bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationships between Images of God, Explanations for Failure to Do One's Duty to God, and Invoking God's Agency
Authors: Lalljee Mansur , Brown Laurence B. , Hilton Dennis
Published: February 2018

This exploratory study seeks to relate the tendency to invoke God's agency as an explanation to (a) the images of God held by the person, and (b) the person's beliefs about why people fail in their duty to God. Brief descriptions of hypothetical events were presented to subjects who were asked to rate how likely it was that the events expressed the will of God. Subjects were also asked to rank the importance of 21 attributes for their conception of God and to rank the plausibility of 10 explanations for a person's failure to do their duty to God. Subjects’ conceptions of God had a significant effect on the tendency to invoke God's agency. However, beliefs about why people fail in their duty to God seem unrelated to concepts of God or to invoking God's agency. Furthermore, there is a greater tendency to invoke God's agency for positive than for negative events. The implications of these results for understanding explanations in terms of God and their role in coping with misfortune as well as for judgements of praise and blame for everyday events are discussed.
Comparing Psychological Guilt and Godly Sorrow: Do Christians Recognize the Difference?
Authors: Bassett Rodney L. , Hill Peter C. , Pogel Mary C. , Lee Marsha , Hughes Ray , Masci Jeff
Published: February 2018

Two studies primarily involving college students were conducted to determine whether or not Christians were able to differentiate Narramore's (1984) distinctions between guilt and Godly sorrow. The first study found that Christians could identify the difference as a function of resulting changes, the person and attitude/action in primary focus, and attitude toward God, three important distinctions in Narramore's model. Another important distinction suggested by Narra more, attitude toward self, was not a discriminating factor. The second study replicated the first and further suggested that mature Christians, as expected, are better at distinguishing between guilt and Godly sorrow than less mature Christians. Though not a direct test of Narramore's model, the results nevertheless provide reasonable support for the distinction between guilt and Godly sorrow.
Becoming a Christian Consciously versus Nonconsciously
Authors: Liu Christine
Published: February 2018

The religious devotion of nonconscious, sudden, and gradual believers in a sample of 107 undergraduates was examined. Participants responded to three questionnaires exploring their conversion, investment in Christianity, and intrinsic-extrinsic religious orientation. Individuals who had made a conscious decision, sudden or gradual, to become a Christian were more devoted than those who had not. Attributions primarily supporting one's Christian identity were also explored: Having received Christ as Savior was linked to a conscious conversion decision and to higher devotion, whereas being raised as a Christian was linked to no conscious decision and to lower devotion. Post-decisional psychological processes that foster commitment are discussed. Issues for future research are suggested.
The Historic Pastoral Care Tradition: A Resource for Christian Psychologists
Authors: Oden Thomas C.
Published: February 2018

Long before psychology was a distinct profession, Christian pastors and spiritual advisors were engaged daily in activities that required what is viewed today as psychological expertise or wisdom. Many essential elements of therapeutic care were well understood before the modem period. The purpose of this paper is to furnish the reader with a small window upon a vast arena of classical Christian therapeutic wisdom. The first focus is upon the textual evidence of the tradition's understanding of the centrality of empathy, congruence, and unconditional accepting love as conditions of constructive behavioral change. The second focus is upon the awareness of classical writers of the situation specificity of therapeutic wisdom, thus showing their awareness of the complexity of the therapeutic enterprise and the subtlety of human character.
Another Way of Looking at the Data: A Reaction to Phillips Stevens
Authors: Shaw R. Daniel
Published: February 2018

Shaw reacts to Stevens’ (1992) article, “Universal Cultural Elements in the Satanic Demonology,” in the Journal of Psychology and Theology(1992, Vol. 20, No. 3) special issue on SRA. While agreeing that Stevens adequately explains the data on demonology from a social scientific standpoint, Shaw holds that the same data can be explained equally well by applying Christian theological assumptions. Fear of “satanic demonology” may be universal, but it can also be understood theologically as implanted by God, and its manifestations can be perceived as emanating from the conflict between a recognition of, and rejection of, divine standards. Despite the ability of the social sciences to identify the mechanisms that stimulate the creation of new legends, in the final analysis these sciences do not provide an answer to the underlying causes. Christianity therefore can fill the spiritual void where social scientific understanding leaves off. It does so by freeing people from common human fears, restoring them to wholeness, and by establishing ritual as a medium for worshiping a God with whom they can have relationship and fellowship through the once-for-all sacrificial death of Christ.
Toothless Tiger or Roaring Lion? A Surrejoinder to Underwager and Wakefield
Authors: Arnold Clinton E.
Published: February 2018

Arnold focuses on three issues in his response to Underwager and Wakefield. (a) He recognizes the clarification of their understanding of the ontological status of Satan, but takes exception to their accusation that he understands the philosophy of science exclusively in logical positivist terms. On the contrary, he points out that it is Underwager and Wakefield who have a restricted understanding of the role of worldview in relationship to the issue of evil spirits. (b) Arnold once again suggests that Underwager and Wakefield's understanding of the present role of Satan is triumphalistic and far too restricted. He especially takes issue with their contention that Satan's only remaining capacity is to lie. Arnold also stresses the responsibility of believers to actualize their new identity in Christ as the primary means of resisting the influence of Satan. (c) Finally, Arnold contends that he is presenting the New Testament concept of freedom and thereby is certainly not leading people to a new form of legalism as Underwager and Wakefield charge.
Homosexuality in Women: Considerations for Evangelical Missionary Recruitment, Missions Administration, and Clinical Intervention
Authors: Gardner Laura Mae , Barber Betsy A. , Kellogg Miriam E.
Published: February 2018

Evangelical mission organizations are dealing increasingly with in-service female missionaries or with female missionary applicants who present with a variety of homosexual experiences and orientations. Because missions is a character profession and missionaries are religious ministers as well as professional persons, homosexual behavior requires an organizational response. This article discusses causes of homosexual orientation from a developmental perspective. Implications of this perspective are explored, with a continuum of homosexual behavior presented, accompanied by suggested administrative approaches.
Kohut's Tragic Man and the Imago Dei: Human Relational Needs in Creation, the Fall, and Redemption
Authors: Jensma Jeanne L.
Published: February 2018

Heinz Kohut posits three relational needs of the human person in order to become a cohesive self: mirroring, idealizing, and alter-ego. The first two are viewed theologically as pointing to the fragmenting effect of the Fall. The alter-ego need, on the other hand, is viewed theologically as the need for horizontal companionship, a need inherent in imaging a trinitarian God. In the Fall all three needs became frustrated, leaving the fallen person fragmented–-as pictured so well by Kohut's (1977) “Tragic Man”1: a person needing mirroring, idealizing, and alter-ego relationships to become the cohesive self that Kohut advances as the goal of therapy and which results from the outworking of God's grace in both human development and redemption. This article seeks to understand how Kohutian Tragic Man informs and is informed by biblical considerations of the creation, marring, and restoration of the imago Dei in humankind.
Encouraging Clients to Forgive People who have Hurt Them: Review, Critique, and Research Prospectus
Authors: Mccullough Michael E. , Worthington Everett L.
Published: February 2018

The literature addressing forgiving and its use as a counseling technique is reviewed. Forgiving is hypothesized to yield cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal benefits to individuals who forgive others of significant interpersonal offenses, though little evidence supports these claims. Religious counselors and clients value forgiveness and its implementation in counseling, and forgiveness is frequently encouraged in religious counseling. However, forgiveness receives little attention from many non-religious professionals and remains to be investigated critically. In light of the potential benefits associated with forgiving, researchers and practitioners are encouraged to consider forgiveness as a therapeutic technique and to investigate its effects scientifically.
A Blueprint for Intradisciplinary Integration
Authors: Worthington Everett L.
Published: February 2018

Although much has been written about interdisciplinary integration—integrating the two broad disciplines of psychology and theology—little has been written about exactly how to do intradisciplinary integration, which is how to construct a Christian theory of psychological counseling that integrates one's personal faith and personal practice of counseling. The present paper poses questions, using an organizing metaphor of constructing a building, to help trainees and other interested professionals articulate their own Christian theory of counseling. Questions are grouped within four areas: foundation (Jesus Christ), weight-bearing pillars (fundamental Christian beliefs), frame (goals and methods), and covering (content of counseling). Theory construction is seen as recursive, requiring correction from experience, Scripture, and clients.
Dual Role Relationships and Christian Counseling
Authors: Geyer Melanie C.
Published: February 2018

This article considers issues specifically related to dual role relationships between Christian therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals and their clients. An underlying assumption is that problems and potential problems frequently accompany such relationships but that a particularly Christian approach concerning dual relationships with clients is not immediately obvious. Secular perspectives and reasons for concern about dual role relationships are considered. Many parallels to the challenges faced by Christian counselors who function in church or local settings can be recognized as existing also within rural mental health settings. Specific solutions and guidelines offered by and for rural mental health professionals are examined. Finally, guidelines and suggestions supporting integrity for Christian therapists and counselors concerning dual role relationships are offered.
Ego Development in Fundamentalist and Nonfundamentalist Protestants
Authors: Weaver Andrew J. , Berry Jack W. , Pittel Stephen M.
Published: February 2018

This study was designed to investigate the comparative ego development, religious orientation, and doctrinal beliefs of three Protestant groups: life-long fundamentalists (n=25), fundamentalist converts (n=25), and nonfundamentalist converts (n=25). Subjects from the Southern Baptist Church (fundamentalists) and United Methodist Church (nonfundamentalists) were used. Three instruments were employed: the Wiggins Content Scale of Religious Fundamentalism from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Loevinger's Washington University Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development, and Allport's Religious Orientation Scale. The fundamentalist and nonfundamentalist groups were doctrinally different; however, the groups did not differ in levels of ego development. The two fundamentalist groups scored higher on Allport's measure of intrinsic religious orientation. Methodological suggestions were made for future research of fundamentalists.
Psychopathology, Sin, and the DSM: Convergence and Divergence
Authors: Carter John D.
Published: February 2018

In this article, the Judeo-Christian view of sin is reviewed as well as the psychoanalytic and humanistic views of psychopathology. All three perspectives converge in their assumption of a universally flawed human condition. Conversely, the behavioral and symptom oriented phenotypal description of psychopathology found in the DSM diverges from the Judeo-Christian theological tradition. Inconsistencies and inherent difficulties are noted in the list oriented phenotypal approach to psychopathology or sin.
Therapists’ (and Their Therapists’) God Representations in Clinical Practice
Authors: Sorenson Randall Lehmann
Published: February 2018

Previous studies have focused on patients’ developmental conceptions of God, and how these dynamics are manifest in treatment with psychotherapists. The present study is the first to examine empirically this relationship the other way around: that therapists’ developmental antecedents of their own God representations can also have differential impact on their clinical work, perhaps especially so with patients who are themselves religious. Four hypotheses were examined: that anonymous therapists’ work with religious issues in therapy could be matched from either their developmental God representations (H1), or their experience with how religious issues were addressed in their own personal therapy (H2); and that pooling information from both variables would increase the number of matches significantly over either variable alone (H3, H4, p < .05 for all hypotheses). Three of the four hypotheses were confirmed. Data from the present study support the argument that when it comes to how therapists work with religious issues in therapy, even more important than their developmental construction of God as a psychological representation is their experience with how religious issues were handled in their own personal therapy. I offer seven points for future research, along with implications for graduate training programs that seek to equip students to work with religious issues in therapy.
Christian Counselors’ Resources for Multi-Cultural Understanding and Counseling
Authors: Sandage Steven J. , Wibberly Katharine Hsu , Worthington Everett L.
Published: February 2018

Seven resources are discussed that Christian counselors have to offer multi-cultural counseling and understanding: a viable epistemology, a sense of community, a universal story, a recognition of the supernatural, a paradigm for forgiveness, an appreciation for symbols, and a shared experience as a minority. Psychology's response to multi-cultural issues is parallel to the response of Western missionaries encountering cultural pluralism. Suggestions are made to enable Christian counselors to understand the acculturation of their minority clients.
The Misdiagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder by Christian Counselors: Vulnerabilities and Safeguards
Authors: Rosik Christopher H.
Published: February 2018

The complexities of multiple personality disorder (MPD) continue to create significant opportunities for misdiagnosis by Christian counselors. The present study first examines some potential contributing factors for misdiagnosis, with special focus on the risk of overdiagnosis among Christian clinicians. An extensive literature review is then offered which highlights features differentiating MPD from several other diagnostic groups. Assessment instruments and strategies which will assist counselors in minimizing misdiagnosis are also delineated. Christian counselors are urged to approach the diagnosis of MPD in an informed and balanced manner.
Spiritual Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Adult Christian Women
Authors: Hall Terese A.
Published: February 2018

Long-term spiritual functioning in adult Christian women who had been sexually abused as children was the focus of this study. The Religious Status Inventory was completed by 75 women divided into three groups: 33 abused clinical subjects, 20 nonabused clinical subjects, and 22 nonabused nonclinical subjects. The abused group demonstrated significantly lower spiritual functioning than both of the other groups on the total score as well as on four of the eight subscales of the RSI. There were no significant differences between the nonabused clinical group and the nonclinical control group. It appears that sexual abuse adversely impacts spiritual functioning in three broad areas: a sense of being loved and accepted by God, a sense of community with others, and trust in God's plan and purpose for the future.
The Perils and Promises of Teaching Integration in Introductory Psychology
Authors: Grace Christopher R. , Ecklund Kathryn
Published: February 2018

Teaching effectively at a Christian college or university demands excellent skills and particularly so in introductory psychology courses. With an expansive area and a large portion of students taking the class to fulfill a general education requirement, general psychology professors are challenged uniquely. Adding integration issues can overwhelm even the most diligent instructor. Yet, few pedagogical and theoretical resources on the effectiveness of different types of integrative components are available. The purposes of this article are to explore the perils and promises associated with teaching an introductory psychology course and to provide some resources and illustrations that have been found to be effective. The article also serves as an introduction to an integration curriculum incorporated into several general psychology courses at two different universities. An introduction to the curriculum reader is provided in this text, as well as an overview of other materials and topics that lend themselves to integrative discussions. Finally, the efficacy of a laboratory type experience for instilling an integrative component to an introductory class is discussed.
Unilateral and Bilateral Brain Hemispheric Advantage on Visual Matching Tasks and Their Relationship to Styles of Religiosity
Authors: Ash Carisa A. , Crist Cheryl L. , Salisbury David , Dewell Matthew , Boivin Michael J.
Published: February 2018

Eighty-five undergraduate students were tested in two studies using a computer-based tachistoscopic-type letter- and dot-matching task under various conditions. This task was used to determine the extent to which they displayed unilateral and bilateral brain-hemisphere advantages in the speed and accuracy of their responses. For the letter-matching task in both studies, the intellectual religiosity group displayed a stronger unilateral advantage favoring the right-visual field (RVF) (left brain) than the affective group. Generally, the participants with a more affective style of religiosity had faster reaction times on the matching tasks, especially for correct non-matching responses and on the dot-matching (right-brain) stimulus presentations. The affective groups also tended to have a stronger bilateral advantage for both dots and letter matching compared to the intellectual group. In the second study, the Myers-Briggs personality typology inventory (MBTI) was included in the assessment and was significantly related to the religiosity intellectual/affective dimension. With percent errors as the dependent variable, MBTI feeling-dominant participants displayed a stronger bilateral advantage for dots presentations but not letters, while thinking-dominant respondents on this dimension had a stronger unilateral advantage for letters but not dots. The major implication of these preliminary findings is that enduring religious traits may be anchored in basic brain behavior tendencies that can be measured using neuropsychological laboratory-based tasks.
Faith Development across the Life Span: Fowler's Integrative Work
Authors: Lownsdale Scott
Published: February 2018

Fowler's faith development theory is a relatively recent achievement in cognitive developmental psychology, based on the earlier work of Piaget and Kohlberg in cognitive and moral development, and is a significant contribution to the integration of theology and psychology. In this article, an attempt is made to acquaint the reader with (a) some major reasons for the scientific study of faith development, (b) a brief history of the contributions of theorists prior to Fowler, and (c) a basic understanding of faith development theory, in terms of the concepts and stages described by Fowler. In conclusion, several implications of Fowler's work for psychotherapists and religious educators are discussed.
Looking Forward: Future Directions for the Encounter of Relational Psychoanalysis and Religion
Authors: Jones James W.
Published: February 2018

Contemporary relational psychoanalytic theory provides new opportunities in the dialogue between psychology and religion. This article suggests three examples. First, by seeing the self as inherently interrelated and by underscoring the importance of experience, relational psychoanalysis creates the possibility of a more open attitude toward religious experience. Second, a relational understanding of human nature potentially contains new resources for theological reflection. Third, this shift leads psychoanalysis to focus on how religious forms embody various relational themes. The article concludes by presenting a case which illustrates a contemporary relational approach to religious material.
Measuring the Image of God: The God Image Inventory and the God Image Scales
Authors: Lawrence Richard T.
Published: February 2018

The God Image Inventory (GII) is an 8-scale, 156-item, psychometric instrument to measure the image of God, developed for clinical and pastoral use in N = 1 cases. For research use with a large N, the God Image Scales (GIS), in a 6-scale, 72-item format, or a 3-scale, 36-item format, are preferred subsets of the GII. The GII and GIS are designed on the basis of Ana-Maria Rizzuto's distinction between the God concept and the God image. They explore issues of belonging (Presence and Challenge scales), goodness (Acceptance and Benevolence scales) and control (Influence and Providence scales). The scales of the GII have demonstrated internal reliability and preliminary validity work has been done. Standards have been developed on an N = 1580 sample of U.S. adults, but are applicable, at least to date, only for Christian subjects. A computerized version is expected shortly. The GIS (text in Appendix) have begun to be used by other researchers, and results to date have supported the validity of the GIS scales.
Impact of Treatment on God Image and Personal Adjustment, and Correlations of God Image to Personal Adjustment and Object Relations Development
Authors: Tisdale Theresa C. , Key Teresa L. , Edwards Keith J. , Brokaw Beth Fletcher , Kemperman Steven R. , Cloud Henry , Townsend John , Okamoto Thomas
Published: February 2018

This study examined the effectiveness of a religiously-based, object relations oriented psychotherapy treatment program. Effectiveness was measured by changes in personal adjustment and God image for a group of religious patients. An inpatient sample (N = 99), with the predominant diagnosis of major depression, was followed over the course of inpatient treatment and a year of outpatient treatment following hospitalization. Measures were administered at admission and discharge (N = 99), six months after discharge (n = 67), and 12 months after discharge (n = 30). The correlation of God image to object relations development was also examined. Inpatient treatment was found to have a significant positive impact on personal adjustment and God image. Improvement was maintained over the course of outpatient treatment but no significant further improvement was noted. Significant correlations were found among the measures at all four time points. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Impact of Religious Values and Medical Specialty on Professional Inservice Decisions
Authors: Neumann Joseph K. , Leppien Frederick V.
Published: February 2018

Research indicates that professional group and religion affect decision making. Five hundred board-certified physicians from each of 5 specialty areas (General Surgery, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Pathology, and Family Practice) were mailed vignettes reflecting 1 of 4 value systems (Evangelical Christian, Liberal Protestant, Humanist, or Hindu) in a randomized survey. One hundred twenty-five vignettes of every value system were mailed to each specialty yielding a total of 500 per specialty. Respondents were asked to rate 1 vignette which provided a brief description of a professional inservice. Questions for rating covered approval and interest in the training as well as requests for respondent descriptive information. About 40% of the total group responded. Humanist and Hindu vignettes were clearly more approved than Liberal Protestant and Evangelical Christian (EC) vignettes. Medical specialty was not an independent factor but was significant in interaction with value type. Personal interest/value similarity correlated highly with approval ratings. Dissimilarity with parental religious values was a frequent moderating variable and varied significantly among medical specialty groups. Religious values influence medical nonclinical decisions. Implications concerning separation of church and state issues, research strategy, and medical ethical and training activities were discussed to encourage more openness in the area of medical decisions and theistic/non-theistic religious values.
Response to “Restoring the Substance to the Soul of Psychology”: Clinical and Spiritual Development Applications
Authors: Haynes Laura A.
Published: February 2018

J. P. Moreland (1998) argues philosophically for rein-corporating the classical Christian concept of the soul as immaterial substance in order to resolve inadequacies of the psychoanalytic concept of the self. I suggest possible psychotherapy applications regarding empathy, respect, sensory pleasure/pain, psychotherapy goals, stages of spiritual development, and ultimate Christian human potential. I recommend study of saints and classical Christian writings on spiritual development and summarize Groeschel's (1983) model as an example. Reincorporating other classical Christian concepts such as heart, faith, spirit, and soul ordering may prove helpful. Historical and contemporary philosophers, theologians, and contemplatives may stimulate further applications.
Prayer in Psychotherapy: A Model for its use, Ethical Considerations, and Guidelines for Practice
Authors: Magaletta Philip R. , Brawer Peter A.
Published: February 2018

Although few guidelines exist, many therapists use prayer as part of psychotherapy. The immense variance inherent in prayer behaviors and the paucity of literature on its use beckons the profession to develop a model for its use in therapy, examine the ethical implications for such use, and prepare guidelines for practice. A tripartite model for the conceptualization and localization of prayer in therapy is presented, ethical issues of therapist bias and competence and clients’ right to autonomous decision making are considered, and guidelines for employing prayer in psychotherapy are developed.
Antecedents to the Conflict between Psychology and Religion in America
Authors: de Jesüs Cortés Ángel
Published: February 2018

Conflict models persist in the modern study of psychology and religion. The antireligious sentiments of Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis symbolize this interpretive tradition best. Yet few researchers concern themselves with examining the historical and intellectual antecedents to this development. In an attempt to help fill the gap, this article begins with a description of the amiable character of antebellum science and religion, proceeds to chronicle the insubordination of science in the 19th century, and concludes by identifying the modern antireligious impulse in psychology as meaningfully related to the “divorce” of science from religion.
Bargaining with God: Religious Development and Economic Socialization
Authors: Hull John M.
Published: February 2018

In view of the developmental conceptual and emotional similarities held by individuals with regard to both God and money, it seems likely that in an intense money culture the ultimate reality of God will be confused with, and even displaced by, the ultimate reality of money. Bargaining appears to be a developmental stage in both economic socialization and in the development of relationships with God, and, therefore, a study of the similarities between economic and religious bargaining offers a starting point for considering the impact of money upon the spiritual development of both children and adults. Oser's (1980) theory of religious judgment describes the second stage of the religious development of children as the bargaining stage. Oser's theory thus enables us to perceive an analogy between religious development and economic socialization, and to trace the implications of this potential confusion into adolescence and adult life. In the more mature stages of spiritual development, self-centered bargaining is gradually transformed into a covenant of sacrificial love, in the light of which the idolatry and false consciousness of the earlier confusion is revealed.
Religious Commitment, Attributional Style, and Gender as Predictors of Undergraduate Volunteer Behavior and Attitudes
Authors: Bernt Frank M.
Published: February 2018

One hundred twenty-two undergraduates attending a Jesuit university were surveyed concerning their religious commitment, belief in God control, attributional styles, and attitudes and behavior related to community service. Discriminant and multiple regression analyses indicated that scores on the God as Causal Agent scale (Ritzema & Young, 1983) and on the Powerful Others scale (Levenson, 1974) were significantly correlated with self-reported volunteer activity, with proservice attitudes, and with being identified as a community service volunteer by the university. Exploring gender differences revealed that religious commitment scores were correlated with Internality scores for males but not for females. In addition, the correlations between both God as Causal Agent and Internality (Levenson, 1974) scores and community service variables were significantly higher for male students than for female students. Findings suggest that research on altruism will benefit both by further exploring religious attribution and by examining possible moderator effects when investigating such relationships.
Strategies for Using the Five-Factor Model of Personality in Religious Research
Authors: Piedmont Ralph L.
Published: February 2018

The five-factor model of personality (FFM) represents an important advancement in the area of personality research and assessment. One of the model's assets is its ability to organize under a common roof disparate measurement models and provide a common language for talking about important qualities of people. This article argues that the FFM can serve as a useful tool for religious researchers in four ways. First, it can be useful in consolidating work in clergy assessment and selection. Second, the FFM can be helpful in capturing images of God that can be more readily integrated with larger, mainstream psychological theories. Third, the FFM can be used to understand better the personological meanings behind religious constructs and to relate these constructs to each other. Finally, the FFM can be used to determine the degree to which religious variables provide explanations of phenomena that are independent of already existing constructs.
Utopia as ‘genuine progress’
Authors: Yasin Buğra
Published: February 2018

This paper reexamines Adorno’s conception of utopia within the context of his critique of the concept of progress. It contests the standard interpretation which conveys Adorno’s conception of utopia to be imbued with an essentially extra-historical idea of redemption. I argue, contrary to this view, that the motif of redemption surfacing in Adorno’s conception of utopia negates a specific type of historical life – life under which historical consciousness sinks into oblivion – rather than history per se. In order to reveal the historicality of Adorno’s conception of utopia, I examine his fragmentary yet consistent critique of the concept of progress, which, far from calling for total abandonment, aims to access and unearth its truth-content. Last but not least, I visit Adorno’s suggestion regarding the consonance of utopia with genuine progress, assessing its implications vis-à-vis a characteristic feature of mythological life, the ratio of self-preservation.
Xi Dada loves Peng Mama
Authors: Yin Liangen , Flew Terry
Published: February 2018

With Xi Jinping’s consolidation of political power in China, a personality cult has increasingly emerged. In this article, we analyze online documents and state news media to argue that this phenomenon is driven in part by local government officials and traditional media but most significantly by individual Chinese ‘netizens’. The current personality cult phenomenon is thus primarily society-driven and bottom-up rather than state-driven and top-down. We argue that the rise of this personality cult around Xi has its roots in national anxiety in an important transitional period in China. While some worry about a possible return to the politics of the Cultural Revolution by encouraging this personality cult, others are responding to economic anxieties and to the social anxieties created by social injustice greatly due to official corruption. We conclude that the possibility of society-driven personality cults will increase over time, as a paradoxical corollary of the potential of new media to allow for the democratization and opening up of politics and culture to new voices.
Ground effect on a slender reverse delta wing with anhedral
Authors: Lee T , Tremblay-Dionne V , Ko LS
Published: February 2018

The ground effect on the lift and drag forces and vortices generated by a slender reverse delta wing with different anhedrals was investigated experimentally. The study was inspired by the Lippisch-type RFB X-114 WIG (wing-in-ground effect) craft for which a reverse delta wing planform with anhedral was employed. The results show that, by positioning the trailing edges of the anhedraled reverse delta wing parallel to the ground, the lift and drag coefficients were found to increase persistently with increasing anhedral as the ground was approached (for ground distances within 40% chord). The observed lift augmentation was also accompanied by an ever-increasing rotational speed and total circulation of the vortices generated by the anhedraled wing. The vortices were also found to be displaced more outboard as the ground was approached, which further suggests their little relevance to the lift generation of the anhedraled reverse delta wing.
Female athletes' self-representation on social media: A feminist analysis of neoliberal marketing strategies in “economies of visibility”
Authors: Toffoletti Kim , Thorpe Holly
Published: February 2018

Existing research into the depiction of female athletes has indicated that while they remain under-represented across traditional and online media outlets, social media is a potential tool for female athletes to redress this lack of coverage, and even contest and rework normative gender and sexual identities in sport. This paper challenges such arguments by offering a feminist thematic analysis of how five international female athletes are using social media to present their sporting and feminine selves within a neoliberal post-feminist moment characterised by individual empowerment and entrepreneurial subjecthood. Adopting a feminist critique of neoliberalism, and critically engaging Banet-Weiser's gendered “economies of visibility”, our findings demonstrate that, in a social media environment, female athletes are adopting new strategies for identity construction that capitalise on tropes of agentic post-feminist subjecthood to market themselves, including self-love, self-disclosure and self-empowerment. This paper advances the emerging field of inquiry into athlete social media usage by focusing on the ideological workings of neoliberalised gender discourse not only in the crafting of contemporary sporting femininities in digital spaces, but in recasting feminism as an individualised endeavour firmly located in the market.
The Journey of Unicorn Uber from San Francisco to International Disruption
Authors: Barot Haresh , Chhaniwal Poonam V.
Published: February 2018

Uber, one of the most valuable and talked about private start-ups of today’s time, took the transportation industry by storm through its technology enabled transportation solutions. This case study explores the journey of Uber from its inception to being one of the most valuable new organizations. It also tries to explore the various issues which the company countered in its journey of expansion and growth.
Staying true to the mission: How C-SPAN translated espoused into lived values to pull off a ‘boring’ social media strategy
Authors: Meyer Hans K , Zempter Christy
Published: February 2018

Building a brand is key to a news organization’s successful social media strategy. But what if that brand is ‘boring’? Through an ethnographic study of C-SPAN, the cable network dedicated to covering the US House and Senate, this study examines conflicts between an organization’s espoused values and accepted social media practices. It finds that building a brand, even if it is seen as boring, effectively serves an audience on social media because audience members will align with the overall message rather than individual reporter’s attributes. The key is clearly communicating the journalistic benefits of living espoused values and how getting involved on social media fulfills the organization’s public service mission. When conflicts arise, the study also finds individual staffers provide key examples, which organizations should cultivate in the newsroom.
Uses of Heritage and beyond: Heritage Studies viewed through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Realism
Authors: Skrede Joar , Hølleland Herdis
Published: February 2018

Uses of Heritage (2006) has been an important contribution to the development of Heritage Studies. Resting on a thorough ‘re-read’ of this modern classic, the article analyses the text applying some central concepts from Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Realism in order to review the arguments put forward. One of the linguistic features from Critical Discourse Analysis we draw on is ‘nominalization’, which refers to replacing verb processes with a noun construction. Re-reading Uses of Heritage and other succeeding publications, it is apparent that the phrase ‘Authorized Heritage Discourse’ is nominalized and reified into an entity obscuring who does what to whom, thereby making the ‘Authorized Heritage Discourse’ a self-evident unit of explanation. Furthermore, the insistence on viewing heritage as a cultural process rather than as ‘things’ is not readably compatible with Critical Realism’s non-reductionist stance. Wrapping up, we nonetheless argue that really taking Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Realism on board could provide a rule of conduct for the future developments of Heritage Studies, where multifarious conceptions of heritage can co-exist.
Lovo, rock images, and mythology in the Land of the Kongo
Authors: Heimlich Geoffroy , Quellec Jean-Loïc Le , Nsangathi Clément Mambu
Published: February 2018

In Kongo Central, rock art sites stretch from Kinshasa to the Atlantic coast and from northern Angola to southern Congo-Brazzaville. Preliminary research revealed one coherent entity situated north of the Kongo kingdom: the Lovo Massif, presently inhabited by the Ndibu, one of the Kongo subgroups. Comparison of the ethnological, historical, archaeological, and mythological points of view confirms that certain Kongo ritual and symbolic aspects are pre-Christian and refer to cosmogony, anthropogony, or narratives associated with the mythical origin of death. Investigating rock images allows us to better understand the link between the images, the myths, and their repercussions on the life of the Kongo today.
Fatal and non-fatal inflammatory injuries induced by different concentrations of L-arginine in Kunming rats
Authors: Li Chunxia , Zhang Ge , Dai Aijun , Wang Xiuyan
Published: February 2018

To establish animal models of fatal and non-fatal pancreatitis, we randomly divided 55 Kunming rats into three groups: Group A received three intraperitoneal injections of 8% L-arginine (L-arg); Group B received three intraperitoneal injections of 10% L-arg; and Group C (the control group) received three intraperitoneal injections of saline. After the third injection, biochemical indices and pathological changes in the pancreas and lungs were evaluated. In Group A, the rats experienced peak inflammatory edema at 48 h after the injections and exhibited the highest pathological score, but the biochemical indices showed no phase-related changes. In Group B, the rats exhibited significantly increased biochemical indices at 12 h after injection and experienced peak inflammatory edema at 24 h; the pathological score was also the highest, significantly different from the observations for Groups A and C ( P < 0.05), and the mortality rate was 64% over 72 h. Thus, it was inferred that L-arg could be used to establish pancreatitis models and that different concentrations lead to different lesions.
Stable Liquid Glucagon: Beyond Emergency Hypoglycemia Rescue
Authors: Wilson Leah M. , Castle Jessica R.
Published: February 2018

Glycemic control is the mainstay of preventing diabetes complications at the expense of increased risk of hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia negatively impacts the quality of life of patients with type 1 diabetes and can lead to morbidity and mortality. Currently available glucagon emergency kits are effective at treating hypoglycemia when correctly used, however use is complicated especially by untrained persons. Better formulations and devices for glucagon treatment of hypoglycemia are needed, specifically stable liquid glucagon. Out of the scope of this review, other potential uses of stable liquid glucagon include congenital hyperinsulinism, post–bariatric surgery hypoglycemia, and insulinoma induced hypoglycemia. In the 35 years since Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first liquid stable human recombinant insulin, we continue to wait for the glucagon counterpart. For mild hypoglycemia, a commercially available liquid stable glucagon would enable more widespread implementation of mini-dose glucagon use as well as glucagon in dual hormone closed-loop systems. This review focuses on the current and upcoming pharmaceutical uses of glucagon in the treatment of type 1 diabetes with an outlook on stable liquid glucagon preparations that will hopefully be available for use in patients in the near future.
Advanced diffusion-weighted imaging in patients with optic neuritis deficit – value of reduced field of view DWI and readout-segmented DWI
Authors: Seeger Achim , Schulze Maximilian , Schuettauf Frank , Ernemann Ulrike , Hauser Till-Karsten
Published: February 2018

Objective

The objective of this article is to evaluate advanced techniques of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements of the optic nerve in patients with optic neuritis.

Methods

In this prospective and institutional review board-approved trial, we examined 15 patients with acute visual loss and clinical signs of optic neuritis including thin-slice multi-shot segmented readout of long variable echo trains (rs-EPI, RESOLVE) DWI and reduced field-of view DWI using a parallel transmit system (rFOV-EPI). Conventional single-shot echo-planar DWI (ss-EPI) of the whole brain was available in 13 patients. Subjective image quality was compared using a four-point scale and objective ADC measurements were performed in comparison with the non-affected side.

Results

In the intraorbital segment, subjective image quality was significantly higher in rFOV-EPI (score 3.3 ± 0.8) compared with rs-EPI (score 2.1 ± 0.8) and ss-EPI (score 0.9 ± 0.8). Diagnosis was hampered in the canalicular segment ( n = 3) and the intracranial segment ( n = 1) in all applied DWI techniques. ADC measurements of the affected side differed significantly in all DWI sequences ss-EPI (sensitivity 54%, accuracy 77%), rs-EPI (sensitivity 71%, accuracy 86%), and rFOV-EPI (sensitivity 73%, accuracy 87%).

Conclusion

Optic neuritis in the intraorbital segment can be detected with high sensitivity without the need for contrast application. Using rFOV-EPI improves subjective image quality compared with rs-EPI and ss-EPI. Due to its higher spatial resolution, rFOV-EPI was the preferred technique in our study and can ensure the diagnosis in the intraorbital segment. However, artefacts occur in the canalicular and intracranial segment of the optic nerve, therefore contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images must still be considered as the gold standard.
The spatial distribution pattern of enterprises in Beijing and its influencing factors analysis based on POI data
Authors: Wu Peng , Zhang Shuqing , Li Huapeng , Ding Xiaohui , Wei Yansheng
Published: February 2018

Different urban elements may exhibit various aggregation patterns. It is of great significance to quantitatively investigate the disparity and connection among various aggregation patterns of urban elements for understanding the mechanism of urban development and supporting urban planning. In this paper, the point of interest (POI) of Beijing is taken as an example, and the distribution pattern and the level of agglomeration of POI in different industries are analyzed by kernel density estimation (KDE). The study found that the distribution density of POI in various industries in Beijing showed a trend of “higher in the eastern part and lower in the western part” and gradually decreased from the center to the outer. The aggregation of other industries’ POI, which is centered on enterprise POI, is analyzed by k-nearest method. The results show that the retail industry, bus station, and catering service industry are in a relatively concentrated distribution around the enterprise POI, and other urban elements are rarely distributing. In addition, this paper analyzes the kernel density chart by the vector analysis theory on landscape pattern, and how the spatial distribution pattern of enterprises is revealed by using the perspective of classical mechanics. It can be concluded that the formation of this kind of distribution comes from the centripetal force of the various industries and the axial traction of the northwest–southeast to the traffic trunk. Overall, the results of enterprise distribution analysis based on the POI data can explain part of the difference in business activities and economy distribution within urban areas. The study results of enterprise activities are also conducive to the strategy-making process of both governments and enterprises.
Prevalence and risk factors for venous thromboembolism in children with sickle cell disease: an administrative database study
Authors: Kumar Riten , Stanek Joseph , Creary Susan , Dunn Amy , O’Brien Sarah H.
Published: February 2018

Key Points

Adults with SCD have an increased incidence of VTE, but similar data in children are lacking. In this 7-year, multicenter retrospective study, 1.7% of children with SCD developed VTE.