Individual Aspirations Research Articles

Impacts of the Certificates of Added Competence credentialling program: a qualitative case study of enhanced-skill family medicine practice across Canada.

Background:In 2015, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) expanded its Certificates of Added Competence (CAC) program to include enhanced-skill certification in Care of Elderly, Family Practice Anesthesia, Palliative Care, and Sports and Exercise Medicine. We aimed to describe the impact of these 4 CACs on the provision of comprehensive care in Canada, while also identifying the factors of influence that foster these impacts.Methods:Between September 2018 and June 2019, we conducted qualitative case studies of 6 family medicine practices across Canada, sampled to represent geographic, population and practice arrangement diversity. We developed a framework of relevant factors and their relations to CAC-mediated comprehensive care delivery. We took an exploratory approach to the first 4 case studies, guided by theoretical propositions based on a literature review, and the CFPC’s 4 principles of family medicine and goals for practice. The emerging theory was confirmed and adapted through the final 2 explanatory case studies. Data were obtained through semistructured qualitative interviews with enhanced-skill and generalist physicians, specialists, trainees and administrators associated with these cases. We performed a descriptive content analysis, within and across cases.Results:Interviews with 48 participants showed considerable variation in the way CACs are operationalized related to the specific domain of care, the community, relationships among practitioners, motivations of the practitioner and needs of the patient population. The presence of CAC holders in communities expands the scope of available services, reduces the need for patients to travel and encourages continuity of care; however, comprehensive care may be negatively affected when CAC holders develop enhanced-skill practices according to clinical interests rather than community needs. Factors associated with collaborative care models, practice requirements, remuneration structure, community culture and individual aspirations interact to reinforce or undermine the effectiveness of enhanced-skill practices.Interpretation:Holders of CACs have a positive impact when they work in collaborative models that align with the needs of communities and that support local generalist family physicians. Health care policies should incentivize CAC activities that contribute to planned care delivery at the practice and community levels.

La pandemia nei sogni

The pandemic within dreams. The article aims to analyse different representations of the pandemic within dreams to trace correspondences between the symbolic expressions of the oneiric language and the sociology of the imaginary. The theoretical-methodological framework of Carl G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz guides the articulation of the essay. The unconscious lived through the memory of dreams has the typical and strong tendency to be projected externally, hence the hypothesis that it is possible to grasp its reflections in external reality and the social world. The question to be answered concerns which shared movements are present in the unconscious of individual subjects during the current period dominated by the pandemic and which relationships can be detected between the symbolic material emerging in individual dreams and some contemporary cultural phenomena. The empirical material is drawn from a series of interdisciplinary meetings regarding patients' dreams during the pandemic.

Jewish Child Integration in Britain: A Comparative Examination of Russian-Jewish and German-Jewish Refugees

By adopting a comparative approach to the lives of Russian-Jewish and German-Jewish refugee children in Britain, this article explores the extent to which Jewish refugee children were able to successfully integrate into British society. After stating the difference between the integration and assimilation of the Jewish refugees, this article examines how the education, religion and familial relations of the refugee children all acted as indicators of their desire to integrate. As a result of utilising the oral testimonies of both refugee groups, a personal insight is gained in relation to how each individual refugee child navigated the themes of belonging and identity from adolescence to adulthood. These oral testimonies, combined with the use of newspaper articles and autobiographical accounts, illustrate how the refugee children were both voluntarily and involuntarily involved in the integration process. Whilst assimilation did occur, particularly in the case of the German-Jewish refugee children who were placed in non-Jewish foster homes during the Second World War, it did not characterise the experiences of all Jewish refugee children. Instead, across both refugee groups, the children actively adapted their Jewish identity to serve their own individual aspirations. Thus, when evaluating the success of Jewish child integration in Britain, the lives of the Russian-Jewish and German-Jewish refugee children were characterised by their heterogeneity rather than their homogeneity.

Analysis of a dream series by the Dream Coding System developed by Ulrich Moser.

This paper serves psychotherapeutic process research and shows the process of change in a psychodynamic, individual psychological psychotherapy by means of a theory-based content analysis of the dreams reported in this therapy. The analysis of the patient’s dreams is carried out according to the dream coding method by Ulrich Moser and Vera Hortig (2019). The guiding question is about changes in positioning and interactions of the dream elements, how can they be determined and how (within the framework of the underlying dream generation theory) the influence of these changes on the patient’s ability to regulate affect can be assessed. Dream coding according to Moser and Hortig uses only the manifest dream and can be regarded as a research tool that rests, among other things, on psychoanalytic concepts, while at the same time taking into account more recent findings in dream and affect research. Its focus is on the coding of the present dream experience and the transformation of dream elements both within individual dreams and in the course of an entire dream series. It allows, without knowledge of the biographical anamnesis and without using psychoanalytic interpretation methods, to recognize changes in the dream structure and the affect regulation produced by it. The coding system thus also offers the possibility of making comparisons regarding the therapeutic changes achieved and thus (at least potentially) the effectiveness of different treatment methods (cf. Leuzinger-Bohleber, 2008, p. 7 f.). The coding of several dreams, i.e. the manifest dream content as a dream series highlighted the patient’s inner psychic change process: while the safety principle dominated the beginning, involvement increased and the use of the elements was more flexible and the interactions more mixed, to approach the initial dream again towards the end of the dream series. The coding indicates that the patient was able to increase her self-efficacy due to better containment of the emergent (dysfunctional) affects. This coding procedure serves as a promising empirical process assessment for carrying out single case studies.

The Institutionalization of e-Democracy: Challenges, Risks and Future Directions in an Indian Context

This conceptual paper attempts to understand the necessity of intertwining Democracy and e-Democracy for the success of institutionalization of e-Democracy. In this respect, it proposes the "Four-Forces Framework of Democracy" and their Drivers. The paper also explores the challenges that e-Democracy may face in its growth and evolution, highlights the risks involved in ignoring the challenges, and suggests the future direction. In the present scenario, there is a considerable push for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The paper discusses whether this will lead to the strengthening of people's voice and empowerment of the individual and collective aspirations. Societies in their evolution develop cultural contexts, social and ethnic values. It is a challenge for any e-Democracy to integrate them into its mechanisms. In the Indian context, it is essential to develop foresight on how e-Democracy gears-up to also address various contradictions and conflicts, which are possible due to the digital-divide, multitude of people's aspirations, socio-cultural diversity, space for democratic thinking, etc. Keeping many aspects of Democracy and governance into consideration, the paper focuses on how ICT and e-Democracy will honour people's aspirations in the coming years, to keep the public, individual, and society, vibrant and democratically functioning.

Gender disparity in the individual attitude toward longevity among Japanese population: Findings from a national survey.

The unprecedented population aging brings profound influences to the social values of longevity. The individual attitudes toward the expended life time deserves scrutiny, as it reflects the impacts of social networks and social welfare on people's life and wellbeing. This study aims to examine whether and how gender disparity is affecting the individual anticipation to longevity among Japanese citizen. We used the dataset of National Survey on Social Security and Peoples Life implemented in 2017 to calculate the odds ratios (OR) of the individual anticipation to longevity. Besides gender, other demographic characteristics, physical and mental health, the experience of nursing care for the elderly, financial conditions and social networks are examined by performing the multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analysis. The results indicate the robust effects of gender disparity on the individual aspiration for longevity. The proportion of those who inclined the positive statement on longevity was estimated to be 69.7% (95% CI: 68.6% - 70.9%) in the whole population, and 70.9% (95% CI: 69.4% - 72.5%) and 68.7% (95% CI: 67.1% - 70.2%) in male and female, respectively. Besides gender, independent factors significantly affecting the individual valuation of longevity include age, annual household income, the experience of nursing care, household saving, having a conversation with others and the availability of reliable partner(s) for relevant supports; while the common factors affecting the outcome variable were self-perceived health status and mental distress measured by K6. The interaction of gender and these significant factors were determined as well. In conclusion, with relevant representativeness and quality of data source, this analysis adds knowledge on gender disparity in the individual anticipation on longevity. The findings are suggestive to reform the social security system in the super aged society.

Career aspirations of generation Z: a systematic literature review

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the career aspirations of individuals belonging to the Gen Z cohort, i.e. born between 1995 and 2012.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a systematic review of the literature. The authors accessed four databases to collect literature for review. The databases included were Academic Search Ultimate, Business Source Ultimate, ERIC and Google Scholar. Keywords used to conduct the search process were as follows: career development, career aspiration, generation Z, Gen Z and iGen. The authors imported all articles to RefWorks, read article abstracts and decided on whether to include or exclude the article in the review.FindingsBased on this systematic review, the authors found that intrinsic and extrinsic factors determine Gen Z's career aspirations. Further, based on past studies' predictions, the authors concluded that Gen Z has well-defined career expectations and career development plans.Research limitations/implicationsGen Z is the newest generation to enter the workforce. With limited research on this cohort, this study synthesized the existing knowledge of Gen Z students' career aspirations and their future employers' expectations. All research around Gen Z is currently focused on students, and hence, it is challenging to predict their workplace behavior. In this work, the authors provided organizations and practitioners guidelines to be prepared with Gen Z's expectations as they enter the workplace.Originality/valueThis systematic literature review synthesizes empirical research from around the world on career aspirations related to Gen Z.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

In general, intellectual property rights relate to a collection of intangible assets held and legally protected by an individual or corporation from outside use or implementation without approved approval, such as invention, creativity, and contributions to the relevant area of expertise. The economic process, financial incentive, and motivation for advanced innovations engrained in the appropriate legal protection of Intellectual Property Rights demand expert, guided, and constantly updated assistance in the field of Intellectual Property Rights. With the tremendous rate of technical, scientific, and medical innovation that we are experiencing today, intellectual property has become increasingly crucial. Furthermore, developments in the global economic climate have had an impact on the creation of business models in which intellectual property is a key component in building value and prospective growth. Several new intellectual property legislations have been passed in India in order to fulfil international commitments under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. As a result, intellectual property has become one of the world's largest and fastest-growing disciplines of law, necessitating the need for specialists to deal with IP. Copyright is a broad sphere that encompasses innovations, creations, intellectual products in print, audio-visual, sign & symbol, and digital formats. Copyright is a tremendous stimulant for the social media industry, which is full of invention and innovation. Media platforms, including social media, employ creative ideas, pictures, sounds, scripts, and a variety of other tools and ways of communication for professional, commercial, and individual aspirations. All of these forms, which are generated by individuals and businesses with rigorous efforts in design, research, and development, need a significant expenditure. These projects were built through the dedication of one’s time and money has yielded a profit to the creators and it has become a source of encouragement for everybody.

Renewable energy in EU-China relations: Policy interdependence and its geopolitical implications

The geopolitical implications of renewable energy involve changes beyond the immediate impact on energy and commodity streams. Energy policies of individual countries affect each other via different economic and political channels. This paper studies the role of renewable energy in EU-China relations, two leading powers in the field of renewable energy. Both polities have recently increased their individual ambitions towards decarbonisation of their domestic energy systems, and renewables play an increasingly important role in shaping their bilateral dealings. We therefore ask what influence renewable energy has on the relationship between both sides. To capture the effect, we employ the concept of policy interdependence in four areas related to renewable energy namely climate, energy, industry, and trade and investment policy. While these are often seen as separate fields, they are all related to renewable energy. Findings indicate that renewable energy has the potential to be a determinant of bilateral relations. Renewable energy contributed to greater alignment between the EU and China in the past, while increasing recourse to policy choices based on national priorities today creates obstacles to further cooperation. However, the patterns of policy interdependence identified in this study also suggest potential for renewed cooperation in the field of energy policy, depending on the capability of policymakers to see beyond the current structure of the bilateral relationship.

Human Capital and Sustainable Development in a Religious Context

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact of human capital (HC) on the sustainable development of a country or region through the prism of religious values. The following indicators were used for the analysis: Human Development Index, GDP per Capita, and Adult Mortality Rates in Orthodox Russia, Muslim, and Orthodox Kazakhstan, and developed countries dominated by Protestant religion, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The results show that differences in socio-economic growth between countries exist because the religions and cultures that influence those countries are different. Russia’s and Kazakhstan’s delay in capitalizing human capital may be provoked by the difference in the attitude these two countries have towards labor compared to other countries chosen for the study. The high quality of formal education in Russia and Kazakhstan is largely offset by a negative Orthodox and Muslim attitude to material achievements and financial prosperity. Orthodox representatives perceive individual wealth and career aspirations as sin and arrogance. The results of the study may be useful in teaching cultural disciplines.

TOOLS FOR PERSONALIZED LEARNING-BASED TEACHER EDUCATION

Changes in the education from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach requires changes in schools and in teacher education. One of possible ways is personalized learning (PL). It is a new concept in many countries around the world. PL is closely related to individualized, differentiated learning, inclusive education principles (Abbot, 2014; EDUCAUSE, 2013). PL builds on an understanding of learner: individual development, seeking of personal goals, taking into consideration individual differences and inclusion. PL “challenges teachers to search for pedagogy and practices that will help them addressing diversity in their classroom” (Guðjónsdóttir, 2000, p.9). Different methods and tools (e-tools as well) might be used for PL such as digital storytelling, three step interview, e-portfolio. Paper presents theoretical analysis of links between aspects of effective learning (good knowledge of each student; shared teacher and student responsibility within the learning process; personal learner involvement, linking to individual motivation, experience, and aspirations; collaboration, participation and involvement in the learning process; effective use of information technology and other learning resources (Williams, 2013)) and methods/tools for PL.

Collective Capacity to Aspire? Aspirations and Livelihood Strategies in the Zambezi Region, Namibia

This paper investigates rural development from a micro-level standpoint, focusing on individual and collective aspirations. We aim to deepen understanding of how a person’s socio-economic environment shapes their aspirations and simultaneously how aspirations contribute to future-oriented actions. In combining concepts of sustainable livelihoods and aspirations with a context of ‘ordinary uncertainties’ (Pine, Ordinary uncertainties: remembering the past and imagining the future at times of rupture and mobility. In: Paper presented at the conference “Rurality and Future-Making. Comparative Perspectives from Europe, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean”, 22–24 May, Cologne, Germany, 2019), we discuss the role of individual and collective aspirations in developing livelihood strategies. Drawing on qualitative data from field research in Namibia’s Zambezi region, we identify crucial factors that influence aspirations: multiple uncertainties, experiences, and role models. Access to diverse experiences and social exchange shapes future-oriented aspirations, and therefore needs to be included in rural development strategies that account for diversity within communities.

Are we still “raising aspirations”? The complex relationship between aspiration and widening participation practices in English higher education institutions

ABSTRACT Widening participation in England has been framed around two primary needs; raising attainment and raising aspiration. Whilst aspiration is complex, policy definitions often frame it in narrow economic terms and see access to higher education as primarily about developing a workforce, the underlying logic being that to improve social mobility that individuals need to “aim higher”. Pre-entry work with under-represented groups therefore has tended to adopt a deficit of aspiration approach. There has been extensive critique of the deficit model yet “raising aspirations” still endures in both national and institutional policy. Drawing on sixteen semi-structured interviews with widening participation practitioners in England, this paper considers the alignment between policy and practice. It explores the more complex and nuanced view of aspiration held by practitioners and how this more closely aligns with the theory of possible selves. This paper argues that there are two key issues; a disjuncture between policy and practice and a gap in understanding of the structural issues associated with aspiration. The paper argues that the solution involves a radical rethink of policy that returns to a focus on helping individuals to realise their own individual aspirations and more clearly acknowledges the structural constraints shaping the formation, vocalisation and realisation of aspirations.

Dynamics of Drought-Related Migration Among Five Villages in the Savannah of Ghana

For many households in rural sub-Saharan Africa, drought is an important environmental shock because it undermines livelihoods and wellbeing. There is a growing concern that droughts in the context of a changing climate could magnify migration out of rural areas. Using an exploratory mixed method approach, this paper explores the relationship between drought and migration in five villages in the northern savannah of Ghana. The results suggest that drought-related migration in the savannah is much about rural to rural migration as it is about rural to urban migration. This observation contrasts with the concentration of the literature on the possibilities and outcomes of climate-induced rural to urban migration. The study further highlights the mediating role of a range of idiosyncratic factors in the migration responses to drought. A multivariate analysis showed that selected individual, household, and village variables explain about 21.5% of drought-related migration. The qualitative results revealed additional mediating factors notably; individual aspirations, the effect of pull factors and networks. Thus, drought-related migration is not always about vulnerability and responses as commonly viewed, but intricately intertwined with the socio-economic and political dynamics of people. The multiplicity of factors and the complexity of their interaction clearly show the need to shift away from simplistic and deterministic notions of the climate-migration nexus.

Personalized, ctDNA analysis to detect minimal residual disease and identify patients at high risk of relapse with multiple myeloma.

8029 Background: Despite treatment with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (AHCT), MM patients invariably relapse. MRD-negativity post-AHCT has emerged as the most important prognostic marker. Currently, MRD in MM is monitored via bone marrow aspirate sampling. Marrow MRD assays are limited by the spatial heterogeneity of marrow MM localization; extramedullary disease and sampling variability of marrow aspiration. Sensitive, non-invasive blood-based MRD assay is an unmet need. ctDNA as a noninvasive biomarker can be utilized to predict relapse in MM. Here we attempt to evaluate MRD using ctDNA in AHCT recipients with MM. Methods: In this retrospective, single-center study, we analyzed ctDNA MRD in blood samples collected from 28 patients with MM after upfront AHCT. A total of 80 plasma timepoints were available pre and post AHCT with a median follow-up of 92.4 months. Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) at 10-4 level was used to assess the MRD from the BM biopsy. Individual bone marrow aspirates or FFPE slides from the time of MM diagnosis and matched normal blood were whole-exome sequenced, and somatic mutations were identified. MRD assessment at 3 months post-AHCT was performed by ctDNA analysis using a personalized, tumor-informed (SignateraTM, bespoke mPCR NGS assay). The prognostic value of ctDNA was evaluated by correlating MRD status with clinical outcomes. Results: Table provides the baseline disease characteristics. Median age was 67 [41-75] years and 16 [57.1%] were males. ctDNA was detectable in 70.8% (17/24) of pre-AHCT, 53.6% (15/28) of ̃3 months post-AHCT, and 39.2% (11/28) of patients during the surveillance phase post-AHCT. Of the 15 ctDNA MRD positive patients, 93.3% (n=14) experienced relapse on follow-up (hazard ratio: 5.64; 95% CI: 1.8-17; p=0.0003). Patients negative for ctDNA at 3 months post-AHCT had significantly superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared to positive (median PFS, 84 months vs. 31 months; p=0.003) The positive predictive value (PPV) for relapse among patients positive for ctDNA at 3 months post-AHCT was 93.3%, and significantly higher than marrow MFC of 68.4%. Conclusions: Our study shows the feasibility that a tumor-informed assay on archival blood samples is predictive of relapse post-AHCT. Future prospective studies with real-time marrow NGS and ctDNA samples are needed to define the role of ctDNA in MM and its prognostic significance.[Table: see text]

Evidence for individual investor sustainability aspirations in addition to financial objectives in the investment process

Provides a summary assessment of a multitude of industry surveys since 2017, accessible on-line, undertaken by a variety of, usually, financial institutions to asses individual investor attitudes, including towards taking account of environmental, social and governance factors in the investment process (‘ESG’) and sustainable investing. It also covers academic work on related issues during the same period.

Society's readiness: How relational approaches to well‐being could support young children's educational achievement in high‐poverty contexts

AbstractThis paper explores how relational approaches to well‐being could support young children's educational achievement in high‐poverty contexts. It draws on findings from a qualitative study involving mothers and early years educators living and/or working in a city characterised as one of the most disadvantaged in England. The findings suggest that children's well‐being, rather than being merely an individual characteristic or aspiration, is interdependent with their social and material environments, as are the institutions that support them. The paper concludes by calling for a recalibration of early childhood policies away from assessing individual children's ‘school readiness’ to encouraging society's readiness to support everyone's well‐being, and consequently that of young children too.

Women\u2019s Changing Opportunities and Aspirations Amid Male Outmigration: Insights from Makueni County, Kenya

In Makueni County, Kenya, an area experiencing intensifying migration flows, we investigate the aspired futures of rural men and women using a novel methodology combining a narrative-based survey tool, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that, in the absence of men and presence of norms restricting women's movement out of rural life, women are becoming increasingly engaged in farm management. Women’s aspirational narratives focused on commercialising farm activities, likely reflecting their changing agricultural opportunity space and new realities as farm managers. We highlight that only considering aspirations at the household level overlooks differing individual contributions, agency over various household income streams and individuals’ changing roles throughout life. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for further aspirations research including explicit consideration of intrahousehold heterogeneity and how individual strategies and aspirations interrelate and are negotiated at the household level to build an overall livelihood strategy.

Comparative Study on Capacity Building for Academic Staff in Internationalisation of Higher Education in Vietnam and Australia

Academics are seen as primary agents in the enactment of higher education internationalisation. However, the achievements of internationalisation are claimed to be constrained by the lack of academics’ involvement and expertise. This research, therefore, compares the policies and practices of capacity building for academics in internationalisation between Australian and Vietnamese universities. More specifically, this research seeks to unpack ideologies and understandings of internationalisation, institutional arrangements of capacity building for academics in internationalisation, and academics’ individual agency in engaging and building their capacity for internationalisation. Using the Capability Approach as a theoretical framework (Sen, 1992, 1999), the research argues that academics’ participation in internationalisation is determined by social and institutional conditions, combined with their individual aspirations and active roles in creating internationalisation and professional development opportunities. This suggests the significance of an enabling structure and active individual agency in expanding academics’ capabilities for successful participation in internationalisation.

МОТИВЫ СВЕРХБЕССОЗНАТЕЛЬНОГО И БЕССОЗНАТЕЛЬНОГО В РУССКОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЕ: СУМЕРЕЧНЫЕ СЦЕНЫ И ОБРАЗЫ

The aim of the work is topical scientific historical and literary problems: identification and analysis of the so-called night motifs and images, twilight scenes in Russian literature of the XIX–XX centuries. The researchers' attention is traditionally attracted to other sides of the artistic consciousness and creative pursuits of Russian writers, those symbolized by light, the sun. While not diminishing their importance, the authors concentrate on the aspects less studied, but no less interesting – night, moonlight, mystical secrets, heavenly light, as well as the light from the depths of the soul, and therefore especially powerful over the soul and mind as facets of personal spiritual being. About the personalities. M. Y. Lermontov, N. A. Nekrasov, A.M. Gorky, M. M. Prishvin. The creative personalities chosen are far apart, representing different eras, directions, and individual writing styles. The historical and literary context has not been left aside: the motifs demanded by Russian literature, images of German Romanticism, mythology. This allowed us to illustrate the objectivity of the raised problem and solve the tasks set in the work in accordance with the conventional approaches to studying historical and literary phenomena: the typology of motives and its implementation in the artistic consciousness of the epoch, individual author's searches. This also requires clarification of some definitions, specification of context, analysis of the writers’ work and specific texts from the standpoint of artistic semantics, ontology and poetics. Among the most significant results of the work are the following: the motives of the superconscious and unconscious in Russian literature are presented and interpreted as a pattern of the historical and literary process and as a manifestation of individual searches and personal aspirations. Observations are made in the field of philosophy, aesthetics and poetics of prose, the expressiveness of the works by the writers and poets chosen. Diaries and documents are considered as a valuable link in the artistic heritage. The adopted approaches to the material determined the original view of the problem of mastery and allowed to expand the existing ideas of the types of artistic thinking. The work gives new insights into a number of well-known works, clarifies and shows the relationship of the author's position with mythology and folklore, with the components of the external and internal form. The work is meant for philologists, literary critics, and researchers of Russian literature and XX century culture.