Professor Of History Research Articles

Relations between reflexivity and institutional work: A case study in a public organisation

Reflexivity is often considered a prerequisite for institutional work. However, the relationship between reflexivity and institutional work has rarely been examined rigorously in empirical research, and there is a lack of consensus on when and how reflexivity motivates such efforts. This study aims to address this gap by reviewing existing operationalisations of reflexivity and exploring how different forms of reflexivity impacted employees’ engagement in institutional work in a public organisation undergoing institutional change. The empirical results revealed seven distinct patterns of reflexivity and institutional work, indicating that variations across three dimensions of reflexive evaluation – scope, openness and relationality – contributed to decisions about whether and how to engage in institutional work. The results also demonstrated that reflexivity is profoundly grounded in individuals’ concerns and shaped by their work and professional histories. These findings suggest that researchers and practitioners must develop a deeper understanding of the multidimensional nature of reflexivity in order to foster meaningful employee contributions to institutional processes.

A WELL-KNOWN RESEARCHER OF THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE. For the 70th Anniversary of the Czech Historian Professor Jan Rychlík

The purpose of the article is to highlight the contribution of the Czech historian and ethnologist Professor Jan Rychlík to the study of the history of Central and Eastern Europe. The research methodology was aimed at the analysis of the scientist's main publications on the history of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The applied research principles of historicism, scientific objectivity and systematicity contributed to highlighting the main aspects of J. Rychlík's diverse scientific work. The authors of the article note that for J. Rychlík history became one of the priority objects of scientific study after the Velvet revolution of 1989, when, under the conditions of democratization, historians of Czechoslovakia gained freedom of scientific creativity. Among the relevant research topics was the issue of relations between Czechs and Slovaks in 1918-1992. The scholar thoroughly researched their individual stages and, in particular, the period of the first Czechoslovak Republic 1918-1938 - one of the few democratic states of Central and Eastern Europe at that time. J. Rychlík deeply analyzed and assessed the trends of socio-political, economic, and cultural development of various regions of the First Republic, the peculiarities of interethnic relations, its international position, noted the positive role of this state in the history of the Czechs, Slovaks and Ruthenians-Ukrainians of Transcarpathia. Summarizing Czech-Slovak relations in general for the years 1918-1992, J. Rychlík considered one of the main reasons for the termination of the Czechoslovak state at the end of 1992 to be the failure to create a political Czechoslovak nation. The field of scientific interests of J. Rychlík also includes the national histories of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which resulted in the publication of a number of monographs on the past of the states of the region: Bulgaria (2000), Macedonia (2003), Croatia (2007), Slovenia (2011), the Czech Republic (2013), Ukraine (2015, 2022), Slovakia (2023), where the researcher was a co-author. In the conclusions of the article, the authors stated that J. Rychlík is one of the leading contemporary Czech researchers of the history of Central and Eastern European countries. The contribution of J. Rychlík to the study of the history of Czech-Slovak relations from 1918 to 1992 is especially significant. Jan Rychlík's extensive work on the history of the Czech and Slovak state is an important basis for further study of the past of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in different periods.

A long look at Copley's A Boy with a Flying Squirrel: implications for the default mode network.

What happens in the brain when a person spends 3 hours viewing a single painting? Geoffrey Schott examines the account of an art history professor who did just that, and considers what their observations reveal about the differences between seeing and looking, and between looking and perceiving.

Models of Science Teacher Identity: The Multiple Representations of Pre-Service Elementary Science Educators

ABSTRACT Experiences in pre-service teacher education can have a lasting effect within the professional life histories of classroom teachers. Investigating the ways in which pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) represent themselves as science teachers before, during, and after methods course experiences can inform best practices of elementary science teacher pre-service and inservice development as well as further highlight the concerns and objectives of PSETs. Therefore, as a pre-service science teacher educator, I seek to understand the ways in which PSETs represent themselves as future science teachers and the experiences within the methods courses that influence those representations. This study relies on quantitative pre- and post-survey data and qualitative course artifact data completed as part of regular undergraduate course assignments. PSETs representations of self within this study tend to shift from a traditional approach to science teaching toward constructivist, student-centered pedagogical practices and show reduced anxiety toward teaching science and increased science teaching self-efficacy.

“Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre...”

This article is a revised version of the inaugural lecture delivered on 5 October2023, on the occasion of the author's appointment as Professor of History of Religions at Lund University. It opens by depicting fundamental changes in the study of the history of religions in the twentieth century, followed by biographical notes, including her research on lay Buddhism in urban Taiwan, the emphasis on sensual dimensions of religious practice and the aesthetics of religion, and international academic networking in the analysis of practices of prognostication between Asia and Europe. Three areas are outlined that are central to the author's current research. It is pointed out that a focus on religion in contemporary society certainly includes a healthy awareness of current developments in the politics of religion, particularly in East Asia. In addition, the article addresses two fields of research that the author is currently engaged in: (1) The emergence of "Life Education" as a school subject in Greater China and the pedagogical shift that goes along with it. Particularly in Taiwan, this new subject is tailored to create a space for juveniles to develop self-reflection and life orientation in a success-oriented society while a new trust in religious organizations leads to the organizations' active engagement in these developments. The author is especially interested in how the transforming relationship between religion and public education gains special relevance in a comparative perspective between Asia and Europe. (2) Religious change in East Asia is evident in Buddhist ritual practices that are impacted by a consumer society that moulds emotionally profound experiences into marketable and distinct units that Eva Illouz has termed "emodities". Religious practices are subject to change in our contemporary world as they are reshaped by a growing global digitalized consumer culture. Tracing these changes leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying forces that distinctly reshape contemporary religious life.

A Enhanced Process for Examining Resumes and Organizing Candidates Through Statistical Methods

Selecting suitable applicants is an important part of the screening process in a recruitment consulting firm. In general, traditional recruiting practices are used by the majority of businesses and consulting organizations. The primary strategy is employing resume-based screening techniques to attract exceptionally skilled researchers and developers for high-tech enterprises. Typically, the organization evaluates the individual's qualifications, professional history, employment experience, motivations, specialist abilities, and past creative projects as shown in their résumé in order to select the most suited candidate. The study sought to examine and mechanize efficient screening techniques utilized by consulting firms, emphasizing the need of ongoing research in comprehending evolving customer requirements and enhancing the screening process. Various techniques typically employ automated image analysis and heuristic methods to extract tabular bioinformatics data from resumes, with the aim of gathering pertinent information. This research employs optical character recognition (OCR) as it circumvents the inherent automotive engineering of the document and has been demonstrated to be a viable approach. Resumes in PDF format were gathered via convenience sampling and systematic random sampling, and data was then extracted from the resume documents by OCR. The pertinent data is subsequently analyzed using statistical techniques such as the Chi-square test, percentage studies, and the weighted average approach based on factors such as experience, technical/non-technical skills, employability, career advancement, salary expectations, and role/designation expectations. The proposed approach empowered the selection of the appropriate resumes for the subsequent recruitment progression.. sections. Such references are made by indicating the section number, for example, “In Sec. 2 we showed...” or “Section 2.1 contained a description....” If the word Section, Reference, Equation, or Figure starts a sentence, it is spelled out. When occurring in the middle of a sentence, these words are abbreviated Sec., Ref., Eq., and Fig. At the first occurrence of an acronym, spell it out followed by the acronym in parentheses, e.g., charge-coupled diode (CCD). Key Words: Resume screening process; Optical character recognition; Recruitment; Chi-square test, subsequently analyzed pertinent data; efficient screening technique; appropriate resume; PDF;

Professionalisation of initial teacher education in China: 1974–2024

ABSTRACT Over the past 50 years, China’s initial teacher education (ITE) system has undergone significant changes and improvements. To review and reflect on these experiences, we construct a multi-level, context-specific conceptualisation of ITE professionalisation. Guided by this framework, we segment the history of ITE professionalisation into three phases: the specialising phase (1974–1998), the upgrading phase (1998–2012), and the quality-equity balancing phase (2012-present). The specialising phase is characterised by a single-purpose ITE system that is directly governed by educational authorities. The upgrading phase involves a policy-driven enhancement of ITE within higher education institutions and the transition from single-purpose to general-purpose institutions, reflecting broader transformations in higher education policies in China. The quality-equity balancing phase focuses on policies aimed at improving the quality of ITE while ensuring equitable access to high-quality teachers in underdeveloped regions and hard-to-staff rural schools. Our historical review contributes new insights into ITE research, offers practical implications for ITE reform and improvement, and raises questions for further investigation of ITE in both the Chinese context and internationally.

PERFORMANCE

Written by Kristine Stiles, an artist and Art History Professor at Duke University, “Performance” originally appeared in 1996 as the sixth chapter of the volume Critical Terms for Art History, edited by Robert S. Nelson and Richard Shiff. The essay’s goal is to theorize the genre that brings the artist as both the subject and object of the artwork. According to Stiles, performance constructs a transpersonal visual aesthetic that functions as an interstitial continuum connecting subjects through mutual identification. That identification spans from agreement to opposition but rarely achieves resolution. Central to Stiles’ interpretation of performance is her concept of commissure, which signifies the dual operations of linkage: 1. Connection, and 2. Entrustment. The author utilizes this concept and traces a brief history of performance art since the early 20th to examine Jim Dine’s work The Smiling Workman (1960). Her discussion includes artists and movements such as Oskar Schlemmer and the Bauhaus, Hermann Nitsch and the OMT, Guy Debord and the Situationist International. Stiles concludes that performance “tells a truth about art” that is based on the processes of making and the emphasis on the human body as the center of art production.

Derridova výzva historii_ text a kontext

Jacques Derrida´s deconstruction is a way of thinking that is still not very well known in Czech intellectual life and for various reasons professional historians see it as a threat to the history as a scientific discipline. In reality, as can be seen from the example of G.G. Iggers, such fears tend to be based on ignorance or irresponsible treatment of Derrida´s texts, and as a result the possible benefits of Derrida´s conceprts for history are overlooked. This study aims to elucidate the key concepts and sections of Derrida´s philosohpy, especially those that relate relatively directly to historical science and have potentially important consequences for it.

The tragedy of Molėtai jews and issues of fraudulent records filed at court

One of the largest sets of documents preserved at Lithuanian archives reflecting the history of our country during the first Soviet occupation (1940–1941) and after World War II is the Fund of Criminal Cases. The Fund was compiled by the Committee for State Security (KGB – Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti) and at present is stored at Lithuanian Special Archives. In Soviet times, this collection of records was not accessible to both professional historians and the general public. The set contains numerous documents marked Top Secret. It has been always believed that forgery of such type documents is unlikely. Historians investigating the stalinist era of the history of the Soviet Union have no doubts regarding fraudulent lawsuits filed against ideological opponents or any people, by whom the regime was dissatisfied. Falsification used to be a tool to deal with an enemy. At first sight, many would think that such a case in Lithuania must be different, as the fight against Soviet authorities used to be real in our country (in particular, during post-war period); unlike the events that took place in the fourth decade of the 20th century in Russia, for example. This article contains material, proving that KGB was not interested in collecting evidence as accurate as possible. The persons invited by the KGB to present evidence did not provide exact data, while the KGB just wanted to send to prison unwanted persons for a longer time. The author has justified this fact on the basis of interrogation material of a platoon of Lithuanian rebels that was operating in 1941 in Utena county Molėtai town. The rebels contributed markedly to Jews killing by shooting to death. Moreover, the material examined by the author demonstrates systemic unruliness of that time courts, when the accused were not permitted to be provided with services of lawyers, their dissatisfaction with a trial could only be expressed through cassation complaints. All this encumbers the general assessment of such cases as well as recovery of historical facts, among them those related to the Holocaust. When examining the lawsuits filed by the KGB, the application of the comparative method should prevail in terms of number of cases being examined: material of several cases should be collated and only then conclusions drawn.

The absence of formal work experience may affect the rate of cognitive decline in older adult women: findings from the health and retirement study.

This study investigated the relationship between years of employment and cognitive health among older non-Latinx Black, Latinx, and non-Latinx White women. We hypothesized that women who had never been formally employed (i.e., zero years of formal work experience) would exhibit a pronounced cognitive decline. Our study included 5,664 older adult women from the Health and Retirement Study (2010-2016) aged 65-101 (M = 75.41). Out of 5,664 participants, 850 identified as non-Latinx Black, 475 identified as Latinx, and 4,339 identified as non-Latinx White. Furthermore, 5,292 women indicated having a professional employment history of at least one year, whereas 372 women reported no formal work experience. The Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-27 (TICS-27) was used to assess cognitive performance. Linear mixed effects models were conducted to assess whether employment history was associated with the rate of cognitive decline. In all three racial and ethnic groups, lower age, higher education, greater number of years worked, fewer chronic conditions, and greater household income were associated with better cognitive performance at baseline (p < .05). Additionally, women who had not worked in any formal capacity had a lower baseline cognitive performance (p < .001) and a more extreme decline in cognitive performance over time (p = .04). In conclusion, we found that women without any formal work experience performed lower at baseline and experienced a steeper cognitive decline over time. These findings underscore the need to further explore the complex interrelationships between employment duration and cognitive trajectories, especially among older women and those from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Here Comes Everybody: A Personal, Professional, and (Inevitably) Partial History of Catholic Literary Studies in America

Here Comes Everybody: A Personal, Professional, and (Inevitably) Partial History of Catholic Literary Studies in America

David Kahn, in remembrance: an INS special forum

ABSTRACT David Kahn was one of America’s leading experts on the history of cryptology, the art and science of breaking the communications codes, ciphers, and secret writing of hostile nations and terrorist organizations – a vital intelligence tradecraft for anticipating potentially dangerous operations of foreign adversaries. As both a journalist and a professional historian, he pursued scholarly interests in cryptology as well as modern German history. His most well-known book, entitled The Codebreakers, influenced the field of cryptology and attracted many young readers to this intelligence profession. Kahn wrote many other studies on the topic and founded the journal Cryptologia. He received an array of honors for his work, including induction into the National Security Agency’s Cryptologic Hall of Fame. In addition, Kahn was a popular social fixture at prestigious clubs in New York City and a member of several boards of editors devoted to Intelligence Studies, including this journal.

Library and Bibliographic Classifications of Art Literature in the Documents of the M.I. Fabrikant Archive

The professional art history interests of professor M.I. Fabrikant (1887—1966) in the field of book studies, bibliography, library and museum studies are reflected in the documents of his personal archive in the Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts of the Scientific Library of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. Based on his extensive experience, the scientist drafted in the 1920s a scientific classification of art literature. In addition, working in the 1930s in the scientific libraries of major Moscow museums (the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the State Tretyakov Gallery), he drafted the structures of branch catalogues. M.I. Fabrikant also participated as a consultant in the development of projects for the organisation of departments and catalogues in the new building of the Lenin State Library of the USSR in 1936.

Christian Humanitarianism, Violence and the Debate over Empire

It may appear odd to write a review article focused on two books that are fundamentally different in intention and scope. The first is a self-conscious attempt by a moral theologian of conservative inclinations to contribute a Christian ethical perspective to the culture wars currently raging on both sides of the Atlantic on empire, race, and slavery. Its author, Nigel Biggar, is the Emeritus Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford. The second book is a collection of papers by imperial and mission historians given at a workshop at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, in July 2018. Its brief is more limited, namely to explore the professed commitment of nineteenth-century Christian missions to bringing a gospel of peace into contexts that were frequently sites of violence, not least between indigenous peoples and European settlers and other colonial actors. Its geographical remit is limited to Africa and the Pacific. Biggar's book has provoked a predictable storm of criticism, both within the historical academy and beyond it. The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, for example, rapidly published a 15,000–word rebuttal of Biggar's arguments by Alan Lester, Professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex, together with an almost equally lengthy reply by Biggar.1 In contrast, Geoffrey Troughton's edited volume, extremely valuable though it undoubtedly is, seems unlikely to attract notice beyond the limited constituencies of professional historians and scholars of mission studies. Although obviously differing in character, these two books, when set in juxtaposition, bring into focus some of the most pertinent issues raised for Christianity by the imperial past and the ambiguous role played within it by Christian missions.

Influencers y reputación: Chiara Ferragni,Instagram y el escándalo Pandoro Gate

Chiara Ferragni is one of the most important fashion influencers in the world. A pioneer in the profession, with the creation of her blog The Blonde Salad, she has reached more than 29 million followers on her Instagram account. At the end of 2023, her image and reputation suffered a serious deterioration after thePandoro gate scandal. This article analyses the evolution of its content creation routines before and after this crisis. The main objective is to analyse the evolution in the behaviour of the influencer, her followersand the brands with which she collaborated. The results show a significant transformation in her digital behaviour, characterized by a month of silence followed by a notable decrease in her publications. This trendcontinues after her separation and the agreement with her husband not to show the faces of their children. It is striking how the engagement of her Instagram account, despite the lack of content published by theinfluencer, increases. However, there has been a rise in critical and controversial comments. Despite the decrease in content, the activity of her community intensifies, suggesting that the interest of her followers isfocused more on Ferragni’s personal and professional history than on her controlled posts.

Performatywny proces kształtowania tożsamości zawodników profesjonalnego wrestlingu

The article presents the theoretical assumptions of professional wrestling, its elements and history. It also cites considerations of identity and its performativity in sociology. The research conducted in the form of qualitative interviews deals with the process of forming performative identity among wrestlers. As a result of the analysis of the research, it was possible to create a typology of ways of creating a character used for performance in professional wrestling, describe the process of identity formation and determine the roles of third parties in it. The exploration and description of the phenomenon placed in the text made it possible to haracterize the profession of professional wrestler as a multiprofession.

What is the Minimal Perceptible Change for the Dimensional Alteration of Facial Structures in the Frontal View?

BackgroundA better understanding of the perceptibility of dimensional changes in facial structures is of interest to all involved in facial esthetics. PurposeWe aimed to determine the minimal perceptible change (MPC) in the dimensional alterations of the facial structures in the frontal view and the influential factors. Study design, setting, sampleThis cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals accompanying the patients at the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital and students in art and science. Those with impaired cognition, craniofacial anomalies, history of esthetic facial surgeries and health professionals working on facial esthetics were excluded. Independent variablesThe observers assessed the frontal photographs of two models and their modifications. The independent variables were the anatomic structure modified (mouth, nose, ears, eyes), the percentage change (5, 10, 15%), and the type of modification (magnification or reduction). Outcome VariablesThe outcome variables were the MPC (perceived by at least 50% of the observers) and the perceptibility of changes (Yes/No) CovariatesThe age of the observer, the sex of the observer and the model were the covariates. AnalysisThe inter-group differences in perceptibility of changes and the influence of independent variables and covariates were analyzed with Chi-square / Cochran's Q test and generalized estimating equations, respectively, with statistical significance set at p<.05. ResultsThe sample comprised 110 males and 110 females, aged 23.9 ± 5.8 years. The MPC was 5% for the mouth, nose, and eyes and 15% for the ears. The changes in the nose [OR=0.68(0.56-0.83), p<.001], ears [OR=0.29(0.24-0.36), p<.001], and eyes [OR=0.78(0.64-0.95), p=.015] were less perceptible than the mouth. The perceptibility was higher in female than male observers [OR= 1.37(1.11-1.69), p=.003] and reduction than magnification [OR=1.11(1.00-1.23) p=.036]. Compared to a 5% change, the perceptibility was higher for 10 and 15% [OR= 2.00(1.76-2.27), 3.33(2.84-3.91), respectively, p<.001]. Conclusions and RelevanceThe MPC was 5% for the mouth, nose, and eyes and 15% for the ears. The perceptibility of change was influenced by the structure, the extent and type of modification and the observer's sex. These findings may be of use to all professionals involved in esthetic facial corrections.

Patterns of Internationalising Higher Education and the Flows of Education Resources during the Late Qing Dynasty of China

During late Qing, neocolonialism was a serious phenomenon situated in the higher education, forcing universities to globalise and adopt foreign education patterns. Furthermore, there are also some outward flows of education resources, although there were more tints of inward flows of education resources. This paper aims to address two research questions: What are the patterns of internationalization in higher education institutions during the Late Qing Dynasty? To what extent, the higher education resources flow inbound and outbound during the Late Qing Dynasty? Based on the telephone interview with six professors of education history in China, it is found that as impacted by Western colonialism, Chinese universities showed a strong signal of globalisation in the late Qing. Meanwhile, some traditional teaching patterns and textbooks with Chinese characteristics were also used to stir the learning enthusiasm of local students. In the late Qing, inward/inbound flows of education resources were more evidenced than outward/outbound flows. This could be exemplified by some major sources of the textbooks used at universities. Specifically, the first source was the western teachers, who bought textbooks from the mother countries. The second source was many Chinese ambassadors to France and Britain, who sent back to China the original western textbooks. It is hoped that future study will focus on the patterns of internationalizing higher education and flows of education resources during Modern China.

Community organizing in social work and progressive urban planning – interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT This article examines aspects of community organizing within social work and progressive or transformative planning within urban planning, with an implicit question as to whether these two practices within their respective professions can work together to achieve progressive goals. For each profession, I first review the professional histories and the ethical codes of each discipline, next discuss how these more activist trends emerged, and then compare the two practices to suggest possibilities for joint efforts toward the social justice goals embedded in each defining statement. I discuss the context for both types of work, as well as the means by which individuals in each discipline work toward progressive goals. Questions I consider include how similar the social justice orientations within their disciplines are, and how community organizers and progressive planners can work together for social justice goals.