Fundamental Beliefs Research Articles

The evolving dynamics of Haredi Judaism in Israel: Ideological shifts and political influences

This article analysed the evolution of Haredi Judaism in Israel, highlighting its deep-rooted fundamentalist beliefs and its transformation from a marginalised group to a central force in Israeli society. As the fastest-growing demographic, the Haredi community exemplified the tension between fundamentalism and modernity. The study explored the defining characteristics, political ideologies and social influence of Haredi Judaism in Israel, detailing how it transitioned from insular religious enclaves to active participants in national politics. The article also examined the Haredi impact on Israeli-Palestinian relations, focusing on their influence on party politics, land disputes and Jerusalem-related issues.Contribution: The study enhanced the understanding of Haredi Judaism’s ideological evolution and political integration within Israeli society. It highlighted the Haredim’s influence in shaping Israel’s national identity and policy directions. Additionally, the research elucidated the significant impact of the Haredi community on Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Embracing Christian Values: Positive Relationships and Academic Achievement in Higher Education

<p class="abstracttextDILIGENTIA">This literature review and analysis intricately examines the dynamic interplay between educators and students within the realm of higher education, with a keen focus on the spiritual dimensions elucidated by Christian principles and biblical wisdom. Rooted in the fundamental belief that education embodies a sacred journey, this study delves deep into the profound impact of positive relationships on both academic achievements and spiritual maturation. By establishing meaningful connections between contemporary educational practices and timeless biblical teachings, the research sheds light on how Christian virtues, such as love, compassion, and empathy, serve as foundational pillars in cultivating a spiritually enriching learning environment. The synthesis of empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and biblical insights not only enhances our understanding of the transformative potential of positive relationships in higher education but also underscores their pivotal role in fostering holistic development on a spiritual level. Through this comprehensive exploration, the study contributes significantly to the discourse on the symbiotic relationship between academic success and spiritual growth, emphasizing the importance of nurturing positive relationships as a cornerstone of holistic education in higher learning institutions.</p>

Beyond polarisation and simplified storylines: Exploring discursive struggles over a transport infrastructure project in Vienna, Austria

Major transportation infrastructure projects are often associated with public disputes and polarised debates. However, by using the example of a controversial infrastructure project in Vienna (the “Lobau highway”), we show that a binary “pro-versus-con” framing does not do justice to the complex realities of such debates. Based on a Q methodological analysis, we reveal four distinct perspectives, which reflect a broad spectrum of “generally pro” and “generally against” positions: (i) More roads, more traffic, (ii) Less politics, more facts, (iii) Better roads, better city, and (iv) The highway must be built. While our analysis points at unexpected overlaps between perspectives and some entry points for consensus building, it also highlights disagreement on fundamental beliefs such as the impact of roads on the environment, the phenomenon of induced traffic, or the right to drive a car. Against this background, we discuss the wider socio-political context of the analysed debate, reflect on the basic premise of consensus building, and derive policy implications.

Корпоративна культура та її вплив на розвиток підприємства

The work examines and defines the essence of the “corporate culture of an enterprise” and defines this economic category. It has been established that corporate culture is a tool of organizational activity, with the help of which the enterprise forms its successes and achievements, as well as employees’ reactions to these achievements through the ideas, values, and thoughts that prevail within the team. It is noted that the management of the enterprise should adjust and adapt the methods of conducting corporate culture to the values and priorities of the personnel of their enterprises. After all, human capital plays the leading role in the efficient operation of the enterprise. The stages of implementation of corporate culture at enterprises are presented. It has been established that management, when planning the stages of corporate culture implementation at enterprises, should consider the atmosphere that has developed within the team, and from this, already determine fundamental values and beliefs, form norms of behavior and standards of the enterprise, and implement motivational measures for its employees. The principles of corporate culture are defined. General and principles of corporate culture are distinguished. The importance of using the principles of the corporate culture of enterprises, which provide for the consistency of the tasks of the mission and the strategic goals of development of both personnel and the enterprise, which will ensure a high level of competitiveness in a changing environment, is substantiated. It is proved that during the period of the Russian-Ukrainian war, it is necessary to consider both the internal factors of the development of corporate culture and the changes that take place in society, and only such an approach will ensure the balance of all participants in market relations. The influence of corporate culture on the development of the enterprise was studied. Factors influencing the corporate culture of the enterprise are considered. Keywords: corporate culture, enterprise, development, stages, influence, personnel, essence.

A Preliminary Study of Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt Islamic Financing Facilities among Halal-Certified Companies in Malaysia

Halal business and Islamic finance adhere to the same fundamental principles and core beliefs. However, there is a divergence between these two industries, particularly in Malaysia, where the utilisation and adoption rate of Islamic financial facilities is still relatively low. This disconnect is particularly prevalent in Malaysia. In order for a company to run in a manner that is really halal, not only must it concentrate on halal production, but it must also finance the firm using shariah-compliant financing; this is something that has not yet been entirely accomplished. As a result, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the survey instrument in determining the influence of relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, top management support, owner-manager expertise, competitive pressure, and customer pressure on the desire to adopt Islamic finance facilities. Specifically, the aim of this study is to review the usefulness of the survey instrument in determining these factors. At the Halal Fiesta (Halfest), a survey was carried out with 30 halal-certified companies utilising a straightforward random sampling approach. This survey served as a preliminary assessment. The findings of the study provide evidence that there is a need for additional improvement and suggest that the survey instrument is appropriate for a more in-depth study that involves a bigger and more representative sample within the halal business.

Advancing brand purpose: How Crayola elevates its long-standing mission to a compelling go-to-market strategy and an inspiring point of view on creativity as an essential life skill

Founded in the early 1900s, Crayola was grounded in a deep sense of purpose and a fundamental belief that creativity is essential to each individual child and the collective potential of a nation. Discover how Crayola has re-sharpened its focus on the brand’s mission and translated that focus both internally to nurture its culture and externally to propel its go-to-market strategy. Learn about Crayola’s strategic framework and the multitude of ways that framework is translating into compelling products and collaborations, engaging experiences and impactful content that aims to further deepen consumers’ relationship with the brand. This paper describes Crayola’s point of view on creativity and its ambition to help drive a societal shift in understanding and appreciation of creativity as an essential life skill crucial to future potential.

Tolak Bala and Islamic Aqidah Understanding: Revealing Dilemmas in the Religious Practices of Javanese Moslem Society

The practice of rejecting reinforcements is an important part of religious traditions that often involve rituals that developed locally. This research aims to investigate the dilemma that arises in Javanese Muslim religious practices related to the concept of rejecting evil and understanding Islamic aqidah. The method used in this research is qualitative, where data is collected through interviews with informants, and is supported by the relevance of related literature. The research results show that in daily religious practice, the Javanese Muslim community often faces a dilemma between the concept of repelling evil and understanding fundamental Islamic beliefs. Although generally accepting the concept of Islamic aqidah, some traditional practices such as rejecting reinforcements are still maintained in Javanese culture. This research contributes to the literature on religion and culture, by describing the complexity of religious practices in Javanese society and the conflicts that arise between local traditions and Islamic religious teachings. In addition, this research also provides a basis for further reflection on how Islam is interpreted and practiced in diverse local cultural contexts.

Conceptualising Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara mental health beliefs

ABSTRACT Objectives Very little is known about how Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara describe and explain mental health from their own perspectives without resorting to Western frameworks. This study used a social contextual research approach to describe how Anangu talk about behaviours that are called “mental illness” in Western contexts, their explanations about the contexts they believe shape these behaviours, and how Anangu support people who exhibit them. Method Seven senior Anangu were repeat interviewed between 1–2 hours by an Anangu researcher for a combined total time of 31 hours in a “yarning” conversational approach. Interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis approach to explore the contextual features giving rise to mental health behaviours. Results Results indicated that in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands there are complex interactions between fundamental ancient beliefs of cultural processes and the changing Western influences since colonisation, and examples are given of each of these. The same looking Western behaviours of “mental health” could arise from alternative traditional contexts. Conclusions This research fills a gap and adds to the very small amount of Anangu mental health literature by providing an extensive overview of the mental health behaviours from the perspectives of Anangu themselves. It also shows how there can be gaps in research done without Indigenous researchers onboard.

The fundamental beliefs held by individuals living with HIV and university students during the challenges posed by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia

IntroductionBaseline beliefs, as conceptualized by R. Janoff-Bulman in her cognitive theory of mental trauma, represent an inherent internal framework that shapes how individuals perceive and assess traumatic events. It is widely acknowledged that the pandemic has had a profound impact on the global economy and the living conditions of individuals. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that during a pandemic, one’s ability to adapt to these altered circumstances is influenced by their foundational beliefs. Consequently, exploring these fundamental beliefs in two at-risk groups, namely university students and individuals with confirmed HIV, becomes a subject of significant interest.ObjectivesThis study aims to examine the fundamental beliefs of patients with HIV and university students in the context of the second wave of the new coronavirus pandemic in Russia.MethodsData collection took place from January to July 2021 using a custom-developed Google form. The study involved 35 Russian university students majoring in humanities and 59 HIV-positive patients. We employed the WAS-37 methodology, adapted for use in Russia, to assess their baseline beliefs.ResultsWe found that on the scales “Fairness” (M = 21.00±3.73 - students, M = 20.53±4.63 - patients, p = 0.616), “Luck” (M = 31.74±5.06 vs M = 29.59±7.33, p = 0.129) and “Control beliefs” (M = 26.66±4.80 vs M = 27.12±4.42, p = 0.636) students did not differ from patients. Scores on the Environment Benevolence scale were higher in students (M = 35.46±7.33 vs M = 30.50±7.09, p = 0.002) and on the Self Image scale were higher in HIV patients (M = 26.63±6.97 vs M = 30.03±5.41, p = 0.010).ConclusionsDuring the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, individuals living with HIV, when compared to students, tended to perceive the world around them as being more perilous and unfriendly, while simultaneously viewing themselves as possessing greater integrity. From our perspective, this latter observation could be interpreted as a means of self-defence against the perceived hostility of the external world. In such pandemic circumstances, it may be advisable to consider the use of supportive psychotherapy for individuals living with HIV.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Fundamental beliefs, as well as levels of depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by Russian students during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionA pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus is an immensely traumatic event. Researches indicate that such events significantly impact various aspects of individuals, including their physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and social functions, affecting different components of their personality structure. However, the experience of trauma itself is influenced by implicit internal structures known as underlying beliefs. Consequently, emotional responses to traumatic events may be interconnected with these core beliefs.Objectives This study aimed to explore fundamental beliefs among Russian university students and analyze their associations with emotional reactions such as depression, anxiety, and stress.MethodsData collection took place from January to April 2021 using a custom-designed Google form. The study involved 35 Russian university students. We employed the WAS-37 methodology to investigate fundamental beliefs and the DASS-21 methodology to assess the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.Results We found that the mean values of the “Benevolence of the surrounding world” (M = 35.5±7.3) and “Luck” (M = 31.7±5.1) scales are higher than the normative mean values for the Russian population. In contrast, the mean values of the “Fairness” (M = 21.0±3.7), “Self-image” (M = 26.6±7.0) and “Beliefs about control” (M = 26.6±4.8) scales are generally not different from the normative values. Depression has negative correlations with Self-image (rs = -0.590, p < 0.01) and Beliefs about control (rs = -0.509, p < 0.01). No statistically significant correlations of anxiety and stress with baseline beliefs were obtained.ConclusionsDuring the second wave of the pandemic, Russian university students tend to view the world around them as less perilous than the broader population does, and they perceive themselves as more fortunate. Depressive feelings among students are linked to their lower beliefs in the value and importance of their self, as well as their perception that the world around them is not sufficiently controllable.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Who's Searching for the Soul of Black Preaching? History Proves It's Never Been Lost

The 2023 Black Theology and Leadership Initiative convened around the theme, “Searching for the Soul of Black Preaching.” Rather than focusing on the performative aspects of Black preaching, as an art form, the convening looked substantively at the soul of Black preaching, that is, its very essence. What does it mean to provide hope to a people who have historically been marginalized, as part of the Black experience in America? In relying on some of America's most respected scholars, as well as some of my own previously published works, I argue that the soul of Black preaching includes four fundamental elements. First, with the centrality of Scripture, Black preaching is based on a fundamental belief that God's providence meets the Black lived experience. Second, as a natural extension of the first element, I argue there is a biblical hermeneutic that sees Scripture as “biased,” because God is not neutral. Instead, God is on the side of the oppressed. Third, in recognizing that the Black preacher's work is incomplete without divine intervention, I discuss the transcendence of the Holy Spirit for “participant proclamation” as part of the Black worship experience. Finally, in looking at the social justice nature of Black preaching, in speaking to a marginalized class, I argue that in addition to focusing on piety, Black preaching is often prophetic and/or political. In answering the rhetorical question of who is searching for the “soul” of Black preaching, I therefore argue that based on the four elements listed above, and the way Black preaching has been a rallying call for the Black community from the period of enslavement onward, the soul of Black preaching has never been lost.

Harnessing Children’s Picture Books to Socialize Children About Pain and Injury: A Qualitative Study

Pain experiences are common during childhood (eg, “everyday” pain, vaccine injections) and are powerful opportunities for children to learn about pain and injury. These experiences likely inform fundamental and life-long beliefs about pain. There is scant research investigating the sociocultural contexts in which children learn about pain and injury. One unexplored context is the shared reading of picture books (eg, between parents/caregivers and children). In this study, we investigated whether shared reading of picture books that included depictions of pain and/or injury prompted parent/caregiver-child interactions. If interactions were observed, we explored what those interactions entailed. Twenty parents/caregivers (8 men, 12 women) and their children (n = 27; 10 boys, 17 girls) were recruited from libraries in South Australia. Parent/caregiver-child families chose from 8 books (7 fiction, 1 nonfiction) with varying amounts of pain/injury-related content. Shared reading interactions were video recorded, transcribed, and analyzed alongside analysis of the picture books using reflexive thematic analysis. Pain/injury-related interactions were observed between parents/caregivers and children during shared reading of picture books. Qualitative analyses generated 1 main theme and 3 subthemes. Findings identified that shared reading presented an opportunity for children’s understanding of pain and injury to be socialized through discussion of characters’ experiences. This included teaching children about pain and injury, as well as promoting empathy and emotional attunement toward characters who were depicted as being in pain. Finally, parents/caregivers often responded with observable/expressed amusement if pain/injury was depicted in a light-hearted or unrealistic way. Overall, shared reading of picture books presents an untapped opportunity to socialize children about pain and injury. PerspectiveShared reading of picture books that have depictions of pain and/or injury can prompt parent/caregiver-child interactions about pain and injury. These interactions present critical opportunities that can be harnessed to promote children’s learning of adaptive pain-related concepts and behaviors during a critical developmental period.

Understanding factors affecting fundamental school teachers’ use of technology in Luxembourg through a survey study

Over the last few decades, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have brought about significant disruptions across nearly every industry, including education. Acknowledging the power of the digital revolution to make a positive change, educational policy makers in Luxembourg have made efforts to translate these trends into policies leveraging the potential of technologies while also tackling the challenges they present. However, these efforts and their impact on teacher ICT integration behaviors in Luxembourg are rather underexplored. The aim of the study was to examine and understand factors associated with efficient educational technology practices. The study data were collected through an online survey of 159 teachers and analyzed through a mixed-method approach, including regression and correlation analyses. Findings shed light on the connections between professional use of ICT and a set of interrelated factors such as (a) teacher attitudes followed by (b) subjective norms, (c) teacher self-efficacy beliefs, (d) facilitating conditions, (e) teacher value beliefs, and (f) fundamental pedagogical beliefs. The study also revealed possible deterrents and challenges of ICT integration in Luxembourgish fundamental schools, including gaps between teacher ICT competencies and advanced ICT uses, class management issues, and developed suggestions for professional development training to ensure efficient and advanced ICT uses in the classroom.

African Approaches to the Protection and Conservation of the Environment: The Role of African Traditional Religions

Abstract In Africa the environment is sacrosanct and treated with great respect, particularly in communities where traditional beliefs and practices prevail. The sacredness of the environment is based on the African people’s fundamental belief that the spiritual and the secular worlds are two sides of the same coin endowed with divine power and presence. As a result, the line of demarcation between the two worlds is blurred. They complement each other in the sense that each derives its meaning, significance and importance from the other. Since the natural world is imbued with the divine, it is considered an extension of the supernatural world. In the absence of written legal frameworks, the environment, in indigenous communities, is protected through religious beliefs and practices. This article analyses the basic approaches of the African people towards nature and their fundamental belief that the environment is an integral part of God’s creation and must therefore be preserved and conserved for future generations. The article notes that in contemporary Africa the emphasis on material values is leading towards the total destruction of the environment, thus putting humanity at the intersection of self-destruction – something that needs to be avoided at all costs.

Engaging Emotional Fundamentalism in the University Classroom: Pedagogical and Ethical Dilemmas

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to turn attention to the role of affects and emotions in fundamentalism, and examine two interrelated dilemmas that emerge when university instructors come across students who express fundamentalist beliefs and emotions in the classroom: pedagogical and ethical dilemmas. The paper examines these dilemmas through the analysis of an incident in which the author engaged with a student holding religious fundamentalist beliefs. The analysis brings two significant bodies of literature together – the literature on fundamentalism in different disciplines and the body of work that theorizes the cultural politics of affect and emotion – and sheds further light on an emerging concept in education, namely, ‘emotional fundamentalism.’ Through an examination of the ways in which affects and emotions are entangled with fundamentalism, the paper suggests ways in which educators and scholars may expand the concept of ‘emotional fundamentalism’ and rethink how we might engage with it in higher education.

The Intellectual Representative of the School of objective Criticism: Azhar Ghouri

Object oriented approach of criticism has its roots in post continental philosophies based on perdiction and vision. Azhar Ghouri has strong advocacy for universalization of values and global adaptation of critical thinking styles. He believes in sublimity of Art and architecture regardless of classic or modern as a label for critical analysis. He believes in exploration of ideas and vision with insight in any piece of literature beyond its mechanical structure. Colonialism, exploitation, industrialisation, hunger, fear, shelter, peace and justice are controversial in global village according to A. G which needed to be reflected in art and literature in modes of individual’s interest. Author of this artical has explored gross root level realities and fundamental beliefs of object oriented approach in literary works of A.G. The agitation through pen has always been an eye opener initiative to stimulate the reader same has been highlighted by the author in the artical.

Sexual Modesty and How it Functions in Gender Equality

In contemporary society, gender equality has become widely accepted as a fundamental belief. Nevertheless, some people argue that males and females are born different, leading others to oppose the concept of gender equality. Within the author's research into sexual modesty, researchers have devised an experiment employing the IAT testing method to discover the relationship between sexual modesty and moral level. In the experiment, two possible results may lead to significant revelation concerning gender equality. If sexual modesty directly affects people's moral level, males and females may have a great division in body structure, eventually contributing to the central conflict between men and women. If only sexual attractiveness leads to fluctuation in a person’s moral level, people must diminish the difference between men's and women’s clothing to accomplish gender equality. In all, equality is a trend for all human beings on Earth. Despite their differences, men and women will become more and more equal in future development.

A landscape view of emerging sustainability responses within VET

ABSTRACT With evidence of global climate change and ongoing ecological degradation, there is an urgent need to give more attention to sustainability within VET to ensure that VET does not remain complicit in reproducing the unjust and unsustainable trajectories of current economic and development pathways. At present, the VET literature does not adequately address these issues, hence the need for this special issue. In response, this paper offers a meta-reflective ‘landscape view’ of the sustainability within the VET ‘field of knowledge’ as it is emerging. Here, we use landscape review as a multi-dimensional, ‘outside-in’ view that provides a basis for understanding the broad context and helps to inform actionable next steps. This analysis we believe helps to highlight the key emerging priorities as well as what paths VET is taking on the journey to sustainability. The analysis shows that while some progress has been made in policy and practice related to the ‘greening’ of VET, much of the current response within VET to the environmental challenge reflects a minimalist reformist approach, characterised by ‘bolt-ons’ to existing institutional structures and curricula whilst leaving the fundamental beliefs in productivism, industrialisation and growth in place. Yet, as argued by researchers working on green economy, these beliefs are often complicit in co-creation of the environmental crisis.

Le Trosne’s Discours sur l’état actuel de la magistrature and Quesnay’s reaction to it

Le Trosne’s Discours sur l’état actuel de la magistrature was published in 1764. It is the first physiocratic book of Le Trosne, a major physiocrat. This paper records the reaction of Quesnay, the founder of Physiocracy, to this work: I discovered the text of the far-reaching letter sent by Quesnay to Le Trosne, which is the only extant trace of any written exchange between them. It provides a sketch of Quesnay’s fundamental beliefs, announces some of his most important later works and outlines ideas later developed by Lemercier de la Rivière. It also displays Quesnay’s religious streak.

역사 안에서 완성되는 구원으로서의 종말

This study undertakes a theological critique of historical interpretation and eschatological thought within the corpus of Belgian theologian Edward Schillebeeckx, whose scholarship was prominent in the Netherlands. Drawing from the insights of M. D. Chenu, Schillebeeckx embraces a historiographical stance informed by the methodologies of the Annales School, which postulates historical progression through a lens that allows for the interweaving of Divine will and human action in the pursuit of God. This vista sets the stage for history's protagonists to be perceived not only as the Divine orchestrator of salvation but also as humanity, in partnership with the Divine directive.
 At the crux of this engagement is the fundamental belief in Divine self-disclosure and creativeness, which aligns humanity with the Divine will, confirming the thesis of God as the sovereign architect of history.
 Schillebeeckx's historiographical methodology recognizes the intricate interaction between the vicissitudes of socio-economic frameworks and shifts in ideological paradigms, associating such seismic shifts — comparable to historical cleavages — with the ecclesiastic vocation of navigating the path to salvation. His eschatological construct, an outgrowth of this historical interpretation, contends that the ultimate realization of salvation unfolds within the historical episode wherein individuals pursue self-fulfillment, placing this pursuit at the heart of eschatological discourse. Within this paradigm, God is posited as the definitive horizon for humanity, traversing from historical antecedents through the contemporary to the eventual.
 In this theological architecture, the Divine does not precipitate the eschaton by abruptly rectifying historical wrongs. Rather, the Divine presence engages with humanity in a concerted struggle against injustice, marshaling human agency toward redemptive ends throughout this journey. Schillebeeckx’s eschatological vision, characterized by its critical negation, offers a prophetic eschatology that integrates the theme of humanity's historical absence at the pivotal intersection where dogmatic theology's principal treatises meet.