Dangerous World Research Articles

Cull, Nicholas (2024) Reputational Security. Refocusing Public Diplomacy for a Dangerous World. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Cull, Nicholas (2024) Reputational Security. Refocusing Public Diplomacy for a Dangerous World. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Associations Between Perceived Threats and Firearm Behaviors Among U.S. Adults

IntroductionThe number of US adults who own and carry a firearm for self-defense is rising. Research has established that owning or carrying a firearm increases the risk of injury and death for firearm owners and the people in their lives. The present study sought to better understand this paradox by estimating associations of perceived specific and diffuse threats with firearm behaviors among US adults. MethodsThe team used data from the 2023 National Firearm Attitudes and Behaviors Study, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of US adults. Binary and ordinal logistic regression estimated associations of perceived specific (fear of attack in the community, fear of someone breaking into the home) and diffuse threats (belief in a dangerous world) with firearm ownership and carriage frequency, overall and stratified by gender. Adjusted models controlled for violence exposures and demographic characteristics. The team conducted analyses in 2024. ResultsAmong all US adults, the perceived specific threat of someone breaking into the home was associated with firearm ownership (aORs: 1.09[0.98, 1.23]). Among firearm-owning adults, the diffuse threat of belief in a dangerous world was associated with firearm carriage frequency (1.11[0.98, 1.25]). Both associations persisted among men (aORs=1.27[1.05-1.52] and 1.15[1.01-1.31], respectively), and analyses found no associations between perceived threats and firearm behaviors among women. ConclusionsPerceived threats are associated with firearm behaviors among US men, even after accounting for the actual violence they report experiencing or witnessing.

Honor Endorsement and Increased Firearm Purchasing Behavior and Intentions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The surge in firearm sales from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have been linked to increases in firearm violence, which is of public concern given that having firearms in one's home is associated with increased risk for domestic violence and suicide. Consistent with pre-pandemic trends, individuals tended to purchase firearms for self-protection during COVID-19. Prior work indicates that protective firearm ownership is motivated not only by perceptions that the world (and one's local environment) is dangerous, but also by one's endorsement of masculinity norms found in U.S. cultures of honor (primarily southern and western states). Honor-based masculinity norms emphasis reputation defense, toughness, and an absolute intolerance of disrespect. The present research examined the relative motivating influences of various threat perceptions and masculine honor endorsement in predicting reasons for non-COVID-19 firearm ownership, firearm purchasing during COVID-19, and purchase intentions. Three separate samples (total N = 2483) of mostly White U.S. men completed online surveys during different months of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed measures of their endorsement of masculine honor norms, factors associated with firearm purchasing (e.g., dangerous world beliefs, intolerance of uncertainty), and firearm purchasing behaviors. Results indicated that masculine honor endorsement was higher among (1) protective firearm owners compared to non-owners and non-protective owners, (2) firearm owners who purchased a firearm during COVID-19 compared to non-owners and non-purchasing owners, and (3) firearm owners with intentions to purchase firearms in the next year compared to those without intentions and undecided owners. Relative to other predictors (e.g., COVID-19 concerns, dangerous world beliefs), masculine honor endorsement was consistently the strongest predictor of these outcomes. Findings add to the literature by highlighting the strength of masculine honor endorsement in motivating (protective) firearm ownership. Implications for interpersonal violence and suicide are discussed.

TURKISH ADAPTATION OF THE PERCEPTION OF ANOMIE SCALE: PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES, VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

Anomie describes a situation in which society does not meet individuals' expectations and does not offer moral standards and a just and reasonable social context. Perceived anomie is related to numerous psychological variables, such as political decisions and self-esteem. This study aims to adapt and assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Perception of Anomie Scale. The sample consisted of 332 participants (189 women) aged between 18-66. For convergent validity we used Group Integration Scale and Belief in a Dangerous World Scale, for discriminant validity we used General Belief in a Just World Scale and Social Dominance Orientation Scale, for predictive validity we used Life Satisfaction Scale and Importance of Identity Scale. The results demonstrated the structural validity of the scale and presented adequate evidence for the measurement validity of the Turkish version of the Perception of Anomie Scale.

Passion for guns and beliefs in a dangerous world: An examination of defensive gun ownership.

This research examines the notion of defensive gun ownership using the Dualistic Model of Passion. We hypothesized that an obsessive (vs. harmonious) passion for guns would be associated with a belief in a dangerous world (BDW). We expected this relationship to intensify in threatening contexts, leading to a more expansive view on defensive gun ownership. We tested this hypothesis across three threat contexts: a gun-control message (Study 1, N = 342), a live shooting simulation (Study 2, N = 398), and the aftermath of the Christchurch mass shootings (Study 3, N = 314). In the experimental Study 1, exposure to a gun-control message increased the intention to purchase guns among those with an obsessive passion (OP) for guns. Study 2 revealed that BDW mediated the relationship between OP and assertive modes of protection, the desire to purchase high-stopping-power guns, and anti-Black racial bias in a shooting task. Study 3 showed that knowledge of the Christchurch attack intensified the link between OP and BDW, leading to increased support for gun access, a willingness to act as a citizen-protector, and prejudice against Muslims. Comprehending these dynamics can assist policymakers in crafting messaging campaigns for firearm regulation and public safety measures that are more effective.

Why Americans increasingly claim to own guns for self-protection: A modern culture of social-psychological threat defense

This article addresses two questions: (a) why do Americans believe that they need guns to defend themselves and their families and (b) why has the number of Americans who share this belief increased dramatically in recent decades? To address the first question, we describe a model of defensive gun ownership that assumes that Americans’ perceived need of a gun for self-defense is not only determined by their perceived lifetime risk of being assaulted (PLRA), but also by some diffuse belief in a dangerous world (BDW). In attempting to identify the dangerous world feared by high BDW gun owners, we review evidence that gun ownership is often associated with racial prejudice and concerns about groups that are stereotypically associated with safety threats (e.g., Black Americans, illegal immigrants). We identified three environmental changes that might exacerbate social threat perceptions: the proliferation of intergroup threat narratives such as the great replacement theory (that White Americans will be replaced by non-White minorities), the COVID-19 pandemic, and a change in the way the American gun industry advertises their products (praising the quality of their guns to emphasize the usefulness of guns for self-defense).

Parkinson's Disease: An Unknown World of Danger

Parkinson’s Disease is a very common disease, not only in the United States but also in the entire world. Many people are known to be affected by this disease, and just as many do not know the true extent of the disease. With the commonality of the disease, it’s vital that individuals are knowledgeable about this disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological disorder that causes individuals affected to lose their control for movement, causing tremors throughout the face and body. This review article thoroughly examines the causes and symptoms of this disease, discusses treatments that could be provided to a suffering patient, and previews the cure that is hoped to be released in the future.

Protecting Social Workers as Human Rights Defenders in a Dangerous World

Protecting Social Workers as Human Rights Defenders in a Dangerous World

EGZISTENCIALIZMO FILOSOFIJOS POVEIKIS VYTAUTO MAČERNIO KŪRYBAI

The article analyses briefly the poetry of the Lithuanian poet Vytautas Mačernis, and especially the influence of Existentialist philosophy on his work. Authors such as Soren Kierkegaard, Karl Jaspers, Martin Heidegger, and the influence of their thought on this author, are touched on. Mačernis searched in philosophy for answers to questions that constantly arose for him about the meaning of his existence in this world, purifying true values. He believed that in this way he could find the answer to how to remain human in a constantly changing and dangerous world. That is how he found God and Christian values, love of country, and patriotism. He was moved by the dialectic of life and death, the opposition of good and evil, and the majesty of human life. The poet believed firmly in eternal life, that death does not end a person’s existence: it only changes, not ceases. Mačernis was constantly looking for truth and answers to questions of human existence, feeling that his life was temporary, and that he needed to hurry if he wanted to live meaningfully.

An Age of Wars? Article Two. What Is to Be Done

The extremely dangerous world of the next two decades requires that Russia adjust its foreign and defense policy. This policy should be based on the “Fortress Russia” concept: maximum possible sovereignty, independence, autonomy, and security, with a focus on intensive internal development. Russia must be intelligently open to beneficial economic, scientific, cultural, and informational cooperation with friendly countries of the World Majority. However, openness is not an end in itself, but rather a means to ensure internal material and spiritual development.

Hostility vs. Reluctance: Implication of Nuclear Posture Adoption towards India's Bilateral Relations with Pakistan and China

This paper examines India's different nuclear posture adoption toward Pakistan and China. India has been developing its nuclear weapons to ensure its survival amidst ongoing tensions with Pakistan and China. However, India's relationship with China tends to be cooperative, while Pakistan tends to be conflictual. Theoretically, the mutual accumulation of nuclear power will increase tension and further deteriorate bilateral relations. Through posture optimization theory and Jervis' four worlds, this article qualitatively compares the two cases and its implication for their bilateral relations. The result shows that India's adoption of an assured retaliation posture that directly deters Pakistan affects their relationship to be hostile and leaves no possibilities for cooperation. On the contrary, the existence of the United States as India's strategic partner made China reluctant to be aggressive and opt for diplomatic settlements with India. India-Pakistani relations dynamics reflect Jervis's doubly dangerous world, while Sino-Indian relations reflect the second world unaffected by the accumulation of power, although there is an intense security dilemma. Keywords: India; Pakistan; China; Nuclear Posture; Nuclear Policy

Who bought a gun during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States?: Associations with QAnon beliefs, right-wing political attitudes, intimate partner violence, antisocial behavior, suicidality, and mental health and substance use problems.

There was a large spike in gun purchases and gun violence during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. We used an online U.S. national survey (N = 1036) to examine the characteristics of people who purchased a gun between March 2020 and October 2021 (n = 103) and compared them to non-gun owners (n = 763) and people who own a gun but did not purchase a gun during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 170). Compared to non-gun owners, pandemic gun buyers were younger and more likely to be male, White race, and to affiliate with the Republican party. Compared to non-gun owners and pre-pandemic gun owners, pandemic gun buyers exhibited extreme elevations on a constellation of political (QAnon beliefs, pro-gun attitudes, Christian Nationalism, approval of former President Donald Trump, anti-vax beliefs, COVID-19 skepticism; mean Cohen's d = 1.15), behavioral (intimate partner violence, antisocial behavior; mean d = 1.38), mental health (suicidality, depression, anxiety, substance use; mean d = 1.21), and personality (desire for power, belief in a dangerous world, low agreeableness, low conscientiousness; mean d = 0.95) characteristics. In contrast, pre-pandemic gun owners only endorsed more pro-gun attitudes (d = 0.67), lower approval of President Joe Biden (d = -0.41) and were more likely to be male and affiliate with the Republican party relative to non-gun owners. Pandemic gun buyers represent an extreme group in terms of political and psychological characteristics including several risk-factors for violence and self-harm.

Eastward of Good Hope: Early America in a Dangerous World

Eastward of Good Hope: Early America in a Dangerous World

THE IMPORTANCE OF A TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO PROVIDING IDEOLOGICAL SECURITY

In today's dangerous world, in the conditions of intensifying ideological struggles for the possession of people's hearts and minds, dangers appear in various forms. Understanding and preventing them in time is becoming the most important goal. Such a disaster, which can cause irreparable damage, cannot stand idly by, making it an urgent task to actively fight against it by using all possible means, and to use a technological approach to ideological security. This article describes the same processes and threats features, emerging problems and what factors need to be taken into account in combating them.

Medical student perspectives on substance misuse education in the medical undergraduate programme: a grounded theory approach

BackgroundSubstance misuse teaching within the undergraduate medical curriculum has been underrepresented compared to more traditional medical topics. In response several national curriculum reviews such as the most recent UK department of health initiative (DOH) have identified deficiencies in substance misuse education and have suggested curriculum interventions for local faculties to implement. The student perspective however has largely been muted during this process and this study aims to explore this using a constructivist grounded theory approach.MethodsEleven final year and intercalating medical students across three separate focus groups participated in this study over a three-month period commencing from March 2018. Time between the audio recorded focus groups allowed for a parallel process of data collection and analysis into more focussed codes and categories to occur, consistent with the grounded theory approach. The qualitative study took place in a single medical school in the UK.ResultsMedical students had a common consensus that substance misuse education was an underperforming subject in their curriculum, from limited teaching hours to curriculum design and organisational problems. Students identified an alternative curriculum is required to not only prepare students for their future clinical duties but also their own personal lives. Students highlighted this proximity to a ‘dangerous world’ where exposure to substance misuse risks were faced daily. This exposure also provided a source of informal learning experiences which students deemed as being potentially unbalanced and even dangerous. Students also identified unique barriers to curriculum change with reference to a lack of openness due to the impacts of disclosure in substance misuse.ConclusionLarge scale curriculum initiatives appear to correspond to the student voice obtained in this study, providing backing for the implementation of a co-ordinated substance misuse curriculum within medical schools. The student voice however provides an alternative lens by outlining how substance misuse pervades into students’ lives and how informal learning is a largely underestimated hidden source of learning with more dangers than benefits. This together with the identification of further barriers to curriculum change, provide space for medical faculties to incorporate and work with students to facilitate local level curriculum changes relating to substance misuse education.

Big Tree by Brian Selznick

Reviewed by: Big Tree by Brian Selznick April Spisak Selznick, Brian Big Tree; written and illus. by Brian Selznick. Scholastic, 2023 [528p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781338180633 $32.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 5-7 Louise and her brother, Merwin, never expected to be apart from their mom so young—they are still quite small Sycamore seeds when a fire leaves them alone in a giant and dangerous world. This world is full of terrors even if you aren’t a little seed, but for them water and wind can be risky, not to mention the dinosaurs and volcanoes. Louise is optimistic, trusting that her vibes will get her where she is destined to grow. Merwin is far more skeptical and fearful, but their love and mutual respect for each other lasts through separations, harrowing adventures, and, ultimately, two very different timelines for planting roots and becoming trees. The [End Page 232] story is unrushed, moving at a measured pace that encourages contemplation and patience: nature can be quick and wild, but trees will not be hurried. Selznick’s dedication to dual storytelling through text and hundreds of finely detailed pencil drawings allows for each to progress the plot in succession, creating a balanced and rich book that invites careful reading and poring over illustrations to find all of the connective threads. An author’s note describes how the pandemic derailed this Steven Spielberg idea from becoming a movie and how Selznick then adapted their project into a book. His expressive art that highlights the heart of the story, paired with his keen eye for creating sympathetic and memorable lost children (here he subbed in seeds for the kids) are a powerful combination to bring to this epic quest. Selznick fans will be delighted, and dinosaur fans and nature buffs will likely be just as enthralled. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Is the myth of left-wing authoritarianism itself a myth?

Is left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) closer to a myth or a reality? Twelve studies test the empirical existence and theoretical relevance of LWA. Study 1 reveals that both conservative and liberal Americans identify a large number of left-wing authoritarians in their lives. In Study 2, participants explicitly rate items from a recently-developed LWA measure as valid measurements of authoritarianism. Studies 3-11 show that persons who score high on this same LWA scale possess the traits associated with models of authoritarianism: LWA is positively related to threat sensitivity across multiple areas, including general ecological threats (Study 3), COVID disease threat (Study 4), Belief in a Dangerous World (Study 5), and Trump threat (Study 6). Further, high-LWA persons show more support for restrictive political correctness norms (Study 7), rate African-Americans and Jews more negatively (Studies 8-9), and show more cognitive rigidity (Studies 10 and 11). These effects hold when controlling for political ideology and when looking only within liberals, and further are similar in magnitude to comparable effects for right-wing authoritarianism. Study 12 uses the World Values Survey to provide cross-cultural evidence of Left-Wing Authoritarianism around the globe. Taken in total, this large array of triangulating evidence from 12 studies comprised of over 8,000 participants from the U.S. and over 66,000 participants world-wide strongly suggests that left-wing authoritarianism is much closer to a reality than a myth.

Незащищенность человеческого бытия и темпоральность безопасности в философии Мартина Хайдеггера

The article explores the problem of human vulnerability and the question of temporal security in Martin Heidegger’s philosophy through a historical-philosophical and philosophical-anthropological analysis. The relevance of the topic is determined by the importance of security in the modern world and its philosophical analysis in the context of the philosopher’s work. In contemporary society, there are numerous threats and chal-lenges that can endanger human security, and it is therefore important to understand the philosophical aspects of this problem in order to more effectively combat it. It is important to note that Heidegger approached the problem of security from a unique philosophical perspective, based on his fundamental ontology and theory of time. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the philosophical aspects of security and the interaction between humans and the world as a whole. For Heidegger, security does not mean the absence of risks, but rather the abil-ity to master one’s fears and anxieties and learn to live with them. The philosopher’s works note a complex and multifaceted meaning of the relationship to security. An important condition for solving the problem posed in the article is Heidegger’s exploration of the experience of fear and anxiety in everyday life, which he reveals in “Being and Time” (1927). Here, the philosopher highlights the main feature of human existence, which should be sought not in Being itself, but rather in everyday experiences, among which fear and anxiety are just a few examples. The aim of the article is to show how the concepts of vulnerability, anxiety, and fear regarding security are revealed in Martin Heidegger’s philosophical methodology. Another important aspect considered in the article is the relation¬ship between time and security in fundamental ontology. Temporal concepts such as past, present, and future play a key role in understanding security. For Heidegger, time is not simply a linear sequence of events, but rather a fundamental concept that determines our ability to understand our fears and anxieties. In conclusion, the impor¬tance and necessity of returning to the study of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy are emphasized, and the relevance of his views for contemporary philosophers and other researchers is underlined, as his understanding of human vulnerability and temporal security can help us better understand the complexity and uncertainty of our lives and learn to live in a world of dangers and risks. Finally, studying Heidegger’s philosophy can help in the search for answers to current philosophical questions, such as the relationship between human beings, the world, nature, technology, and science, and ways of overcoming the crisis of modern society.

Social Optimism of Russians in a Crisis: Results of a Longitudinal Study

The article considers the main approaches to the study of social optimism as a socio-psychological phenomenon, highlights its theoretical structure and functions. The results of a longitudinal empirical study conducted among adult Russians (N = 664, six measurements) from March 3 to December 26, 2022 and aimed at identifying the socio-psychological antecedents of the stability of social optimism in the conditions of crisis are presented. It is shown that social optimism is directly related to personal characteristics that underlie the resilience: self-efficacy, perceived control, dispositional optimism, positive reframing and seeking emotional support in a critical situation. The study reveals that perceived control increases the stability of the individual's social optimism in a crisis. The higher the social well-being of the individual, the belief in his ability to contribute to the development of society, the more stable is social optimism. The hypothesis is confirmed that social optimism is enhanced by socio-psychological characteristics that facilitate the consolidation of efforts for a joint response to the challenges of the crisis: civic identity; perceived social support; empathy for others affected by the war; generalized trust; trust in civil society institutions; as well as political self-efficacy, that is, the belief in the ability to influence political decisions made in the country. On the contrary, social optimism is negatively associated with belief in a dangerous world, social cynicism, and a conspiracy worldview. The main contribution to the stability of social optimism is made by collective political self-efficacy, while social cynicism accelerates its decline. The results of the study made it possible to suggest the existence of two complementary mechanisms for maintaining social optimism: through strengthening civic identification and the importance of the collective future for the individual (this role is played by moral foundations of respect for authority, loyalty to one’s group and sanctity) and through empathy and strengthening the importance of mutual assistance in a crisis (under the influence of "individualizing" moral foundations of caring for people and fairness).

Caught in a Dangerous World: Problematic News Consumption and Its Relationship to Mental and Physical Ill-Being

ABSTRACT This study adds to the growing body of literature on problematic media behavior by introducing and explicating the concept of problematic news consumption, which we define as involving transportation, preoccupation, misregulation, underregulation, and interference. Using survey data from a national sample of U.S. adults, we examine the factor structure of a problematic news consumption measure, the existence of latent classes derived from the expected factors, and differences in mental and physical health across the emerging classes. Results show support for the proposed factor structure as well as the existence of four latent classes, which appear to be stratified according to severity of problematic news consumption. Results also show greater mental and physical ill-being among those with higher levels of problematic news consumption compared to those with lower levels, even after controlling for demographics, personality traits, and overall news use. Implications for designing effective media literacy campaigns to raise awareness of the potential for news consumption to develop into a problematic behavior as well as the development of intervention strategies are discussed.