Personal Conversations Research Articles

In Memory of Sergey Andriaka

Sergey Nikolaevich Andriaka (July 14, 1958 - May 16, 2024) was a distinguished Russian watercolorist, a celebrated artist and educator, and a pivotal figure in national art education. He served as editor-in-chief and a permanent author for the scientific and methodological journal Secreta Artis. Andriaka was the driving force behind the extensive scientific, methodological, and publishing efforts of the art institutions he founded and led: the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Sergey Andriaka Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts" and the State Budgetary Educational Institution of Additional Education "Sergey Andriaka Specialized School of Watercolor with a Museum and Exhibition Complex".This article represents the first comprehensive effort to summarize his substantial contributions, trace his professional journey, and provide foundational information about his artistic and pedagogical career. It explores the principles underlying the School of Watercolor and the Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts, and delves into key aspects of Anrdriaka's unique teaching methodology, particularly his multilayer watercolor technique.The article features previously unpublished materials, such as drafts of Andriaka's autobiography and personal conversations with him.

Feeling rules in artificial intelligence: norms for anger management

The rapid spread of conversational AI, as well as the potential for personal conversations with chatbots, makes it relevant to examine what norms and values underlie chatbot responses. This article examines the feeling rules for anger implicitly communicated by a recent chatbot (ChatGPT). Querying the chatbot about appropriate and inappropriate anger, the study shows how specific feeling rules are articulated by AI. The chatbot communicates norms of productive, respectful, constructive, controlled and calm expression of anger through talk and, as such, relies on communication as a pervasive cultural repertoire. Based on a rereading of Boltanski and Thévenot’s (2006) economies of worth focusing on feeling rules, it is argued that different moral repertoires have implications for feeling rules. Using this theoretical framework to analyse the responses of the chatbot, it is evident that it primarily relies on both the industrial and the domestic orders of worth to assess anger. The chatbot articulates the problem of anger as unproductiveness and disrespect. The feeling rules implied in the responses of the chatbot reflect a neoliberal conception of self as individually responsible, productive, self-regulating, emotionally competent and able to find solutions. The seemingly neutral advice of the chatbot potentially depoliticises anger, disciplines people to remain productive and respectful and narrows the scope of anger expressions that are deemed acceptable.

Fostering Social Connectedness in First Year Seminar Students: A Pilot Study

University First Year Seminar (FYS) programs are diverse in their content and pedagogy. Yet all seek to assist first-year students in the difficult college transition. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate if grouping similar academic majors into the existing First Year Seminar (FYS) courses would improve social connectedness, use of academic resources, and engagement on campus. A subset of first year students were assigned to either the control group (CON) of normal mixed major sections, or to the experimental course (EXP) with only related majors. Thirteen EXP and 36 CON students completed the data collection, including an 18-question social support survey administered at the beginning and end of the course. Additionally, two open-ended qualitative analysis questions were asked related to student expectations and perceived course outcomes. Lastly, the three instructors of the EXP and CON courses studied were interviewed using phenomenological methods approximately one week after the end of the semester. Between-groups analysis of the 18 quantitative survey questions identified that the CON group reported more personal conversations with peers and attendance of campus activities while the EXP group reported more faculty interactions. At the beginning of the course, 77% of the EXP group expected to create social connections as a primary course outcome, while only 19% of the CON group did. Academic skills were a higher expectation among the CON group than the EXP group. When asked more directly, both groups expected to make social connections in the class (86%). However, by the end of the study, the reported outcomes were equivocal. Interviews with FYS professors uncovered their own valuable perceptions of connectedness to the university and recommendations for instructor support were made.

Smart Cities for All? Bridging Digital Divides for Socially Sustainable and Inclusive Cities

This paper aims to emphasize the need for enhancing inclusivity and accessibility within smart-city societies. It represents the first attempt to apply Amartya Sen’s capability approach by exploring the implications of digital divides for promoting inclusive and climate-friendly cities that prioritize well-being, equity, and societal participation. Sen’s framework recognizes individual variations in converting resources into valuable ‘functionings’, and herein emphasizes the importance of aligning personal, social, and environmental conversion factors for individuals to fully navigate, participate in, and enjoy the benefits provided by smart cities. Adopting the capability approach and employing a cross-disciplinary analysis of the scientific literature, the primary objective is to broaden understanding of how to improve inclusivity and accessibility within smart-city societies, with a specific focus on marginalized community members facing first- and second-level digital divides. This paper underscores the importance of adopting a systemic perspective on climate-smart city navigation and stresses the importance of establishing a unified governing body responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and enhancing smart-city functionality. The paper concludes by summarizing some policy recommendations to boost social inclusion and address climate change in smart cities, such as creating capability-enhancing institutions, safeguarding redundancy in public-choice options, empowering citizens, and leveraging academic knowledge in smart-city policy formulation.

Pelaksanaan Supervisi Akademik Kepala Madrasah dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja dan Mutu Guru

The implementation of education is an effort to improve human resources. Madrasah is also one of the means, because madrasah is a formal educational institution which in the implementation of education requires madrasah personnel to evaluate, supervise and improve the teaching and learning process carried out by teachers requires supervision. This study aims to determine the implementation of academic supervision in improving teacher performance and quality. This research is qualitative research with a type of field research. The techniques used in collecting data in this study are observation, interviews, and documentation. While the technique in analyzing data is with three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results of data analysis showed that the implementation of academic supervision of the head of the madrasah by visiting directly to class, and sometimes only listening to the course of learning outside the classroom. The results of academic supervision carried out by the head of MTs Negeri 4 Pidie have been running in accordance with existing regulations, including class visits, class observations, inter visitation, personal conversations, and teacher meetings

Владимир Чуб: советская карьера первого донского губернатора

The article delves into the Soviet period characterizing the biography of the first governor of Rostov region Vladimir Fedorovich Chub (born July 24, 1948). Attention is paid to the circumstances of his formation as a personality, a politician and a manager. V.F. Chub passed the school of work at a transport enterprise, in the Proletarian district committee of the CPSU. During the years of perestroika, he proved himself to be a supporter of renewal – democratization, expansion of independence, development of glasnost. In 1989, he became the head of the City executive Committee of Rostov-on-Don, and then, in a competitive struggle with party structures, he was elected chairman of the Rostov City Council. A pragmatic position in August 1991 allowed V.F. Chub to become a compromise figure for the post of governor of the Rostov region. During the preparation of the article, documents and materials of personal conversations between the author and the hero of the publication were used, which were introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

Проект «социальной теологии» в учении Вальтера Раушенбуша

The article examines the question of the possibility of transforming systematic theology in accordance with the main ideas of the "social gospel". This question was formulated in the last significant work of the eminent American theologian of the early twentieth century, Walter Rauschenbusch, Theology for the Social Gospel. The work was published in 1917, a year before the thinker's death. Walter Rauschenbusch was convinced that it was necessary to transform a number of provisions of Christian doctrine, taking into account some important discoveries that became apparent in the context of the social interpretation of Christianity. These "discoveries" seem new only from the standpoint of historical Christianity, which was seriously influenced by the mystical, metaphysical and ascetic tendencies of the Greco-Roman intellectual tradition alien to it. In reality, according to V. Raushenbush, these “discoveries” of the social gospel were part of the original content of the Christian gospel and are now again updated in the context of social interpretation. W. Rauschenbusch refers to such provisions of the social gospel, which should be introduced into systematic Christian theology, the following ideas: 1. A broader interpretation of the nature of evil (evil has not only an individual, but also a social nature). Evil is rooted not only in a person's freedom, but also in some social institutions that incline a person's will to a vicious life. 2. “Limiting the theological weight” of the doctrine of the original sin in order to educate Christians in active enthusiasm instead of passive contrition for the fall, the consequences of which no one can overcome. 3. Salvation has both a personal and a social dimension. The personal conversion of a Christian is necessarily linked to his social mission. Social responsibility should not be seen as a secondary consequence of acquiring personal faith. One is unthinkable without the other. By acquiring personal faith, a person also acquires social responsibility towards other people. 4. Democratic character of theology instead of despotic. Theology should be guided by the gospel understanding of God as a loving and merciful Father. 5. Social interpretation of eschatology. The posthumous existence of people in heaven and hell should not be regarded as a state of "eternal rest". It is necessary to admit the existence of active love in paradise, which will contribute to the correction of sinners and the perfection of the righteous. It is an eschatology of hope instead of an eschatology of punishment.

LGBTQ Young Adults' Identity Disclosure in the Workplace: A Longitudinal Qualitative Analysis of Disclosure Intentions and Outcomes.

Research shows that LGBTQ workers make strategic decisions about whether to disclose their sexual and gender identities to their colleagues as they assess potential costs and benefits. The present study sought to extend this literature by examining how they plan their identity disclosure in future workplace interactions and why they may diverge from their initial intentions. The analysis used longitudinal data from in-depth interviews, in which young LGBTQ workers reported disclosure intentions and their outcomes two years later. Participants often expressed intentions to disclose their LGBTQ identities while emphasizing the importance of identity disclosure for self-authenticity and the LGBTQ community's visibility. Sometime over the course of the study, however, a substantial number of participants did not carry out their intentions because of unanticipated workplace constraints such as a lack of opportunities for personal conversations, an expectation for professionalism, and an absence of LGBTQ colleagues. However, participants who diverged from their initial disclosure intentions maintained an identity as an open LGBTQ person by emphasizing their willingness for disclosure.

The Strategy for Local Community Participation in Tourism Planning Around Conservation Areas in Indonesia

Taman Nasional Bali Barat (TNBB) is a nature conservation areas in Indonesia. TNBB has been designated by the government as a nature tourism destination that admits development precedence because it is one of the national tourism strategic areas (NTSA). The sustainability of tourism in conservation areas is significantly determined by the level of local community participation in the tourism planning process. However, based on previous research, the level of local community participation in the tourism planning process in TNBB is low. This research aims to formulate a strategy for local community participation in the tourism planning process around the conservation areas. The method employed to achieve this objective is Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI is a qualitative approach in participatory tourism planning. Data is collected and analyzed by following the AI stages or 4D cycle. The results show that local communities participate in tourism decision-making. The level of dialogue that has been taking place so far shows a pattern of decision-making or tourism planning process based on conservation areas. Starting from personal conversations in the context of friendship, then developing into organizational discourse, and later formulated as a shared vision and mission to optimize the function of conservation areas as tourism destinations. The involvement of local communities in the level of dialogue is a strategy for local community participation in the tourism planning process in TNBB.

Opinion of Patients and Healthcare Professionals on the Value of Integrating Emojis into Healthcare Communication

Introduction: Ability to discuss emotions can significantly strengthen the patient–Health Care Professional (HCP) relationship and improve outcomes. Communication barriers impede this relationship and limit the ability of HCPs to provide patient-centered care. Emojis are a universal language that has the potential to overcome these issues and are particularly suited for describing emotions.
 Aim: This 3-phase feasibility study aimed to collate current opinions around the utility of emojis in patient–HCP communication.
 Methods: In phase 1, a survey was conducted between September and October 2021 among members of the War On Cancer digital platform community (patients, friends, family, and others interested in the study) to determine how they used emojis in their personal and healthcare communications. In phase 2 (February 2022), selected patients were individually interviewed via zoom (9 questions; 30–60 minutes) to evaluate their current use of emojis in text-based communications, situations where emojis might and might not help them express themselves to HCPs, and emotions represented by different emojis. In phase 3 (February 2022), invited HCPs were individually interviewed face-to-face or via Zoom (6 open-ended questions; 30–45 minutes) to evaluate their current use of digital communications and emojis with patients, insights on the findings from phases 1 and 2, and overall thoughts on using emojis in patient communications.
 Results: The phase 1 survey had 290 respondents aged 15–84 years from 22 countries. The majority used emojis to express emotions in personal conversations and were positive about using them in HCP communications. In phase 2, 8 patients aged 30–70 years from the UK, US, and Sweden were interviewed. All used emojis in personal communications and a minority had used emojis to communicate with their HCP. Most interpreted emojis similarly, yet participants had varying views on when and how they should be used with HCPs, mainly because of the potential ambiguous interpretation. Some noted a lack of healthcare–adapted emojis. Participants identified 4 situations where emojis could be useful in HCP communication: emotional preparation before a visit, follow-up after a visit, situations with a language barrier, and to replace numeric scales for strength of emotion. Emojis were considered less useful as a substitute for face-to-face meetings, in serious situations, and when expressing serious emotions. In phase 3, 5 HCP volunteers (2 clinicians, 3 nurses) aged 30–45 years from the US and Sweden were interviewed. All communicated digitally with patients through electronic medical records or other platforms, sometimes only one-way (HCP to patient). No HCPs had used emojis directly with patients, noting that some platforms prohibit it. HCPs agreed with the scenarios identified in phase 2, further suggesting emojis may be most helpful for patients with poor literacy or who have difficulty expressing emotions.
 Conclusions: The findings of this survey and interviews demonstrated that both patients and HCPs recognize potential advantages in using emojis within healthcare conversations. Further research is required to determine the optimal settings in which emojis can be used to improve communications between patients and HCPs, and the associated clinical value.

Practising refusal as relating otherwise: engagements with knowledge production, ‘activist’ praxis, and borders

This special issue explores the concept of refusal through academic and personal reflections, conversation, poetry, activism, and performative practice. In this introduction, we first situate practices of refusal within very specific locations of struggle and then frame these refusals as a practice of relating otherwise. Relating otherwise is a ‘mode of engagement’ – not a theory or method – that shapes relationships with ourselves, each other, and the world. The introduction goes on to discuss how refusal practices engage with (1) decolonial modes of knowing, (2) embodied, situated, and relational ways of meaning-making, and (3) the undoing of existing dichotomies within ‘activist’ practice.

Voice Recognition in the era of Virtual Reality: Disruption of Normative Social Meaning Making

The teaching and working world has been disrupted by developments known as the 4th Industrial Revolution. As we grappled with the Covid-19 epidemic the world saw massive disruptions in how and where we work, teach, learn and socialize. As moves to continue the social via virtual platforms increased as a result of Covid-19 restrictions we saw disruptions in everyday social meaning making. This article via reflections from personal observation and conversations with colleagues engages with the idea of voice recognition as an important social cue in virtual interactions. The article shows how taken for granted social markers of engagement can be rendered useless in context were the only connector to the people you are interacting with is their voice. The article challenges us to engage with the following questions: What impacts does the move to virtuality have on social engagements that allow us to humanize each other? What can we do to maintain the important social cues important for meaning making in context of teaching, counseling, consultation as we see many of these roles move to the virtual space?

Overcrowded Market or a Chance to Be Different? Micro Independent Presses in the UK

Abstract This article looks at small independent publishers in the UK and explores whether there is room for them in the overcrowded UK publishing scene. The literature review considers contradictory press reports about the health of the UK publishing industry during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire allowing in-depth responses was sent to six micro-publishers and four independent bookshops. The responses were analyzed and supplemented with publicly available interviews with the publishers and personal conversations with the booksellers. A case study of the recently founded publisher of translated crime fiction Corylus Books confirms many of the issues reported by the surveyed micro-publishers. This research offers an inside look at the UK micro-publishers’ challenges and creative approaches, providing practical and applicable insights not only for the UK market but also for small publishers in other countries, especially agents or publishers looking to sell rights to those markets.

Development of an intervention to manage benzodiazepine dependence and high-risk use in the context of escalating drug related deaths in Scotland: an application of the MRC framework

BackgroundScotland has the highest rate of drug related deaths (DRD) in Europe. These are deaths in people who use drugs such as heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids. It is a feature of deaths in Scotland that people use combinations of drugs which increases the chance of a DRD. Many deaths involve ‘street’ benzodiazepines, especially a drug called etizolam. Many of the ‘street’ benzodiazepines are not licensed in the UK so come from illegal sources. People who use opiates can be prescribed a safer replacement medication (e.g., methadone). While guidance on management of benzodiazepines use highlights that there is little evidence to support replacement prescribing, practice and evidence are emerging.AimTo develop an intervention to address ‘street’ benzodiazepines use in people who also use opiates.MethodsThe MRC Framework for Complex Interventions was used to inform research design. Co-production of the intervention was achieved through three online workshops with clinicians, academics working in the area of substance use, and people with lived experience (PWLE). Each workshop was followed by a PWLE group meeting. Outputs from workshops were discussed and refined by the PWLE group and then further explored at the next workshop.ResultsAfter these six sessions, a finalised logic model for the intervention was successfully achieved that was acceptable to clinicians and PWLE. Key components of the intervention were: prescribing of diazepam; anxiety management, sleep, and pain; and harm reduction resources (locked box and a range of tips), personal safety conversations, as well as a virtual learning environment.ConclusionA co-produced intervention was developed for next stage clinical feasibility testing.

«Jeg har på en måte alltid gått der»

"I've Kind of Always Been There" - The Meaning of Personal Conversion Among Youth in Low Church Movements in Norway Young Christians in prayer houses and free churches in Norway are part of organizations and church communities with roots in revival movements. Historically, personal conversion has been central in these environments. By employing a mixed-method approach, combining surveys and group interviews, this article elucidates the relationship between religious socialization and conversion. The primary reason that young Christians are actively involved in a free church or prayer house is that their parents have brought them here. What role does personal choice play, and what do the church activities and practices mean for this choice? The article takes a grassroots perspective, where young people's conversion experiences and their perception of the content of this contribute to new knowledge about both young people and the revival movements in Norway.

Pastors, Preaching and Parking Lot Conversations: Clergy’s Tactics of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Mainline Protestant Churches

ABSTRACT Mainline Protestant pastors in the United States play pivotal roles in envisioning and planning changes to local congregational practices. They are highly visible and authoritative figures who must work to avoid conflicts that could splinter their churches. Often serving politically mixed laity, pastors must balance a tension between pastoral care and their own convictions. They work to avoid what one pastor called ‘parking lot conversations’, a particularly hostile form of public confrontation with congregants, which they might encounter because of their leadership or preaching. I examine two items in pastors’ tactical toolkit that allow them to advocate for institutional transformation while maintaining congregational cohesion: weekly sermons and personal conversations with congregants. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in three congregations in Michigan – Episcopalian, Presbyterian and United Church of Christ – I focus on pastoral approaches to LGBTQ+ inclusion, an issue which can cause fraught debate in certain mainline Protestant contexts. Navigating when to voice their views and when to be less confrontational, pastors often preach obliquely about LGBTQ+ issues by mentioning the already-inclusive environments their congregations provide, arguing that this is a sure sign of the church’s commitment to Christian ideals of welcoming. This approach curbs conflict and lessens the chance disgruntled parishioners will confront them. Conversely, pastors use private conversations with congregants to leverage conflict into teachable moments that can deepen the whole community’s commitments to their church. In these conversations, pastors are much more direct about their planning around the role of the church as an inclusive space.

Reading in Uncertain Times

Reading in Uncertain Times

One more consequence from the impact of artificial light at night

Using artificial light at night gives a lot of benefits for humanity, but, at the same time, it has changed our planet significantly. However, the problem was not taken seriously until its scale became noticeable. Though, skepticism, even among many recognized researchers, is still present, although this is expressed mainly in personal conversations. But, in any way the number of studies on this topic is increasing quite rapidly. Unfortunately, a part of these publications is not qualitative, published apparently without proper review, and this can seriously distort the understanding of the problem, have an impact on other scientific research, and also complicate the search for optimal ways to solve the problem of light pollution. One of such recently published works with the title “The effect of nighttime lighting on the anatomical and physiological features of the leaves of linden, horse chestnut, and plane trees in garden-park and street plantings of Kyiv” has caused a desire to pay attention to this situation, and to prevent similar ones in the future. So, the critical review of the mentioned study is presented here.

Pricing by Using Target Cost Approach: A Field Study in the Sector of Saudian “Pharmaceutical Industry”

The pricing decision is considered one of the most important managerial decisions, due to its effect on the profitability for the short and long terms, so developing of cost systems becomes a vital matter, should be dealt with is in objectivity and scientifically to achieve the optimum decisions in this field. The increasing importance of this research study that it’s mentioned one of the modern pricing methods, known as the formal objectively cost in pricing. The study came with the aim to define and clear the reality of used price mechanism style in the field of saudy pharmaceutical industry and how much relevant or convenience to the current developments and improvements in the multiform of competitions, then rising high the used pricing methods through suggesting modern pricing formal depending on fierce price competition in the market as abase for pricing decision-making. Both hypotheses in the research study were examined in the mentioned field due to the present big and high competition. The practical data of the study have been collected through the direct watch and personal conversation. In addition to that we also design a questionnaire as well as we applied the analytical study style. The study came out with the following main results: showing main factors effecting pricing decisions and these are: customers, competitors, and cost; adopting traditional pricing methods within globalization and free trading which unable the competition within the common price in the competitive markets; target cost approach which represents a pricing method, planning profit system, and cost management in the competitive environment. The main recommendations of the study are: developing cost systems in order to improve decision making, adopting target cost approach in pricing in order to improve decisions related to pricing. The companies related to this study must create programs, and specialized developed training courses in pricing to splay its employees with the up-dates in this field.

Siberian Merchants in Mikhail M. Speransky’s Travel Diary and Letters (1819–1821)

Mikhail M. Speransky was one of the most outstanding statesman of the Russian Empire. He was the Siberian Governor-General in 1819–1821. His Siberian travel diary and correspondence cast light upon the interaction between state power and private capital during the economic and socio-cultural integration of the Eastern territories. The research objective was to reveal M. M. Speransky’s opinion about Siberian merchants, who were the most influential regional community. The analysis included M. M. Speransky’s brief diary entries and long letters to his daughter and friends, and as well as his business correspondence. M. M. Speransky believed that Siberian merchants were to play an important role in the development of regional economy and society. Numerous contacts with representatives of merchants from different Siberian cities allowed him to make observations about the moods spread in the merchant environment, the volume and features of commercial operations, their social role, etc. He also established good relations with the most prominent merchants. M. M. Speransky wrote about everyday life, culture, and economic relations of Siberian communities. He advocated the freedom of trade and despised the selfish attitude of the local administrations to the merchant class. He gathered information from different sources, including personal conversations with merchants, and developed an opinion on such important state issues as the activities of the Russian-American Company and the Russian-Chinese trade via Kyakhta. M. M. Speransky’s had a pragmatic interest in merchants and encouraged them to make charity donations for various needs.