Dominant Paradigm Research Articles

Bleaching and drifting

This article describes the possibilities of art workshops which have been conducted in Fukushima Prefecture that were affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant accident on March 11, 2011. In coastal areas, many people experienced unexpected domestic migrations/relocations and unwelcome changes in their lives due to the disaster, moving multiple times and living in a state akin to drifting. In these workshops, participants recalled their history and context, created artwork as their navigational chart of life while rebraiding individual narratives with images, memories, and recollections that associated with objects as a part of hyperobjects of tsunami and nuclear disasters. For their complicated situation after the disaster, the workshops provided the opportunities to negotiate with objects as non-human things which have a longer lifespan than humans. It became the activities supporting peoples who lost the continuity of their lives with their hometown. These recovery and support programs through art workshops will be an ecosophic approach based on non-discursive, aesthetic, and ethic means to change the human-centric dominant paradigm.

Язык как ключ к реальности: от философии имени к дискурсу

Language and consciousness are two transcendental categories that determine the processes of cognition, thinking, introspection, perception, and subject-object relations. At different stages of philosophy, they were interpreted depending on the dominant philosophical and ideological paradigm in relation to reality, the existential goals of the subject and society, and methodological approaches, e.g., phenomenological, hermeneutical, discursive, etc. This article systematizes the basic concepts of language in various historical epochs, i.e., from antiquity to the XXI century. The evolution of views on language is represented not from the standpoint of self-reference, but through the prism of socio-cultural and socio-historical changes in reality and its relation to the subject. The author traced the development of the philosophy of language and defined the reasons behind the evolution of approaches to language and consciousness. The article attempts to answer two questions: How do different paradigms of the philosophy of language and consciousness approach the matter of subject’s access to the real world? To what extent were paradigm shifts caused by the changing cultural, historical, and socio-political backgrounds? Since evolutionary epistemology identifies gnoseology as one of the main functions of language, the categories of thinking and understanding receive special attention. The growing complexity of the world order affects the relationship between language and consciousness, i.e., from singularity (philosophy of name) to continuality (discourse).

Do we really need a “Digital Humanism”? A critique based on post-human philosophy of technology and socio-legal techniques

Few concepts have been subjected to as intense scrutiny in contemporary discourse as that of “humanism.” While these critiques have acknowledged the importance of retaining certain key aspects of humanism, such as rights, freedom, and human dignity, the term has assumed ambivalence, especially in light of post-colonial and gender studies, that cannot be ignored. The “Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism,” as well as the recent volume (2022) titled Perspectives on Digital Humanism, bear a complex imprint of this ambivalence. In this contribution, we aim to bring to the forefront and decipher this underlying trace, by considering alternative (non-humanistic) ways to understand human-technologies relations, beyond the dominant neoliberal paradigm (paragraphs 1 and 2); we then analyse those relations within the specific context of legal studies (paragraphs 3 and 4), one in which the interdependency of humans and non-humans shows a specific and complex form of “fundamental ambivalence.”

Can Acceptance of Urban Shrinkage Shift Planning Strategies of Shrinking Cities From Growth to De-Growth?

Shrinking cities scholars claim that planning actors in the cities where shrinking is accepted are more likely to change the focus of planning strategy from pursuing growth to actively planning for de-growth. Considering this argument, this article investigates to what extent planning actors in shrinking cities seek solutions outside the dominant growth paradigm if they accept the reality of shrinkage. This is accomplished by examining the comprehensive plans of 18 shrinking cities in the Rust Belt area of the US and establishing relations between the interpretations of urban decline expressed in these planning documents and the resulting planning visions and strategies. The findings demonstrate that although planning actors in most analysed cases accepted urban shrinkage as a reality and adopted a vision of a smaller future city, they mainly devised strategies that facilitate growth. This suggests that urban planning may be far less impacted by specific interpretations of shrinkage, including acceptance, than what is popularly believed to be the case. Instead, growth remains a focal point of most planning efforts in shrinking cities, even when planning actors acknowledge it may not be realistically attainable.

Menstrual Blood: an icon of the kenotic atonement of Christ— A Better Way with Better Blood

For centuries, theologians have sought to understand the meaning and significance of Christ’s death. However, the current motifs and interpretations of the atonement have constrained Christology by situating Christ within a paradigm of domination and subordination. I propose that the “inferior” porous and excessively moist female body—as presumed by Greco-Roman classicists and early Christian writers—expresses the unboundaried, mutual, self-giving relationality within the Godhead. Christ’s blood, represented by menstrual blood, reveals divine love as “for” the empowerment and flourishing of others, bringing reconciliation to divine-human relationality, invoking the remembering of menstruating bodies, and supporting the healing of human-other relationships. Menstruation is an embodied icon of the kenotic atonement of Christ.

FROM SOCIAL TIES TO SPATIAL BELONGING: RETHINKING HOME IN REFUGEE STUDIES WITH A FOCUS ON DEEP HALDAR’S BLOOD ISLAND

The forced displacement of millions due to war, persecution, and environmental disasters presents a significant challenge to the international community. Refugee Studies, a field dedicated to understanding the experiences of refugees, has traditionally focused on social interaction and integration. However, this emphasis overlooks the profound impact displacement has on refugees' sense of place and home. This article argues that a more nuanced understanding of the refugee experience requires incorporating insights from spatial theory and the concept of "home tactics."The article begins by examining the limitations of the dominant social interactionist paradigm in Refugee Studies. It critiques the "nomadic subjectivity" model, which views refugees as essentially mobile, and the policy-oriented use of "place rootedness" as a tool for resettlement. Drawing on the work of Catherine Broome, the article proposes a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between refugees and place. This includes acknowledging the strategic use of place claims for political purposes while recognizing the genuine emotional attachment refugees have to their lost homes.The concept of "home tactics," developed by Mariano Ortega, offers a valuable framework for understanding how refugees navigate displacement. Home tactics refer to the everyday actions and practices refugees undertake to create a sense of familiarity and belonging in their new environments. The article explores how home tactics transcend economic and political strategies, reflecting deeply personal and emotional connections to land and space.The book "Blood Island" by Deep Haldar serves as a powerful case study for examining home tactics in action. The article analyzes how displaced Bengalis in Dandakaranya recreate a sense of home through rituals like the "Posto Mela" harvest festival. These performative acts connect them to their past and the land they lost. Furthermore, the article explores the embodied dimensions of home and belonging, highlighting the profound sensory connection refugees maintain with their lost homelands.The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of studying refugee narratives to gain deeper insights into their experiences. By analyzing narratives, we can move beyond theoretical frameworks and understand how refugees themselves perceive displacement, place, and home. Incorporating these insights into refugee policy and practice is crucial for developing ethical and sustainable responses to the ongoing global refugee crisis.

Controversial Issues of Immunopathogenesis of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis

Psoriasis (PsO) and atopic dermatitis (AD have much in common: both diseases are widespread, characterized by a chronic relapsing course, primarily affect the skin and lead to a quality reduction of life of patients, regardless of their age. The pathogenesis of these two dermatoses, which are the most common in the practice of a pediatric dermatologist, is quite different. PsO is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, the pathogenesis of which is associated with the involvement of the Th1 pathway: Th17 cells and the IL-23/IL-17 axis. AD, in turn, is usually associated with high levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-31 and IFN-γ produced by activated T-helper 2 (Th2) cells. The clinical symptoms and immunopathological responses of these two skin conditions tend to differ. However, patients with PsO may sometimes present with a skin rash resembling AD combined with intense itching and laboratory increase in immunoglobulin E (IgE) which may indicate the need to change the paradigm of dominance of only one type of T-inflammation in patients with these diseases.

Beyond Personal Beliefs: The Impact of the Dominant Social Paradigm on Energy Transition Choices

Energy transition towards a local resilient energy supply is necessary for energy security. Climate change and the threat of economic collapse are reasons to force society to become less dependent on fossil fuel. Small-scale solutions are expected to be more sustainable, as large-scale integrated networks are featured by complexity and difficult-to-notice vulnerabilities, creating system risks. This paper presents the results of empirical research among a sample of Polish business students (N = 205) on the importance of worldviews for the choice of the energy transition scenario (local solutions vs. large-scale solutions). Worldviews are represented here by the Dominant Social Paradigm (defined for the purpose of this study as the belief that liberal democracy, free markets, and technological development are to solve all type of problems). This study addresses two research questions: (1) Is there a difference in preference for the energy transition scenarios? (2) Does adherence to the Dominant Social Paradigm determine the choice of the scenario for energy transition? The results present a preference for non-cooperative solutions (individual household solutions and large-scale solutions), while no significant relation to the worldviews represented by the Dominant Social Paradigm has been found. The results suggest that preferences for individual and large-scale solutions may be influenced more by institutional factors than by personal worldviews. A policy implication is that a change in the socio-political institutions and strengthening local governance may be a prerequisite for a sustainable energy transition.

Understanding Islamic Extremism Away from the Dominant Normative Paradigm

Much academic interest has been given to the relationship of Islam with extremism, with such relationship being too often articulated in terms of religiosity as the main predictive factor, and a language of normativity positing that extremism is the negative manifestation and excess of Muslim discourses. This systematic review attempts to account for such normative assumptions by looking at the predictive ability of psychosocial and environmental factors related to social identity processes, in addition to the predictive ability of religiosity in accounting for Islamic extremism. Two search rounds were performed using several databases for peer reviewed English language articles, of all types of research designs, between 2012 and 2023 defining Islamic or Muslim extremism as a deviation from the dominant Eurocentric normative definition and delineating its predictors. The review revealed a differing account regarding the roots of Muslim extremism in which exclusion from the modern world-system—framed in terms of perceived threat, deprivation, discrimination, and oppression—is highlighted, while religiosity had predominantly insignificant effects. The paper calls for a reconsideration of extremism among Muslims away from the normative paradigm set forth by the modern world-system.

Making Rivers, Producing Futures: The Rise of an Eco-Modern River Imaginary in Dutch Climate Change Adaptation

In the field of climate change adaptation, the future matters. River futures influence the way adaptation projects are implemented in rivers. In this paper, we challenge the ways in which dominant paradigms and expert claims monopolise the truth concerning policies and designs of river futures, thereby sidelining and delegitimising alternative river futures. So far, limited work has been performed on the power of river futures in the context of climate change adaptation. We conceptualised the power of river futures through river imaginaries, i.e., collectively performed and publicly envisioned reproductions of riverine socionatures mobilised through truth claims of social life and order. Using the Border Meuse project as a case study, a climate change adaptation project in a stretch of the river Meuse in the south of the Netherlands, and a proclaimed success story of climate adaptation in Dutch water management, we elucidated how three river imaginaries (a modern river imaginary, a market-driven imaginary, and an eco-centric river imaginary) merged into an eco-modern river imaginary. Importantly, not only did the river futures merge, but their aligned truth regimes also merged. Thus, we argue that George Orwell’s famous quote, “who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present, controls the past” can be extended to “who controls the future, controls how we see and act in the present, and how we rediscover the past”.

The Fakeability of Personality Measurement with Graded Paired Comparisons

This study compares the faking resistance of Likert scales and graded paired comparisons (GPCs) analyzed with Thurstonian IRT models. We analyzed whether GPCs are more resistant to faking than Likert scales by exhibiting lower score inflation and better recovery of applicants’ true (i.e., honest) trait scores. A total of N=573\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N=573$$\\end{document} participants completed either the Likert or GPC version of a personality questionnaire first honestly and then in an applicant scenario. Results show that participants were able to increase their scores in both the Likert and GPC format, though their score inflation was smaller in the GPC than the Likert format. However, GPCs did not exhibit higher honest–faking correlations than Likert scales; under certain conditions, we even observed negative associations. These results challenge mean score inflation as the dominant paradigm for judging the utility of forced-choice questionnaires in high-stakes situations. Even if forced-choice factor scores are less inflated, their ability to recover true trait standings in high-stakes situations might be lower compared with Likert scales. Moreover, in the GPC format, faking effects correlated almost perfectly with the social desirability differences of the corresponding statements, highlighting the importance of matching statements equal in social desirability when constructing forced-choice questionnaires.

Global trends in tumor microenvironment-related research on tumor vaccine: a review and bibliometric analysis.

Tumor vaccines have become crucial in cancer immunotherapy, but, only a limited number of phase III clinical trials have demonstrated clinical efficacy. The crux of this issue is the inability of tumor vaccines to effectively harmonize the tumor microenvironment with its intricate interplay. One factor that can hinder the effectiveness of vaccines is the natural immunosuppressive element present in the tumor microenvironment. This element can lead to low rates of T-cell response specific to antigens and the development of acquired resistance. Conversely, anticancer vaccines alter the tumor microenvironment in conflicting manners, inducing both immune activation and immunological evasion. Hence, comprehending the correlation between tumor vaccines and the tumor microenvironment would establish a foundation for forthcoming tumor treatment. Our review explores the realm of research pertaining to tumor vaccinations and the tumor microenvironment. Our objective is to investigate the correlation between tumor vaccines and the tumor microenvironment within this domain. We then focus our review on the dominant international paradigms in this research field and visually illustrates the historical progression and emergent patterns observed in the past. From January 1, 1999 to February 7, 2023, 1420 articles on the interplay between tumor vaccines and the tumor microenvironment were published, according to The Clarivate Web of Science (WOS) database used in our review. A bibliometric review was designed for this collection and consisted of an evaluation. The evaluation encompassed various discernible attributes, including the year of publication, the journals in which the articles were published, the authors involved, the affiliated institutions, the geographical locations of the institutions, the references cited, and the keywords employed. Between the years 1999 and 2022, publications saw a significant increase, from 3 to 265 annually. With 72 papers published, Frontiers in Immunology had the most manuscripts published. The Cancer Research publication garnered the highest number of citations, amounting to 2874 citations. The United States exerts significant dominance in the subject, with the National Cancer Institute being recognized as a prominent institution in terms of both productivity and influence. Furthermore, Elizabeth M. Jaffee was recognized as the field's most prolific and influential author with 24 publications and 1,756 citations. The co-occurrence cluster analysis was conducted on the top 197 keywords, resulting in the identification of five distinct clusters. The most recent high-frequency keywords, namely immune therapy, dendritic cell, tumor microenvironment, cancer, and vaccine, signify the emerging frontiers in the interaction between tumor vaccines and the tumor microenvironment. Our review uncovers insights into contemporary trends, global patterns of collaboration, fundamental knowledge, research areas of high interest, and emerging frontiers in the field of TME-targeted vaccines.

Understanding the challenges of blockchain technology adoption: evidence from China’s developing carbon markets

PurposeBlockchain is a disruptive technology that has matured to deliver robust, global, IT systems, yet adoption lags predictions. The authors explore barriers to adoption in the context of a global challenge with multiple stakeholders: integration of carbon markets. Going beyond the dominant economic-rationalistic paradigm of information system (IS) innovation adoption, the authors reduce pro-innovation bias and broaden inter-organizational scope by using technological frames theory to capture the cognitive framing of the challenges perceived within the world’s largest carbon emitter: China.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with 15 key experts representing three communities in China’s carbon markets: IT experts in carbon markets; carbon market experts with conceptual knowledge of blockchain and carbon market experts with practical blockchain experience.FindingsPerceived technical challenges were found to be the least significant in explaining adoption. Significant challenges in five areas: social, political legal and policy (PLP), data, organizational and managerial (OM) and economic, with PLP and OM given most weight. Mapping to frames developed to encompass these challenges: nature of technology, strategic use of technology and technology readiness resolved frame incongruence that, in the case explored, did not lead to rejection of blockchain, but a decision to defer investment, increase the scope of analysis and delay the adoption decision.Originality/valueIncreases scope and resolution of IS adoption research. Technological frames theory moves from predominant economic-rational models to a social cognitive perspective. Broadens understanding of blockchain adoption in a context combining the world’s most carbon emissions with ownership of most blockchain patents, detailing socio-technical challenges and delivering practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners.

Learning design ecosystems thinking: defying the linear imperative and designing for higher education at-scale

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to posit an alternative learning design approach to the technology-led magnification and multiplication of learning and to the linearity of curricular design approaches such as a constructive alignment. Learning design ecosystem thinking creates complex and interactive networks of activity that engage the widest span of the community in addressing critical pedagogical challenges. They identify the pinch-points where negative engagements become structured into the student experience and design pathways for students to navigate their way through the uncertainty and transitions of higher education at-scale.Design/methodology/approachIt is a conceptual paper drawing on a deep and critical engagement of literature, a reflexive approach to the dominant paradigms and informed by practice.FindingsLearning design ecosystems create spaces within at-scale education for deep learning to occur. They are not easy to design or maintain. They are epistemically and pedagogically complex, especially when deployed within the structures of an institution. As Gough (2013) argues, complexity reduction should not be the sole purpose of designing an educational experience and the transitional journey into and through complexity that students studying in these ecosystems take can engender them with resonant, deeply human and transdisciplinary graduate capabilities that will shape their career journey.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is theoretical in nature (although underpinned by rigorous evaluation of practice). There are limitations in scope in part defined by the amorphous definitions of scale. It is also limited to the contexts of higher education although it is not bound to them.Originality/valueThis paper challenges the dialectic that argues for a complexity reduction in higher education and posits the benefits of complexity, connection and transition in the design and delivery of education at-scale.

The role of lifelong machine learning in bridging the gap between human and machine learning: A scientometric analysis

AbstractDue to advancements in data collection, storage, and processing techniques, machine learning has become a thriving and dominant paradigm. However, one of its main shortcomings is that the classical machine learning paradigm acts in isolation without utilizing the knowledge gained through learning from related tasks in the past. To circumvent this, the concept of Lifelong Machine Learning (LML) has been proposed, with the goal of mimicking how humans learn and acquire cognition. Human learning research has revealed that the brain connects previously learned information while learning new information from a single or small number of examples. Similarly, an LML system continually learns by storing and applying acquired information. Starting with an analysis of how the human brain learns, this paper shows that the LML framework shares a functional structure with the brain when it comes to solving new problems using previously learned information. It also provides a description of the LML framework, emphasizing its similarities to human brain learning. It also provides citation graph generation and scientometric analysis algorithms for the LML literatures, including information about the datasets and evaluation metrics that have been used in the empirical evaluation of LML systems. Finally, it presents outstanding issues and possible future research directions in the field of LML.This article is categorized under: Technologies > Machine Learning

Higher education internationalisation policy and home student populations

ABSTRACT Policies on internationalisation exist in Higher Education around the world, but no literature is currently available which draws together scholarly responses to these policies. This study reviews responses to internationalisation policy for ‘Home’ students (as opposed to international students) in Higher Education Institutions globally. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify internationalisation policy responses which focused on practice impacting specifically on ‘Home’ students. Eighteen peer reviewed sources were selected for analysis. Key themes were purpose, collaboration, implementation and defining success. Conclusions centred around the need for clarity in policy objectives, means of measuring policy success, and the risks of perpetuating dominant paradigms of inequality. Recommendations for policymakers are for clarity in the purposes of internationalisation, for alignment between national and institutional policies and student experience, and for policy outcomes to be measurable.

Datafication, Artificial Intelligence and Images: The Dominant Paradigm in the Representation of Knowledge in Images

This paper aims to verify whether Generative Artificial Intelligence tools for image generation replicate biases and social stereotypes present in the dominant paradigm. A case study was carried out using the Leonardo.Ai tool, which generated images using simple combined terms, namely: “Scientist, person”; “Cook, person”; “Doctor, person”; “CEO, person”; “Housekeeper, person”; and “Nurse, person”. The images were analyzed using Rodrigues’ (2007) image documentary analysis methodology and Gemma Penn’s (2008) contributions. The analysis criteria included gender, age group, ethnicity, body type, clothes, and circumscribed elements. The images generated by the Leonardo.Ai tool were found to have a series of characteristics that perpetuate bias and social stereotypes. Given the likely impact that generative Artificial Intelligence will have on the production and sharing of information, we conclude that, in addition to the ethical issues related to the creation of the tool itself, there is a need to discuss ways of making it more inclusive and responsible for the representation of information.

Diversity of contributions is not efficient but is essential for science.

Dominant paradigms in science foster integration of research findings, but at what cost? Forcing convergence requires centralizing decision-making authority, and risks reducing the diversity of methods and contributors, both of which are essential for the breakthrough ideas that advance science.

When safety for you means danger for me: the racial politics of carceral public safety discourse.

Safety is a human right and universal need, and yet we as researchers and practitioners often take for granted the conditions that help people feel safe. In this conceptual review, we focus on factors that contribute to people's sense of safety in service of understanding how, when, and where people feel safe. Moreover, we consider how race, power, and privilege shape people's sense of safety and danger. In doing so, we highlight how public safety is not an objective or static reality but rather a political project that reflects dominant ideologies and serves state interests. We begin this conceptual review with a discussion of how public safety is a social construct whose meaning varies across time, space, and place. Next, we discuss three dominant ideologies that are embedded within collective public safety discourse: permanent bad guy syndrome, the victimization-fear paradox, and the politics of ideal victimhood. Together, these ideologies help to shape carceral public safety frameworks, which is the dominant paradigm in our culture. We then illuminate some of the underlying assumptions within carceral public safety frameworks and their implications for responses to public safety concerns, including elevating the safety concerns of dominant groups while criminalizing undesirable bodies, undermining stigmatized communities' ability to access public safety and justice, legitimizing suspicion and surveillance, incentivizing carceral responses while diverting resources from safety promotion programs, and altering public spaces. In doing so, we highlight how carceral public safety frameworks reflect and reinforce existing injustices while also contributing to the stigmatization, marginalization, and manufactured precarity of social groups deemed undesirable and therefore unworthy of protection. We conclude with a discussion of alternative models of public safety which are rooted in life-affirming frameworks, which focus on improving people's material conditions as a means of lessening and preventing the likelihood and impact of interpersonal violence.

IN THE TRENCHES: A FINANCIAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PERSPECTIVE ON THE PERSISTENT LEGACY OF POVERTY IN THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT OF SOUTH AFRICA

Widespread socio-economic challenges such as high levels of poverty and unemployment continue to plague South Africa. Owing to the nature of social work service delivery, social workers often serve the most vulnerable populations. However, it seems that social workers remain metaphorically in the trenches in the war on poverty, meaning that tangible evidence on the progress of poverty alleviation due to the direct involvement of social workers is meagre in social development. This article argues for the integration of a financial social work practice perspective into South African social work service delivery as a potential means of facilitating more efficient social development. The article is conceptual in nature and draws on the principles of theoretical adaptation. It posits social developmental theory as the dominant theoretical paradigm, and financial social work as the practice perspective. Analysis will highlight the current gaps in social developmental practice, and the appropriateness of financial social work to address it. The discussion aims to activate scholarly discourse on financial social work in South Africa and beyond, and to firmly position this practice perspective within sustainable social development. Keywords: financial capability, financial literacy, financial social work, practice perspective, poverty, social development, unemployment