Context Matters Research Articles

The world religions paradigm: Why context matters in religious studies

The World Religions Paradigm (WRP) has long served as the predominant framework for teaching Religious Studies globally and in South Africa. However, criticisms of the WRP highlight its tendency to marginalize non-Christian, non-Western, and non-white perspectives. This article examines these critiques in the context of South Africa, particularly in light of the events of 2015–2016, when the #MustFall movement sought to raise and address issues of decolonization. This article will argue that South Africa provides a pertinent example of the need to re-evaluate pedagogical choices in Religious Studies education by emphasizing the importance of context in re-shaping the curriculum.

Familiar but also radical? The moderating role of regional clusters for family firms in the emergence of radical innovation

AbstractFamily firms are widely acknowledged to be the most predominant form of organization and hold a great relevance in most economies. Nevertheless, despite their popularity, research has thus far yielded inconsistent findings with regard to their innovative performance. This paper aims to address this research gap by focussing on a specific form of innovation: radical innovation. It seeks to determine the propensity of family firms to generate such innovations. Furthermore, by considering the heterogeneity between regions and firms, this paper also investigates the potential moderating effects of being located in a regional cluster and firm size. Based on various data sources, it is empirically shown that family firms are on average less capable of producing radical innovation than non-family firms. However, the corresponding regional context matters in this regard. By being located within regional clusters, family firms can reap the benefits of localization externalities, leading to produce more radical innovations than being located outside regional clusters.

Context matters in history textbook studies: A call to address the socio-political landscape of textbook production

History textbooks are a tool of nation-building and often the only account of particular events, people and issues to which students will be exposed. This is one reason why it is important to examine, not only their content, but the context of their production. Research attention needs to be directed not only at disentangling the logics of textbook content, a purpose that dominates the field, but also at the social and political contexts of their development, including their production (publishing and authorship) and the processes by which they receive official approval. This work analyzed 100 history textbook studies in order to identify current trends in textbook research. This article focuses on one of the four major findings of the study: textbook studies often focus on the content of the textbook in isolation from the socio-political landscape of textbook production. The socio-political landscape refers, but is not limited to, the influence of local and geopolitics; the influence of the state, evident primarily in the official approval processes employed by governments; the economic dimension and publication parameters; and authorship factors. Among the relatively few studies that address the socio-political landscape, the authors often employ a historiographical or comparative perspective. The historiographical perspective, which is dominant, offers an analysis of textbooks over time in order to reveal both continuities and changes in the historical narratives produced by their authors. One example is a study by Yeow Tong Chia (2013), who examines conceptions of ‘Chineseness’ and China in Ontario high school history curricula and textbooks in the post Second World War to the 1980s period. More broadly, the paper locates the Ontario textbooks in the international context of the western-centric perspectives that were prevalent following the Second World War. The comparative perspective analyzes textbooks across regions in one historical moment. For example, Jason Nicholls (2006) addresses the role of national contexts in determining how the Second World War is portrayed in textbooks found in the United States, Italy, Sweden, Japan, and England.

The Problem of Institutional Fit: Uncovering Patterns with Boosted Decision Trees

Complex social-ecological contexts play an important role in shaping the types of institutions that groups use to manage resources, and the effectiveness of those institutions in achieving social and environmental objectives. However, despite widespread acknowledgment that “context matters”, progress in generalising how complex contexts shape institutions and outcomes has been slow. This is partly because large numbers of potentially influential variables and non-linearities confound traditional statistical methods. Here we use boosted decision trees – one of a growing portfolio of machine learning tools – to examine relationships between contexts, institutions, and their performance. More specifically we draw upon data from the International Forest Resources and Institutions (IFRI) program to analyze (i) the contexts in which groups successfully self-organize to develop rules for the use of forest resources (local rulemaking), and (ii) the contexts in which local rulemaking is associated with successful ecological outcomes. The results reveal an unfortunate divergence between the contexts in which local rulemaking tends to be found and the contexts in which it contributes to successful outcomes. These findings and our overall approach present a potentially fruitful opportunity to further advance theories of institutional fit and inform the development of policies and practices tailored to different contexts and desired outcomes.

What not to digitize: the meaning of the empty pages in the archive of Arieh Ludwig Strauss

ABSTRACT This essay considers one decision in the archive-digitization process, namely the decision not to scan empty pages. Using the empty pages in a notebook that belonged to Ludwig Strauss (Aachen, 1892 – Jerusalem, 1953) as an example, I argue that the context matters. The fact that Strauss’s notebook is bilingual, containing materials in both German and Hebrew, shifts the significance of the empty pages. I locate the notebook in relation to Strauss’s correspondence with the Hebrew poet Leah Goldberg, and briefly read one his poems, ‘Hymn to Asia,’ that appears in the notebook in two drafts.

Investigating the influence of cultural factors in the disclosure of corporate strategies in annual reports by 100 European firms: does context matter

Investigating the influence of cultural factors in the disclosure of corporate strategies in annual reports by 100 European firms: does context matter

Context matters in ecological forecasting: Lessons in predicting species distributions.

Forecasting the future state of a species is a tricky process, as there are numerous hidden factors that influence species trajectories in addition to the obvious unknowns about the future state of the planet. We echo the guidance of Clare et al. (2024) to use near‐term and long‐term forecasting in complementary ways. Near‐term forecasts can be used to guide specific management and conservation actions, which can be updated as new data and evidence are collected. Long‐term forecasts can be used to characterize uncertainty further into the future, which can help guide longstanding conservation planning and legislative actions that are based on such uncertainty in possible future outcomes.

Context matters: Conceptualising and operationalising the contextual prevention of child sexual abuse

AbstractThere is growing recognition of the contextual dynamics of child sexual abuse, with a developing evidence base supporting it, sparking calls to ensure prevention efforts are contextualised. Contextual approaches extend the focus of prevention beyond the individual, to include immediate situations, and the physical and social contexts in which abuse occurs. Although academic and industry support for contextual approaches is gaining momentum, there is no consistent definition of contextual prevention nor operational clarity currently available to inform research, policy and practice. This contributes to a lack of policy guidance and practice consistency; also impeding much needed evaluation research, and likely slowing scholarly and practice uptake. In this article, we address this important gap. Based on a critical review of relevant literature, we propose a conceptual definition of contextual prevention and its operationalisation and provide a framework and guidance for policymakers and practitioners tasked with protecting children from child sexual abuse.

Development of a neural network­based transcription method

In today's ever-evolving digital era, the utilization of audio and video materials has become increasingly prevalent in various spheres, including educational sectors, research initiatives, technological developments, and daily communication. This trend is driven by the convenience and efficiency of these mediums, offering quick access to information without the distractions often associated with more traditional methods like manual writing or typing, especially in scenarios where such activities are impractical, such as when traveling in a vehicle. However, this shift towards audio-visual content has introduced the challenge of converting these dynamic formats into text for a range of purposes. This need arises for several reasons. Firstly, editing and refining spoken content is often easier when it's transformed into a written format, allowing for a more thorough review and adjustment process. Secondly, in situations where individuals prefer or require written documentation — for instance, in academic or professional settings — transcription becomes a critical tool. Additionally, the clarity of audio and video content can vary greatly, with factors like diction, accent, background noise, and recording quality affecting the comprehensibility of the material. To address these challenges, transcription — the process of translating audio and video content into text — has become a valuable solution. It involves a meticulous process of listening, interpreting, and typing out the content, ensuring that the essence and nuances of the original material are accurately captured. This task demands not only attention to detail but also a deep understanding of the context and subject matter to ensure precision and reliability. In the realm of technology, advancements such as neural networks have revolutionized the transcription process. Neural networks, complex algorithmic structures that emulate human brain functioning, can learn, adapt, and process diverse types of data. In transcription, they are employed to recognize and interpret various speech patterns, accents, and languages, significantly enhancing the accuracy and speed of converting spoken words into written text. This integration of advanced technology in transcription not only streamlines the process but also opens new possibilities for accessibility, research, and data analysis, making it an indispensable tool in the modern world.

Archaic Cretan Inscriptions: Texts or Things?

Archaic Crete has recently received much attention from historians and epigraphers (Seelentag, 2015; Gagarin & Perlman, 2016). Both these works recognise that Cretan legal inscriptions are both things and texts: what matters is not only what the Greek words on the inscriptions say but also how and where they were set up (in or near sanctuaries, sometimes forming part of the fabric of temples) and what the words are written on (generally stone). This paper explores further the role of inscriptions as things and considers the “biography” (sensu Kopytoff, 1986) of three of them: the Dreros kosmos inscription (Gagarin & Perlman, 2016, 200–7); the Praisos Eteocretan inscription (IC 3.6.1); and the Gortyn Law Code itself (IC 4.72). In all cases the archaeological context matters. In both Praisos (Bosanquet, 1902) and Dreros (Gaignerot Driessen, 2013) the inscriptions were deliberately destroyed when their respective political communities were brought to an end in the 2nd century BCE—a fact which demonstrates their symbolic importance for these two political communities. The Gortyn Law Code however was not destroyed but later incorporated into a Roman Odeion. This surely has implications for our understanding of social memory in ancient Crete.

Mangrove browning trends in the semiarid southern Caribbean: spatial context matters

Mangroves are tropical coastal ecosystems threatened mainly by land cover change due to commodities. The effect of urbanization has been overlooked due to the low percentage of area loss globally, but it can be a significant driver of mangrove loss locally. Moreover, highly fragmented mangrove areas dominated by small patches might be more sensitive to natural and anthropogenic stressors as in terrestrial forests, especially in highly modified systems such as cities. However, little is known about the interactive effects of these drivers on mangrove loss and degradation, namely urbanization and fragmentation. Our objective is to analyze the mangrove ecosystem’s response in terms of the greenness trend to urbanization and patch fragmentation in the semiarid Colombian Caribbean. Specifically, we aim to: (1) calculate the greenness trend from 2017 to 2023 during the dry season by analyzing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from Sentinel-2 satellite images; (2) correlate the greenness trend in mangrove patches with fragmentation metrics at the patch level; (3) evaluate the patch greenness trend along an urban-to-rural gradient. Our analysis revealed that 89.5% of the area showed no significant trend, while 5.2% exhibited greenness trends and 5.3% showed browning trends, mainly concentrated along the Canal del Dique and the Sinú River delta. Patch shape and isolation did not seem to affect patch greenness trends. In-patch greenness trends variability followed a U-shaped pattern along the urban to rural gradient. These findings highlight the importance of spatial context on vegetation condition and suggest opportunities for remote monitoring of mangrove degradation.

An Analysis of Formal Language Style in The American President Movie

Language style serves as a supplementary instrument for individuals to partake in dialogue, drawing upon their speaking proficiency to align with the context and subject matter of the discourse. Using Martin Joss’s theory (1967), this research aims to find out the characteristics of formal language style that occur in the utterances in the American President movie. Descriptive qualitative method was used as the research design to analyze the characteristics of formal language style in the American President movie. The results of this research found 195 data which are presented in three points. The respectful tone (11), polite tone (21), avoid contraction of level grammar (22), avoid run-on sentence of level grammar (7), efficient words of level grammar (8), complete sentence of level grammar (113), and formal modal of level grammar (13). This means that the complete sentence of level grammar is prominently proved to be used in communication withing formal language style used in American President movie. based in the result of the research, it is fruitful to suggest the students of English Department to do further analysis about the five language styles used in other resources like movies, novels, or article that contain about the politics.

The System Is Corrupted, and the Mainstream Media Is Lying to us! Exploring the Relation Between Affinity Toward Conspiracy Myths and Alternative News Media Usage

Abstract Alternative news media (ANM) have become an important information source for certain audiences. Research shows that ANM usage is linked to a preference for populist parties and the use of digital media. However, ANM existed before the rise of populism and digital media over the last two decades. Thus, we must assume that additional factors are related to ANM usage. To investigate such factors, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey (N = 1,212) of the Swiss population. We analyze how affinity toward conspiracy myths, preference for populist parties, the usage of social media, and the Telegram messenger app are related to ANM usage. The results indicate that people with a high affinity toward conspiracy myths are more likely to use ANM. Different than in previous studies, preference for populist politics is not related to higher ANM usage in Switzerland. Our results suggest that the political context matters when studying ANM usage and that the strong focus on right-wing populism might lead to scholars missing part of the bigger picture. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the use of social media and Telegram, which recently gained relevance as a channel for mobilizing protests during the COVID-19 pandemic, positively connect with ANM consumption.

INCOME AND WELL-BEING IN OLD AGE—SYSTEMIC AND REGIONAL FACTORS IN A COMPARISON BETWEEN GERMANY AND POLAND

Abstract We examine the responsiveness of later-life well-being measures to income using unique data, matching regional and individual level information from Germany and Poland. These two neighboring countries still strongly differ both in their welfare system designs, as seen in contrasting public social support as well as the quality of services, and in outcomes among older individuals. For example, the proportion of individuals aged 50+ who declare significant difficulties in making ends meet is only 3% in Germany, and as high as 16% in Poland. While up to 13% of individuals aged 65+ are classified as materially and socially deprived in Poland, the proportion in Germany is only 6%. Granted the importance of contextual factors in determining individual welfare, income is expected to matter less for the well-being of those enjoying higher quality local environments. Our preliminary findings confirm a much stronger relationship between income and well-being in Poland. The relationship is also found to be highly heterogeneous – for instance, it is substantially greater among those in poor health. Individual resources are thus shown to be more strongly related to well-being in conditions wherein individuals cannot rely on support through public services. Surprisingly, in both countries the effect of income on well-being does not significantly change when we control for the different local conditions expected to mediate the relationship. This suggests that the country-wide systemic context matters more for the examined relationship than specific regional environment.

RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COGNITIVE HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN CHINA

Abstract Existing research links perceived social support from family and friends to cognitive health in later life. Yet we know less about how cognitive functioning may also shape social support and whether these reciprocal relationships vary between rural and urban areas, especially in China where rural-urban migration is common. This study investigates: (1) whether family support and friendship support help maintaining cognitive functioning, (2) whether cognitive functioning improves perceived family support and friendship support, and (3) whether and how these relationships differ between rural and urban areas. I estimate cross-lagged panel models with a sample including 9,553 adults aged 60 years and above, from two waves of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS). Results show that cognitive functioning was positively associated with perceived friendship support, regardless of the area of residence. There was a reciprocal relationship between friendship support and cognitive functioning only for rural older adults, with friendship support predicting lower cognitive functioning for urban older adults. Findings suggest that rural and urban context matter – perceived social support, whether from friends or family, may have different implications for the cognitive health of older Chinese adults depending on where they live.

Initial programme theory development: The first step in a realist evaluation of a cross-sectoral intervention for expectant Danish parents living with psychosocial risks.

A distinct inequality in maternity care exists, and women with psychosocial risks are at a greater risk of adverse birth outcomes. In several high-income countries, a psychosocial risk assessment early in pregnancy is recommended so that expectant parents are offered an appropriate level of care which facilitates relevant, tailored interventions for those in need. In 2017, a cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary intervention for expectant parents with psychosocial risks was developed and implemented in the North Denmark Region. The development process of the intervention has not been reported and theory-based knowledge about how supportive interventions bring about change for expectant parents with psychosocial risks is scarce. Through the initial phase of a realist evaluation, we aimed to elicit key contexts and mechanisms of change regarding the intervention for expectant parents with psychosocial risks. Through an initial programme theory, this article illustrates how, for whom and in which contexts the intervention is intended to work. Data is comprised of intervention documents, 14 pilot observations and 29 realist interviews with key stakeholders. A thematic analytical approach inspired by retroductive thinking was applied to identify and analyse patterns related to the incentive of the intervention, its structure, intended outcomes, generative mechanisms and contextual matters. Generative mechanisms responsible for bringing about change in the intervention were identified as healthcare professionals' approach, continuity, trust, early intervention and social network. Cross-sectoral collaboration and healthcare professionals' competencies were assumed to be central stimulating contextual factors. The initial programme theory developed in this study will serve as the basis for further refinement via empirical testing in a later phase of the realist evaluation.

Context matters: Exploring the mediated nature of digital service provision within homelessness organizations

A wide body of research has demonstrated the importance of mobile media in the lives of people experiencing homelessness. However, there is a need to understand digital access, uses, and needs within wider organizational and technological contexts. Informed by a social construction of technology theoretical perspective, this article explores how different homelessness organizations in England appropriate technology within their support services. Drawing on findings from three case studies, it demonstrates how provision is shaped by interpretive, cultural, and material factors that operate to facilitate or inhibit use. Given the significance of technology within the lives of people experiencing homelessness, this article highlights the need for practitioners and policy makers to prioritize and examine the nature and impact of digital service provision and to ensure that its design and delivery reflects the needs of users.

Context matters: athletes' perception of dopers' values, actions and vulnerabilities.

Although athletes seem to hold uniform views towards non-dopers, their perception of dopers is more nuanced, reflecting positive and negative attributes. Research also indicates that rarely a single factor can explain doping, but a host of reasons that intertwine. A holistic understanding of how values play a role in decisions in anti-doping and the elements that influence athletes' doping vulnerability is timely and warranted. We recruited elite athletes from 13 countries representing 27 sports at a national or international level (N = 60) to participate as part of a larger research project. Data were collected via focus group interviews focusing on values, value priorities and perceptions about the role of values in doping as a phenomenon and in dopers' actions. Data were analysed using iterative thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: (1) athletes' personal stance on doping, (2) dopers in the eyes of the anti-doping-compliant athletes, and (3) doping vulnerability is a balance. Athletes in this study strongly opposed doping but showed empathy and understanding toward athletes who doped under certain circumstances. Furthermore, athletes believed that "clean" and "doping" athletes are not always distinguished by the values they hold, leading to the realisation that all athletes can be vulnerable to doping at some point. This vulnerability is a balance between risks and protective factors in a complex interaction between environmental, personal, and situational influences. Each element (e.g., values, environment) can be a motivator or a barrier. Consequently, doping vulnerability is highly idiosyncratic and dynamic. If doping is not due to a lack of moral values but the consequences of combined risk factors that override the guiding function of values, then doping can happen to anyone, "good" athletes included. Developers and facilitators of anti-doping education programmes are advised to embrace this important aspect. The results also contribute to developing the doping vulnerability concept as a balance between risks and protective factors and draw attention to the clean athlete vulnerability, which is rooted in the combination of strategic performance enhancement via non-prohibited means, their exposure to anti-doping requirements and the constant high level of suspicion that surrounds them.

Context matters: rescuing allied civilians interned in the japanese-controlled areas of China, 1944–1947

Around 13,500 Allied civilians were interned by Japan throughout China during the Second World War. This article explores how these Allied internees were rescued after the war. It finds that the Allied and Japanese governments made painstaking efforts to make the rescue mission a success. The complex military, diplomatic, and political context in China around the end of the war caused numerous difficulties for the rescue mission. This context also facilitated the mission to a certain degree by creating the conditions for the Allied internees to become increasingly valuable, which, in turn motivated the Allied and Japanese governments to work actively towards their relief.

Not that basic: how level, design, and context matter for the redistributive outcomes of universal basic income

Abstract Proponents of a basic income (BI) claim that, on top of many other benefits, it could bring significant reductions in financial poverty. Using microsimulation analysis in a comparative two-country setting, we show that the potential poverty-reducing impact of BI strongly depends on exactly how and where it is implemented. Implementing a BI requires far more choices than advocates seem to realise. The level at which a BI is set matters, but its exact specification matters even more. The impact of a BI, be it a low or a high one, also strongly depends on the characteristics of the system that it is (partially) replacing or complementing, as well as the socio-economic context in which it is introduced. Some versions of BI could potentially help to reduce poverty but always at a significant cost and with substantial sections of the population incurring significant losses, which matters for political feasibility. A partial BI complementing existing provisions appears to make more potential sense than a full BI replacing them. The simplicity of BI, however, tends to be vastly overstated.