Individual Responsibility Research Articles

Shame-Sensitive Public Health.

In this article, we argue that shaming interventions and messages during Covid-19 have drawn the relationship between public health and shame into a heightened state of contention, offering us a valuable opportunity to reconsider shame as a desired outcome of public health work, and to push back against the logics of individual responsibility and blame for illness and disease on which it sits. We begin by defining shame and demonstrating how it is conceptually and practically distinct from stigma. We then set out evidence on the consequences of shame for social and relational health outcomes and assess the past and present dimensions of shame in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, primarily through a corpus of international news stories on the shaming of people perceived to have transgressed public health directions or advice. Following a brief note on shame (and policymaking) in a cultural context, we turn to the concept and practice of 'shame-sensitivity' in order to theorise a set of practical and adaptable principles that could be used to assist policymakers in short- and medium-term decision-making on urgent, tenacious, and emerging issues within public health. Finally, we consider the longer consequences of pandemic shame, making a wider case for the acknowledgement of the emotion as a key determinant of health.

CVP-analysis as a tool for improving economic sustainability in the cost management system of health resort organizations

Costs are the basis of any type of activity and are the factor that has a direct impact on the financial results of the organization. That is why organizations are urgent issues of implementation of methodological tools that would allow to reduce costs and ensure their rational distribution between individual responsibility centers. To identify cost reduction reserves, it is necessary to provide an effective management system using modern tools. CVP-analysis is such a tool, which provides an opportunity to take into account the impact of costs on the results of the enterprise’s activities and to evaluate alternative management decisions. The paper demonstrates the possibility of using CVP-analysis to manage costs and financial results in the health resort sector on the example of enterprises of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. The necessity of application of CVP-analysis as an important tool in the management of economic stability is determined and the prerequisites for minimizing entrepreneurial risk are revealed. The relationship between costs, production volume and profit in the sanatorium-resort sphere is presented and substantiated, taking into account the current economy, namely the conditions of uncertainty and risk. The study of CVP analysis aims to identify the level of sales revenue at which the enterprise will cover fixed and variable costs to strengthen economic sustainability. Despite the fact that the CVP system does not solve all the problems of effective management, it is on the basis of the data of the classical CVP-analysis that it becomes possible to assess the risk by the indicators of financial strength reserve, sensitivity to changes in the coefficient of variable costs and the amount of fixed costs in the same way as it is offered by some methods of risk analysis. CVP-analysis capabilities allow to effectively manage costs, find the optimal ratio between fixed and variable costs, price and volume of production (services), effectively forecast and plan the company’s profit. Since the main indicator of the efficiency of the enterprise is the ratio of profit and costs, the management of the enterprise can make balanced managerial decisions to ensure high performance of operating activities and achieve the desired financial performance, using the methodology of CVP-analysis. All this allows the enterprise in conditions of uncertainty and risk to increase the potential of profit formation and, accordingly, to strengthen economic stability.

Barriers and facilitators for implementation of OptiBreech collaborative care: A qualitative study as part of an implementation process evaluation

ProblemLack of opportunity for breech training and clinical experience reduced professional confidence and expertise in supporting vaginal breech birth. BackgroundOptiBreech collaborative care is a care pathway for breech presentation at term that aims to enable improve safety through person-centred care and improved training opportunities for maternity professionals, within dedicated clinics and intrapartum support. In feasibility work, barriers and facilitators to team implementation were observed by team members. AimThis study sought to describe factors affecting optimal future implementation and safety of OptiBreech care. MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with staff members at 13 OptiBreech trial sites (17 midwives and 4 obstetricians, n=21), via video conferencing software. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to identify factors impacting team implementation. Themes identified in the TDF were refined in reflexive discussion and grouped into key facilitators, key barriers, and dynamic factors (which span both barriers and facilitators). The interviews were then coded, analysed, and interpreted according to the refined framework. FindingsThe key facilitators were broadly categorised within skill development, beliefs about capabilities, and social support from the wider multidisciplinary team. Key barrier categories were resources, social obstacles, and fears about consequences. Dynamic factor categories were individual responsibility, training, and attending births. ConclusionWhile some factors affecting implementation were specific to the individuals and cultures of certain Trusts, recommendations emerged from analysis that are more widely applicable across multiple settings. These should be considered going forward for future service implementation, and in the next stage of OptiBreech clinical trials.

When overextended surface allocation turns to groundwater: a Q methodology of well users in Oregon’s high desert

As legal battles over surface water allocation in Klamath County, Oregon, USA have gained national attention, earning the name “Water Wars,” authorities have been increasingly turning to groundwater to compensate for water shortfalls. This case study aims to identify the nuanced perspectives of household groundwater well users who are affected by groundwater extraction. Using Q methodology, we uncover groundwater well users’ perceptions and to what extent they think water problems are dealt with fairly. We identify four water perspectives that differ in the degree to which respondents prioritize clean water accessibility, industry accountability, individual responsibility for water management, and trust in governments to manage water competently. This research contributes to the growing body of literature reshaping our understanding of human-water relations by exploring different water axiologies.

Symbolic violence, social control, and student loan programmes: the subterranean complexes

ABSTRACT Government-backed student loans are not a panacea for educational inequality or social ills. By examining student loans as a means of social control, Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence can provide novel ways to encapsulate debt-response patterns across cultures and geographies. This gentle, invisible violence creeps in via misrecognition, a process that encompasses rationalising indebtedness and attaching latent meaning or emotional weight to student debt. Student debt is, first, internalised as a regular and reliable part of life, whether through income-contingent repayment or traditional mortgage-style programmes. Also present is the gradual internalisation of gratitude, trust, and obligation. Deferment or delinquency is subsequently interpreted as a sign of personal inadequacy. In essence, symbolic violence establishes a missing link between an individual’s subjective experience and institutional structural barriers. It disrupts commonly held assumptions on marketisation, private return, and individual responsibility in top-down neo-liberal discourse, informing student loan policy through a multidimensional lens.

Clarifying middle authorship contributions to reduce abuses in science publishing and assessment of top-ranked SJR biochemistry and pharmacology journals' authorship criteria.

So-called "middle authors," being neither the first, last, nor corresponding author of an academic paper, have made increasing relative contributions to academic scholarship over recent decades. No work has specifically and explicitly addressed the roles, rights, and responsibilities of middle authors, an authorship position which we believe is particularly vulnerable to abuse via growing phenomena such as paper mills. Responsible middle authorship requires transparent declarations of intellectual and other scientific contributions that journals can and should require of co-authors and established guidelines and criteria to achieve this already exist (ICMJE/CRediT). Although publishers, editors, and authors need to collectively uphold a situation of shared responsibility for appropriate co-authorship, current models have failed science since verification of authorship is impossible, except through blind trust in authors' statements. During the retraction of a paper, while the opinion of individual co-authors might be noted in a retraction notice, the retraction itself practically erases the relevance of co-author contributions and position/status (first, leading, senior, last, co-corresponding, etc.). Paper mills may have successfully proliferated because individual authors' roles and responsibilities are not tangibly verifiable and are thus indiscernible. We draw on a historical example of manipulated research to argue that authors and editors should publish publicly available, traceable contributions to the intellectual content of an article-both classical authorship or technical contributions-to maximize both visibility of individual contributions and accountability. To make our article practically more relevant to this journal's readership, we reviewed the top 50 Q1 journals in the fields of biochemistry and pharmacology, as ranked by the SJR, to appreciate which journals adopted the ICMJE or CRediT schools of authorship contribution, finding significant variation in adhesion to ICMJE guidelines nor the CRediT criteria and wording of author guidelines.

Environmental Pollution and Its Design Presentation in Advertising (Plastic Pollution as a Model)

The relentless pursuit of technological and industrial advancement, coupled with population growth, has erected obstacles that have exacerbated the problem of environmental pollution. Environmental pollution has caused significant losses to living organisms and health systems worldwide. However, there is a realistic hope that many of us will see an improvement in the situation in the coming years. This study explores ways to present environmental advertising as a source of information that can influence individual and societal decisions, and the change it brings about in the thoughts and behaviors of individuals and societies. It also identifies appropriate strategies for designing environmental advertising by highlighting the collection and amplification of the design elements to show the problem of environmental pollution on a wide scale. The first chapter addresses the research problem and is summarized by the question: What is environmental pollution and how can it be presented in advertising design? The importance of the study is as follows: Theoretical importance: The possibility of benefiting from this study in environmental studies, and the benefit of learning about the scientific results produced by this study. The research objective is to identify ways to present the problem of plastic pollution in environmental advertising designs. The second chapter presents previous studies and the theoretical framework, which includes two sections: the first deals with (environmental pollution), and the second deals with (environmental advertising). After completing the theoretical framework, the indicators that were used in the axis analysis questionnaire were extracted. The third chapter is dedicated to the research procedures. And among the results that the researcher reached: Finding the motivation for change through image, text, and color. One of the most important conclusions of the study is that: Environmental advertising is an effective tool in spreading environmental awareness, by providing information, statistics, and urging individual and social responsibility towards the various environmental problems. The communication of environmental advertising is based on strategies for conveying information to the public, largely through images, especially in linguistically and culturally heterogeneous societies.

The influence of synchronization of HR and PR practices in developing a strong CSR culture

Cultivating a CSR culture in an organization requires coordinated efforts spanning various functions in that organization. While former research has investigated the independent effects of HR and PR practices on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) culture, a critical gap exists regarding their combined influence, and their role in promoting individual social responsibility. This study investigates the novel concept of synergistic HR-PR practices, elucidating how positioning these functions strengthens employees’ individual social responsibility, ultimately fostering a robust and enduring CSR culture. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research begins with a qualitative single-case study to gain insights into the process. Subsequently, a quantitative survey (N = 160) is conducted, with data analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS. The results confirmed the significant relationship between the synchronization of HR-PR practices and a strong CSR culture through the mediating effects of individual responsibility. This finding unveiled the fundamental role of consistent and synchronized external and internal CSR messaging in promoting employees’ individual social responsibility, which in turn helps them embrace their role in upholding a strong CSR culture within the organization. This finding significantly advances the HR-PR-CSR discourse and offers valuable guidance for policymakers aiming to achieve desired CSR results.

A Risky Business? Climate Change and Meat Reduction in Aotearoa New Zealand. A Media Framing Analysis

ABSTRACT The reduction of red meat in high-income countries is an impactful climate action and necessary to balance the projected growth of meat consumption in middle-income countries. Aotearoa New Zealand (herein Aotearoa) is a high-income country with elevated per capita greenhouse gas emissions. This research presents a media framing analysis of 58 news media stories on meat reduction as a climate action. It illuminates how arguments are constructed rhetorically and debates about meat reduction made convincing. Within Aotearoa media, a “risk” frame has been adopted for both pro meat reduction and anti-meat reduction positions. Arguments favoring reduction considered the risks of meat consumption to both human health and ecological systems. Arguments against meat reduction focused on risks to humans, relying on nutritional science to support claims. Both positions emphasized individual action and responsibility, presenting dietary “choice” as the foremost way to manage risk. In doing so, structural changes such as government policy change or food regulation were de-emphasized.

What is important in forensic psychiatric evaluation in people with Down syndrome? A sample from Türkiye

PurposeDown syndrome is one of the common genetic causes of intellectual disability. Adult with Down syndrome may have many psychiatric comorbidities. Therefore, their mental health status should be considered in legal proceedings such as criminal responsibility and legal capacity where they are involved. This study aims to highlight that individuals with Down syndrome are often referred directly to forensic psychiatry without undergoing an interview, despite the fact that this is a group with varied mental statuses.Design/methodology/approachThis study analysed the socio-demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of eight adult individuals with Down syndrome for whom the Council of Forensic Medicine (CFM) requested an opinion on criminal liability and other legal situations between 2018 and 2022. The CFM is an authoritative institution to which cases from all areas of Türkiye are referred.FindingsThe mean age of the individuals with Down syndrome for whom a forensic psychiatric opinion was requested was 24.63 (±7.95) and the mean IQ level was 54.13 (±13.38). All cases were male, 6 / 8 were referred for assessment of criminal responsibility and 4 / 6 of those referred for assessment of criminal responsibility were referred for sexual offences. It was found that 5 / 8 of the cases had moderate intellectual disability and 3 / 8 of the cases had mild intellectual disability.Research limitations/implicationsRegarding the limitations of this study, the first one is the small sample size. Nevertheless, due to the low prevalence of people with Down syndrome in society, it is plausible that their stigmatization may not be reflected in the judicial system, even in cases involving violent behaviour. The second limitation is that the reports lack all psychiatric medical documents, including forensic psychiatric evaluations of individuals with Down syndrome. Additionally, additional diseases were recorded based on familial anamnesis. The third limitation is that this study is the first publication to investigate Down syndrome from a forensic psychiatric perspective. Thus, there is a lack of literature to make direct comparisons and references in the discussion section.Social implicationsThis is the first study about forensic psychiatric aspects for people with Down syndrome. The aim of this study was to examine the forensic psychiatric approach in Down syndrome, one of the most common genetic causes of intellectual disability, the situations in which forensic psychiatric assessment is required and the issues that might be considered important in this regard. Although there are various publications in the literature on the psychiatric conditions of individuals with Down syndrome, to our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate individuals with Down syndrome in terms of forensic psychiatric evaluation. People with Down syndrome are known to have varying degrees of intellectual disability and different types of psychiatric comorbidity.Originality/valuePeople with Down syndrome are a heterogeneous group in terms of intellectual disability. The criminal responsibility and legal capacity of individuals may vary according to the legal situation. When requesting forensic psychiatric evaluation of these patients with psychiatric co-morbidity, patients should not be prejudged in terms of their level of mental competence and each case should be assessed individually.

Encounters through books of light: uncanny television and media archaeology in The Living and the Dead

ABSTRACT This article conducts an analysis of the BBC/BBC America supernatural drama The Living and the Dead, which ran for six episodes in 2016. It considers the drama’s association with traditions of uncanny television, and its use of ahistorical objects and artefacts to construct its unique aesthetic. The mutual haunting between main character Nathan (Colin Morgan) in the nineteenth century and his twenty-first century descendant Lara (Chloe Pirrie) is shown to allow the series to pursue a complex engagement with the past. Nathan’s grief over the death of his young son informs his endeavours to understand the supernatural occurrences in the fictional Shepzoy village, leaving him caught between his individual trauma and responsibilities to the community. The drama’s media archaeology is established through its depiction of historical objects and the construction of archival material, most prominent in the motif of photography. The digital recordings of Lara’s iPad in the twenty-first century are compared with the objects of the past and connected to the series’ own mise-en-scène. The end of the series reveals the importance of these artefacts’ appearances across time, the mutual haunting between generations allowing the narrative to reach a resolution.

Mother blame and emotion work: a sociological study on Swedish mothers of children with long-term school absenteeism

Building on interviews with 31 Swedish mothers and drawing on the concepts of emotion work, feeling rules, and cultural, economic and social capital, the article examines the emotion management mothers of neurodivergent and school-absent children carry out as they navigate school and care systems to improve their children’s situation. Three main findings are presented: (1) the mothers were left with a burdensome individual responsibility to obtain support for their children in the education and care sectors, and while doing so, they were expected to follow feeling rules emphasising reason, calmness and a constructive attitude; (2) the emotion work the mothers carried out in relation to the feeling rules was underscored by mother blame; and (3) the mothers’ emotion work was marked by their cultural, economic and social capital, though not always in a straightforward way. The article contributes to research on mother blame by illuminating the underexplored issue of emotion work among mothers experiencing mother blame. The results also add to previous research on mother blame and social class by demonstrating when and how mothers’ cultural, economic and social capital helps them fend off mother blame and when such resources play a more ambiguous role.

Neoliberal feeling rules and political subjectivities in post-Soviet Latvia: narratives of emigrants and those who remain

This study integrates the literature on neoliberal subjectivities with the sociology of emotions, and particularly the notion of feeling rules, to understand the political subjectivity expressions in Latvia where the post-Soviet neoliberal development brought high income and wealth inequality. We specifically ask what the relationship between collective emotions and neoliberal political subjectivity in post-Soviet space is. Based on our empirical data, we construct three ideal types of political subjectivities wherein each holds a different narrative about the neoliberal state. We show the first two dominated among our respondents in Latvia while the third was prevalent among emigrant Latvians. We find that respondents’ narratives dominant at home were framed by neoliberal feeling rules which fostered optimistic thinking (narrative of resilience) and feelings of individual responsibility (narrative of legitimating) silencing the emotion of anger necessary to form a critical democratic dialogue with the state. Meanwhile, emigrant Latvians voiced a more socially and politically aware critique towards the Latvian state, austerity politics and social injustice (narrative of anger). We provide implications for this theory of post-Soviet political subjectivities at the end.

Challenges and Responsibilities of Freedom of Expression in the Industrial Era 4.0: Analysis of Social Interaction on Instagram Social Media

The industrial era 4.0 has brought significant changes in people's lives, with the rapid development of technology and information, as well as the important role of social media such as Instagram in digitalization changes. Freedom of expression on these platforms is becoming increasingly important, but also increasingly complex. Freedom of expression is a basic right of every individual which is included in Human Rights (HAM). However, this concept is not absolute and is always accompanied by certain responsibilities and obligations. Laws and statutory regulations stipulate that freedom of expression must be exercised by complying with ethical norms, laws, and other individual rights and freedoms. Freedom of expression also plays an important role in the world of the internet and social media. The internet has become a platform that allows individuals to express themselves without physical limitations, with almost limitless potential. Social media such as Instagram allows users to share creative content, in the form of photos, videos and text. However, users must use this freedom wisely and responsibly. They have complete control over their uploads, with a privacy settings feature that allows them to control who can access their content. Social media should not regulate individual ethics and behavior, but rather give individuals the right and obligation to use the platform wisely. Thus, freedom of expression on social media such as Instagram requires awareness of individual responsibility in carrying it out. By obeying the rules, norms and rights of other people, this freedom can be exercised well without harming anyone and still strengthening the social norms that apply in society.

Conceptual basis of international jurisdiction

Constant changes in international relations and global challenges in the geopolitical arena disrupt the effectiveness and relevance of existing approaches to international justice. In this context, there is a need to analyze the conceptual foundations of this field in order to adapt to modern realities. The main goal of this study is to analyze the conceptual foundations of international justice, taking into account the latest scientific achievements and global perspectives. The focus of the research is the formation of new theoretical approaches and conceptual frameworks for the analysis and understanding of international criminal law. The methodological basis of the study is based on the analysis of scientific works in the field of international criminal law, as well as the use of modern scientific approaches to information processing. The article reveals new aspects and perspectives of the study of the conceptual foundations of international justice, which can contribute to the further development of the theory and practice of disclosure and investigation of serious violations of international law. The author highlights four conceptual ideas that underlie International Criminal Justice. The first concept concerns the principle of legality, which takes into account not only legal norms, but also social and legal transformations. The second idea considers the principle of international crime, which covers serious violations of international law. The third concept concerns individual responsibility for international crimes, regardless of the social status and official position of the subject of the offense. The fourth idea is the principle of universal jurisdiction, which provides a legal response to serious violations of international law, regardless of the circumstances and the subject of their commission. These concepts reflect the goal of international criminal justice, which is the inevitability of punishment for serious violations of international law, since their commission threatens the security of all humanity.

Prospects for the use of preferential taxation of individuals to achieve environmental sustainability in Russia

Within the framework of this article, the issue of achieving sustainable development goals is problematized, special attention is paid to the study of the possibilities of preferential taxation to ensure environmentally responsible behavior of individuals, as a significant facet of a proactive approach to solving environmental problems. The importance of the participation of the state and society in achieving the goal through the provision of tax preferences is emphasized. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were solved: the place of environmental responsibility in the system of general responsibility of individuals was studied; the role and methods of the state in the system of encouraging environmentally responsible behavior and consumption of the population are outlined; An assessment is made of the prospects for the use of environmental preferences in the taxation system for individuals. The study revealed that at the same time, environmental tax instruments are practically not used in Russia at the moment. Directions for the development of environmental tax preferences are proposed through the dissemination of the practice of applying zero tax rates for transport taxes, the introduction of environmental tax deductions, and the adjustment of investment tax deductions for taxes for individuals.

Management practices that promote preventive measures compliance: A comparative analysis between hospital healthcare workers and teachers

Frontline workers were at significant risk during the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result, several recommendations were implemented to protect the health and safety of frontline professions. Despite guidelines issued by the relevant authorities, several observations have emerged that workplaces do not always implement the wearing of personal protective equipment and compliance with other preventive measures. This study investigates healthcare workers and teachers’ compliance with these measures in Quebec, Canada. Specifically, this study aims to examine the application of preventive measures among hospital healthcare workers and elementary and high school teachers, identify the factors associated with the application of preventive measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and understand the differences in the dynamics of applying preventive measures in hospitals and educational institutions. This study is based on a proposed new model for preventive measure compliance, which classifies the factors that could influence the dependent variable of compliance with preventive measures into three variables: organizational context, organizational incentives, and individual social responsibility. Data were collected using an observational cross-sectional design through an online questionnaire survey of teachers and hospital healthcare workers in Canada. The results highlight that the three variables can impact the application of preventive practices; however, these variables did not intervene in the same manner in hospitals and educational institutions. Indeed, the results show that management practices differ in the two sectors of activity, with practices being more favorable for hospital healthcare workers.

Peningkatan Kemampuan PenyusunanOrganization Goals Dan Penerapan Human Relations Dalam Berorganisasi Pada Mahasiswa

Organization goals are future conditions that will be achieved by the organization. Organization goals are important things that direct the success of an organization. Preparing organizational goals is the responsibility of individuals and groups within the organization so it requires appropriate techniques that are carried out formally and effectively. This community service activity was held in order to improve students' abilities and skills in formulating organizational goals appropriately. Apart from that, this activity also aims to provide an understanding of human relations in relation to conflict as an obstacle to achieving organizational goals. This community service activity was carried out in two stages, namely a survey and analysis related to the process of preparing organizational goals carried out by students and the second stage was training in preparing organizational goals and implementing human relations as a strategy that supports the achievement of organizational goals.

Current Status, Problems and Optimization Suggestions of Financing Mechanism for Urban and Rural Residents' Health Insurance in China

The financing mechanism for urban and rural residents' health insurance has continued to develop, with the financing method further refined on the basis of quota financing, the financing level raised year by year in line with individual contributions and financial subsidies, and the financing responsibility shared by the government and gradually strengthened in terms of individual responsibility. However, the current financing mechanism for urban and rural residents' health insurance is faced with the dilemmas of irrational financing method, insufficient financing level, and unbalanced financing responsibility. In light of this situation, it is recommended that the fixed-ratio financing reform be promoted step by step, that a sound mechanism be established for scientifically determining the financing level, that the sense of individual responsibility be strengthened and the financing responsibility be gradually equalized.

Evaluating the Integration of Islamic Values in Primary Education: A Logic Model Approach

This study examined the acquisition of Islamic values in an Islamic primary school using a logic model-based evaluative approach to assess input, output, and outcome dimensions. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational practices in promoting Islamic values among students. Data were gathered through interviews, observation, and documentation, and were analyzed through iterative stages of collection, reduction, display, and conclusion. Findings indicate that the structural input for Islamic values learning involves coordinated efforts among various school departments. The school's cultural climate excels in academic, communal, security, and institutional areas. The output is reflected in diverse activities such as morning murâja’ah sessions, Quran reading and writing guidance using the Ummi method, congregational prayers, and rituals like Clean Friday and Blessed Friday. These activities lead to outcomes that foster individual piety, integrity, discipline, honesty, responsibility, creativity, and social consciousness among students. The study underscores the importance of instilling Islamic values from an early age, highlighting its potential to foster lifelong adherence to these principles. In conclusion, the research affirms the efficacy of these educational practices in transmitting Islamic values, emphasizing the pivotal role of primary education in cultivating a deep-rooted commitment to these values for the future.