Sense Of Confidence Research Articles

Vulnerable Machos: The Globalization of Hip hop and Changing Gender Regimes in Israeli Rap

Israeli rappers often feature vulnerability in their texts and performances. In so doing they deliberately challenge a long tradition of hyper-masculinity in both hip hop and Israeli culture. This strategic deviation, I claim, enables Israeli rappers to exhibit a sense of authenticity and hence to claim legitimate participation in the global field of hip hop which sacralizes the ethos of “being real.” In examining texts produced by two generations of Israeli rappers I will illuminate the negotiations whereby global stylistic tropes acquire original local meanings. It is argued that while cross-cultural dialogue has the capacity to destabilize gender regimes at the local level, new perceptions of masculinity generate artistic intertextuality that is the infrastructure of cultural globalization.

Workplace spirituality to cultivate innovative work behaviour: the moderating role of perceived working conditions

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to contribute to the debate on innovative work behaviour (IWB). Employees are expected to exhibit innovative behaviour that can realize, sustain and implement new ideas. This study explores the role of workplace spirituality (WPS) in advancing employees' innovative work behaviour (IWB). Furthermore, this study investigates how employees' perceived working conditions moderate the relationship between WPS and IWB.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprised 516 employees working in different supply chain companies in India. The researchers used correlation, hierarchical regression analysis and the PROCESS macro in SPSS.FindingsThe results highlighted that the four measurements of WPS (Swadharma, a sense of community, authenticity and Lokasangraha) significantly predict IWB among employees of selected companies. Also, the results suggested the significant moderating effects of decision authority, social support and autonomy on IWB.Originality/valueDrawing from broaden and build theory and theory of intangible resources, the present study demonstrates that WPS positively impacts the employee's IWB. Further, this paper also shows the moderating effects of three dimensions of perceived working conditions between WPS and IWB, which is under-explored in previous research.

“No one believes we dated” - lesbian YouTube as a tool for Rhetorical Citizenship

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how lesbians utilize YouTube to make themselves into rhetorical citizens and how YouTubers use hypermediation and mediated authenticity to achieve an authentic sense of a virtual community among the lesbian minority group. I review the concepts of rhetorical citizenship, mediated authenticity and remediation. Furthermore, I analyze two videos by lesbian YouTubers, focusing on the stylistic features while applying the theory of mediated authenticity. The paper concludes that, through the platform of YouTube, some lesbians have the opportunity to acquire rhetorical agency—and become rhetorical citizens through participation in democracy. Through the use of authenticity puzzles, the lesbian YouTubers manage to create a sense of community and encourage lesbian viewers to actively participate—and unite them in shared experiences they can relate to such as shared cultural codes. Although lesbian YouTubers today play a big part in giving lesbians representation and reducing minority stress, there is a long way to go before lesbians have achieved the diverse representation they need to attain access to rhetorical citizenship through the platform of YouTube. Until BIPOC lesbians get more visibility, one will not be able to claim that lesbians have gained the full potential of rhetorical citizenship through YouTube.

Fantastical Authenticity in Correctional Officer Recruitment Videos

ABSTRACT Criminal justice agencies increasingly recruit new personnel online using social media. This paper analyzes correctional officer recruitment videos appearing on YouTube. Engaging with literature on social media representations and authenticity, we examine the content and the themes appearing in these videos. We use a grounded theory approach to data analysis accompanied by a semiotic reading of these video texts. We argue that these video representations convey a sense of fantastical authenticity, meaning there is a mythical or embellished dimension to these depictions and accounts. We also find that these videos communicate establishment narratives about prisons and prison work. We also situate our analysis in broader literature on social media use and communications by criminal justice agencies. We conclude with reflections on what this means for understanding representations of criminal justice as well as social media use by prison authorities in North America.

THE ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE FOLKLORE PLOT, TRADITIONAL IMAGES AND MOTIVES IN THE LEGEND BY NATALENA KOROLEVA "KYRYLO KOZHUMIAKA"

The article presents an attempt to analyze the legend by Natalena Koroleva "Kyrylo Kozhumiaka" in terms of determining the specifics of the author's reinterpretation of the folklore plot, traditional motives and images. The material for generalizations is the texts of the Ukrainian folk tale "Kyrylo Kozhumiaka", published by Panteleimon Kulish in "Notes on Southern Rus" and the legend by Natalena Koroleva (collection "Ancient Kyivan Legends") under the same title. The study observes that Natalena Koroleva revealed a steady interest in folklore and literary legends throughout her creative life, masterfully weaving the legend material into almost every artistic text. The article notes that the legend "Kyrylo Kozhumiaka" was written in ancient traditions: this is expressed in the active use of the means of epic recitative songs, in the depiction of popular folklore characters, in the stylization of oral folk poetry. The variety of stylistic devices typical of domestic folklore envokes the reader’s sense of authenticity and highlights the truthfulness of the depicted image of a distant epoch. The article reveals that in the collection "Ancient Kyivan Legends" the author continued and creatively reinterpreted the ancient traditions of Ukrainian and European legends. The comparative analysis of the folk tale "Kyrylo Kozhumiaka" and the legend by Natalena Koroleva under the same title, on the one hand, evinced the writer's admiration for the Ukrainian oral folk poetic heritage and a deep understanding of folk poetics; on the other hand, it demonstrated her ability and talent to fill a well-known plot with new ideas and collisions, to create full-blooded and bright heroes, to decorate the text with brilliant means and techniques of artistic expression. Natalena Koroleva convincingly proved that the legend as a literary genre can harmoniously exist in the modern literary process.

The Nightmare Island: Representations of St. Barthélemy in Swedish Novels

The Nightmare Island: Representations of St. Barthélemy in Swedish Novels

Twice Forgotten: African Americans and the Korean War, an Oral History by David P. Cline

Reviewed by: Twice Forgotten: African Americans and the Korean War, an Oral History by David P. Cline Selika Ducksworth-Lawton Twice Forgotten: African Americans and the Korean War, an Oral History. By David P. Cline. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2021. Pp. 387. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.) Most histories of African Americans in the military focus on World War II or Vietnam. African American soldiers tell their own stories in Twice Forgotten, the first work to highlight such voices in Korean-conflict literature. This book bridges African American experiences between World War II and Vietnam and offers African American men's perceptions of military integration, thereby correcting for this absence in previous literature. Author David P. Cline's purpose is to discuss the Korean War from the standpoint of African American soldiers. The work starts in 1946 with the [End Page 603] beginnings of desegregation, discussing various types of small-unit integration and President Harry F. Truman's 1948 Executive Order 9981, which banned segregation in the military but did not integrate it. Cline's discussion of the complexities of desegregation, removing discrimination, and integration is excellent. The book then moves through 1950 to the July battlefront in Korea and ends with the soldiers' return and how they influenced the civilian world, a period of rapid change. Cline's framework is chronological. He uses oral testimonies that he and his team collected for American RadioWorks, the documentary arm of American Public Media. The wide array of testimonies cover all military branches except the Coast Guard. The testimonies are eloquent, bracketed with explanatory context, and illustrate the pain experienced by African American soldiers who worked against bias while defending the country. Testimonies from Texas soldiers illustrate the state's unique racial landscape, with examples from East Texas revealing harsher examples of harassment and Jim Crow than those from the western part of the state. Cline's writing is nuanced, and throughout the work is readable. Impeccably researched, the book does justice to its subject matter. Nevertheless, readers will not find an evaluation of the courts-martial for misconduct under Article 93 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (failure to obey orders) wrongfully inflicted on the 24th Infantry Division and 159th Field Artillery Battalion. This book is still invaluable because the voices of the men who were there give readers an authentic sense of battle and being prisoners of war; the latter experience especially is new in the literature. These men fought a dual war against bigotry, both in war and at home. This work documents their experiences in their own words. Selika Ducksworth-Lawton University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire Copyright © 2022 The Texas State Historical Association

Authenticity of cultural heritage vis-à-vis heritage reproducibility and intangibility: from conservation philosophy to practice

ABSTRACT This article states that the philosophical nature/ambiguity/controversy of the issue of authenticity undermines its usefulness as a tool in conservation practice. The main drawback is the inability to objectively define the notion of authenticity. In conservation philosophy, the meaning of authenticity relativizes along with the widespread consent to the reproducibility of cultural heritage, whereas the recognition of its intangibility negates the sense of authenticity. In the World Heritage (WH) policy and practice, the uselessness/counterproductivity of authenticity as a necessary requirement is visible in the inconsistency of this system in the treatment of the commonly realized reproducibility of cultural heritage, and in relation to heritage with a prevailing intangibility, which is illustrated by the example of Gdańsk as a potential WH site. Although the article provides many arguments for departing from the concept of authenticity in the WH system, authenticity introduces the socially beneficial element of discretion (it cannot be considered binarily), as it forces a discussion that raises cultural awareness in an increasingly homogenized world. Finally, to reduce some inconsistencies in the WH system, this paper recommends restoring autonomy to criterion (vi) in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The Current Status and Challenges of Templestay Programs in Korean Buddhism

Templestay is a Korean program where participants have the chance to stay in a Buddhist temple and explore the historic buildings, statues, and natural surroundings of the temple grounds, while experiencing meditation and Buddhist rituals first-hand. Launched in 2002, approximately six million participants have attended Templestay programs over the last 20 years. However, in contrast to the great successes during the first ten years of the program’s existence, the last ten years have met with a significant decline in rates of participation. The aim of this article is to investigate the rise and fall in these figures to better understand the current wants and needs of participants and to consider the future of the Templestay program. Through an analysis of statistics garnered by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism and a review of research studies on the growth and development of Templestay, this article considers why the program has recently been in decline and suggests how this may be remedied. Particular attention is given to how the needs of diverse participants can be met within a religious environment. In the conclusion, this article suggests that the number of participants may be increased with the implementation of programs more universally applied across all Templestay sites. Furthermore, critical concerns about over-commercialization are warranted insofar as marketing compromises the sense of authenticity sought by participants.

The Detail of Place and the Place of Detail

Abstract Literary settings are often celebrated for richly representing the many details of a particular place. The close association between detail and setting stems from the realist presumption that detail constitutes what Roland Barthes calls an “index of . . . atmosphere”: the accumulation of details provides an authentic sense of place. But the detail’s usual role in constructing immersive worlds seems antithetical to the project of the so-called global novel, which has often been characterized by placelessness and by cosmopolitan, jet-setting characters. This essay examines the relationship between place, detail, and narrative in Teju Cole’s Open City (2011), which has often been praised for its intimate portrayal of New York. With Open City Cole offers a metanarrative commentary on the detail’s function in previous literary periods and modes, from the nineteenth-century novel’s harnessing of detail to create plush, seemingly real worlds to modernist and postmodern fiction’s interrogation of the detail’s supposed referentiality. Engaging with the detail’s many legacies, Cole underscores the latent violence of detail in the global novel, namely, its capacity to draw something into the foreground or make it recede into the background.

Spatial Authenticity and Extraordinary Experiences: Music Festivals and the Everyday Nature of Tourism Destinations

Research taking into account the everyday nature of tourism destinations and its impact upon authenticity and attendees’ resulting extraordinary experiences is limited. Drawing upon a 3-year ethnography (including fieldnotes, photos/videos, artifact material) and interviews with festival attendees, we explore the interrelationships between authenticity and extraordinary experiences in the context of Primavera Sound music festival. Our emergent thematic categories—the festival’s indie music character, its urban and quotidian configuration, and the instrumental orientation of the festival experience—suggest the festival is firmly positioned within the structures of the indie music industry, while also being located within the confines of day-to-day urban life. Attendees seek to achieve a sense of spatial authenticity by engaging with the features of tourism destinations. We contribute to discussions about authenticity and extraordinary experiences by unpacking the everyday nature of tourism destinations, demonstrating that not all music festivals need to be “extraordinary” muddy camping events.

“It’s Allowed Me to Be a Lot Kinder to Myself”: Exploration of the Self-Transformative Properties of Solitude During COVID-19 Lockdowns

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) national lockdowns profoundly affected the lives of many, as significant portions of the U.K. population were involuntarily sequestered away from their usual social landscapes into newfound states of solitude. Many millennials (those between the ages of 25 and 40 at the point of study), having lived in an age of constant connection, found themselves in an extended period of solitude for the first time. The current qualitative study explores through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) how some UK millennials were able to harness the unique self-transformative properties of positive solitude during the COVID-19 national lockdowns. Analysis revealed a narrative of self-discovery, as domains of positive solitude granted the participants freedom from the demands of performative social burdens and encouraged opportunities to engage with mindfulness and meaningful introspection. These activities, within the experience of solitude, encouraged an alignment of inward beliefs and outward behaviors for the participants, thus helping them to cultivate a more congruent self-concept and subsequently a heightened sense of authenticity and enhanced psychological well-being. Clinical implications leading on from the current study highlight the importance of mindfulness and other solitude-promoting interventions as a method to ameliorate depressive symptoms and improve psychological well-being.

Troll Magic: Hidden Folk from the Mountains and Forests of Norway

Troll Magic: Hidden Folk from the Mountains and Forests of Norway

In the Dark: The Afterlife of a Horror Hoax

In the Dark, a 2007 webseries directed by Andrew Cull that purports to be the YouTube channel of a young woman documenting a haunting in her apartment, is arguably the first horror hoax webseries on YouTube. Two decades after the popular rise of two horror media traditions that make use of the storytelling power of hoaxes, the found footage horror film and creepypasta, this article returns to In the Dark as an early work that draws on both these modes and asks: what happens when a hoax gets old? If the credibility of a hoax is inherently time-limited, how might a work of hoax horror whose time has passed speak to us now? To explore the afterlife of In the Dark, I discuss this foundational but little-studied work in the context of earlier scholarship on genres and modes that make use of illusions of authenticity, like creepypasta, found footage film, and alternate reality games (ARGs). I discuss how In the Dark functioned as a hoax when it was originally published in 2007, examining its amateur aesthetics, its interactions with viewers, and its inclusion of apparently meaningless material to create a sense of authenticity and implicate the reader in the storytelling process. Reflecting on how the last fifteen years have changed the way this hoax appears to and works on viewers, I suggest that as the immediate credibility of a horror hoax diminishes, a different kind of horror effect takes over, allowing the hoax to function in new, unintended ways.

'Some days I am a lunatic that thinks I can moderate': Amalgamating recovery and neo-liberal discourses within accounts of non-drinking among women active in the 'positive sobriety' community on Instagram in the UK.

In recent years, reductions in drinking in the UK and the rise of online 'positive' sobriety communities have been observed, yet peer led support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and neo-liberal discourses of control and responsibility dominate public understandings of (problematic) alcohol use. This paper presents research exploring how women active in the 'positive sobriety' community on Instagram position and construct their non-drinking identities and relationships with alcohol within these overlapping discourses. Semi-structured interviews (n=15) and online content produced by women active in the positive sobriety community on Instagram were analysed using thematic analysis. Women challenged, reproduced and amalgamated AA discourses of addiction, and the broader discourses of neo-liberalism, in ways that positioned (alcohol) consumption, agency, control and individual responsibility as defining features of feminine identity making. Drawing on these discourses, binary understandings of problematic drinking, the identity of the 'alcoholic', and the need to reach 'rock bottom' in the recovery process were rejected and challenged, but at times reproduced. Whilst a broader framing of problematic drinking that situated drinking problems on a spectrum was constructed, abstinence was engaged with and promoted as the most effective way of gaining control and responsibility over drinking in gendered ways, and in establishing an authentic sense of self. This paper contributes to emerging research on online 'positive' sobriety communities, their gendered nature, and the intertwined presence of traditional recovery and neo-liberal discourses in women's accounts. Online sober communities offered alternative spaces of support and allowed for sobriety and sober femininities to be framed more positively than within traditional AA conceptualisations. However, those involved may experience tensions around (a) the need to 'tell' their personal stories of complete abstinence whilst still appealing to those who seek to 'moderate' and (b) the pressure to create and craft an 'authentic' sober self on an online platform that demands a carefully curated self-image and personal 'brand'. Further research should aim to gain more understanding of the role social media plays in "doing" sobriety and non-drinking, how this is done by people of different genders, the intersectional experiences of those participating, and how these communities can be made more equally available and accessible to those who do not consider full abstinence as necessary, whilst still appealing to those that do.

Strength through Poetry as We Regain Our Balance in the COVID-19 Aftermath: Literary Insights from Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney Read from a Naturalist and Existentialist Perspective

Drawing on Seamus Heaney and his symbolic reference to a great sea change or tidal wave in epic poem “The Cure at Troy” (1990) – much referred to in these gradually post-pandemic times and indicating that a new chapter is about to begin – and “The City” by Ted Hughes, where a life is read like a poem and in the many depths of the urban space the writer roams “my own darkness”, this paper looks at human resilience in the face of an interrupted COVID reality that has brought a fundamental shift to the way we view the world and our role in society. In our era of a New Normal, the idea that “less is more” is quickly becoming a mantra for our times, a time characterised by a gradual distancing from material hype while we turn to nature for solace and guidance – as importantly advocated by Heaney and Hughes who illuminate our path as we gain a greater understanding of what really matters at the core. We likewise begin to see commonalities between people and cultures, and we open up a space for a greater sense of authenticity. As we are now stepping into the initial stages of 2023, entering a new chapter; have we gained existential insights from the COVID-19 pandemic and will this lead to new beginnings where the written word helps us along the way?

“I never should have been a doctor”: a qualitative study of imposter phenomenon among internal medicine residents

IntroductionImposter phenomenon is common among medical trainees and may influence learning and professional development. The authors sought to describe imposter phenomenon among internal medicine residents.MethodsIn 2020, using emailed invites we recruited a convenience sample of 28 internal medicine residents from a teaching hospital in Baltimore, Maryland to participate in an exploratory qualitative study. In one-on-one interviews, informants described experiences of imposter phenomenon during residency training. Using thematic analysis to identify meaningful segments of text, the authors developed a coding framework and iteratively identified and refined themes. Informants completed the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale.ResultsInformants described feelings and thoughts related to imposter phenomenon, the contexts in which they developed and the impact on learning. Imposter phenomenon has profound effects on residents including: powerful and persistent feelings of inadequacy and habitual comparisons with others. Distinct contexts shaping imposter phenomenon included: changing roles with increasing responsibilities; constant scrutiny; and rigid medical hierarchy. Learning was impacted by inappropriate expectations, difficulty processing feedback, and mental energy diverted to impression management.DiscussionInternal medicine residents routinely experience imposter phenomenon; these feelings distort residents’ sense of self confidence and competence and may impact learning. Modifiable aspects of the clinical learning environment exacerbate imposter phenomenon and thus can be acted upon to mitigate imposter phenomenon and promote learning among medical trainees.

Desert Bus: Abusive Game Design, The Martyrdom Effect, and Fan Activism on Twitch.tv

Desert Bus began as vaporware. A decade after it was initially shelved, it was rediscovered and became a way for gamers to show off their insider knowledge of rare and hard-to-find bits of gaming history. A few years later, its reputation for being one of the least fun video games ever made it the centerpiece of a long-running charity event. In this essay, I will conduct a textual analysis of Desert Bus and argue that the uniquely painful gaming experience that the game provides players makes it a perfect vehicle for charity streaming, providing both a sense of gamer authenticity and credibility to the Desert Bus for Hope event and an emotional incentive for viewers to give. This research stands to benefit scholars working on cult media, a field in which work on video games is relatively rare in comparison to work on television and film.

ПСИХОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЗВ'ЯЗКУ ЖИТТЄСТІЙКОСТІ ТА САМООЦІНКИ ОСОБИСТОСТІ В СКЛАДНИХ ЖИТТЄВИХ СИТУАЦІЯХ

Background. The article reveals the psychological relationship between hardiness and self-esteem. It is emphasized that hardiness is a pattern of internal attitudes of a personality, which is the basis of courage and bravery, a kind of belief system of a person that gives him or her a sense of self-confidence and provides an opportunity to rely on their own strength in difficult periods of life. At the same time, it is emphasized that a favorable self-esteem is a necessary factor in overcoming difficulties and stressful circumstances. Objective: to reveal the psychological features of the relationship between self-esteem and personality hardiness. To identify the main factors of self-esteem. Methods. The study involved 135 people, including 34 men and 101 women. Three methods were used: "S. Maddi's Hardiness Survey (adapted by D. Leontiev); S. Kovalev's Self-Esteem Test Questionnaire; J. Crocker's Contingencies of Self-Worth (adapted by O. Molchanova and T. Nekrasova). The study used methods of quantitative data processing, methods of statistical data analysis: Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA model (regression analysis). Results. It was found that the vast majority of respondents have low self-esteem, which is accompanied by sensitivity to criticism, excessive shyness, and a tendency to adapt to others. It was found that the overall level of self-esteem of women is higher than that of men. However, among the peculiarities of self-esteem manifestation, men showed a higher level of such self-esteem indicators as "Family Support", "Rivalry with Others", "Approval of Others" and "Love", while women showed a higher level of "Morality". The article also reveals a strong direct correlation between hardiness and self-esteem. Also, a direct correlation was found between hardiness and such self-esteem indicators as family support, morality, approval of others; appearance and love (interpersonal relationships). A regression model was built, which allowed us to identify the main predictors of self-esteem, including: approval of others, morality, competitiveness and involvement. Conclusions. There is a strong commection between hardiness and self-esteem, which provides the individual with internal support to succeed, even in difficult life situations, and is an important basis for social adaptation and emotional well-being.

Camel, Lion, Child

Philosophical practice is as varied as the methods and subject matter of philosophy itself, and thus may include approaches that involve analysis of the narrative self employing the methods and materials of philosophy. Empirical research suggests that the coherence of the constellation of the narratives constituting the narrative self is associated with an increased sense of purpose, meaning, and authenticity. In this paper, a practitioner (Daude) and a client (Peters) present the use of a philosophical parable, the Three Metamorphoses of the Spirit,” from Nietzsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra, as a means of effecting greater narrative self-coherence through interpretation and revision. Our aim is to provide a glimpse, from both perspectives, not only into the philosophical methodology of narrative self-analysis but also into particular moments in the genealogy of transformation revealed by this approach.