Conservative Attitudes Research Articles

The Virus of Fear: The Political Impact of Ebola in the United States

We study how public anxiety over the threat of a disease outbreak can affect voter behavior by looking at the Ebola scare that hit the United States in 2014. Exploiting timing and locations of the four cases diagnosed in the country, we show that heightened concern about Ebola led to a lower Democratic vote share and lower turn-out, despite no evidence of a general anti-incumbent effect (including President Obama). Voters displayed increasingly conservative attitudes on immigration, but not on other ideologically charged issues. Our findings indicate that emotional reactions can have a strong electoral impact, mediated by issues plausibly associated with the specific triggering factor. (JEL D72, D91, I12, J15)

Balance between tourism and environment: measuring tourists' implicit and explicit attitudes toward visual conservation messages. The genuine article

Visual messages are widely used to positively influence in conservation attitudes of visitors in tourist destinations, these are usually persuasive or prohibitive. According to the literature, attitudes are classified as explicit (conscious) or implicit (beyond conscious control) and there may be differences between them towards the same attitude object. This paper aim to presents the analysis of said attitudes towards prohibitive and persuasive visual messages focused on the correct disposal of garbage in a tourist attraction. A structured questionnaire was used for explicit measurement and the Implicit Association Test for implicit measurement, these were applied in two sun and beach destinations in the Mexican Caribbean. After the tests carried out, it is established that both messages (persuasive and prohibitive) are effective at an explicit level; however, at an implicit level, the persuasive message produces more favorable attitudes, thus is a better opportunity to positively influence conservationist attitudes.

Dívida corporativa de longo e curto prazo e incerteza da política econômica no Brasil

Abstract This article aimed to investigate the relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and long- and short-term debt of Brazilian firms traded on the Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão (B3) stock exchange. The discrepancy in previous results raises questions about the current understanding of the relationship between debt and EPU. Separate analyses of long- and short-term debt provide different insights into how corporate decisions are affected. This discrepancy challenges our existing understanding of the complex dynamics between debt and EPU. The research sample consists of 163 Brazilian firms listed on the B3 between 2010 and 2019 on a quarterly basis. The baseline models considered long- and short-term debt as endogenous, taking into account firm and country characteristics. We employed a two-stage system generalized method of moments (GMM-sys) panel approach to deal with potential endogeneity in the estimates. As the debt market plays a crucial role in corporate valuation and performance, it is increasingly important to study the dynamics of long- and short-term corporate debt amidst the challenges triggered by the spread of EPU in the business environment. Clarifying how both long- and short-term debt perform under such pressure is particularly relevant since it reinforces already observed and potential implications for corporate adaptability in the use of external funds. The impact of this study lies in revealing the coexistence of firms’ cautious decisions in seeking representative funds and the conservative position for corporate investments regarding uncertainties that surround economic policy. The findings suggest that higher levels of EPU are associated with a decrease in the use of long-term debt and an increase in short-term debt. In response to increased EPU, companies tend to rely less on long-term debt and instead opt for increased use of short-term debt. These results hold consistently across different proposed specifications.

Impacts of Religiosity and Spirituality on Attitudes towards Sexuality Education among Adolescents

The efficacy of school-based sexuality education (SBSE) is associated with adolescents’ attitudes towards sexuality and SBSE. Adolescents are in stage of development during which religiosity and spirituality become a source of influence on their sexual attitudes, which in turn affects their views on SBSE. Western literature suggested that higher levels of religiosity and spirituality are related to conservative sexual attitudes and negative attitude towards comprehensive SBSE. This study examined if Western findings on religiosity and spirituality were applicable to Hong Kong where the society is dominated by values of Chinese culture. A total of 818 secondary school students were recruited for this study via convenience sampling. A questionnaire containing items on demographic characteristics and measuring instruments was developed for data collection. The data revealed that students participated in this study were low in religiosity but relatively high in spirituality. Consistent with Western findings, religious affiliations were association with conservative sexual attitudes, which was accounted for by the mediation of religiosity. Lower levels of religiosity and spirituality were associated with more liberal sexual attitudes. Male students generally hold more permissive attitudes towards sexuality than female students, but female students were more liberal on issues such as abortion, contraception, and homosexuality. As reported in the West, secondary school students in Hong Kong also showed great support for SBSE. Inconsistent with Western findings, students with more conservative sexual attitudes were more supportive of SBSE. Higher levels of religiosity and spirituality were associated more positive attitudes towards SBSE. Furthermore, female students were more supportive of SBSE than male students. These incongruent findings were discussed with reference to the social context of Hong Kong.

The Impact of Cryptocurrencies on the United States and China’s Economies

This paper will make an intensive study of the impact of cryptocurrencies on the United States and China’s economies. In terms of popularity, policy, and investor attitudes, the US and China’s current situation is compared. The emergence of cryptocurrency has changed the role of traditional Central Bank monetary policy, making it faces new challenges in controlling economic fluctuations and stabilizing financial markets. In addition, the volatility and uncertainty of cryptocurrencies also affect investors' attitudes and behaviors. In the United States, investment risks in cryptocurrencies are widely discussed, while in China, investors are cautious about cryptocurrencies due to the government’s relatively conservative attitude towards cryptocurrencies. In summary, cryptocurrencies have different impacts on the economies of China and the United States. Due to government restrictions and regulations, China's development of cryptocurrencies in the country has been hindered to some extent, while the United States has become one of the leaders in the global cryptocurrency market. However, the potential impact and risks of cryptocurrencies cannot be ignored, and active guidance and supervision from governments and regulatory agencies are needed to ensure their positive role in the economy. On this basis, investors need to invest rationally based on their own risk tolerance and market trends to achieve long-term economic benefits.

CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE INSTITUTION OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURAL PREJUDICE

The authors considered the institution of criminal procedural prejudice and its compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as it has a multidimensional holistic nature, arising in order to establish the circumstances to be proved in criminal proceedings. The study reveals the role, place and content of prejudice in criminal proceedings in Kazakhstan based on the study of law enforcement practice and analysis of legislation of foreign countries. Some problematic situations arising from the application of prejudice in criminal proceedings, as well as issues of implementation of new regulations on prejudice in criminal proceedings, are considered. The authors recognize prejudice as an established means of solving problems arising in the judicial and investigative practice in the legal field. It is noted that despite the noticeable influence of Russian criminal procedure science and legislation on the formation of this institution in Kazakhstan, the domestic legislator and the scientific community maintain a conservative attitude to the institution of prejudice. During the period of active formation of national legislation, the problem of harmoniously designed procedural institutions should not remain unresolved, especially if they contribute to the most effective administration of justice. Recognizing prejudice as a large and in many respects complex theoretical and applied problem of the science of Kazakhstan criminal procedure law, which still remains poorly developed and therefore in need of thorough and comprehensive research. Interestingly, the topic of prejudice is still not included in university law curricula, but in textbooks on criminal procedure (criminal procedure law) it is rarely affected. In the criminal procedure norm itself, which enshrines prejudice, the legislator has not established clear mechanisms for its implementation, and therefore, the authors propose options for harmonizing criminal procedure law, as well as adjusting the provisions of criminal procedure legislation on prejudice, as part of the institute of evidence, taking into account advanced foreign experience.

Модель бізнесу ощадних банків Скандинавії

The segment of savings banks occupies a prominent place in the banking systems of European countries. Savings banks have survived systemic crises, institutional transformations, and consolidation, maintaining high depositor confidence thanks to a restrained appetite for risks. The relevance of researching the experience of savings banks in Scandinavia is due to a long history, a special type of corporate structure and business model in attracting and deploying resources. Although the activity of foreign savings banks in the modern market environment remains outside the attention of domestic researchers, in Ukraine household savings form the basis of the resource base of many banks, which requires a special approach of the regulator. According to the results of the study, it was found that savings banks achieve the effect of economies of scale due to the centralization of certain functions. At the same time, they are moving away from the historical business model, which is embodied in a change in legal status, an increasing focus on profit, the development of the corporate segment, digitization of operations, access to other local markets, conducting international operations, participation in the capital of foreign financial institutions, mergers and acquisitions, which lead to an increase in the scale of business. The emergence and development of savings banks in Scandinavia is a reaction to the growth of citizens\\\\\\\' well-being (as an offer of savings) and at the same time - a desire to improve it. The security of the banks\\\\\\\' business was certainly helped by a conservative attitude towards accepting credit risk. An important factor of trust in banks was and remains a low corruption risk in the Scandinavian countries. It was concluded that the creation of associations of savings banks and joint platforms deserves attention for use in Ukraine, as it ensures business efficiency even for small institutions.

Pisarstwo historyczne w służbie polityki. Przemiany społeczno-polityczne XIX stulecia w Europie Zachodniej z perspektywy twórczości krakowskiego konserwatysty Henryka Lisickiego (1839–1899)

The article presents the views of Henryk Lisicki, a publicist and historian, actively cooperating with Krakow’s conservatives (Stańczycy). It focuses on the issue presented in his literature (and representative of his native environment), of the attitude of conservatives toward the nineteenth-century democratization processes. In his views, he revealed criticism of the legacy of the Great French Revolution of 1789. However, the article indicates that in his works Lisicki did this from a moderately conservative position. As a result, he argued for the possibility of adapting the deposit of „traditional values” resulting from the natural law to the reality forming in the Old Continent, under the influence of changes caused by the aforementioned revolution. The article also signals the political construct preferred by moderate conservatives (which is an alternative to the personal rule of a ruler or republic), in the form of a constitutional monarchy, which was exemplified by Victorian England. The text also points to representative elements of the moderately conservative worldview, which is a reception of conservative and liberal ideals.

Human-geladas conflict and assessing local human attitudes for community-based conservation in Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Understanding the nature and magnitude of human-wildlife conflict at the local level is critical for developing a wildlife management strategy. I used a questionnaire, focus group discussions, fecal dropping analyses, and direct observations to address the human-geladas conflict and promote the conservation of a relic monkey population in the Tigray region, Ethiopia. I analyzed data using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. A high degree of human-geladas conflict was recorded as a result of habitat disturbance, agricultural expansion, and killing in response to crop-raiding. Geladas caused direct and perceived costs for the local people. The majority of the respondents from Hadnet (76%, n = 75) and Debre-Abay (71%, n = 74) villages had a negative attitude toward the geladas. To help reverse this sentiment and take steps toward reducing future human-geladas conflict, I recommend that local communities play a more active role in the management and conservation of the endemic geladas.

A lay association as a client

Research into the Italian Liturgical Movement emphasised the pedagogical commitment of lay associations, rather than architectural innovation they eventually promoted. The case study presented here discusses a little-known case of ambitious architectural patronage promoted in 1952-53 by the main Italian lay association: the Italian Youth of Catholic Action (Gioventù di Azione Cattolica, GiAC). The winning design by architect Enzo Magnani, the first president of the Catholic Union of Italian Artists (UCAI), was rejected directly by Pius XII, probably as an indirect consequence of the worsening of the political fracture between the GiAC and the main branches of the Azione Cattolica, oriented towards explicit support for conservative and clericalist political positions, rather than ecclesial engagment and liturgical afflatus. The archives of Azione Cattolica Italiana (preserved by ISACEM in Rome) and some private archives allow a first reconstruction of the matter, which had been completely erased from the asssociation’s official history, and probably broke any possible link between associative patronage and liturgical architecture during the decades that followed.

Ideas about the future in the collective consciousness of Russians

The article discusses the interpretation of the image of the future in the views of Russians. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of the formation of the image of the future in conditions of political instability. It is shown that citizens' ideas about the future of their loved ones and the state are influenced by current social problems and contradictions. However, we are not talking about the mechanical transfer of actual experiences of respondents to an idealized future. The factors determining the complex and multi-stage process of constructing the image of the future in the public consciousness are revealed. It is shown that trust in political institutions and state power is one of the main factors in the process of forming a relatively consistent and positive image of the future. The reasons for the weak reaction of society to various types of threats, including corruption and social inequality, are analyzed. Ideological concepts and the stereotypes that have manifested themselves in recent years in the minds of Russian citizens. The role of mass media in the construction of collective ideas about threats to the existence of the state in the medium term is noted. The evolution of conservative political attitudes in the mass consciousness under the influence of the official political narrative is traced. The fact of the growth of anxiety and alarmist ideas about the near future in various social groups is noted, as a psychological reaction of individuals to incomplete information about the ongoing political changes in society. At the same time, there is an obvious trend towards preserving democratic institutions and values that modern Russian society is not going to abandon. The article is descriptive and abstract in nature. The method of secondary analysis is applied. The conclusions are based on the publications of the Institute of Socio-Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1992-2022 , and according to the data of the All-Russian monitoring "How are you living, Russia?" (1992-2022), a comprehensive sociological study "Forecasts and alternatives for the development of Russia through the eyes of Russians" (2021). On the basis of the conducted research, criteria are identified that ensure the reproduction of stereotypical ideas about the future in the analyzed social groups. The study of the features of the formation of the image of the future can be useful for making political decisions aimed at the development of the state-political system, the improvement of civil society and the consolidation of modern Russian society based on the adoption of national values and ideals. The factors hindering the construction of a holistic image of the future in present-day Russia are considered. The relevance of the studied topic is explained by the fact that the analysis of the structural features of the formation and functioning of collective ideas about the future of the state contributes to the understanding of complex socio-psychological processes.

Språklig purisme på Island – i fortid og nåtid

The article examines the history of the Icelandic linguistic purism (málhreinsunarstefna). For many years Icelanders have been known for their conservative attitude to any kind of foreign influence on their language. The country’s official language policy is to preserve the Icelandic language in an untouched form. To achieve that, Icelanders avoid borrowing words or grammatical structures from other languages. The study provides an outline of different undertakings aimed at preserving the Icelandic language, and presents the most important Icelandic organisations involved in language planning and key legal regulations in this area. It also describes Icelanders’ attitude to the impact of the English language.

Ideological predictors of anti-science attitudes: exploring the impact of group-based dominance and populism in North America and Western Europe

This research examined individual-level ideological variables as predictors of anti-science attitudes, encompassing a lack of acceptance, belief, and trust in science as an institution and source of knowledge. We specifically focused on ideologies associated with group-based dominance and populism while also considering conventional predictors like scientific literacy, symbolic ideology, and partisanship. Study 1 was an original survey (U.S. participants, N = 700), which replicated prior research showing that political conservative identity and attitudes favoring group-based dominance most strongly predicted anti-science attitudes. In contrast, populist attitudes had no substantial effect. In Study 2, analyzing data from the Dutch LISS Panel (N = 2,186), group-based dominance attitudes, specifically with regard to gender, as well as populist attitudes and conspiracy beliefs, emerged as the most prominent factors predicting anti-science attitudes. These studies speak to the role of group-based dominance attitudes in undermining the perceived validity of science, as observed in both North American and Western European samples. Whether these results reflect more consistent patterns or are specific to particular countries and cultural contexts is not clear, emphasizing the need for future research on how these ideologies shape and perpetuate anti-science attitudes.

Navigating new gender roles: impacts of cultural origins, context of settlement, and religious beliefs on gender attitudes among immigrant origin youth across five European countries

ABSTRACT Gender roles have become a symbol of cultural division between Western Europe and its growing immigrant population. To what extent immigrants and their children from more gender-conservative backgrounds will adopt more egalitarian attitudes has thus become a key question. However, different host countries offer distinct contexts of reception regarding the institutional support for gender equality, and the diverse compositions of immigrant populations across Europe pose challenges to simultaneously control the influences of cultural origins and settlement contexts. We overcome these challenges by comparing immigrant youth living in five different European countries, originating from countries with comparable levels of gender inequality, as assessed by three distinct global gender inequality indices. Analysing CILS4EU and CILS-NOR data, we found that the extent of gender inequality in parental countries of origin exerts a lasting impact on gender attitudes among immigrant-origin youth. Additionally, our findings showed that religion, particularly among Muslims, plays a role in preservation of conservative attitudes. Nevertheless, immigrant origin youth to a large extent adapt their perspectives to the context of reception, and even the most conservative groups of immigrant adolescents living in Scandinavia have more gender-egalitarian beliefs than immigrants – and to some extent natives – in continental Europe.

Developing a training program to enhance conservation awareness and attitudes among Thai hotel cooks: A comparative study

Thai cuisine, a reflection of the nation's cultural identity, has evolved over time and embodies the way of life, thoughts, and mindset of the Thai people. This study aims to develop a training program designed to heighten participants' understanding of conservation issues and assess changes in their conservation attitudes pre and post-training. The research, conducted among 354 Thai hotel cooks, reveals a fundamental challenge in Thai food preparation: the lack of standardized conservation and marketing practices. This encompasses basic culinary skills and regional cooking variations. Culinary schools often emphasize their own culinary philosophies, further exacerbating the issue. Results from the training program indicate that business owners significantly improved their cooking practices, adhered to the National Standard for Thai food sanitation, catered to dietary needs, and embraced authentic Thai cuisine. The Delphi method facilitated consensus on the appropriateness of the training program, and 100 participants reported enhanced project management skills and culinary expertise. The participants expressed satisfaction with the trainers' expertise and communication skills. This research has implications for training programs aimed at promoting awareness of traditional conservation issues and fostering conservation attitudes in the context of Thai food preparation.

Pain sensitivity predicts support for moral and political views across the aisle.

We live in a time of exacerbating political polarization. Bridging the ideological divide is hard. Although some strategies have been found effective for interpersonal persuasion and interaction across the aisle, little is known about what intrapersonal attributes predict which individuals are more inclined to support their ideological opponent's views. The present work identifies a low-level attribute-sensitivity to physical pain-that robustly predicts individual variations in support for moral and political views typically favored by one's ideological opponent. We first summarize a psychophysical validation of an established pain sensitivity measure (n = 263), then report a series of exploratory and preregistered confirmatory studies and replications (N = 7,360) finding that more (vs. less) pain-sensitive liberal Americans show greater endorsement of moral foundations typically endorsed by conservatives (Studies 1a-1c), higher likelihood of voting for Trump over Biden in the 2020 presidential election, stronger support for Republican politicians, and more conservative attitudes toward contentious political issues (Studies 2a and 2b). Conservatives show the mirroring pattern. These "cross-aisle" effects of pain sensitivity are driven by heightened harm perception (Study 3). They defy lay intuitions (Study 4). They are not attributable to multicollinearity or response set. The consistent findings across studies highlight the value of deriving integrative predictions from multiple previously unconnected perspectives (social properties of pain, moral foundations theory, dyadic morality theory, principle of multiple determinants in higher mental processes). They open up novel directions for theorizing and research on why pain sensitivity predicts support for moral and political views across the aisle. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Информированное добровольное согласие пациента: институализация практик в современной России

The state has initiated the institutionalization of voluntary consent practices before medical intervention, recognizing that social well-being is a crucial factor in the provision of medical care. Today, informed voluntary consent (IVC) of the patient is being formalized, but the problem of trust in the healthcare system remains. An analysis of social patients' practices shows that consent has not been formalized, and a favorable public opinion about the healthcare system as an institution of trust in the medical system has not yet occurred. The conclusions are based on data from a survey of young people aged 18 to 35 years – patients of medical organizations in St. Petersburg. The sample is multi-stage, with nests (medical organizations) being selected first, followed by a purposeful sample, and the selection criterion for respondents is receiving medical care at the institution during the study period. This article presents an analysis of violations in signing informed consent and the reasons for their occurrence, as well as a patient assessment of the procedure and the IVC document. The obtained findings allow us to state that in order to improve the quality of medical care and increase trust in medical organizations, it is necessary to conduct additional explanatory work on medical interventions in written and accessible form for people who do not have special knowledge and are not familiar with medical and legal terminology. The IVC should have a place for indicating the performer of the medical intervention and special conditions that could be filled in considering the individual characteristics of the patient and the capabilities of the organization providing medical services. In a broader research perspective, it is worth paying attention to the discussion of bioethical documents, which are not always conducted from a conservative position; on the contrary, the principles of bioethics are questioned and new grounds are sought for its modernization; there is talk of "ambiguous ethics" and the impossibility of solving all problems within the framework of institutionalization theory.

Examining distrust of science and scientists: A study on ideology and scientific literacy in the European Union

There is considerable evidence that, in the United States, public distrust in science is amplified by a conservative ideology and by lower levels of scientific literacy. By emphasizing the discussion on reflexive modernity and (de)politicization of science and politics, we use the Eurobarometer 95.2 to explore these relationships in present-day European Union. We document a significant relationship between conservatively oriented opinions and lower scores on the scientific literacy scale and EU respondents’ levels of distrust in science. We notice that conservative attitudes – measured by dummy statements such as focus on morality instead of innovation, and national isolation due to fear of international crime instead of international co-operation – cause higher distrust in science and scientists. Unlike several studies carried out in the United States, we observe that in the European Union countries, trust in private companies to tackle with scientific issues such as climate change does not predict much when it comes to trust in science and scientists. The obtained results highlight the conceptual confluence between politicization of EU politics and expertization when it comes to policymaking at the EU level, emphasizing the debate regarding the ideological tension that fuels the distrust in science and scientists.

Local attitudes toward conservation and tourism around Xuan Son national park

It is increasingly viewed that the support of local communities is an essential element of biodiversity conservation, and benefits from protected areas are one of the reasons for their support. It is common to make a prediction that protected areas provide benefits, and the development of tourism is a common means that supplies such benefits. Although some studies exploring the link between the benefits of tourism and support for conservation have been done recently, their results still need to be argued more. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the ecotourism perception of local communities and the influence of ecotourism benefits on local people’s support for the conservation of Xuan Son National Park, Phu Tho Province, Vietnam. Xuan Son National Park is also a tourism destination, that is not far from Hanoi capital, where eco-tourism is increasingly popular and local attitudes toward conservation and protected area tourism have not been researched. This research was based on a primary survey and secondary data collection. There were two methods that were applied for primary-data collection, and they were household surveys and observations. The results revealed positive attitudes toward tourism and conservation (67.8%), and it is also recognized that the park is essential for local tourism (91%). There was a significant difference between those dependent upon tourism and those not, and those dependent upon tourism were likely to have positive attitudes (t19.348 = -2.425, p<0.05). Overall, this study revealed that benefits from eco-tourism have positive impacts on conservation attitudes.

Marriage and Family in Putin’s Russia: State Ideology and the Discourse of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) presents itself as a defender of traditional Christian values. Among these values, representatives of the ROC mention concern for marriage and family. To what extent is the position of the ROC an expression of commitment to the traditional Christian concept of marriage and family? In this article, we analyse the contemporary Orthodox discourse in Russia since Kirill Gundyayev became the Patriarch of Moscow in 2009. From a political science and security studies perspective, we highlight the main ideological elements of this discourse. We contrast these elements with similar content in Russian official documents and Vladimir Putin’s statements. An analysis of what the ROC says about the problems and protection of marriage and family in Russia, against the background of Putin’s statements and the actions of the state authorities, shows that the ROC’s discourse on marriage and family echoes the main themes of the political discourse controlled by the state authorities. In its understanding of marriage and in its efforts on behalf of the family, the ROC represents a conservative doctrinal position. Although, in doctrinal terms, it essentially expresses the traditional Christian teaching on marriage, the strong ideologisation and securitisation of demographic issues in Russia are also reflected in church discourse.