Divergent Views Research Articles

Young people’s views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group

BackgroundLoneliness is a frequently reported problem for young people aged 16 to 24 years old. A variety of interventions have been developed (but in most cases not extensively evaluated) to try and tackle loneliness in this age group. These include interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social approaches that vary in their content and mechanisms of action. The current study aimed to qualitatively examine young peoples’ views on the acceptability and feasibility of different loneliness interventions.MethodsYoung people from 16 to 24 years old living in the United Kingdom who self-identified as having experienced loneliness were recruited to participate in this study. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews to assess their views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group. Interviews were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsOur analysis of 23 individual interview transcripts identified six themes. These related to the appropriate stage for intervention and how different types of strategies may be best suited to particular contexts; the key facilitators and barriers to engaging young people in an intervention; considerations for optimising the delivery of an intervention; divergent views on technology use in strategies to manage loneliness; the scope of an intervention and whether it takes a targeted or general approach; and the idea of combining different options within an intervention to allow tailoring to individual preferences and nature of loneliness.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate the need for continued development of individualised interventions designed to help manage loneliness in this age group. Future loneliness strategies should be co-produced with young people to ensure that they suit the varying needs of this population.

Regulatory responses to build charity financial resilience: “Tow Truck” or “Guardian Angel”?

AbstractCharity regulation is increasing internationally, leading to divergent views on what might constitute “better regulation.” The purpose of a charity regulator and appropriate regulation may also be contested. Many modern charity regulators are required to maintain public trust and confidence in charities in order to bolster ongoing charity support from funders and the donating public. Nevertheless, public trust and confidence is precarious. At its nadir, in England and Wales “the person in the street” was deemed more trustworthy than charities, with donations diminishing in the current environment and the charity sector close to crisis. Further, charities contribute to crises when they incite negative media interest in their operations, fail to comply with regulatory filing deadlines, and/or manipulate their accounts. Charity regulators must maintain legitimacy within a changing regulatory space, despite often being resource‐constrained themselves. Yet, some suggest regulators could “do more” to increase sector‐wide resilience and to increase public trust and confidence. Hence, this raises the question of how charities should be regulated and whether (and how) a regulator could build resilience. We depict charity‐sector crises as a vehicular incident and ponder: should the regulator act as a “Guardian Angel” to prevent crises through interventions to build and maintain sectoral resilience, or should it appear postincident as a “Tow Truck” to clear the road for other traffic through closely bounded regulatory action focused on sanctions and deregistration. We address this question by analyzing publicly available regulatory data from the Charity Commission of England and Wales and semistructured interviews, which provide additional “behind the scenes” depth to our analysis and findings. We contribute to literature on charity regulation and expected regulatory responsibilities within a confined but permeable regulatory space.

INTEGRATING THE ARCTIC INTO THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE: ECONOMIC INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND RUSSIA

This article delves into the intricate web of Sino-Russian cooperation within the Arctic, spotlighting the synergistic ventures like the Yamal LNG project as emblematic of broader collaboration in energy, infrastructure development, and geopolitical strategy. It outlines China's proactive stance in leveraging Arctic resources and the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to diversify its energy supply and integrate this polar pathway into its monumental "Belt and Road" initiative. Despite geographical remoteness, China's burgeoning interest in Arctic affairs, primarily driven by economic, geopolitical, and environmental objectives, underscores a strategic alignment with Russia's Arctic dominion. However, this partnership navigates through a spectrum of collaborative and contentious dynamics, particularly around Arctic governance, environmental stewardship, and the exploitation of hydrocarbon resources. While Russia gains investment and technological prowess, enhancing its sovereignty over Arctic navigation and resource utilization, China secures a vital energy lifeline and asserts its global maritime ambitions. Nonetheless, divergent views on Arctic governance and environmental policies pose challenges to this alliance. The article posits that despite these ideological divergences, the mutual benefits of Sino-Russian cooperation in the Arctic will likely foster a stronger, more integrated partnership, potentially reshaping Arctic geopolitics and global energy markets.

Taxes in the Time of Revolution: An Experimental Test of the Rentier State during Algeria's Hirak

abstract: This article examines the rentier thesis that a government's control over oil resources should help it to resist pressures for democratization. The authors' online survey experiment, implemented during a nationwide mobilization for regime change in Algeria known as the Hirak, used interactive experimental treatments to provide information about the Algerian government's subsidies for fuel resources and low value-added taxes. Based on a sample of 9,721 Algerians, the authors find that when Algerians learn about their country's relatively high level of fuel subsidies and low level of taxes, their assessments of the government's performance improve. However, the treatment has null effects for outcomes involving demands for representation, such as intentions to join protest movements. An analysis of treatment heterogeneity in terms of wealth shows that the wealthy became much more supportive of the regime in response to the treatment while in some cases the poor became much less so. This treatment heterogeneity appears to be related to divergent views among the wealthy and the poor concerning the goals of the protest movement, with the wealthy favoring institutional reforms while the poor prioritized redistributive justice.

Planning deregulation: What if land markets are monopolies?

AbstractUpzoning and land‐use reform are widely discussed as a way to improve housing supply and affordability. However, some literature contests this view and leads to apparent contradictions. We consider the theoretical frameworks and literature underpinning these divergent views in the hopes to establish mutual coherence, as well as questions for further research and the nascent but growing literature of empirical studies that could evaluate them.

Heritage and hesitancy: how preference for traditional Chinese medicine influences vaccine attitudes.

Vaccine hesitancy, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a pressing public health challenge. This study investigates the association between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preference and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within China. The study uses data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) (N = 2,690). Logistic regressions and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method are employed to analyzed the relationship between TCM preference and vaccine hesitancy. The study reaffirms prior findings by revealing a robust and stable association between TCM preference and vaccine hesitancy, which remains unaffected by socioeconomic and demographic confounders, as well as institutional trust dynamics of healthcare system. Contrary to expectations, TCM enthusiasts do not exhibit vaccine hesitancy based on divergent epistemological views concerning vaccine risks and immunity acquisition compared to biomedicine. This research enriches understandings of the intricate relations between healthcare paradigms and vaccine attitudes, inviting further inquiry into the role of CAM in shaping vaccination behaviors across different cultures and contexts. The insights bear significant public health implications for enhancing vaccine acceptance and coverage, particularly among populations where CAM practices wield substantial influence.

Regional development is not a dinner party: a research agenda on power relations and the use of language in regional development studies

Regional development is not a dinner party, but rather a largely contested matter in which its political dimension and power relations play key roles. This paper calls for a research agenda to understand more about how power relations and the use of language—specifically, metaphors—can be integrated into regional development studies. In contrast to major strands of the regional development literature, an important contribution of this paper is that we treat regional development processes not as a purely economistic process, but rather as a conflictual process in which different opinions or even divergent views emerge and compete through different language relationships. This occurs on a multitude of occasions, such as when there is a discussion about building new infrastructure and its related socio-economic and environmental impacts, when people have different views on possible regional futures or when certain regional economic sectors are prioritised by politicians and policymakers. We address three main research questions. (1) What can scholars in the field of regional development learn from previous studies of power relations in the fields of economic geography and political science? (2) What are the most promising research tendencies in which the study of politics and power relations can be embedded? (3) Through which original lens (i.e., language) and methodology (i.e., narratives) might empirical analyses best be conducted on the topics we illustrate?

Exchange Rate And National Output Performances: The Implication On Nigeria’s Economy

The study investigated the effect of exchange rate on economic growth in Nigeria using annual time series data from 1970 to 2021. The data were obtained from Statistical Bulletin published by the Central Bank of Nigeria 2021. The empirical studies reviewed had divergent views on the impact of exchange rate on economic growth in Nigeria. The study began with the test of unit root using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Philip-Peron (PP) unit root tests, followed by Johansen cointegration test, vector error correction model (VECM). The VECM indicated that exchange rate appreciation contracts output. The granger causality tests revealed that exchange rate and economic growth reinforce one another. However, based on these findings, it becomes imperative to build adequate foreign reserve to cushion-off trade shocks, promote import substitute industries, diversification of economy and enhance export oriented industries and reduction in cost of borrowing to enable domestic firms to benefit from the theoretical advantages of exchange rate variation. These measures promote the performances of macroeconomic variables in Nigeria.  
  
  

Divergent Views and Common Values: Comparing Sustainability Understandings Across News Media, Businesses, and Consumers

ABSTRACT Sustainability has become a widely used term in public discourse, yet it is connected to a variety of meanings with diverging implications for possible societal, political, and economic solutions. This study identifies and compares how sustainability is constructed by news media, businesses, and consumers to reveal gaps that may hinder mutual understanding when striving for sustainable development. A quantitative content analysis of 282 Dutch news articles, 74 business websites, and 5473 consumer responses finds that news media fails to host a variety of different sustainability understandings. While businesses and consumers appear to mainly follow a sustain-centric view and acknowledge a long-term perspective, news articles are unspecific about their understanding of sustainability or focus on the aspect of energy. The ethical value of caring potentially unifies the diverging worldviews. The article discusses the implications if mainstream news media fail to provide an arena for diverse viewpoints on sustainability.

South Asian Perspectives on the Nuclear Weapons Ban: Challenges and Prospects for Disarmament

This research paper explores the nuanced perspectives of South Asian nations, primarily India and Pakistan, on the global efforts toward nuclear disarmament. Against a complex regional security landscape, historical conflicts, and evolving nuclear doctrines, this study employs a qualitative research design, drawing on document analysis and existing literature. The findings reveal divergent views between India and Pakistan, often shaped by intricate factors of security considerations, regional dynamics, and domestic political influences. The paper discusses the implications of South Asian stances on global disarmament efforts. It proposes potential pathways for fostering dialogue and cooperation in pursuing nuclear disarmament in the region. Through an in-depth examination of South Asian perspectives, this research contributes valuable insights to the broader discourse on nuclear disarmament.

Translating the Gospel or Christianity?

Abstract This article employs Pentecostal mediation to engage the divergent views of Mbiti and Sanneh on the question of what translates between ‘the Gospel’ and ‘Christianity’. This approach is dialectical and dialogical imaginative Pentecostal third space inquiry which affirms paradoxical meaning makings. It is also embedded in the pneumatic principle as the power behind translatability. This approach demonstrates that both scholars were seeking to make sense of how Christianity can be said to have become a distinctive African religious reality in its practices, beliefs, and theological expressions. It concludes that the translatable Gospel is a Christian-producing Gospel and a Christian-producing Gospel is a translating and translatable Christianity. This frame of thinking makes sense, at least, within Pentecostal theological and missiological thought in which, ontologically, the Gospel and Christianity are already translated.

The Divergent Views of Jurists (Fuqaha) on Punishment of Sodomy (Liwat): Its Relevance to our Contemporary Society

The Arabic term Liwāt used for Sodomy refers to the act of the people of prophet Lut(AS.), as they practised the perverted sexual relationship between man and man. And they happened to be the first nation who practised this sane sexual relationship in public. This heinous Sin was not known before to the people of prophet Lut (A.S.). Thus, homosexuality is said to be against the basic institutions and foundations of society, the family and the laws of Allah (S.W.T.) respectively. This article attempts to examine the concept of Sodomy, and its definition, who is a homosexual person? as well as the divergent views of Jurists on the punishment of Sodomy. The paper concludes that the Jurists differed as to the punishment of Sodomy and as such there is no fixed punishment specified for the Crime. Therefore, the malefactor is to be punished by Ta'zir. Thereupon, the paper recommends among others that people should be conscious of their Lord and distance themselves from this heinous act and if the culprit is before the law, he should be punished without favour, fear, mercy and or prejudice.

Rethinking disruptive innovation: unravelling theoretical controversies and charting new research frontiers

ABSTRACT For more than two decades, disruptive innovation theory (DIT) has stood as one of the most influential business theories of the 21st century. Despite its widespread impact and the extensive scholarly work it has inspired, DIT has encountered divergent views among academics, sparking debates over its evolution and applicability. This essay dives into these debates, methodically unraveling and highlighting key critiques and controversies shaping the discourse around DIT. These controversies include definitional ambiguity, the case-study conundrum, challenges in generalizability, issues in defining a unit of measure, biases in assessing DIT outcomes, and the exploration of its predictive and prescriptive potential. By synthesizing and recalibrating existing theoretical disputes and distinguishing between critique and controversies, we shed new light on often overlooked or unresolved issues, particularly outcome bias and the theory’s performative capabilities beyond its predictive or prescriptive scope. Introducing a novel “challenger-incumbent perspective,” our analysis extends the discussion beyond the traditional dichotomy between established organizations and disruptors. In conclusion, we pave the way for future research directions, aiming to deepen our understanding and enhance the practical application of this influential yet contested concept.

Adaptation of a Tailored Lung Cancer Screening Decision Aid for People With HIV

BackgroundPeople with HIV (PWH) are both at elevated risk of lung cancer and high risk of multimorbidity, which makes shared decision-making (SDM) for lung cancer screening (LCS) in PWH complex. There are currently no tools adapted for SDM in PWH. Research QuestionCan a SDM decision aid be adapted to include HIV-specific measures with input from both PWH and their providers? Study Design and MethodsThis study utilized qualitative methods including focus groups with PWH and interviews with HIV-care providers to adapt and iterate an SDM tool for PWH. Eligible participants were PWH enrolled in an HIV primary care clinic who met age and smoking eligibility criteria for LCS and HIV care providers at the clinic. Both the focus groups and interviews included semi-structured discussions of SDM and decision aid elements for PWH. We used a framework-guided thematic analysis, mapping themes onto the Health Equity Implementation framework. ResultsForty-three PWH participated in 8 focus groups; 10 providers were interviewed. Key themes from patients included broad interest in adapting LCS SDM specifically for PWH, a preference for clear LCS recommendations, and the need for positive framing emphasizing survival. Providers were enthusiastic about personalized LCS risk assessments and point-of-care tools. Both patients and providers had mixed views on the utility of HIV-specific risk measures in patient-facing tools. Themes were utilized to adapt a personalized and flexible SDM tool for LCS in PWH. InterpretationPWH and providers were enthusiastic about specific tools for SDM which are personalized and tailored for PWH, make recommendations, and that inform LCS decision-making. Divergent views on presenting patient-facing quantitative risk assessments suggests these elements could be optional but available for review. This tool may have utility in complex decision-making for LCS in this population and is currently being evaluated in a pilot prospective trial.

A contemporary class structure: Capital disparities in The Netherlands.

The academic and public debate on social inequality has recently been fuelled by large disparities in income and wealth, profound changes in the labour market, and other emerging cleavages in post-industrial societies. This article contributes to the discussion by arguing that class divisions are theoretically based on four types of capital: people's economic means, their social capital, their cultural resources, and the combination of their health and attractiveness ('person capital'). From this premise, the social structure of the Netherlands is examined. A dedicated survey was linked to microdata from the national population register, tax authorities and benefit agencies. Using latent class analysis, we assess contingencies in the distribution of the different resources, and identify a structure consisting of six capital groups. The established upper echelon (15.5% of the adult population) has the most capital, followed by the privileged younger people (12.7%), the employed middle echelon (26.9%) and the comfortable retirees (16.6%). Total capital is lowest among the insecure workers (13.5%) and the precariat (14.8%). Each social class has a distinctive mix of the four types of capital, highlighting the need to look beyond economic differences in order to comprehend structural inequality. The results of this study also indicate that resource disparities between classes coincide with other forms of social hierarchy and contrasts by age. Moreover, the contemporary class structure is associated with divergent views and experiences among the Dutch. Classes with little capital tend to rate politics, society, and their own social position more negatively. In addition, they value self-enhancement and hedonism less than today's upper classes and report lower levels of well-being.

Understanding the impact of national learning camps: Teacher volunteers experiences, teaching methods, challenges, and student learning outcomes

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of thematic data from the National Learning Camp, aiming to discern pivotal aspects related to teacher volunteers' experiences, the effectiveness of teaching methodologies employed, challenges encountered, and the consequent effect on student academic achievement. Thirty-seven (37) teacher volunteers participated in the said camp, one hundred seventy-two (172) learner participants joined, and thirty (30) were respondents. This study uses five thematic analyses; distinct camp dimensions were explored and evaluated. It delved into the experiences of teacher volunteers, revealing an overall positive sentiment but also highlighted dissatisfaction concerning the learning environment and aspects of content delivery. That focused on the efficacy of collaborative teaching methods, showcasing positive impacts on various student learning domains. However, discrepancies emerged in perceptions about the extent of improvement, suggesting areas for further development in future iterations. Centered on learning engagement, highlighting the effectiveness of specific teaching methodologies, such as group discussions and hands-on exercises, while acknowledging the need for refinement and diversification of approaches to enhance participant satisfaction. They outlined the spectrum of challenges faced during the camp, encompassing logistical issues, collaboration difficulties, and concerns about content relevance. Varying perceptions among participants reflected diverse experiences. This demonstrated the National Learning Camp's predominantly positive influence on students' learning outcomes, although divergent views emerged regarding the extent of improvement, especially in critical thinking skills. In conclusion, while the National Learning Camp exhibited numerous positive impacts and experiences, it also revealed dissatisfaction, diverse perceptions, and challenges educators and students face. Addressing these concerns and refining educational approaches will be pivotal in enhancing the overall positive impact and effectiveness of similar educational programs for all involved participants.

Provider Perceptions Regarding Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Surgical Patients with Frailty.

To characterize the perceptions of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and geriatricians regarding perioperative CPR in surgical patients with frailty. The population of patients undergoing surgery is growing older and more frail. Despite a growing focus on goal-concordant care, frailty assessment, and debate regarding the appropriateness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients with frailty, providers' views regarding frailty and perioperative CPR are unknown. We performed qualitative thematic analysis of transcripts from semi-structured interviews of anesthesiologists (8), surgeons (10), and geriatricians (9) who care for high-risk surgical patients at two academic medical centers in Boston, MA. The interview guide elicited clinicians' understanding of frailty, approach to decision-making regarding perioperative CPR, and perceptions of perioperative CPR in frail surgical patients. We identified 5 themes: perceptions of perioperative CPR in patients with frailty vary by provider specialty; judgments regarding appropriateness of CPR in surgical patients with frailty are typically multifactorial and include patient goals, age, comorbidities, and arrest etiology; resuscitation in patients with frailty is sometimes associated with moral distress; biases such as ableism and ageism may skew clinicians' perceptions of appropriateness of perioperative CPR in patients with frailty; and evidence to guide risk stratification for patients with frailty undergoing perioperative CPR is inadequate. Anesthesiologists, surgeons, and geriatricians offer different accounts of frailty's relevance to judgments regarding CPR in surgical patients. Divergent views regarding frailty and perioperative CPR may impede efforts to deliver goal-concordant care and suggest a need for research to inform risk stratification, predict patient-centered outcomes, and understand the role of potential biases such as ageism and ableism.

“Great day! But now what?” Adolescents’ and foster carers’ experiences of a comprehensive health assessment for children in out-of-home care

Children in out-of-home care have extensive mental and physical health care needs. Best practice guidelines recommend comprehensive health assessments to all children entering out-of-home care, as their needs are often unidentified and unmet. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents’ and foster carers’ experiences and expectations after participating in a comprehensive multi-disciplinary health assessment. Within two weeks of the assessment day, nine adolescents (aged 11–17 years), and 12 foster carers were interviewed, and asked to share what they thought about the encounters and the tasks from the assessment day. Based on these experiences, further conversations explored relevant issues from contemporary life, and prospects for the future. Through Interpretative Phenomenological Analyses, three major themes were identified as the main findings. First, the participants felt seen and involved, taken care of and taken seriously throughout the assessment day. Adolescents and carers had concordant views on what made the environment feel safe, despite the potentially demanding comprehensiveness and topics of the assessment. Second, the assessment was perceived as relevant, and gave access to enhanced understanding, although the adolescents and the carers expressed divergent views on the perceived importance of the assessment and how it related to their daily lives. The third theme referred to feeling hopeful, but powerless facing the future, and the uncertainty regarding what would happen with the identified needs and recommendations for services. Our results suggest that the assessment day was manageable, understandable and acceptable, but the engagement and involvement from the assessment day did not transfer to the expectations for follow-up.

Pediatric Resident Well-being: A Group Concept Mapping Study

ObjectivePediatric residency programs invest substantial resources in supporting resident well-being. However, no pediatric resident well-being conceptual model exists to guide interventions. This study aimed to understand how a diverse stakeholder sample conceptualized well-being. MethodsWe used group concept mapping methodology. We sent a brainstorming survey to pediatric residents and program leaders at 24 US residencies with the prompt, “The experience of well-being for resident physicians includes…” Participants at 4 residencies sorted well-being ideas conceptually and rated idea importance. We performed multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis to develop cluster maps. Using participant feedback and a consensus-driven process, we determined best cluster representation. We used pattern matching to compare domain ratings between subgroups. ResultsIn brainstorming, 136 residents and 22 program leaders from 22 residency programs generated 97 unique ideas. Ideas were sorted and rated by 33 residents, 14 program leaders. Eight domains aligning with 4 resident roles were identified. Domains were: 1) positive, safe, and diverse culture; 2) unity and connection; 3) professional fulfillment and mindset; 4) personal health and life satisfaction; 5) professional development and recognition; 6) schedule protections and downtime; 7) work systems and benefits; 8) proactive and compassionate leadership. Domains aligned with the following roles: 1) individual, 2) colleague, 3) employee, 4) emerging pediatrician. Residents placed higher value on schedule protections and downtime than program leaders, P < .05. ConclusionsPediatric resident well-being may be conceptualized as inter-related domains corresponding with various resident roles. Participants aligned on many well-being priorities but differed regarding work schedules.

Democratic Measures for Curbing Electoral Violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia

In Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District Zambia, physical violence especially during the election cycles of 2011, 2016 and 2021 may appear to have escalated. If violence and tyranny are allowed to take root in any democratic state, it may deprive the people of the capacity to resist bad governance because of the pervasive atmosphere of terror, fear and insecurity. Based on the foregoing context, this article explored Democratic measures that can be used to curb electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The article employed qualitative approach with a case study design. Twenty eight (28) participants were recruited for this research and they provided Primary data. The main findings of this research were that good political culture in the electoral process, enhancing civic and voter education, fair application of the law, formation and enhancing of youth empowerment programmes, responsive leadership both at party and national levels are the key democratic measures that can be used to curb electoral violence. Equally, having independent government institutions that are mandated to conduct elections is key as their operations may not be ill influenced by external forces. The article recommends that Political parties and constituencies should treat election period as an opportunity to elect credible leaders through democratic means than a possibility to intimidate those with divergent views.