Vocational Roles Research Articles

"Without IPS I Think I Would Really Fall Apart": Individual Placement and Support as Experienced by People With Mental Illness-Phenomenological Peer Research Study.

Having a job is an important component of recovery from mental illness and a source of economic, social, and health benefits. Most people experiencing severe mental illness (SMI) want to work but are excluded from employment opportunities. Employment specialists (ESs) working in individual placement and support (IPS) teams help persons struggling with SMI obtain competitive employment. This study is a qualitative phenomenological study of 10 IPS participants in the Norwegian context, serving to develop a deeper understanding of the IPS phenomenon as it is experienced in the everyday life of IPS participants. The study was designed as a peer research project including four members of a competence group with experience in IPS and SMI. The results, analyzed using the reflective lifeworld research approach, revealed four constituents: "Having a safety net along the way toward employment," "Feeling more like a person, not just a patient," "Brighter future," and "Going above and beyond employment support." IPS functions as an anchor in participants' journey toward employment. Strong and meaningful relationships with an ES seem crucial for IPS participants to gain the strength and confidence essential to engage in the job search. IPS participants experience various challenges in everyday life, resulting in ESs exceeding their vocational role to cover the unmet needs that health services seem unable to fully address. Closer coordination between vocational and health services, as well as a deeper focus on everyday life issues, will positively affect IPS participants' vocational outcomes and quality of life.

Student attitudes toward quantum information science and technology in a high school outreach program

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research.] With the current growth in quantum information science and technology (QIST), there is an increasing need to prepare precollege students for postsecondary QIST study and careers. This mixed methods, explanatory sequential research focused on students’ affective outcomes from a one-week, 25-h summer program for U.S. high school students in grades 10–12. The workshop structure was based upon psychosocial theories of self-determination and planned behavior, where QIST aspirations may be facilitated and viewed as achievable choices if students acquire disciplinary knowledge, self-efficacy, normative expectancy of their capacity in the field, and awareness of vocational roles. The program featured lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences in classical and quantum physics and quantum computing. Students’ attitudes toward QIST (N=77)—including self-efficacy, self-concept, relevance, career aspirations, and perceptions of quantitative fluency—showed improvement with a medium effect size, even though treatment students entered the program with more positive QIST attitudes when compared with a control group of high school physics students (N=65). Postprogram interviews with n=12 participants identified several explanatory themes: (i) Students tended to comprehend classical and quantum topics taught through multiple representations, regardless of whether they had taken physics previously; (ii) students experienced some challenges with mathematics and science concepts that support quantum understanding, yet they revealed a willingness to learn new concepts outside of their comfort zone; (iii) students expressed motivation for pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and/or quantum-related careers in the future, as well as increased QIST self-concept, largely through understanding the relevance of QIST in solving technological problems; and (iv) students reported increased self-efficacy in understanding QIST topics and performing related tasks. This informal summer program showed promise in promoting positive student attitudes toward QIST, a critical emerging field in advancing technological solutions for global challenges. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

‛Until you're in the chair and executing your role, you don't know': A qualitative study of the needs and perspectives of people with stroke-related communication disabilities when returning to vocational activity.

People with communication disability after stroke experience low rates of return to vocational roles. Vocational rehabilitation is recommended; however, there are no clear guidelines informing vocational rehabilitation for people with communication disability. Understanding the needs and experiences of this population is critical to improving vocational stroke rehabilitation outcomes. This study aimed to: (1) investigate the experience of vocational rehabilitation for people with communication disability after stroke, (2) identify gaps and, (3) provide preliminary recommendations for tailored service delivery. Seven participants with an identified communication impairment following stroke were recruited from a larger clinical trial of early vocational rehabilitation (20% of total sample, n = 34). To address the study aims, a qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Data were integrated with demographic and intervention audit data to contextualise participant experiences, identify vocational rehabilitation gaps and inform preliminary recommendations. Participants were five men and two women aged 24-69 years whose communication profiles included difficulties with auditory comprehension and information processing, reading comprehension, thinking, executive function and self-regulation, as well as difficulties with verbal and written expression. Vocational rehabilitation was perceived as beneficial but participants identified gaps including limited access to psychological and peer-based support during early rehabilitation, limitations to accessing specialist vocational rehabilitation programs, barriers to accessing ongoing rehabilitation after resumption of vocational activity, and limited preparedness for the degree of impact that their communication changes had on execution of vocational roles and responsibilities. Vocational environments are communicatively demanding and people living with acquired communication difficulties face a range of vocation-related participation barriers even when communication difficulties are mild. Greater emphasis on evaluating the vocational communication environment and targeted communication training and preparation for colleagues within the workplace is recommended to reduce barriers faced. Interdisciplinary rehabilitation, inclusive of psychological care, may support working-age stroke survivors to recognise and acknowledge changes in their communication function, lead to improved engagement in the rehabilitation process, and ensure early identification of factors likely to influence successful return-to-vocational activity. What is already known on the subject Stroke is common amongst people of working age yet fewer than half of stroke survivors will return to pre-stroke vocational roles. Communication difficulties affect anywhere between 24% and 45% of people after stroke and include changes to language abilities, motor speech, vision, hearing and cognition. This group experiences much lower rates of return to vocational roles when compared to people with stroke who do not have a concomitant communication difficulty. Vocational rehabilitation is recommended. However, currently there is limited evidence to inform vocational rehabilitation guidelines for people with stroke and communication difficulties. Achieving a successful return to vocational activity is associated with improved life satisfaction for people with communication difficulties after stroke and is a key research priority for this population. What this study adds This study investigated the experiences of people with communication difficulty after stroke who reported a goal of returning to pre-stroke vocational activity. Data associated with types of interventions received, the experiences and perceptions of vocational rehabilitation, and experiences of returning to vocational activity were analysed to identify core rehabilitation needs and develop preliminary recommendations to inform future vocational rehabilitation guidelines for this population. What are the clinical implications of this work? The present study provides preliminary evidence that people experiencing communication difficulties after stroke require a more integrated rehabilitation pathway. During early stages of vocational rehabilitation psychological and peer-based support is indicated to support adjustment to changed communication function and to enable productive goal setting and engagement in rehabilitation. Clinicians need to complete a detailed analysis of the vocational communication environment and consider the communication activities involved in the individual's future vocational duties in order to plan meaningful rehabilitation. A multidisciplinary approach is required and additional training for clinicians is indicated to support clinicians to work collaboratively within the vocational setting.

Parents' and Teachers' Views about Suitable Future Jobs for Learners with High-Functioning Autism at a Special School

There appears to be limited information regarding studies exploring parents' and teachers' views on appropriate jobs for learners with high-functioning autism (HFA). This study is significant because its purpose was to explore parents' and teachers' views on suitable jobs for learners with HFA at a special school in Johannesburg, South Africa. This study also sought to explore parents' and teachers' opinions on vocational methods for supporting learners with HFA. An interpretive paradigm was used as part of the qualitative research methodology. The data were generated from 12 selected participants using purposive sampling, including six parents whose children had HFA and six teachers of learners with HFA from various phases of the school. Semistructured interviews and document analysis were used to generate the data. The data were analyzed via thematic data analysis. The study revealed that teachers and parents of learners with HFA see jobs such as waiters, athletes, swimmers, soccer players, basketball players, handball players, baking, cooking, drawing, artists, gardening, carpentry, building, plumbing, car-washing, driving, building websites, filing, laminating, playing video games, emailing, printing, and photographing as appropriate future jobs for learners with HFA. The findings revealed that vocational methods that are useful for developing jobs that are perceived as suitable for learners with HFA are gardening, sewing, cooking, selling food, and computer training through vocational shadowing involving multiple stakeholders. The study highlights the importance of a collaborative approach among stakeholders in developing individualized support plans for learners with HFA, focusing on identifying, nurturing, and placing them in suitable vocational roles for lifelong employment. Consequently, special education curricula for learners with HFA in South Africa should prioritize vocational skills and be collaboratively designed by all stakeholders. Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorders; Parents; Teachers; High-Functioning Autism; Jobs

Improving the oral function of patients with upper and lower lip tensor fascia lata slings for patients with flaccid facial nerve palsy

BackgroundFacial nerve paralysis (FNP) often causes decreased quality of life and may lead to significant facial dysfunction. Oral competence is frequently raised as a concern by patients as it impacts nutrition, hydration, social participation, and mental health. This can result in social isolation and reduced capacity to return to vocational roles. Despite its prevalence, it is incompletely understood and rarely described. This study prospectively evaluated the impact that facial nerve static and dynamic reanimation has on oral competence, with a specific focus on speech intelligibility and the oral phase of the swallow. Materials and MethodsPatients who had a static or dynamic facial reanimation at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse due to facial nerve paralysis were recruited consecutively between September 2020 and October 2022. Their speech and swallow were analysed using patient reported outcome measures including the speech handicap index and the oral competence questionnaire, and speech intelligibility rated by the patient and their speech pathologist at baseline (up to 2-weeks prior to surgery), then at 6- and 12- months post-surgery. Outcomes were evaluated firstly by a paired analysis (pre- compared to post-operative oral competence outcomes), and secondly by a cohort analysis of static, compared to dynamic reanimation. Results19 participants underwent a facial nerve reconstruction (10 static, 9 dynamic and static) due to pre-operative facial nerve paralysis. At 12-months improvements in both the oral competence questionnaire (OCQ) and the speech handicap index (SHI) (score reduced at a rate of 0.3 points per week and the 0.2 points respectively) and that this change met statistical significance (OCQ; p = p < 0.003, SHI; p < 0.001). Patient rated intelligibility increased 0.3 and clinician rated intelligibility increased 0.2 points per week which also significantly improved (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively). ConclusionsBoth static and dynamic facial reanimation procedures significantly improved both speech and swallowing measures for oral competence at 6- and 12- months post-procedure. There was not a significant difference found between static and dynamic procedures.

POSTURAL VALUATION IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: POSTURE CLASSIFICATION

IntroductionAs well known, to this day, the figure of school doctor is absent and much less physical activity is carried out in primary schools. For this reason, the Italian National Fair Play Committee, a meritorious association legally recognized, founded in 1994, in full synergy with Sport and Health, with CONI, Federations and Sports Promotion Bodies, aware of its vocational role, since 2010 had proceeded to establish "Medici Fair Play", as a not just conceptual defense, to integrate the precious action carried out by sports medicine with the verification of suitability for the practice. Aim of the studyThrough a screening project focused on postural problems, named "IOCHIRON, POSTURE IS HEALTH", we prepared a real cornerstone for health prevention and for charitable and useful purposes for the Higher Institute of Health. The initiative provides for a national screening activity in the three-year period 2022-2024, through an assessment with non-invasive tests, to study the structural level posture of over 7 million children and adolescents. This educational path aims to prevent wrong postures in children and adolescents, between 6 and 15 years of age, who are at the peak of growth, with a huge benefit on possible pathologies that could be found when adult, thus saving high costs to the SSN (or NHS).MethodsThe presented observational study represents the first experience carried out by the CeFiRR Structure (Center for Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation) at Gemelli Molise S.p.A. 120 school-age subjects were evaluated through a BioPostural questionnaire and an observational form which provided for the evaluation of the asymmetries of: shoulders, scapula, pelvis, knees, hindfoot, trunk rotation (through a scoliosometer), posterior overhang (through the plumb line) and the plantar vault (through static barodopometry).The outcome measures were calculated on the basis of the number of "YES" responses of the BioPostural questionnaire, and on the basis of the number of "YES" evaluations of the observational form.From the interdisciplinary communication and the interpretation of the outcome measures, Posture was classified the in: Asymmetrical, Dysfunctional and Pathological.ResultsThe 42% of the examined subjects presented a shoulder asymmetry (bisacromial line) and a pelvis asymmetry (bisiliac line); the 33% presented a scapulae asymmetry (lower angle of the scapula); and the 9% of the examined subjects presented a flattening of the plantar vault.The BioPostural Questionnaire reflected what was subsequently observed with the observational form and in particular for the number of affirmative answers recorded, it did not suggest further insights into any subject through a Digitalized Biometric analysis, but it highlighted an important number of subjects in the sample who reported: low back pain (85), neck-pain while studying or reading (68). Conclusions The retrospective observational study showed the possibility of observing the adolescent subject in a very short time and with inexpensive instruments (e.g. plumb bob, Bunner's scoliometer, and stabulometric platform) with the collaboration of various health professionals.This experience allowed us to create a classification, in three degrees, of posture which encloses the objective and subjective characteristics of the subject evaluated for a better interpretation of the data, at a territorial and multi-specialist level.The points of weaknesses of the study are represented by the exiguity of the sample examined, and by the difficulty in exposing and finalizing the data collected at a multidisciplinary level, in a field that is still not so much known.For future experiences, it would be necessary to increase the number of subjects examined and standardize the finalization of the data so that they can be ready for use and vision by a greater number of health professionals and medical specialists

Medical home primary care components and current educational service use in children and youth on the autism spectrum

IntroductionChildren and youth on the autism spectrum and their families use health and educational services to address their complex needs. They use primary health care services in the medical home, as endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They can also use educational services for their cognitive, social, and adaptive skill development, beginning in early intervention and through their transition to postsecondary or vocational roles. Medical and educational services are organized and delivered in separate systems, thereby placing the primary responsibility for coordinating these services on their families.MethodsPooled data from 2016 through 2019 National Survey of Children's Health were used to measure the association between current educational service use and six medical home primary care components, controlling for select sociodemographic and clinical factors in children and youth on the autism spectrum (n = 1,922).ResultsAfter controlling for select sociodemographic and clinical factors, difficulty getting referrals [aOR = 2.93, 95% CI (1.33, 6.41), P = 0.007] and no shared decision-making in the medical home [aOR = 2.93, 95% CI (1.21, 7.06), P = 0.016] resulted in higher likelihood of current educational service use. Older children had a lower likelihood of current educational service use [aOR = 0.91, 95% CI (0.85, 0.97), P = 0.003], whereas higher autism severity increased the likelihood of current educational service use [aOR = 1.80, 95% CI (1.10, 2.95), P = 0.019].ConclusionChildren and youth on the autism spectrum, especially those with moderate or severe autism, had a higher likelihood of education service use, unless they were older, had difficulty getting referrals, and no shared decision-making. Results suggest that the way services are currently provided between health and educational systems separates medical and educational professionals, therefore increasing the demands on caregivers and educational systems to facilitate current educational service use. Further study is needed for improving the medical home referral or shared decision-making pathways and to identify caregiver strategies for navigating educational systems.

Helming Malaysia:Najib Razak’s Metaphors inMalaysian Supply Bills

This paper discusses the vocational roles constructed by Najib Razak, the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia for himself, his government, and relational identities for the Malaysian people and others, through Supply Bills. I model the study on Charteris-Black’s Critical Metaphor Analysis and Sack’s Membership Categorisation Analysis, as frameworks. The findings indicate that Najib Razak and his government enacted a role as a ship captain, where the Malaysian people were positioned as passengers, sailing in a sea of world economy, and heading towards a status as a high-income developed nation. Through these metaphors, the people were reminded that without the government as helm of the ship, it is to reach the intended destination. Therefore, the use of metaphors in the Supply Bills serve predicative, empathetic, ideological, and mythical purposes, to legitimize both the government and its purposes as agents of governmentality.

Nursing experts in primary care of chronically ill persons: Insights into an ongoing project

Nursing experts in primary care of chronically ill persons: Insights into an ongoing project Abstract. Background: The project HandinHand develops and tries out a new interprofessional form of care for chronically ill persons. On referral by the attending doctors, nursing experts visit chronically ill persons older than 60 years on a regular basis. In this framework a clinical supervision takes place and is complemented by a promotion of health and self-management competencies of the patients. According to advanced nursing practice, nursing experts function as consultants and instructors for the target group and their relatives. Methods: This paper describes the field of action and the vocational role of nursing experts. Following the delegation agreement and the development of the project, opportunities and boundaries of this new form of care are discussed. Results: The project HandinHand introduces a new role for nursing experts in the German health care system. Conclusion: This form of cooperation between doctors and nursing experts is a model of good practice. It can be seen as a starting point for the development of new fields of action and roles of advanced nursing practice for academically educated nurses.

The tour guide role in the United Arab Emirates: Emiratisation, satisfaction and retention

This paper examines the job satisfaction levels of national tour guides in the United Arab Emirates. In-depth interviews (n = 34) and a questionnaire (n = 63), incorporating Job Satisfaction Survey dimensions alongside context-specific ones, were used to assess continuance intentions in relation to career development opportunities and societal sentiment on the ‘appropriateness’ of this vocational role. While the nature of the job and promotional opportunities strengthened continuance intentions, stigma towards nationals working in the tourism sector reduced such intentions. A recommendation that fits with the UAE’s goal of better utilising indigenous human capital is to augment the hands-on aspect of the job with academically orientated tasks including archiving, curation and research and thus, raise this role’s status.

Oral Incompetence: changes in speech intelligibility following facial nerve paralysis

BackgroundSpeech may be compromised following facial nerve paralysis (FNP), depending on the cause of the paralysis. This can result in lower quality of life and a reduced capacity to return to vocational roles. Despite its prevalence, it is incompletely understood and rarely described. This study prospectively evaluated the impact of FNP on speech intelligibility. MethodsThis observational study recruited patients who were diagnosed with FNP and who reported oral incompetence from the Sydney Facial Nerve Service. Their speech was analysed using patient reported outcome measures (Speech Handicap Index) and perceived intelligibility (Speech Pathologist, community member control participants, participant self-rating, and dictation software). ResultsForty participants with FNP and 40 controls were recruited. Participants with FNP rated their intelligibility to be significantly worse than other raters (p <0.001). Consonant analysis demonstrated bilabial, fricatives and labiodental phonemes to be most commonly affected following FNP. ConclusionOral competence is compromised after FNP which can lead to a poorer perception of their intelligibility and reduced speech related quality of life.

Characteristics of Christian College Faculty Who Prioritize Students’ Development of Vocational Calling

Interviews were conducted with 15 faculty members across three Christian U.S. university campuses in seeking to identify the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of faculty who had been identified by institutional leaders in the area of calling and vocation as prioritizing the development of a sense of vocational calling in their students’ lives. This study led to the identification of four personal experiences of participants and four types of interactions with students as major themes. Specifically, the four experiences that emerged during data analysis were a recognition of God’s activity in calling; an appreciation of the influence of others on their vocational choice; an understanding of calling as a process; and the perception of pressure felt by students to consider their vocational calling. Participants also reported engaging in certain types of interactions with students. In specific, they displayed an attitude of helpfulness in matters large and small, integrated their personal faith with their teaching, shared their personal stories of faith and vocational calling with their students, and promoted experiential education to their students. Each of the themes was examined in light of existing higher education research. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are presented. This study contributes to the literature related to the role of calling and vocation in the lives of college students and faculty and proposes a theory and model describing opportunities for influence by Christian college faculty on students’ development of a sense of vocational calling.

Twice forty years of scholarly pursuits: Robert Reid Howison (1820–1906)

The written artifacts of nineteenth-century Virginian Robert Reid Howison (1820–1906) lend themselves to an analysis of Howison as a self-directed, lifelong learner, and non-traditional educator as evidenced through his scholarship stemming from his vocational roles as lawyer and minister as well as his work as a historian. Howison’s autobiography provides the chronology to examine his life, situated within a tumultuous cultural milieu, and it offers insights into intellectual participation outside of an academic setting. Despite Howison’s prolific career, he is largely unknown in contemporary literature; however, he is a worthy role model of independent scholarship for 21st century educators.

Negotiating sustainabilities in applied geography: treading an uneven path

ABSTRACT This essay examines the ways in which geographers have engaged with the concept and practice of sustainability and the lessons that we might learn from commentaries on the application of geographical ideas in the field of public policy. First, the essay highlights the need to question our academic relationship with a ‘slippery’ concept such as sustainability. Second, it examines the role of geographers in generating impact for sustainability causes and what we might expect to be our role. Third, the essay argues for a revitalized ‘scholar-activist’ approach that draws upon the vocational role of geographers in local environmental contexts.

The Reintegration Journey Following A Psychiatric Hospitalization: Examining the Role of Social Technologies.

For people diagnosed with mental health conditions, psychiatric hospitalization is a major life transition, involving clinical treatment, crisis stabilization and loss of access of social networks and technology. The period after hospitalization involves not only management of the condition and clinical recovery but also re-establishing social connections and getting back to social and vocational roles for successful reintegration - a significant portion of which is mediated by social technology. However, little is known about how people get back to social lives after psychiatric hospitalization and the role social technology plays during the reintegration process. We address this gap through an interview study with 19 individuals who experienced psychiatric hospitalization in the recent past. Our findings shed light on how people's offline and online social lives are deeply intertwined with management of the mental health condition after hospitalization. We find that social technology supports reintegration journeys after hospitalization as well as presents certain obstacles. We discuss the role of social technology in significant life transitions such as reintegration and conclude with implications for social computing research, platform design and clinical care.

167 Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Redesigned Simulation Programme for Final-Year Medical Students During their Assistantship Placement

The transition to a foundation doctor is often a daunting process for medical students and, to prepare for this, students attend an assistantship placement in the final months of medical school. The transition to foundation year 1 (TTF1) programme is an 8-week placement where students shadow a junior doctor, taking on a vocational role, and attend various teaching activities including high-fidelity simulation. Evidence suggests that medical students transitioning to clinical practice feel unprepared for working on-call, managing acutely unwell patients and task prioritization, and are often unprepared for scenarios requiring expert communication techniques We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a redesigned simulation programme for TTF1 students, focussing on student satisfaction, confidence and attitudes across key domains.Fifty-three TTF1 students attended a 1-day high-fidelity simulation training day, separated into cohorts of 10 students. Students completed a pre-course (In terms of confidence, there was an improvement across all core domains, namely diagnosing and managing acute medical emergencies (2.8 vs. 3.8), performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (3.0 vs. 3.6) and working effectively with colleagues in the interests of the patient (3.3 vs. 4.2). 96% of students found that simulation was a valuable learning experience, allowing them to integrate theory with practice. 94% of students felt that the simulation allowed them to analyse their behaviours and actions and 88% found that scenarios resembled real-world situations. Attitudes towards simulation were positive, with 92% of students agreeing that simulation is a good way of learning technical and non-technical skills. Qualitative themes focussed on the real-world applicability of the scenarios, increased confidence in task prioritization, closed-loop communication and early escalation.We have demonstrated the benefit of integrating simulation training within the assistantship period and the value of creating novel scenarios directly related to future practice as a junior doctor.

The innovation characteristics of person-centred care as perceived by healthcare professionals: an interview study employing a deductive-inductive content analysis guided by the consolidated framework for implementation research

BackgroundPerson-centred care (PCC) is promoted as an innovation that will improve patients’ rights and increase their participation in healthcare. Experience shows that the implementation of PCC is challenging and often results in varying levels of adoption. How health care professionals (HCPs) perceive an innovation such as PCC is an important factor to consider in implementation. Yet, such studies are scarce. Thus, in a sample of healthcare units in a region in Sweden, involved in a transition to PCC, we aimed to investigate HCPs’ perceptions of PCC.MethodsAn interview study was conducted in 2018 during the implementation of PCC with HCPs (n = 97) representing diverse vocational roles in six healthcare contexts. Data were collected via focus groups (n = 15), dyadic interviews (n = 5), and individual interviews (n = 22) and analysed using a deductive–inductive content analysis. The deductive approach was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), followed by an inductive analysis to describe HCPs’ in-depth perceptions of PCC in relation to each of the CFIR constructs.ResultsEight constructs from two of the CFIR domains, Intervention characteristics and Inner setting, were used to code HCPs’ perceptions of PCC. One construct, Observability, was added to the coding sheet to fully describe all the data. The constructs Relative advantage, Complexity, Compatibility, Observability, and Available resources were discussed in depth by HCPs and resulted in rich and detailed data in the inductive data analysis. This analysis showed large variations in perceptions of PCC among HCPs, based on factors such as the PCCs ethical underpinnings, its operationalisation into concrete working routines, and each HCPs’ unique recognition of PCC and the value they placed on it.ConclusionsWe identified nine CFIR constructs that seem pertinent to HCPs’ perceptions of PCC. HCPs report an array of mixed perceptions of PCC, underlining its complex nature. The perceptions are shaped by a range of factors, such as their individual understandings of the concept and the operationalisation of PCC in their local context. Stakeholders in charge of implementing PCC might use the results as a guide, delineating factors that may be important to consider in a wide range of healthcare contexts.

James Baldwin and Ernest Hemingway: The Expatriate Artist as Organic Intellectual

Intellectuals are a class of educated and gifted people (writers, scholars, scientists, artists) produced by society to perform social functions and assume a historical responsibility. Their ethically-based competences and prophetic visions are vital to establishing a sustainable social order and promoting the society of justice. Edward Said wrote in Representations of the Intellectual that “the proliferation of intellectuals has expanded into the very large number of fields in which intellectuals—possibly following on Gramsci’s pioneering suggestions in The Prison Notebooks which almost for the first time saw intellectuals, and not social classes, as pivotal to the workings of modern society—have become the object of study.” To exemplify and understand the role of the intellectual vocation, this paper explores the question of organic intellectualism in famous American expatriate writers Ernest Hemingway and James Baldwin using distinguished public intellectuals such as Edward Said and Cornel West as a conceptual framework and theoretical reference. The discussion raises, among others, the following focus questions: what is an intellectual? What is the role and responsibility of this social class in the public domain? How do intellectuals relate to the marketplace, power, and the marginalized? How do intellectuals contribute to social change? The paper argues that both transatlantic authors Ernest Hemingway and James Baldwin were organic intellectuals whose engaged social critique, intellectual expertise, and activism were designed to counter social dysfunction, injustice, and modern alienation.

Phonological Documentation of the Punan Language: Treating and Healing Malaysia: A Critical Analysis of Najib Razak’s Metaphors

This paper discusses the vocational roles constructed by Najib Razak, the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia for himself, the government, and the relational identities for the people and others in nine Supply Bills (2010 – 2018). I have modelled this study on Charteris-Black’s Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) and Sack’s Membership Categorisation Analysis (MCA) as frameworks. The findings indicate that Najib Razak and the government played a role as medical doctor while the people and others have been conceptualised as patients and pre-term babies, experiencing a global economic downturn, an Asian Financial Crisis, poverty, and bribery. The people and others as patients must depend on the government for health and recovery. This experience emphasises the independent, heroic role enacted by the government, and the weak, sunjugated role expected of the people and others. Through these metaphors, the people were reminded of the fact that, without the government to heal the people, the country can not develop its metaphorical health. As sush, the use of metaphors in the Supply Bills serves predicative, empathetic, ideological and mythical purposes.

The Position of Islamic Missionary on The Mechanisms of Despotism in The Emergence of The Islamic Nation

Islamic missionary had been accompanied by justice and freedom to ensure man’s dignity. However, human despotism (tyranny) with its mechanism hampered that. The contemporary west has got rid of the tyranny to a great extent, which confirms with the nature of Islamic missionary in ensuring man’s dignity. However, despotism has become a predominant trend in the whole Arab world. This is traced back with deep roots, to the era of Umayyad caliphate. This caliphate had given rise to despotic ruling systems with falsely gained false legality though disguising them with the mask of religion to form a sacred rule. Contemporary Arab regimes have found the emergence of the early Islamic nation to have mechanisms that meet their desires for tyranny. These mechanisms are far from the right ruling systems during the rule of Prophet Muhammad and the rightly guided caliphs. The problem of this study consists in the hypothesis of the existence of tyranny mechanisms traced back, with deep roots, to the early emergence of the state in the Arab world, which made non-Muslims accuse Islam of being despotic. Aims of the study: It aimed at Uncovering the roots and mechanisms of the emergence of despotism in the Arab world. Proving that Islam is innocent of despotism and Islamic missionary work plays a role in getting rid of it. Proving that Islam is not guilty of despotism and that Islamic missionary vocation is a call for the dignity of all people. The study uses descriptive analytical approach. And concludes that despotism in the Arab world is dated back, with historical roots, to the early formation of state or nation under the Umayyad and the Abbasids. That an Arab person accept the despotism and even seeks it if not existent. That the ruling systems of Arab nation cooperated to impose servility on its societies. The immigration of a lot of youths and scientists to the western world, looking forward to a decent life. Missionary work plays an important role in enlightening people about their rights in confronting despotism. Islamic missionary work is innocent of all accusations of despotism related to it. Religious beliefs had ensued upon political events, essentially aiming at empowerment of despots and tyrants. This study recommends the necessity of conducting contemporary missionary studies for uncovering the mechanisms of despotism which are renewable in our contemporary Arab world. The need for psychological missionary studies for combatting despotism in our societies. Setting up societal centres and international conferences that make the society aware of the bad consequences of despotism, and that it is the cause of civilization backwardness of the Islamic and Arab nation and the immigration of a lot of geniuses abroad. Conducting studies that highlight the role of Islamic missionary vocation in achieving justice and human dignity for all. The need for conducting studies for refuting the illusions of secularists and orientalists that accuse Islam of despotism and tyranny.