Traditional Notions Research Articles

Boundary work: a conceptual frame for workplace ethnographies in collaborative settings

PurposeInterprofessional collaboration and coordination are critical to developing solutions to complex problems, and many workplaces engage in coordination and collaboration across organizational boundaries. This development changes work conditions and workplaces for many people. The ethnographic study of workplaces needs to re-configure the toolbox to adjust to such changes. The purpose of this study was to explore how the ethnographic study of dispersed workplaces can benefit from the analytical concept of boundary work.Design/methodology/approachA multi-sited ethnographic study was conducted in two health promotion programs, introducing new collaborative relations across sectors and professions. The concept of boundary work was applied as the conceptual frame and introduced the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) as a boundary object.FindingsProfessional boundaries are key to understanding interorganizational and interprofessional collaborations. The ethnographic study of complex, multi-sited settings using boundary work as a conceptual framework can enrich workplace ethnographies by demonstrating how professions position themselves through framing. Such framing strategies are used to construct, defend or contest boundaries. Boundary objects may potentially bridge devices connecting people across boundaries.Originality/valueThe traditional ethnographic notion of “following” an object or a subject is difficult in a workplace environment dispersed across multiple sites and involving many different actors. This suggests that workplace ethnographies studying interorganizational workplaces would benefit from a shift in focus from place-based or group-based ethnography to a field-level ethnography of relations using boundary work as an analytical frame.

Beyond body and gravity: hybridity and technology in S.B. Divya’s Machinehood

ABSTRACT Donna Haraway views being a cyborg rather than a ‘goddess’ desirable. This feminist slogan can be seen in terms of the democratising power of a hybrid identity facilitated by technology as a substantial alternative to traditional notions of gendered identity. This paper aims to study S. B. Divya’s 2021 novel Machinehood to analyse how technology and identity are tied up in the context of the novel. The paper benefits from the insights from critical posthumanism by analysing how the transformation into a cyborg is problematised by the moral and ethical overtones facilitated by dakinis (mythological figures in Buddhism). While providing tactical advantage, cyborg may become the negation of one’s gender and flesh. The cyborg has been viewed as a capitalist desire. Thus, a cyborg society benefits from the transformative acts that resist such erasure and preserve one’s sense of identity rooted in their body.

Imagined Buddhisms and the Limits of Female Liberation in Qurratulain Hyder’s River of Fire

This study considers how Urdu Indian writer, Qurratulain Hyder historicizes the role of Buddhism in her magnum opus, River of Fire. Previous studies have approached the question of religion in River of Fire in relation to the radical nationalisms of Hinduism and Islam. Meanwhile, Buddhism—a religious philosophy often perceived as innocuous in the polemics of Partition—has received only a passing nod. This study demonstrates that Hyder’s imagination of Buddhism from the perspective of female domesticity, unravels a more complicated religious and literary legacy than what was generally understood among her contemporary intelligentsia. In the opening chapters of the novel, Hyder draws on classical Buddhist literatures such as the Therīgāthā, to challenge romanticized imaginations of Buddhism. This article teases out this intertextuality between the novel and the Buddhist canon as a moment that foregrounds the implications of liberation for generations of women silenced by hegemonic religious and national histories. Drawing on Saba Mahmood’s Politics of Piety, I argue that Hyder explores alternative conceptions of feminine self-realization and liberation which interrogate not only traditional monastic notions of freedom and liberation but also feminist and Buddhist discourses of equality in the nation.

Transcending Transcendence in Jim Jarmusch's Paterson

Abstract Building on Paul Schrader's thesis in Transcendental Style in Film that immanence and transcendence clash, this article explores a departure from this binary in Jim Jarmusch's 2016 film, Paterson. Although Paterson follows the formula of transcendental cinema, it lacks Schrader's prerequisite “Decisive Moments” for transcendence. I contend that films can evoke transcendence without distinct release moments, as exemplified by Paterson. To support this, Paterson is contrasted with Yasujiro Ozu's 1953 masterpiece, Tokyo Story, identified by Schrader as quintessentially transcendental and a key influence on Jarmusch. Introducing the concept of “immanent transcendence” to describe Paterson's unique position, I argue that transcendence and immanence can coexist. I challenge traditional notions of transcendental cinema, shedding light on cinematic experiences that bridge immanence and transcendence.

Crafting Bhutan-China Ties: Small State Agency in Emergent Diplomatic Relations

Abstract: Bhutan sits across a geopolitical fault line in South Asia. To its south lies its traditional partner—India. To its north lies China: a country whose economic power could significantly benefit Bhutan but whose regional orientation is strategically opposed to that of India. This article explores how Bhutan manages its growing relationship with China and seeks to chart where the relationship might go in the future. It shows how increasing economic and commercial ties with China are exerting growing pressure on Bhutan, a country with few developmental opportunities. These ties—in parallel to increasing political engagements—are moving Bhutan closer to diplomatic recognition of China; a decision that will impact on the regional balance of power well beyond the country’s borders. How and when this policy shift will occur is unclear, as Bhutan has been able to successfully prioritize its own interests over Chinese agendas. In doing so, Bhutan has managed to exert a higher degree of agency than other small states in the region. This outcome challenges traditional notions of small state agency in international relations. This study finds that this has been possible due to both material power considerations and the perceptional value accorded to the relationship.

War and Identity: Modernity in Olivia Manning’s The Balkan Trilogy

This article analyzes the connection between identity development and the socio-political turmoil of the Balkan war as portrayed in British author Olivia Manning’s The Balkan Trilogy. It explores how Harriet Pringle and Guy Pringle, the protagonists, exemplify the model of modern individual, whose identity and self-perception is in constant flux, reshaped by the chaotic environment of the Balkan war. This analysis is framed within the context of Anthony Giddens’ ideas on modernity particularly highlighting how war accelerates individualization and self reflection. Furthermore, we will explore the dynamics of Guy and Harriet’s relationship using Gidden’s concept of mutually transforming and changing love to understand how their partnership evolves over time. We argue that their relationship serves as a microcosm of intimacy amidst pressures challenging traditional notions of love and commitment in light of personal growth and existential struggles. Finally, we bring together these themes to demonstrate how the The Balkan Trilogy provides a platform for exploring the implications of Giddens’ theory of identity in the late modern period. Taking everthing into consideration, we will show that Manning’s narrative offers insights into the complexities of self identity and relationships in today’s changing and uncertain world particularly in the context of war.

An appraisal of contemporary issues in trade disputes resolution in Nigeria

Evidentially, trade dispute generally originates from the interaction within an organized labour market. In recent times, the traditional notion of trade dispute as being a dispute between workers and their employers or between workers and workers may hardly be sustained, considering the fact that in certain instances industrial action may be aimed at government and the government may not be the employer of the workers. The paper adopts doctrinal methodology to examine trade dispute resolution in Nigeria by way of analyzing the concept of trade dispute that will always occur once there exist a working relationship. The paper evaluates, the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) in its present constitution which is seriously handicapped to discharge its function effectively. The body lacks the independence required and expected of an adjudicatory body, more so, with the overbearing influence of the Minister on the duties of the IAP. The paper also recommends that in spite of the enormous challenges facing the I.A.P, the simplicity of procedure at the arbitration is a major advantage it has over litigation in the regular courts particularly as they have a time frame within which to discharge any despite before it.

Objectivity interrogation of racial scholarship in psychology and management

Scholars of color remain underrepresented in US institutions in academia. In this paper, we will examine one factor that contributes to their continued marginalization in psychology and management: the scientific method’s commitment to traditional notions of objectivity. We argue that objectivity—defined as practices and policies rooted in the heightened value placed on a research process that is ostensibly free from bias—is central to the prominence of primarily White scholarship in psychology and management research and remains central to knowledge production. To investigate this, we employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data to codify how scholars of color experience objectivity interrogations, or written and verbal questioning in academic contexts that implicates their scientific rigor. We also identify how scholars of color engage in objectivity armoring, or self-presentational strategies (toning down and stepping up) to contend with these interrogations. Finally, we reveal these toning down processes in language use within publications on racial scholarship. Overall, these studies reveal the unique challenges scholars of color face to legitimize and validate their work on race and racism within predominantly White institutions and disciplines.

Technology and Sacrifice

This paper investigates the complex relationship between technology, religion, and sacrifice, positing this last term as a pivotal concept for understanding the evolution and impact of technological advancements. Through a detailed examination of various cultural and religious frameworks, it explores how artificial intelligence and other modern technologies both challenge and redefine traditional notions of the sacred and the profane. By analyzing historical and contemporary practices, the study highlights the paradoxical role of sacrifice in the digital age, serving as both a metaphor for the loss inherent in technological progress and a foundational principle that shapes the ethical landscapes of innovation.

Parental Expectations and Fear of Negative Evaluation Among Indian Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Maladaptive Perfectionism

Background: Contrary to traditional notions of emerging adulthood as a period free from parental pressures, the prolonged transition to adulthood in contemporary society implies that parental influence remains a significant factor in the lives of emerging adults. This presents a potential challenge to emerging adults, as navigating independence while managing parental expectations can result in adverse psychological outcomes. The present study examined the relationship between perceived parental expectations and fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and the mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 466 emerging adults from India between 18 and 25 years old. They responded to the Perception of Parental Expectations Inventory, the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism-Brief Scale, and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation–Straightforward Items Scale. Results: Correlation analyses revealed significant, positive associations between perceived parental expectations, maladaptive perfectionism, and FNE. Findings from regression analyses indicated that increased perceptions of parental expectations and maladaptive perfectionism predicted increased levels of FNE. The relationship between perceived parental expectations and FNE was fully mediated by maladaptive perfectionism. Conclusion: A key reason for heightened perceptions of parental expectations associated with increased FNE is that emerging adults tend to adopt unrealistic perfectionistic standards. Maladaptive perfectionism represents a vital intervention target for individuals who perceive elevated parental expectations and are at risk for FNE, offering promising avenues for promoting well-being in emerging adults.

Ethical keylogger solution for monitoring user activities in cybersecurity networks

This paper presents the development of a software keylogger to monitor user activities within a cyber network, enhancing security and facilitating comprehensive cybersecurity analysis. Guided by the agile methodology, the work adopts a flexible and iterative approach to development, ensuring continuous collaboration, adaptation to evolving requirements, and swift response to feedback. Leveraging the versatility and efficiency of the Python programming language, this work transforms the traditional notion of a keylogger, which is a program that records keystrokes, into an ethical and legally compliant tool. By capturing and logging keystrokes, the system provides valuable insights into user behavior and potential security threats, enabling proactive measures to prevent cyber-attacks and data breaches. Prioritizing transparency and consent, the system design adheres to ethical standards and privacy regulations, ensuring the protection of sensitive information and user privacy. This technical solution offers cybersecurity professionals, system administrators, and organizations a valuable tool for network monitoring while showcasing responsible development practices and contributing to the advancement of ethical cybersecurity solutions.

Investigating the Relationship between Religion and Morality: Insight from Hume

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between religion and morality. David Hume, an influential figure in the Scottish Enlightenment, provides insightful contributions to this discourse through his philosophical works. This article explores Hume's nuanced views on the relationship between religion and morality, drawing from his key texts such as "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" and "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals." Hume challenges the traditional notion that religion is a necessary foundation for morality. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he argues that moral principles do not derive from religious doctrine or divine commandments but instead from human sentiment and reason. Hume contends that moral judgments are based on a natural sense of empathy and utility rather than religious authority. Furthermore, Hume critiques the idea that religion is essential for maintaining moral order within society. He suggests that religious beliefs and institutions may, in fact, be detrimental to morality by promoting superstition, intolerance, and dogmatism. Hume advocates for a secular approach to morality, where ethical principles are grounded in rational reflection and social cooperation rather than religious doctrine. While Hume challenges the traditional link between the two, he acknowledges the historical influence of religion on moral development and societal norms. Hume recognizes the social utility of religion in fostering moral virtues and promoting social cohesion, albeit without attributing morality exclusively to religious sources.

Electrode wettability and capacitance of electrical double layer capacitor: a classical density functional theory study

We suggest a coarse-grained water model for use in classical density functional theory (cDFT) to describe aqueous inorganic salt solutions that act as working electrolytes in electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) with electrodes comprising two face-to-face doped carbon monolayers. Focus of the cDFT calculations lies on the influence of solvent electrode wettability (SEW) on capacitance and energy storage behaviors, while also considering its interaction with factors like electrolyte bulk concentration, pore size, electrode voltage, and temperature. New phenomena are disclosed theoretically. Remarkably, this study challenges the traditional notion that energy storage is consistently boosted by enhancing the electrode’s ionophobicity. Contrarily, the SEW effect reduces energy storage below the standard aqueous electrochemical window voltage (around 1.2 V) and only enhances the energy storage as the voltage surpasses a certain threshold up to the optimal window voltage (2 V–2.5 V). Furthermore, a non-monotonic SEW effect on energy storage is demonstrated under appropriate conditions, shedding new light on the complex relationship between ionophobicity and energy storage. Moreover, the present coarse-grained water model enables the prediction of the experimentally observed inverse relationship between temperature and capacitance. In contrast, the widely used electrolyte primitive model predicts the existence of a maximum value. The decisive factor for the impact of SEW on capacitance and energy storage is identified as congestion within the electrode pore, while other factors contribute by affecting this congestion. The present research offers valuable insights, highlighting the significance of SEW in the innovative and strategic design of aqueous inorganic EDLC devices.

A Critical Comparison of SEUT and Prospect Theory

This article explores two key theories in behavioral finance: Subjective Expected Utility Theory (SEUT) and Prospect Theory, outlining their development as responses to historic economic paradoxes, challenging traditional notions of rationality in economic decision-making. SEUT extends the concepts of expected value and rational choice, incorporating individual utility functions and subjective probabilities. Despite its comprehensive approach, SEUT struggles to explain certain behaviors under risk and uncertainty. Prospect Theory, conceived by Kahneman and Tversky, offers an alternative. It introduces decision weighting, focusing on how individuals differently perceive gains and losses relative to a reference point. This theory explains human biases like loss aversion and framing effects, which SEUT overlooks. Through practical examples and empirical studies, the article demonstrates scenarios where human behavior deviates from SEUT predictions, influenced by psychological factors. However, both theories provide insights into economic decision-making, they have their respective strengths and limitations. The article suggests a more integrated approach, recognizing the complexities of human decision-making in economic contexts.

HIV/AIDS, Disability, and Viral Masculinities

AbstractThis article explores the relationship between HIV/AIDS, disability, and masculinity, critically analysing how these elements intersect and influence societal norms and individual identities. It begins by examining the categorisation of HIV/AIDS as a disability, questioning the adequacy of traditional disability frameworks in capturing the complex realities of living with HIV/AIDS. The discussion extends to the implications of such categorisation, considering both the medical and social models of disability, and how these models interact with legal protections and social stigmas. The article also discusses how HIV/AIDS as disability impacts conceptions of masculinity, with a specific focus on how practices like bugchasing subvert traditional notions of health, risk, and masculinity, examining cultural constructions of masculinity in relation to HIV/AIDS and highlighting how societal expectations and popular culture representations often perpetuate certain masculine ideals while marginalising others. By examining these intersections, the article challenges established health paradigms and societal norms around disability, HIV/AIDS, and masculinity. Ultimately, it aims to broaden the dialogue around health, disability, and gender, advocating for policies that reflect the nuanced realities of people living with HIV/AIDS and encouraging a reassessment of entrenched perceptions.

Testing the human superorganism approach tomorality.

Current theories in moral psychology do not agree about the kinds and range of offenses that people should moralize. In this study, a new approach to defining the moral domain, Human Superorganism Theory (HSoT), is presented and tested. HSoT proposes that the primary function of moral action is the suppression of cheaters in the unusually large societies recently established by our species (i.e., human 'superorganisms'). It suggests that a broad range of moral concerns exist beyond traditional notions of harm and fairness, including actions that inhibit functions such as group-level social control, physical and social structuring, reproduction, communication, signaling and memory. Roughly 80,000 respondents completed a web-based experiment hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation, which elicited a suite of responses to characteristics of a set of 33 short scenarios representing the areas identified by the HSoT perspective. Results indicate that all 13 superorganism functions are moralized, while violations of scenarios falling outside this area (social customs and individual decisions) are not. Several hypotheses derived specifically from HSoT were also supported. Given this evidence, we believe this new approach to defining a broader moral domain has implications for fields ranging from psychology to legal theory.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: The Evolution of Masculinity in Geri-action and Its Implications for Male Hegemony

In 2023, a new adventure film called Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiered in theaters around the globe. In this film, Harrison Ford returns to his iconic role as Indiana Jones, showcasing a new perspective on action-packed adventures with seasoned heroes, which brings forth exciting new possibilities. Examining Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, this study delves into the development of masculinity in older action heroes, highlighting how these seasoned protagonists can challenge traditional notions of male hegemony. The study employs discourse analysis to examine the portrayal of Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones and draws comparisons to previous iterations and other characters within the genre. This analysis highlights the film's departure from conventional portrayals of masculinity, indicating a movement towards dismantling gender norms and challenging male hegemony. The analysis highlights the importance of older heroes in portraying changing perspectives on masculinity and male roles in today's society. This study presents a fresh outlook on gender studies, highlighting the importance of portraying masculinity in film in a more nuanced way. It advocates for breaking away from traditional norms and promoting diversity in storytelling and character development.

Just a story? Leadership, lived experience and integrated care.

Integrated care is based around values of involvement and shared decision-making, but these are not often reflected within planning and implementation. Barriers include continued emphasis on professional and managerial perspectives, skills gaps on how best to engage people and communitiesand insufficient investment in involvement infrastructure. Despite such challenges, people with lived experience have still led changes in policy and services. Qualitative study involving 25participants with lived experience from 12countries. Participants shared their background stories and engaged in semistructured interviews relating to leadership identity, experience of influencingand personal learning. Transcripts were analysed through a framework approach informed by narrative principles. Participants were motivated by their own experiences and a wish to improve care for future individuals and communities. Sharing their story was often the entry point for such influencing. Participants gained skills and confidence in story telling despite a lack of support and development. Many felt comfortable being described as a leader whileothers rejected this identity and preferred a different title. No common alternative term to leader was identified. Influencing services required considerable personal cost but also led to new networks, skills developmentand satisfaction when change was achieved. Leadership within integrated care is often awarded to those with structural power related to management or clinical seniority. People with lived experience are though uniquely placed to identify what needs to change and can develop inspiring visions based around their personal stories. Claiming identity as leader can be challenging due to traditional notions of who is eligible to lead and unwillingness by professionals and managers to grant such identity. People with lived experience should be recognised as leaders of integrated care and have access to developmental opportunities and practical support to strengthen their skills, including that of storytelling. PATIENT ANDPUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The research was instigated on the request of a community advisory board of people with lived experience who shaped its design, contributed to the analysisand informed the conclusions and implications.

Methodological shifts and departures in music education research: embracing complexity with diffraction, intra-action, and agentic assemblages

ABSTRACT In England, music education policy is deeply rooted in neoliberal ideologies, shaping classroom practice and assessments. This paper presents findings from a four-year funded longitudinal project exploring the impact of musical partnerships on young people at risk of educational exclusion. Through a posthuman lens, the researchers made a methodological shift, acknowledging the agency of non-human elements and physical spaces in musical interactions. Posthumanism offered alternative insights, challenging traditional notions of music education practice and extended human-centric perspectives and school assessment metrics. It expanded our understanding of what it means to be a musician and pedagogue. This paper proposes that posthumanism can challenge existing notions of music education practice while simultaneously moving the discussion of important matters in music education research into new areas of thinking, doing, and being.

Substance and City: Exploring Drug Culture and Urban Marginalization in Jeet Thayil's "Narcopolis"

The present research article attempts to study the portrayal of drug addiction and its effects on individual identity, societal structures and marginal communities in Jeet Thayil's novel "Narcopolis". Through a close analysis of the characters' experiences with addiction of drugs and the consequences it has on their lives, the study focuses on the broader social implications of drug use in the urban landscape of Mumbai, particularly focusing on how marginal communities are impacted. The article also examines the novel's use of language and narrative techniques to convey the complexities of addiction and urban life, shedding light on the ways in which Thayil's work challenges traditional notions of identity and community in the face of addiction.