Theoretical Contradictions Research Articles

Immunology of the “sensible world” and of the “intelligible world”: the evolutionary decline and the “constructed reality”

The term “immunity” was introduced in medicine due to Ilya Mechnikov. However, the concept of infection resistance existed in European culture long before Mechnikov in the form of s.c. “vital force”. According to holistic methodology, the history of immunology can be divided into three unequal periods: 1) vitalistic – from antiquity to the discoveries of Mechnikov and Ehrlich; 2) “Mechnikov time” (1890s – 1916); and 3) a post-Mechnikov period (1916 – present). At the beginning of 18th century, the existence of “vital force” ideas created the possibility to adapt variolation in Europe, which was based on medieval magical-mystical concepts. Without generalizing of variolation experience, Edward Jenner would hardly have been able to discover vaccination. Scientific ideas of Mechnikov were not a categorical denial of the previous period of immunology. For almost 20 years, he himself had to fend off teleological and vitalistic accusations from the side of those biologists who denied the possibility of phagocytes to act expediently. An analogy helped Mechnikov to confirm his intuition was the phenomenon of intracellular digestion of amoebas or ciliates. Besides, he experimentally proved that phagocytosis was the product of evolution and not a “god gift”. However, in his works, Mechnikov also addressed to the category of “healing forces of the body.” Modern immunology now faces a number of theoretical contradictions and methodological difficulties related to reductionists paradigm: as far as the “split” between the world of “immune objects” (immune cells receptors, antibodies, cytokines, etc.) and “subjectness” of its basic categories “self-nonself”, “immune aggression, “immune defence”, etc., Ilya Mechnikov tried to overcome this contradiction substantiating the phenomenon of phagocytosis as functional system acting in accordance with defense purpose. The construction of “holistic” subject-object models of immunity (such as the symbiosis model of plant immunity) could be a way of overcoming the aforementioned contradictions.

REAL EARNINGS MANAGEMENT AND CASH HOLDING PERFORMANCE: AUDITOR INDUSTRY SPECIALIZATION AS MODERATING VARIABLE

This academic work intends to obtain empirical evidence about the signaling perspective on real earnings management to describe cash holdings. The theoretical contradictions of real earnings management reflect management's opportunistic attitude and optimistic attitude which signifies positive earnings. The research design is a quantitative study with a sample of 216 units of analysis. Secondary research data was obtained from the Indonesian stock exchange for 2019-2021. Multiple linear regression testing results prove that real earnings management gives a positive signal about cash holding. Auditor industry specialization which reflects audit quality is proven to strengthen the relationship between real earnings management and cash holding. This contributes to the realm of signal theory as an alternative explanation of the relationship between real earnings management and cash holding. In addition, the role of industry-specialized auditors is a driving force in strengthening positive signals that reflect alignment between management policies and cash-holding performance.

‘We’re All Sinners Here’: A Microhistorical Exploration of the Deviance-Identification Nexus

Extant research shows that deviance as a departure from established norms is influential to innovation and change. However, challenging the embedded assumptions and practices renders deviance subject to heavy stigmatization, compelling the identification of deviance to ensure that deviance can be balanced or controlled for the good of the organization. Yet, this focus often ignores the dynamics between the deviants and their audiences, which also impacts the spread of deviance, since deviance is best understood through actions as well as responses. Because deviance is likely to provoke deep introspection, identification with deviance is an essential, yet underexplored aspect of its spread. This article takes a micro-historical approach to analyze Dogme95, a highly controversial filmmaking movement, where identification with deviance influenced its spread. It elucidates symbolic disruption, straddling identification, and limiting the duration as three stages through which deviance can spread in and around organizations through identification. The article thus contributes to the extant literature by reconciling some theoretical contradictions regarding the spread of deviance despite its negative connotations and provides a novel perspective on the deviance-identification nexus.

О современности и своевременности традиционных ценностей

The article addresses the current discussion about values in general sense and about traditional spiritual and moral values in particular from the standpoint of modern social philosophy. The purpose of the study is to show the modernity, contemporaneity and consistency of traditional values in a specific historical situation. To do this, the author identifies the most significant aspects in the reflection on the concept, focusing on the social thought of the last few decades. The result of this is the explication of a specific understanding of values as autonomy only partially dependent on the context. The socio-philosophical discourse on values intersects with those more familiar to philosophy regarding the topic, i.e. axiological, political, ethical or aesthetic, but does not completely coincide with them. Its actualization was caused by the historical events, but it always had its groundings in theoretical contradictions that philosophy has faced. The article provides an outline of the position of values in socio-humanitarian thought, deconstructs some of the foundations of the hierarchy of values proposed by default within globalized thought. The author also demonstrates that posing the question about values in a national context does not contradict the theoretical foundations and the very tasks of philosophy. On the contrary, the need for philosophy, including social philosophy, to pose and answer the question about values is only increasing. On the base of a priori self-worth of traditional spiritual and moral values, the author concludes that one of the most important tasks of social philosophy is to actualize their content and ways of practical integration into modern life in accordance with the spirit and needs of the time.

СУЩЕСТВОВАНИЕ В НАСТОЯЩЕМ КАК ОНТОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ПРОБЛЕМА

The purpose of the article is to develop an ontological understanding and interpretation of the existence of real world objects in the present mode, to determine the essence, properties and ontological status of the Present. The author identifies and analyzes contradictions in various approaches to understanding being and reality in the present. The essence of the problem is the contradiction of the idea of the inactivity of the moment of the present time, which gives rise to its denial («there is no present») and the procedural representation of being, the idea of the duration of the processes, the course of the movement, which, as it is customary to think, in the present. The study is conducted mainly within the framework of realistic ontology, which recognizes the authenticity of the existence of real material things and social objects as single integrations. A phenomenological approach is also used to identify the forms and methods of the primary pre-reflexive given reality of the Present to human consciousness. At the same time, the methods of research are representation, comparison, ontological analysis, interpretation and reinterpretation of various interpretations of the Present and time as a whole. The article presents various interpretations of the essence of the Present. The theoretical contradictions of the concept of the idle Present, presented as one state of existence and its inconsistency with reality, are revealed and shown. The argument is given to the impossibility of realizing the existence of things and the world as a whole on the basis of the idea of the idle Present. The author justifies the idea of the existence of the Past in the present on the basis of a synthesis of various interpretations of the interpenetration of the reality of these temporary modes. The dilemma of the ratio of competing ideas about the inactivity of the Present and the movement taking place in it is solved by the provision that in the Present not a particular state of the world continues (lasts), but the process of changing these states itself, which «moves» the Present to the last place in the non-spatial temporal order of successive states. Scientific novelty in solving the problem is manifested in justifying the modification of the idea of being in the Present within the framework of the dynamic concept of time by the provision on various forms and methods of the existence of the Past in the Present. The author concludes that such synthesis is possible and necessary.

The Worst Person in the World and Postmodern Feminism

The movie The Worst Person in the World (2021), takes place in Oslo and revolves around a woman named Julie. She is in her late twenties and finds herself caught in a cycle of indecision. She is unable to find a career or a relationship that fulfills her self-worth. The film primarily revolves around the character of the female protagonist, Julie, with the storyline and character development centered on her. Renate Reinsve, who plays the lead role, received the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in this movie. These years, with the influence of the #MeToo movement, for some viewers, this film may be considered one of the representative works of feminism in cinema. From the character design, cinematography, and references to postmodern feminism in the film, it is indeed a movie that aligns with the principles of postmodern feminism. However, its important to note that the films creative team is predominantly male, and postmodern feminism itself contains inherent theoretical contradictions. Therefore, from an objective standpoint, this film cannot be classified as a feminist movie.

Beliefs and understandings of assessment theories and terminologies by university lecturers

This study investigated the beliefs and practices of university lecturers around assessment theories and their links with teaching practices. Given the discrepancies in the literature, the research explored the gap in theoretical understandings of summative and formative assessment and the relationship between them, as well as the relationship with lecturers’ own practices. In total, 109 lecturers from a Colombian institution of higher education participated. An instrument consisting mainly of quantitative questions, with some qualitative questions, which was originally designed to investigate these beliefs and practices among higher education lecturers in England, was used. The translation, validation and reliability processes of the instrument were carried out. Thus, an exploratory factorial study was performed to establish the dimensions of the instrument, determining seven factors. The results indicate discrepancies between what lecturers understand by formative and summative assessment and their practices in the classroom. This coincides with the theoretical contradictions also found in the analysis of specialised literature. It is concluded that a detailed understanding of the discrepancies between beliefs and practices would be valuable in redesigning the ways in which the training of lecturers’ assessment competencies is approached.

Triad structure impact on the triad resources-firm performance relationship: Theory and empirical evidence

Logistics triads are an emerging research setting, yet there is little theoretical and empirical understanding of how triad structure impacts triad resources and buying firm performance relationship. This study first develops a typology of triad structure (asymmetric, balanced, symmetric triads). Based on the theories of the resource-based view of the firm, balance theory, and equity theory, this study empirically investigates how each triad structure impacts the triad resources-firm performance relationship. It uses three firm performance metrics: financial, operational, and market. It also tests whether environmental complexity and uncertainty affect the triad structure.The study collected empirical data via a survey of 267 matched supplier-3PL pairs for the same buying firms in three countries: the UK, France, and Greece. Group hierarchical regression models analysed the effects of each triad structure on the triad resources-firm performance relationship. Findings show that each triad structure has different effects on buying firm performance. Symmetric triads outperform other triads in operational performance. Asymmetric triads have a positive impact on financial performance. Findings also uncover significant differences among triadic resources. The study presents several novelties resulting in important theoretical and managerial implications, including exposing theoretical contradictions about the role of triad structure on firm performance and integrating the three theories to understand the links between resources-structure-performance. This study’s findings indicate that all firms in a triad can strategise their resources to yield market, financial, and operational benefits.

Building the de-risking state: Power, policy and Canada’s Social Finance Fund

In 2018 the Canadian Government announced the Social Finance Fund, a $755 million pool of public capital with the purpose of accelerating the growth of social finance markets in Canada. The Fund promises to unlock large new sources of funding for social purpose organizations by de-risking private investments (reducing investor losses by providing capital that will be lost first in case of investee default), dually offering investors financial returns as well as an opportunity to do social good with their capital. While the literature has interrogated the theoretical contradictions present in social finance markets, there has been little attention to how social finance markets emerge through acts of policy, and how de-risking private capital becomes a priority of the state. This paper examines how the changing network of actors over decades of policy debate led to the evolution and launch of the Social Finance Fund. The paper also argues that international policy learning was critical to the prioritization of de-risking private investments in social finance markets.

The state economic regulation in the neoliberal globalism era

The paper shows the main causes, manifestations and particularities of the intensive globalization started in the second half of the twentieth century, which has had both objective and subjective aspects. It analyzes the subjective influence on the globalization made by the neoliberal ideology and the functioning of international actors. The work has outlined the main theoretical contradictions, myths and flaws in the current economic mainstream regarding the role and functions of the state in the economy and state economic regulation. The study reveals and statistically confirmed the main negative trends, processes and phenomena at the national and global levels in the era of the globalization caused by the neoliberal concept, such as: (1) growing income and wealth inequality at the global and national levels; (2) problems with using natural resources and environment; (3) uneven development among countries; (4) the growing negative influence of transnational capital; and (5) macroeconomic instability and hypertrophied development of the financial sector (financialization), etc. The study defines the main economic policy directions in order to eliminate the negative impact of neoliberal economic thought on socio-economic development. The paper also describes and evaluated the main scenarios for the further development of views on state economic regulation among scholars and state managers. It shows that the most likely scenario is the increasing of the role of state economic regulation. On the one hand, states can form rather aggressive policies with trade wars, protectionism, military and diplomatic conflicts, isolation, localizaion, etc. On the other hand, wanting to protect the interests of their societies, states can try to build a fair and inclusive global space, which would be the most beneficial development scenario for humanity. The work identifies the main challenges for state economic regulation caused by globalization and it also shows needed transformations: (1) increasing the level of subjectivity of the state as a bearer of the national interest, (2) ensuring the institutional foundations of inclusive global development based on the principles of equality, justice and transparency, (3) neutralizing the negative impact on national socio-economic security carried out by international actors.

Boris Lomov`s Systems Approach in the Context of the Science Culture of the Late Soviet Period

The focus of the article is the research program of B. F. Lomov, viewed through the prism of Russian scientific culture, while taking into account the nuances of the late Soviet period. Scientific culture is analyzed in accordance with a model that singles out practices as a typical and stable way of doing things, and patterns as cognitive elements that integrate culture into a concise whole. Viewed via this model, any innovation appears to involve introduction of new practices into the culture. That means the risk of the introduced practices colliding with existing patterns. There are three main patterns of the Russian scientific culture that operated in the Soviet period, which are described as formulas analogous with the themes of S. Moskovichi: (a) science is a state matter, (b) basic science creates groundwork for the technologies of the future, (c) science is a selfless service. The practices promoted within Lomov's program were largely associated with American engineering psychology as practiced by A. Chapanis, and, as such, collided with the organization of the Soviet scientific establishment, built around the patterns mentioned. As a consequence of this contention, the article examines the tension that arose in Soviet psychology in the 1970s and 1980s between the supporters of the activity theory of A. N. Leontiev on one side and B. F. Lomov’s systems approach on the other. It draws parallels between this collision and the collision of the practices promoted by Lomov with the patterns of the science culture of the late Soviet period. Both external and internal perspectives are employed: the article examines the theoretical contradictions between the activity theory and the systems approach, and at the same time investigates the context of the theoretical argument: the transfer of the leadership in the psychological science from the Academy of the Pedagogical Sciences to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the mosaic outlay of the newly established Institute of Psychology, the influence of new approaches to the organization of research.

Talbot Taylor's engagement with stylistic theory

I review Talbot Taylor’s rigorous critique of stylistic theory (begun as early as his first book in 1981 and resumed periodically, at least implicitly, in the decades since), and speculate as to why it appeared to have little impact on the practice of literary stylistics. Are stylisticians simply too engrossed in the practical and pedagogical commitments of stylistics to be embarrassed by the deep theoretical contradictions Taylor identified? Or perhaps the appearance of disregard is deceptive; perhaps some contemporary stylisticians have accepted the Taylorian theoretical critique, and tacitly recognise that literary stylistics is in essence a highly specialized form of the normative metadiscourse, applied to literary texts, that Taylor has argued lies at the heart of lay linguistics.

The role of perceived ethnicity in speech processing: Insights from diverse populations and methods

In this talk, I will discuss behavioral and electrophysiological studies that examine the extent to which perceived talker identity influences speech comprehension and evaluation. Two frequently discussed theoretical accounts lead to different predictions. Bias-based accounts assume conscious misunderstanding of a standard variety in the case of a speaker classification as nonnative, resulting in negative ratings and poorer comprehension. Exemplar-based models suggest that such effects arise only when a contextual cue to the social identity is misleading, i.e., when ethnicity and speech clash with listeners’ expectations. To address these accounts, and to assess ethnicity effects across different groups and methods, diverse non-university populations (172 monolinguals, 58 bilinguals, age range 12–92) were primed with photographs of Asian and white European women and asked to repeat and rate utterances spoken in three accents (Korean-accented German, a regional German accent, standard German), all embedded in background noise. In three electrophysiological studies, students (106 monolinguals, age range 18–30) passively listed to utterances in two accents (Turkish-accented and standard Dutch) and were either primed or not with photographs of a Turkic or a Dutch woman. The findings suggest that theoretical contradictions are a consequence of methodological choices, which reflect distinct aspects of social information processing.

Intranational film industries: a quantitative analysis of contemporary Belgian cinema

ABSTRACT This article presents a quantitative analysis of Belgian fiction film production between 2000 and 2019. Analysing an extensive database, it explores the current state of Belgian cinema, which is characterised on the one hand by a strong international dimension, and on the other hand by two largely separate intranational industries: a Flemish and a francophone Belgian film industry. Despite the persistent gap between the two industries, a certain rapprochement seems to be manifesting recently. This industrial analysis is preceded by an exploration of the conceptual and practical difficulties and limitations that arise when trying to determine whether a film can be labelled (partly) ‘Belgian’, ‘Flemish’ and/or ‘francophone Belgian’. Emanating from the complexity of the Belgian situation, these difficulties reveal some of the theoretical contradictions of the concept of national cinema. As such, departing from a quantitative study of Belgian cinema, this article also provides an original contribution to ongoing debates on the concept of national cinema.

Do faces speak volumes? Social expectations in speech comprehension and evaluation across three age groups.

An unresolved issue in social perception concerns the effect of perceived ethnicity on speech processing. Bias-based accounts assume conscious misunderstanding of native speech in the case of a speaker classification as nonnative, resulting in negative ratings and poorer comprehension. In contrast, exemplar models of socially indexed speech perception suggest that such negative effects arise only when a contextual cue to the social identity is misleading, i.e. when ethnicity and speech clash with listeners’ expectations. To address these accounts, and to assess ethnicity effects across different age groups, three non-university populations (N = 172) were primed with photographs of Asian and white European women and asked to repeat and rate utterances spoken in three accents (Korean-accented German, a regional German accent, standard German), all embedded in background noise. In line with exemplar models, repetition accuracy increased when the expected and perceived speech matched, but the effect was limited to the foreign accent, and—at the group level—to teens and older adults. In contrast, Asian speakers received the most negative accent ratings across all accents, consistent with a bias-based view, but group distinctions again came into play here, with the effect most pronounced in older adults, and limited to standard German for teens. Importantly, the effects varied across ages, with younger adults showing no effects of ethnicity in either task. The findings suggest that theoretical contradictions are a consequence of methodological choices, which reflect distinct aspects of social information processing.

Simulated satiation through reality‐enhancing technology

AbstractWe define simulated satiation through reality‐enhancing technology as any attenuation in perceived benefits that occurs within or results from vicarious and simulated intermediary sources. We examine simulated satiation as a factor that underlies consumer experiences with reality‐enhancing technologies and presents nine testable propositions. Each proposition is aimed at determining how simulated satiation can unlock implications in terms of engaging consumers for the right amount of time to improve marketing outcomes. We further conduct a proof‐of‐concept study to test proposition 1, that physiological drivers and sensory overload increases simulated satiation. The empirical results show that shorter (vs. longer) exposure to virtual reality content raises perceived usefulness for virtual reality (VR), which in turn mediates stickiness for VR experiences alongside consumers’ subjective well‐being. Finally, we carry forward key theoretical contradictions and areas for future empirical testing based on simulated satiation in reality‐enhanced environments, including experiences, that are reshaping consumer decision making.

Confronting repressive ideologies with critical pedagogy in science classrooms

The focus of this response to Arthur Galamba and Brian Matthews’s ‘Science education against the rise of fascist and authoritarian movements: towards the development of a Pedagogy for Democracy’ is to underpin a critical pedagogy that can be used as a counterbalancing force against repressive ideologies within science classrooms. Locating science education within the traditions of critical pedagogy allows us to interrogate some of the historical, theoretical, and practical contradictions that have challenged the field, and to consider science learning as part of a wider struggle for social justice in education. My analysis draws specifically on the intellectual ideas of Paulo Freire, whose work continues to influence issues of theoretical, political, and pedagogical importance. A leading social thinker in educational practice, Freire rejected the dominant hegemonic view that classroom discourse is a neutral and value-free process removed from the juncture of cultural, historical, social, and political contexts. Freire’s ideas offer several themes of relevance to this discussion, including his banking conception of education, dialog and conscientization, and teaching as a political activity. I attempt to show how these themes can be used to advance a more socially critical and democratic approach to science teaching.

Revisiting Electoral Violence in Zimbabwe: Problems and Prospects

This study explores theoretical contradictions with realism, regarding the actors or perpetrators of violence when explaining the causes of electoral violence in the Zimbabwean context. These perspectives can be divided into two contesting schools of thought. The first group is mainly made up of rational theories and holds the position that, autocratic governments use electoral violence as a way of influencing electoral outcome. The second position suggests that the weaker political party is the one responsible for electoral violence. This paper then, contributes to the ongoing debate on the causes of electoral violence by advancing the notion that electoral violence should not be seen based on one position but from a multifaceted position. This is because, neither of the two theoretical approaches are wrong but what differs is the context. This paper argues that the idealism of holding one position hinders policy analysis to electoral violence, monitoring and observing election process as it places either, the ruling party or the opposition party as a unit of analysis.

Prevention of crime by criminal law and operational-search means

In the early 2000s, the Russian legislator massively introduced the term “preventing crime” into regulations thus replacing the concept of “fighting against crime”. Thus, the changes influenced federal law No. 130-FZ “Combating Terrorism” dated 25 July 1998 and many other laws. The very concept of the state’s response to violation of the established prohibitions has changed. If in the old version of the laws, punishment for committing a crime was the main preventive measure, then in the new understanding the key efforts of the state should have been focused on preventing the very event of a crime. On the one hand, this is an absolutely correct step, since it is much more profitable for the state (in socio-economic, political and other respects) to keep the population from violating the established rules than to be forced to launch a complex and expensive criminal procedural mechanism (to identify, disclose, investigate crimes, consider them in court, execute punishment, etc.). On the other hand, in the new laws, the term “prevention” is used ambiguously, to both characterise “crime prevention” activities and characterise “crime control” activities. The research objective is to find the most optimal ways to eliminate theoretical and practical contradictions arising from the law enforcement in connection with the tautology of the texts of federal laws in the field of combating crime. In the course of the research, the dialectical method of cognition was used, as well as general scientific (analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, logical, systemic and structural methods) and specific scientific methods of cognition (historical, statistical and formal-legal). It is proposed to unify the definition of “combating crime” by introducing the same definitions into the federal law “Operational Investigative Activity”, “Countering Terrorism”, and other regulatory documents related to “combating crime”.

From Small Wars to Guerrilla Warfare: Imperial School of British Military Thought During the Interbellum

The Interbellum era was marked by the competition of various interpretations of guerrilla warfare and small wars, which were a practical expression of rebel activity in the colonies and on the outskirts of the British Empire. Discussions in that regard reflected both theoretical and doctrinal contradictions and the bureaucratic rivalry between the departments responsible for its internal security and the confrontation between the military and civilian authorities over the boundaries of their responsibility to preserve colonial order. The evolution of the meaning of the concept of “guerilla warfare” within the British military thought in the first half of the 20th century is demonstrated by highlighting the stages of the process, historical reconstruction of the levels of discussion of this topic in a professional environment, and identifying the degree of mutual influence of its basic provisions in the face of budgetary constraints and new challenges to colonial rule after the First World War. This approach allowed to specify ideas about the place and role of the army in the functioning of the internal security system of the British Empire at the final stage of its existence. The analysis of the semantics and content of the “guerilla warfare” concept between two world wars makes it possible to apply a new approach to the issue of disagreements between the military and civilian authorities over the choice of the military and political course in the conflicts of this kind. Thus, the identified differences may be viewed as a result not of the bureaucratic differences only, but as the absence of the unified understanding of the “modern rebellion” problem among the military as itself.