Outdated Images Research Articles

Public visual images of Greek scientists and science: tracing changes through time

ABSTRACTIn the public field, a popular image dominates about scientists and science, involving an ambiguous and complex combination of stereotypes. In the present study, different dimensions of the public visual images of Greek scientists and science reflected in historical and contemporary photos are explored. Analysis of 971 contemporary and 209 historical photos of scientific researchers indicates that Greek scientists’ public visual images have improved over time in some respects. At the same time, the public image of their profession still preserves traditional stereotypic characteristics that resonate with popular but outdated images of science, widely adopted by the public.

Rebranding Macau: views of cultural industry insiders

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the performing arts as one element in changing the destination image of the Macau special administrative region from that of the Las Vegas of the East to a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”. The context is of particular interest as rebranding is typically associated with negative or outdated images, whereas Macau’s existing brand is strong and associated with positive tourism revenues. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured in-depth interviews with frontline participants in Macau’s performing arts sector are utilized to evaluate the relevant re-branding strategies and goals of the city’s administration. In-depth interviews focus on understanding policies through the thoughts and experiences of respondents. They are particularly useful in cases where insiders are likely to be better informed than others with respect to policy issues. Findings – Three main themes related to the use of the performing arts as a vehicle for destination rebranding are explored. Findings suggest that few elements common to successful branding campaigns are evident in the approach of the Macau administration. Shortcomings are evident, for example, in communication, infrastructure development, long-term planning and the allocation and monitoring of funding. Research limitations/implications – Although qualitative research relies on rich data from small numbers, the study focuses only on the views of informed insiders in the performing arts. Input from commercial stakeholders and higher-level policy makers would broaden the perspective. Practical implications – The findings are relevant for any destination wishing to alter or update its image. Originality/value – Cultural aspects are increasingly utilized in destination branding. This study is one of only a few which focuses on the performing arts sector.

Re-thinking God for the Sake of a Planet in Peril: Reflections on the Socially Transformative Potential of Sallie McFague’s Progressive Theology

This paper examines the influences which shape the tone and character of Sallie McFague’s ecotheology, while also suggesting that her theology holds immense socially transformative potential even while departing from many of the basic assumptions of traditional Christian theism. Contrary to the beliefs of majority Christianity, which most often assume the adequacy of supernatural and interventionist images of God, McFague contends that these outdated images seriously debilitate Christian agency and place our planet in peril. Changing Christian habits of thought about God, therefore, may yet prove to be a necessary, though not sufficient, prerequisite to resolve our environmental plight. Ultimately, I suggest that McFague’s reconstructive theology is a significant part of a larger blossoming of immanentalist sensibilities within North American religious culture at large, and in relation to which Christian churches will have to adjust in order to survive. This theological sea change may yet have the effect of moving McFague’s reconstructive proposals from the margins into the mainstream of Christian discourse and practice.

Large-scale indexing of spatial data in distributed repositories: the SD-Rtree

We propose a scalable distributed data structure (SDDS) called SD-Rtree. We intend our structure for point, window and kNN queries over large spatial datasets distributed on clusters of interconnected servers. The structure balances the storage and processing load over the available resources, and aims at minimizing the size of the cluster. SD-Rtree generalizes the well-known Rtree structure. It uses a distributed balanced binary tree that scales with insertions to potentially any number of storage servers through splits of the overloaded ones. A user/application manipulates the structure from a client node. The client addresses the tree through its image that can be possibly outdated due to later split. This may generate addressing errors, solved by the forwarding among the servers. Specific messages towards the clients incrementally correct the outdated images. We present the building of an SD-Rtree through insertions, focusing on the split and rotation algorithms. We follow with the query algorithms. We describe then a flexible allocation protocol which allows to cope with a temporary shortage of storage resources through data storage balancing. Experiments show additional aspects of SD-Rtree and compare its behavior with a distributed quadtree. The results justify our various design choices and the overall utility of the structure.

Dogmas and the Changing Images of Foundations

I offer a critical review of several different conceptions of the activity of foundational research, from the time of Gaus s to the present. These are (1) the traditional image, guiding Gauss, Dedekind, Frege and others, that sees in the search for more adequate basic systems a logical excavation of apriori structures, (2) the program to find sound formal systems for so-called classical mathematics that can be proved consistent, usually associated with the name of Hilbert, and (3) the historicist alternative, guiding Riemann, Poincaré, Weyl and others, that seeks to perfect available conceptual systems with the aim to avoid conceptual limitations and expand the range of theoretical options. I shall contend that, at times, assumptions about the foundational enterprise emerge from certain dogmas that are frequently inherited from previous, outdated images. To round the discussion, I mention some traits of an alternative program that investigates the epistemology of mathematical knowledge.

The Public Policy of Motherhood

Parents seeking to balance their work lives with family responsibilities often find the challenge made more difficult by outdated images of the ideal worker, the good mother, and the good father. Social and legal constraints on mothers' choices exacerbate the problem. While other countries have implemented national work/family policies, the climate in the United States seems unreceptive to federal government mandates for meaningful changes in employees' work hours, schedules, and paid leave, or for sweeping new child care subsidies. As a viable interim measure, we propose a statute forbidding discrimination based on family responsibilities, which would tap deeply‐felt values about the importance of family caregiving, serve as an important symbolic statement, and be useful to courts.

Five Years Later: Lessons Learned from Michigan's Commercial Gaming Regulatory System

ANY TIME CASINO GAMING is approved in a new jurisdiction, the inclination of those in government is to assure that the new regulatory system is “one of the toughest in the country.” Unfortunately, in most new jurisdictions, when casino gaming is mentioned, old images of organized crime and Bugsy Siegel come to mind. Over the years, Hollywood has fueled the fire of these outdated images with movies such as Bugsy and Casino. The net effect is that any new governmental body becomes convinced that it has to have the “toughest” standards. Logically, to assure this, a cadre of government attorneys look at all the various gaming statutes in existing jurisdictions and pick and choose provisions to create a patchwork quilt of a statute to raise the bar a little bit higher. Typically, in a new jurisdiction, the formulation of the new regulatory system is taking place amid a flurry of other activity (i.e., budget crisis, educational reform, etc.). Thus, those who are working on developing the system are, by necessity, moving very quickly and want to be extremely conservative and cautious to assure there are no loopholes. Thus, their tendency is to err on the side of caution and include tough provisions. The State of Michigan was no exception. After casino gaming was approved for the City of Detroit by a statewide voter referendum,1 some key officials felt that the new voter initiated state law was less than comprehensive. Republican Governor John Engler and Democratic Attorney General Frank Kelley, two long-time political foes, held an unprecedented joint press conference2 calling upon the state legislature to adopt comprehensive amendments to the state statute. Not surprisingly, Michigan officials looked at gaming in Nevada and New Jersey and relied heavily on existing gaming statutes in midwestern jurisdictions such as Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. Very fortunately for members of the gaming industry, the key governmental officers and legislators who worked on developing

Political Involvement in Nursing—Politics, Ethics, and Strategic Action

Political apathy in the nursing profession can be attributed to numerous factors, including a perceived ethical conflict between professional values and political involvement, as well as a lack of strategy for political action. Differences in personal and professional ethics, conflicting loyalties, and a negative image of politics create ethical tension for nurses. Political-ethical conflicts can mean choosing between job, patient care, and personal ideals. Many nurses never have considered it their place to challenge the structure of the health care system or the rules guiding that system. Supporting political action that demands change in the system, therefore, can cause tension among nurses. The political-ethical dilemma for nurses is related to outdated images of nursing, repression, fear of power, and lack of knowledge. Many guidelines exist to help nurses understand why they should get involved in the political process. By using these guidelines, nurses can evaluate issues and use a valid method to assess problems, plan for action, and evaluate the effectiveness and benefits of specific strategies. In the second of this two-part series on political involvement in nursing, political-ethical conflict is explored, along with strategies for political action.

The Research-Practice Debate in a Qualitative Research Context

I was gratified to see the rebuttals to my article Does the Glove Really Fit? Qualitative Research and Clinical Social Work Practice (Padgett, 1998a). I would have been disappointed if it had not generated a response, and I welcome this opportunity to engage in a dialogue on qualitative methods and work practice. Some of my colleagues - practitioners and researchers alike - have expressed mild surprise that my cautionary tale needed to be told. What is the issue here? they ask. Isn't it obvious that qualitative research methods and work practice are two different endeavors? The critiques of Bein and Allen and of Heineman Pieper and Tyson attest to the continued advocacy of a position that I find troubling. I will address each of these responses separately and then return to my original argument and its viability in the face of these charges. Bein and Allen's rebuttal seems more focused on my characterization of work practice than on the central premise of my argument. Indeed, their final paragraph expresses agreement with my main contention regarding the need to maintain a separation between the clinical role and the role of the qualitative researcher. We are left, then, with their assertions regarding my and sanitized view of work practice. Bein and Allen state that I have equated clinical practice with outdated images of private practice. My response to this is twofold. First, they seem to have ignored my caveat acknowledging the great diversity - theoretical, individual, and regional - in models of work practice. Second, I was referring throughout to direct practice in work, with the full knowledge that this is largely agency-based (with a smaller component of private practice as well). The fact that some work practitioners work with mandated clients, with groups rather than individuals, and in naturalistic settings does not detract from the reality of work practice today. I believe that my characterization is closer to this reality than Bein and Allen's. If anything, the pressures of managed care have placed even further constraints on the type of inductive and narrative approaches they claim are widespread. I do not like the current situation any more than Bein and Allen do, but I think it is misleading to argue that clinical practice takes place primarily in client's homes or other naturalistic settings and that it is stripped of the influence of psychological theories. Although interventions and advocacy are at the heart of work practice, assisting clients with depression and other serious mental disorders requires at least some accommodation with psychiatric treatments. To neglect these treatment options would be tantamount to malpractice. Have we discarded the bio and psycho from the social dimensions of client assessment and intervention? I hope not. Much of Bein and Allen's rebuttal is more of an idealized depiction (and an exhortation) of what work practice should be rather than what it is. Relying on selective citations and anecdotal reports from their own experiences, Bein and Allen offer no convincing evidence to support their assertions. In any case, embracing a strengths- or solution-focused perspective does not diminish the importance of the clinical practice mandate. The movement in work to focus on strengths must be placed in its proper context. Client strengths make sense only when addressed a part of a problem-solving intervention. Whether you believe that the problem is biological, psychological, or in origin (or a combination of all of these etiological factors), work practice derives its raison d'etre from that fact that vulnerable people and communities need help. Otherwise, there is no need for professional assistance. Even if one were willing to accept Bein and Allen's depiction of work practice as the norm, I believe that my basic argument retains its validity. …

Resumption of role status through leisure in later life

The older adult population is more active and diverse than ever before. Meanwhile, societal expectations attached to the older person role have remained relatively static, reflecting an era of very different health and social conditions. Consequently, existing older adult role expectations are based on outdated images of older adult health and attendant lifestyle preferences, which influence the way in which human service organizations, including leisure service providers, support older persons. Thus, many persons entering later stages of life today experience role‐person misfit, particularly if they are not able to negotiate through the discrepancies between societal and individual role expectations. This article explores the possible impact of expectations associated with outdated older person roles and examines the role of leisure in addressing the resultant role‐person misfit. Evidence gleaned from the experiences of an institutionalized older adult who participated in an action research project illustrates how basic role forces and institutional structural constraints can impinge on the realization of fulfilling leisure and suggests ways in which valued leisure pursuits may act as a catalyst in the resumption of valued role status for older adults.

DROPPING THE S

Dropping the s from the title of the International Review of Mission(s) was the implementation of the missio Dei concept in IRM. Source: IRM 58:2 (1969): 1-5. With this issue of the IRM we change the name of the oldest ecumenical journal in existence from International Review of Missions International Review of Mission. Authority for this decision was granted by the divisional committee of the Division of World Mission and Evangelism in its meeting at Odense, Denmark, in November 1968. This brings the title of the IRM into line with the designation of the division itself, with the thinking of the 1963 Mexico City meeting of the Commission of World Mission and Evangelism which gave wide currency the concept of Mission in Six Continents, and with the broad consensus of missionary thinking of most of the member churches of the World Council of Churches. We hope that the change from in the plural in the singular will make the IRM more palatable Asian, African and Latin American readers, for many of whom the old title must have been uncomfortably reminiscent of an era in which their continents were the only targets of the inexorable thrust of one-way from north south, and an era in which was primarily the business of professional, dedicated expatriate Christians from the north rather than the primary business of all Christians, in every country in every continent. We hope too that the change will also make the IRM more palatable for many of our traditional subscribers in Europe and North America, many of whom must be troubled by the contradiction between what has until now been printed on the cover as the name of the journal and what is published inside as the content of the growing consensus that the is one for the church wherever it may be. For some time now the IRM has been publishing articles that reflect this conviction about the of the Church the whole inhabited earth, and we do not do justice the growing conviction about that transcendent, universal, excitingly diverse and amazingly unique by the host of outdated images which are perpetuated by the old title. Missions in the plural have a certain justification in the diplomatic, political, and economic spheres of international relations where their nature, scope and authority are defined by the interests of both those who initiate and those who receive them, but the of the Church is singular in that it issues from the One Triune God and His intention for the salvation of all men. His commission the Church is one, even though the ministries given the Church for this mission, and the given responses of particular churches in particular situations the commission, are manifold. The various studies and programmes initiated by the Division of World Mission and Evangelism in the past few years since integration into the life of the World Council of Churches, also reflect this concern for the one of the Church in six continents rather than the traditional concern for from three continents the other three. These include: the study of the theology of mission, the study of churches in missionary situations, the missionary structure of the congregation, urban-industrial mission, joint action for mission, the Christian encounter with men of other faiths, and now the study of missionary participation in human institutions. All of these studies and programmes already undertaken make imperative the recovery within every congregation of the missionary dynamic which will enable Christians, as individuals and as communities, break out of their walls of self-concern witness the love of Christ within every level of the institutions which govern their activities, in their neighbourhoods, in the market-place, in the home, as well as the ends of the earth. It is that last phrase to the ends of the earth that troubles many for whom the shift from missions mission raises the question of missionary priorities. …