Private Life Research Articles

CONSTITUTIONAL VALUES IN THE COMMON LAW OF OBLIGATIONS

ABSTRACT“Constitutional values” is a term which appears to relate to concepts of what is now called public law. By constitutional values, I mean the basic ideas and interests which structure relations between the individual and the state, and the obligations to which they give rise, which underlie the common law and to which it gives recognition in more or less articulated forms. These are ideas and interests such as liberty, private life, freedom of expression and access to justice. Constitutional values and human rights overlap, but they are not necessarily and always the same, either in content or in effect. In exploring this topic I hope to retrieve and bring to the surface an important aspect of the common law in terms of both private law and public law.

“Ikwekwe yinja1 (a Boy is a Dog)”

In contemporary society, the status of children as fully human is often contested and/or not accepted. The idea that children are not fully human has resulted in a plethora of abuses, including the denial of children’s rights, voices, and agency both in biblical texts and in contemporary society. Notwithstanding, scholars like Marcia Bunge acknowledge that in the Judeo-Christian bible “infants and children are also whole and complete human beings made in the image of God” (2012:65). Many times, the ways in which children are treated in biblical texts (in so far as adults make decisions without their (children) approval, e.g., Abraham’s decision to sacrifice Isaac, Jephthah’s decision to kill her daughter in honour of his agreement with Yahweh, the killing of the boy children during the time of Pharoah and King Herod exhibit the idea that children are not fully human. Since Christians rely on the Bible for inspiration and conduct in both private and public life, it is necessary to study the ways in which children were treated in biblical times. Until recently, biblical scholars did not have much of a deliberate focus on studying children and how they are treated in the Bible.

Impact of Insurgency on Women in Mitra Phukan’s Novel “The Collector’s Wife”

The consequences of insurgency and armed struggles affect differently on men and women. The scar of insurgency is not the same for all. Women often become the silent victims of armed struggles and insurgency. The uprising and political tension in the region have turned the private life of women in the family upside down. “The Collector’s Wife”, is a novel written by Mitra Phukan against the historical background of Assam Student’s agitation of 1970s and 1980s. The novel emphasizes women as the victims of insurgency. The novel opens up the hard realities of insurgency and the way it influences women focusing on the character of Rukmini. Her life seemed safe and settled on the peripheral level, but faced turbulence and agitation, whenever there was an uprising in the district. This paper attempts to explore the impact of the insurgency on women, particularly on the protagonist in Mitra Phukan’s novel “The Collector’s Wife”. The paper analyses and describes the physical, social, mental, emotional, and psychological trauma of Rukmini and their resilience through the eyes of the author, Mitra Phukan.

Das Homeoffice-Modul in der Gefährdungsbeurteilung psychischer Belastung mit dem COPSOQ – Genese und Ergebnisse

The homeoffice module in the risk assessment of mental stress with the COPSOQ: Genesis and results Objective: The shifting of work to the private, domestic sphere was an important health protection measure in the COVID-19 pandemic. It was intended to reduce transmission of the virus by reducing contact. In the case of risk assessment of mental stress based on the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), it has since become possible to use questions about the homeoffice („COVID-19 module“ until 2022, now „homeoffice module“). This offers an opportunity to link „working from home“ with all scales covered by the COPSOQ. Methods: It is now possible to analyse the data of about 34,000 respondents who have expressed opinions on working from home during or after the pandemic. Firstly, all the items and scales (value range: 0–100) are subjected to descriptive analysis and subgroup comparison. This is followed by analysing the correlations with other COPSOQ scales. Results: Homeoffice equipment, communication with colleagues and supervisors, and overall satisfaction tend to be rated positively. The evaluations of employees with a homeoffice deviate in some areas from those of the other respondents (influence at work: + 8.0 points; separation of work and private life: + 12.7 points). Differences are somewhat smaller in the field of social relationships. The comparison of the current with the desired extent of the homeoffice points towards moderate expansion. Conclusions: No blanket statement can be made as to the extent to which working from home is advantageous or disadvantageous. Apart from the tendency towards higher demands with increased influence, much seems to depend on the specific setting in a company. It is no longer possible to imagine life without the homeoffice and the questions in an add-on module to the COPSOQ can consider this along with other forms of work in the risk assessment and link it with other stresses and strains. Keywords: COPSOQ – risk assessment – psychological strain – work – homeoffice

Ethical entrepreneurship: Islamic financial principles for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Islamic ethics prescribe its followers to zealously guard their behavior, words, thoughts, and intentions and observe certain norms and moral codes in their financial transactions; in their social affairs; and in private and public life. The unique feature of the Islamic ethical system is that it permeates all spheres and fields of human life. Islam therefore has its own distinctive value-based ethical system for finance dealings. It prescribes certain specific guidelines governing finance ethics, which are dictated primarily by the notion of halal (lawful or permitted) and haram (unlawful or prohibited) as per Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). The current global economic meltdown is a clear revelation of the shortcomings of the conventional financial set-up and the weakness of self-designed system devoid of spiritual and divine guidance, hence the yearning and desire for a socially just financial system by conscious individuals and corporate bodies. The assertion that Islamic financial system is only distinguished from other economic systems in its emphasis on interest free and other usurious transactions coupled with the fact that many concepts are springing up contending with the Islamic financial system inform the need to study the system within the context of Islamic ethical principles. This paper is therefore out to articulate the ethical principles of financial institutions as enshrined in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet so that Islamic financial system will not lose focus and to avoid being carried away by the flamboyant and excessive profits and surpluses of the conventional financial institutions.

차별의 문제로서의 여성에 대한 젠더 기반 폭력

Women and girls who are victims of violence need active protection from the state because they are mostly socially vulnerable and cannot escape the danger of violence on their own. Especially with the development of the Internet, violence against women is no longer limited to the analog world, and perpetrators are using the Internet in their acts of violence in the digital world as well. Cyberviolence manifests itself in a variety of ways, from threatening messages and cyber-stalking to consensual/ unconsensual uploading of intimate images. This analysis of the Volodina v. Russia judgment (no. 2) addresses how the European Court of Human Rights (“the Court”) examines and justifies interference with the scope of protection based on the legal concept of the State’s positive obligations in dealing with the issue of violence against women in the digital dimension. The Court focuses on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (Right to respect for private life) to explain the positive obligation of the state. It sets out the legal instruments of the state’s positive obligations in contrast to its negative obligations, and explores the extent to which they have been applied in specific cases. It is also necessary to critique why the European Court of Human Rights does not examine violations of the prohibition of discrimination under Article 14 (principle of non-discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights when determining the scope of protection in this case. CEDAW has already considered gender-based violence against women as an important human rights issue from the very beginning, stipulating that it concerns women precisely because it often affects them disproportionately and is therefore discrimination against women. For this reason, the European Court of Human Rights should have addressed in the judgment at least whether, in addition to a violation of Article 8 of the Convention, the Russian authorities had also violated Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Balancing work and private life: when does workplace flexibility really help? New insights into the interaction effect of working from home and job autonomy

IntroductionEmpirical research has reported variable and inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between working from home (WFH) and work-life balance (WLB). We propose that the inconsistency in the relationship between WFH and WLB may be due to unexplored moderators of this relationship. The work characteristic “job autonomy,” defined as the degrees of freedom in terms of time and content, is examined as one such possible moderator. We address the question of whether different types of negative spillover (strain-based and time-based spillover) from work to private life are dependent on an interaction effect between the use of WFH and job autonomy.MethodExperienced occupational psychologists analyzed heterogeneous workplaces in an organization over a whole shift using a task-related instrument (TAG-MA: Tool for task analyses and job design in jobs with mental work requirements). The degrees of freedom in terms of content and time were assessed within this. Online questionnaires were used to measure WFH use, perceived job demands, and negative spillover from work to private life. Four moderator models were tested in a sample of 110 employees from various occupations.ResultsThe results show that WFH is associated with a decrease in negative work-life spillover, especially when people have limited autonomy at work.DiscussionThe results are discussed and differentiated in more detail for the different types of spillover. The implications for health-promoting work design are derived.

From euphoria to wellbeing: Correlates of gender euphoria and its association with mental wellbeing among transgender adults

Purpose There is a growing body of literature focusing on the importance of gender euphoria for transgender (hereafter ‘trans’) people. This article aims to explore factors that are associated with experiencing gender euphoria among trans adults in Australia, as well as identifying any correlation between gender euphoria and mental health within this population. Methods Data from 1359 trans adults was drawn from Private Lives 3, the largest survey of LGBTQ+ people aged 18 and over in Australia. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the individual factors (sociodemographic characteristics, community connection and access to gender affirming care) associated with having ever experienced gender euphoria and to explore associations between gender euphoria and mental health outcomes, including psychological distress, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt within the past 12 months. Results Most (69.1%) of the sample had experienced gender euphoria in their lifetime. However, the likelihood of ever experiencing gender euphoria differed across several factors, including sexual orientation, gender, age, level of education, and residential location. Most notably, non-binary participants were least likely to have experienced gender euphoria. Importantly, participants who felt that they were a part of the LGBTQ+ community in Australia and those who indicated that they were easily able to access gender affirming care were more likely to have experienced gender euphoria. Participants who were currently experiencing gender euphoria were less likely to report high/very high psychological distress and less likely to have experienced suicidal ideation in the past year. Conclusion Experiencing gender euphoria may have important implications for the mental wellbeing of trans people, however, some are less likely than others to report these experiences. These findings have important implications for shaping trans affirming practices that enable experiences of gender euphoria.

The becoming of online students’ learning landscapes: The art of balancing studies, work, and private life

How do online students manage to balance studies, jobs, and private life – and yet succeed with their studies? Online studies typically attract students in jobs who seek to formalize their competence. Based on qualitative research design, this article sheds light on the academic learning of online students who attend a full-time program. Our focus narrows down to the inaugural class of online students enrolled in a Business and Administration bachelor's program. Specifically, our inquiry delves into the dynamic relationship between the academic progression of these students and their spatial and temporal activities. The article suggests that understanding this polycontextuality by using the metaphor of learning landscapes can help practitioners and students reflect on what influences their academic learning, which can help online students develop self-management skills. Self-management skills are essential in online education, and to help students develop such skills, educators must be aware of the individual learning landscapes of online students when designing online courses. In addition, our findings provide knowledge on how to on-board students in perennial online educational courses.

An observational, cross-sectional study to assess the quality of life (QoL) of family caregivers of patients diagnosed with cancer

Globally, cancer has a major impact on society, and the burden continues to grow by exerting physical, emotional, and financial strain on patients, families, societies, and healthcare systems. Cancer greatly affects not only patients, but also their families. Family caregivers are invisible to healthcare teams, but play an important role in the recovery of cancer patients. Cancer can worsen a family caregiver’s health, impair social life, increase anxiety, and cause depression. It is important to identify and deal with various domains affected by cancer to enhance the quality of life (QoL) of family caregivers. This is a prospective, observational, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study, to assess the impact of cancer on the quality of life of family caregivers. The primary objective is to measure the effect of cancer diagnosis and its treatment on family caregivers’ quality of life using the CarGOQoL (CareGiver Oncology Quality of Life) questionnaire. The secondary objective is to determine the relationship between quality of life, socio-demographic variables, and cancer disease variables. Family caregivers who are associated with the care of cancer patients for at least two–three hours a day will be recruited in the study after signing the voluntary informed consent form. The CarGOQoL questionnaire will be used to record the responses from the participants. Domains such as psychological well-being, burden, relationship with healthcare, administration and finances, coping, physical well-being, self-esteem, leisure, social support, and private life will be recorded. Approximately 100 participants will be recruited for the study. Data analysis will be performed at the end of participant recruitment. Healthcare and social workers can enhance the quality of life of family caregivers by using the results of the CarGOQoL questionnaire, and better understand the different domains of QoL impacted by cancer.

Valda Rūmnieka un Andreja Miglas romāni latviešu biogrāfiskās literatūras kontekstā

The article evaluates the biographical novels of the creative tandem of Valdis Rūmnieks (b. 1951) and Andrejs Migla (1940–2021) about the poet Aleksandrs Čaks (“Čaks”, 2010) and the sculptor Kārlis Zāle (“Trīs zvaigznes” ‘Three Stars’, 2013). Both novels are viewed in the context of the history of Latvian biographical novels and contemporary trends in biographical literature. The article aims to reveal the peculiarities of the biographical novels created in cooperation by the two authors and clarify the connections between traditional and new approaches. An attempt was made to classify biographical texts of different natures (documental, scientific and popular scientific biographies, and fictional biographical texts in diverse variations). The biographical novels of Rūmnieks and Migla are evaluated as works based on objective facts, where the creative imagination of authors also plays an important role, and episodes of hypothetical possibilities also have their place. The scenes of private and public life are interwoven in the narrative of both novels, marking the coordinates of the events of various historical periods and broadly expanding the contexts of cultural-historical processes. In the novel “Čaks”, the authors have experimented with the composition of the text, creating a particular form of acrostic novel. In the structure of their narrative, the authors have integrated the characteristic style elements of the poet Čaks, the characteristic texture and the artistic methods of his expression. The novels of Rūmnieks and Migla can be recognised as culturally significant and artistically interesting examples of Latvian biographical novels of the 21st century. The research used a combined methodology, cultural historical and biographical methods, and elements of literary mapping, marking the coordinates of the artistic expanse of the novels’ characters.

The influence of the urban model on civic involvement and public time. A study applied to the commuting population of the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, Costa Rica

A major problem for policymakers is to ensure that levels of citizen participation reflect the society in its diversity, but they must also ensure that those citizens who want to get involved have the means to do so. Despite empirical evidence of the role of urban planning in health, well-being, and livability, studies have not delved into the implications of how low-density sprawled urban forms influence civic involvement. This paper adds new evidence regarding the significance of urban form, built environment characteristics and more in general city planning, as intermediary factors between public and private life connected to civic engagement and public space use. Based on surveys and geographic data from the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, in Costa Rica, the article investigates how the results of citizen participation change depending on whether residents are from a compact or dispersed study area, relating to urban rhythms and mobility metrics. Findings suggest that inhabitants of group A (lower-density neighborhoods) differ significantly from group B (compact-city areas) in four variables: means of mobility, commuting time, public space use, and civic activism, while having similar sociodemographic composition. Compared with residents of group A, group B report higher levels of use and knowledge of public spaces and civic participation. These two aspects constitute, the Urban Civic Participation Index, which, related to self-reported free time, forms what we define as Public Time. The main characteristics of the compact city (higher population and building density, high street connectivity, grid presence and proximity of services, mixed land use) were found to be positively related to the outcomes of accessibility to public space and community participation. In contrast, there are no significant differences in the availability of free time between the two groups. This study, along with others on the compact city, shows that there are other reasons to reduce daily commuting distances in cities and the need of urban time policies to redesign urban society's temporal dimension besides the known environmental impacts. It also raises the question of how low urban density affects people's time and disposition to participate in public life.

Exploring the Role of Sociability, Ownership, and Affinity for Technology in Shaping Acceptance and Intention to Use Personal Assistance Robots.

Personal assistance robots are making inroads into our private and public life. At the same time, most humans are still unfamiliar with this technology and hesitate to accept and use it for daily tasks. Fortunately, the designs of robots can be adjusted to yield greater acceptance, subsequently enabling their utilization across various tasks. Using a scenario-based online experiment, we explored how sociability (low vs. high), ownership (private vs. public), and affinity for technology influence the acceptance and intention to use a robot for grocery shopping. Moreover, to assess users’ preference for robots’ morphology, participants were asked to choose a robot (technical vs. anthropomorphic design) that they would prefer to use in a supermarket. We found that low sociability of the service robot and a higher affective affinity for technology led to a higher level of acceptance. For more sociable robots, higher levels of anthropomorphism were preferred. Our results point to the importance of task-specific robot design that exceeds functional considerations.

Longitudinal assessment of psychological distress and its determinants in a sample of firefighters based in Montreal, Canada.

Firefighters face elevated risks of common mental health issues, with distress rates estimated at around 30%, surpassing those of many other occupational groups. While exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) is a well-recognized risk factor, existing research acknowledges the need for a broader perspective encompassing multidimensional factors within the realm of occupational stress. Furthermore, this body of evidence heavily relies on cross-sectional studies. This study adopts an intensive longitudinal approach to assess psychological distress and its determinants among firefighters. Participants were recruited from 67 fire stations in Montreal, Canada, meeting specific criteria: full-time employment, smartphone ownership, and recent exposure to at least one PTE, or first responder status. Subjects underwent a telephone interview and were directed to use an app to report depressive, post-traumatic, and generalized anxiety symptoms every 2 weeks, along with work-related stressors, social support, and coping styles. Analyses involved 274 participants, distinguishing between those exceeding clinical thresholds in at least one distress measure (the "distressed" subgroup) and those deemed "resilient." The duration and onset of distress were computed for the distressed group, and linear mixed models were employed to evaluate determinants for each psychological distress variable. Clinical psychological distress was observed in 20.7% of participants, marked by depressive, post-traumatic, and anxiety symptoms, often within the first 4-week reference period. Contextual factors (operational climate, social support, solitude) and individual factors (coping style, solitude and lifetime traumatic events in private life) exhibited more significant impacts on psychological distress than professional pressures within the firefighters' work environment. This study reports lower rates of psychological distress than previous research, possibly attributable to sample differences. It highlights that reported symptoms often represent a combined and transient layer of distress rather than diagnosable mental disorders. Additionally, determinants analysis underscores the importance of interpersonal relationships and coping mechanisms for mental health prevention interventions within this worker group. The findings carry implications for the development of prevention and support programs for firefighters and similar emergency workers.

The Divorce Mill: Mercenary Citizenship in the Twilight of the Habsburg Empire

This article analyses how wealthy men and women manipulated citizenship regimes during and after the Habsburg Empire to access the family laws most convenient for their private lives. To do this, I compare migratory divorce practices in pre-1918 Habsburg Hungary and the post-1918 Free State of Fiume. This article shows that while before 1918 it was mercenary actors who utilised legal loopholes between Austrian and Hungarian family laws and citizenship regulations to obtain divorces for the rich, after 1918 it was the impoverished, globally-isolated, mercenary postimperial state that procured the means for rich clients to buy their way out of their own state's family laws, raising questions about the relationship between the early twentieth-century postimperial world of globally dependent European successor states with today's postcolonial ‘golden passport’ system.

Safeguarding Minors' Personal Data: Legal Principles in Information Security in Ukraine and Eurupean

The research aims to uncover the legal regulations pertaining to the protection of minors' personal data, considered a crucial component of informational security. Through an analysis of Ukrainian and European legislation, in conjunction with the General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act, this study seeks to explore preventive measures against third-party abuse of children's information. The research highlights the responsibilities imposed on state authorities and legal entities, based on Ukrainian and European legislation, to safeguard personal data. The methodology employed in this article involves the utilization of both general scientific and specialized methods of scientific cognition. The specificity of the research subject, along with its purpose and tasks, guided the selection of these methods. The research results reveal various problematic issues related to the collection, storage, use, and distribution of personal data of minors. The obligation to protect an individual's rights to the processing and preservation of personal data or private information is a responsibility placed on state authorities in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine and European countries (Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Norway, Great Britain), as well as on legal entities that own or store the specified personal data. In conclusion, the protection of personal data emerges as a fundamental right, integral to the broader rights of family and private life. The study also underscores the importance of international cooperation mechanisms in addressing this multifaceted issue.

When contexts collapse: How ubiquitous video cameras in the home during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns transformed family representation

Utilising interviews from a range of caregivers and teachers alongside textual analysis of circulating and non-circulating videos made by children during the COVID-19 quarantine, this article examines the collaborative, experimental models of media making that emerged at this unique time. Children’s media-making practices during quarantine provided a window into and between personal dwelling spaces and private details, disrupting conventions of family self-representation while forcing a confrontation with the capitalist imperative to separate work and private life and for parents to produce, share, and monetize personal media content. This transformation in home mode media is bound up in making visible the incommensurability of home life and office labour, and the insistence of care (for each other) over careful production (of family and professional images).

Work Experience of Intensive Care Nurses during the Period of the Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

This study was conducted to describe the working experiences, feelings, and thoughts of nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic from their perspective. Empirical phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative study methods, was used to obtain detailed descriptions of the experiences of nurses working in the ICU during the COVID-19 outbreak in providing patient care. The research design is an in-depth interview technique. The Colaizzi method was used in the analysis of the interviews. The data obtained from the research were categorized in six main themes. These themes are as follows: backbone of the health system-nursing, professional achievements, difficulties encountered, support needs and expectations, changes in emotions, and private life. In the process of fighting the pandemic, ICU nurses undertook important responsibilities, quickly adapted to the crisis, and displayed a strong stance, thus carrying a huge burden within the healthcare system.

Being used for the greater good while fighting on the frontline: care staff’s experiences of working with older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden

BakgroundWorldwide, older people were more severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic than others. In Sweden, those living in residential care facilities had the highest mortality rate, followed by those receiving home care services. The Swedish and international literature on the working environment for assistant nurses and care aides during the pandemic shows an increase in stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress syndromes. Care organisations were badly prepared to prevent the virus from spreading and to protect the staff from stress. In order to be better prepared for possible future pandemics, the health and well-being of the staff, the care of older people and the experiences of the staff both during and after a pandemic are important aspects to take into account. Therefore, this study aims to describe the experiences of assistant nurses and care aides working in the care of older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, their working conditions and the impact all this had on their lives. MethodologyThe study has a qualitative, descriptive design. The data was collected in four focus group interviews with 21 participants and analysed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe results revealed the theme, Being used for the greater good while fighting on the frontline, which was then divided into three categories: portrayed as a risk for older people, not being valued and being burnt out. The worsening working conditions that the pandemic contributed to resulted in a high degree of stress and risk of burnout, with staff members both wanting to and actually leaving their employment. After the pandemic they felt forgotten again and left to cope in an even worse situation than before.ConclusionsThe pandemic had a major effect on assistant nurses and care aides in terms of their working environment and their private lives. To be better prepared for future pandemics or disasters, organisations with responsibility for the care of older people will need to ensure that their staff have the necessary competencies and that there is adequate staffing in place. This also means that adequate government funding and multiple interventions will be needed.

Protection of privacy in the era of digital communication development

This article examines the influence of technological progress on ensuring and protecting the privacy in the context of expanding digital communications. The level of expectations of a specific society regarding the state of privacy serves as a benchmark, either stimulating or weakening actions to improve national legislation. A sensitive attitude towards the perception of technology, based on common sense, will help avoid obvious violations of proportionality and maintain a balance between private and public interests in society. The author analyzes the impact of digital technologies on private life with the expansion of state support in this area, using the most influential corporations, Palantir Technologies Inc. and Cambridge Analytica, as examples, and proposes effective measures to safeguard personal data in the modern digital world. In preparing this article, a complex of methods was used, including comparative legal analysis, systemic analysis, historical legal method, and empirical methods for analyzing the practical implementation of legal norms. The scientific novelty of the research is determined by a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the impact of digital technologies on privacy, as the applied information technologies provide a greater opportunity for both conscious and unconscious violations of rights and freedoms. Additionally, the article discusses the ethical and legal aspects of using personal data of citizens and provides recommendations for improving confidentiality in the digital age. In this regard, the issue of privacy in the context of the evolution of digital communications becomes particularly relevant. The conclusion of the article discusses the importance of balancing public and private interests in the field of digital technologies and data protection and proposes ways to address this complex issue in the interests of all stakeholders.