Deep Desire Research Articles

Widening the Horizon of the Phenomenon of Infertility with Clarity and Compassionate Accompaniment

Infertility is a global health issue affecting many in the recent population. Struggling with infertility is a great burden for couples who have a deep desire to live out their vocation to welcome the gift of children from God. Many treatment options offer real hope for the infertile couple. Still, some treatment procedures pose serious moral problems by failing to respect the dignity of life and the dignity of marital relationships. Here needs a compassionate accompaniment to infertile couples with clear guidance and help them to approach infertility in a way that protects the dignity of the human person and respects God’s divine plan for their vocation to assume spiritual parenthood.

‘Ofer eall wifa cyn’: Cultivating Female Agency in David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest and Cynewulf’s Juliana

ABSTRACT David Foster Wallace situates “Infinite Jest” within the tradition of English literary history by mirroring the narrative of Hamlet. This literary-historical grounding intensifies the critical allure of Wallace’s reference to Old English by way of Cynewulf’s “Juliana.” I contend that, in “Infinite Jest,” Joelle van Dyne’s struggle for an independent identity can be read as a parallel to Juliana’s cultivation of an autonomous self through social defiance. For both women, their struggles for autonomy are marked by continued reliance on male figures: Joelle must socially and psychologically maneuver male relationships in order to fashion a sense of independence; similarly, Juliana attempts to construct a strong identity founded on her Christian faith, but this is potentially undercut by her reliance on a specifically male God. The women’s narratives are distinguished by their successes rather than their failures, which are reinforced through tropological elements of Old English exile. The duality between Joelle and Juliana highlights Wallace’s attempt to depict the perpetuation of historical gender roles, while the self-consciousness of his postmodern prose indicates his deep desire to grapple with the social issues that not only pervade literature today but have been woven into the fabric of English literary and social history.

“Three-Quarters of an Hour to Consume Everything”: Dorian Gray and Commodified Aesthetics

This paper examines the commodification of aesthetics in Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). The novel is most extensively investigated within the artistic context employed, where Wilde’s approach to art, aesthetics and beauty is regarded as surviving on a transcendental ground. Indeed, despite his identity as a decadent of fin de siècle Britain, and his depreciating critique of the middle and working class for their material pursuits, Wilde gets conceptually closer to the capitalist stream of consumption. The novel ostensibly highlights aestheticism, and hence, art living for its sake on the lines of the manner Wilde launches himself to the world of artistry and literature, particularly through the characters of Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry. However, the deep desire to experience artistic pleasure and beauty, as illustrated mainly by Dorian, gets along very well with, and ends up as, the British materialist pursuit. Dorian’s initial position as the embodiment of beauty degenerates due to the same dynamic of beauty commodifying itself, and so, the others implementing it. The very commodities where aesthetic pleasure is sought commodify the aesthete. Wilde's use of ornamental and decorative elements, Dorian’s search for eternal youth, and the whole structuration of aestheticism in the novel necessitate a political reading of the text, calling for the recognition of colonial, material and modernist platform the narrative deeply bases itself on.

Carving to excise, carving to create: Conversations on creating and sustaining safe spaces in higher education

AbstractIn this piece, we grapple with the conditions of creating and sustaining liberatory, healing spaces connected to higher education, delivering our analysis through a fictive podcast format. We present three different scenes authored by undergraduates, tied together by common, intersecting threads of both struggle and resistance, community in/as healing amidst layered crises and traumas, and deep desires for universities to fulfill their potential as learning spaces of safety, structural critique and connection. We consider our individual and collective roles as faculty and program directors in these institutional settings, and the conditions that help and hinder opportunities for students to co‐construct or live into liberatory spaces. We also consider the threats to the sustainability and viability of these initiatives, as well as the disproportionate impact on minoritized students, staff, and faculty. These learnings are in line with research that highlights the importance of students' sense of safety and belonging, the role of student agency, and perspectives that position educators through the lens of accompaniment.

Bridging the divide: Exploring the disconnect between micro and macro practice and implications for BSW field education

The social work profession addresses wellbeing at individual levels, or the micro, as well as structural and systemic levels, the macro. By addressing the micro and macro, social workers work towards social justice for individuals and communities to create structural systemic change. Yet, there is an increasing focus on micro and clinical-focused content in social work education. This focus creates various challenges when social work students are placed in macro-focused field education placements. A study into the experiences of Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students, field instructors, and faculty liaisons considered the experiences of participants in their involvement of macro-level field education. The study found two emerging themes: macro-level practice is undervalued and underrepresented in the BSW curriculum, and yet at the same time there exists a deep desire for more understanding and integration of macro social work in social work education and field education. Implications for social work education, regulation, and the profession are also considered.

Nonresident fathers' seeking continuity in relationships with their children: Commitment, personal change, and reliance on others

AbstractObjectiveTo explore intrinsic and extrinsic factors that help nonresident fathers' continuing relationships with their children.BackgroundResearch on nonresident fathers tends to focus on rates or trajectories of contact and the perspectives or experiences of children or others and highlights significant barriers to development and maintenance of relationships between nonresident fathers and their children. What helps the growth and development of nonresident fathers' relationships with their children are less well understood and less frequently researched. This research sought to fill the gap in the literature of what is known that helps nonresident fathers maintain meaningful relationships with their children.MethodA qualitative research approach was chosen using thematic analysis of semistructured, in‐depth interviews. Recruitment was via social media and community sites targeting nonresident fathers after divorce.ResultsParticipants highlighted deep commitment to ongoing fathering and a deep desire for meaningful relationships with children. The experience of divorce had a highly negative impact, but some positives emerged that enhanced their relationship. Significant others played contingent roles helping participants improve their relationships with their children.ConclusionContinuity of relationships with children was the direct result of participants' actions to remain involved and their ongoing commitment to their children through strong and unwavering fatherhood role salience. These factors, together with actions for self‐improvement, managing change, and fostering cooperative relationships with relevant others, helped fathers maintain positive engagement and relationships with their children.ImplicationsThe nonresident fathers in this study relied on their own initiatives, resilience, and resources to remain engaged with their children. Policies and programs should respond to and encourage the development of policies and programs that help nonresident fathers' relationships with children in practical and meaningful ways.

Semantic Instability and Philosophical Pessimism: Reading ‘De Profundis’ and <em>Finnegans Wake</em> with Schopenhauer

The following article explores Oscar Wilde’s and James Joyce’s different approaches to language. To offer a new perspective on the authors’ distinct approaches to words and syntax, I incorporate the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer that connects the deficiencies of established languages with the somber realization that the world is beyond understanding. Schopenhauer maintains that despite our deep desire to understand actuality, the only knowledge afforded to humans is mediated by the senses and filtered by subjective perception. The idea of a futile pursuit of knowledge is central to the pessimistic underpinnings of Schopenhauer’s philosophy, offering a lens through which to examine the divergent perspectives on language and human experience in ‘De Profundis’ and in Finnegans Wake. Among the numerous allusions to Wilde in the Wake, one can find direct references to Wilde’s particular way of reading Queensbury’s note by imposing an intelligible word (‘sodomite’) upon a misspelling (‘somdomite’). These allusions provide, on the level of plot and through linguistic experimentations, commentary on the contingency of words and grammatical structures, and the impossibility of absolute and objective knowledge. I conclude that the non-representational features of the Wake emphasizing the material properties of letters more than the denotations of words align with Schopenhauer’s pessimistic vision by hindering the search for knowledge, while offering an aesthetic delight that, in a Schopenhauerian fashion, affords a respite from the sufferings of existence.

Reproductive coercion and abuse in intimate relationships: Women's perceptions of perpetrator motivations.

Reproductive coercion and abuse is a hidden and poorly recognised form of violence against women. It refers broadly to behaviours that interfere with or undermine a person's reproductive autonomy, specifically to promote or prevent pregnancy. Reproductive coercion and abuse can involve physical, sexual, financial or psychological abuse in order to achieve these aims, and is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women. As an emerging field of scholarship, conceptual understanding of reproductive coercion and abuse is still in its infancy; however, it is often described as being linked to coercive control. In this article, we seek to highlight the complexity of this relationship through qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 30 victim/survivors in Australia recruited from the community, focusing on their perceptions of the perpetrator's motivations. We developed four themes from our analysis: 1) His needs came first; 2) The illusion of a perfect father; 3) Creating a weapon of control; and 4) My body was his. Perceived perpetrator motivations ranged from entitlement and self-interest to a deep desire for domination and entrapment. Pregnancy preventing behaviour was more likely to be linked with entitlement and self-interest, whereas pregnancy promoting behaviour tended to be described by participants in relationships where there was a broader pattern of ongoing control and entrapment. Thus, we suggest that coercive control is a motivating factor for some, but not all men who perpetrate reproductive coercion and abuse. A greater understanding perpetrator motivations may be important for practitioners, particularly those working in sexual and reproductive health services, since it could be relevant to women's level of risk for coercive controlling behaviour or more extreme forms of physical or sexual violence.

Generation Z’s philanthropic engagement in the United States agrofood sector: Perceptions, motivations, and intentions

This phenomenological study was conducted to ascertain Generation Z's attitudes and perspectives regarding agrofood philanthropy. To effectively engage the upcoming generation as philanthropists, it is necessary to determine how they define philanthropy, what motivates them to give, how they have already participated in philanthropic efforts, and their intentions towards future philanthropy. After interviewing participants, it was found that they were driven by a deep desire to connect with others. Donating time to agricultural, food-focused, or rural-serving organizations allowed them to fulfill that desire, resulting in deep organizational commitment and desire to donate time in the future as a means of community integration. Recommendations for future research include a greater balance of gender perspectives and exploring other philanthropic sectors. Recommendations for practice include providing social opportunities and community to engage Generation Z, surfacing the impact of the organization that aligns with their values, and maintaining a robust online presence.

Saudi women STEM pioneers: penetrating the mud ceiling.

Although researchers actively study women's experiences in STEM fields, few do so from women's perspective. We thematically analyzed life narrative semi-structured interview data (46-item open-ended instrument, 90-120 Min) from eight STEM pioneering Saudi Arabian women careerists (mathematics, medicine, and biology) (convenience sample summer 2023). The objective was to glean their insights to discern self-reported influences (internal and external), struggles, and challenges in launching and advancing their careers. The extremely accomplished participants (all married, most with children) averaged age 65+, had 40+ years of experience and came from the three largest Saudi provinces. Important factors influencing choosing STEM included personality traits (e.g., deep desire to academically succeed; problem focused); secondary school peer/academic learning experiences; and male family member support, especially fathers. Struggles and challenges (often viewed as opportunities) included the mud (not glass) ceiling; male colleagues' harsh, prejudiced treatment; and unsupportive administration. Participants were research driven and willing to relocate, re-educate, and change direction to establish and advance their careers. Implications for future research and policy initiatives are woven into the discussion and recommendations.

The past as a prologue: aspirations for the future portrayed in Chinese vernacular miniature monuments

ABSTRACT Whether to look to the past is a perennial dilemma, as the past evokes both terror and pleasure. Focusing on miniature monuments built for ancestors in the context of pre-modern China, this study reveals that while the peak period of production of miniature monuments occurred during the Han dynasty, the miniature monument building practice can be traced to living cases today. This paper highlights a phenomenon, a vision of the future imagined by descendants was integrated into a dialogue with the past through the agency of symbolic representations of buildings constructed for the deceased. Architecture, in this sense, acted as a facilitator of difficult communication with the deceased and conveyed profound desires that people strongly embraced but could not articulate. Such desires and dreams may not be accommodated in reality, but constructing miniature monuments in honour of ancestors reiterates that architecture is a spiritual home for brave imaginations and deep desires of people.

Efficacy of Mindfulness based Psycho-Spiritual Intervention Program for Clergy in Myanmar

Spirituality appears to be important aspect in pursuing happiness for religious people. They believe that spirituality is a way through which their deepest desires are met by connecting with God, the transcendent (Corwin, 2014). As a result, religious people generally believe that dedicating their lives to God in the love and service of His people is the way to pursue happiness (Mudge, 2021). The purpose of this study was to develop and implement an adjunct therapeutic intervention for clergy who are low in their spiritual health and psychological health. The researcher developed a Mindful based Psycho-Spiritual Intervention Program integrating theories of cognitive, mindfulness and meaning management and coined a name as “MiPSIP”. The program intended to improve spiritual health and psychological health among the clergy in Myanmar. The study used true experimental research method, and pre-test post-test group design. This study was conducted in two phases: the first phase was the development of the intervention and the second phase was the experimental validation of the intervention. This intervention was subjected to expert validation. The result of the study shows a significant improvement of spiritual well-being and psychological well-being among clergy. The data obtained from the administration of the pre-test and post-test scores of SHALOM, PWBS and the personal data sheet were analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics. Frequency and percentage were used to come with a presentation of the demographic profile of the participants. The pretest and post-test scores of the experimental group indicated significant differences as the results of frequency and percentage of participants on psychological well- being shows that 92% of novice clergy and 96% of senior priests reported high overall spiritual well-being. The result revealed that MiPSIP was effective in improving spiritual health and psychological health of clergy.

THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP HUMILITY IN THE AI ERA

AbstractThe author, who among other things is the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, a professor of business psychology at University College London and at Columbia University, writes about the normalization of narcissism in an age of AI/artificial intelligence, and what this means for leadership and society as a whole. He also discusses the disinformation that can come about with generative AI, which “can be easily trained to produce anything we would normally produce, in our style, automating our opinions and thoughts.” Yet this a complicated, nuanced situation: “Humans have always displayed a deep desire for appreciation, which is not just responsible for much of the vanity and entitlement in the world, but also civilization and progress.” He continues that, “whatever you think of cathedrals, symphonies, and hundred‐year‐old corporations, they are rarely the product of pure narcissism, but rather a watered‐down version of it, diluted with hard work and competence, including leadership talent.” He notes the importance of humility, especially in “personal risk management. The less you are dishonest with yourself about your own talents, the more likely you will be to avoid unnecessary risks, mistakes, and failure. Only people who overestimate their abilities go to critical job interviews, client presentations, and academic exams ill‐prepared.”

A Study of the Narrative Method and Philosophical Core of Suspense Films - A Case Study of the Practice Suspense Short Film Symmetrical Composition

The tone of suspense films is one of suspense, with a greater focus on breaking stereotypes in artistic production and viewing modes than in the genre in general. This paper focuses on the description and analysis of the short suspense film Symmetrical Composition in terms of both its presentation and its content. On this basis, it focuses on the prominent element of dreams in suspense films and analyses the deep subconscious and desires of human beings contained in dreams in depth. It also uses narrative theory to examine how suspense films can use the idea and mechanism of the dream world to construct more exciting suspense stories. On the other hand, it draws on cognitive construct theory to point out the cognitive difficulties of dream narratives in suspense films, and how techniques such as story lines, logical narratives and detailed cues can be used to make the films exciting to watch without confusing the audience. The paper concludes with a summary of the practical experience of suspense films on how dream narratives are presented and their reference value for academic research.

Social Life Reflected in Folk Songs Sung in Tribal Communities

Each caste has its own suitable folklore and it reflects its unique culture. The folk literature of a people with a rich culture, a rich tradition, a strong, stable and virtuous people is also rich. So on the contrary, various elements are found mixed in the folk literature of people who migrated, changed with time and circumstances. A folk song is a medium in which people can describe many aspects of their daily life, from trivial details to household personal matters, social customs, deep desires and emotions etc. Everything that is expressed in the mood of the mind can be found in folk songs. That is why a whole culture comes alive from the sum of all of them.

Rooms to Live In: An Architect’s Recollections

ABSTRACT Our homes are our unwritten autobiographies, the places to which we are most emotionally attached. As such, our houses should be as unique as we are, satisfying our deepest desires and enriching our lives in our specific time and place. The purpose of this essay was to determine what factors, both physical and emotional, make it possible to design such unique houses for ourselves. For an architect-designed home, what information must be discovered and revealed to the architect to achieve this goal? The author discusses the process he employed over 40 years of designing houses that their owners loved and cherished, beginning with having clients remember and analyze their favorite childhood places. He suggests that “only a detailed, intimate, and uniquely specific description will tender a unique house,” and that “the most valuable guide to what makes you comfortable” – more than photos, magazine clippings, or thousands of links to shelter websites – is the memory of that special childhood place. Determining what made that place so special, he concludes, is the beginning of our journey toward a new home that is as unique as we are.

British Ornithologists Union: Janet Kear Union Medal

British Ornithologists Union: Janet Kear Union Medal

The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community

The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community

Towards a Realized Eschatology: Paul Farmer as Good Samaritan

Paul Farmer dedicated his life to making the fruits of modern medicine available to the poorest people in the world. Working untiringly for over four decades, his groundbreaking model and successful outcomes were widely recognized and respected. An often-asked question is what motivated Dr. Farmer’s unfailing commitment to the poor people he so lovingly served. This chapter explores the ways in which the Christian narrative and the Pascal mystery grounded Farmer’s religious and moral imagination and guided his life and work. Deeply influenced by the parable of the Good Samaritan and the Corporal Works of Mercy, this chapter describes Farmer’s eschatological vision and his deep desire to bring about the Kingdom of God in the here and now.

Ethics and the impossibility of the consent form: Ethnography in a Danish nursing home

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a nursing home in northern Denmark, this article addresses challenges experienced in putting formal ethics requirements into practice. We consider how to unite procedural ethics with actual, lived ethics, when researching with vulnerable participants who live with a cognitively impairing condition. The article centers on the story of one resident, who wanted to share her experiences with what she had perceived as inadequate care, but who baulked once the wordy consent form was produced. The resident panicked that her words could now be used against her, that talking with the researcher would (further) compromise her care. She was caught in a bind, on the one hand she had a deep desire to tell her story, on the other the piece of paper in her hand threatened to trigger her anxiety and depression. In this article we therefore approach the consent form as an agent. By mapping out these unintended consequences of the consent form, we wish to draw attention to the complexities of ethical research conduct in practice, ultimately arguing that the concept of appropriate informed consent should be broadened so that it is sensitive to the lifeworld of participants.