26 research outputs found
‘You Can’t Say That!’:Critical Thinking, Identity Politics, and the Social Work Academy
Full text linkRecent years have witnessed an eruption of what have been termed culture wars, often converging around the messier aspects of interpersonal relationships and corresponding identity issues that are complex, sensitive, and contested. These are emotive topics that are often colonised by activist groups, and consequently have become enveloped in particular regimes of truth and assertive identity politics. They are often also, by their nature, the kind of issues that are central to social work practice. This can lead to pressure on social workers and social work students to think that these orthodoxies ought to underpin and define the profession, which in turn can lead to the silencing of alternative opinions and the closing down of dissent. This article seeks to locate identity politics in a political and cultural context. It goes on to set out classic arguments for free speech, viewpoint diversity, and for the need for social work to embrace and engage with such. It explores the notion that the closing down of debate about contentious issues, the disincentives that exist to expressing controversial opinions, and the uncritical adoption of ideological orthodoxies work against the development of the critical thinking skills that are essential for social work practice
A cultural-historical shift in Denmark in views on childhood sexuality and practices in childcare institutions, influenced by fears of child sexual abuse
Full text linkSince the 1980s, the fear of child sexual abuse (CSA) has become a major cultural feature of the West. Internationally, the unintended consequences of this fear are rarely investigated, and doing so is often controversial. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate these consequences. The dissertation has two key focuses: 1) the influence of the fear of CSA on staff practices, male childcare-staff working conditions, and teacher–child relationships at childcare institutions; 2) the influence of the fear of CSA on the view of childhood sexuality and childcare institutions’ practices surrounding children’s sexual behavior. The dissertation is based on two major empirical studies. One was a mixed methods survey regarding guidelines for protecting children against CSA, and staff against wrongful allegations of this, in which approximately one-quarter of Danish childcare facilities participated. This study also addressed these institutions’ rules regarding children’s nudity and sexual games. The other study investigated the changes in the view of childhood sexuality and nudity in the Danish education and care journal, Børn&Unge (Children&Youth), over 50 years: 1970–2019, in particular the emergence of the “child perpetrator of sexual abuse” in the late 1990s. The main method used in the dissertation is discourse analysis. The conceptual framework includes discourse theory, Foucault’s theory of discipline, and literature on fear. This dissertation, which presents one of the most substantial empirical research projects conducted to investigate the multiple effects and unintended consequences of the widespread fear of CSA, documents an important cultural shift at Danish childcare facilities. It shows that the fear of CSA has had a significant impact on practices and relationships at Danish childcare institutions, enforcing self-defense strategies among staff and resulting in a general disciplining of bodies, and the behavior of both staff and children, which has reduced trust, care, intimacy, learning opportunities, and children’s sexual play. In particular, this dissertation reveals how this development has created social outcasts, even among the children it aimed to protect; it has stigmatized male childcare professionals and influenced the panic surrounding childhood sexuality that identifies some children as perpetrators of sexual abuse
Guidelines for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse and Wrongful Allegations against Staff at Danish Childcare Facilities
No full textSince the 1980s, the fear of child sexual abuse (CSA) has become a major cultural feature of a large part of the Western world. Internationally, the unintended consequences of the fear surrounding CSA are rarely investigated and doing so is often controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate how this widespread fear of CSA has influenced practices and teacher−child relationships at childcare institutions. This is the first study of Danish childcare facilities’ guidelines for protecting children against CSA, and staff against wrongful allegations of CSA. Examples of such guidelines include staff being forbidden to have children sit on their lap, or male staff being forbidden to change diapers. This mixed methods survey, which involved the participation of 2051 directors and teachers from approximately one-quarter of Danish childcare facilities, showed that the majority of institutions had guidelines that were aimed mostly at protecting staff from wrongful allegations. The study revealed that the guidelines were a sign that male workers were being stigmatized, and that some institutions had discriminatory guidelines that applied exclusively to men. Furthermore, the guidelines conflicted with staff’s trusting relationships with children, and the task of caring for them
Suffering and the prophetic vocation
No full textThe "self-disclosures" in Jeremiah, including
not only
the so-called
"confessions" but
also other first
person
material which seems to express the prophet's
inner
feelings,
are examined
in
a
detailed,
exegetical
fashion
with careful attention to-both the ancient versions and the
subsequent
history of exegesis. Special attention
is
given
to the works of Rashi and Kimchi. Three basic
questions are
asked:
1) What do the "self-disclosures"
represent?
2) To
what
degree can the "self-disclosures" be
said to portray
the historical Jeremiah? 3) Why are the "self-disclosures"
included in the corpus of Jeremianic literature?
These questions are approached
by
examining the
relevant passages against the backdrop
of the prophetic
orthodoxy of the late 7th
century B. C., which
is
seen to
consist of commonly
held
notions of the role, message, and
perhaps even temperament of the prophet within the current
socio-religious
framework. This orthodoxy
is
viewed as
having initially defined Jeremiah's understanding of the
prophetic office. But in the "self-disclosures" Jeremiah
wrestles with the other side of
his
experience as a prophet,
the painful and mysterious side, and attempts to forge
a new
understanding of the prophetic vocation.
In the end, the fundamental
element of the prophetic
vocation
for Jeremiah is
seen as the "Word of the Lord."
The prophet's conviction that he had been
entrusted with the
powerful, efficacious
"Word" became the touchstone of both
his vocational self-understanding and
his
authentication
against the false prophets who represented prophetic
orthodoxy. And the "Word"
was ultimately the source of
his
suffering. All of these elements may
be
seen
in the
call-narrative which
is
examined
in detail
as the
introduction to the entire
book.
The closing chapter of the thesis takes a closer
look
at the theological kerygma
of the "self-disclosures,"
particularly
in
relation to the problem of suffering
The role of the Jewish feasts in John's Gospel
No full textThe present work aims to elucidate the role of the Jewish feasts of Passover, Tabernacles and Dedication in the presentation of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Specifically, I will seek to gain a clearer understanding of John’s appropriation of the symbolic and traditional backgrounds of these feasts by examining pertinent sources from contemporary Judaism and the manner in which John has made use of the traditions preserved therein. Past studies have achieved consensus on certain points of interpretation but overlooked important evidence at other points. Some scholars have also been too quick to cite John’s treatment of the feasts as evidence of his anti-Jewish posture in the Gospel as a whole. In what follows, therefore, I will give particular attention to those background sources which have not been accorded due attention. I will also attempt to situate my study within the wider question of Judaism in the Fourth Gospel and to suggest how the results achieved in the end may bear upon ongoing debates on this matter
In the Shadow of Night: Sleeping and Dreaming and Their Technical Rôles in Shakespearian Drama
Full text linkThis thesis aims to demonstrate the variety of ways in which sleep and dreams are employed in Shakespeare’s dramatic canon. Using a historical perspective, the work primarily examines the functions of these motifs within the design of the plays: how they contribute to the structure and unity of the works, how they assist in delineating some of the individual characters, and how they shape the atmosphere of specific dramatic situations. This kind of analysis requires an understanding of the cultural and intellectual contexts in which the fictitious representations of these phenomena were originally written and received. For this reason, the present thesis also offers a historical and cultural background, outlining the social character of the phenomena of sleep and dreams in early modern England and the history of their employment in pre-Shakespearian literature. Where relevant, the use of these motifs in the works of Shakespeare’s contemporaries is also studied.
The Introduction to the thesis summarizes the current state of knowledge of the topic and defines the present author’s approach to the research question. The first chapter discusses dream literature as a genre, its themes and development before Shakespeare’s time. The second chapter analyses the dramatic functions of a sleeping character on the stage in Shakespeare’s drama and how this image developed from the dramatist’s early plays to his later and more mature works. It examines how the motif affects the image of the character in question, but also how it influences the immediate dramatic context. A special section is devoted to the topos of dreams and its use as a characterization device. The third chapter deals with fictitious dream prophecies and their technical functions in Shakespeare’s plays. Again, the chapter follows the motif from the early stages of Shakespeare’s dramatic career to his last plays, trying to determine both its staple functions and changes in its employment. The last chapter addresses the dramatic image of the night as a time in which sleeping and dreaming – but also other typically dark enterprises – occur. A special section is devoted to Shakespeare’s use of the death-as-sleep metaphor and its dramatic implications
Human cortical neurogenesis is altered via glucocorticoid-mediated regulation of ZBTB16 expression
No full textGlucocorticoids are important for proper organ maturation, and their levels are tightly regulated during development. Here, we use human cerebral organoids and mice to study the cell-type-specific effects of glucocorticoids on neurogenesis. We show that glucocorticoids increase a specific type of basal progenitors (co-expressing PAX6 and EOMES) that has been shown to contribute to cortical expansion in gyrified species. This effect is mediated via the transcription factor ZBTB16 and leads to increased production of neurons. A phenome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis of an enhancer variant that moderates glucocorticoid-induced ZBTB16 levels reveals causal relationships with higher educational attainment and altered brain structure. The relationship with postnatal cognition is also supported by data from a prospective pregnancy cohort study. This work provides a cellular and molecular pathway for the effects of glucocorticoids on human neurogenesis that relates to lasting postnatal phenotypes. © 2024 The Author(s
Iowa History and Culture : A Bibliography of Materials Published Between 1952 and 1986, 1989
No full textThis bibliography was compiled by two reference librarians, Patricia Dawson and David Hudson with the goal of making it easier of tracking down material on Iowa history and culture. This supplements the Iowa History Reference Guide published in 1952 by William Petersen
The lord of the entire world : Lord Jesus, a challenge to Lord Caesar?
Full text linkThe purpose of this thesis is to determine whether in some of Paul's uses of the title K-6ptoq for Jesus, there exists a polemic against the living Roman emperor. After preliminary matters concerning methodology, history of research, and limitations are addressed (chapter 1), the sources for the study are described (chapter 2). Issues surrounding Paul's letters are considered. Then the various literary and non-literary sources which are used to better understand Paul's letters are discussed. The thesis proceeds inductively. Chapter 3 describes aspects of the first century context in which the original readers lived. This is intended to provide a grid to understand Paul's proclamation ofJesus as Lord as close to the first century context as possible. First, forms of emperor worship (imperial cults) are described within the context of Roman religious experience. However, this alone does not provide sufficient context to determine whether a polemic exists. Thus, the role of the emperor in the larger context is also considered. Chapter 4 focuses on the title K-6ptoq and the nature of lordship. First, the meaning, usage, and possible referents are described. The relational nature of the term is emphasised. The wide range of potential referents make it difficult to determine whether a polemic exists. The result is the postulation and defence of a superlative concept of supreme lord which has a restricted referent in a given culture. In chapter 5, the usages of the title for the Julio-Claudian and Flavian emperors are catalogued and it is determined that the living Caesar fills the role of the concept supreme lord in the context of Paul's original readers. Using communication principles from relevance theory, it is demonstrated that an author may include certain contextual clues that would suggest a challenge to the default referent by another. Certain modifiers and structures in the Pauline text lead to the conclusion that in some cases Paul intended a polemic against the living emperor. Specifically, this is suggested for Rom 10: 9; 1 Cor 8: 5-6; 12: 3; Eph 4: 5; Phil 2: 11
