Indian Nations Research Articles

Against #CoronaJihaad: Online Somatic Nationalism and Offline Social Distancing in India during covid-19

Abstract This article examines the two waves of the covid-19 pandemic in India in 2020–2021. It disaggregates the different narratives constructed by the Hindu right-wing in online circles. It shows that by instrumentalizing the interactive and multimodal features of social media, the Hindu Right amplified the notion of Muslims as contaminants in the first wave of the breakout, accusing them of weakening the otherwise sacred, virus-resistant Indian nation. During the second wave, the Hindu Right downplayed the role of the Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu pilgrimage and festival, as a super-spreader event. Criticisms of the Hindu festival was deemed a foreign conspiracy aimed at harming India’s body politic. The article argues that the Hindu Right capitalized on the covid-19 crisis to promote religified and somatisized ideals of a ‘muscular Hindu India’ weakened by the Muslim Other from within. This narrative heightened the schism between Hindus and Muslims in India, with long-lasting effects that outlive the pandemic itself. Finally, the article problematizes the notion that digital technologies and virtual spaces necessarily overcome physical barriers and divisions, arguing instead that in the case of the right-wing Hindu Twittersphere, social media congealed intra-communal solidarities and inter-communal antagonisms online echoing divisions in the non-digital, offline world.

Headache prevalence and demographic associations in the Delhi and National Capital Region of India: estimates from a cross-sectional nationwide population-based study

BackgroundIndia is a large and populous country where reliable data on headache disorders are relatively scarce. This study in northern India (Delhi and National Capital Territory Region [NCR], including surrounding districts in the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan) continues the series of population-based studies within the Global Campaign against Headache and follows an earlier study, using the same protocol and questionnaire, in the southern State of Karnataka.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used the Global Campaign’s established methodology. Biologically unrelated Indian nationals aged 18–65 years were included through multistage random sampling in both urban and rural areas of NCR. Interviews at unannounced household visits followed the structured Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire in its original English version or in the validated Hindi version. Demographic enquiry was followed by a neutral headache screening question and diagnostic questions based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders edition 3 (ICHD-3), which focused on each respondent’s most bothersome headache. Questions about headache yesterday (HY) enabled estimation of 1-day prevalence. A diagnostic algorithm first identified participants reporting headache on ≥ 15 days/month (H15+), diagnosing probable medication-overuse headache (pMOH) in those also reporting acute medication use on ≥ 15 days/month, and “other H15+” in those not. To all others, the algorithm applied ICHD-3 criteria in the order definite migraine, definite tension-type headache (TTH), probable migraine, probable TTH. Definite and probable diagnoses were combined.ResultsAdjusted for age, gender and habitation, 1-year prevalences were 26.3% for migraine, 34.1% for TTH, 3.0% for pMOH and 4.5% for other H15+. Female preponderance was seen in all headache types except TTH: migraine 35.7% vs. 15.1% (aOR = 3.3; p < 0.001); pMOH 4.3% vs. 0.7% (aOR = 5.1; p < 0.001); other H15 + 5.9% vs. 2.3% (aOR = 2.5; p = 0.08). One-day prevalence of (any) headache was 12.0%, based on reported HY. One-day prevalence predicted from 1-year prevalence and mean recalled headache frequency over 3 months was slightly lower (10.5%).ConclusionsThe prevalences of migraine and TTH in Delhi and NCR substantially exceed global means. They closely match those in the Karnataka study: migraine 25.2%, TTH 35.1%. We argue that these estimates can reasonably be extrapolated to all India.

A cross-cultural investigation of rejection sensitivity and romantic relationships

This study sought to test whether the magnitude of associations between rejection sensitivity and facets of romantic relationships (sociosexuality, jealousy, and perceived mate value) differ between Australian nationals and Indian nationals. It was hypothesised that associations would be stronger among Australian adults (individualistic culture) compared to Indian adults (collectivistic culture). In total, 200 Indian adults (94 men, 105 women; Mage = 28.15 ± 11.41 years) and 228 Australian adults (65 men, 162 women; Mage = 19.91 ± 2.50 years) completed questionnaires at a single time point. Results showed that, compared to Australian adults, Indian adults tended to have higher levels of rejection sensitivity and jealousy, and lower levels of self-perceived mate value and sociosexual behaviour. Linear regression models also showed that more rejection sensitive adults tended to have a lower perceived mate value, express greater jealousy, and have less restricted sociosexual behaviour. Moderation analysis showed that more rejection sensitive adults tended to express greater jealousy in the Indian sample only, and mediation models showed that rejection sensitivity related to sociosexual behaviour through the variance shared with mate value. These findings highlight the importance of rejection sensitivity in romantic relationships across cultures.

Forging the West Indian Nation: Federation and Caribbean Activism in Post-war Britain, 1945-60.

This article explores how Caribbean activists living in Britain after 1945 engaged with the movement for the West Indies Federation. By considering overlooked organizations such as the Caribbean Labour Congress, London Branch (CLC) and the West Indian Workers and Students Association (WIWSA), it shows that, first, Britain became a hub for Caribbean nationalism and support for Federation in the post-war years. Secondly, it argues that the West Indies Federation of 1958-62 significantly influenced the formation of important British Caribbean institutions, such as the West Indian Gazette and the Caribbean Carnival. In contrast to traditional narratives regarding post-war Caribbean political activity in Britain, which often treat the 1950s conjuncture through the lens of race and of the prehistory of a 'multi-cultural' Britain, this article seeks to recover a moment when British Caribbean activism was moved by a broader, transnational, self-consciously 'West Indian' nationalist movement. In doing so, it reveals the significance of the West Indies Federation, and Caribbean decolonization more broadly, to the Caribbean diaspora in Britain, and their political activities. Moreover, it illustrates how diasporic and exilic communities and figures continued to play an important role in anti-colonial and nation-building projects.

Cultural Encounters: Puppetry Performing Arts (Wayang) and Dangdut Music as a Reflection of India-Indonesia Integration

The purpose of this research is to reveal the relationship or social and cultural influence of the Indian nation on the expression of performing arts (wayang) and dangdut music in Indonesia. The hope of this research is to increase public awareness of the identity of national performing arts and music, which is rarely realized to be heavily influenced by Indian culture. Specifically, the aspects examined in this research include changes in the content of stories from Indian epics in the adaptation of Indonesian performing arts, as well as dangdut music that adapts the energetic spirit of music and dance from India. The method used in this research is qualitative with primary data sources derived from scientific articles and books related to the research. The data validation analysis technique used in this research is triangulation. Triangulation is used as a means of comparing the amount of data, to determine its consistency and accuracy, which will be displayed in the research. The results of this study show that, the culture brought by India is not really one hundred percent imitated or copied by the Indonesian people. The author concludes that the hybridity that occurs between Indian and Indonesian culture actually forms a new innovation in the field of art itself or can also be called a new work. The Mahabharata and Ramayana stories, which were originally the source of puppetry, changed and adapted to Indonesian culture. As a result, there are many compositions of the two epics, character changes, and the emergence of new characters that do not exist in the Mahabharata and Ramayana themselves, such as the punakawan characters that are closely related to the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The same goes for dangdut, a music that was originally based on the character of Malay music from Indonesia, now transformed into a new genre called dangdut due to the influence of India, through political elements and the spread of Indian movies in the 20th century.

A retrospective study about cancellation of elective surgeries in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract Introduction: Operation theaters (OTs) are one among the core functionalities in a health care institution that require a considerable amount of 5 Ms—man, machine, money, material, and management. Any idle time or underutilization in the OT creates a huge loss of these resources and is also inconvenient to patients and those on the waiting list. Thus, a planned and well-conceived operational method has to be followed to reduce the cancelations of scheduled cases and to optimally utilize the OTs so that they become more efficient. This study has been done to understand the basic reasons for the cancelation of elective surgeries at a tertiary care hospital and to effectively tackle them by suggesting suitable solutions to overcome these challenges. Objectives: Primarily, to understand the reasons for the cancelation of surgeries in OTs, and secondarily, to put forward suggestions for optimal usage of OTs. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study, with Pareto analysis and root cause analysis (RCA) as the tools. Records were obtained from the Central Scheduling Department of the Hospital between January 2020 and November 2022 (35 months). Results: During the study period, 53,177 surgeries were performed in the main OTs. There were 2289 (4.3%) cancelations. Nearly 84% of canceled surgeries were canceled within 24 h. Cancelations were 63% in males and 37% in females. Seventy-nine percent were of Indian nationality, and the rest were of various nationalities. Conclusion: The reasons for the cancelation of elective surgeries were multifactorial. Controlling these, and thus preventing cancelations, is imperative in the effective functioning of the institution as a whole. We recommend thorough evaluation, early preanesthetic checkup (PAC) and well-planned scheduling without haste as some of the measures to reduce the chances of cancelation.

The progressive pilgrim: Real and mythical Indian geography in contemporary retellings of the Rāmāyaṇa

AbstractSeveral English‐language adaptations of the Indian epic Rāmāyaṇa have been published since the beginning of the 21st century. The epic has been regarded and recreated as a metonym for the Indian nation. Contemporary versions have often referred to Indian geography and have tried to poetically or literally associate mythic spaces with real ones. In this paper, I use discourse analysis in order to study some of the most influential 21st‐century English‐language retellings of the Rāmāyaṇa. I conclude that these and other versions of the epic describe India as a regionally divided nation which can ultimately be united through national geography, its association with mythology and the contrast between the geography of India and that of foreign nations. In this sense, I regard these contemporary versions as a ‘literary pilgrimage’ through which Indian readers can get to know the geography of their nation and regard it as sacred.

PRODUCING “ILLEGALITY”: THE RACIALIZATION OF MEXICAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT As record numbers of Mexican and Central Americans arrive at the US-Mexico border, they encounter an asylum system that has evolved to exclude them. After detailing the specific legal changes that racialize these nationalities through criminalization, this study uses asylum data to illustrate how the current structure of the asylum process produces illegality for Mexican and Central Americans seeking protection in the US. We draw on asylum data outcomes for the largest groups filing defensive asylum claims to halt their deportation over the past decade to emphasize the impact of changing laws and the divergent impact of the implementation of those laws on Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Salvadoran, Chinese, and Indian asylum seekers. While Chinese and Indian nationals have relatively high rates of success obtaining asylum, their Mexican and Central American counterparts are consistently denied asylum, partially as a result of their criminalization in the US asylum system.

Stakeholder Cues, National Origin, and Public Opinion Towards Firms: Evidence in the Context of the First Bank in an American Indian Nation

AbstractWhen and how does stakeholder credibility matter in shaping public opinion? We explore this question in a real-world setting: in order to fight its citizens’ financial exclusion—a key barrier to development in Indian Country—American Indian Nation “A” negotiated the first entry of the first bank to its reservation. The bank is owned by American Indian Nation “B.” To the Federal Reserve, the bank branch is a potential proof-of-concept for the capacity of tribe-to-tribe investment to improve capital access in underserved Native communities. The bank’s success ultimately depends on whether Nation A’s citizens use its services; in the months before its opening, all three stakeholders independently attempted to influence public opinion toward the bank. We collaborated to conduct a first-of-its-kind survey of Nation A’s tribal members, finding high baseline buy-in especially given the bank’s nationality, but weak and even counterproductive treatment effects of pro-banking cues provided by Nation A and the Federal Reserve. Our results make clear the practical benefits of theory-building around stakeholder credibility, and the crucial role of individual attitudes in the political economy of development.

The Rule of Law in an Ethnocracy: India's Citizenship Amendment Act and the Will of the Hindu Ethnos

What is the fate of the rule of law in India that is transitioning to an ethnocracy? Drawing on a ‘thin’ conception of the rule of law, this article argues that the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act responds to the emergence of a political ideal that constructs the Hindu ethnos as central to the Indian nation. Drawing on a variety of sources that include pronouncements by leaders of the RSS, the ideological fount of India's ruling BJP, analysis of right-wing periodicals that function as a conveyor belt of social ideas, and the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), this article highlights the core themes that motivate the will of the Hindu ethnos in respect of the contentious legislation: (i) the persecution of the Hindu minorities in India's Muslim-majority neighbours; (ii) the discrimination faced by Dalits in particular and (iii) the establishment of India as a Hindu Zion. In the first section, I elaborate the concept of ‘ethnocracy’. The second section reflects on the fate of the rule of law in an ethnocratic India by analysing the social justifications for the introduction of the contentious CAA. In the third section, I situate these dynamics within India's broader transition to an ethnocracy, the political ideals that shape this transition, and the shared social norms that emerge from this transition, which feeds back to the rule of law in an ethnocracy.

Building a healthy migrant workforce in Singapore – A cross-sectional study to understand health-seeking behaviours of male migrant workers

BackgroundThe healthcare policies for migrant workers in Singapore had a traditional focus on improving occupational health and preventing workplace injuries. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid paradigm shift in the provision of healthcare for migrant workers, with an urgent focus on improving the accessibility and affordability of primary and preventive health services and strengthening public health surveillance. The purpose of this study is to identify areas for improvement, so that policy makers can improve the implementation effectiveness of healthcare policies for migrant workers. This is achieved by establishing a baseline understanding of (a) the health-seeking behaviours of migrant workers in Singapore, (b) how they consume primary and preventive health services, and (c) systemic gaps in the delivery of services. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at five migrant worker dormitories and two community spaces in Singapore, between August and November 2022. 1101 male migrant workers participated in a survey and 1089 valid responses were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic factors associated with health service utilisation and awareness of the new healthcare financing plan introduced for migrant workers, called the Primary Care Plan (PCP). ResultsThe mean age of participants was 34 years. Most of them were of Indian or Bangladeshi nationality. At least 82 % of participants reported that they could access varying health services in Singapore and 73 % were satisfied with the costs of healthcare. However, a lower percentage of the participants (54 %) had seen a doctor, mostly for respiratory, fever or musculoskeletal conditions, and only 7 % saw a dentist at least once in a year. This was attributable to their low perceived need to see a doctor (91 %) or dentist (71 %). While the prevalence of chronic diseases (4 %) was low among the participants, about one-third of participants smoked (26 %), consumed alcohol (32 %), or resorted to self-treatment or medication (39 %). ConclusionThis study corroborated with previous observational studies where migrant workers in Singapore only sought care during an acute episode of illness. While participants perceived healthcare in Singapore to be accessible and affordable, there was limited evidence to suggest that preventive health care was prioritised. This indicates possible gaps in current outreach programmes and further development of new targeted programmes to increase the health literacy and awareness of primary and preventive health services among migrant workers in Singapore.

One Health assessment of persistent organic chemicals and PFAS for consumption of restored anadromous fish.

Restoration efforts have led to the return of anadromous fish, potential source of food for the Penobscot Indian Nation, to the previously dammed Penobscot River, Maine. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Penobscot Indian Nation's Department of Natural Resources (PINDNR), and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), measured contaminants in six species of anadromous fish. Fish tissue concentrations were then used, along with exposure parameters, to evaluate potential human and aquatic-dependent wildlife risk. PINDNR collected, filleted, froze, and shipped fish for analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dioxins/furans, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Contaminant levels were compared to reference doses (where possible) and wildlife values (WVs). Chemical concentrations ranged from 6.37 nanogram per gram (ng/g) wet weight (ww) in American Shad roe to 100 ng/g ww in Striped Bass for total PCBs; 0.851 ng/g ww in American Shad roe to 5.92 ng/g ww in large Rainbow Smelt for total PBDEs; and 0.037 ng/g ww in American Shad roe to 0.221 ng/g ww in Striped Bass for total dioxin/furans. PFAS concentrations ranged between 0.38ng/g ww of PFBA in Alewifeto 7.86 ng/g ww of PFUnA in Sea Lamprey. Dioxin/furans and PFOS levels indicated that there are potential human health risks. The WV for mink for total PCBs (72 ng/g) was exceeded in Striped Bass and the WV for Kestrel for PBDEs (8.7 ng/g) was exceeded in large Rainbow Smelt. Mammalian wildlife consuming Blueback Herring, Striped Bass, and Sea Lamprey may be at risk based on PFOS WVs from Canada. Anadromous fish returning to the Penobscot River potentially could represent the restoration of a major component of tribal traditional diet. However, information about contaminant levels in these fish is needed to guide the tribe about consumption safety. Analysis of select species of fish and risk calculations demonstrated the need for a protective approach to consumption for both humans and wildlife. This project demonstrates that wildlife can also be impacted by contamination of fish and their risks can be as great or greater than those of humans. A One Health approach addresses this discrepancy and will lead to a healthier ecosystem.

“Pain of Speaking”: Language and Environmental (In)justice in Ofelia Zepeda’s Where Clouds Are Formed

Ofelia Zepeda, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation (formerly Papago), is one of the most acknowledged Native American poets of her generation. Zepeda’s creative writing can be characterized as eco-poetry, for it is deeply connected with the natural environment of the Tohono O’odham traditional tribal territory in the Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest. The present paper focuses on the motif of language and speech as it is presented in Zepeda’s latest collection of verses Where Clouds Are Formed (2008). The paper maps the diverse forms in the work and in studies of individual poems (some of which are bilingual: English and Tohono O’odham), the significance of the traditional language within the context of so-called environmental (in)justice is explored.

Bollywood, Maratha imperialism and Hindu nationalism

ABSTRACT Critical scholars assert that the Bharatiya Janata Party is using commercial Hindi films, controlled by the censor board, to portray a ‘Hindu’ version of Indian nationality. Left-liberal intellectuals and activists further claim that Bollywood is also pandering to the diktats of the ruling party by making films which depict a right-wing version of Indian history. Films to a great extent define our social consciousness. This article attempts to show that the two films Bajirao Mastani and Panipat make a conscious attempt regarding the presentist use of medieval Indian history for furthering the process of national integration. Further, these two films partially challenge the patriarchal depiction of women in Indian society.

Prayers, Not Protests: Christian Internationalism and Young Womanhood in South India

Protestant communities in South India were vocal in dissenting against colonial rule and in expressing their discomfort with the demographic politics of nationalist discourse. Within this context, this paper focuses on young Christian women in Madras, who, in the 1930s and 1940s, articulated an internationalist ethic and a geography of ecumenical belonging that drew on their positioning within internationalist humanitarian, Christian socialist and global student Christian networks. Critiquing the narrowly regional and national geographies within which minoritised communities in South Asia have tended to be studied, I argue that these young women drew on social gospel theology to imagine an expansive international geography of social action, while critiquing their positioning as ‘minorities’ within the emergent Indian nation.

Hymnic Placemaking: Samson Occom’s Collection and Brothertown Orientations

This article traces a long trajectory of hymnic placemaking within the Brothertown Indian Nation from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Since their tribe’s inception, Brothertown people have repurposed the forms and rituals of Christian hymnody in order to maintain connections to ancestral homelands, navigate and interpret unfamiliar terrain, and construct and shape tribal spaces. Samson Occom’s (Mohegan/Brothertown) A Choice Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs; Intended for the Edification of Sincere Christians, of all Denominations (1774) cultivated this distinctive mode of placemaking within the Native community that formed at Brothertown, New York. Opening up several key moments in the hymnal’s nearly two-hundred-and-fifty-year history, this article reads the Collection’s figures of place in relation to the embodied engagements it has prompted over time, from the daily travel it motivated across the eighteenth-century town to the hollow square formation Brothertown Indians used in 2018 when performing hymns at Yale. By foregrounding the bodily orientations toward place that are promoted by sung hymn-texts and develop alongside their sustained use, the article demonstrates how sonic expressions continue to supply materials for Indigenous placemaking among Brothertown singers today. This hymn-singing tradition, tied to specific homelands and yet remarkably portable, illuminates the situatedness of Indigenous poetic practice under the conditions of settler colonialism.

Navayana of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar: buddhist modernism as an instrument of social transformation

The article examines the phenomenon of Navayana (Neo-Buddhism) created by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) as an instrument of changing the social identity of the untouchables from the Mahar community. The problem of untouchability and vestiges of the caste system in India became more acute during the struggle for independence. To build a new Indian nation, it was necessary to include in its ranks all strata of Indian society, including communities of the so-called untouchables. The most interesting in this regard is the social project of B.R. Ambedkar, who tried, drawing on the history of the Mahar community on the one hand and the religious conversion on the other, to create a new social identity for the untouchables. Ambedkar advocated the complete destruction of the caste system in India and considered a complete break with Hinduism as the only opportunity for low castes to gain equal rights. Ambedkar saw the religious conversion as the only way of getting rid of untouchability.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Among Tuberculosis Patients in Muscat, Oman, 2017-2020.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are global public health concerns and leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Coinfection is known to complicate TB control and outcomes. However, there is no national study regarding the prevalence of DM among TB patients in Oman. The objective of the current study was to assess the prevalence of DM and its associated factors among TB patients in Muscat, Oman. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study using secondary data from the electronic system of the Ministry of Health (Al-Shifa 3+). It includes all adult TB patients in Muscat, from 2017-2020. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, and comorbidities of TB patients were collected. SPSS with 95% CI and p-value ≤ 0.05 was used for statistical analysis. Of 426 TB cases, the prevalence of DM was 27.0%. The associated factors of DM were age group 40-54 years (odds ratio (OR) = 9.08, 95% CI: 4.16-19.84) and ≥ 55 years (OR = 11.35, 95% CI: 5.19-24.82), male (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.45-3.81), being married (OR = 13.18, 95% CI: 4.72-36.84), being employed (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.19-4.47), and Bangladeshi (OR = 7.08, 95% CI: 2.50-20.12) or Indian (OR = 6.14, 95% CI: 2.40-15.70) nationality. The absence of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin scar (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.19-3.56), death (OR = 7.08, 95% CI: 1.26-7.82), and cured after TB treatment (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.71-5.31) showed significant association. Also, smoking (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.81-4.76), drinking alcohol (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.10-2.91), hypertension (OR = 10.45, 95% CI: 5.29-20.64), heart disease (OR = 8.50, 95% CI: 1.69-42.77), and renal disease (OR = 4.84, 95% CI: 1.71-13.64) contributed to the study's comorbidities. Old age (adjusted OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.72-3.06) and hypertension (adjusted OR = 5.21, 95% CI: 2.28-11.87) were found to be predictors of DM among TB patients. The prevalence of DM among TB patients in Muscat is high. Integrated systematic bidirectional TB-DM screening is needed. Furthermore, special attention is required for associated factors when managing these comorbidities.

Exploring the Perception and Experiences of Nursing Instructors With E-learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's effect on the educational system, the integration of e-learning became essential. Consequently, it is necessary to explore nursing instructors' perceptions and experiences with e-learning. This study aims to explore the perception and experiences of nursing instructors in Saudi Arabia regarding e-learning. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among nursing instructors at Saudi Arabian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were invited to respond to an online questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed utilizing SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), employing both descriptive statistics to summarize the responses of the participants and inferential statistics to identify significant differences in perception and experience levels based on demographic variables. The results demonstrated that nursing instructors in Saudi universities had a high perception of e-learning, with an average rating of 4.55/5. Instructors aged 41-50 years, of Indian or Saudi nationality, and holding a doctoral degree exhibited significantly higher levels of technological and computer experience compared to others. Moreover, instructors in these categories also had significantly higher levels of perception toward e-learning, with an overall average rating of 4.56/5. The study concluded that nursing instructors at Saudi universities possessed a high level of experience in technology and computer usage, and they exhibited a favorable perception toward e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instructors aged 41-50 years, of Indian or Saudi nationality, and with a doctoral qualification demonstrated higher levels of experience in technology and computer usage, as well as a more positive perception of e-learning during the pandemic.

Tribal coalitions and lobbying outcomes: Evidence from administrative rulemaking

AbstractAmerican Indians are among the most underrepresented, yet heavily regulated, groups in national politics. While Indian nations maintain statuses as sovereign nations, they, and their people, remain affected by national policies addressing their treaty, land, resource, and civil and political rights. Theories of American Indian political incorporation suggest that Indian nations thus deploy interest group tactics to maintain or achieve favorable policy outcomes. We argue that coalition building, a ubiquitous lobbying strategy, enhances tribal policy advocacy and that “Native‐dominant” coalitions—those in which Native interests constitute a majority of members—are more influential than their non‐Native‐dominant counterparts. We test these claims using data from administrative rulemaking and find support for our hypotheses. We conclude that the unique particularities of tribal advocacy distinguish Native coalitions from those of other groups, and that their strategic lobbying choices may help to mediate representational disparities in policymaking by the executive branch.