Life Conditions Research Articles

Reassessing Soviet industrialization as primitive Soviet accumulation: Social reproduction, collectivization and peasant women's revolts under Stalin

AbstractThis paper adopts a novel Social Reproduction feminist approach to re‐evaluate the Soviet experience of industrialization within the context of global research on primitive accumulation. I analyse the first Five‐Year Plan as a unique process of ‘primitive Soviet accumulation,’ focusing on the Zhenotdel collectivization campaign and the often‐overlooked role of Zhenotdel peasant women delegates [krestyanki delegatki]. The study explores their involvement in peasant women's revolts against collectivization, emphasizing the significance of these events for the Zhenotdel's emancipatory programme in the village. Considering class as a social relation to the conditions of life's reproduction, I demonstrate: (1) how primitive Soviet accumulation reshaped the gendered metabolic relationship between land and labour during the first Five‐Year Plan and (2) yet, the allocation of surplus into the expanded Soviet state apparatus laid the foundation for the distinctive Soviet mother–worker gender contract and social citizenship model.

What Prospects for Working Poor? Central Europe’s Experience with Dynamics of In-work Poverty

The paper offers an analysis of future prospects of poor working persons. It pays attention to transitions from in-work poverty, focusing, in particular, on the probability of remaining at work and move above the poverty line. The analysis brings new insights into the situation in the countries in Central Europe, expanding limited knowledge on this subject. It shows that they differ in several aspects of in-work poverty and its dynamics, including the mobility of working poor as well as presence of their various trajectories. For example, while Poland stands out as the country offering most limited chances for “positive” mobility from working poverty, Hungary represents the most “open” regime, where working poor’s future prospects seem to be more favorable. Findings from the empirical analysis covers the period 2012–2019, based on the pooled longitudinal dataset from the European Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU SILC).

Palliative care for chronic heart failure: non-pharmacological methods of relieving the main symptoms

Chronic heart failure is one of the main causes of the increase in mortality and disability of the population around the world. In the final stages of chronic heart failure, when the debilitating symptoms of patients no longer respond to treatment, the issue of palliative care arises. To date, current clinical recommendations and guidelines do not contain data on palliative measures for this category of patients – in such conditions, doctors often do not understand what tactics of patient management they need to choose. Therefore, the importance of integrating palliative care into the treatment of chronic heart failure is increasing. Many symptoms associated with the terminal stages of chronic heart failure have a negative impact on the general condition and quality of life of patients. The main ones are shortness of breath, pain, manifestations of asthenia, as well as anxiety-depressive disorders. In order to maximize the possible improvement in the quality of life of such patients, palliative care should be comprehensive: regular pharmacotherapy prescribed in accordance with current clinical recommendations, combined with various non-drug methods for relieving the main symptoms. As such methods, the main cardiac rehabilitation measures can be considered, including regular physical training, training in compliance with the treatment regimen, stress management techniques, and psychological support. The relationship of patients and caregivers with medical professionals is important in the organization of palliative care. Adequate and timely communication is necessary to improve self-control and compliance with medication, prevent unplanned hospitalization, inform decision-making and, ultimately, ensure a safe death. The article discusses the basic concepts of organizing and providing palliative care to patients with chronic heart failure, as well as non-pharmacological palliative measures proposed by European, American, and Russian specialists.

Students learn the features of using isometrical exercises as a pedagogical technology for the formation of the skills of intensive use of physical culture tools the modern period

The purpose of the work was to clarify the views of the authors on the preparation for a meaningful process of physical exercises of students of higher education through the methodical use of isometric exercises; an analysis of their use in various types of training process was carried out and the relevance of their use during physical education classes of students was emphasized. The authors reviewed modern publications on the organization of the educational process in extreme conditions of martial law and the use of physical culture tools in order to adapt to the stressful conditions of life in situations of air alarms, power outages and lack of communication. The novelty of the study should be considered the views proposed by the authors on the formation of the skills of the meaningful use of physical education tools and the focus on the relevance of the use of isometric exercises in the process of preparing students for independent classes. The conclusions emphasize that the preparation of students for the conscious use of physical culture means in the modern period should involve the introduction of a wide range of educational directions. The authors point out the role and significance, features of the use of isometric exercises in sports, health and psychophysical training and reveal the relevance for the process of forming students' skills to consciously and meaningfully use the means of physical culture.

Optimizing the functional state of the cardiorespiratory system of female students aged 17-19 with the help of a modified program of distance classes in physical education

The article deals with the peculiarities of the impact of a modified program of distance training on physical education on the functional state of circulatory systems and external breathing of students of 17-19 years of higher education. The relevance and practical importance of this study is due to the complex modern conditions of life of our country, the inability to conduct full -fledged classes among student youth and the need to maintain the optimal level of physical and functional state of student youth. The use among female students of the experimental group of the program of remote classes proposed by us contributed to significantly higher rates of improvement in heart rate, all types of blood pressure, Robinson's index, total peripheral resistance of blood vessels, coefficient of efficiency of blood circulation, vital capacity of the lungs (in 2-3 times), breath retention time on inhalation and exhalation (3 and 5 times, respectively), Skibinsky index 5 times, hypoxia index (20 times) and almost 5 times the levels of the functional state of the cardiovascular system and the external system breath. The results of changes in their intragroup distribution by the levels of levels of functional state of circulatory and external respiration, which were reflected in the increase of their representation in functional classes high and above average, were significantly more optimal in the experimental group. Similar changes in the girls of the control group were insignificant. The results testified to the high efficiency of the proposed program of distance classes with the use of fitness and the possibility of its practical use among students of higher education.

Learning from the Past, Looking to Resilience: Housing in Serbia in the Post-Pandemic Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly reshaped life across the globe, significantly influencing the future of housing. The enactment and densification of diverse activities within one place have resulted in varying degrees of conflict between the built and social environment. This conflict is directly related to the degree of housing adaptability to new life, work, and leisure conditions. Movement restrictions and distance learning have significantly impacted the young population, which is susceptible to ‘enforced togetherness’ conditions. However, studies on post-pandemic housing in Serbia are rare. This paper investigates the relationship between the built and social environment, focusing on current trends in multi-family housing from the perspective of the progressive change of life standards in the post-pandemic era. It also includes a survey of the living conditions of architecture students in Serbia during lockdown and distance learning, offering insights into the impact of the physical environment on virus transmission and social dynamics. The main objective of this study is to formulate guidelines for developing a resilient housing model in Serbia that will address both current and future crises. From the findings, it can be concluded that radical changes in housing policy are necessary to enable less interdependence among layers within the system striving to be resilient.

What information did the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interviews provide when used with Swedish-speaking patients in a psychiatric setting in Stockholm?

Cultural and contextual factors affect communication and how psychiatric symptoms are presented, therefore psychiatric assessments need to include awareness of the patients' culture and context. The Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) in DSM-5 is a person-centred tool developed to support the exploration of cultural and contextual factors in an individualized and non-stereotypic way. The aim of this qualitative study was to find out what information the DSM-5 CFI revealed when used with native Swedish-speaking patients as part of routine clinical psychiatric assessment at an outpatient clinic. An additional aim was to enhance understanding of what kind of information the questions about background and identity yielded. The CFI was added to the psychiatric assessment of 62 native Swedish-speaking patients at an outpatient psychiatric clinic in Stockholm. From the thematic analysis of the documented CFI answers, six central themes were found; Descriptions of distress and dysfunction, Managing problems and distress, Current life conditions affecting the person, Perceived failure in meeting social expectations, Making sense of the problem, and Experiences of, and wishes for, help. The CFI questions about identity yielded much information, mainly related to social position and feelings of social failure. For further refinement of the CFI, we see a need for re-framing the questions about cultural identity and its impact on health so that they are better understood. This is needed for majority population patients as direct questions about culture may be difficult to understand when cultural norms are implicit and often unexamined. For clinical implications, our findings suggest that for cultural majority patients the DSM-5 CFI can be a useful person-centred tool for exploring cultural and, in particular, social factors and patients' perception and understanding of distress.

Anúncio de uma Sociedade em Crise sem Filosofia: Repensar a Educação Angolana a partir da “Sagrada Esperança”

The present text sheds light on reflection about a society in crisis "that is announced", being the capture of how we think in relation to Philosophy and the use that is made of reason, a necessary condition for this purpose. This way of thinking is reflected in all dimensions of human life, with particular mention of how education, politics, law, and justice are viewed as conditions for achieving a more dignified humanity. Hence, in this sense of philosophizing about our reality, we have proposed the challenge of (re) thinking our (Angolan) society from the perspective of "Sacred Hope" reflected in education. The reflection starts from the question: how to rethink, philosophically, our Angolan society from the "Sacred Hope," whose content is reflected in education? It is a question that fundamentally raises the discussion about the educational possibilities for realizing the individual in the Angolan context, characterized by levels of illiteracy and widespread poverty. This situation leads us to resort to the "Sacred Hope" which, in the circumstances in which it was born, as a thought-out ideal, represented the dream of achieving a different and dignified condition of life for the Angolan person, to, as a Philosophy, understood as a new perspective of life grounded in the light of reason, and question its reach in the present. Thus, if Philosophy is a questioning of any (social) reality, then it makes sense to admit that, without Philosophy, a society enters into existential crisis and, in this sense, it becomes imperative to rethink it from the perspective of education as sacred hope

What does capital consume? Racial capitalism and the social reproduction of surplus people

This intervention considers uneven development and social reproduction within racial capitalism. Social reproduction refers to the range of practices that form the conditions of possibility for the life of capital, as well as life and death within racial capitalism. This spans a range of institutions and networks within households, communities, states and across national borders as well as the labour practices, relations and organization that reproduce racial capitalism. Here, we examine the extraction of time, taking up theorizations across carceral geographies, postcolonial theory and Caribbean studies to demonstrate how coercive relations of social reproduction contribute to uneven development. In particular, we look at the role of the state in racial capital’s capture of reproductive activities across our work on electric utilities in Atlanta, Georgia and extralegal land tenure on Jamaica’s north coast. In bringing these distinct sites into conversation, we re-affirm the need to study uneven development by understanding how the circulation and accumulation of capital is imbricated with the production of hierarchies of all kinds of difference. We show how a conjunctural countertopography can reveal how state practices advance accumulation under conditions of widespread surplus lives, as capital wagers on captive life and premature death.

Https://www.shdisj.com/index.php/shdisj/article/view/110

A person lives nowadays in a multicultural world, and transformations of the conditions of social life lead to the changes in the sphere of values and worldview of both the indigenous population and the representatives of national minorities. Family values of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar youth living in mainland Ukraine after the occupation of the Crimea, were investigated. The purpose of the research is a cross-cultural study of family values and parental attitudes of Ukrainian and Crimean youth. Methodology. Sample: N=220 (110 Ukrainians (55 boys and 55 girls) and 110 Crimean Tatars (55 boys and 55 girls) aged 17-24. Methods: Schwartz's value questionnaire, PARI questionnaire, "Family atom" by E. Eidemiller, "Role expectations and harassment in marriage" by A. Volkova, questionnaire "Development of a complete personality in the conditions of modern changes" by O. Vlasova, V. Shcherbina, "Scales of multicultural identification" by A. Mambetova, "Emotional self-awareness" test by O. Vlasova, M. Berezyuk. Results. The majority of Ukrainian youth demonstrate the values of stimulation, which are pronouncedly expressed in the form of the desire for novelty, the need for changes and deep experience, the value of a life full of thrills, new impressions and complicated tasks, as well as universalism (tolerance, protection of human well-being and natural environment). Among the Crimean Tatar youth the values of safety, achievement, universalism and conformity are expressed at a high level (in ½ and more of the respondents). In the course of this research common (nuclear) parental attitudes of the respondents were revealed, which serve as the basis for the formation of transcultural values. Both ethnic groups are characterized by avoiding conflict, developing the activity of a child, partnership relationship, suppression of aggressiveness, verbalization.

Ethnicity, culture and human development of Bangladesh’s tea workers

ABSTRACT This study sets out to investigate the human development situation of ethnic tea workers in Bangladesh against the underpinnings of human development theories by employing a qualitative research approach. We collected data for this study from people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and identities through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and direct observation. The study finds that human development of ethnic tea workers is extremely constrained by the lack of their freedom and adequate income, which is systematically created by the tea planters to serve their business interests. Tea workers’ social isolation from the mainstream Bangladeshi society, coupled with their traditional social life and poor socioeconomic conditions, also manufactured by the regulatory systems, remains the significant marker for the deterrent of their human development. Different traditional beliefs, rituals and practices of these ethic communities are also spotted as contributing factors for their poor human development situation, forcing them to sustain the legacy of working-class status of their predecessors and wind up in the tea plantations for generations.

Vestiges of famine: Long-term mortality impacts of early-life exposure to the 1840s famine in Estonia

The paper investigates whether exposure to a famine in the Russian Tsarist Province of Livland in 1844–1846 in early life negatively affected survival at later ages, using individual data from two rural parishes. We follow 18 birth cohorts born between 1834–1852 until age 75 and differentiate between timing and length of exposures. We find that relative to individuals born in pre- or post- crisis years, there were no significant differences in survival from age 21–75. Cohorts with longer exposure to famine conditions had increased mortality only in short term, up to age 20. Males were more vulnerable in younger ages than females. The negative effect of adverse early life exposure on survival in later life was constrained to lower social group – the landless, but for the better-off groups the effect was constrained to younger ages. The paper highlights the importance of accounting for sex and socio-economic differences in studies exploring the effects of early life conditions on later-life survival.

Practical stabilization of multi-links highly nonlinear Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy complex networks with Lévy noise based on aperiodically intermittent discrete-time observation control

This paper investigates practical stabilization of multi-links highly nonlinear Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy complex networks with Lévy noise (MHFNLs) via aperiodically intermittent discrete-time observation control (AIDOC). It is worth pointing out that AIDOC is considered into MHFNLs for the first time. Due to the difficulty of satisfying linear conditions in real life, polynomial growth conditions are used instead of linear growth conditions. Meanwhile, a global Lyapunov function is constructed and sufficient conditions which can remain MHFNLs practically stable are gained. Finally, an application and its numerical simulations are presented to verify the effectiveness and availability of the theoretical results.

Enriched housing differentially alters allostatic load and cardiopulmonary responses to wildfire-related smoke in male and female mice

ABSTRACT Living conditions are an important modifier of individual health outcomes and may lead to higher allostatic load (AL). However, housing-induced cardiovascular and immune effects contributing to altered environmental responsiveness remain understudied. This investigation was conducted to examine the influence of enriched (EH) versus depleted housing (DH) conditions on cardiopulmonary functions, systemic immune responses, and allostatic load in response to a single wildfire smoke (WS) exposure in mice. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were divided into EH or DH for 22 weeks, and cardiopulmonary assessments measured before and after exposures to either one-hr filtered air (FA) or flaming eucalyptus WS exposure. Male and female DH mice exhibited increased heart rate (HR) and left ventricular mass (LVM), as well as reduced stroke volume and end diastolic volume (EDV) one week following exposure to WS. Female DH mice displayed significantly elevated levels of IL-2, IL-17, corticosterone and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) following WS, while female in EH mice higher epinephrine levels were detected. Female mice exhibited higher AL than males with DH, which was potentiated post-WS exposure. Thus, DH increased susceptibility to extreme air pollution in a gender-dependent manner suggesting that living conditions need to be evaluated as a modifier of toxicological responses.

The Effectiveness of Peer Group Support Model Based on Chronic Care Model on Antiretroviral Compliance, Increasing Immunity (CD4, Viral Load, Opportunistic Infections), and Quality of Life of People with HIV (PLHIV)

Introduction: The role of peer groups is very important in the treatment process for HIV/AIDS patients which determines the health condition and quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients, however, peer group support has not been integrated with health services. Aim: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of peer group support based on the chronic care model (CCM) on ARV treatment adherence, level of immunity, and quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients. Method: This research used a quasi-experimental design (pre-post test with control group design). The research population was patients with HIV/AIDS with a sample of 30 people in each control and intervention group. Data was collected using questionnaires and blood samples from PLHIV, then analyzed using the Chi-Square test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, and Mann Whitney. Results: Effect test results show that there is a significant influence of chronic care model-based peer group support on ARV treatment adherence (0.000), CD4 count (0.000), Viral Load (0.000), Opportunistic Infections (0.000) and quality of life (0.000) in HIV patients /AIDS. Conclusion: Peer group support based on the chronic care model affects ARV treatment adherence, level of immunity, and quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients. Peer group support based on the chronic care model increases adherence to ARV treatment, increases CD4 counts, increases viral load, reduces the incidence of opportunistic infections, and improves quality of life in HIV/AIDS patients.

Πρόσφυγες ή μετανάστες; Αναπαραστάσεις των προσφυγικών ροών από τους μελλοντικούς εκπαιδευτικούς

Flows of refugee populations into a country usually create a de facto religious, ethnic, linguistic or cultural diversity which eventually has its impact on the host country’s educational system. Objectively existing heterogeneity does not mean, however, that the host country population automatically adopts a positive attitude towards this change and that it endorses without reservations or reactions the official narrative of the value and usefulness of a multicultural society. The positive attitudes of political formations, scientific unions, intellectuals, artists and other influential authorities in the public sphere may contribute to the development of a climate of acceptance of the "other", but the course of the narrative of multiculturalism from its exponents to the wider social body should not be considered linear. Of particular interest are the perceptions of future teachers about the motives behind the refugee flows to the host country. This paper presents and discusses some of the results of an empirical study on a sample of 297 students of educational faculties / future teachers on the motivations of refugees to cross the borders. The central question this article attempts to answer is (a) whether the new generation of teachers sees behind the refugee flows individuals who move because they are in danger (refugees) or persons who attempt to improve their economic life conditions (migrants), and (b) whether this perception has an impact on the degree of endorsing multiculturalism on their part as a positive social model.

ПСИХОЛОГІЧНЕ ЗДОРОВ’Я ПЕРСОНАЛУ ДКВС УКРАЇНИ В ПЕРІОД ВОЄННОГО СТАНУ

The article analyzes the parameters of psychological health of the personnel of the State Criminal and Executive Service of Ukraine during martial law. The study was conducted in the summer of 2023. The respondents were employees of penitentiary institutions from different interregional departments (N=127). The questionnaires “Mental Health Stability – Short Form” and “Modified BBC Subjective Wellbeing Scale” were used. We consider psychological health to be a dynamic state of internal well-being of an individual that ensures its optimal functioning. It is shown that prosperity as the highest degree of psychological health is more pronounced in middle managers, and the most depressed are freelance workers. Those with junior and senior managerial status occupy an intermediate position. The highest rates of psychological health parameters were recorded for personnel of both sexes, such as a sense of meaning in life and its interest. Women have a statistically significantly higher assessment of warm, trusting relationships with others. The lowest scores were recorded by respondents of both sexes in the following parameters: faith in people, faith in improving social conditions for life, and assessment of their contribution to society. For men, the most important thing for maintaining psychological health is a sense of their own importance for social life, as well as the experience of their own competence as an ability to solve everyday problems and manifest their life position. For women, the ability to lead a life that is meaningful in their own estimation and to be satisfied with their relationships is more important for maintaining psychological health. As the length of holding a service position increases, men are characterized by an increased sense of self-worth and satisfaction with team relationships, while women are characterized by a high level of professional competence. The results can be used by psychologists to provide more effective psychological support to the personnel of the SCES of Ukraine. Key words: psychological health, subjective social well-being, subjective well-being, penitentiary institutions, martial law.

An Opportunity for Management of Fatigue, Physical Condition, and Quality of Life Through Asynchronous Telerehabilitation in Patients After Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

ObjectiveTo compare the preliminary efficacy of asynchronous telerehabilitation in patients after acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on fatigue, physical condition, quality of life, and feasibility of this pilot study with that of a booklet format. DesignRandomized pilot study with 2 intervention arms: asynchronous telerehabilitation group and booklet-based rehabilitation group, with 2 follow-ups at 3 and 6 months. SettingHospital. ParticipantsPatients discharged after COVID-19 were recruited and evaluated (N=35). InterventionsThe intervention consisted of a 12-week multimodal rehabilitation program via telerehabilitation or by a booklet. Main Outcome MeasuresFatigue as the main outcome and functional status, quality of life, and feasibility as secondary outcomes were evaluated. ResultsAfter the intervention, there was no significant difference between groups in fatigue, but there were significant differences in favor of the asynchronous telerehabilitation group for the 6-Minute Walk Test (p=.008), the 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test (p=.019), and physical quality of life (p=.035). These improvements were maintained throughout the 6-month follow-up. Telerehabilitation was shown to be a viable option, without incidents and with a higher adhesion (p=.028) than the booklet format. ConclusionsA multimodal rehabilitation program by means of asynchronous telerehabilitation appears as a more effective option than traditional formats in improving post–acute COVID-19 sequelae.

LGBTQ+ Life conditions: a landscape of investigation in mathematics education

LGBTQ+ Life conditions: a landscape of investigation in mathematics education

Life in a State of Limbo – Narratives of Place, Health, and Integration Among Later Life Female Migrants in Sweden

International migration is a prioritized domain of European aging research. Using a qualitative approach, the author has gathered accounts among Iranian later-life females in the Swedish city of Malmö, suffering from social isolation. The women in this article found themselves in a situation like that of other later-life migrants in Sweden. Several studies have shown how these groups are at risk of ending up in a social isolation which can be hard to break. The situation of the later-life migrant women discussed in this study is characterized by the loss of numerous deep-seated and natural social bonds connected to ethnicity, family, language, and culture. To cope with their exposed situation, the local Iranian-Swedish association provided some self-arranged activities, offering opportunities to social integration. The aim of the study is to demonstrate how the women described their life situation where a local day center made up the key foundation of their social life in a Swedish city in 2000–2008. Typical of that period was that solutions of the alarming situation of some foreign-born elderly citizens were discussed by local authorities, as well as volunteer organizations. Thus, the aim is not to describe the present situation among later life migrants. On the contrary, the perspective is retrospective. The theoretical inspirations used in the article derive from a broader backdrop of social-constructive assumptions that define narratives or accounts as explanations of the reality of everyday life and experiences. In the article the women’s stories are defined as small, local, erratic narratives, nevertheless explaining the reality of everyday life and experiences which in their turn reflect the state of illness, locally specific attachment and social isolation. Three salient themes emerge in the material: place bound experiences, illness and unsuccessful integration. The narratives are defined as small irregular accounts, contrasting larger narratives of later-life migration. The article shows how the women depicted their situation as a borderline between an Iranian life in exile and a Swedish society, leaving them in a state of Limbo. The women expressed ambitions of integrate into a Swedish community of senior citizens, providing privileges and civil rights. Thus, the narratives challenge common generalizing images of later-life migrants and their life conditions.