Private Life Research Articles

BOOK REVIEW: Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books

Jason Camlot and J. A. Weingarten, eds., Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books, Waterloo, ON: Wilfred Laurier Press, 2022, 288 p., $89.99 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1771125680

The Private Life of QAnon: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Americans' Exposure to QAnon Content on the Web

The QAnon movement has been credited with spreading disinformation and fueling online radicalization in the United States and around the globe. While some research has documented publicly-visible communications and engagements with the QAnon movement, little work has examined individuals' actual exposure to QAnon content. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which Americans are exposed to QAnon websites, in what contexts, and to what effect. We employ a mixed methods review of 21 million website visits collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,238 American adults across laptops, smartphones, and tablets during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Quantitative techniques reveal overall levels of exposure to QAnon and who is more likely to be exposed, and qualitative techniques provide rich information about how participants came to be exposed to QAnon and how it fit within their broader media diets. We find that: (1) exposure to QAnon websites is limited and stratified by political ideology and news consumption; (2) exposure tends to occur within right-wing media ecosystems that align with QAnon beliefs; and (3) mixed methods approaches to analyzing digital trace data can provide rich insights that contextualize quantitative techniques. We discuss the implications of our findings for the design of interventions to lessen exposure to problematic material online and future research on the spread of disinformation and extremist content.

Veterinary medicine under COVID-19: a mixed-methods analysis of student and practitioner experiences in Austria

BackgroundThis study aimed to provide a detailed analysis of the pandemic’s impact on the veterinary profession and education in Austria.MethodsTwo online surveys were conducted from November 2022 to January 2023, inviting all veterinarians and veterinary students in Austria to share their experiences on the impact of the pandemic on their veterinarian work and education in a free text question.ResultsA total of n = 289 veterinarians and n = 272 veterinary students provided an answer. In summary, 39.8% of veterinarians reported no impact by the pandemic, while others experienced changes in workload (19.7%), changes in client behavior (14.9%), implementation of safety measures (13.1%), and organizational changes (13.1%). Additional impacts included effects on mental health, private life, finances, as well as physical health. Changes were more frequently mentioned in veterinarians working with pets compared to those working with livestock. In the student panel, only a minority reported no significant impact (8.1%) but 44.9% reporting changes due to online and hybrid learning. Key issues included impaired learning conditions (34.9%), and social distancing (34.6%) leading to social isolation. Some students appreciated increased flexibility and reduced commuting (10.7%), while others experienced mental health challenges (10.7%). Further impacts were related to the implementation of safety measures (5.5%), organizational changes (4.8%) and impaired physical health due to infection (1.1%). Negative changes related to distance learning were mainly reported by students in the final study phase, whereas those in the first study phase reported more positive aspects related to online/hybrid learning.ConclusionOverall, this study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on veterinary education and professional practice in Austria, revealing diverse challenges for students and relatively lower but still notable effects on practicing veterinarians. Future research should monitor these impacts longitudinally and explore the integration of beneficial practices into standard veterinary education and care, such as effective digital learning platforms and appointment-based systems.

Flexibility potentials of digital work communication – mothers’ labour market involvement in comparative perspective

ABSTRACT Digital work communication offers increased flexibility in timing and location, helping employees, particularly mothers, balance work and private life. This flexibility can enhance mothers' ability to increase their contracted hours in paid employment, especially given the impact of childbirth on their careers. Drawing on boundary management theory, this study posits that digital communication with supervisors enables mothers to better manage work tasks alongside personal obligations, potentially allowing them to work longer hours. However, the actual use of this flexibility is influenced by a country’s level of de-familialisation, which refers to family policies that reduce care dependency. Analyzing data from the European Social Survey involving 3,179 mothers across 25 countries, the study found that mothers generally worked longer hours when they utilized digital communication more frequently. Comparisons across countries showed that this relationship was stronger in nations with robust de-familialisation policies. The findings suggest that the potential of digital work communication to enhance work involvement is particularly leveraged in countries that promote de-familialisation, allowing mothers to navigate their professional and personal responsibilities more effectively.

Digitalization as a resilience strategy for women owned SMEs during crises

AbstractAlthough the entrepreneurial gender gap is decreasing in European economies, the obstacles faced by women entrepreneurs remain numerous and often differ from those encountered by men. The COVID-19 pandemic, and then the energy crisis, have made it even harder for women entrepreneurs to sustain their businesses and have added to the challenges of work and private life. Women entrepreneurs, among many others, had to face how to survive crises and adjust their businesses to new circumstances to become more resilient, remain competitive and sustainable in times of crises, and in particular to improve their digital skills. A new insight is crucial for more efficient entrepreneurial development for women. A cross-country research helps to identify the needs of women entrepreneurs and provide a solid basis for the development of tailor-made activities focusing on innovative and practical solutions to support the up-skilling and resilience of women entrepreneurs. Through a survey conducted with 608 women entrepreneurs from seven European countries, our basic question was how women entrepreneurs managed to get through and become resilient in times of crises. The focus of our analysis is digitalization: did the rapid digital transition help women entrepreneurs become resilient during turbulent times? Did the practicing of digitalization-based resilience strategies (including remote work, online sales and similar approaches) improve women entrepreneurs' operational efficiency and strength?

Extension of CARAMEL Model by Customer Satisfaction Factor for Indian Private Life Insurance Companies in India

This paper explores the efficiency of private life insurance companies in India. The study employed the CARAMEL model to gauge the technical proficiency of Indian life insurance providers. However, the CARAMEL model has ignored the customer satisfaction factor, which is nowadays an essential factor for measuring efficiency. So, in this study, the CARAMEL model is extended by another factor: customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is measured by the persistency ratio, claim settlement ratio, and number of grievances reported. Compare the ranks of private life insurance companies according to the CARAMEL model without customer satisfaction score and with customer satisfaction score. Correlation coefficient and t-test was used to find out whether there is any significant association between the ranks according to the CARAMEL model without customer satisfaction and with the customer satisfaction factor. The data used in this study, which spans the last ten years from 2013-14 to 2022-23, was entirely secondary and was gathered from the IRDA official website. Ageas Federal Life Insurance Company ranked 1st according to CARAMEL model without customer satisfaction and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company ranked 1 with customer satisfaction factor. Spearman’s Rank correlation coefficient shows that there is an insignificant association between the CARAMEL model ranks with customer satisfaction and without customer satisfaction factors. When there is no significant association between ranking without customer satisfaction factors and with customer satisfaction factors, we extend the CARAMEL model by the customer satisfaction factor.

Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence

ABSTRACT With the prevalence of sexual violence in most countries and its increase in Sweden, it is important to understand the development of secondary traumatic reactions among professionals who work with sexually violated clients. The aim of this study was to describe the meaning of therapists’ personal experiences when treating survivors of sexual violence. We conducted a qualitative interview study of therapists in Sweden (N = 11) using thematic analysis and adding a phenomenological openess towards the phenomenon. The participants were all women, with different professional backgrounds and with further education in areas such as psychotherapy, sexology, trauma treatment, and forensic nursing. The essential meaning of their work could be described as a continuum where therapists were seeking balance between contradictory experiences, further described in four themes. They experienced their work as highly meaningful, and the use of self-care strategies helped to maintain protective boundaries. However, the incomprehensible violence they were indirectly exposed to, challenged their protective boundaries, thus causing negative reactions for the therapists. Increased understanding of the impact of work on therapists’ professional and private lives is crucial, and the need for therapists to have a model or framework of meaning and explanation for sexual violence that ties contradictory experiences together.

Shadow footprints and the provision of digital behavioral data

We introduce the concept of shadow footprints as a means of understanding privacy challenges in the information environment. Growing emphasis on the impact of citizens sharing their personal data goes far beyond the individual, with the increased capacity of algorithms to formulate shadow footprints that inform as much about persons absent from data, as persons present. Data extrapolated from small groups have demonstrated robust utility when applied to larger populations. Individuals who have opted to keep their data private, or who have been unaware that data about their private lives has been extracted from the involvement of their fellow citizens from digital behavioral data, suggest the possibility that informed consent has been circumvented, or not fully investigated. This is increasingly concerning when one considers the potential to impact the body politic through behavioral manipulation drawn from such data. These issues must be considered in the context of ethical and litigious standards to inform robust policy frameworks, legal regulation, and the provision of incentives necessary to provide guidance and civic protections, as well as adherence to good ethical practice.

THE POETICS OF PAIN About the prose of Dubravka Ugrešić

Dubravka Ugrešić after leaving her homeland Croatia, considered herself a transnational writer, and she picked this status with all its consequences. She was very determined not to belong to any nation or national literature, saying, “Wherever she was, if she had to belong to someone, she belonged to her readers”. Consequently, in her texts, she has dealt with individual and collective memory, identity and nationality, as well as the status of women. The characteristic elements of her prose are the private and public life, East and the West, politics, media and poetics, and the melting of „high literature” and pulp fiction. The Study focuses on this unique combination of artwork by Dubravka Ugrešić.

Remarriage Restriction for Woman of 300 Days in Türkiye: Review of the ECtHR’s Nurcan Bayraktar v. Türkiye Judgment

Abstract On 27 June 2023, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously declared that the complaint of Nurcan Bayraktar was admissible and held that there has been a violation of Article 8 and Article 14 in conjunction with Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The violation arose from the application of Article 132 of the Turkish Civil Code which imposes a 300-day waiting period on divorced women to remarry, unless they lodge an application to a Family Court to lift the waiting period by proving with a medical report that they are not pregnant. The Court concludes that obligation to produce medical evidence to prove that the applicant was not pregnant - which can only be obtained by means of medical examination - constituted an interference with the applicant’s exercise of her right to respect for her private life, considering that it was not necessary in a democratic society. Moreover, the Court found that the obligation imposed on divorced women, due to the possibility of pregnancy, to wait 300 days amounts to direct discrimination on grounds of sex, which cannot be justified by the aim of preventing uncertainty as to the parentage of an unborn child. This study aims to summarise and review this judgment, which was delivered in French, in English for a wider audience, by providing a background information on Article 132 of the Turkish Civil Code.

The Legacy of Fatima Dudija Hatun, Sarajevo Benefactor

In this paper based on the available Ottoman archival sources and accessible secondary literature, an attempt is made to reconstruct the life of a Sarajevo benefactor from the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century, who bequeathed part of her property for religious and educational purposes. Based on the inventory of the property remained after her death, we tried to get a closer picture of the private life of a woman benefactor, then to provide information about the way and style of her life, then on the type of household furniture, textile furniture, kitchen utensils, decorative objects and other things that adorned and filled the interior of her home. Likewise, we analyzed the jewelry she owned, the style of her daily clothing, the type and quality of the materials of the clothing, and information about the rest of her movable and immovable properties. The person in case was named Fatima Dudija hatun, daughter of Pehlivan Husejn-aga, from Sarajevo, resident of Careva Mahala.

“We need to talk”: Recovering conversations from the archive

Dialogue is a prominent feature of creative non-fiction used to reveal character, anchor narratives in a context and present different perspectives. But how can conversation be recovered if your subject has passed from living memory? I faced this challenge in my creative biography of Catherine Helen Spence – Australia’s first female novelist and first woman political candidate. Her public and private lives were complex and many-faceted, which became clear from a close reading of her archival record, containing letters and recollections by friends and family, and her vast literary legacy. Building on Paul John Eakin’s theory – that our lives become stories through our “relational others” – I chose to tell Spence’s life from the perspectives of those around her. I imagined oral history interviews with them, listened for their speech patterns and applied Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of heteroglossia – many voices in a text – to my investigation. Conversation is frequently cited as a signpost of fictionality, but it can also lend a sense of verisimilitude and empathy. My depiction of Spence demonstrates how life writing at the confluence of history and fiction can illuminate archival evidence to reveal character and present different perspectives of a complex life.

The Infringement of Deepfake Technology on Personal Privacy and Legal Protection: A Discussion Based on Article 1032 of the Civil Code

The rapid development of deepfake technology has infringed upon personal privacy in the form of the disclosure and misuse of personal information, infringement upon the peace of people's life, and damage to personal image and reputation. The disclosure and misuse of personal information should be analysed from the perspectives of personal use and commercial use of information data; infringement upon the peace of people's life should be examined from the perspectives of fraud and harassment, and malicious pursuit using deepfake technology; and damage to personal image and reputation should be discussed from the two levels of initial damage to personal image and reputation and aggravated damage to personal reputation after dissemination through the media. Article 1032 of the Civil Code clearly defines the scope of privacy protection as the peace of people's private life, private space, private activities and private information, as well as the infringement of privacy rights through means such as spying, intrusion, disclosure and publication, which reflects the legislative inertia to strengthen the protection of privacy and personal information. Article 1032 of the Civil Code, the Personal Information Protection Law, the Provisions on the Administration of Deep Synthesis of Internet-based Information Services, and other laws and regulations together form the current personal privacy protection system. However, existing laws do not provide specific explanations for key terms such as 'leakage', 'intrusion' and 'damage', which leads to uncertainty in the application of the law and makes it difficult to effectively protect personal privacy in actual operations. At the same time, there is a lack of clear definitions of the scenarios and specific standards of behaviour that the technology may involve, which has exacerbated public concerns about personal privacy security. Strengthening legal protection against deepfake technology requires refining legal concepts and drawing on knowledge from comparative law: 'leakage' can be considered the illegal acquisition and dissemination of unauthorised data and information, 'intrusion' can be defined as behaviour that disrupts the normal order of others and causes mental distress, and 'damage' can be understood as behaviour that causes negative evaluation or loss to the image, reputation or property of others. The legislative department should take the lead and cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in formulating specific standards for evaluating behaviour. The deterrent effect of the law should be strengthened by refining relevant legal provisions in the Civil Code and the Personal Information Protection Law and increasing the penalties for violations of the law. This will better balance technological development and personal privacy protection and improve China's personal privacy protection system.

Employee use of social media: Private, public or something else?

This article examines the use of social media at the intersection of work and private life and analyses how employers are permitted to intervene in employees’ social media behaviour. In the article, this phenomenon is described as the hybrid role of an employee. It is created when a person adds work-related information to their personal social media profile and when employers encourage personnel to highlight their expertise and employer-related issues using personal social media accounts. The content of an employee's social media bio and social media postings, as well as an employer's social media policy, create a complex framework spanning the private and public domains. In addition, an employer's intervention in an employee's social media posts constitutes an interference with that employee's freedom of expression and private life, which are fundamental and human rights. Therefore, a compelling reason must exist for an employer to interfere with an employee’s use of social media. Factors that influence this assessment include the employee's position and duties, the closeness of the connection between the social media content and the employer, the (harmful) effect of this content on the employer or its activities, the veracity and public-interest value of the content, the proportionality of the sanction and its compatibility with the employer's social media policy.

Zwolnienie od pracy z powodu działania siły wyższej i urlop opiekuńczy z perspektywy prawa socjalnego

The subject of this study is to critically discuss the implementation of Directive 2019/1158 on time off from work and carers’ leave from a social law perspective, taking into account the objectives of the Directive and in the context of the EU’s competences regarding social policy. The starting point will be to outline both institutions in the light of the statements in the labour law literature. Next, the instruments in force in Germany for the protection of informal carers during time off or carer’s leave will be presented. Against this background, it will be possible to discuss the existing de lege lata and postulated de lege ferenda regulations of Polish social law, which—as it seems—could and should serve to protect employees using the newly introduced labour law institutions, so as to achieve the goal of ensuring a balance between the professional and private lives of parents and carers.

Mandatory Disclosure Regime for Cross-Border Tax Planning Arrangements (DAC6): ECJ Confirms Compatibility with EU Law

Following a request to (partially) annul Belgium’s implementation of the DAC6 disclosure regime, the Belgian Constitutional Court submitted five questions to the ECJ in Belgian Association of Tax Lawyers and Others (Case C-623/22). In its decision of 29 July 2024, the ECJ found that there had been no violation of the principles of equal treatment, non-discrimination, legal certainty and legality, as well as the right to a fair trial and to respect for private life. Hence, it has been confirmed that DAC6 is compatible with EU law.

Women’s health and psychological well-being in the return-to-work process after long-term sick leave for common mental disorders: women’s and first-line managers’ perspectives

Background and aimCommon mental disorders are common reasons for long-term sick leave, especially among women. Return to work is often complex and unsuccessful, why more knowledge is needed regarding women’s health and psychological well-being in the return-to-work process. Therefore, the aim was to describe women’s health and psychological well-being in the return-to-work process, from women’s and first-line managers’ perspectives.MethodsIndividual interviews were conducted with 17 women and 16 first-line managers. Qualitative content analysis was performed based on the content areas “Women’s health (i.e. overall well-being, both physical and psychological) throughout the whole RTW process” and “Women’s psychological well-being (happiness, meaning and a sense of being significant) at work after work resumption” Themes and categories were created.ResultsWomen and managers had similar descriptions, i.e. that women’s health and psychological well-being depend on the individual characteristics of women themselves, their private life, work and other stakeholders. However, women described relational work tasks (e.g. meeting patients) as beneficial for health, and highlighted small stressors in the work environment, which the managers did not. Having work that was compatible with private life, being in good health, having stimulating work tasks and strengthening relationships at work were important for the women’s psychological well-being.ConclusionsBased on women’s and first-line managers experiences, promotion of women’s health and psychological well-being during the return-to-work process requires individually adapted assessments and actions involving women’s entire life situation. First-line managers should know that relational work tasks (e.g., meeting patients) can be beneficial for women’s health as well as that minor stressor in the work environment can put their health at risk.

Do we have a duty not to discriminate when we date?

AbstractMany believe that we have a duty not to discriminate when we act in certain ‘public’ capacities, for example when it is our job to select among various candidates for a job. In contrast, they deny that we have duties of a similar kind in our private lives, for example in our romantic lives. In this paper, we challenge this well‐entrenched asymmetry. We do so primarily by canvassing and rebutting central arguments to the effect that acting discriminatorily, for example when we date, is something we have a right to, including arguments from: (1) freedom of association, (2) legitimate self‐interest, (3) power and (4) love versus duties. In this way, we challenge a common permissive view regarding private discrimination.

The Court of Justice in Staatsanwaltschaft Berlin v. M.N. (EncroChat): From cross-border, data-driven police investigations to evidence admissibility

The ruling of the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) in Case C-670/22 Staatsanwaltschaft Berlin v. M.N. addresses the realities of data-driven police investigations in the light of the Directive 2014/41/EU on the European Investigation Order (EIO Directive). In particular, it examines the cross-border, digital investigation of the encrypted communication network EncroChat and the use and sharing of intercepted telecommunication data in criminal proceedings. In doing so, the CJEU offers clarifications as to the interpretation of the term ‘issuing authority’ under the EIO Directive and the proportionality requirements for issuing an EIO, taking into account its prior jurisprudence on the implications of access to traffic and location data for the private life of the persons concerned. More importantly, this CJEU ruling takes a stand on admissibility of intercepted data as evidence in criminal proceedings, considering the technical complexity of contemporary investigation measures and the secrecy of said police methods. Overall, although this judgment seems to hold no great surprises regarding the interpretation of the EIO Directive's provisions, it underscores the important role of the national legislator and national courts in striking the right balance between rearing the rewards of data-driven policing and safeguarding defence rights.

Work-life Balance: An Essential Capability for Social Workers’ Well-being in Free State, South Africa

Social workers in South Africa and internationally promote the welfare of individuals, families, groups, and communities by attending to their social issues and needs. The advancement of this goal is intricately connected to professionals’ well-being. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted in one of South Africa’s provinces, the Free State, and deploying the capability approach and work-family border theory, this study examines social workers’ conceptualisation of their well-being and the significance of a work-life balance in attaining well-being. It explores the many challenges faced by social workers in sustaining a balance between their personal and professional lives. A purposive sample of 18 participants consisting of eight practising social workers and ten student social workers was selected. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews. The findings from the study suggest that social workers understand their well-being in quite broad terms. Besides their physical and mental health, they conceive their well-being with regard to the satisfaction that comes with the accomplishment of various professional (work) and private (life) functionings. They, for instance, cherish growing as professionals, being effective helpers, having control and autonomy over their work, being supported by organisational structures, and having ample time for their private lives and families. However, in South Africa, working conditions characterised by a lack of resources, high caseloads, and poor salaries cause work-life imbalance and interfere with the achievement of social workers’ valued life goals and overall well-being.