Related Approaches Research Articles

How Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination policy shapes trust in governance: a relative deprivation approach

Abstract This study examines changes in the association between social policy performance and trust in government, focusing on the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination policy implemented by Japan’s central government. Data from the Online Panel Survey of Stratification and Social Psychology (SSPW2021-Panel) were analyzed using two-way fixed effects regression models. The quadratic term of the COVID-19 vaccination rate at the prefecture level had statistically significant effects on the evaluation of the central government’s infection control policies and trust in the central government. This implies that the relative deprivation experienced by unvaccinated individuals weakened trust in the central government in the early stage, and the decline in the number of unvaccinated individuals strengthened trust in the central government in the latter stage. Thus, this paper finds that even if a social policy meets people’s demands, its implementation may temporally damage the government’s reputation through relative deprivation.

Engaging Polyvagal Theory to Inform a Relational Approach in Clinical Work with Adolescent-Parent Dyads

Engaging Polyvagal Theory to Inform a Relational Approach in Clinical Work with Adolescent-Parent Dyads

Innovation in Learning-Oriented Language Assessment (Book Review)

Language assessments can have a wide range of purposes and uses, ranging from high-stakes university entrance exams to classroom-based assessments used to monitor and provide feedback to learners. This last grouping of assessments, often referred to as formative or learning-oriented assessment, not only provides teachers important information about students’ progress, but it also provides learners a platform to learn and grow as a result of the assessment process itself (Turner & Purpura, 2016). There has been a wide range of literature published on formative and learning-oriented assessment over the past two decades, including book-length treatments (Gebril, 2021), but little has been written on the practical approaches in relation to teacher education, particularly in adapting assessment practices to keep pace with evolving technology. This is important to address due to changes in classroom formats, with online, asynchronous, hybrid, and flipped classes becoming more common. Sin Wang Chong and Hayo Reinders address this gap in their recent edited volume Innovation in Learning-Oriented Language Assessment. This book explores recent trends in this approach by discussing assessment practices from a wide range of international teachers and researchers from Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. [First Paragraph]

Revolutionary burnout: Subjective crisis responses and the demobilization of mass protest in Lebanon

ABSTRACT Studies on the outcomes of the Arab uprisings have largely focused on protest-exogenous causes of revolutionary failure. By contrast, endogenous drivers of demobilization remain understudied, despite growing evidence on the role of microlevel dynamics in making and breaking revolutionary momentum. This article addresses this gap by exploring the triangular relation between shifts in the structural environment of revolutionary movements, the lifeworld of those affected by these shifts and organizational dynamics on the meso level. Based on a combination of event data and narrative interviews with protagonists of the Lebanese Thawra uprising of 2019, itrecentres the debate on revolutionary trajectories on the agents of change themselves. Drawing on relational and emotion-sensitive approaches in social movement studies, I argue that complex subjective meaning making processes to navigate multiple social and political crises are crucial in understanding demobilization in post-revolutionary Lebanon. Formerly committed activists responded to increasing uncertainty through a combination of adaptation, disengagement and abeyance. These vectors of demobilization translated their subjective accounts of lived events into the organizational arena of the Thawra. By fuelling fragmentation, channelling activism into divergent avenues and supporting individual exit from politics they catalysed a decline of protest that is described here as a ‘revolutionary burnout’.

On the Quality of Relational Justice

ABSTRACTBy emphasising the role of concepts like social status, power and respect, all relational egalitarians seek to demonstrate that there is more to the political concept of equality than the distribution of goods. While there is a broad consensus on the nature of equality, however, the nature of justice is a matter of internal dispute. The aim of this paper is to disentangle these argumentative threads, building on work in early relational egalitarian scholarship to develop a relational approach to justice, both distinct from the distributive approach to justice and isolated from the relational approach to equality. In doing so, I reveal possible and sometimes surprising alliances between relational egalitarians and other scholars on the nature of justice.

Willy Wonka and the boy-entrepreneur archetype: the changing faces of entrepreneurial masculinity, 1971–2023

PurposeThis paper uses the cultural figure of Willy Wonka to explore the archetype of the “boy-entrepreneur”, and what the various film manifestations of Wonka (1971–2023) say about changes in entrepreneurial masculinity. We (1) develop an original conceptualisation of boyhood as creatively, socially and gender liminal, (2) analyse the entrepreneurial archetype using literary theories and (3) provide a novel interpretation of Apollonian and Dionysian masculinity to aid future cultural analysis of founder/innovator depictions in children’s media.Design/methodology/approachOur study conducts a three-stage dramaturgical analysis of the major film adaptations of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (1971, 2005 and 2023). After supplementing the limited literature on boyhood in entrepreneurship with literary and feminist art theory, we identify the significant narrative features which frame the Wonka dramas and produce a framework which tracks thematic changes across the films in terms of the creative, social and gender liminal elements of Wonka’s boy-entrepreneur identity.FindingsOur interpretive analysis reveals a gradual shift in values expressed through Wonka’s boy-entrepreneurialism away from a more hegemonic, Apollonian style of masculinity towards a more Dionysian style embracing emotional expression, intimacy with female characters and kin, and collaborations with nature. Such shifts reflect the growing influence of non-hegemonic entrepreneurial gender expressions, value-driven and relational approaches to new venture creation.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the hugely unexplored area of the “boy-entrepreneur”/“boy-genius”, demonstrating its durability in reality, imagination and popular culture. We provide an in-depth character portrait to provoke further attention to children’s multi-media ways of experiencing early entrepreneurial impressions. We also expand the methodological scope of research on entrepreneurial masculinity beyond real-life founders.

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Navigating Duty and Rights - A Relational Ethnography of Work-First Hegemony in Municipal Service Centres in the Urban PeripheryThe "work-first approach" (arbetslinjen) is a fundamental concept in Swedish welfare policy, shaping both progressive and regressive policy agendas. In contemporary political discourse, marginalised communities have become the focus of initiatives aimed at reinforcing the work-first approach among the unemployed through increased conditionalities. Consequently, the work-first approach has become a site of struggle over the direction of Swedish labour market and welfare policies. This article aims to analyse how the work-first approach is realised as a hegemonic practice within municipal service centres located in marginalised communities. Based on a relational ethnographic approach, we examine how the work-first approach is realised in daily interactions between residents and community guides, as people navigate administrative activation measures, experience hyper-exploitation, and manage life on the margins of poverty. Our findings highlight the fluid nature of the work-first approach, demonstrating how it is both reproduced and contested across different social contexts. We argue that the work-first approach, as a hegemonic idea, faces a significant challenge: increasing social conflict and coercion within the welfare system and labour market are undermining the active consent of marginalised groups—a consent critical for maintaining the work-first approach as a dominant framework in Swedish policy.

Robotic surgical techniques and methods for treating renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus

Abstract Purpose of Review Renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus (RCC-IVCTT) has a high mortality rate, and surgery is the only promising treatment. Open surgery has been the gold standard treatment for several decades. However, with the development of minimally invasive surgical technologies, the advantages of robotic surgery have gradually emerged. The classic Mayo Clinic Classification system has certain limitations in guiding robotic surgery. Therefore, a new classification system that is compatible with robotic surgery is urgently needed. Advancements in robotic surgery must be systematically summarized and evaluated. Recent Findings Since Abaza's initial report on robotic surgery, the exploration of robotic radical nephrectomy (RRN) with IVC thrombectomy has resulted in numerous related techniques and approaches, including surgical positions and approaches, control of blood vessels, assisted exposure, step-by-step strategy, and preoperative and intraoperative auxiliary technology and equipment. Our team proposed a new tumor thrombus classification system termed the “301 Classification” based on RRN with venous thrombectomy, which matches each level of tumor thrombus with a distinct robotic surgical strategy. Summary With advances in technology and accumulated experience, RRN with IVC thrombectomy holds promise as the preferred surgical option for RCC-IVCTT. Although “301 Classification” can provide objective advantages in robotic surgery, more cases are needed to be optimized for guiding surgery accurately. The overview provided in this paper aims to serve as a reference and inspiration for future research and clinical practice regarding RCC-IVCTT.

Changing food waste regimes in Africa’s transition to export-oriented production: the case of Tanzanian avocado

Abstract African nations are increasingly focusing on exporting high-value crops. However, a major challenge exists: high rates of food waste within supply chains. The problem is often seen as a technological issue—a lack of proper infrastructure and coordination creates inefficiencies. This research takes a different perspective, focusing on social relations within the supply chain. It uses the concept of “food waste regimes” to understand the underlying structures, relationships, and systems that cause food waste, with a focus on Tanzania’s avocado trade. The goals of the research are to: (1) Identify the factors contributing to food waste within Tanzania’s avocado supply chains, particularly in the context of export-oriented production; (2) Explore how these factors change as production shifts towards exports; (3) Analyse the fairness (equity) of how waste burdens are distributed among those involved. We adopted a “follow the thing” approach, combining interviews and observations across both domestic and export avocado supply chains in Tanzania. The research reveals that interactions between various aspects of the supply chain—practices, physical properties of the product (avocado perishability), and established institutions—influence where food waste occurs and who shoulders the burden of that waste. The research exposes how unequal power dynamics between participants lead to some actors bearing a disproportionate amount of the risk and cost of food waste. By taking a social relations approach, this research highlights that tackling food waste and social inequality are intertwined issues. The paper suggests potential areas for future research and intervention to address these interconnected challenges.

Teachers Co-Designing and Enacting Elementary Data Science Curriculum through Connected Learning

We detail a research-practice partnership between an elementary school and educational researchers with a common goal of increasing data science literacy among rural elementary students. Drawing on connected learning theory and using the CT-STEM taxonomy of practices, we co-developed data science units with teachers and they subsequently implemented them in classrooms. Connected learning was used to envision the unit co-design process. In that regard, we assisted teachers in drawing on students’ interests when selecting real-world problems to solve during the design of data science units and providing learning opportunities mirroring what students enjoy and engage in outside of school. Qualitative methodology guided the data analysis of observations, reflective journals, interviews, and curriculum artifacts. Five primary themes emerged describing the teachers’ approach in relation to connected learning when co-designing and implementing the units, implying that effective data science instruction for elementary school students might be intentionally designed for student interests and experiences, be locally relevant, model and foster group work and peer collaboration, encourage student agency through production, and meld disciplinary standards and content with prior and new instructional practices. This research suggests connected learning can guide educators in planning and enacting data science units and lessons in elementary classrooms.

Relational Well-being of Female Workers in Low-Skilled Jobs in Ethiopia

With the expansion of global production networks (GPNs) in Africa, more women are becoming employed in low-skilled and labor-intensive jobs. Most studies on workers in GPNs focus on work conditions and their impact on production and network effectiveness, while placing less emphasis on the relational well-being of local industrial workers. Employing a relational well-being approach that considers the multiple dimensions of people’s lives (the material, subjective, and relational), we explore how female workers experience their well-being in foreign-owned flower and apparel sectors operating in Ethiopia. Based on in-depth interviews with thirty-nine female employees, we find that women value the different types of social relationships they have. Coworkers, friends, family, and members of the broader community are important for the women’s well-being, supporting them materially and subjectively, and enabling them to cope with work and life difficulties. Relationships with supervisors and employers, however, can negatively impact well-being, especially through the stress they can cause, while the social and political environment also has a negative effect on overall well-being.

Unlocking robotic perception: comparison of deep learning methods for simultaneous localization and mapping and visual simultaneous localization and mapping in robot

Abstract Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and Visual SLAM are crucial technologies in robotics, allowing autonomous systems to navigate and comprehend their environment. Deep learning (DL) has become a powerful tool in driving progress in these areas, providing solutions that improve accuracy, efficiency, and resilience. This article thoroughly analyzes different deep learning techniques designed explicitly for SLAM and Visual SLAM applications in robotic systems. This work provides a detailed overview of DL roles in SLAM and VSLAM and emphasizes the differences between these two fields. Five powerful DL methods are investigated: Convolutional Neural Networks in extracting features and understanding meaning, Recurrent Neural Network in modeling temporal relationships, Deep Reinforcement Learning in developing exploration strategies, Graph Neural Network in modeling spatial relationships, and Attention Mechanisms in selectively processing information. In this research, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of each approach in relation to robotic applications, taking into account issues such as real-time performance, resource restrictions, and adaptability to various situations. This article seeks to guide researchers and practitioners in selecting suitable deep learning algorithms to improve the capabilities of SLAM and Visual SLAM in robotic systems by combining ideas from recent research and actual implementations. The popular types of each concerned DL will be synthesized with the discussion of pros and cons.

Women and Housing After the Lismore Floods (Australia)–A Relational Rights-Based Approach

Australia is experiencing both a housing crisis and an increase in extreme weather events due to global warming. This largely dry continent, beset by bushfires and floods, is a land of stark inequality. These inequitable landscapes make recovery from disaster difficult and prolonged for those already marginalised. National statistics reveal that older women are the fastest growing group facing housing precarity, and disasters compound upon this dire situation. This paper presents a relational rights-based approach, informed by a feminist ethics of care, to attain the right to adequate housing for all in the Australian context.

Cultural mediators and distributed agency: the case of the publishing house Alfaguara (1976–1982)

ABSTRACT Establishing an interdisciplinary dialogue between historical and relational approaches, the present case study reconstructs the reading committees of the publishing house Alfaguara during the Transition to democracy (1975–1982) in Spain. Eminent authors and translators, scholars, and relevant figures in the industry served on these committees. This makes them an intriguing object of study as a social network where publishing and translational decisions were taken in a distributed way permeated by the cultural and social environment, with members often wearing many hats at once. Archival and interview data about interactants background, their further evolution and objectives is fed into network analysis to obtain a neater picture of agency and structure as relational. Combining relational theory with Translation Studies from a complexity epistemology perspective allows us to revisit notions of translation, publishing, agency and cultural repertoire from a multi-faceted viewpoint. Such an approach to these constructs offers the opportunity of empirically investigating translational processes that contribute to the emergence of the cultural, and also the social; in this case, in the very concrete example of a translation network (the reading committees) performing at a critical point in the recent history of Spain when cultural and social changes were transforming the country.

Rethinking Indigenous Community-Led Water Sustainability: Decolonial and Relational Approaches in Western Canada

This study examines Indigenous community-led water sustainability in Western Canada through relational and decolonial lenses, addressing the interplay between traditional knowledge, environmental governance, and cultural identity. The relational and decolonial frameworks emphasize water as a living entity integral to environmental sustainability and community well-being, contrasting with extractive Western models that prioritize economic gains. Using a community-led collaborative methodology, the research engaged Elders, Knowledge-keepers, and youth in discussions and land-based activities, reinforcing intergenerational knowledge transfer. The findings showcase critical challenges to Indigenous water governance, including industrial encroachments, climate change, and colonial environmental management systems that marginalize Indigenous perspectives. These human-created challenges threaten Indigenous water quality and disrupt Indigenous sustainable governance, underlining the need for alternative, adaptive frameworks. Despite these challenges, Indigenous communities are reclaiming water sustainability through initiatives that implement traditional knowledge, cultural revitalization, and collaborative governance models. Such efforts emphasize respect, reciprocity, and stewardship, promoting long-term environmental sustainability.

Subverting elections in Thailand: inclusion and independence in election commission design and practice

When do election commissions contribute to peace, and when do they subvert it? For years, civil society actors, policy experts and practitioners in electoral management and international electoral assistance have largely assumed that establishing ‘independent’ election commissions is key to fostering positive electoral outcomes, including peace. However, recent post-conflict research indicates that inclusion on independent commissions might be more strongly linked to reducing the risk of violence than independence alone. Building on this research, I propose a relational approach to studying election commissions by examining how inclusion and independence interact and how this nexus impacts peace. Using the example of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), I argue that the inclusion–independence election commissions nexus may not guarantee peace in all post-conflict and conflict-prone settings. Instead, it may create opportunities for power-hungry elites to weaponise these commissions against their opponents, ultimately subverting rather than fostering peace.

An investigation into EFL mentors’ preferred mentoring approaches through feedback practices

PurposeThis case study provides an account of eight mentor teachers’ mentoring approaches based on their reported feedback practices.Design/methodology/approachIn an interpretative phenomenological design, the data were obtained through in-depth individual interviews with mentor teachers in different practicum schools in Istanbul, Türkiye. The study draws upon the mentoring approaches in the literature (Orland-Barak and Wang, 2020), and the mentor teachers’ reports on their feedback behaviors were analyzed accordingly.FindingsDuring the interviews, the mentors’ emphasis on issues such as the use of positive language, encouraging reflection and the evaluative nature of feedback indicated that their feedback behaviors were mainly influenced by personal growth and situated learning mentoring approaches.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that mentors’ awareness on mentoring approaches and how to give feedback should be enhanced. It also suggests that teacher education programs should pay more attention to providing accurate information about mentoring approaches. A more accurately structured evaluation process should be ensured, and mentors should be instructed on how to give constructive feedback through training.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by offering a nuanced exploration of mentoring approaches in relation to teachers’ feedback practices.

The sub pronator approach to the coronoid process.

The aim of our study was to describe a new anteromedial approach that allows exposure of the anteromedial facet of the coronoid process and to characterize the position of the median nerve's motor branches relative to this approach in relation to elbow positioning. We performed 16 anteromedial approaches on fresh anatomical specimens. The minimum distance between the medial edge of the trochlea and the second branch of the median nerve was measured in three elbow positions: forearm in supination with the elbow extended, forearm in pronation with the elbow extended, and forearm in supination with the elbow flexed at 90 °. The distance between the joint space and the origin of the first two motor branches of the median nerve was then measured with the elbow extended. The mean distance between the second motor branch of the median nerve and the medial edge of the trochlea was 13 mm ± 3 mm with the elbow extended and forearm supinated; 5 mm ± 3 mm with the elbow extended and forearm pronated; and 11 mm ± 4 mm with the elbow flexed at 90 ° and forearm supinated. There was a significant difference in distance between the measurement in the pronated position and the two measurements in the supinated positions. However, there was no significant difference between the measurement with the elbow flexed in supination and the elbow extended in supination (p < 0.06). The subpronator approach is a reproducible and reliable approach that allows exposure of the tip of the coronoid process and its anteromedial facet, up to the insertion of the anterior bundle of the medial collateral ligament on the sublime tubercle. We have shown that placing the forearm in supination moves the motor branches at risk of injury away from the surgical site. V.

Empowering students in curriculum design and pedagogy: Perceptions of pharmacy students as partners; A qualitative study.

The concept of "Students as Partners" (SaP) in curriculum design and pedagogy marks a significant shift towards relational pedagogical approaches in higher education. This study explored pharmacy students' perceptions of the SaP approach, focusing on their involvement in curriculum design and the perceived benefits and challenges of such partnerships. A qualitative research design was employed, utilising one-on-one interviews with pharmacy students at a university in Malaysia. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide and analysed using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis revealed five core themes: student involvement in curriculum design, perceived benefits in students as partners, challenges in active learning environments, suggestions to improve relational pedagogy, and empowerment through student involvement in curriculum design. Students mentioned that the relationship as partners with educators will be beneficial and mentioned challenges, such as hierarchical barriers and communication issues. They suggested increased training and support, more frequent feedback mechanisms, and clearer communication channels to foster effective partnerships. Students perceived that their engagement could lead to significant changes in their academic journeys. This participatory approach aligns with outcome-based educational goals and enhances the overall learning experience by making the content more relevant to students' needs and aspirations. The SaP approach has transformative potential in higher education.

How can relational, decolonial and feminist approaches inform the EU bioeconomy?

Abstract In this commentary we argue that, to transform the bioeconomy sectors towards ecologically less harmful and socially fairer outcomes, the bioeconomy policy project must be questioned, re-politicised and fundamentally reframed and reinvented. We firstly identify some of the main root causes for continuity of extractivism and injustices in the bioeconomy policy and, more broadly, in the green transition (“Root causes of today’s socioecological crises and why they matter for the EU bioeconomy project” section). Secondly, we outline the largely neglected ideas and concerns emerging from relational, feminist and decolonial approaches and perspectives (“Moving beyond growth while enabling marginalised voices, knowledges, and practices that nurture web of life and wellbeing for all” section). Finally, we compile a list of 11 actions and 47 suggestions for decisionmakers, practitioners and academics to contemplate on how to cocreate bioeconomies founded on ethics of care, relationality and socioecological justice. Ultimately, the aim is to reject socioecological domination, extractivism and exploitation and foster collective wellbeing for all beings, human and other-than-human.