Comparative Perspective Research Articles

Stenhouse in Scotland and England: Context and culture in curriculum development

AbstractThis paper uses biographical, historical and comparative perspectives to examine some of the work of Lawrence Stenhouse, widely regarded as one of the leading curriculum theorists of the twentieth century. Although his best‐known work was carried out in England, he had strong Scottish connections and some of the influences on his output can be traced to his higher education in Scotland, his teaching experience in Glasgow and Fife, and his time as Principal Lecturer in Education at Jordanhill College of Education. Particular attention is given to Culture and Education (1967), written during Stenhouse's time in Scotland, and An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development (1975), the product of his experience as Director of the Humanities Curriculum Project and subsequently as Director of the Centre for Applied Research in Education at the University of East Anglia. Stenhouse's personal intellectual journey is related to policy developments in Scotland and England and, in particular, to the different approaches to curriculum development in the two countries. His early death in 1982 meant that he did not live to see the assault on his creative, teacher‐centred approach to curriculum development mounted by the political right in the 1980s and 1990s, but his ideas were kept alive by members of the team he had built up. The paper ends by summarising the reasons for Stenhouse's continuing importance. It is noted, however, that the many tributes to Stenhouse's achievements in England have not been matched by similar recognition in Scotland. Arguably, his ideas could have enabled Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence reform programme, launched in 2004, to have avoided some of the problems it encountered in the transition from conception to implementation.

The growth contribution of colonial Indian railways in comparative perspective

AbstractRailways were an important driver of global economic growth in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Whilst their role is well documented in industrial economies, we know less about their macro‐economic impact in developing countries. In this paper, we first estimate the aggregate growth impact of Indian railways, one of the largest networks in the world in the early twentieth century. Then, we compare their impact in India to four emerging Latin American economies (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay) and the Cape colony. Using growth accounting techniques common to the cross‐country estimates, we argue that the aggregate growth impact of Indian railways was significant, increasing Indian gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by 13.5 per cent by 1912. We also find that the growth impact of Indian railways was similar to Brazil and Mexico, but smaller than Argentina and the Cape. Compared with the latter, India had a smaller size of railway freight revenues in the economy and lower wages to fares leading to lower passenger time savings. Railways were the most important infrastructure driver of economic growth in India during the first era of globalization from 1860 to 1912, but they contributed less than in richer and more dynamic developing economies.

Preventing Cancer by Inhibiting Ornithine Decarboxylase: A Comparative Perspective on Synthetic vs. Natural Drugs.

This perspective delves into the investigation of synthetic and naturally occurring inhibitors, their patterns of inhibition, and the effectiveness of newly utilized natural compounds as inhibitors targeting the Ornithine decarboxylase enzyme. This enzyme is known to target the MYC oncogene, thereby establishing a connection between polyamine metabolism and oncogenesis in both normal and cancerous cells. ODC activation and heightened polyamine activity are associated with tumor development in numerous cancers and fluctuations in ODC protein levels exert a profound influence on cellular activity for inhibition or suppressing tumor cells. This perspective outlines efforts to develop novel drugs, evaluate natural compounds, and identify promising inhibitors to address gaps in cancer prevention, highlighting the potential of newly designed synthetic moieties and natural flavonoids as alternatives. It also discusses natural compounds with potential as enhanced inhibitors.

Enhancing word of mouth in the quick service restaurants: role of perceived brand globalness and localness

Purpose Due to changing consumer thinking patterns and market dynamics, the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. Considering this, this study aims to examine the influence of perceived brand globalness and perceived brand localness on consumer word of mouth through brand attitude by considering consumer ethnocentrism and perceived brand origin as moderators. Design/methodology/approach This study obtained 750 responses from Turkish consumers through a survey and analyzed the data using the maximum-likelihood estimation technique with structural equation modeling. Findings This study discovered that perceived brand globalness and perceived brand localness are critical components that drive brand attitude, influencing consumers' WOM toward global and local QSR brands. Similarly, perceived brand globalness and perceived brand localness are important brand attributes influencing consumer WOM. Importantly, this study found the significant effects of perceived brand origin on brand attitude mainly toward perceived local brands compared to global QSR brands. Although this study did not uncover the influence of consumer ethnocentrism as expected. However, these insights may assist global and local managers to rethink their strategies toward Turkish consumer settings. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted exclusively in Turkey. However, additional studies in other countries, such as the comparative Asian versus European consumers' perspectives, may be considered to generalize the findings. Practical implications This study provides recommendations to global and local managers to support them in designing and executing several brand positioning strategies in the QSR industry. Originality/value This novel study contributes to the accessibility diagnostic theory and signaling theory by examining consumers' perceptions of local and global brands.

Sustainable Gender Equality: A Comparative Perspective on STEM Education and Employment in Jordan

Gender equality is a concept that is synonymous with debates towards economic and societal advancement, as manifested through the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 5. This study sets out to identify the key indicators driving gender equality in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and employment in Jordan. This area is both critical and timely in light of emerging challenges facing technological advancement, progressive economies, and wider societal inclusion strategies within the professional environment. This study predominantly employs a quantitative methodology, utilising a survey to evaluate and rank a comprehensive set of indicators/challenges associated with gender equality in the published literature. Feedback is gathered from both male and female participants. The findings of this study reveal certain categories and indicators that are highly ranked compared with others, with practical aspects such as workplace conditions and professional treatment, societal norms and gender stereotypes, and professional perceptions and underlying gender bias being more predominant in Jordan. This study also revealed differing challenges facing gender equality in employment compared with the ones faced in education. This finding resonates with the historical trajectory of academic progress in STEM fields in Jordan, and its divergence emphasises the need for a nuanced exploration to advance gender equality in STEM effectively.

Glossing Practice: Comparative Perspectives, edited by Franck Cinato, Aimée Lahaussois and John B. Whitman

Glossing Practice: Comparative Perspectives, edited by Franck Cinato, Aimée Lahaussois and John B. Whitman

Islamic Philosophy: Interconnections and Comparative Perspectives with Other Philosophi

one of the most important things that distinguishes Islamic philosophy is that it was born in a sound nature and addressed a mature mind capable of comprehending divine discourse, and it dealt with its issues away from other controversies, which built its own independence in thinking away from other philosophies, and this is a distinctive part so that no one claims that Islamic philosophy It was the product of education.

Countering antisemitism through Holocaust education. A comparative perspective on Scotland and Austria

Countering antisemitism through Holocaust education. A comparative perspective on Scotland and Austria

SSA-Deep Learning Forecasting Methodology with SMA and KF Filters and Residual Analysis

Accurate forecasting remains a challenge, even with advanced techniques like deep learning (DL), ARIMA, and Holt–Winters (H&W), particularly for chaotic phenomena such as those observed in several areas, such as COVID-19, energy, and financial time series. Addressing this, we introduce a Forecasting Method with Filters and Residual Analysis (FMFRA), a hybrid methodology specifically applied to datasets of COVID-19 time series, which we selected for their complexity and exemplification of current forecasting challenges. FMFFRA consists of the following two approaches: FMFRA-DL, employing deep learning, and FMFRA-SSA, using singular spectrum analysis. This proposed method applies the following three phases: filtering, forecasting, and residual analysis. Initially, each time series is split into filtered and residual components. The second phase involves a simple fine-tuning for the filtered time series, while the third phase refines the forecasts and mitigates noise. FMFRA-DL is adept at forecasting complex series by distinguishing primary trends from insufficient relevant information. FMFRA-SSA is effective in data-scarce scenarios, enhancing forecasts through automated parameter search and residual analysis. Chosen for their geographical and substantial populations and chaotic dynamics, time series for Mexico, the United States, Colombia, and Brazil permitted a comparative perspective. FMFRA demonstrates its efficacy by improving the common forecasting performance measures of MAPE by 22.91%, DA by 13.19%, and RMSE by 25.24% compared to the second-best method, showcasing its potential for providing essential insights into various rapidly evolving domains.

Comparing Leaving-Care Policy and Practice Across the Four Nations of the United Kingdom: Exploring Similarities, Differences, and Implementation Gaps

From an international comparative perspective, the four nations of the United Kingdom have robust legal and policy frameworks governing care leaving. Measures taken include access to aftercare workers; pathway planning; introduction of extended care arrangements (permitting young people to remain in placement beyond 18 years); and specific types of financial support. The paper explores commonalities and differences in approaches across the United Kingdom and illuminates how resource constraints, placement availability, workforce challenges and cultural norms may result in implementation gaps and a postcode lottery of provision. Findings lend weight to calls for attentiveness to and systematic evaluation of the implementation process to understand the challenges encountered in embedding effective support for care leavers. Findings also highlight the value of further comparative studies that explore the systems and subsystems of law, policy, and practice in the four nations to contribute to more-informed leaving care policy and practice.

The Application of the Public Order Clause on the Financial Market as One of the Elements for Building Sustainable Finance in a Comparative Perspective

Abstract The public order clause is an instrument of private international law that limits the possibility of applying the law of a designated country in cross-border contractual relations. The role of the clause is to protect the specific interests and values of a given legal order, the importance of which is so significant that it justifies refusing to apply foreign law or limiting the scope of its application. From the point of view of the subject of this study, the public order clause could potentially be applied by national supervisory authorities in a situation of a threat to the security and stability of a given financial market. Thus the purpose of this article, in which the author uses the functional approach of the comparative legal method, the historical-descriptive method and the dogmatic method, is to verify the thesis about the possible use of the public order clause as an instrument supporting the process of building sustainable finance, along with its limitations in the form of the French concept of effet atténué and also from a comparative and cross-border perspective.

The Young Experts Symposium 2022 “Understanding Chinese Culture in the World”: reflections on a transgenerational and interdisciplinary exchange of thoughts

This first contribution to the special issue “Understanding Chinese Culture in the World” represents a philosophical proem regarding the format and general aim of the Young Experts Symposium 2022 (YES 2022), which was held online at Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (China) and provided a platform for topics related to classical, modern, futuristic, and comparative perspectives on Chinese culture—across generations, cultures, and disciplines. Furthermore, it outlines the basic content of the six papers in this special issue that resulted from this event, including some basic information about the contributors.

Trade unions and occupational health and safety in comparative historical perspective: a comment on South Africa and Britain

Trade unions and occupational health and safety in comparative historical perspective: a comment on South Africa and Britain

Direct oral anticoagulants and venous malformations: literature review and retrospective study of 29 patients

BackgroundVenous malformations (VMs) are commonly associated with localized intravascular coagulopathy leading to elevated D-dimer and risks of hemorrhagic and thromboembolic events, particularly in extensive lesions. While low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has been effective in managing coagulopathy and pain, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) emerge as a promising alternative. ObjectivesThis study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DOACs in treating VMs associated with localized intravascular coagulopathy, offering a comparative perspective to LMWH. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on 29 patients with VMs and secondary localized intravascular coagulopathy treated with DOACs between 2013 and 2023 in a single tertiary center specialized in vascular anomalies. Data were collected from February 24, 2023, to September 1, 2023. ResultsPatients’ median age was 40 years (range, 22-76 years), with a female predominance of 66%. Descriptive statistical analysis showed that 85% of patients experienced pain improvement, and 86% showed a reduction in D-dimer by at least 25%, with a mean reduction of 57% (SD, ±32%; IQR, [38-81%]). Additionally, 37% of patients reported a bleeding event, mostly minor. ConclusionThe study findings suggests that DOACs may serve as an alternative to LMWH for patients with VMs associated with pain management and reduced D-dimer, alongside a low observed risk of major bleeding. Tailored dosing considering the location of the malformation, bleeding and thrombotic tendencies, and laboratory abnormalities is recommended. Future studies with larger cohorts and extended follow-up are necessary for more conclusive evidence on DOACs’ role in this patient population.

Intermittent-Aware Design Exploration of Systolic Array Using Various Non-Volatile Memory: A Comparative Study.

This paper conducts a comprehensive study on intermittent computing within IoT environments, emphasizing the interplay between different dataflows-row, weight, and output-and a variety of non-volatile memory technologies. We then delve into the architectural optimization of these systems using a spatial architecture, namely IDEA, with their processing elements efficiently arranged in a rhythmic pattern, providing enhanced performance in the presence of power failures. This exploration aims to highlight the diverse advantages and potential applications of each combination, offering a comparative perspective. In our findings, using IDEA for the row stationary dataflow with AlexNet on the CIFAR10 dataset, we observe a power efficiency gain of 2.7% and an average reduction of 21% in the required cycles. This study elucidates the potential of different architectural choices in enhancing energy efficiency and performance in IoT systems.

Length-Weight-Age Relationship of Schizothorax eurystomus Kessler, 1872 and Comparison to Other Snow Trout Species in Central Asia

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the length-weight relationship, condition factors, and age of Schizothorax eurystomus in the Shakhimardan River basin in Central Asia, along with a comparative perspective to other Schizothorax species in the region. The study found that S. eurystomus exhibits positive allometric growth, which is consistent with similar patterns observed in this species from the Syr Darya River basin. The two analyzed condition factors showed mean values within the normal range, indicating good feeding and environmental conditions. However, significant disparities between minimum and maximum values of these factors indicated varied growth conditions which may be influenced by anthropogenic factors. Age estimation using opercular bones showed variations in the total length among fish of the same age, and a clear age distribution pattern across different sites. Younger fish predominantly inhabited the shallower, warmer, and lower sections of the river, which is impacted by agricultural water diversion, while older specimens were found in areas with higher discharge and deeper pools. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the life history traits of S. eurystomus, underlining the need for sustainable fishery management and conservation strategies in the Shakhimardan River basin. The findings also emphasize the importance of considering habitat quality and anthropogenic pressures regarding understanding both fish population dynamics and growth patterns.

Presidential Neutrality and Position in the 2024 Presidential Election: A Constitutional Law and Comparative Law Perspective

In the event of the 2024 presidential election, the neutrality and position of the president play a key role in ensuring the continuity of democracy and justice. This article aims to investigate these issues from the perspective of constitutional law and comparative law. Through a normative juridical approach, this article explores the neutrality and position of the president in the 2024 general election from the perspective of constitutional law and comparative law. The data sources used come from primary and secondary sources. Based on the results of the analysis, it can be stated that the president as the people who have the right to vote and as the head of state who must prioritize neutrality towards the general election is prohibited from inviting others or the public to vote for one of the candidates. In addition, a legal comparison conducted with Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea found that the general elections conducted are almost the same as those conducted by Indonesia. Except Malaysia, because its form of government is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means that executive power is held by the prime minister, who is the head of government and leads the cabinet. The Prime Minister is chosen from members of Parliament, who are members of the legislature elected by the people in general elections.

Comparative Perspectives on the Protection of Food Geographical Indications in Asian Countries

AbstractThe significance of food is beyond its gastronomic value. Food symbolises a community's enriched past and holds cultural expressions and traditional knowledge. The linkage of food with religious beliefs, geo-climatic factors, social standards, and various health benefits builds the reputation of the food, which is essentially attributable to its geographic origin. Following the ratification of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the contracting states that have enacted Geographical Indications (GI) legislation (particularly those in Asia) have come forward to protect foodstuffs as GI in order to safeguard their communities and their traditional knowledge associated with foodstuffs. Against this background, the present article attempts to compare foodstuff GIs in eight selected Asian countries with a sui generis system of GI protection as TRIPS compliance. The comparative analysis of the evolution and scope of foodstuff protection, pre-registration and post-registration impact, and quality maintenance provides important insights into convergence and divergence among the selected Asian countries. The study further identifies policy implications for the sustenance of GI.

Teachers’ attitudes toward regrets: A cultural comparative reading

This paper addresses how universal teachers’ attitudes toward regret are bound with Chinese cultural particularity. Arguments are developed through comparative perspectives: philosophic theoretical thinking vs. qualitative interpretive thinking, ideas conceived in theory vs. ideas enacted in practice, and cross-cultural interactions between Chinese culture and Christian/modern ‘Western’ culture. A total of 113 narratives published in Chinese journals of Chinese teacher regret that were revealed by teachers voluntarily in the past four decades serve as a concrete point of departure for theoretical comparisons. The universality of two main types of human attitudes toward regret are defended, while the particularity of cultural attitudes toward regret between China and the ‘west’ (corresponding to the earlier theoretical constructs of two attitude meta-types) is supplementarily explained through the compelling contrast of anti-coronavirus policies (policies of zero COVID or not). The phenomenon of Chinese teachers’ comfortable expression of regrets in public is finally discussed for its subtlety of creative transcultural exchange.

Enhancing Political Participation: A Comparative Study of Political Systems in China and Malaysia

This article compares the political systems of China and Malaysia, focusing on political participation enhancement. It seeks to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their political systems and propose appropriate approaches to enhance political participation in both countries. By examining the structure of government and the effectiveness of political participation, this study expands the current understanding of these political systems in China and Malaysia. It also explores the factors that influence political participation in China and Malaysia. The study finds that political participation in Malaysia is more democratic than in China, considering factors such as party diversity, the electoral process, and the role of local government in accommodating minority voices. However, China's political system demonstrates strength through its centralized control, allowing for the efficient execution of policies and regulations. The study acknowledges similarities between the two countries in terms of their three branches of government but also highlights differences in the type of politically unengaged communities. The findings from this research can be considered by the governments of both countries to improve political participation, particularly among the younger generation. This article, therefore, contributes to the studies on political systems in Asian countries from a comparative perspective.