Sense Of Purpose Research Articles

Power and Purpose in an Immigration Removal Centre

Abstract How is power manifest inside an immigration removal centre (IRC), and does the basic function of the institution align with staff’s sense of purpose? Drawing on interviews with employees at Brook House IRC, I argue that power is simultaneously present, absent and elsewhere. Staff acknowledge the presence of power in their ‘immigration prison’, but routinely feel an absence of authority, and note that decisions about immigration cases are made elsewhere. I then analyze how employees speak about the purpose of their work, which they see as providing both security and welfare. I conclude that the twin realities of power and purpose, security and welfare, create a dilemma for staff, IRCs and the liberal state as a whole.

Learning About Resilience from Rural Interprofessional Healthcare Teams: Insights from the “First Wave” of COVID-19

Building resilience is a key concern for adult educators today as we face unprecedented global challenges such as the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Nowhere is this more apparent than in educational initiatives with health professionals who experience many stressors in their work, now amplified by the pandemic. This paper reports the results of focus groups with three interprofessional primary healthcare teams in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, in the fall of 2021. The aim was to learn about their lived experience during the first year of the pandemic, as a basis for considering how resilience could be nurtured and supported in rural team-based collaborative practices settings. Findings reveal that, while each collaborative team experienced recognized COVID-19 workplace stressors, they leveraged a store of collective resilience to navigate the pandemic. The trust, sense of purpose, and shared problem-solving skills they derived from working in collaborative structures over time enabled them to regain equilibrium and to adapt to new norms, and to transform thier practices. The study highlights the power of collaborative learning to strengthen overall ability for resilient performance, and the adaptive capacity that is required to deliver and sustain quality healthcare. The study highlights the need for continuing professional education that values naturally occurring practice-based learning. Adult educators are well positioned to support health professionals and health systems to nurture and support resilient action. They bring an understanding of effective collaborative tools and processes that foster dialogue and collective awareness that leads to a shared identity and understanding. As this study reveals, it is this shared identity and capacity arising within a group that enables them to draw on their collective sources of support to deal with adversity.

Purpose in life moderates the relationship between loneliness and caregiving stress among family caregivers of people with mental health problems

ObjectiveProviding care to others can exert a profound impact on caregivers' sense of purpose or meaning in life, thereby reciprocally influencing the caregivers' overall health and well-being. This study aims to investigate whether the sense of purpose in life moderates the association between loneliness and caregiving stress among family caregivers of people with mental health problems. MethodsA sample of family caregivers of people with mental health problems (N = 468, 57.1 % female) drawn from the 2020 survey of the Caregiving in the U.S. was investigated. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and a multiple regression with an interaction term were performed. ResultsHigher levels of loneliness were associated with enhanced caregiving stress. Moreover, after demographic and care-related factors were controlled for, the association between loneliness and caregiving stress was moderated by purpose in life; namely, as the sense of purpose in life increased, so did the intensity of the relationship between loneliness and caregiving stress. ConclusionReducing loneliness or strengthening the sense of purpose helps alleviate caregiving stress, and lonely family caregivers with a strong sense of purpose deserve extra attention.

The Rhetoric of Origin: American National Ethos in Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father

This paper examines how Barack Obama ruminates on trials and tribulations from his past and ponders over his root in terms of biracial identity to explore his American ethos in his first memoir Dreams from My Father (1995). The paper argues that Obama struggles hard to locate his ethos out of the complexities of the relationships that his parents underwent in terms of their mixed marriages. Eventually he settles to his American identity, which is essentially biracial. From the perspective of Kenneth Burke's notion of 'identification', Obama evokes an awareness of American national ethos identifying with the American character as such and with this he explores his sense of purpose in life to be a public figure. He asserts that one of the fundamental characters of American national ethos is the biracial or multiracial that emanates from the contemporary American mixed society.

Integrated care system leadership: a rapid realist review

PurposeGiven the complex nature of integrated care systems (ICSs), the geographical spread and the large number of organisations involved in partnership delivery, the importance of leadership cannot be overstated. This paper aims to present novel findings from a rapid realist review of ICS leadership in England. The overall review question was: how does leadership in ICSs work, for whom and in what circumstances?Design/methodology/approachDevelopment of initial programme theories and associated context–mechanism–outcome configurations (CMOCs) were supported by the theory-gleaning activities of a review of ICS strategies and guidance documents, a scoping review of the literature and interviews with key informants. A refined programme theory was then developed by testing these CMOCs against empirical data published in academic literature. Following screening and testing, six CMOCs were extracted from 18 documents. The study design, conduct and reporting were informed by the Realist And Metanarrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) training materials (Wong et al., 2013).FindingsThe review informed four programme theories explaining that leadership in ICSs works when ICS leaders hold themselves and others to account for improving population health, a sense of purpose is fostered through a clear vision, partners across the system are engaged in problem ownership and relationships are built at all levels of the system.Research limitations/implicationsDespite being a rigorous and comprehensive investigation, stakeholder input was limited to one ICS, potentially restricting insights from varied geographical contexts. In addition, the recent establishment of ICSs meant limited literature availability, with few empirical studies conducted. Although this emphasises the importance and originality of the research, this scarcity posed challenges in extracting and applying certain programme theory elements, particularly context.Originality/valueThis review will be of relevance to academics and health-care leaders within ICSs in England, offering critical insights into ICS leadership, integrating diverse evidence to develop new evidence-based recommendations, filling a gap in the current literature and informing leadership practice and health-care systems.

Social contributions to meaning in life: the role of romantic relationship quality, parenting, and gender.

The present study tests the association between romantic relationship quality and number of children on meaning in life (i.e., sense of purpose, coherence, and significance) and considers interactions between these constructs and gender. A survey was conducted approximately one year into the pandemic among 473 individuals in the United States. Models demonstrated that relationship quality and number of children are positively associated with meaning, though relationship quality was more strongly related to meaning for men than women. We showed that for women there was an equally positive link between relationship quality and meaning regardless of number of children. However, for men, the positive association between relationship quality and meaning was strongest for those with more than one child, decreased in magnitude for those with one child, and was no longer significant for men with more than one child. These findings provide empirical evidence that social relationships benefit meaning in life and underscore the complexity of these associations. Results have implications for theoretical perspectives on meaning in life, as well as for policies that encourage family wellbeing.

The power of role models: Influence on undergraduates' sense of purpose

We constructed a moderated mediation model to examine the mediating effect of social identification between the psychological distance of the role model and students' sense of purpose and the moderating effect of students' social comparison orientation on the relationship between psychological distance of the role model and students' social identification, which subsequently affects their sense of purpose. Participants were 518 Chinese undergraduates who completed experiments in two studies, and a survey in a third study. Results showed that (a) after excluding the influences of gender and major, psychological distance from their role models negatively predicted participants' sense of purpose; (b) social identification partially mediated the relationship between psychological distance and sense of purpose; and (c) social comparison orientation moderated the negative effects of psychological distance on social identification. Our results show that for the practice of education by example, students should be guided to choose proximal role models as references to enhance their sense of purpose, and thereby reduce the hollow heart phenomenon.

Examining sense of purpose and conscientiousness as unique correlates of health: A bifactor examination.

Conscientiousness and sense of purpose consistently predict health, wellbeing, and health behavior. However, it remains an open question whether they are unique or overlapping predictors of health and wellbeing. The current study considered this question using the MOSAiCH study, a nationally representative sample of 2305 Swiss adults (M: 52.33 years old; SD = 17.36). Participants reported on sense of purpose and conscientiousness, in addition to multiple health, wellbeing, and health behavior indicators (e.g. dietary practices, activity engagement, health conditions, psychological concerns, and doctor visits). Results found conscientiousness and sense of purpose were moderately associated with multiple health, wellbeing, and health behavior indicators. Bifactor modeling was employed to test the incremental validity of conscientiousness and sense of purpose, when accounting for their shared variance. The specific factor for purpose predicted outcomes even when accounting for conscientiousness. However, conscientiousness had little incremental validity over the general factor.

Role of modifiable organisational factors in decreasing barriers to mental healthcare: a longitudinal study of mission meaningfulness, team relatedness and leadership trust among Canadian military personnel deployed on Operation LASER

ObjectivesThe literature presents complex inter-relationships among individual-factors and organisational-factors and barriers to seeking mental health support after deployment. This study aims to quantify longitudinal associations between such factors and barriers...

CONVERTING AGRICULTURE FROM A CURSE TO A BLESSING CATHOLIC ORGANIC RICE FARMERS IN INDONESIA

Since the 1960s, Indonesia has pursued Green Revolution routes that rely on agrochemical methods to increase rice yields. As soil quality declines and costs of artificial fertilizer and hybrid seeds rise, some farmers have adopted organic rice farming methods. Several studies of this trend have been published, but only a few have explored the role of religion in this gradual move to organic farming. This ethnographic study of eight Catholic farmers in Yogyakarta Special Region/Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), Central Java Province, and East Nusa Tenggara Province/Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) reveals that while increasing costs of inputs are a factor in conversion, religious perspectives on food and the environment also played a role. The study utilizes the constructivism-interpretivism paradigm and the concept of 'Religion in everyday life' by Nancy Ammerman. The interview reveals that religion is present in faith in God(s), a sense of interconnectedness, a sense of purpose, emotion, spiritual narrative, embodiment, and virtues. Given the highly religious character of Indonesia, this pilot study indicates the need for further research on the role of religion in agricultural development, particularly in the move towards more ecological farming.

Feminist Corporate Social Responsibility: Reframing CSR as a Critical Force for Good

AbstractWhile corporate social responsibility (CSR) research is now impressively broad, we identify fresh opportunities at the intersection of feminist and critical analysis to reframe this field as a force for good. We focus on the epistemological grounding of CSR in its potential to understand and change how managerial activity is interpreted and influenced for progressive ends. We approach this through a reading of the debate on CSR's limited practical use, to imagine a better methodological and purposeful future for CSR. This involves a different, feminist, political and ethical stance for researchers in relation to CSR as an object, to bring CSR theory and practice into alignment in order to revive its sense of purpose as a driving organizational force for good. Our change‐orientated approach is based on a reading of Judith Butler's notion of critique as praxis of values; it is politically aware, reflexive, and focused on the goal of good organization to address grand, often existential, challenges. We conclude by showing how this approach to CSR brings a more transparent way of analysing practice, requiring reflexive action on the part of those working with CSR initiatives both as practitioners and as researchers to co‐produce better futures.

Psychological Health and Ischemic Heart Disease in Women: A Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Considerations across the Healthspan.

Psychological health encompasses a constellation of negative and positive factors-i.e., psychosocial stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness and social isolation, anger and hostility, optimism, and a sense of purpose. This narrative review presents current evidence at the intersection of psychological health, risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), and IHD-related outcomes, with an emphasis on associations in women. For women, relations between psychological health and IHD reflect important sex and gender differences in biological and psychosocial factors. Although efforts devoted to understanding psychological health and IHD risk have varied by psychological factor-scientific evidence is strongest for psychosocial stress and depression, while anxiety, trauma, and positive psychological factors warrant more investigation-less optimal psychological health is consistently associated with an earlier and greater risk of IHD morbidity and mortality in women. Still, many past prospective studies of psychological factors and IHD risk had a limited representation of women, did not include analyses by sex, or failed to account for other influential, sex-specific factors. Thus, there are multiple pathways for further, rigorous investigation into psychological health-IHD associations, mechanisms, and empirically supported psychological interventions to mitigate IHD risk among women. Given the robust evidence linking psychological health with women's risk for IHD, implementing routine, brief, psychological screening is recommended. Significant life events, developmental milestones specific to women, and IHD diagnoses or events could cue further psychological assessment and referral, efforts which will mutually strengthen the evidence for integrated psychological and IHD care and delivery of such care to this vulnerable group.

Christian Nurses' Calling and Career Commitment in Indonesia: A Cross Sectional Study

Calling is a strategy for discovering the purpose and significance of every individual, including the nurse. The awareness of a calling can motivate nurses to commit to a career. The greater nurses' awareness of their calling, the greater their devotion and sense of purpose in their work. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between calling and career commitment among Christian nurses in Indonesia. The study utilized a quantitative correlational method and cross-sectional approaches utilizing online survey technique. Accidental sampling was utilized, obtaining 96 Indonesian Christian nurses. The instruments were the Indonesian version of the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire (CVQ) (Alpha Cronbach = 0.873) and the Career Commitment Scale (CCS) questionnaire (Alpha Cronbach = 0.820). Data was analyzed using descriptive and bivariate analysis using Spearman rank correlation test. This study discovered a moderately positive correlation between a nurse's calling and career commitment (p = 0.001; r = 0.362). It is suggested that future research investigates other factors that may affect the nurse's career commitment. Understanding one's own calling as a nurse and acting on it is essential to increasing nurses' commitment to their profession.

Commentary: developing a deeper understanding of resilience in service contexts

Purpose This paper aims to comment on resilience research within the context of frontline employees in sales and services marketing. Design/methodology/approach This commentary is a reflection based on my research, extant academic and managerial literature and personal perspectives. Findings Research findings show resilience is associated with increased employee effort and reduced turnover intentions in customer-facing roles. In addition, resilience can change over time and is not just a trait the employee is born with (or not). Hence, managers can cultivate resilience in employees. Practical implications Resilience cannot be purchased. Instead, managers can inspire resilience in frontline employees by developing their feelings of self-efficacy on the job, a sense of belongingness to the organization and peers and a sense of purpose and relatedness to customers. Social implications Resilience is not merely perseverance or grit; it is overcoming adversity and bouncing back to become better in the process. Thus, resilience is an important construct to study, particularly in customer-facing roles. Originality/value This commentary offers a unique approach to understanding resilience, its outcomes and its antecedents in customer-facing roles.

Analysis of Chicory: A Colorful Tale

“Chicory: A Colorful Tale” is a 2D adventure puzzle game with elements of exploration and creativity, set in the Picnic Province, a fictional world where color comes from a magical paintbrush. Each person holding the paintbrush continues a long tradition of renaming themselves after picking up the brush with their favorite food. Using the gameplay and rules as an entry point to analyze this game: In “Chicory: A Colorful Tale,” operational rules are conveyed to the player primarily through the context and intuitive design of the game. In summary, “Chicory: A Colorful Tale” creates a meaningful play through narrative depth, player agency, great integration of the mechanism and the theme, and broader cultural impacts. At the heart of meaningful play is a sense of purpose, discernableness, and integration.

INTERCONNECTIONS AMONG SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLEXIBILITY, AND MEANING IN LIFE AMONG CAREGIVERS OF CANCER PATIENTS

The present study explores the interconnections among social connectedness, psychological inflexibility, and meaning in life among caregivers of cancer patients these psychological variables interact with demographic and caregiving factors, such as gender, age, cancer stage, daily caregiving hours, total caregiving duration, and the caregiver's relationship to the patient. Understanding these interconnections is essential for developing psychological support tailored to caregivers' unique challenges in oncology settings. The sample consisted of 141 caregivers (76 females and 65 males) aged 18 to 45, who provide daily support to cancer patients in varying stages of the disease. Participants were assessed using three validated scales: the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (Lee & Robbins, 2001) to measure their sense of belonging and interpersonal relationships, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger, 2006) to assess their sense of purpose, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (Bond et al., 2011) to evaluate their level of psychological inflexibility, or rigidity in handling stress. Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among SC, PIF, and MIL, revealing significant positive correlations across all variables, indicating that caregivers who felt a strong sense of social connectedness and purpose in life tended to experience lower psychological inflexibility. Additionally, multiple linear regression analyses highlighted how demographic and caregiving factors influenced these core psychological dimensions, shedding light on complex, multifaceted interactions.The findings underscore the importance of social and psychological support structures for caregivers. Caregiving characteristics, such as the time spent in caregiving per day and total caregiving duration, were found to have significant impacts on the sense of connection, adaptability, and meaning that caregivers derive from their roles, while variables like gender and caregiver-patient relationship did not show significant effects. The study emphasizes the need for targeted interventions that address these dynamics to bolster caregivers' mental well-being and resilience.

Social and Cultural Insights into Healthy Aging: A Qualitative Study from the South Indian City of Bengaluru, India.

Qualitative methods through lived experience narratives provide relevant sociocultural insights into healthy aging. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore social and cultural perceptions of healthy aging from older adults (OAs), their next of kin, and those involved in providing services to OAs in Bengaluru, India. We conducted in-depth interviews with 28 participants, all purposefully selected based on specific inclusion criteria, to get as varied a sample as possible. A pilot-tested, open-ended topic guide was used for every interview which was audio recorded with the permission of the respondent. Verbatim data were transcribed, reviewed for errors, and coded using NVivo 12 software and the framework analysis method of combining deductive and inductive codes. In total, 794 codes covering concepts of healthy aging, enablers and threats to healthy aging, and perspectives for the future were categorized into four themes supporting healthy aging, namely emotional well-being and a sense of purpose, family and social support, financial security, and health-care access. Each of these had a bearing on the OA's physical and mental health. Across socioeconomic groups, a sense of purpose at the level of the self, family, and society emerged as a key emotional sustainer. Social and economic deprivations were key threats to healthy aging and hence required social security and governmental interventions. Sociocultural economic factors are key to healthy physical and mental aging in the context of India. The same factor could be an enabler and in its absence a threat.

Insights into the meaning of medical students' studies. An online survey at two medical faculties.

The aim of the study was to investigate how medical students' deal with their own questions of meaning during their studies, how they cope with patients' questions of meaning or crises of meaning, to what extent their experience of meaning changes during their studies, and what role medical studies play in this. In 2022, we conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study in the form of an online survey at two German universities with students in the clinical part of their studies. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and group differences were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Free-text comments were analyzed using thematic analysis. Of the 111 participants (response rate 12%), 92% had addressed questions of meaning. 64% of the students felt that their studies were meaningful, and 45% felt that their clinical internships were meaningful. 59% reported that they had been confronted with questions of meaning in their contact with patients, although many of them felt that they had been inadequately prepared for this (56%). This impression was stronger among respondents at the beginning of the clinical phase compared to respondents at the end (U(56,34)=660, p=0.012). According to the students, strategies for dealing with questions of meaning were active engagement with topics of meaning, tolerance of uncertainties, or avoidance. In addition to the basic requirement of openness to all topics of meaning, students expressed the wish to be better prepared for professional questions of meaning and for follow-up work on stressful events. A wide range of critical experiences with training and the healthcare system had an inhibiting effect on the experience of meaning. Since a higher sense of purpose can be associated with improved health and motivation, university programs might have the potential to support students' sense of purpose and, in the long term, improve their capacities to support patients who grapple with questions of meaning.

A Call to Serve: Novice Urban Catholic School Teachers' Sense of Purpose in Life, Compassion, Faith, and Justice

A Call to Serve: Novice Urban Catholic School Teachers' Sense of Purpose in Life, Compassion, Faith, and Justice

How Animal-Assisted Therapy Cures Adolescents under Psychological Pressure

Adolescents and others with mental health issues have a new and exciting option in animal- assisted therapy. It offers numerous benefits, such as reduced stress, more social support, better mood, increased physical activity, and a sense of purpose. In addition, animal therapy has been proven to help decrease depression symptoms in patients living in institutions. It boosts mood, relieves feelings of isolation and loneliness, develops empathic abilities, and boosts self-esteem and self-confidence. At the same time, engaging in tasks with animals encourages patients to be active and undertake routine self-care practices, fostering a therapeutic environment that is supportive and motivating. We want to learn how animal-assisted therapy helps de-stressed teenagers in this research. Anxieties, autism, and depression are some of the conditions that animal-assisted therapy may help alleviate. We are hoping that it may help with research in this area and provide some references for further study.