Contemporary Meaning Research Articles

Peculiarities of criminal liability provided for collaborative activities

The article examines the peculiarities of criminal liability for collaboration activities in Ukraine as one of the key challenges to national security amidst the ongoing armed aggression of the Russian Federation. It analyzes the grounds for introducing relevant legislative norms, particularly Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (CCU), and their significance in combating collaborationism. The study outlines issues associated with the application of these norms, especially in distinguishing criminal acts from behaviors aimed at survival by citizens in temporarily occupied territories (TOT). The article provides a historical overview of the term “collaborationism” and its contemporary meaning. It emphasizes that collaboration activities encompass various forms, such as public denial of aggression, cooperation with occupation authorities, organizing unlawful elections or referenda, and participating in propaganda activities. However, the lack of a clear definition of this term in the CCU complicates its practical application. Statistical data underscore the relevance of the issue: since the introduction of Article 111-1, over 8,000 cases have been registered. Nevertheless, the high conviction rate and absence of acquittals raise concerns about adherence to principles of justice and human rights. The study also discusses observations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighting the insufficient clarity of the article’s provisions, which may lead to arbitrary enforcement. The authors propose improving criminal legislation through the following measures: Introducing a clear definition of collaborationism into the CCU. Clarifying the provisions of Article 111-1 in line with international standards. Ensuring legal differentiation between criminal offenses and actions related to survival. Harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with international humanitarian law. These changes are expected to enhance the effectiveness of combating collaborationism while maintaining a balance between punishing offenders and protecting the rights of citizens in TOT.

K problematice stejnopohlavních vztahů: Manželství a partnerství

The article is based on the differentiation between marriage as the institutional dimension and partnership as the relational dimension of an intimate relation of two people. While marriage is a historically changing and multiform social institution, an intimate partnership is a phenomenon permanently present in the history. Based on the modern deeper understanding of human nature including homosexuality as an “other normal”, the article shows that the category of partnership can and should be opened to same-sex relations as well. These – as any other intimate relationships – cannot be reduced to sexual dimension only. And precisely therefore, it is not possible to apply any biblical mentions of same-sex intercourse to this debate, because the biblical testimonies do not know homosexuality in the contemporary meaning and speak only about same-sex intercourse without any relational framing. From the perspective of today’s responsible theological stance, there is thus no argument that would hinder to support the same-sex relations and their formal institutional framing also by the churches.

“Differentiation is Sometimes a Hit and Miss”. Educator Perceptions of Differentiated Instruction in the Higher Education Sector

AbstractDifferentiated instruction is an effective means of addressing student diversity, and is increasingly being adopted by educators within the higher education sector. However, the global pandemic and changes to content delivery have altered the educational landscape. Hybridised delivery has resulted in the need for more innovative and contemporary means of accommodating student diversity, to suit both in-situ and remote learning platforms. Additionally, increasing student diversity in higher education has prompted a rethinking of how to accommodate student variance. This qualitative study sought to gauge the views of four educators, who were faced with hybridisation of content delivery during the global pandemic. Led by an overarching objective of ascertaining educator perceptions, responses and attitudes toward differentiated instruction, the study utilised four in-depth case studies to reflect on the implementation of differentiated instruction in the higher education sector. Results from this qualitative analysis yielded the view that time constraints, the coverage of prescribed content and increasing student diversity continue to act as barriers to authentic differentiation. While all showcased educators embraced the underlying philosophy of differentiating instruction to suit student needs, many were hampered by administrative duties which compromised their time and effort with regard to differentiation.

Algologies: an artistic exploration of the entangled relationship between seaweed, women and science through a BioArt methodology

ABSTRACT This paper describes the “Algologies” project, an art project about seaweed exploring the entangled relationships between seaweed, women and science. The project was created in 2021, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, through the Living Coast Art Residency awarded by Fabrica Gallery and The Living Coast UNESCO World Biosphere and the coastline to the East of Brighton. The project plays with the Victorian word algology which used to mean the study of seaweed and its contemporary meaning as the study and medical treatment of pain and highlights the calming nature of the coastal environment during a time of collective global trauma. The “Algologies” project drew links between Victorian seaweed collectors, the use of seaweed-based agar jelly in contemporary biology, and seaweed growth as a barometer of climate change and the environment as well as a strategy for carbon capture. The transdisciplinary project fused fine art, performance and BioArt techniques with biohacking and DIY science, as well as digital technologies and resulted in a series of outputs including a public sculpture. Central to “Algologies” was the examination of the historical role of women in seaweed collection and scientific observation. In Victorian Britain, where patriarchal norms prevailed, women were often relegated to domestic roles but found opportunities for scientific engagement through activities like seaweed collecting. Figures such as Mary Philadelphia Merrifield and Anna Atkins emerged as pioneers in the study of seaweed, making significant contributions to botanical research and early photographic techniques. Notably, the project highlighted the pivotal role of Angelina (Lina) Fannie Hesse in suggesting the use of seaweed-derived agar in microbiology, a contribution that continues to impact scientific practices today. Beyond historical perspectives, “Algologies” addresses contemporary issues such as climate change and invasive species of seaweed and how the public can be engaged in these topics through art. The paper concludes by discussing the potential of seaweed for carbon capture and its role as a barometer of environmental health, as well as its use biotechnology

A Study on the Contemporary Meaning of Social Disorganization Factors: Focusing on Violent Crimes in Seoul

A Study on the Contemporary Meaning of Social Disorganization Factors: Focusing on Violent Crimes in Seoul

Etnolingwistyka historyczna – Słownik mitologii polskiej Jana Karłowicza

The article discusses the ethnolinguistic aspect of the work of Jan Karłowicz. Karłowicz is known primarily as an editor and author of three dictionaries and editor of the monthly Wisła. Karłowicz’s strictly ethnolinguistic work is Słownik mitologii polskiej [Dictionary of Polish Mythology], discovered in 2017, which belongs to historical ethnolinguistics. The author relies largely on: 1) cultural relics; 2) the belief that rural communities are a more primitive evolutionary stage in the development of a nation than the nobility and bourgeoisie; 3) comparative research aimed at identifying what is ancient in Polish mythology; 4) an understanding of the term mythology that is different from its contemporary meaning. The aim of such research is to show the complexity of the Polish view of the world and of humans against the general Slavic and even much broader background.

Engagement of Qur'anic Sciences

This article aims to observe the substantive contact between the concept of al-manṭūq wa al-mafhūm in uṣūl al-fiqh and the three functions of Gracia’s hermeneutics. This article focuses on elaborating both conceptions substantively and applying them to some verses of the Qur’an to understand the rendezvous of both concepts, particularly in the interpretative sphere. This article uses both semantic and interpretative approaches in order to analyze the objects. Based on this result, it is found that there is a substantive contact between both conceptions. Firstly, both conceptions are used to determine the original meaning of the text; the uṣūl al-fiqh employs the term of al-ma'nā al-manṭūq, while Gracia’s hermeneutics uses the “historical function.” Secondly, both conceptions can also be used to produce new contemporary meanings; the uṣūl al-fiqh utilizes the term of al-ma'nā al-mafhūm, while Gracia’s hermeneutics employs the “meaning function.” Third, a certain response must be made to the contemporary meaning. In this regard, the uṣūl al-fiqh stipulates this in the process of istinbāṭ al-ḥukm, while Gracia’s hermeneutics calls this as the “implicative function.”

Bureaucratic and benign? The violent continuum of Home Office reporting in the UK

The border, the body, immigration reporting centres, and detention facilities, the violence of border regimes operates across these sites through a continuum, successively steering migrants towards subjugation, destitution and removal. Adopting a feminist framing of violence, which attends to the inherent interconnectedness between different sites and scales of violence, this paper focuses on immigration reporting to examine how its sites and practices enact various forms of violence over migrant bodies. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with asylum-seekers in Bristol and Salford, I argue that a host of spatiotemporal practices produce various forms of violence which become intimately inflicted and experienced, and yet which are inextricably tethered to the foundational logics of sovereign state politics. How reporting sites and processes function reflect the contemporary means through which violence is both imposed and concealed on those who have been categorised as ‘unwanted’ by the state.

<em>Je Suis Pas Tatamisé</em>: Five Spectrums of Variation in the Narratives of 20 Aikido Experts Worldwide in 2020

This qualitative study delved into the contemporary meaning of aikido through 20 expert interviews conducted in 2020. The interviewees were purposively selected and the analysis of the interview data identified five spectrum themes. (1) The spectrum of aikido practice ranges from soft to tough training style. (2) The aikido motivation spectrum moves from self-defence to self-transformation. (3) The spectrum of aikido in society shows the different social contexts in which aikido is practised. (4) The spectrum of tangible values reveals the various material aspects of Japanese culture that experts adopt. Finally, (5) the spectrum of intangible values shows how experts perceive the immaterial significance of aikido differently. While the answers of the experts varied, the analysis revealed similarities and differences that prove aikido is a worldwide phenomenon with unique experiences. The study concludes that the five spectrums of variation add to the discourse against simplifying aikido or other martial arts.

Higher Education: Innovation and Practices

The term "innovation" describes any new modification to a method or service. Under innovation, some new concepts or technological advancements are included. Innovation is accepted as a response to the fresh demands and needs of the current situation. Thus, it can be said that Innovation in its contemporary meaning is "a unique ideas, critical thinking and novel imaginations in form of techniques or methods". Technology and science ought to permeate every aspect of education and engage students in hands-on learning. In light of that, it is now acknowledged that innovation in education is important. Innovation is very important for the teacher, the learner and the teaching-learning process. There are many techniques and methods through which the teaching-learning process can be made more interesting and effective. This paper will throw light on new innovative methods, their relevance in education and the quality of teachers for innovative teaching.

Of tuna, godzilla, and the Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon # 5): nuclear entanglements, a ‘way-sign to peace’, and shifting heritage engagements

ABSTRACT A narrative of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon #5), a Japanese fishing vessel constructed in 1947, is presented to reveal how popular experience and storying connected with the vessel have oscillated amid and are interwoven across the everyday, the unusual, and the extraordinary. The multiple historical and contemporary meanings (inclusive of relations with the global anti-nuclear peace movement), personal/global associations, and institutional care connected with the vessel are used to illustrate the degrees of heritagisation to which the object has been subject and the complexities of fixing heritage significance within dynamic socio-political contexts. By attending to changing relations over 67 years across local and global events and activities, the story of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru works to critique a binary of top-down (authorised, legitimate, official) versus bottom-up (popular, from below, unofficial) processes, practices, and heritage approaches. The making, unmaking, and remaking of the vessel as heritage is a story of entangled official and unofficial heritage work characterised by a futures orientation – specifically the continuous demand for global peace free from nuclear weapons – and a value regime that has been and continues to be open and multiple.

Reflections on a communication journey into professionalism and organizing

Abstract Much research in the field of communication studies has evidenced a ‘performative turn’ in how it views professionalism, professionals, and the professions. This special issue, Opening up the meanings of ‘the professional’, professional organizations, and professionalism in communication studies, documents this process and lays out a research agenda in and from communication studies that can inform scholarship on professionalism and organizing. In addition to mapping out and contextualizing the multiple, contested meanings of professionalism, particularly in novel or ‘non-standard’ contexts, it shows how workers enact, negotiate, reify, and resist the meanings of professionalism in both aspirational and exclusionary ways. When we shift the focus from professional experts (and the institutional apparatus that protects their status, autonomy, and authority) to expertise, as Ashcraft suggests in her contribution to this special issue, scholarly analysis needs to account for an entire network of actors, ideas, instruments, and forms of organizing that allow for successful—or failed—performances of expertise and understand that those performances rest on economies of difference. Economies of difference are distinctions among the sorts of work, workers, and working that wield political power in that they implicate social structures and dictate how specialized expertise is and can be deployed and recognized. Economies of difference create and benefit from inequities. The articles in this special issue offer empirical and conceptual windows into the contested and messy performance of professionalism, how it serves as a resource for some and a constraint for others, and how its contemporary meaning is potentially disrupted.

The Problem of Denominational Identity of Churches in Modern Protestantism

This article examines the history of denominationalism – the division of Protestantism into a multitude of independent religious associations, freely competing with each other. This approach to typologising religious associations, initially adopted for Protestant communities within the United States, has become a global phenomenon. Since the early 1980s, there has been a vigorous debate in the sociology of religion about the contemporary meaning of denominations. There is a growing number of independent churches that do not wish to be associated with any of the Protestant denominations; megachurches are leaving denominations or trying not to emphasise their affiliation with any particular denomination; some megachurches and church organisations are growing into a transdenominational evangelical movement with worldwide influence. The article is based on an analysis of the work of sociologists of religion on the issue of denominationalism in Protestant organizations, ranging from Richard Niebuhr to researchers drawing on contemporary statistical data. The existing congregations that emphasize their denominational identity, none of them exist in a denominational isolated cocoon any more – worship practices and music, missional objectives and educational resources can be adopted from other non-denominational churches and trans-denominational evangelical movements. The very concepts of megachurch, independent church, and evangelical movement can be viewed as separate denominations. Using these terms, members of a congregation identify themselves as holding certain beliefs and engaging in certain practices in common with others around the world. The trend toward the emergence of independent churches is part of the new course of Protestantism – post-denominational Protestantism.

Pragmatism as basis of the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems and practices in the Philippine K-12 Indigenous Peoples Education Program: Problematizing and ways forward

I interrogate the Philippine Indigenous Peoples Education’s operational construct of culture to explicate its indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP) integration into the K-12 curriculum. Pragmatism as a philosophical framework mainly guides the argument in this paper. In the first part, I introduce the old and contemporary meanings of culture and point out flaws in the IKSP integration. Literature backing the essence of IKSP integration into the school curriculum dominated by the Western knowledge system is discussed in the second part, followed by a discussion on culture and indigeneity that nuance further the IKSP integration in public education. The Philippine Indigenous Peoples Education is presented next, highlighting its definition of IPs, focus areas, support systems, and recent developments, ending with a critique. Analysis and discussion follow. The paper concludes with a challenge, especially for the education sectors, to reframe their lenses at looking at culture to build authentic relationships with indigenous communities and provide indigenous learners with an education that is need-based and culture-sensitive, one that respects their worldviews, knowledge systems, heritages, and identities, one that is truly liberating. Providing IPs an education responsive to the changing society can help them achieve a real sense of self-determination for social progress.

The Survival Of British Monarchy: Transition From Absolute Monarchy To Constitutional Monarchy

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the British monarchy has come under scrutiny, sparking debates about its role in the British government, the future of the Royal family, and the potential transition to a republican system. This article aims to contribute to these discussions by examining the position of the constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom and making a case for its continued existence in the near future.
 
 To accomplish this, the paper will delve into the unique transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in the UK, illustrating how today's British monarchy has evolved within the bounds of law and democracy. Subsequently, the article will explore the concept of the British Constitutional Monarchy during its early stages, providing a foundation for understanding its contemporary meaning and significance and how it differs from the past. Finally, the article will assess the current position and role of the British monarch, considering their functions, powers, impartiality, and accountability. By doing so, the article aims to demonstrate that the constitutional monarchy within the British constitution poses no significant threat to the country; instead, it offers several benefits, particularly its unifying role.

Eco-fascism: an oxymoron? Far-right nationalism, history, and the climate emergency

Can we conceive of a continuity in the way right-wing nationalisms address environmental issues from the origins of fascism to the currently ongoing global “polycrisis”? This article explores the use of the term “eco-fascism” in connection with the climate crisis and considers the political relationship between ecologism and the contemporary far right through a historical perspective, seeking to determine persisting patterns in the relationship between the far right and the environment. Section 1 travels back to the historical origins of this relationship between nationalism, fascism and the environment, arguing that the conceptions of nature adopted and nourished by fascism had scarcely anything to do with ecology in its contemporary meaning. Section 2 explores the most well-known and consolidated studies on the relationship between the far right and climate change denialism, identifying a broad consensus that unites scholars from various disciplines on the density, intensity and persistence of this political relationship in the current millennium. The article concludes by underlining the irreality, falsifiability and internal contradictions of the notion of “eco-fascism” at a time when right-wing regimes have seized power in many countries through the use of vocabularies and sentiments in defense of the territory and its resources, but with a substantial refusal to tackle global environmental problems.

Electrical Engineering and its Aspects in the Modern Concept of Technical Education

This paper focuses on some aspects in the concept of teaching electrical engineering in technical education. It is presented the issues of possible approaches and tools allowing to implement the teaching of electrical engineering in a demonstrative and entertaining way using contemporary means based on digital technologies. In this framework, the possibilities of motivating students are also presented and some findings from selected scientific papers, domestic and foreign research are also summarized.
 The introductory part presents the issues related to the definition of subject or subject didactics of electrical engineering as a prerequisite for successful teaching by teachers. The next part is devoted to a research investigation focused on the application of new approaches to teaching electrical engineering in school practice, the possibility of linking virtual or augmented reality in a demonstrative approach to teaching, the use of online applications to solve electrical engineering problems and thus linking the practical form of electrical engineering with the theory presented in the classroom with the support of digital technologies.
 The conclusion then summarizes the possibilities associated with the teaching of electrical engineering and the search for new paths that are common to both students preparing for the teaching profession and the students who will one day be guided by these teachers through the secrets of electrical engineering as one of the most important fields of human activity.

The acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine among patients with Parkinson’s disease: A hospital survey

ObjectiveThe efficacy of medications for Parkinson’s disease (PD) tend to decline over time, which has a serious impact on patients’ health and quality of life. To some extent, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can resolve the distressing problem of ineffective dopaminergic medication in PD patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude, acceptance, and independent predictors of TCM in PD patients admitted to the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital. MethodsA cross-sectional study of PD patients was conducted in the outpatient department of a large tertiary hospital in Beijing from March 2022 to June 2023. A self-report questionnaire was developed to investigate PD patients’ attitudes and acceptance of TCM based on the questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were also performed to further clarify the independent predictors influencing patients’ adoption of TCM therapy. ResultsA total of 397 patients completed the questionnaire, of which 78.09% were willing to be treated with TCM and 21.91% indicated that they were not willing to use TCM. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that several parameters were correlated with a patient’s willingness to include TCM in their therapeutic regime. These included education level of a bachelor’s degree (odds ratio [OR) = 8.554; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.112–17.794; P < 0.001, vs junior high school education), living in an urban setting (OR = 8.022; 95% CI: 4.577–14.060; P < 0.001, vs rural), having other underlying diseases (OR = 5.126; 95% CI: 3.078–8.537; P < 0.001, vs none), having previously used TCM (OR = 3.083; 95% CI: 1.852–5.134; P < 0.001, vs not used), believing that TCM therapy is safe (OR = 3.530; 95% CI: 1.446–8.616; P = 0.006, vs not thought), believing that TCM therapy is effective (OR = 3.859; 95% CI: 1.482–10.047; P = 0.006, vs not understood), and being willing to discuss ongoing TCM therapy with an attending physician (OR = 62.468; 95% CI: 30.350–128.574; P < 0.001, vs not informed). ConclusionThis study initially investigated the acceptance, attitude, and independent predictors of TCM use among PD patients. To expand the prevalence of TCM use among patients with PD, we recommend to broadening the public outreach for TCM via contemporary means of Internet and broadcast communication, enhancing access to TCM services in rural communities, and strengthening the communication between doctors and patients.Please cite this article as: Wang P, Hong J, Tang ZQ, Gong BZ, Qi XR, Jiang H, Pan B, Chen Q. The acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine among patients with Parkinson’s disease: A hospital survey. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(2): 180–187.

Contemporary meaning of caste discrimination in Indian universities: a constructivist grounded theory

Contemporary meaning of caste discrimination in Indian universities: a constructivist grounded theory

A person‐centred view of citizen participation in civic crowdfunding platforms: A mixed‐methods study of civic backers

AbstractCrowdfunding platforms have emerged as a promising contemporary means for mobilising collective civic actions to address local or social issues, improve community cohesion and develop the public good. This empirical study taps into the understudied civic crowdfunding platforms (CCP) developed to facilitate such actions, proposing, supporting and funding public‐interest projects through crowdsourcing and microfinancing. Previous studies have shown that individuals' characteristics affect their level of civic engagement with social issues. Considering the diversity of contributor motivations, we aim to shed light on the dynamics of emergent subpopulations of citizens who participate in CCPs. To this end, we use a sequential mixed‐methods approach to integrate our fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) findings with the results of an in‐depth qualitative study, to gain rich and robust inferences and meta‐inferences. In Study 1 (n = 316), we used fsQCA to explore five distinctive configural profiles that display the heterogeneity of civic backers' motivations, including civic champions, prosocial advocates, normative supporters, reward seekers and regret‐averse contributors. In Study 2, we corroborated and complemented our fsQCA inferences through an extreme‐case study and identified four boundary conditions. Taken together, our inferences and meta‐inferences address the heterogeneity of motivations for participating in CCPs, by understanding and theorising about diverse profiles of citizen backers. Finally, we offer practical implications for successful civic crowdfunding initiatives.