Methodological Approach Research Articles

A pedagogy of uselessness: challenging solutionism and utility in the Anthropocene through architectural pedagogy

This article discusses an architectural pedagogy of uselessness in relation to the Anthropocene, explicitly building on pedagogical involvement in a design studio at a department for sustainable architecture. The suggestion of a pedagogy of uselessness aims at questioning the criteria and paradigms of utility and solutionism that tend to characterise the discourse on sustainable development, environmental governance, and resilience. To this end, a pedagogy of uselessness moves towards what we have called sustainability otherwise and suggests an orientation which resists the calculability of utility and solutionism. The article is organised in three parts: the first looks at four specific student works that, following the scope of the design studio, question the dominant discourse on sustainability through architecture while addressing territorial issues in several different geographies. The second part focuses on the conceptual references that informed the notion of sustainability otherwise: thinking of modernity as a bewitched time; terrain and landscape as conflict; and weaving as a notion to describe a methodological approach. The third and final part elaborates on the organisation and content of the design studio, in which the article suggests a teaching and learning approach that questions both strictly technical and formal approaches, and offers a provisional and negotiable definition for a pedagogy of uselessness.

Intersectionality in Marketing: A Paradigm for Understanding Understudied Consumers

Intersectionality remains largely underutilized within marketing. To address this gap, this article synthesizes literature to provide tools for incorporating intersectionality into marketing research, including a framework for an intersectional marketing paradigm, a research design roadmap, a research agenda, and key takeaways for stakeholders. The definition of intersectionality focuses on three main components: (1) awareness and acknowledgment of overlapping (rather than isolated) social categories (e.g., gender, race, and class), (2) understanding of how differences in lived experiences at these intersections influence the marketplace, and (3) recognition of how power shapes these lived experiences. This article's novel research design roadmap features concrete theoretical and methodological approaches for marketing researchers from various backgrounds to utilize intersectionality in solving marketing problems: conducting exploratory subsample analyses, developing intersectional theory and hypotheses, conducting inclusive literature reviews, collecting and reporting detailed demographics, sampling understudied populations, and carefully situating conclusions. The research agenda provides research questions for emerging topics at societal, organizational, and consumer levels. Engaging with intersectionality will help ensure that marketing remains socially relevant, develops diverse and inclusive theories, and more accurately reflects the lived experiences of understudied populations and communities.

Disinformation as an obstructionist strategy in climate change mitigation: a review of the scientific literature for a systemic understanding of the phenomenon

Background This study examines the scientific misinformation about climate change, in particular obstructionist strategies. The study aims to understand their impact on public perception and climate policy and emphasises the need for a systemic understanding that includes the financial, economic and political roots. Methods A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the PRISMA 2020 model. The sample consisted of 75 articles published between 2019 and 2023, sourced from Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. Methodological triangulation was performed to improve the analysis. Results The results show that technological approaches to misinformation detection, such as immunisation and fact-checking, are widely used. However, few studies look in depth at the operational structures that support systematic disinformation. Conclusions The study emphasises the urgent need to expand and deepen research on climate disinformation and argues for more global, comparative and adequately funded studies. It emphasises the importance of addressing the systemic complexity of disinformation and integrating different theoretical and methodological approaches. This will help to develop effective measures against hidden networks of influence and mitigate their disruptive effects. The research findings are relevant for policymakers, scientists, academics, the media and the public and will help to improve strategies to combat climate misinformation and promote science-based climate action.

Promoting Religious Moderation through English Language Teaching: Strategies and Challenges in Islamic Educational Settings

Religious moderation aligns with the principles of sustainable development by fostering a culture of peace, justice, and inclusivity. Islamic educational settings often integrate religious values into the ELT curriculum, incorporating Islamic stories, teachings, and ethical principles into language learning materials and activities. By using this methodological approach, this research aims to provide valuable insights into effective strategies and key challenges in encouraging religious moderation through ELT in an Islamic education environment. The data used in this research were interview transcripts, focus group recordings, and documents which were then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring themes, patterns, and insights related to strategies and challenges in encouraging religious moderation through ELT. This study adopted a qualitative research design to explore the various experiences, perspectives and practices of educators and stakeholders regarding the promotion of religious moderation through ELT. The study identified some strategies for promoting religious moderation: Incorporate Multicultural Content; Encourage Critical Thinking; Facilitate Open Dialogue; Promote Empathy and Respect; Address Misconceptions and Stereotypes; Highlight Common Values; Engage with Religious Leaders and Community Members and Empower Educators with Training. Some challenges as well were also found: Sensitivity and Cultural Context; Resistance to Change; Misinformation and Stereotypes; Balancing Academic Freedom and Sensitivity; Language Barriers; Lack of Resources and Training; Community and Parental Concerns; and Political and Social Context.

Using theoretical engagement to understand workplace learning across contexts-Bringing worlds apart together.

The pivotal importance of workplace learning (WPL) within health professions education has elevated its understanding and improvement to a major research priority. From a sociocultural learning theory perspective, WPL is inherently situated and context-specific. This means that the health care settings in which (future) health care professionals are trained will impact how and what is learned. However, to what extent is the research performed thus far transferable across professional contexts, cultures and borders? To what extent has WPL research sufficiently addressed the contextual characteristics of WPL to enable the evaluation of its transferability? To what extent have methodological and theoretical approaches enabled the building of understanding across contexts? We propose that heightening the transferability of WPL research as well as opening up the conversation to more diverse WPL contexts, settings and cultures will require mapping context and theoretical engagement. To explore what theoretical engagement may afford to our understanding of the influence of context on WPL, we use two theories: Landscapes of Practice and Figured Worlds. These theories with sociocultural groundings provide concrete lenses to understand the interplay between the individual and the context. We conclude with implications for research and practice and advocate for more attention to research practices that may deepen our understanding and heighten the transferability of workplace learning research.

Integrating programme theory into the development of a core outcome set for technology-assisted counselling interventions in dementia: study protocol of the ProCOS study

IntroductionDue to the increasing number of persons with dementia, the need for family and professional support is growing. Counselling services aim to support family dementia caregivers and the use of...

Too much focus on your health might be bad for your health: Reddit user's communication style predicts their Long COVID likelihood.

Long Covid is a chronic disease that affects more than 65 million people worldwide, characterized by a wide range of persistent symptoms following a Covid-19 infection. Previous studies have investigated potential risk factors contributing to elevated vulnerability to Long Covid. However, research on the social traits associated with affected patients is scarce. This study introduces an innovative methodological approach that allows us to extract valuable insights directly from patients' voices. By analyzing written texts shared on social media platforms, we aim to collect information on the psychological aspects of people who report experiencing Long Covid. In particular, we collect texts of patients they wrote BEFORE they were afflicted with Long Covid. We examined the differences in communication style, sentiment, language complexity, and psychological factors of natural language use among the profiles of 6.107 Reddit users, distinguishing between those who claim they have never contracted Covid -19, those who claim to have had it, and those who claim to have experienced Long Covid symptoms. Our findings reveal that people in the Long Covid group frequently discussed health-related topics before the pandemic, indicating a greater focus on health-related concerns. Furthermore, they exhibited a more limited network of connections, lower linguistic complexity, and a greater propensity to employ emotionally charged expressions than the other groups. Using social media data, we can provide a unique opportunity to explore potential risk factors associated with Long Covid, starting from the patient's perspective.

Captured by Elites: The Portuguese Media System in Liberalism (1820–1926)

This article argues that the concept of ‘captured media’ is invaluable to a deeper understanding of the roles performed by media systems throughout European liberalism and early democratization of nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This case-study explores the structures of the media system during Portuguese Liberalism (1820–1926) in the scope of the Portuguese empire. The concept of the ‘Imperial Public Sphere’ is applied to show how imperial and colonial elites captured the media system to exercise and spread its political and ideological power. As a methodological approach to analyze the roles performed by press, the case-study relies on the model developed by Hallin and Mancini (2004), which is applied to three empirical cases. The use of the concept ‘captured media’ in the field of media history is a contribution to understanding the political roots of the press during colonialism and its legacy to contemporary media systems in Lusophone countries.

A framework for analysis of stakeholder dynamics and value creation in industrial maintenance projects: the stakeholder ipot

AbstractThis paper proposes a methodological approach that can be applied in practice for evaluating stakeholder dynamics and assessing projects against appropriate value propositions within an industrial maintenance project context. A conceptual framework is proposed and is demonstrated through a case analysis. It is expected that the proposed methodology, the Stakeholder Interdependent Performance Opportunities and Threats, (Stakeholder iPOT), can advance project management practice by offering a mechanism for analysing stakeholder expectations and responses to the opportunities and threats that different project events present. This study highlights the need for continued investigation not only within the context of industrial maintenance projects but also in other sectors to improve our understanding and ability to effectively manage stakeholder dynamics.

Перспективы развития рынка мяса и мясной продукции России в условиях новых вызовов

Abstract. Topicality of adjusting the targets of agri-food policy and food security policy in Russia is determined by changes in both external and internal conditions for agri-food complex functioning. Macroeconomic forecasts create the basis for revising and adapting the directions of development of the main sectors of the agri-food complex. The purpose of this study is to develop alternative forecasts for the production and consumption of main types of meat and meat products in Russia to substantiate strategies for domestic market development. Methods. General scientific methods of cognition were used, such as dialectics, analysis and synthesis, and monographic methods. Forecast calculations were carried out using economic and mathematical methods. The scientific novelty of the study is as follows: the development of a methodological approach to substantiate the prospects for the development of meat and meat products production considering the balance of the meat products market and the consistency of conflicting targets in the field of import substitution, physical and economic accessibility of food for the country's population. The methodological recommendations developed during the study can serve as the scientific basis for midterm development programs of individual segments of the Russian food market. Results. It was revealed that in the short term, new challenges related to economic sanctions and COVID-19 had minor impact on the meat and meat products market. Limiting barriers to development are systemic economic problems: demographic situation and low real income. Alternative forecasts for development of markets for the main types of meat were developed.

Muscle Synergy Analysis as a Tool for Assessing the Effectiveness of Gait Rehabilitation Therapies: A Methodological Review and Perspective

According to the modular hypothesis for the control of movement, muscles are recruited in synergies, which capture muscle coordination in space, time, or both. In the last two decades, muscle synergy analysis has become a well-established framework in the motor control field and for the characterization of motor impairments in neurological patients. Altered modular control during a locomotion task has been often proposed as a potential quantitative metric for characterizing pathological conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to analyze the recent literature that used a muscle synergy analysis of neurological patients’ locomotion as an indicator of motor rehabilitation therapy effectiveness, encompassing the key methodological elements to date. Searches for the relevant literature were made in Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Most of the 15 full-text articles which were retrieved and included in this review identified an effect of the rehabilitation intervention on muscle synergies. However, the used experimental and methodological approaches varied across studies. Despite the scarcity of studies that investigated the effect of rehabilitation on muscle synergies, this review supports the utility of muscle synergies as a marker of the effectiveness of rehabilitative therapy and highlights the challenges and open issues that future works need to address to introduce the muscle synergies in the clinical practice and decisional process.

State Platform Capitalism: The Geopolitical Dynamics of Sustainable Digital Power in the U.S. and China

In the contemporary digital landscape, digital power has emerged as a critical factor influencing global economic and geopolitical dynamics. This study examines the interplay between government regulations and technological innovation in shaping sustainable digital power, focusing on the United States and China. Leveraging the theory of state capitalism, the research integrates these variables into a comprehensive framework to explore their combined impact. Through a detailed literature review, the study highlights the importance of effective regulatory frameworks and continuous technological advancements for enhancing sustainable digital power. Using a robust methodological approach, the findings reveal significant positive relationships between government regulations, technological innovation, and sustainable digital power. The study underscores the necessity of a balanced approach to regulation and innovation to maintain a competitive edge and secure national interests. The contributions of this research are vital for policymakers and industry stakeholders, providing insights into how regulatory policies and technological investments can be optimized to enhance sustainable digital capabilities. This study fills a critical gap in the literature by offering a holistic understanding of digital power dynamics and its implications for global and national strategies. The paper concludes with practical recommendations and directions for future research.

Toward Equitable ArtScience Collaborations: Synthesizing Performance Art and Social Psychology for Social Change

Abstract The article proposes a novel model for ArtScience collaborations that is based on more equal roles. With better power balance, artists and scientists can together create projects that truly synthesize their fields. Additionally, it is suggested that these collaborations can significantly contribute to social change through socially engaged research. The article focuses on the transformative potential of the collaboration process itself. The presented case study is the authors’ collaboration in creating hybrids of participatory performance art and social psychology experiments. It contributes new methodological approaches to the expanding field of ArtScience collaborations.

Size matters: measuring the private security industry in the United Kingdom

AbstractThe private security industry has become a central feature of the plural policing landscape in the United Kingdom. As such, it has received considerable attention in both academic and policy circles. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, there remain notable question marks over its precise size and shape. With this in mind, the article draws upon data from the Security Industry Authority and the Office of National Statistics Business Register and Employment Survey to measure the sector along three key dimensions: the number of private security officers, the number of companies and turnover. This novel methodological approach reveals a complex and contested picture of what the sector looks like at a fundamental level and, at the same time, allows for a reassessment of commonly deployed indicators such as growth rates and the ratio of private security officers to police officers during key time periods such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Study of hard tissues of the tooth crown using scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis

The introduction of new methodological approaches actualizes research that makes it possible to establish relationships between the elemental composition of hard dental tissues and microscopic analysis data. Using scanning electron microscopy, the nature of the location and size of enamel prisms was revealed, and a description of the structure of the initial and final enamel was given. The zone of the dentino-enamel junction, the location of the dentinal tubules and the composition of the dentin matrix were studied. It has been proven that the content of water, organic matter, sodium and potassium is higher in dentin, and the concentration of magnesium, phosphorus and calcium is higher in enamel.

A kinetic modelling approach to explore mechanism of Cr(VI) detoxification by a novel strain Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum NBRI-CRB 13 using response surface methodology.

A novel Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum strain NBRI-CRB 13, isolated from tannery sludge, was studied to grow up to 500 mgL-1 of Cr(VI) and showed Cr(VI) detoxification by reducing > 90% of Cr(VI) at different concentrations 25, 50 and 100 mgL-1. Kinetic studies showed that first-order models were fitted (R2 = 0.998) to the time-dependent Cr(VI) reduction with degradation rate constant (k) (1.03-0.429h-1). Cr(VI) detoxification was primarily related to the extracellular fraction of microbial cells, which showed a maximum extracellular reductase enzyme activity led to 94.6% reduction of Cr(VI). Moreover, the strain showed maximum extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production at 100 mgL-1 Cr(VI), which is presumably the reason for Cr(VI) removal as EPS serves as the metal binding site for Cr(VI) ions. Further, an optimization study using Box-Behnken design was conducted considering parameters viz., pH, temperature, and initial concentration of Cr(VI). The maximum percent reduction of Cr(VI) was obtained at pH 6.5, temperature 30°C with 62.5 mgL-1Cr(VI) concentration. Further, the Cr(VI) reduction and adsorption ability of strain P. saccharolyticum NBRI-CRB13 were confirmed by SEM-EDS, FTIR, and XRD analyses. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups (-OH, -COOH, -PO4) on bacterial cell walls, which were more likely to interact with positively charged chromium ions. The study elucidated the reduction of Cr(VI) by the novel bacterium within 24h using the response surface methodology approach and advocated its application in real-time situations.

The prospect of ‘interstitial practice’ in the in-between spaces of Caracas

This paper delves into interstitial practice, a phenomenon unfolding in the in-between spaces, with a specific focus on Caracas, Venezuela. It explores the complex relationship between space, art, and power, comprehensively analysing interstitial practice as a flexible resource shaped by diverse interests, thus empowering its political nature and impact on immediate surroundings. Through a multi-faced methodological approach, findings suggest that the institutionalisation of this practice near vulnerable areas becomes a focal point for political sources, emphasising the community sentiment to shape a collective urban identity. This research offers a foundational reference for understanding the dynamic interplay of territory, urban interventions, and power in urban contexts and provides profound insights into the transformative potential of in-between spaces in contemporary cities.

ПРОБЛЕМАТИКА ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ ИНДИКАТОРОВ КАЧЕСТВА ЖИЗНИ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ В РЕГИОНАХ РОССИИ: ТРЕНДЫ, ОПЫТ И ОСОБЕННОСТИ МОНИТОРИНГА

The article in a meaningful aspect reveals the controversial points related to the methodology of assessing the quality of life of the population, taking into ac-count the current Russian reality and the requirements for achieving the planned targets of national priorities. Based on analytical data characterizing some so-cio-economic parameters of the CIS countries, it was concluded that indicators of the quality and life of Russian citizens have stable positive dynamics, which positively characterizes the vectors of national development. A comparative anal-ysis of some methodological approaches to assessing the level and quality of life of the population in the regions of the Russian Federation has been carried out and a conclusion has been drawn about their diversity, the need to use a huge array of information to obtain the resulting values, as well as the lack of cover-age of digital aspects that currently characterize the level of development of the digital ecosystem, both individual regions and the country as a whole. The au-thor's definition of the concept of "monitoring digital aspects of the quality and standard of living of citizens" is proposed, and its main elements are presented, the composition of which determines its effectiveness, and on the other hand, provides ample opportunities to assess the achievement of goals pursued by na-tional programs and projects to improve the level and quality of life of citizens.

Crisis Reporting and Professionalism in Journalism: An Analysis of Reporting Practices in Cameroon and Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study examines the dynamics of journalistic professionalism in crisis reporting in Nigeria and Cameroon: countries which have experienced sustained violent secessionist crises since 2015 and 2016 respectively. These crises have led to new approaches to crisis reporting, in which local journalists cover events amid severe violence and the strong nationalist ideologies typical of secessionist movements. Using an innovative mixed method that combines regression analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the article explores the nuances of journalistic professionalism in the reporting of these crises through a survey of 302 journalists from the secessionist regions in these countries. With professionalism operationalized through objectivity, the regression analysis revealed the use of emotions, the inclusion of ideologies on nationalism/secessionism, the freedom of journalists, their use of multiple/variety sources in reporting, and the inclusion of opposing views as factors affecting journalistic objectivity in crisis reporting in Cameroon and Nigeria. The FsQCA results further stress the nuances in the independence of these factors and the complex circumstances where their presence or absence could enhance objectivity in reporting. In this way, the study reveals the dialectics of existing literature on media systems using an innovative methodological approach.

Protocol for the process evaluation of the GOAL trial: investigating how comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) improves patient-centred goal attainment in older adults with chronic kidney disease in the outpatient setting

IntroductionThe GOAL Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (NCT04538157) is now underway, investigating the impact of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) for frail older people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The primary outcome...