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The Cultural-historical Shaping of Depression in China: Sociocultural Changes and Depressive Symptoms
No full textDepression is a major public health concern and a leading cause of contributor to the global burden of disease worldwide. Although a growing body of culturally informed research has documented notable variations in the nature and meaning of depression, mainstream clinical psychology largely glosses over the role of culture. An exception is the well-established finding that people of Chinese cultural heritage tend to emphasize bodily disturbances and deemphasize psychological problems. Cultural variations in the perceived value of attending to one’s own emotional experiences, along with cultural-historical differences in the social and political consequences of expressing distress psychologically, have been evoked to explain why Chinese sufferers from depression tend towards more somatic and less psychological symptom reporting in contrast to those in ‘Western’ societies. Following China’s ideological shift towards economic development, increasing research evidence indicates noteworthy sociocultural changes in individualistic values and emotional expression norms in Chinese people. Shifting cultural meanings and practices, in turn, could have important implications for understanding depression in today’s China. As such, the current project sought to examine the cultural-historical shaping of depression in the Chinese cultural context.
Study 1 surveyed the current literature on the psychological consequences of China’s rapid modernization. Two themes, including a rising importance of individualism and an increasing but unevenly distributed prevalence of depression, emerged from this review. Study 2 examined urban and rural differences in depression and unpacked these group variations through the indirect effects of education and modernization values. As expected, rural patients reported higher levels of overall depressive symptoms and somatic symptoms of depression compared to their urban counterparts. In contrast, urban patients reported higher levels of psychological symptom emphasis, education, and modernization values. Endorsement of modernization values mediated the effects of group membership on depressive symptoms. Study 3 tested the temporal effect of depressive symptom presentation in three cohorts of Chinese patients. Over time, there was an increasing emphasis on psychological symptoms of depression while levels of somatic symptom reports were maintained. The findings of this research contribute to the existing literature on culture and mental health by demonstrating cultural variations of depression in different strata of Chinese society and highlighting the impact of historical change on culturally shaped expressions of depressive symptoms
Impact noise reduction in cross laminated timber by embedding acoustic black holes
Get PDFThe widespread adoption of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in building construction faces challenges, especially concerning low-frequency impact noise. Conventional methods for addressing this issue requires thick floor assemblies. This study suggests embedding acoustic black holes (ABH) into CLT floors as an alternative solution.
Functioning as a wave guide, the ABH concentrates energy in specific regions where it is absorbed by the damper. The finite-element method is used to analyze the vibro-acoustic response of CLT plates embedded with a periodic grid of ABH indentations (ABH-CLT). The goal is to evaluate the influence of the outer radius, number of indentations, and structural damping on the vibro-acoustic response within 50-800 Hz and assess reduction in radiated sound power.
The structural response shows that including ABH in CLT floors leads to unintended resonance frequencies. However, characterizing these changes is challenging due to other influential variables. Likewise, varying the number of indentations does not show a clear trend in radiated sound power at a loss factor of 0.03. However, with a higher loss factor (0.2), the trend favors maximizing the indentations.
Increasing the outer radius shifts the structural response to lower frequencies, but the acoustic response remains unpredictable at a loss factor of 0.03, suggesting that the amount of damping is more influential this frequency range.
In the third-octave band, ABH-CLT consistently attenuates sound power levels at higher frequencies above 400 Hz, which is equally achievable by damping a CLT without ABH. However, the ABH is not effective in mitigating impact noise below 400 Hz
Synthesising New Pedagogies for Deep Learning with Transformative Learning Theory and the QEP for Meaningful Practices in the Secondary English Language Arts Cycle 2 Program
Get PDFIn this thesis I critically examine New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) to assess its compatibility with Transformative Learning Theory and Constructivism, one of the grounding theories of the Quebec Education Plan (QEP). This thesis explores how NPDL and the QEP’s Secondary English Language Arts Cycle 2 (SELA2) program can be brought together to create deeper, transformative, student-centred learning experiences for students in Québec. This thesis aims to establish common themes of the aforementioned theories and to propose a conceptual framework and outline some practical applications for SELA2 teachers in order to address critical 21st Century skills as well as subject-specific competency development outlined in the SELA2 program. Furthermore, this thesis addresses the complexity of educational change and asserts that the proximity of Secondary English Language Arts Cycle 2 teachers affords them with the profound power to affect change in instruction. It is my stance that providing students with more opportunities to engage in the development of 21st Century skills grounded in the principles of NPDL can open the door for transformation. The proposed framework and the use of applications such as those elaborated on in this thesis, educators can promote deep and more meaningful learning that can lay the groundwork for transformative learning experiences
Exploring Musicking as Self-Care for a Chronically Ill Music Therapist: A Heuristic Self-Inquiry
Get PDFThe purpose of this heuristic self-inquiry was to analyse the insights that might emerge when I, a chronically ill music therapist with fibromyalgia, engaged in musicking for the purpose of self-care. To do so, I utilized a heuristic self-inquiry methodology and engaged in eight 45-minute music-based self-care sessions consisting of 30 minutes of
recreating songs that were meaningful to me, immediately followed by 15 minutes of journaling. The data generated consisted of the recorded sessions and the journal entries. The analysis revealed insights in the form of three categories (musically disingenuous, my musical identity and understanding the effect of musicking on me) each comprising
two themes (inner critic, disengagement from the music, authentic voice, music for me, sensations and feelings provoked by the act of musicking and the powerful experience and transformation of musicking). The findings of this study allowed me to better connect
with my musical identity and to develop music-based coping skills that will enable me to self-manage my needs as a chronically ill music therapist. The creative synthesis consists of an original song which incorporates quotes from the data produced in the journal
entries. Implications for clinical practice, coping with chronic illness, future research, music therapy education and other helping professionals are discussed. Additionally, I express my hope for my work to encourage other helping professionals to explore how
musicking may support them in their own self-care practices
Sui Generis
Get PDFThis is a work of literary fiction. It addresses family dynamics, immigration, and infidelity. It plays with form and language by introducing a two column structure whenever a character speaks Spanish. The story is narrated and lived by Vero, a young woman from Chile, in the first person and past tense. Vero is visiting her estranged cousin in Boston. She is escaping her father's scandalous affair with his male secretary, on his pregnant second wife. Vero's behaviour is compulsive and obsessive, particularly once she begins her own affair with her cousin's ex-boyfriend
Creating the Modern: Intersections of Art and Society in the Nineteenth Century
Get PDFNINETEENTH-CENTURY ART HISTORY is an extensive field of study that intersects with diverse areas of the humanities and social sciences. New research continues to expand our understanding of the era’s modernist ideation and cultural production. The aim of Creating the Modern is to facilitate access to the research by providing an online platform readily available to learners interested in examining the relationships between art, society and culture at the dawn of modernism.
Creating the Modern comprises ten chapters structured around general and specialized topics within an overarching chronology. In addition to addressing the era’s revolutionary aesthetic and stylistic developments, the e-publication engages issues relevant to nineteenth-century art within its socio-political context. Topics such as class and gender, academism and the avant-garde, the reception and consumption of progressive art, the culture of spectatorship, psycho-social illness, Eurocentrism, and religious and racial prejudice encourage a multi-faceted understanding of how the narrative of nineteenth-century art is a narrative intrinsically attached to the problematics, and promise, of emerging modernity.
The source material for Creating the Modern was gathered and collated exclusively from online publications, facilitating access and use and affording students and scholars across disciplines opportunities for further research and knowledge production. Extracts from original sources include texts by art historians, artists, philosophers, critics, and theorists, providing an expanded context of the artistic, literary, scientific, and social conditions that informed modern art. As an Open Education Resource (OER), Creating the Modern permits no-cost re-use, re-purpose, adaptation, and redistribution by others
Ontology for BIM-Based Robotic Navigation and Inspection Tasks
Get PDFThe availability of inspection robots in the construction and operation phases of buildings has led to expanding the scope of applications and increasing technological challenges. Furthermore, the building information modeling (BIM)-based approach for robotic inspection is expected to improve the inspection process as the BIM models contain accurate geometry and relevant information at different phases of the lifecycle of a building. Several studies have used BIM for navigation purposes. Also, some studies focused on developing a knowledge-based ontology to perform activities in a robotic environment (e.g., CRAM). However, the research in this area is still limited and fragmented, and there is a need to develop an integrated ontology to be used as a first step towards logic-based inspection. This paper aims to develop an ontology for BIM-based robotic navigation and inspection tasks (OBRNIT). This ontology can help system engineers involved in developing robotic inspection systems by identifying the different concepts and relationships between robotic inspection and navigation tasks based on BIM information. The developed ontology covers four main types of concepts: (1) robot concepts, (2) building concepts, (3) navigation task concepts, and (4) inspection task concepts. The ontology is developed using Protégé. The following steps are taken to reach the objectives: (1) the available literature is reviewed to identify the concepts, (2) the steps for developing OBRNIT are identified, (3) the basic components of the ontology are developed, and (4) the evaluation process is performed for the developed ontology. The semantic representation of OBRNIT was evaluated through a case study and a survey. The evaluation confirms that OBRNIT covers the domain’s concepts and relationships, and can be applied to develop robotic inspection systems. In a case study conducted in a building at Concordia University, OBRNIT was used to support an inspection robot in navigating to identify a ceiling leakage. Survey results from 33 experts indicate that 28.13% strongly agreed and 65.63% agreed on the usage of OBRNIT for the development of robotic navigation and inspection systems. This highlights its potential in enhancing inspection reliability and repeatability, addressing the complexity of interactions within the inspection environment, and supporting the development of more autonomous and efficient robotic inspection systems
Childcare Availability and Woman Labor Market Outcomes Among Low Income Earners in Dhaka
Get PDFThis thesis explores the impact of childcare availability on women’s labor market outcomes in low-income areas of Dhaka, using data from the Dhaka Low-Income Area Gender, Inclusion, and Poverty Survey 2018. A multinomial logistic regression model is used to study how socio-economic and demographic factors affect labor market outcomes. Findings show that higher education and childcare access increase the likelihood of full-time employment, while cultural conservativeness and lack of childcare access heighten the probability of being out of the labor force. Residing in slum areas negatively affects full-time employment prospects. Part-time employment is identified as a viable option for young mothers. The study highlights the importance of accessible childcare and education in enhancing women’s workforce participation in Dhaka’s low-income areas
Exploring the Impact of Board Laziness on CEO Succession
Get PDFThis research analyzes and introduces "board laziness"—a term that describes the level of involvement of a company's board of directors—and its influence on selecting the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), using 1100 succession events among S&P 1500 firms. Our hypothesis suggests that lazy boards are more likely to appoint an insider CEO than an outsider due to a lower engagement in the hiring process. We ran regressions on proxies separately to understand their connections to our dependent variable and also created the Index using ten laziness proxies. We controlled the size, performance, and industry of the firms. Whereas different tests showed a significant and reliable connection between both proxies, index, and the model, results showed a significant negative relationship between board laziness and the likelihood of hiring an insider CEO, indicating that lazier boards tend to favor outsider CEOs. This finding suggests that lazy boards might prefer outsider CEOs to initiate changes and improvements within the organization. Additionally, our research investigates another layer of corporate governance by examining the potential negative impacts of board laziness on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. Both studies highlight the significant correlations between board laziness proxies, firm size, and performance. This study aims to enhance the existing corporate governance literature and provide valuable insights into how a board's involvement can impact hiring decisions and offer fresh views on leadership succession. It also opens windows for future research to explore the effects of external shocks, such as financial crises or scandals, on hiring decisions and to consider additional qualitative factors influencing board behavior and decision-making processes
Exploring the Contribution of Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations to Indigenous-led Conservation in Canada
Get PDFIn recent years several Canadian Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) have publicly declared their commitment to conservation partnerships with Indigenous Nations and communities. However, a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities they experience is lacking. The current research project investigated how these partnerships contribute to advancing conservation projects, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). A review of literature underscored the importance of such partnerships, however the mechanisms to establish and maintain these relationships have received limited attention. To address this gap, a pilot survey of 5 national ENGOs was conducted, followed by semi structured interviews of representatives from 24 ENGOs and one Indigenous educational non-profit organization focused on conservation. Using the framework developed by Stein, Ahenakew, and Kui (2023), ENGO efforts to transform and decolonize conventional conservation approaches were categorized into four non-linear, non exclusive stages: representation, recognition, redistribution, and reparation. The responses most often fell within the “recognition” category, while the “representation” and “redistribution” categories were less frequently addressed. Notably, no responses fit well within the “reparation” category, highlighting a need for a more fundamental shift in how conservation is practiced. While ENGOs cannot achieve this transformation alone, the findings of this study indicate that ENGOs occupy a unique position in the sector which they should leverage to challenge colonial approaches and drive positive change