Life In World Research Articles

Toward a Cultural Psychology of Conspiracy Theories: A life-narrative analysis of Flat Earthers.

While the idea of a flat earth may seem absurd in the twenty-first century, there is today a large and growing number of people who believe it. Who are these people and what animates their belief? In answering these questions, this article aims to articulate a cultural psychological approach to conspiracy theories. This is advanced through an in-depth narrative analysis of three individuals' life stories concerning before, during, and after the transition to the new belief. Thus, rather than starting from the typical look at what socio-demographic factors predict conspiracy beliefs, we start from a nuanced look at flat earth believers' own life worlds. We show how different individual motives (epistemological, social and existential) and knowledge systems (scientific, religious, societal) come together in individuals' adoption and reconstruction of conspiracy theories so that they resonate with believers' personal lives. Most importantly, flat earth theory offers people a comprehensive vision that places human beings at the center of the universe and provides arguments for how life is meaningful. However, we show that this is reached through different pathways in accordance with people's unique life histories and challenges.

SEMANTIC AND PRAGMATIC ASPECTS OF MODELING THE IMAGE OF A RUSSIAN ADVOCATE (BASED ON THE JOURNAL “RUSSIAN ADVOCATE”)

The article presents the results of a linguopragmatic study of explicit and implicit means used by journalists of law-related corporate mass media to model the positive image of a modern Russian lawyer. The author observes that at present there is a social need to replace deeply rooted negative stereotypes about lawyers/advocates in the collective consciousness, since it is the representatives of the law who form patterns of law-abiding behavior. Mass media play a significant role in forming images of lawyers whom many Russian citizens rarely meet in person. Analyzed interviews with lawyers and lawyer biographies enable the recipients to learn more not only about the professional activities but also about personal life and inner world of lawyers, thus, demonstrating a great potential in modeling their images. The article highlights and analyzes three aspects that, in the author’s opinion, are of greatest importance for creating a positive image of a lawyer in modern Russian society

ANALYSIS OF LOCAL WISDOM-BASED COLLABORATION SKILL INSTRUMENT (LWCSI) IN CIVICS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

The ability to collaborate is highly important in the world of work and social life. This skill is related to the individual's ability to cooperate with others in achieving a goal. Several previous studies related to the development of collaboration ability instruments using visible dimensions as their pivot, such as aspects of performance outcomes and levels of interaction. However, some previous studies suggest that a person's ability to collaborate comes from within as well. Therefore, an instrument is needed to measure students' collaborative abilities in depth and adapt to the diverse Indonesian context, which is diverse in so many aspects. The researchers developed an instrument called the Local Wisdom-Based Collaboration Skills Instrument (LWCSI), which is an instrument that measures students' collaboration abilities but is adapted to the context of Indonesia which is Godly and diverse in culture. The population in this study consisted of 166 students who took civics education classes in the short semester of 2022/2023. To determine the validity, the df value used is (166-2) = 164 with an α value of 0.05. The R-table value obtained is 0.1281. From the table the R-count is greater than the R-table, so it can be concluded that all items are valid. The number shows 0.06 so it can be concluded that the LWCSI instrument is reliable and can be utilized to measure student collaboration skills based on local wisdom. Therefore, it can be concluded that this instrument is able to measure the collaboration skills of students with a variety of beliefs and cultures, especially in Indonesia that have a large and diverse population.

Strengthening Resilience: Parent Experiences in Developing their Children Executive Function Skills

Executive functions (EF) play a key role in child development. However, Thai parents’ knowledge and practice skills for their children’s EF are still limited. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Thai parents in developing their children’s EF skills in a semi-rural sociocultural context. The theme pattern was interpreted using the Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological approach, and the themes were reflected in Van Manen’s fundamental existential themes of the life world. As many as 16 parents were selected using the purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results of this study revealed seven themes: 1) strong resilience, self-confidence, and responsibilities; 2) challenges in handling misbehaving family members and children with poor self-control; 3) living in a natural and peaceful environment; 4) staying away from terrible things; 5) practicing time management; 6) trying to use the mobile phone safely; and 7) organizing belongings and toys. In conclusion, nurses can help parents to increase their children’s EF skills by strengthening parents’ resilience, self-confidence, and responsibilities; supporting parents and co-parents to deal with terrible situations; time management; and preparing a safe, green, and natural environment for children to develop their EF skills.

A Textual Research on Dong Weiye s Friends, Life and Spiritual World

The Evening Song incisively and vividly shows Dong Weiye s poor living conditions, Dong Weiye is an extremely profound explanation of his amazing poor life. Self-calling Shame husband is a kind of reverse expression of Dong Weiye s self-life, reflecting his humiliating mentality, humiliating life experience and rebellious psychology to the shame he suffered. Zheng Banqiao s Preface to Yangzhou Bamboo Branch Ci is a beginning of Dong Weiye s spiritual world from the perspective of friends, that is, the external world.

Extending the Life World: Phenomenological Triangulation Along Two Planes

Phenomenology is often mistakenly understood as both introspectionist and anthropocentric and thus as incapable of providing us with objective knowledge. While clearly wrong, such critiques force us to spell out how the life world that is given in human experience is in fact not anthropocentric and not incompatible with science. In this article we address this by adapting a recent proposal to extend the key methodological principle of cognitive semiotics, phenomenological triangulation, along two planes. The first is horizontal and concerns the dimensions of Self, Others and Things, as irreducibly interrelated dimensions of the life world. The second is vertical, and deals with the way phenomena are accessed: from a first-person (philosophical), second-person (empirical in a qualitative sense) and third-person (scientific in a quantitative sense) perspective. With each perspective, the life world becomes correspondingly extended beyond direct experience. It is thus neither static nor confining. We exemplify each step with corresponding research, also providing examples of how non-human animals and not only human beings may serve as Others, thus addressing the critique of anthropocentrism. We conclude by pointing out how, despite some theoretical differences, the focus on subjectivity and the explicit or implicit adoption of the principle of phenomenological triangulation can serve as common ground for cognitive semiotics and biosemiotics.

Homo рictor in the anthropological dimension

A drawing is a graphic artifact; it is formed on a plane as a figure, from connected lines, dots, strokes and spots. The article examines the anthropological role of such artifacts in history. As a new species, man creates an artificial reality from objects, acting as Homo faber. On the basis of signs, he creates a language and acts as Homo symbolicum. Based on images, he forms systems of images that allow him to express emotions and feelings, acting as Homo pictor, or “the мan drawing”. The identified spheres intersect in reality, but for research purposes they can be differentiated. The article considers drawing as a media, as a mediator in the processes of perception and expressive activity. The ability of people to create things is associated with a counter movement, when things change a person, these processes give rise to a practical expansion of the sphere of contacts with the world, the process of expanding the mind. A phenomenological consideration of images involves studying the influence of human corporeality on the practices of producing graphic artifacts. Here, a person’s encounter with the world begins with the touch of a pencil to paper. A drawing made of lines and dots is not a copy of an object, it is a version of the thing made from special materials. The purpose of the article is to expand the panorama of the anthropological vision of man, to reveal the connections between the characteristics of Homo рictor and other features of Homo sapiens — the transformation of the objective world and the transformation of oneself. Images play an important role in the formation of visual media in culture, in the development of visual thinking, the processes of mastering the space and time of the life world, and the development of individual reflection. To study drawing is to study our speech about drawing, to study drawing as thinking.

Analyzing the Views of Religion in the Individualism of Moralism Between Religions

Moralism is a global phenomenon that can be found in various societies that adhere to "world religions" such as Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The purpose of this research is to know that the faith of religion is entirely based on their individual and personal achievement, and given by the pride given to the personal experience that guides everyone in their own way. Religion is a basic human necessity, because religion is a means of defending itself against all acts of violence that threaten human life. Religion gives meaning to individual life and also gives hope for survival after death. Religion can be a human tool to rise from the world's life of suffering, to achieve spiritual independence. Religion as a symbol of society is no longer visible since religion has been established as religious institutions, institutional religions in principle create a good institutional regime based on faith validation, using a secure president according to the authoritarian organisation that conforms to each tradition, in connection with the line of religious descent. Religion has become a legitimate tool for a group of people who have economic and political resources.

Vernier-effect based sensor with a reflective structure combining a pair of polarization-maintaining fibers

Temperature and strain may be the most common physical parameters involved in daily life and industrial world. Along with the rapid progress of modern society, people have made growing demands for higher sensitivities in temperature and strain measurements. This paper proposes a Vernier-effect based sensor with a reflective structure combining a pair of polarization-maintaining fibers for temperature and strain measurements, with high sensitivities in view. Theoretical analyses suggest that the high sensitivities can be readily achieved just by adjusting the lengths of the two polarization-maintaining fibers. Experimental results have corroborated the feasibility of the proposed sensor in both temperature and strain measurements, showing high sensitivities of −51.744 nm/°C and 838.2 pm/μɛ, respectively, with their minimum detection resolutions determined as 0.002 °C and 0.167 μɛ, respectively. Moreover, the compensation for temperature influence in strain measurements has been proven to be effective. Additional investigations have demonstrated the high stability of the proposed sensing system, as well as the fast response in strain measurements. Significantly, the proposed sensor features a simple structure with ease of fabrication, thus being highly desirable in daily life and industrial world.

Exploring Team Collaboration in the New Metaverse (The 3D-AI Internet)

This study explores the anticipated changes in team collaboration driven by the rise of AI-reliant businesses in the metaverse. The research is motivated by the rapid technological advancements and increasing interest from major tech companies in creating shared virtual environments for distributed teams. The main objective is to investigate how team collaboration will evolve in this new context, providing insights for future metaverse team members and leaders. The qualitative study employs semi-structured, in-depth interviews in January-February 2022 with team members from the virtual world of Second Life, focusing on payment satisfaction, globalized team culture, training and learning, and fictional identities. This research period is contemporary, reflecting current trends and capabilities. The primary methods include thematic analysis of interview data to identify emerging patterns. Data is analyzed using “Dedoose”, a web application for mixed methods research, and collected in several codes and subcodes that will eventually form a “code tree”. Descriptive validity, interpretative validity, theoretical validity and generalizable validity were confirmed. Key findings reveal that metaverse-native teams need innovative payment methods and a focus on authentic self-expression. A globalized team culture will require balancing work and social life in virtual environments, with Corporate Social Responsibility being vital to attracting Generation Alpha. Payment satisfaction will shift towards fulfilment and unique experiences rather than just financial security, and businesses should explore alternative payment methods beyond cryptocurrency. Fictional identities will necessitate building metaverse-specific reputations for professionalism and trust. Training and learning will connect virtual and real-life scenarios, enhancing skills and quality. The study confirms that traditional collaboration models may only partially apply in augmented virtuality. These results have practical significance for businesses and professionals preparing to operate in the metaverse, offering a foundation for future research and development in virtual team collaboration.

Mindful Non-Judging and Posttraumatic Reactions in Police Academy Cadets: A Path Analysis

ObjectivesDispositional mindfulness has been associated with lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other negative health symptoms in the police population. Of the various mindfulness facets (i.e., non-judging, observing, describing, acting with awareness), non-judging has been demonstrated to be the strongest predictor of lower PTSD symptoms in police academy cadets. The mechanisms by which non-judging may lead to enhanced health outcomes in police officers are poorly understood and require further investigation.MethodThe purpose of the current study was to test a model involving a pathway from pre-trauma mindful non-judging to PTSD symptoms and ultimately posttraumatic growth (PTG) that is mediated by worldviews in a sample of police academy cadets (n = 379). Data were collected via a survey packet distributed at a police academy located in a Southern state of the United States. We examined the relationships among demographic factors, adverse child events, negative life events, mindful non-judgment, world assumptions, PTSD, and PTG using path analysis.ResultsThe results indicated that positive worldviews served as a mediator between dispositional mindful non-judging and lower PTSD symptoms, which ultimately led to lower PTG.ConclusionsThese findings have important implications for the selection and training of police academy cadets with the goal of increasing resilience to occupational trauma exposure. Additionally, these results have clinical implications regarding the treatment of officers experiencing symptoms of PTSD.PreregistrationThis study is not preregistered.

Changed life worlds and survival strategies in disintegration after the regime change in Hungary: a former industrial town in the shadow of the factory giant

ABSTRACT In the literature of post-1989 Eastern European history, the disintegration of traditional industries and the decline of the factory towns that had been based on them is a well-known topic. Less attention has been paid to the transformation of the countryside or the villages that often served as the supportive network for the factory towns, a phenomenon that was also very typical of Hungary, where migrant or commuter workers became the subject of academic interest long before the collapse of state socialism. This study offers an international perspective and case study of the catchment area of Ózd, a former industrial and factory city located in northeastern Hungary that was once an important centre of Hungarian metallurgy and mining. In my analysis I address the related topic of how the decline of traditional industries affected this former industrial city and its surrounding villages, whose inhabitants mostly worked in industry until the industrial landscape and its society disappeared. This study focuses on Ózd and its surroundings, where the survival and sustenance of the population was directly threatened by the closure of collective farms, factories, plants and mines in the area.

Human’s life-world and their worldview: ontological-psychological mechanisms of interaction

The ontological characteristics of the worldview are outlined based on the propositions about the connection between man and the world, their systemic interaction, the determining role of life relationships in the formation of the life world. The features of human interaction with the world as two open systems, which simultaneously act as independent systems and as subsystems of each other, are considered: determinism/self-determination, openness/closedness, involvement/distance. It is emphasized that the interaction within the “Man-World” system takes place in the form of life relations, which are manifested in four main modes (as a relation to the objective world, to another person, to the Absolute, to ones own self) and corresponding meeans of subjects interaction with an object (activity, dialogic relations, self-determination in relation to existential meanings and higher values, cognition and expression of ones own self). Establishing life relations in a certain way and in a certain mode, person thereby builds his/her life world a specially organized reality formed by the dynamic systemic unity of the inner world of a person and that part of the objectively existing external world with which he/she is connected by life relations. Additional possibilities for the analysis of the life world are provided by considering it as an ideal model, which carries knowledge about the utilitarian-pragmatic and symbolic characteristics of social and natural objects, as well as about the corresponding mental states of the subject-carrier of this model. The specific features of such knowledge are the intuitively obvious forms of its provision in everyday human experience, the ability to represent universal cultural meanings and effectiveness. In the plane of objective human relations with the world worldview turns out to be a special way of including a person into the world: on the one hand, it mediates (by posing and searching for answers to “big questions”) the processes of constructing a persons own life world, determining its ontological, epistemological, axiological and praxeological boundaries; on the other hand, it creates contexts in which the external world is transformed (through dialogue-based processes of evaluation, idealization, and generalization) into images, meanings, and values (ideals, beliefs, and life principles) that are existentially significant for a person.

Legal Regulations for Anticipating Artificial Intelligence-Based Workers through Institutional Transformation of Job Training and the Human Resources Revolution

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has brought great changes to the lives of mankind. The emergence of AI as part of the rapid evolution of digitas technology has led to major changes in the world's lives. This research examines the impact of AI digitalization on Indonesia's workforce and the role of regulation in mitigating negative impacts. It emphasizes the need for holistic evaluation of labor law and modernization of professional job training programs. The research results show that the use of AI in Indonesia is increasing in various sectors, including the employment sector. Moreover, data privacy protection is still inadequate to ensure data protection and privacy of AI technology users. Therefore, it is necessary to update and add regulations that regulate comprehensively, covering data protection, algorithm transparency, occupational safety and health, elimination and specific retraining related to AI, and labor rights relevant to technological developments. It is also necessary to implement new regulations that provide legal protection for the application of AI can minimize the occurrence of cybercrimes on customer data.

Urban Seasonality: New Paths in Urban Environmental History

Seasons shape infrastructures, temporalities, and life worlds in fundamental ways. Urbanites have long recognized the seasonality of their environments, but seasons have been little studied by historians. This special section explores the diverse ways that urban seasonality affects urban life, focusing on cities in temperate zones across the globe, from North America to Europe to Japan. This collection of essays shows how seasonal rhythms, differentiated from weather (with its transient nature) and climate (with its vast scales) can reveal new areas of inquiry for historians concerned with how urban environments are located in time and space. Taken together, these collected essays move beyond seasonal descriptions to frame seasonality as an analytical and methodological tool, suggesting new ways of thinking about everything from childhood to potholes, social solidarity, style, sewage and human-animal relations. This introduction is an effort to focus our attention on urban seasonality as generative of often surprising ways of approaching familiar topics in urban history.

THE ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS MATRIX IN THE CONTEXT OF RUSSIAN SOCIETY RESOURCE SUSTAINABILITY: INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

The article examines the problem of resource sustainability of the Russian society in conditions of accele-rating rate of technic evolution and anthropogenic pressure on the natural world of the Earth. In this regard, the authors analyze the prerequisites for the environmental consciousness formation as a signifi cant structure of social self-organization related with the factors of ontological security, trust and human responsibility for the biosphere preservation. Research is carried out within the framework of an ecosystem approach, which emphasizes that’s the combination of biosphere and social resources ensuring the sustainable development of the global world. Setting of social psychology to activate the norm is used in the analysis of the motivation factors of pro-ecological behavior. The empirical basis is the statistical material of sociological surveys conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Re-search Center. At present, ecological consciousness resource is associated with a set of beliefs and values that guide person’s perception of the natural environment within the human life world as a self-suffi cient system interacting with the structures from technological and social spheres. There are various models of person’s behavior motivated by a combination of social norms and personal attitudes that form the semantic matrix of personal environmental consciousness. On the other hand, citizens’ concern for the environment state is identifi ed as a leading factor in motivating pro-environmental behavior. Presented statistical data from VCIOM surveys show the level of public awareness about the global signifi cance of the life safety factor in their region and public involvement in changing the situation. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that the formation of contextual structures of consciousness based on ecosystem settings gives rise to new stereotypes of worldview, thought and behavior. Therefore, this type of consciousness represents a signifi cant resource for the sustainable development of Russian society in condition of technogenic civilization

Quantification as social technology: Integrating studies of quantification with philosophy of technology

Studies of quantification are an emerging academic interest due to the datafication and quantification trends in modern society. The existing literature on this interdisciplinary field involves two approaches: a history of science approach and a sociology approach. This article argues for adding perspectives from the philosophy of technology. The philosophy of technology raises otherwise neglected ontological, epistemological, and ethical questions about the technology of quantification. Quantification as social technology is non-neutral and exhibits social constructed features, which beyond the commonly perceived realist opinions. The social-constructed quantification also has the ability to influence social agents, mediating the way humans exist in and understand the life world. Ethical and political questions about quantification call for integration into an already rich ethical and political discourse surrounding technological artifacts, actions, and political agendas.

The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based Training on Cognitive, Social, and Physical Functioning in High-Functioning Older Adults (CoSoPhy FX): 2-Arm, Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial.

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising technology for enhancing the health care of older individuals, particularly in the domains of cognition, physical activity, and social engagement. However, existing VR products and services have limited availability and affordability; hence, there is a need for a scientifically validated and personalized VR service to be used by older adults in their homes, which can improve their overall physical, cognitive, and social well-being. The main purpose of the CoSoPhy FX (Cognitive, Social, and Physical Effects) study was to analyze the effects of a VR-based digital therapeutics app on the cognitive, social, and physical performance abilities of healthy (high-functioning) older adults. This paper presents the study protocol and the results from the recruitment phase. A group of 188 healthy older adults aged 65-85 years, recruited at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, were randomly allocated to the experimental group (VR dual-task training program) or to the control group (using a VR headset app showing nature videos). A total of 3 cognitive exercises were performed in various 360° nature environments delivered via a VR head-mounted display; the participants listened to their preferred music genre. Each patient received 3 sessions of 12 minutes per week for 12 weeks, totaling a minimum of 36 sessions per participant. Attention and working memory (Central Nervous System Vital Signs computerized cognitive battery) were used as primary outcomes, while other cognitive domains in the Central Nervous System Vital Signs battery, quality of life (World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), and anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder 7-item questionnaire) were the secondary outcomes. The group-by-time interaction was determined using linear mixed models with participants' individual slopes. In total, 122 (39%) of the initial 310 participants failed to meet the inclusion criteria, resulting in a recruitment rate of 61% (188/310). Among the participants, 68 successfully completed the intervention and 62 completed the control treatment. The data are currently being analyzed, and we plan to publish the results by the end of September 2024. VR interventions have significant potential among healthy older individuals. VR can address various aspects of well-being by stimulating cognitive functions, promoting physical activity, and facilitating social interaction. However, challenges such as physical discomfort, technology acceptance, safety concerns, and cost must be considered when implementing them for older adults. Further research is needed to determine the long-term effects of VR-based interventions, optimal intervention designs, and the specific populations that would benefit most. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05369897; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05369897. DERR1-10.2196/53261.

The local and ethnic specifics of Yunnan in the work of modern Chinese artists: an "inside" and "outside" view

The article is devoted to the reflection of local and ethnic specifics (mainly Yunnan Province and the Tibetan borderland) in the works of Chinese artists of the Reform and Opening Up period – Jin Shangyi, Wang Yidong, Zhang Jian Jun, Yuan Yunsheng, Ai Xuan, Zeng Xiaofeng, Ma Yun, Mao Xuhui, Zhang Xiaogang, Liao Xinxue and Liu Ziming. Various cultural codes within which ethnic and local culture is interpreted in the paintings of visiting and local artists are identified. These differences in the perception and display of ethno-local specifics are especially evident when artists paint the same ethno-local object – for example, the life of Tibetan ethnic minorities. The glamorous characters of the Tibetan cycle of Zhang Jian Jun and Ai Xuan are strikingly different from the stern Tibetan women in the paintings of Zhang Xiaogang. The main conclusion of the study is that artists of various trends have their own ideological and aesthetic intentions, so they select individual figurative dominants from the whole variety of phenomena of tradition and everyday life of the ethnic group and build them into a new cultural code. It can be argued that the exotic cultural code (the view from the outside, characteristic mainly of visiting artists) presupposes “estrangement” and the dominance of aesthetic form to the detriment of ethno-cultural specifics, while the archaic code (the view from the inside) complements modern ethno-local elements with historical-cultural (folklore) examples. Artists of the esoteric type of coding possess “double vision”: they accurately reproduce the cultural landscape of Yunnan and the “life world” of ethnic minorities, but interpret it through individual optics, using world artistic experience.

Look into the Future: Life Values and Orientations of Modern Youth in Yakutia

The article contributes to the discussion about the values and life strategies of modern youth using the example of a study of students in the northern region of Russia. The article presents some results of a sociological survey aimed at studying the life world, social and political orientations of students of three federal universities of Yakutia (NEFU, ASICA, ChSIPhES). Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of the distribution of life values and orientations, factors of success and happiness, as well as the ratio of the respondents' civil and regional identities. The sociological study ‘Students of Russia: Civic Culture and Life Strategies’ was conducted by the Centre of Political Science of SPR FCTAS RAS in April-May 2023. The object of the study is Russian students. The study used a quota-proportional all-Russian sample with interdependent characteristics of the general population: gender, age, place of residence, level of education received and areas of higher education. The sample size is 6389 respondents, with 468 students in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The data analysis revealed the priority of material-economic and socio-emotional life values in the individual matrices of young people. Material prosperity, interesting work, family stability, emotional ties with family members and friends, education, as well as autonomy, independence, individualism are the most significant in the lives of students. The spatial levels of identity and the degree of emotional attachment to local and global territorial communities, as well as the attitude of young people in Yakutia to Russia have been revealed. Student youth optimistically builds an image of the future of Yakutia and Russia, relying on traditional values and family, while being open to the global society, mostly relying on their own experience and competences.