Context Of Traditional Culture Research Articles

Views of health care professionals on the implementation of preoperative advance care planning in older patients with head and neck cancer: Q methodology

ObjectiveTo investigate the views of health care professionals in a head and neck surgical department toward the implementation of advance care planning prior to surgery for older patients with head and neck cancer. MethodQ methodology was used to explore and analyze participants’ views by combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were asked to rank 35 Q statements generated via semi-structured interviews and a literature review and to explain the reasons for their ranking in subsequent interviews. The data was then analyzed and used to develop a factor series to illustrate participants’ views. ResultsThis study surveyed 15 health care professionals, including eight doctors and seven nurses. The views of health care professionals toward preoperative implementation of advance care planning discussions were varied and could be categorized into three types: defending the autonomy of patients, patients’ knowledge and the Chinese traditional cultural context hinder the implementation of preoperative advance care planning, and lack of confidence in performing preoperative advance care planning. ConclusionsAlthough the health care professionals in the head and neck surgical department in this study recognized the benefits of preoperative discussions regarding advance care planning, patients’ knowledge level, traditional Chinese values, inadequate capacity among health care professionals, and unsound legal policies have caused these professionals to have misgivings about preoperative counseling and discussing advance care planning with patients. Further studies should be conducted, and strategies to overcome barriers to discussions of preoperative advance care planning should be developed.

Narrative Innovation in Chinese Mythological Animation within the Context of Traditional Culture

The research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the narrative expression of Chinese mythological themes in animated films from the perspective of traditional Chinese culture, integrating insights from film narrative studies and traditional Chinese philosophical texts. The past decade has been a booming period for mythological-themed animation films in China, during which a multitude of outstanding works emerged. Creators have drawn inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, creating uniquely Eastern mythologies. Innovation can be felt in the portrayal of narrative characters, the configuration of temporal and spatial structures, or the use of traditional thinking to tell stories. This has revitalized Chinese animation, instilling it with cultural confidence, and has also poured new energy into traditional Chinese culture.

The semantics of the names of Luo Maishuo’s Piano Etudes as the transformation of traditional national images

The semantics of the names of Luo Maishuo’s Piano Etudes as the transformation of traditional national images

Analysis of the fusion development of traditional culture concept and interior art design based on 3D scene analysis

Abstract In this paper, by collecting a large number of 3D scenes with traditional cultural styles, after pre-processing, the style analysis task of 3D scenes is realized through two stages of model style element discovery and scene style pattern mining. In the style pattern mining stage, the maximum frequent pattern mining algorithm is used to get the style pattern of the final scene, and the part is visualized. To reduce the user’s selection time, a 3D interior layout recommendation system based on style rule mining is designed using collaborative filtering. Based on the previous work on scene style pattern mining, the style association rules are further mined, and the user is provided with candidate layouts and furniture dynamically and in real-time by introducing user interaction. Comparing the text-improved recommendation algorithm with the traditional recommendation algorithm, the accuracy rate of the traditional algorithm starts to saturate to 65% after TopN>20, while the algorithm in this paper is higher than 80%. In the analysis of traditional cultural contexts of interior art, in terms of the aesthetic acquisition, the highest proportion of aesthetic association is 63.7%. In terms of emotional expression, the proportion of symbolization of emotion is 73.1%. In terms of object comparison, the highest proportion of plurality and flexibility of combinations was 57.5%. Therefore, this paper provides good research ideas for how to better integrate traditional culture into interior design.

In the beginning: the light, scientific management and Quaker Philadelphia

PurposeThis paper aims to offer a new history of management by tracing a religious dimension of scientific management. The thesis is that the good was foundational for bringing scientific management to success in Taylor’s native Quaker Philadelphia in the 1880s. The paper’s main contribution is to contrast the philosophical origins of Taylor’s ideas in scientific management to his native Quaker roots, and how Taylor, over time, into the 1910s, wrestled with this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is situated in historical interpretivism and subjectivism, leaning on contextual and narrative research on religious morality.FindingsQuaker morality prevented managerial opportunism at Taylor’s Midvale Steel in the 1880s. Conversely, by the 1900s and 1910s, interest conflicts between workers and managers escalated when scientific management moved out of its traditional cultural contexts of Quaker Philadelphia and spread across the USA. The historical implication is, already for Taylor’s time, that scientific management never was the “one-best way” of management.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to deepen and broaden research on scientific management when tracing the significance of religion and culture in management thought.Practical implicationsThe paper has implications for modern studies of business morality by uncovering the practical relevance of religious business ethics at the outset of management studies.Social implicationsThe historic emergence of scientific management points to a theory of institutional evolution and economic growth, when religiously grounded governance of the firm deinstitutionalized, and institutional economic governance, with different but superior economic advantages, progressed by the 1900s.Originality/valueThe paper suggests an alternative version of the intellectual heritage of management studies by tracing the legacy of Taylor’s Quakerism and how religious and cultural ideas contributed to the formation of science in management.

Feedbacks and Trade-Offs in the Use of Wetland Ecosystem Services by Local Communities in Rural Zimbabwe

Rural wetlands, especially in developing countries, have been exploited for different ecosystem services because they are considered safety nets for food production and are important for livelihood strategies and human wellbeing. However, there are gaps in knowledge of the ecosystem services provided by small, valley bottom wetlands, especially in dryland areas and how these services are used and managed by local communities. This study focuses on the ecosystem services of valley bottom wetlands in Zindi, the Honde Valley, in rural eastern Zimbabwe. Ethnographic observations of wetland users’ activities and individual interviews with local residents and village heads were undertaken in this study, focusing on how people make use of the different ecosystem services that are derived from these wetlands. Results show that the wetlands are mainly utilised for provisioning services, but that these are related to the availability and properties of supporting and regulatory services in the wetland environment. All of these services are also strongly mediated by the traditional cultural contexts and values held by local communities. The results show that the exploitation of some ecosystem services leads to negative impacts on the availability or properties of others, and this means that there are trade-offs in the uses and management by individuals and communities as a whole. These feedbacks and trade-offs are not well explored in most studies but are critical in considering community responses to changing wetland resources, in particular under climate change. This study recommends that policymakers should include small and often hitherto overlooked wetlands in their management plans, since they are critical for supporting rural livelihoods. It is also important that wetland management plans aim to improve the range and sustainability of ecosystem services available and avoid the need for unnecessary trade-offs in their use by local communities.

Women and men of mafia between traditional cultural contexts and new social roles.

The Italian mafia organizations represent a subculture with values, beliefs, and goals that are antithetical to and undermining of the predominant society. The conduct of individual members includes such extreme violence for material gain, it may at least superficially suggest a severe personality disorder. Since the first edition of the DSM and into the 21st century, various terms have been used, sometimes interchangeably, but over time inconsistently, to designate the mentality and practices of mafia members. Only recently has the psychology of mafia members become a focus of serious scientific study. For the first time, investigators for the present study applied instruments, including the PCL-R, to examine for character psychopathology and specifically degrees of psychopathy in male and female mafia members, 20 female and 21 male members. Results showed some gender difference with the women having a higher score on Factor 1, in contrast to men who showed a lower score. Psychopathy and personality disorder were not found to be associated with membership in the mafia for either gender. Some psychopathic traits and gender differences warrant further research. Meanwhile these findings are consistent with a mentality characterized by beliefs and practices determined by a deviant culture rather than psychopathology.

Occupational choices of school-going adolescents: a study in the Pitseng Area, Leribe District, Lesotho

Adolescents require opportunities to engage in occupations and need to have the requisite aptitude and agency to choose the occupations they want or need to engage in. Occupations are defined as the everyday activities that people choose to engage in individually or as groups that bring meaning and purpose to their lives. These occupations can be chosen or enforced. There is a paucity of literature around the occupations that adolescents in rural contexts choose and the meaning underlying their choices. This study explored the occupations of school-going adolescents of Pitseng, Lesotho, to gain insight into adolescent behaviour, and the strategies needed to develop sustainable health promotion programs for adolescents in this area. A descriptive qualitative research design was used. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 47 adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years from three high schools in Pitseng, Leribe district, Lesotho. Data was collected using focus group interviews after consent was obtained from the parents or caregivers and assent from the adolescents. Data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's method. Three main themes emerged from the study: realities of customary rural life, facilitators of occupational engagement, and wellbeing versus risky behaviour. Participation in daily routine occupations, cultural norming, resource scarcity, school milieu and leisure engagement were subthemes derived under the first theme. The subthemes identified under the theme facilitators of occupational engagement were intrinsic motivation, and vicarious modelling and peer support. The third theme encompassed the conceptualisation of wellbeing and risky behaviour as subthemes. The adolescents were found to engage in risky behaviour to escape the monotony in their daily lives. This could be attributed to them having fewer choices for recreational activities during their free time. Some adolescents were able to improvise and attempted to enjoy their lives with fewer occupational choices. The natural environment, coupled with creativity, facilitated the engagement of adolescents in fun activities. The dominant influences relating to the adolescents' occupational choices and participation in activities were the impoverished rural context and the traditional inherited practices. The protracted timeframes for completing basic activities and household responsibilities and the scarcity of resources for leisure led to a restricted range of leisure activities. The traditional cultural context influenced gender-based differences in the manifestation of occupations. Despite the challenges, the adolescents showed resilience, creativity and a strong desire to improve their futures. Moreover, in this culturally steeped environment, the school and the community chief may be the two best entry points for organisations planning to facilitate health promotion programs. They are recognised and sanctioned power bases in rural communities. Recommendations for education, leisure, health promotion and further study were made for Pitseng.

Gender, family and cultural perspectives on venture growth aspirations

The purpose of this study is to analyse how family and cultural context conditions shape the role of gender in venture growth aspirations. Rather than actual growth, we examine the expectations of growth of early-stage entrepreneurs in the intersection of gender and two different contexts: the family context (i.e., family-owned or/and family-managed vs. non-family ventures) and the cultural environment context (i.e., traditional vs. secular-rational cultures). Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data from two representative countries of traditional and secular-rational cultures, namely, Morocco and Spain, our findings suggest that both family and culture contexts moderate the growth aspirations of female entrepreneurs. Thus, while growth aspirations, in general, are weaker for women compared to those for men, both a family-managed organisational context and a traditional cultural context positively moderate the lower growth aspirations of female entrepreneurs. These results are expected to provide useful guidance to policy makers and families interested in promoting growth-aspiring female entrepreneurs.

Gender, family and cultural perspectives on venture growth aspiration

The purpose of this study is to analyse how family and cultural context conditions shape the role of gender in venture growth aspirations. Rather than actual growth, we examine the expectations of growth of early-stage entrepreneurs in the intersection of gender and two different contexts: the family context (i.e., family-owned or/and family-managed vs. non-family ventures) and the cultural environment context (i.e., traditional vs. secular-rational cultures). Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data from two representative countries of traditional and secular-rational cultures, namely, Morocco and Spain, our findings suggest that both family and culture contexts moderate the growth aspirations of female entrepreneurs. Thus, while growth aspirations, in general, are weaker for women compared to those for men, both a family-managed organisational context and a traditional cultural context positively moderate the lower growth aspirations of female entrepreneurs. These results are expected to provide useful guidance to policy makers and families interested in promoting growth-aspiring female entrepreneurs.

Функционирование инклюзивных стратегий в мифо-ритуальном контексте традиционной культуры

Функционирование инклюзивных стратегий в мифо-ритуальном контексте традиционной культуры

Religiosity as a Cultural Resource for Arab-Palestinian Women’s Coping with Cancer

Drawing on the discourse analysis of 36 in-depth interviews, this qualitative study explores how Arab-Palestinian women cope with breast cancer and ascribe meaning to their illness within the local religious and traditional cultural context. In particular, the study shows that religious beliefs and practices help Arab-Palestinian women to handle emotional and psychological difficulties while perpetuating traditional cultural norms of concealment. Two main functions of religiosity as a coping resource are analyzed by (a) managing distress and identity crisis and (b) changing the meaning of the illness experience. In this sociocultural context, the practice of religious rituals provides cancer patients with an effective and culturally situated instrument for coping with a deep existential crisis. Practical implications of the study are discussed in the conclusions.

Slap or clap? Impact of controversial governance practice on media coverage

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of controversial governance practices on media coverage under a specific context. Based on the attribution theory, this study develops a theoretical framework to explore how antecedent factors can influence attribution process under a particular cultural context.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a behavioral view of the media and corporate governance to demonstrate how media attributes different reasons for the same controversial governance practice in Chinese-specific context. Using 1,198 non-state-owned listed company observations in China as the study sample, cross-section data are used to build a multiple linear regression mode to test hypotheses.FindingsThe analysis indicates that the media imposes fewer penalties on founder-CEO firms than on non-founder-CEO firms for engaging in controversial governance practices, such as CEO compensation. CEO tenure negatively moderates the effect of CEO compensation on negative media coverage in non-founder-CEO firms. The positive media bias evidence for founder-CEO firms exists only when the firm is better performed.Social implicationsThis study’s contribution to the governance literature starts with its logical reasoning of basic assumptions in the agency theory, and that media penalty will arise when managers impose actions that against interests of shareholders or other stakeholders. This study shows that the rule is not always true. The findings also bridge the connection of governance literature and reputation literature to better explain how media can act as a social arbitration role.Originality/valueThis study provides insights into how belief and information of reputational evaluators affect attribution consequences on controversial governance practices. Moreover, this study looks beyond the internal elements and focuses on China’s traditional cultural context as well. Specifically, the authors concentrate on the attribution process by showing the importance of evaluators’ framing tendency with regard to controversial practices. The results extend the knowledge about how conformity makes media coverage shows a bias effect on interactions during the evaluation process.

Педагогическая значимость постижения трансформационных музыкальных практик народов мира в современном образовании

Nowadays the Russian education is living a raw of system changes, where formation of student’s personal agency, of skill for learning and for self-development during the whole life, for elaborating the way of actualization of their own intentions are becoming the main tasks of the learning process. The abilities for self-understanding, self-development and self-actualization are connected with a category of personal transformation. The keys for its understanding could be found in the experience of traditional cultures that despite their bent for constancy are full of transformational motifs. The important role in this process belongs to “symbols of transformation”. One of the most effective between them is music that accompanies all the important events of human life in the context of traditional culture. The main mechanism for personal transformation is activity of musical experiencing. The comparative study of traditional cultures gives possibility to offer the following typology of transformational practices of work with musical experiencing: 1. Musical practices for passing the borderline states between dream and wakefulness. 2. Rites of passage and initiation. 3. Practices of individual and joint intoning of experiencing. 4. Healing practices. 5. Transformational practices of storytelling sessions. 6. Rituals of spiritual renovation. 7. Spiritual musical practices in education. 8. Dance transformational practices. In all of them music takes on the role: of internal subjective experience; of “live sound” that influences the whole human organism but not only the acoustic analyzer; of means for symbolization of experiencing; of a way of internal “growing” – from concentration in point of painful experiencing into the wide, endless “Self”; of marker of internal changes; of a metaphor of experiencing activity for transformation of internal world. The study of transformational musical practices in modern education helps to achieve the deeper level in world culture study, to understand the variety, typology and mechanisms of musical influence on a human in different traditions; widens the range of methods for work with musical experiencing; forms pedagogical tools for modern developmental, psychotherapeutic and educational practices; reveals the role of music as means for symbolization of experiencing; shows spiritual foundations of musical traditions of different peoples that form emotional and axiological attitude to them; enriches with wide range of cultural symbols for understanding and composing person’s own life.

Research on the Relationship between Management Capability and Corporate Environmental Information Disclosure: Based on the Perspective of Moderating Effects of Power Distance and Marketization Process

The construction of ecological civilization is a major strategy in China. Under the background of national strategy, how to deal with the deteriorating ecological environment has become a problem that the whole society needs to solve urgently. As an economic entity that consumes natural resources and discharges pollutants, enterprises should be the backbone of assuming social responsibility and fulfilling environmental protection obligations. Therefore, corporate environmental information disclosure has become a topical issue in theoretical research. Previous studies have shown that managers' personal characteristics and external institutional pressures are important factors that affect the level of corporate environmental information disclosure, but the lack of inspection of management capability that reflected in the overall quality of managers will have an impact on corporate environmental information disclosure. In order to deeply discuss the relevance of management capability and corporate environmental information disclosure quality, the paper is based on the upper echelon theory, reputation theory and legitimacy theory, collected environmental data from the social responsibility report of 340 listed companies in heavy pollution industry in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2011 to 2016. By establishing environmental information disclosure index to measure the company's environmental information disclosure quality and DEA-Tobit model to measure management capability to conduct empirical research, the result shows that the management capability is positively correlated with the quality of corporate environmental information disclosure. Then by distinguishing between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises, it finds that the management capability of state-owned enterprises can play a greater role to reveal better environmental information. Furthermore, the paper takes the informal system as breakthrough point, brings forward power distance that based on the Chinese traditional cultural context as a moderator variable, and focuses on the core dual-body structure between chairman of the board and general manager. The research result shows that the power distance would play a regulatory role in the correlation between management capability and the quality of corporate environmental information disclosure. When the power distance between chairman of the board and general manager is higher, it significantly inhibits management capability to improve the quality of corporate environmental information disclosure. It reveals that China's peculiar unity of command phenomenon makes the top leader’s power too concentrated, which is detrimental to the sustainable development of the company. At the same time, the degree of marketization in various regions in China is not balanced. It is valuable to explore the marketization process's role in regulating the relationship between management capability and corporate environmental information disclosure. The research result shows that under the situation of rapid marketization, the positive effect of management capability on the quality of corporate environmental information disclosure is more obvious. Through the study of the correlation between internal and external factors on management capability and environmental information disclosure, the paper puts forward relevant countermeasures from three aspects of the company, the government, and the market, in order to encourage and restrain companies to voluntarily perform environmental responsibility, regulate the environmental information disclosure behavior, improve the quality of environmental information disclosure, and jointly build a green and low-carbon society.

Family members' needs for nursing services of terminal cancer patients: a qualitative research

Objective To understand the needs for nursing services of terminal cancer patients from the perspective of patients' family members, for further development of strategy and providing a basis to improve the quality of terminal care. Methods Using the phenomenological approach of qualitative research, 16 family members of terminal cancer patients were interviewed with semi-structured interview outline. Colaizzi's analytical method was adopted to analyze the data, which were then organized into themes and sub-themes. Results The needs of the terminal cancer patients' families can be summarized into four subjects: to improve patients' quality of life, to offer psychological support, to maintain the terminal patients' hope and dignity, and to satisfy the needs of family members. Conclusions It is suggested that nurses should improve their clinical skills and symptom management skills to keep terminal patients comfortable. At the same time, nurses are supposed to enhance communication skills and focus on psychological support of patients. In addition, nurses should pay high attention to terminal cancer patients's piritual support and hope maintenance, helping patients and their families prepare for death in the Chinese traditional cultural context. Key words: Neoplasms; Hospice care; Family members; Nursing care; Qualitative research

The Endless Dance: Realization of Western Liberal Arts Tradition in Chinese Cultural Context

Being the first full scale cooperation in higher education between the Mainland and Hong Kong, the United International College (uic) positioned itself as “A New liberal Arts College” to help the country diversify her higher education landscape as part of education reform. While attempting to retain the defining characteristics of a us-style liberal arts college—caring for students, small class sizes, broad based curricula, facilitating cross fertilization of ideas, uic strongly emphasizes Chinese traditional culture, literature, history and Chinese thoughts through the ages, in addition to helping students acquire an international outlook. This is deemed essential not only because the students should learn about their own cultural heritage, but also they should treasure the wisdom of traditional Chinese thinking that could lend a helping hand to solving many problems the world faces today. It is gratifying to see that, after 10 years’ experimentation, the traditional western liberal arts education could be realized in the Chinese traditional culture context. In particular, the Confucius education philosophy could help nurture the whole person— junzi (君子), which is the overarching education goal of uic.

Hijab and principalship: the interplay between belief systems, educational management and gender among Arab Muslim women in Israel

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the decision of Muslim female principals in Israel to don the hijab following their appointment to school principalship. This research employed narrative life-story interviews to understand the women's decision to alter their appearance and how this transition is connected to their role as female school principals in the indigenous Muslim community in Israel and the reaction they faced both in personal and professional spheres. The principals' narratives elucidate that transition to wearing the hijab was a matter of choice and collective belonging; it empowers them and affected their leadership style, although it also provokes others' resistance and reactions. Findings clarify the social and personal identity of Arab Muslim women school principals in Israel, and point to the need for consideration of traditional cultural contexts, to enrich managerial theory. This understanding also supports the argument that governmental and organizational policies and initiatives should recognize the diversity in Muslim women's backgrounds and the dangers of privileging mainstream women's perspectives.

Involving decision-makers in the research process: Challenges of implementing the accountability for reasonableness approach to priority setting at the district level in Tanzania

The past two decades have seen a growing call for researchers, policy-makers and health care providers to collaborate in efforts to bridge the gaps between research, policy and practice. However, there has been a little attention focused on documenting the challenges of dealing with decision-makers in the course of implementing a research project. This paper highlights a collaborative research project aiming to implement the accountability for reasonableness (AFR) approach to priority setting in accordance with the Response to Accountable Priority Setting for Trust in Health Systems (REACT) project in Tanzania. Specifically, the paper examines the challenges of dealing with decision-makers during the project-implementation process and shows how the researchers dealt with the decision-makers to facilitate the implementation of the REACT project. Key informant interviews were conducted with the Council Health Management Team (CHMT), local government officials and other stakeholders, using a semi-structured interview guide. Minutes of the Action Research Team and CHMT were analysed. Additionally, project-implementation reports were analysed and group priority-setting processes in the district were observed. The findings show that the characteristics of the REACT research project, the novelty of some aspects of the AFR approach, such as publicity and appeals, the Action Research methodology used to implement the project and the traditional cultural contexts within which the project was implemented, created challenges for both researchers and decision-makers, which consequently slowed down the implementation of the REACT project. While collaboration between researchers and decision-makers is important in bridging gaps between research and practice, it is imperative to understand the challenges of dealing with decision-makers in the course of implementing a collaborative research project. Such analyses are crucial in designing proper strategies for improved communication and for the utilisation of research projects over time.

Occlusion therapy in amblyopia: an experience from Hong Kong

OBJECTIVES. To review the results of patching for amblyopia management in Hong Kong. DESIGN. Retrospective case series. SETTING. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS. Records of all patients attending Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinic at United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong from 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Records of all children who underwent patching for amblyopia in the study period were evaluated. RESULTS. The mean age of 50 children (50 eyes) was 4 (standard deviation, 1; range, 2-7) years and mean pretreatment visual acuity was 0.35 (0.15; 0.02-0.63) [~20/60]. The values for mean, standard deviation, and range of treatment duration were 27, 16, 4-67 months respectively, and corresponding values for prescribed patching per day were 4, 1, 2-8 hours. The mean, standard deviation, and range of visual acuity at final post-treatment assessment were 0.66, 0.16, 0.1-1.0 (~20/30), respectively. The overall success rate (ie final visual acuity >0.7 or 20/30) was 62%. Children with moderate amblyopia (20/40-20/80) and severe amblyopia (20/100-20/400) had success rates of 74% and 55%, respectively. The mean visual acuity improvements for moderate and severely amblyopic children were 2.3 lines and 5.8 lines, respectively. The mean, standard deviation, and range of patching prescriptions for moderate and severely amblyopic children were 5, 1, 2-7 hours and 5, 1, 3-6 hours, respectively. Recurrence ensued in 7% of the children with moderate amblyopia and 46% of those with severe amblyopia. Reported compliance was good (>75% of the time) in 68% of the children. CONCLUSION. Occlusion therapy is the mainstay of treatment in Hong Kong. The overall success rate was comparable to that achieved in the Amblyopia Treatment Study. Recurrence was more common in patients with severe amblyopia, for whom maintenance therapy may reduce the risk of recurrence. The duration of treatment was much longer in our locality than in western countries. Reported compliance was suspicious possibly due to traditional cultural contexts. It is important to emphasise compliance to all parents.