Distinctive Stance Research Articles

An Ideological Divide? Political Parties’ Discourse in Italy’s Migration Cooperation with Libya and Albania

ABSTRACT Italy’s migration agreements with Libya in 2017 and Albania in 2023 serve as crucial cases for investigating how political parties in Europe position themselves on immigration policy. By comparing parties across the Italian political spectrum, this research assesses whether they have articulated distinct stances on the externalisation of migration in the two selected cases. A qualitative analysis of parliamentary debates reveals two dominant logics in party discourse: a security logic and a rights-oriented logic. These two logics can cut across party lines, particularly in times of crisis, with frequent references to the European Union (EU) as both an arena for Italy’s influence and a source of legitimacy.

Ethical perspectives regarding Euthanasia, including in the context of adult psychiatry: a qualitative interview study among healthcare workers in Belgium

IntroductionPrevious research has explored euthanasia’s ethical dimensions, primarily focusing on general practice and, to a lesser extent, psychiatry, mainly from the viewpoints of physicians and nurses. However, a gap exists in understanding the comprehensive value-based perspectives of other professionals involved in both somatic and psychiatric euthanasia. This paper aims to analyze the interplay among legal, medical, and ethical factors to clarify how foundational values shape the ethical discourse surrounding euthanasia in both somatic and psychiatric contexts. It seeks to explore these dynamics among all healthcare professionals and volunteers in Belgium.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 Dutch-speaking healthcare workers who had encountered patients requesting euthanasia for psychiatric conditions, in Belgium, from August 2019 to August 2020. Qualitative thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts.FindingsParticipants identified three pivotal values and virtues: religious values, professional values, and fundamental medical values encompassing autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence, linked to compassion, quality care, and justice. These values interwove across four tiers: the patient, the patient’s inner circle, the medical realm, and society at large. Irrespective of their euthanasia stance, participants generally displayed a blend of ethical values across these tiers. Their euthanasia perspective was primarily shaped by value interpretation, significance allocation to key components, and tier weighting. Explicit mention of varying ethical values, potentially indicating distinct stances in favor of or against euthanasia, was infrequent.ConclusionThe study underscores ethical discourse’s central role in navigating euthanasia’s intricate landscape. Fostering inclusive dialogue, bridging diverse values, supports informed decision-making, nurturing justice, and empathy. Tailored end-of-life healthcare in psychiatry is essential, acknowledging all involved actors’ needs. The study calls for interdisciplinary research to comprehensively grasp euthanasia’s multifaceted dimensions, and guiding policy evolution. While contextualized in Belgium, the implications extend to the broader euthanasia discourse, suggesting avenues for further inquiry and cross-cultural exploration.

Comparing Neoliberalism and Neo-Marxism from an Economic Perspective

Marxism and neoliberalism are two distinct philosophical schools of thought with fundamental distinctions. Marxism takes a scientific view of the world, whereas neoliberalism is a theory of free market regulation in a new economic environment without government intervention. The conflict between neo-Marxism and neoliberalism revolves around the theory and practice of the socialist market economy. There is a contrast between socialism and capitalism because, as a specific economic operation mechanism, the market economy must be combined with a certain fundamental social economic system and subordinated to this system, serving to consolidate and develop this basic system. The socialist market economy is not a combination of the socialist system and the market economy but rather an organic whole that integrates the two; therefore, it cannot replicate the Western market economy system. The socialist market economy must combine planning and the market, maximizing the benefits of both without emphasizing one over the other. Neoliberalism and Marxism took distinct stances and provided different answers to the question of how to define freedom. Although there are many similar perspectives on some issues, there are substantial disparities in fundamental concepts. The key to a solid socialist political structure is an accurate comprehension of the underlying difference between these two schools of thought regarding freedom.

Fichte on sex, marriage, and gender

ABSTRACT “I am only what I make myself to be”, Fichte tells us. In this paper, I outline Fichte’s views on sex, marriage and gender, with two aims. Firstly, to elucidate an aspect of his moral theory which has received little attention, and secondly to argue that Fichte’s distinctive stance on selfhood, freedom, and normativity lead to a revisionary account of gender expression and identity, where people can freely carve out their own identity, irrespective of “nature”. In this paper, I therefore outline Fichte’s own views, highlighting what I see as a tension in the texts between essentialism and anti-essentialism about gender, before reconstructing a neo-Fichtean view which foregrounds the anti-essentialist aspect.

Navigating the Excluded Middle: The Jaina Logic of Relativity

Abstract The Jaina tradition is known for its distinctive approach to prima facie incompatible claims about the nature of reality. The Jaina approach to conflicting views is to seek an integration or synthesis, in which apparently contrary views are resolved into a vantage point from which each view can be seen as expressing part of a larger, more complex truth. Viewed by some contemporary Jaina thinkers as an extension of the principle of ahiṃsā into the realm of intellectual discourse, Jaina logic marks quite a distinctive stance toward the concept of logical consistency. While it does not directly violate the law of excluded middle, it does, one might say, navigate this principle in a highly and potentially useful way. The potential usefulness of Jaina logic includes the possibility of its use in arguing for the position known as religious pluralism or worldview pluralism. This is a view which many philosophers see as holding great promise in developing a way to think about differences across worldviews in ways that do not lead to the kind of conflict and polarization that all too often characterizes ideological differences in today’s world.

Bridging East-West Differences in Ethics Guidance for AI and Robotics

Societies of the East are often contrasted with those of the West in their stances toward technology. This paper explores these perceived differences in the context of international ethics guidance for artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Japan serves as an example of the East, while Europe and North America serve as examples of the West. The paper’s principal aim is to demonstrate that Western values predominate in international ethics guidance and that Japanese values serve as a much-needed corrective. We recommend a hybrid approach that is more inclusive and truly ‘international’. Following an introduction, the paper examines distinct stances toward robots that emerged in the West and Japan, respectively, during the aftermath of the Second World War, reflecting history and popular culture, socio-economic conditions, and religious worldviews. It shows how international ethics guidelines reflect these disparate stances, drawing on a 2019 scoping review that examined 84 international AI ethics documents. These documents are heavily skewed toward precautionary values associated with the West and cite the optimistic values associated with Japan less frequently. Drawing insights from Japan’s so-called ‘moonshot goals’, the paper fleshes out Japanese values in greater detail and shows how to incorporate them more effectively in international ethics guidelines for AI and robotics.

Perceptions of the medical relevance of patients` stories of painful and adverse life experiences: a focus group study among Norwegian General Practitioners

ABSTRACT Purpose Adverse life experiences increase the risk of health problems. Little is known about General Practitioners’ (GPs') thoughts, clinical concepts, and work patterns related to eliciting, including, or excluding their patients’ stories of painful and adverse life experiences. We wanted to explore GPs’ perceptions of the medical relevance of stories of painful and adverse life experiences, and to focus on what hinders or facilitates working with such stories. Method Eighteen Norwegian GPs participated in three focus group interviews. The interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results The participating GPs’ views on the clinical relevance of patients’ painful and adverse experiences varied considerably. Our analysis revealed two distinct stances: a confident-accepting stance, and an ambivalent-conditional stance. GPs encountered barriers to exploring such stories: scepticism on behalf of the medical discipline; scepticism on behalf of the patients; and, uncertainty regarding how to address stories of painful and adverse experiences in consultations. Work with painful stories was best facilitated when GPs manifested personal openness and prepared availability, within the context of a doctor-patient relationship based on trust. Conclusions Clearer processes for handling biographical information and life experiences that affect patients’ health are needed to facilitate the work of primary care physicians.

A Perspective for Japan: Fukuzawa Yukichi’s “Theory of Civilization”, 1875

This paper discusses the thought of Fukuzawa Yukichi, probably the most influential Japanese intellectual of the late nineteenth century, with particular reference to his attempt to develop a theory of civilization. For him, the civilizational approach was a framework for reflection on Japan’s situation in the world after the great changes of the 1850s and 1860s. He saw the preservation of national independence and the reform of Japanese society as primary goals, but they necessitated extensive learning from the experience and achievements of more advanced societies, especially those of Western Europe and the United States. However, he did not advocate a purely imitative Westernization. Japan’s distinctive identity and autonomous international stance were to be maintained. To clarify the reasons for transforming Japan in light of Western models without capitulating to them, he outlined an evolutionary conception of social change, understood in terms of an advance towards civilization. That kind of progress was not only a matter of technical and organizational development; it also involved the mobilization of whole peoples. On this basis, Fukuzawa articulated a more democratic vision of Japan’s future than the road subsequently taken by the Meiji government.

Stance in narration: Finding structure in complex sociolinguistic variation

AbstractStancetaking is a complex linguistic practice at the levels of both function and form, and as such is difficult to analyze in a narrow variable context. Instead of treating stance as a linguistic variable in the variationist sense, we analyze how participants use different types and forms of stancetaking in a specific speech event, the re‐narration of a story. A combined view of the range of different options used by speakers allows us to describe similarities and differences among them as well as to identify two groups with distinct stance styles. At the methodological level, the contribution demonstrates the utility of cluster analysis for research on linguistic style.

The Peace Advocacy of Pope Francis: Jesuit Perspectives

Abstract Among the distinctive features of the papal ministry of Francis is an active dedication to peacemaking that bears noteworthy marks of his Jesuit background. A number of elements within Jesuit spirituality and history contribute to the distinctive stance that Francis assumes toward supporting peace and building the structures and conditions that encourage nonviolent resolution of conflicts worldwide. The pope’s dialogic style of diplomacy proceeds through pointed words, timely apostolic visits, and rich symbolic gestures aimed at peacebuilding and reconciliation.

An Expert Roundtable Discussion on Experiences of Autistic Autism Researchers.

An Expert Roundtable Discussion on Experiences of Autistic Autism Researchers.

'An Expansionist Model of Legal Reasoning'

In this paper, I engage with J.J. Moreso’s account of legal reasoning. First, I reconstruct Moreso’s conception of legal deliberation, which I regard as taking a distinctive stance within the contemporary debate in jurisprudence, since it innovatively expands on some of the most sophisticated models of practical reasoning and legal reasoning that have been defended in the literature. Building on this interpretation of Moreso’s theory of legal reasoning, I will go on presenting some reflections on the idea of practical rationality that undergirds the practice of reasoning in law, when this practice is conceived in Moreso’s terms. In this context, I account for two central features of the conception of practical rationality that underlines, and best fits with, Moreso’s explanation of legal reasoning. Since Moreso has yet to systematically explore the idea of practical rationality associated with his theory of legal argument, the claims I advance in this part of the paper are merely tentative. Whilst I try to make a rigorous attempt to develop Moreso’s jurisprudence from a theoretical perspective that is sympathetic to his overall project, nothing in the discussion I carry out here should be taken to suggest that Moreso is conceptually committed to the views about practical rationality I associate his theory of legal reasoning with.

Psychology qua psychoanalysis in Argentina: Some historical origins of a philosophical problem (1942-1964).

Contemporary Argentinian psychology has a unique characteristic: it is identified with psychoanalysis. Nonpsychoanalytic theories and therapies are difficult to find. In addition, there is an overt antiscientific attitude within many psychology programs. How should this be explained? In this paper, we claim that a philosophical history of psychology can shed new light on the development of Argentinian psychology by showing that early Argentinian psychoanalysts held positions in the newborn psychology programs and a distinctive stance toward scientific research in general and psychology in particular. In the absence of an explicit and articulate philosophical position, psychoanalysts developed an implicit meta-theory that helped shape the context that led to the institutionalization and professionalization of psychology in Argentina. Although we do not establish or even suggest a monocausal link between their ideas and the current state of Argentinian psychology, we do claim that their impact should be explored. Finally, we discuss some limitations of our study and suggest future complementary investigations.

Theory disputes and the development of the technology enhanced learning research field

This paper contributes to ongoing debates about theory application in technology enhanced learning (TEL) research. Such debates routinely highlight that the use of theory in the TEL field is problematic, and suggest that the issue is of fundamental importance to the development of the field. Yet different accounts within these debates are oriented towards ostensibly disparate issues and often, in themselves, have a somewhat fragmentary nature. This paper, therefore, seeks to synthesise and systematise a wide range of the arguments that are evident in the literature. A preliminary analysis highlights that the debates are occurring against a particular backdrop: a desire to newly re-constitute TEL as a bona fide scholarly discipline.Four key points of dispute are subsequently identified, which, it is argued, should understood against that backdrop. Those key points of dispute, whose analysis constitutes the core of the paper, are concerned, respectively with the continued implications of a theoretical ‘canon’ whose pre-eminence in the field is long-established; the problematic relations between the field’s ‘empirical’ and ‘theoretical’ discourses, which are positioned as often occurring in parallel; a need to better recognise the varied functions that different theories might play, whether in research projects or across larger research agendas; and the extent to which the TEL field should be theoretically aligned with other academic fields of enquiry or seek to position itself as, in some way, ‘exceptional’. Those four points of dispute are each disaggregated, within the analysis, into a range of distinct stances, and the relations between the stances and the points of dispute themselves are discussed. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the analysis, both for those TEL researchers wishing to engage with theory, and those scholars for whom theory application in the field is a distinct research object.Keywords: argumentation; field development; knowledge production; research agendas; technology enhanced learning research; theory application.Part of the Special Issue Debating the status of ‘theory’ in technology enhanced learning research

The Prevalence of Philosophical Assumptions Described in Mixed Methods Research in Education

Philosophical arguments are expected to provide the foundation of research and should be mentioned when reporting research. This study explores the presentation of philosophical assumptions in 1,026 mixed methods research (MMR) articles from the field of education. Eighty-one papers (7.9%) provided philosophical commitments, and 31 distinct stances were claimed. Philosophy was presented with different roles, including that philosophical stance can direct the decision to use mixed methods or result from that choice. This article contributes the field of MMR by highlighting an oversight in the reporting practices of the MMR community. Possible causes for the findings include weaknesses in research education and knowledge. Alternative models of the research process may be required to accurately match descriptions of research practice.

Courageous leadership – what defines it in the modern organisation

PurposeIt is important to challenge the popular image of courageous leadership, which in the public imagination is inextricably interlinked with the exercise of power and authority. People often paint a picture in their mind of somebody who knows all the answers and can drive and communicate decisions through their own sense of certainty and will. In nearly every case, especially in an HR context, that is a false picture.Design/methodology/approachThis paper looks to highlight that the best leaders are in fact often those that do not make all the decisions, do not have all the right answers and are prepared to admit that. It takes great strength to admit vulnerability and acknowledge that you do not know everything.FindingsThe paper highlights that it is important to have a vision and give direction, but it is genuinely courageous to turn to the intelligent teams you have within the organisation and draw on their help.Originality/valueThe paper takes a distinctive stance on the question of courageous leadership, arguing that good leadership is about acknowledging what you do not know and reaching out to your people to fill in the gaps, and it is also about learning when to move on. Being able to acknowledge when you can add little further value to the business and allow someone else to take the reins is perhaps, in senior leadership, the most courageous act of all.

The distinctive stance of the King Reports on corporate governance from a global perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective on the distinctive stance of the King Report on Corporate Governance in South Africa, 2016 (King IV) in relation to a number of other codes of corporate governance issued globally. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a comparative analysis between King IV and the codes of governance that apply in a select number of the jurisdictions, namely, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria and the UK. The selection of jurisdictions was done with the view of having a sample that is representative of the major global regions. Preference was given to codes that were issued or revised recently. Mention is also made of the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance where appropriate. Findings The conclusion reached in this paper is that King IV is distinctive from the codes compared to it in this paper in six respects. These include that King IV defines corporate governance as accountable leadership instead of it being a system only and is drafted for positive outcomes instead of compliance; proposes an application regime that is qualitative instead of quantitative; integrates sustainable development into its model for corporate governance instead of treating sustainability as an ad hoc-matter; has applicability across the ecosystem of all organisations instead of limited application to listed or larger companies; and has a has built in a social value system to harness broad public support instead of reliance on bottom-down enforcement. Originality/value The implications of the distinct approach to corporate governance in King IV are explained in the paper and should serve as a premise to reconsider whether the more traditional approaches to corporate governance code development are still appropriate in light of the learning as evidenced in King IV.

Дипломатична діяльність УНР щодо визнання автокефалії Української церкви у 1919 – 1920 роках

Мета статті – аналіз дипломатичної діяльності Української Народної Республіки щодо визнання автокефалії Української церкви у 1919 – 1920 роках. Наукова новизна. Розкрито політику Української Народної Республіки та Української держави по відношенню до церкви. Проаналізовано зовнішньополітичну діяльність Української Народної Республіки щодо визнання автокефалії Української церкви. Висвітлено особливості роботи українського посла в Туреччині О. Лотоцького та його перемовини з Константинопольським патріархатом щодо надання автокефалії Українській церкві.Висновки. Рух за автокефалію Української церкви розпочався на початку 1917 р. як громадська ініціатива, а організованого вигляду набув наприкінці 1917 р. зі створенням Всеукраїнської православної церковної ради. Українська Центральна Рада та гетьман П. Скоропадський не виробили чіткої позиції щодо автокефалії Української церкви, декларуючи невтручання у церковні справи, і не вели на зовнішньополітичній арені відповідної діяльності. Натомість Директорія УНР проводила найбільш чітку позицію по відношенню до церкви та її незалежності, ухваливши 1919 року закон про автокефалію Української церкви. На виконання положень цього закону була спрямована діяльність українських дипломатів за кордоном щодо визнання Української церкви в країні перебування. Найбільш послідовно така позиція проявилася у відправці до Туреччини послом України колишнього Міністра віросповідань О. Лотоцького з проханням українського уряду до Константинопольського патріархату надати автокефалію Українській церкві. Серед інших зовнішньополітичних кроків української влади слід відзначити ініціативу звернення українців з різних держав світу до Константинопольського патріархату з проханням підтримати й благословити Автокефальну Православну Українську Церкву та призначити в Україні свого представника, що де-факто свідчило б про визнання Української церкви. Однак на дипломатичному рівні спроби Директорії УНР добитися визнання автокефалії Української церкви так і не досягли успіху.

What Kind of Responsibility Do We Have for Fighting Injustice? A Moral-Theoretic Perspective on the Social Connections Model

ABSTRACTIris Marion Young’s influential Social Connections Model (SCM) of responsibility offers a compelling approach to theorizing structural injustice. However, the precise nature of the kind of responsibility modelled by the SCM, along with its relationship to the liability model, has remained unclear. I offer a reading of Young that takes the difference between the liability model and the SCM to be an instance of a more longstanding distinction in the literature on moral responsibility: attributability vs. accountability. I show that interpreting the SCM as a conception of accountability resolves a number of objections, while also highlighting the SCM’s distinctive stance on the relationship between ethics and politics.

Sex differences in lower extremity coordinative variability during running

BackgroundDifferences in coordinative variability have been previously reported between healthy and injured runners. Many running-related injuries have a sex bias, particularly patellofemoral pain (PFP), as female runners are approximately twice as likely to develop PFP compared to males. However, very little is currently known regarding sex differences in coordinative variability during running. Research QuestionAre there sex differences in continuous relative phase (CRP) variability for pelvis-thigh and thigh-shank couplings during the stance phase of running? MethodsPelvis, thigh, and shank segment kinematics were collected on 15 female and 15 male subjects during overground running at a self-selected easy pace (2.39–3.56 m/s) using a 10-camera 3D motion capture system. Continuous relative phase (CRP) variability was calculated between the pelvis-thigh and thigh-shank, and averaged during four distinct stance sub-phases. A mixed effects linear model compared CRP variability between sexes at each stance sub-phase. ResultsCompared to males, females displayed significantly lower pelvis-thigh CRP variability in the transverse plane during the loading response phase, and significantly lower thigh-shank CRP variability in the sagittal plane during the loading response and pre-swing phases. SignificanceLower coordinative variability in females during the loading response for two couplings may provide additional insight into the sex bias for developing certain running-related injuries. However, any injury implications from these results are speculative and should be interpreted with caution.