Neutral Definition Research Articles

What is body neutrality and how is it different to existing body image concepts? An analysis of experts and general community responses

There has been considerable recent interest in and reference to body neutrality, despite limited scholarship on differences from existing constructs. Our study examined perceptions of body neutrality in 229 individuals (researchers, clinicians, eating disorder lived experience, general community). Questions explored definitions of body neutrality, its similarity and differences to other concepts, perceived benefits and risks of adopting a body neutrality approach, and ratings on the usefulness of proposed components. Participants defined body neutrality as adopting an accepting, non-judgemental approach to one’s body, de-emphasising the importance of appearance, and viewing the body as a vessel that carries a person through life. Perceived benefits included it being more accessible than existing approaches and a useful coping strategy, while risks were that neutrality can be difficult to adopt in an appearance focused society and that it may prompt an apathetic response to self-care. Body neutrality was rated as conceptually similar to functionality appreciation, body acceptance, and body compassion, and definitions consistent with these terms were rated most favourably. Our findings show how body neutrality is perceived and used by experts and the general community. However, we question whether this conceptualisation is distinct from existing positive body image concepts.

Definition of normal, neutral, deviant and aberrant coronal knee alignment for total knee arthroplasty.

One of the most pertinent questions in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is: what could be considered normal coronal alignment? This study aims to define normal, neutral, deviant and aberrant coronal alignment using large data from a computed tomography (CT)-scan database and previously published phenotypes. Coronal alignment parameters from 11,191 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients were measured based on three dimensional reconstructed CT data using a validated planning software. Based on these measurements, patients' coronal alignment was phenotyped according to the functional knee phenotype concept. These phenotypes represent an alignment variation of the overall hip knee ankle angle (HKA), femoral mechanical angle (FMA) and tibial mechanical angle (TMA). Each phenotype is defined by a specific mean and covers a range of ±1.5° from this mean. Coronal alignment is classified as normal, neutral, deviant and aberrant based on distribution frequency. Mean values and distribution among the phenotypes are presented and compared between two populations (OA patients in this study and non-OA patients from a previously published study). The arithmetic HKA (aHKA), combined normalised data of FMA and TMA, showed that 36.0% of knees were neutral within ±1 SD from the mean in both angles, 44.3% had either a TMA or a FMA within ±1-2 SD (normally aligned), 15.3% of the patients were deviant within ±2-3 SD and only 4.4% of them had an aberrant alignment (±3-4 SD in 3.4% and >4 SD in 1.0% of the patients respectively). However, combining the normalised data of HKA, FMA and TMA, 15.4% of patients were neutral in all three angles, 39.7% were at least normal, 27.7% had at least one deviant angle and 17.2% had at least one aberrant angle. For HKA, the males exhibited 1° varus and females were neutral. For FMA, the females exhibited 0.7° more valgus in mean than males and grew 1.8° per category (males grew 2.1° per category). For TMA, the males exhibited 1.3° more varus than females and both grew 2.3° and 2.4° (females) per category. Normal coronal alignment was 179.2° ± 2.8-5.6° (males) and 180.5 > ± 2.8-5.6° (females) for HKA, 93.1 > ± 2.1-4.2° (males) and 93.8 > ± 1.8-3.6° (females) for FMA and 86.7 > ± 2.3-4.6° (males) and 88 > ± 2.4-4.8° (females) for TMA. This means HKA 6.4 varus or 4.8° valgus (males) or 5.1° varus to 6.1° valgus was considered normal. For FMA HKA 1.1 varus or 7.3° valgus (males) or 0.2° valgus to 7.4° valgus was considered normal. For TMA HKA 7.9 varus or 1.3° valgus (males) or 6.8° varus to 2.8° valgus was considered normal. Aberrant coronal alignment started from 179.2° ± 8.4° (males) and 180.5 > ± 8.4° (females) for HKA, 93.1 > ± 6.3° (males) 93.8 > ± 5.4° (females) for FMA and 86.7 > ± 6.9° (males) and 88 > ± 7.2° (females) for TMA. This means HKA > 9.2° varus or 7.6° valgus (males) or 7.9° varus to 8.9° valgus was considered aberrant. Definitions of neutrality, normality, deviance as well as aberrance for coronal alignment in TKA were proposed in this study according to their distribution frequencies. This can be seen as an important first step towards a safe transition from the conventional one-size-fits-all to a more personalised coronal alignment target. There should be further definitions combining bony alignment, joint surfaces' morphology, soft tissue laxities and joint kinematics. III.

Developing a definition of body neutrality and strategies for an intervention

The aim of this study was to provide a definition for body neutrality and understand the key strategies recommended to improve body neutrality for testing in future interventions. There is minimal academic literature on body neutrality and thus this study focused on examining websites where the concept has been discussed for some time. This was achieved using a realist synthesis of websites and a common elements approach to extract the key definition elements of body neutrality, strategies to improve body neutrality, in addition to the common critiques of both the body positivity and body neutrality movements. The initial search found 175 websites, of which 107 were included in the final synthesis, and common elements analysis followed after removal of duplicates and ineligible websites. Three elements, with several sub-elements, best operationalised the definition of body neutrality. Six strategies were found for development of a body neutrality intervention. This innovative study paves the way for rigorous evaluation of body neutrality. Recommendations for future work are provided, including the use of current measures, creating a new measure, and evaluating prevention and intervention programs including Single Session Interventions (SSIs).

Investigating the effects of climate on thermal adaptation: A comparative field study in naturally ventilated university classrooms

In educational buildings, adaptive strategies can be adopted for the achievement of thermal comfort and reduction of energy consumption. Since climate can largely affect thermal comfort, there is a need for understanding its role in the definition of different adaptive capacities, thermal neutrality, comfort, and preference.To this end, 17 naturally ventilated university classrooms from 10 different buildings located in two sub-climates of Italy (Mediterranean climate) and France (Continental climate) were analysed. In total, 1377 questionnaires associated with environmental parameters were collected. The same educational stage (i.e. university classrooms) and operation mode (i.e. naturally ventilated during the heating period) were investigated to remove possible biases related to their influence on thermal comfort perception.Field studies show that despite French students performing less adaptive actions, their neutral temperature (TN) was 3.1 °C lower than the Italian ones (TN,ITALY = 23.6 °C and TN,FRANCE = 20.5 °C) and this difference was statistically significant.Adaptation as a function of the sub-climate was evident from the comparison with the PMV-PPD model. Neutral temperatures calculated with PMV were higher than those obtained from TSV, and the difference increased for the French colder climate.Practically, students’ adaptation to colder environments can be deployed to ensure comfort while reducing the heating demand.

Carbon neutrality of forest biomass for bioenergy: a scoping review

The exploitation of forest biomass for bioenergy is commonly perceived as part of a broad strategy for climate change mitigation due to the view that forest biomass is carbon neutral. The aims of this study are to distinguish the most widely used definition of carbon neutrality and to identify the most frequently discussed aspects of the concept of carbon neutrality. This research is conducted in the form of a scoping review. The results of the scoping review demonstrated that there is no generally accepted definition of carbon neutrality. Eight main concepts of carbon neutrality were identified. The most frequently discussed aspects of the carbon neutrality concept were temporal and spatial boundaries, scenario-based assumptions, and the source of biomass feedstock. This research provides a comprehensive summary of the concept of carbon neutrality and contributes to the debate regarding forest biomass exploitation for bioenergy.

Is Revenue Neutrality in Carbon Taxation Possible in Practice? Lessons from the Canadian Experience

While the potential economic efficiency, equity, and political acceptability benefits of a revenue-neutral carbon tax have been well studied, a deeper question remains about the feasibility of revenue neutrality in practice. This article provides perspective on this issue by assessing different definitions of revenue neutrality and presenting an in-depth discussion of the motivations for the adoption of revenue-neutral carbon taxes. Two examples of carbon taxes and revenue recycling implemented in Canada are examined: British Columbia's revenue-neutral carbon tax (a carbon tax with offsetting tax cuts) and the Canadian federal government's fuel charge and climate action incentive tax credit (a carbon tax and dividend). The BC case serves to highlight the inherent difficulties of assessing revenue neutrality owing to uncertainty about what would have occurred in the absence of the tax. As time passes following initial implementation of the tax, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether, and to what extent, government revenue, income tax rates, the overall tax structure, and the tax base might have differed had the tax not been adopted. The federal example suggests that a carbon tax and dividend policy would be better able to ensure revenue neutrality.

A Call for a Black Feminist Liberatory Ethics in Criminological Research on Black Women and Girls’ Offending and Victimization

Criminology posits objectivity and neutrality as the ideal standard for research methods, yet traditional definitions of objectivity and neutrality have historically been constructed by White, cisgender men and used to gauge the legitimacy of criminological research. This paper is an examination of the difficulties of studying Black women and girls’ offending and victimization as a Black woman researcher, including the “pushback” for what was seen as race exclusion in a gender violence issue. Based on my qualitative research with Black women survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, I introduce “Black feminist liberatory ethics,” a set of guidelines and ethics of care for studying Black women and girls and their experiences criminal legal system amid the continuing struggle of liberation from oppression. I argue research can include liberatory practices for historically oppressed groups from systemic and epistemic injustice by revolutionizing traditional criminological research methods.

Definitions and implications of climate-neutral aviation

To meet ambitious climate targets, the aviation sector needs to neutralize CO2 emissions and reduce non-CO2 climatic effects. Despite being responsible for approximately two-thirds of aviation’s impacts on the climate, most of aviation non-CO2 species are currently excluded from climate mitigation efforts. Here we identify three plausible definitions of climate-neutral aviation that include non-CO2 forcing and assess their implications considering future demand uncertainty, technological innovation and CO2 removal. We demonstrate that simply neutralizing aviation’s CO2 emissions, if nothing is done to reduce non-CO2 forcing, causes up to 0.4 °C additional warming, thus compromising the 1.5 °C target. We further show that substantial rates of CO2 removal are needed to achieve climate-neutral aviation in scenarios with little mitigation, yet cleaner-flying technologies can drastically reduce them. Our work provides policymakers with consistent definitions of climate-neutral aviation and highlights the beneficial side effects of moving to aircraft types and fuels with lower indirect climate effects. Non-CO2 effects must be addressed for climate-neutral aviation but are currently ignored in international climate policies. The authors provide a framework with different definitions of climate neutrality, then show how technological and demand-side mitigation efforts can help to achieve these targets.

GOBLIN version 1.0: a land balance model to identify national agriculture and land use pathways to climate neutrality via backcasting

Abstract. The Paris Agreement commits 197 countries to achieve climate stabilisation at a global average surface temperature less than 2 ∘C above pre-industrial times using nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to demonstrate progress. Numerous industrialised economies have targets to achieve territorial climate neutrality by 2050, primarily in the form of “net zero” greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, particular uncertainty remains over the role of countries' agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sectors for reasons including the potential trade-offs between GHG mitigation and food security, a non-zero emission target for methane as a short-lived GHG, and the requirement for AFOLU to act as a net sink to offset residual emissions from other sectors. These issues are represented at a coarse level in integrated assessment models (IAMs) that indicate the role of AFOLU in global pathways towards climate stabilisation. However, there is an urgent need to determine appropriate AFOLU management strategies at a national level within NDCs. Here, we present a new model designed to evaluate detailed AFOLU scenarios at national scale using the example of Ireland, where approximately 40 % of national GHG emissions originate from AFOLU. GOBLIN (General Overview for a Backcasting approach of Livestock INtensification) is designed to run randomised scenarios of agricultural activities and land use combinations within biophysical constraints (e.g. available land area, livestock productivities, fertiliser-driven grass yields, and forest growth rates). Using AFOLU emission factors from national GHG inventory reporting, GOBLIN calculates annual GHG emissions out to the selected target year for each scenario (2050 in this case). The long-term dynamics of forestry are represented up to 2120 so that scenarios can also be evaluated against the Paris Agreement commitment to achieve a balance between emissions and removals over the second half of the 21st century. Filtering randomised scenarios according to compliance with specific biophysical definitions (GHG time series) of climate neutrality will provide scientific boundaries for appropriate long-term actions within NDCs. We outline the rationale and methodology behind the development of GOBLIN, with an emphasis on biophysical linkages across food production, GHG emissions, and carbon sinks at a national level. We then demonstrate how GOBLIN can be applied to evaluate different scenarios in relation to a few possible simple definitions of “climate neutrality”, discussing opportunities and limitations.

Self-inflicted. Deliberate. Death-intentioned. A critical policy analysis of UK suicide prevention policies 2009-2019

PurposeWith encouragement from the World Health Organisation, national suicide prevention policies have come to be regarded as an essential component of the global effort to reduce suicide. However, despite their global significance, the construction, conceptualisation and proposed provisions offered in suicide prevention policies have, to date, been under researched; this study aims to address this gap.Design/methodology/approachwe critically analysed eight contemporary UK suicide prevention policy documents in use in all four nations of the UK between 2009 and 2019, using Bacchi and Goodwin’s post-structural critical policy analysis.FindingsThe authors argue that across this sample of suicide prevention policies, suicide is constructed as self-inflicted, deliberate and death-intentioned. Consequently, these supposedly neutral definitions of suicide have some significant and problematic effects, often individualising, pathologising and depoliticising suicide in ways that dislocate suicides from the emotional worlds in which they occur. Accordingly, although suicide prevention policies have the potential to think beyond the boundaries of clinical practice, and consider suicide prevention more holistically, the policies in this sample take a relatively narrow focus, often reducing suicide to a single momentary act and centring death prevention at the expense of considering ways to make individual lives more liveable.Originality/valueUK suicide prevention policies have not been subject to critical analysis; to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to examine the way in which suicide is constructed in UK suicide prevention policy documents.

Characterizing children’s eating patterns: does the choice of eating occasion definition matter?

BackgroundRecommendations to define eating occasions (EO) currently exist for research in adults, but not for children or adolescents. We examined how varying EO definitions affect the characterization of eating patterns in children and adolescents.MethodsCross-sectional dietary data collected using a 24-h recall data during the 2011–12 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (1364 boys and 1337 girls aged 2–18 years) were analyzed. Eight definitions were applied: participant-identified, time-of-day, and 6 neutral definitions (EO separated by 15- or 60-min and/or an additional energy criterion of 21 or 210 kJ). Frequency of and total energy intake from meals, snacks, and all EO were estimated. F tests stratified by gender and age-group, were used to assess differences between definitions. Agreement between definitions of meal and snack frequencies was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Linear regression was used to estimate the proportion of variance in total energy intake (kJ) and BMI z-score predicted by each definition.ResultsMean frequencies of meals and snacks differed between the participant-identified and time-of-day definitions, in boys and girls and for all age groups (P < 0.01). Across the six neutral definitions, there were differences between mean frequencies of EO with the largest mean difference observed for children aged 2–3 y (boys: 2.3, girls: 2.5; P < 0.003). Between the participant-identified and time-of-day definitions, there was good agreement for frequencies of snacks (ICC for both genders: 0.93) but not meals (boys: 0.36; girls: 0.38). The 15-min time interval plus 210 kJ definition of an EO consistently predicted the most variance in total energy intake (R2 range = 8.1–34.8). Definitions that delineated meals and snacks better predicted variance in BMI z-score, when compared to the neutral definitions.ConclusionsHow eating patterns are characterized vary depending on the EO definitions employed, particularly in young children. Variance in total energy intake was best predicted by a variation of the neutral definition whereas definitions that delineated meals and snacks performed better in relation to predicting BMI variance. Further international research that compares EO definitions in children will help inform a standard approach.

“Conspiracy theory”: The case for being critically receptive

“Conspiracy theory”: The case for being critically receptive

Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility: Employees’ Key Role in Driving Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Big Tech

Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility: Employees’ Key Role in Driving Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Big Tech

Characterizing Children’s Eating Patterns: Does the Choice of Eating Occasion Definition Matter?

ObjectivesCurrently, there are recommendations to defining eating occasions (EO) for use in studies of adults, but none exist for children or adolescents. This study examined how varying definitions of EO influence the characterization of eating patterns in children and adolescents. MethodsCross-sectional 24-h dietary recall data collected during the 2011–12 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (n = 2701, age range: 2–18 years) were analyzed. Eight definitions were applied: participant-identified, time-of-day, and 6 neutral definitions (individual EO separated by 15- or 60-min and/or an additional energy criterion of 5 kcal or 50 kcal). Frequency of and total energy intake from meals, snacks, and all EO were estimated. Differences between definitions were tested using F tests, stratified by sex and age-group. Agreement between definitions of meal and snack frequencies was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). For each definition, linear regression was used to estimate the proportion of variance in total energy intake (kcal) and BMI z-score predicted by frequency of meals and snacks and all EO. ResultsIn boys and girls and across all age groups, mean frequencies of meals and snacks differed between the participant-identified and time-of-day definitions (P < 0.01). There were differences between mean frequencies of EO across the 6 neutral definitions with the largest mean difference observed for children aged 2–3 y (boys: 2.3, girls: 2.5; P < 0.003). There was good agreement (ICC) for snacks (boys: 0.93, girls: 0.93) but not meal frequencies (boys: 0.36; girls: 0.38) between the participant-identified and time-of-day definitions. The definition of 15-min time interval plus 210 kJ consistently predicted the most variance in total energy intake (R2 range = 8.1–34.8). Generally, definitions that delineated meals and snacks best predicted variance in BMI z-score. ConclusionsVariations in the definition of EO affect how eating patterns are characterized, particularly in young children. A variation of the neutral definition best predicted variance in total energy intake and findings for BMI were mixed. Further research that compares EO definitions in younger and older children is needed to inform a standard approach. Funding SourcesNational Heart Foundation of Australia; National Health and Medical Research Council.

The Neutrality Pyramid: A policy framework to distribute power over the net

The internet used to be considered as a catalyst of positive social change. Yet such claims have become rare. Structured as a document for action in four steps, this report seeks to provide a rough compass for those trying to understand the underlying causes of much of what is problematic with the internet and the web today. I argue that paying attention to who shapes internet traffic (and how) is crucial. It will allow us to understand the connection between issues often considered unrelated (such as net neutrality and misinformation), as well as to anticipate challenges that are yet to emerge. Step 1: Understanding the context: How the internet came to be seated on the defendant’s bench. Here I describe how the inventors and developers of the internet and the web upheld the principle of decentralization to ensure the network was robust in the face of failure, and how this sparked hope for systematically excluded groups that had long been marginalized from public debate. I then describe four types of problems for which the web is often considered responsible, and explain the subset of these that I believe can be resolved through digital policies, narrowing the scope of this report to the issue of centralization. Step 2: Understanding the present and future risks triggered by a centralized information system. Here I describe how the internet and the web have been centralized. I explain how, given the characteristics of the process of centralization, the ongoing deployment of connected devices (also known as internet of things), as well as the growing developments in the fields of augmented reality and virtual reality are likely going to fuel the process of centralization further. Lastly, focusing on search and person-to-person communications, I explore the types of risks centralization poses to the present and future of our political system. Step 3: Deploying the Neutrality Pyramid framework in order to redistribute power. Here I present the Neutrality Pyramid, a framework around which we can rally to neutralize the process of centralization and reduce the scope of power of the incumbent gatekeepers. After explaining how and why the framework builds upon and extends the definition of net neutrality to other layers of the stack, I describe the technological, regulatory and activist actions taking place around the globe to forward and enforce the principles of net neutrality, device neutrality, platform neutrality and personal control over personal data. Step 4: Enabling robust public deliberation towards a positive agenda. I go beyond negative actions and explain how the Neutrality Pyramid can enable the development of a positive agenda. I explain that even though the neutrality principle presupposes a hands-off approach, it does include a set of exceptions enshrined by law. I argue that we should leverage the process of defining such exceptions as a means to ensure the institutions of democracy play a role in guiding the process of development of the internet, and I suggest some of the key questions public officials need to put forward. This section then discusses the development of public infrastructure and services as a way to bake democratic institutions into the growing digital sphere. In the Conclusion, I outline the backdrop of weakened governments and global institutions of governance in which the upcoming debates regarding digital policy will take place, and the challenges the cold war discourse, with its militaristic undertones, poses in this context.

Transnational corporations, obesity and planetary health

Transnational corporations, obesity and planetary health

O1.4. HOW THE MOST CITED RESEARCH ARTICLES ABOUT SCHIZOPHRENIA IN 2018 DEPICT THE DISEASE?

BackgroundDespite the progress in treatment and clinical outcomes, schizophrenia remains a highly stigmatized disease and imposes a challenge to families and patients towards recovery. Stigma can debilitate individuals as much as the disease itself, representing one of the most relevant obstacles to overcome the illness: it hinders the pursuit of autonomy and achievement of life goals. Stigma is complex and multilayered and its research usually focus on patients and society, but a lower number of studies address health professionals stigma. Even fewer investigate stigma of researchers. Thus, our objective is to analyze how the most cited research papers published in 2018 addressing schizophrenia depict the disease to identify putative stigma among researchers.MethodsIn this exploratory study, we conducted a search using Web of Science (WoS) with the following terms: (“patients with schizophrenia”) OR (“schizophrenia patients”). We restricted the search to articles published in 2018 and selected the 20 studies with the highest total number of citations. We identified how the authors defined schizophrenia and then categorized the definition in three groups: (1) negative perspective, in which depreciative words were used to define the disease; (2) neutral definition, in which emphasis is given to the description of epidemiological data; and (3) neutral to positive definition, when negative outcomes were listed as possibilities, not certainties. Two independent authors (G.K. and M.M.) categorized each article and eventual conflicts were solved by a third author (A.G.)Results25% of the studies depicted a clearly negative perspective of schizophrenia. In these studies, the disease was described with words such as “devastating” and “highly disabling”. Most studies (60%) were coded as neutral, being mainly descriptive of current epidemiological data. Only 3 studies (15%) were identified as more favorable, since they acknowledged the possibility of better outcomes among patients with schizophrenia.DiscussionIn the current schizophrenia scientific literature, negative views of the disease are still largely common. Considering the role of highly cited papers as opinion formers, we suggest that as occurred in other fields, such as the change in address of suicide by the media, some orientation should be adopted to avoid further contributions to the schizophrenia stigma.

A Presentist-Friendly Definition of “Endure”

It is a commonplace that things persist, though thinkers disagree over what persistence consist in. Views about time are closely related to views about persistence, though some have questioned the compatibility of certain combinations, such as Jonathan Tallant’s recent argument that presentism is incompatible with all views of persistence, including endurantism. We believe that such arguments can be avoided with neutral definitions of the terms. However, a nearly exhaustive investigation of contemporary literature revealed that, except for two that we could find, all definitions of “persist,” “endure,” and derivatives are incompatible with presentism! And, the exceptions fail to capture endurantist intuitions about endurance. But we believe that present-friendly and intuitive definitions of these concepts can be given. In this paper we offer such definitions. We go on to apply our definitions to two sample cases, showing that if our neutral definitions are used, the arguments in the cases fail.

Medicalization Defined in Empirical Contexts - A Scoping Review.

Background: Medicalization has been a topic of discussion and research for over four decades. It is a known concept to researchers from a broad range of disciplines. Medicalization appears to be a concept that speaks to all, suggesting a shared understanding of what it constitutes. However, conceptually, the definition of medicalization has evolved over time. It is unknown how the concept is applied in empirical research, therefore following research question was answered: How is medicalization defined in empirical research and how do the definitions differ from each other? Methods: We performed a scoping review on the empirical research on medicalization. The 5 steps of a scoping review were followed: (1) Identifying the research question; (2) Identifying relevant studies; (3) Inclusion and exclusion criteria; (4) Charting the data; and (5) Collating, summarizing and reporting the results. The screening of 3027 papers resulted in the inclusion of 50 empirical studies in the review. Results: The application of the concept of medicalization within empirical studies proved quite diverse. The used conceptual definitions could be divided into 10 categories, which differed from each other subtly though importantly. The ten categories could be placed in a framework, containing two axes. The one axe represents a continuum from value neutral definitions to value laden definitions. The other axe represents a continuum from a micro to a macro perspective on medicalization. Conclusion: This review shows that empirical research on medicalization is quite heterogeneous in its definition of the concept. This reveals the richness and complexity of medicalization, once more, but also hinders the comparability of studies. Future empirical research should pay more attention to the choice made with regard to the definition of medialization and its applicability to the context of the study.

Regulating organizational ambiguity: unsettled screening categories and the making of US asylum policy

ABSTRACT This article examines the development and application of the inherently ambiguous screening category – membership in a particular social group - in US asylum law after the Cold War. I draw on interviews with frontline asylum officers, high-level policy officials and immigration lawyers, as well as unpublished administrative data on asylum applications filed between 1995 and 2015. I find that pressures toward standardisation and against use of overly broad asylum categories, led the asylum agency to impose considerable constraints on applications of the ambiguous screening category ‘particular social group’ category. At the same time, agency attempts to regulate and standardise the use of the category are never fully successful: since 1995 there has been a consistent increase in the number of asylum claims categorised under this category. These findings advance current studies of contemporary US asylum policy on the extent to which an ideologically neutral refugee definition is a concept with integrity or rather the product of the exclusionary policies of the institutions in which it is applied.