word “to remonstrate” (jian 諫), and to the practice of remonstration as a sign of a close bond that existed between ruler and minister. Fahr shows that the office of remonstration officials was, indeed, already established in early Han times. Chapter  deals with official historiography as a historiography of institutions. It starts with “precedents” (gushi 故事) in pre-Han times and proceeds then to a discussion of the major historians of Han times in a chronological sequence, beginning with Sima Tan and Sima Qian and ending with Xun Yue. Fahr Review©  by University of Hawai‘i Press understands Shiji and Hanshu as compilations of precedents for the future, an idea that, of course, can be traced back to the Gongyang zhuan and that is somewhat related to the Latin concept of historia magistra vitae. Fahr agrees with what this reviewer said in the introduction to his work on Shiji and Hanshu, namely, that the title of Hanshu is an expression of Ban Gu’s hope to continue the tradition of the Shang shu. Chapter  focuses on institutions and their preservation through remonstration. Here, Fahr gives examples of remonstrations from three different periods, namely, the Qin dynasty (Li Si is quoted), the reign of Han Wendi, and finally the famous episode when Liu He, the King of Changyi whose tomb has been opened recently (the Haihun hou tomb), was removed from the throne after only twenty-seven days. Fahr also shows in this chapter how important the role was that remonstration played in the education of the young heirs to the throne. The sixth and last chapter before the conclusion somehow looks like what could have been the starting point of the dissertation. Here, Fahr uses the example of chapter  of the Hanshu to demonstrate how remonstration was actually practiced by Liu Xiang. Somewhat similar to Sebastian Eicher’s work on the Hou Han shu, he explains that the “traditions” (zhuan 傳) of the five different persons dealt with in Hanshu  should actually better be understood as episodes, not as “biographies” as the term is conventially translated. This is certainly correct. This reader wonders, however, whether it is really wise to dispense with the term biography for ancient Chinese history. Chinese zhuan may not attempt to do the same what Roman authors such as Plutarch...

France-Pakistan Antagonistic Relations and Role of Public Diplomacy

France and Pakistan have enjoyed amicable relationships since the 1960s and hold high status in the eye of Pakistan for the provision of military technology to Pakistan. It is also one of those major countries where Pakistan exports its products and commodities. However, their relationship suffered a sudden downfall soon after the publishing of the blasphemous cartoons in a French magazine that received an instant backlash from the Muslim community, including Pakistan. Public diplomacy can opt as the top priority for the government to restore the close bond with France in the field of military technology, economy, culture, and politics. In the past, France has been the major contributor to the development of Pakistan's military capabilities. Given a large number of Muslim communities residing in France, Pakistan can never politically disconnect from France, which necessitates coming up with a common ground to take the bilateral ties to the next level.

Transnarodowość repatriantów z Kazachstanu — kłopoty z urzeczywistnieniem potencjału

Kazakh Poles arriving in Poland through the repatriation program still feel a close bond with the country where they were born, and for many of them it is an integral part of their daily existence. Maintaining regular contacts with Kazakhstan (direct or mediated by modern means of communication) and the family left there exerts a constant impact on the repatriates, and shapes their way of life. In this article, I attempt to highlight the actions or lifestyles that depend on this relationship, captured in the course of field research, using the categories of the theory of transnationality in the context of research on migration movements. By placing these activities and analysing them within the trans-local social network operating at various levels, I present a number of factors stimulating and hindering transnational activities. One of the outcomes of these deliberations is diagnosis of how the repatriates’ two-culture potential is put to use.

Art Work as Life Work: Lu Märten's Feminist “Objectivity”

Abstract “Art Work as Life Work: Lu Märten's Feminist ‘Objectivity’” highlights the feminist stakes of German feminist-materialist art historian Lu Märten's interventions in the interwar discourses on art and labor, on objectivity (Sachlichkeit), and the new media of film and radio. The essay argues that Märten's contributions to these areas sit squarely within more familiar narratives of materialist aesthetics and Weimar culture (from Walter Benjamin's epochal Artwork Essay to the Bauhaus) and that they do so on account of her heterodox reading of Marx and commitment to Spinoza's monism. In Märten's view, this non-binary materialism offered an alternative, non-Hegelian route to a materialist conception of art or as she preferred to say, form. In contrast to art history's academic formalism, Märten espouses a notion of form that does not maintain art's autonomy but instead connects art to other social fields. Here form always evolves out of informality. The essay traces the close bond between art work and life work across Märten's multiple publications, including her theoretical magnum opus Essence and Transformation of Forms/Arts and her studies on The Economic Conditions of Artists and The Female Artist. In so doing, the text contributes to revisiting the firm boundaries that art history has drawn between objects and communities.