Contemporary Work Research Articles

Imagining the End of Official Social Work: Thinking Beyond the Possible and Probable

Abstract This article seeks to critically engage Chris Maylea’s 2020 provocative call to end official social work by suggesting that the debate it sparked has the potential to expand the contemporary social work discourse. This article explores the complexities and potential dangers of Maylea’s radical call, particularly its susceptibility to co-option by neo-conservative agendas. Whilst the idea of calling for the end of official social work may seem absurd, the article maintains that it might serve as an intellectual tool to overcome the ‘imaginary inertia’ that arguably plagues discussions about reforming the profession. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of ‘episteme’ and Gaston Bachelard’s ‘categories of the real’, it suggests that Maylea’s call for abolition challenges the established boundaries of what is considered possible and probable in the critical social work discourse. This might open new avenues that might otherwise remain invisible to reimagine the future of the profession. Consequently, it is posited that imagining the end of official social work may align with and expand opposing calls for reformation of the profession.

A short review on deciphering Vyadhikshamatva: insights from HLA-B27-ankylosing spondylitis relation.

Various aspects of the concept of Vyadhikshamatva have been thoroughly explored, highlighting its profound significance in resisting disease manifestation, particularly in the context of Ankylosing spondylitis. Investigated the relationship between HLA-B27 and Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by examining current knowledge and hypotheses Furthermore, efforts were made to portray the influence of prakruti (constitution) and balam (strength) on disease manifestation and progression. Ayurvedic literature along with contemporary research works was analyzed for correlating various aspects like vyadhikshamatva,oja (The final essence of all body elements), and balam along with their influence on the defensive mechanism of the body. A thorough literature search was conducted to explore the strong association between HLA-B27 and AS by examining various hypotheses like the Arthritogenic peptide hypothesis, the Misfolding hypothesis, the Surface Homodimer hypothesis, and the β2 microglobulin hypothesis that attempts to explain the pathogenic role of HLA-B27 in AS. Alongside classical Ayurvedic texts, databases like PubMed and Scopus were searched using keywords such as Immunity, Ankylosing spondylitis, Vyadhikshamatva, HLA-B27, Balam, and Autoimmune disorder with the help of Boolean operators. The review highlighted the critical role of Vyadhikshamatva in disease prevention, particularly in influencing the manifestation of conditions like AS despite genetic predisposition (HLA-B27). Further, the understanding of the Ayurvedic concepts can clearly explain the conflict that has arisen in the determination of the positive HLAB27 gene in Ankylosing Spondylitis as a definite diagnosing criteria. This comprehensive understanding will uplift the need for personalized medicine in disease management. Further research must be needed to understand the interaction between genetic factors (HLAb27), individual constitution, and their vyadikshamatva.

A MeanShift-guided oversampling with self-adaptive sizes for imbalanced data classification

The imbalanced data classification has gained popularity in machine learning research domain due to its prevalence in numerous applications and its difficulty. However, the majority of contemporary work primarily focuses on addressing between-class imbalance issues. Previous researches have shown that combined with other elements, such as within-class imbalance, small sample size and the presence of small disjuncts, the imbalanced data significantly increase the difficulties for the traditional classifiers to learn. Therefore, we propose a novel MeanShift-guided oversampling with self-adaptive sizes for imbalanced data classification. The proposed MeanShift-guided oversampling technique can simultaneously consider the distribution of minority class and majority class within the sphere with the current minority instance as its center, which can favor addressing small sample size and avoiding overlapping issues often caused by the nearest neighbor (NN)-based oversampling techniques. The incorporation of random vector and flexible cut-off mechanism for vector length can enhance the diversity among the generated synthetic minority instances and avoid overlapping, which makes it suitable for small sample size and small disjuncts problems. To address between-class and within-class imbalance issues, we also introduce a self-adaptive sizes assignment strategy for each minority instance to be oversampled, where the assigned size is inversely proportional to its density and its distance from the majority class. In addition to eliminating within-class imbalance, the strategy can ensure that the informative border minority instances have more opportunities to be oversampled, thus improving classification performance. Extensive experimental results on some datasets with different distributions and imbalance ratios show the proposed algorithm outperforms other compared ones with significant difference.

Synthesis of Fused [1,2,3]-Triazoloheteroarenes via Intramolecular Azo Annulation of N-Tosylhydrazones Catalyzed by 1,8-Diaza-bicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene.

The structural diversity of triazoloheteroarenes render this moiety an attractive synthon for drug discovery, C-H functionalization, and complexant design for minor actinide separations. While contemporary work has demonstrated the capacity to leverage downstream functional group interconversion of the triazolopyridine, a broadly applicable method tolerant of diverse heteroaryl constructs and pendant functionality to obtain triazoloheteroarenes remains under reported. In this work, the serendipitous discovery of a metal, azide, and oxidant free transformation of various heteroaryl N-tosylhydrazones of carbaldehydes and ketones to the corresponding [1,2,3]-triazoloheteroarene via intramolecular azo annulation using a substoichiometric amount of 1,8-diaza-bicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene is described. These results substantively improve upon previous approaches offering efficient access to the described heterocycles. Discovery of reaction conditions, method optimization, complexant, pyridine, and heteroarene substrate scope, as well as relevant scale-up reactions are reported herein.

Examining the Contemporary Worker and the Workplace From a Leadership-as-Practice Perspective: A HRD Opportunity

In this article the author uses the lens of leadership-as-practice (L-A-P) to analyze the concerns of the worker in the contemporary workplace and proposes both new insights and potential remediations through a post-humanistic leadership centered on practice. L-A-P is designed to probe underneath the accepted or “natural” human resource practices to uncover the power dynamics in the workplace that have led to challenges to the worker in the form of burnout, lack of autonomy, and detachment. After introducing the practice approach to the workplace, the paper interrogates the potential value of leadership being viewed as a collaborative agency constituting changes in the trajectory of prefigured work practices that can have affirmative consequences via its ethical and critical approach to human resource development.

How does response to work communication impact employees’ collaborative performance? A view of the social connectivity paradox

Contemporary digital work practices increasingly necessitate prompt responses by employees to work-related communication. The impact of employees’ response behavior to work communication (RBWC) on collaborative performance remains underexplored. To address this gap, we propose a theoretical model integrating the theories of person-environment fit, social support, and conservation of resources. RBWC is conceptualized as the degree of communication response (in)congruence, representing the (mis)fit between rapid response expectations and the employee's ability to respond rapidly. We investigate the diverse effects of various states of response congruence on collaborative performance, mediated by the social connectivity paradox manifested as social support and social overload, while grounding this work on social support theory. The results from surveying 268 professionals and employing polynomial regression and surface response analysis demonstrate that different response congruence states significantly influence the social connectivity paradox and subsequently impact collaborative performance. Social support mediates the relationship between response congruence and collaborative performance, while social overload mediates the linear association between response ability and collaborative performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Avatars and organizational knowledge sharing

We study how organizational knowledge sharing behavior is affected by avatar use during computer-mediated communication (CMC) with an unknown co-worker. Experimental results from two ethnically different samples provide theory-consistent evidence that outgroup discrimination—manifested as refusal to share knowledge—can get magnified in the ‘virtual world’ when avatars are used for self-representation. In supplemental analysis, we use eye-tracking data to provide preliminary evidence for behavioral differences—in terms of gaze fixation—when knowledge sharing requests accompanied by avatar profiles as opposed to photo profiles are processed and further explore how individuals' choice of using avatars vs. photographs for their online profile affects their co-workers' perception. Our study contributes to understanding cooperative organizational behavior in the virtual space. Managing cooperative organizational behavior in the virtual space is becoming increasingly important as digital work further penetrates contemporary work arrangements.

Innovative Approaches in Social Work Education: Exploring Strategies to Enhance Learning and Practice Preparation

This paper explores innovative approaches to teaching in social work education aimed at enhancing both learning outcomes and practice preparation. Drawing upon a review of current literature and best practices in pedagogy, this study examines various strategies that have been implemented to enrich the educational experience for social work students. The article begins by outlining the challenges faced in traditional social work education models and underscores the need for creative teaching methodologies to better equip students for the complexities of contemporary social work practice. It then delves into several innovative approaches, including experiential learning techniques, technology integration, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement initiatives. Each approach is examined in terms of its potential benefits and challenges, as well as its applicability to different learning environments and student populations

Deep Learning for Plant Disease Detection and Classification: A Systematic Analysis and Review

Detection and classification of leaf and crop diseases in a traditional way is a very laborious task as it involves a significant amount of physical work, huge expert manpower, and valuable time. Automatic systems are more accurate and require less time, labor, and physical work. Artificial intelligence and deep learning-based systems can help in the rapid detection and classification of plant leaf and crop diseases as they occur and help to reduce the hostile effects of disease on food security and the economy. In this systematic and state-of-the-art review, an in-depth study was performed to find and assess the use of different deep learning methods in leaf disease detection and classification. In this study, we exhaustively reviewed contemporary research work on leaf and plant disease detection and classification using deep learning methods performed by several researchers worldwide. Various deep-learning techniques with intermediate steps, public datasets, types of diseases detected and classified, types of plants used, performance metrics used to evaluate models, and achieved results are summarized. Finally, various challenges encountered in using deep learning methods were summarized along with some guidelines that will be helpful for future researchers in this area.

Contemporary Censorship Debates in Germany

During the past five years the cultural world in Germany has been shaken and divided by a series of controversies involving contemporary works of art charged with being anti-Semitic. Obviously, with the Holocaust continuing to occupy a major position in modern German consciousness and history, sensitivity to anti-Semitic expressions is particularly keen here. This sensitivity has been increased by a number of recent developments, including the growing visibility of far-right political groups, the rise of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) protesting Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and the official politicization of these tensions by a parliamentary ruling in 2015 restricting the activities of the BDS. The conflict between legitimate criticism of policies of the Israeli state and legitimate censorship of ethnically offensive material has recently become increasingly bitter in Germany. This article discusses the dynamics of three of the most significant recent examples: the conflict involving Germany’s most prestigious arts festival, the Kassell documenta in 2020; the withdrawal in 2022 of the European Drama Award, the continent’s largest award, from British dramatist Caryl Churchill; and the withdrawal from the Munich stage of the most recent play by Wajdi Mouawad, who has been widely heralded in Germany as the most significant contemporary dramatist.

Psychological Approach in the Interpretation of 20th Century Kazakh Postmodern Literature.

The aim of the study is to analyse contemporary postmodern literary works of Kazakhstan through the conceptual prism of Freudian and Jungian psychoanalysis. To achieve research goals, the following methods were used: axiomatic, content analysis, and comparative. The results of the study determined that contemporary Kazakh writers characterise a large field of motives and ideas that are revealed through text, symbols, and characters. Strong tools for their interpretation were the psychological approaches of Freud and Jung, which are the standards of psychoanalysis and have their own specific features of semantic content. Content analysis of postmodern materials has established that Kazakh stories trace the motives of mythology, religion, relationships and inner spiritual development, which consider the mental differences of the heroes of the storylines. During the psychoanalysis of the works, it was emphasised that postmodernism in the literature of Kazakhstan reflects the rejection of absolute truths, blurring the boundaries between genres, playing with traditional forms and content. Many of the characters in the stories are experiencing an identity crisis, which has been analysed through the Freudian triad and Jung's archetypal images. Kazakh literature, being woven into the cultural and historical heritage of the nation, reflects the features of mentality, socio-cultural transformations, identity and spiritual quest of heroes.

Treatment organization of disabled veterans with mental illnesses in the post-war years (1945–1950) (based on the materials of the Tambov Psychiatric Hospital)

Importance. Studying the treatment features of participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, who were in regional psychiatric hospitals, allows not only to clarify the levels of medical care for such military veterans, but also to evaluate the results of public health organization in the postwar years through the prism of Soviet psychiatry development in the 20th century, as well as the results of medical care for war veterans. A detailed study of the situation of disabled veterans in psychiatric clinics in the post-war period is very useful, which will clarify many little-studied aspects not only of the history of medicine, but also of the development of interpersonal, group, and regional relations in socialist society.Research Methods. The methodological features of the study of the stated problems are based on the author’s concept of involving the works of contemporaries, primarily specialists in the field of psychiatry, practitioners of the Tambov region, as well as the actual case histories and anamnesis of mental illness. Materials from state and party archives of the Tambov region and memoirs of contemporaries were used, many of which were introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.Results and Discussion. In fact, patients of psychiatric hospitals in the post-war period received almost the entire necessary complex of therapeutic and preventive procedures and rehabilitation measures. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the post-war devastation, lack of food, clothing, and a number of medicines seriously complicated the capabilities of medical organizations, which often did not have the necessary resources to fully organize the treatment of war veterans suffering from mental illness. In addition, there are often problems with heating, the supply of necessary equipment and supplies for the psychiatric hospital, which left an imprint on practical health care at the regional level. Nevertheless, Tambov psychiatrists used the full range of medical procedures and medicines available to them, both traditional and new, which gave a tangible therapeutic effect. It is important to note that in the post-war years there is a complete rejection of the elements of “punitive” psychiatry due to the cessation of placing patients in isolation, as well as wet wraps. In addition, the use of intensive treatment methods required coordination with the chief physician.Conclusion. The results of the study of the problem made it possible to assess these processes, viewed through the prism of the development of regional health care, to identify trends in the development of Soviet psychiatry in the first post-war decade. The development of an outpatient network for the provision of medical care to war invalids suffering from mental disorders and diseases is clarified. The assessment of the placement of military veterans in labor unions, enterprises and homes for the disabled is given. It is concluded that, in general, regional psychiatry has shown its capacity and effectiveness in terms of treatment and rehabilitation of military invalids who had mental illnesses.

The History and Future of Ceramic Sculpture: From Ancient Clay Figures to Modern 3D Printing

This research aims to examine the history and future of ceramic sculpture, evaluating the development of this significant art form. It observes the role and evolving face of ceramic sculpture art from ancient times to the present, discussing its potential in the future. In ancient times, people used ceramic sculptures to express their religious and mythological beliefs. Civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire reflected their beliefs and cultures through ceramic sculptures. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, artisans produced ceramic sculptures to enhance the aesthetic and religious aspects of churches' interior decoration. The sculptures from these periods stood out for their traditional craftsmanship and handmade techniques. With the onset of the modern era, technological advancements have fundamentally transformed ceramic sculpture art. Artists have observed diversity and change in the artistic expressions of ceramic sculptures as they address societal, political, and environmental issues, creating new and contemporary works. The relationship between ceramic art and technology has continued to grow, especially with the recent advancements in 3D printing technology, which provide artists with greater creative freedom and allow for the creation of more complex forms and details in sculptures. While ceramic sculpture art remains an essential part of our cultural heritage, artists will continue to shape the thoughts and societal consciousness of people through ceramic sculptures in the future. As a form of art that has evolved throughout history, ceramic sculpture art will persist in representing the creativity and freedom of expression of artists, enhancing the artistic experiences of individuals with the conveniences brought about by technology.

Contemporary Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Fantasy Universe

Harry Potter is considered a fantasy literature series written by J.K. Rowling, comprising seven books, with the first released in 1997. It narrates the life of an orphan boy who loses his parents at one year old, victim of a dark wizard’s deeds. This research delves into the elements that have contributed to Harry Potter’s status as a contemporary cultural icon in the fantasy world. It conducts a literary examination of the Series as a notable contemporary fantasy work, particularly significant in the two decades before this paper. The study analyzes critical aspects like settings, characters, plot, themes, narrative structure, and language to understand the widespread acclaim of Rowling’s creation. The results indicate various factors behind the series’ contemporary success, such as the development of engaging events and the impact of technological progress in the contemporary era on enhancing the success of J.K. Rowling’s work.

Interacting Barriers: How Barriers Compound Across Levels of Analysis to Affect Teams

Collaboration remains a central aspect of contemporary work and a source of emergent barriers that hinder team success. Scholarship has identified the breadth of barriers teams can face when working together and recognizes barriers as interdependent. This paper builds on this scholarship to address the types of relationships barriers can have as they interact across levels of analysis to affect teams. We draw on qualitative interview data with scientific teams to explore relationships among barriers stemming from teams’ internal processes and context. We identify common relationship patterns among barriers that can be used as a framework for analyzing complex, multi-level barrier systems affecting team outcomes. Our data highlight the importance of considering longitudinal, strategic support for targeting cross-barrier interactions when seeking to intervene in collaborations. This framework has practical application in supporting teams and creating policies that support collaborative work.

“Should I Introduce myself?”: Asynchronous semi-guided professional introductions for enhanced perceived team effectiveness in new virtual dyadic teams

Achieving effective collaboration and trust has been shown to be harder for virtual vs. in-person teams. Related work has confirmed that introductions are a key mechanism to form trust in newly-formed teams. The rise of remote work necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for accelerating the development of effective collaboration in virtual teams. In response to this need, based on the research around introductions and trust in team settings, we have developed a novel approach for virtual introductions. This is what we term as asynchronous, semi-guided, professional introductions. Participants pre-record an introduction that uses a set of professionally-focused questions and watch these introductions prior to the meeting. Our study examines the impact of these introductions on virtual teams in three conditions: video, text, and no introduction. In this study, we used the Team Diagnostic Survey post-task completion to assess team effectiveness and interpersonal processes of 28 dyads. Thematic coding was used to collect dyads’ experience and engagement. The introduction conditions demonstrated significantly improved collaboration, effectiveness, and engagement amongst participants. Notably, the video condition was particularly well-received by participants and resulted in higher levels of engagement and effectiveness compared to the text and no introduction conditions. Ultimately, the use of these introductions led to a marked increase in trust and collaboration amongst participants. We reflect on the effects of this finding in the mainstream and propose further research to support newly-formed virtual dyadic teams to increase team effectiveness. This study contributes to the existing literature by introducing a novel asynchronous, semi-guided approach to virtual dyadic team introductions, offering insights crucial for contemporary remote work dynamics.

Invisible Iterations: How Formal and Informal Organization Shape Knowledge Networks for Coordination

AbstractThis study takes a network approach to investigate coordination among knowledge workers as grounded in both formal and informal organization. We first derive hypotheses regarding patterns of knowledge‐sharing relationships by which workers pass on and exchange tacit and codified knowledge within and across organizational hierarchies to address the challenges that underpin contemporary knowledge work. We use survey data and apply exponential random graph models to test our hypotheses. We then extend the quantitative network analysis with insights from qualitative interviews and demonstrate that the identified knowledge‐sharing patterns are the micro‐foundational traces of collective coordination resulting from two underlying coordination mechanisms which we label ‘invisible iterations’ and ‘bringing in the big guns’. These mechanisms and, by extension, the associated knowledge‐sharing patterns enable knowledge workers to perform in a setting that is characterized by complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. Our research contributes to theory on the interplay between formal and informal organization for coordination by showing how self‐directed, informal action is supported by the formal organizational hierarchy. In doing so, it also extends understanding of the role that hierarchy plays for knowledge‐intensive work. Finally, it establishes the collective need to coordinate work as a previously overlooked driver of knowledge network relationships and network patterns.

Prahara Digital Labor dalam Bingkai Penafsiran Logika Waktu Pendek dan Kapitalisme Luwes

<p align="justify"><em>When the COVID-19 pandemic gradually subsided, digital disruption was considered a game changer for today's work, such as work from home (WFH). The prevalence of digital disruption in contemporary work has triggered the birth of a digital labor class, which broadly impacts intra- and inter-organizational communication, especially in dealing with work-related risks in an increasingly insecure labor market. In a macro context like this, digital labor within neoliberal higher education institutions became an interesting phenomenon, especially given the worsening conditions of intellectual workers and changes in academic behavior and practices. A recent study showed many practices violating academic integrity in Indonesian higher education institutions, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, improper claims of authorship, contract-cheating, and other violations of professional codes of ethics. To address these problems, the author employed a critical method of the political economy of communication and the sociology of work to analyze 'short-time logic' as an operational mechanism in flexible capitalism, commoditizing workers' time by blurring the boundaries between productive and leisure time and turning the illusion of worker autonomy into a 'sustained contestation.' The 'short time logic' of flexible capitalism deformed intellectual workers in higher education in Indonesia into digital labor because they were constantly conditioned to produce intellectual products with highly competitive metrics but lacking reflection and meaningfulness, which sharpened the gaps in competency-based inequalities and created a new hierarchy of social classes in higher education. </em><strong></strong></p>

How do micro-placements in industry within an initial teachers’ training programme contribute towards bridging the gap between education and employment?

ABSTRACT The complex interplay between labour market needs and education poses significant challenges to the teaching profession, frequently criticised for its perceived inadequacy in addressing contemporary work – life dynamics and professional practices. In response to these challenges, the ‘Micro-Placements’ initiative was introduced in an initial teacher training programme in Malta, aimed at providing student teachers with practical exposure to different industries. This study reports on an evaluation conducted within a higher education institution, utilising a responsive approach alongside the RUFDATA evaluation framework to observe the value-added of having micro-placements in a programme that enables students to become teachers. Through qualitative analysis, this study underscores the value of micro-placements in enriching pedagogical practices by enabling teachers to integrate diverse workplace experiences, thereby fostering the development of skills essential for active citizenship among students. The findings advocate for the integration of micro-placements into initial teacher training programmes and for their incorporation into continuous professional development initiatives for educators.

What is ‘freelance feminism’?

This article introduces the concept of ‘freelance feminism’: a term we use to highlight how a combination of casualised precarious labour and platformised entrepreneurialism constitute a key terrain through which contemporary feminist work is enacted. The article proposes that this term can be a way to understand new formations and constellations of activity which are being shaped in the intersections between precarity, feminism and entrepreneurialism. How, in what ways, and with what consequences are feminist activism and platformised entrepreneurialism becoming entwined? How are new forms of self-promotion, self-branding and precarity shaping feminist cultures? Are entrepreneurial projects more broadly taking on feminist forms and, if so, how can we understand their politics? To explore these issues, the article examines in turn (1) neoliberal, short-term, precarious labour in the cultural industries and its exacerbation during the pandemic, (2) contemporary entrepreneurial ‘platformisation’ and (3) the increased visibility of feminism in contemporary popular culture. It concludes by introducing the range of articles in the special issue.