EPISTEMIC RATIONALITY IN ISLAMIC EDUCATION: The Significance for Religious Moderation in Contemporary Indonesian Islam

This article discusses the concept of epistemic rationality in Islamic education and its significance for strengthening religious moderation in contemporary Indonesian Islam. The questions are: (1) How is the conception of epistemic rationality? (2) To what extent is the role of epistemic rationality in Islamic education? (3) How do classical Islamic treasures view the epistemic rationality and its significance for strengthening religious moderation in Indonesian Islam? Afterwards, the theoretical assumption underlying this article is that the strengthening of religious moderation without being supported by epistemic rationality is null and void. This article finds that the passion of reading in Islam processed through epistemic rationality has provided huge contribution for Islamic civilization so that it reaches its golden age. Hence, in Indonesian Islamic education context, strengthening religious moderation must be delivered through epistemic rationality as basic reasoning in understanding religious text and digging the diversity phenomenon in order to avoid radicalism and blind fanaticism. Epistemic rationality must be considered as starting point to build curriculum structure and learning contents that emphasize more on the competency of ‘know-how’ and ‘know-why’ rather than ‘know-what’.

Clinical evidence in the phenomenon of Alien Abduction

Purpose: Starting from the classic definition of “alien abduction”, the present research, starting from the study published in 2020 on the proposed clinical classification of this particular phenomenon, is aimed at confirming the theoretical assumption of psychopathological origin. Methods: Clinical interview, based on narrative-anamnestic and documentary evidence and the basis of the Perrotta Human Emotions Model (PHEM) concerning their emotional and perceptual-reactive experience, and administration of the battery of psychometric tests published in international scientific journals by the author of this work: 1) Perrotta Integrative Clinical Interviews (PICI-2), to investigate functional and dysfunctional personality traits; 2) Perrotta Individual Sexual Matrix Questionnaire (PSM-Q), to investigate the individual sexual matrix; 3) Perrotta Affective Dependence Questionnaire (PAD-Q), to investigate the profiles of affective and relational dependence; 4) Perrotta Human Defense Mechanisms Questionnaire (PDM-Q), to investigate the defence mechanisms of the Ego. Results: Preliminary results from the interviews and the anamnestic form would suggest that the phenomenon of alien abductions has a greater tendency to occur in the female group, in the adult and mature group (and tends to diminish but not disappear with advancing age) and in the group geographically originating in central-northern Italy (due to lower religious influences but greater openness to the typical contents of ufological and mystery narratives). Moreover, the subsequent results would lead us to deduce with almost total certainty, concerning the selected sample, that the phenomenon of alien abductions has an absolute prevalence in the believing population concerning the existence of paranormal phenomena per se, even in the absence of objective and/or scientific evidence. It is a phenomenon that is almost completely linked (110/112, 98.2%) to a medium-low or not fully educated cultural level. Based on the PICI-2 it emerged that the primary emerging disorder is alternatively the delusional disorder, the dissociative disorder and the narcissistic disorder; followed, as secondary disorders, by the delusional disorder (if it is not considered as primary disorder), the schizoid disorder, the borderline disorder, the obsessive disorder and the psychopathic disorder. The analysis of functional traits also reported the marked dysfunctional tendency of the classes referring to self-control, sensitivity, Ego-Es comparison, emotionality, ego stability, security and relational functionality, confirming here too the marked dysfunctional tendency of the clinical population. According to the PSM-Q, almost 2/3 of the participants (73/112, 65.2%) present a dysfunctional tendency to sexual behaviour and a marked tendency to chronicle feelings of shame in avoidance behaviour or hyposexuality. Furthermore, 100% of the sample of the population surveyed report having suffered significant or serious psychological or physical abuse at a young age, or intra-parental relational imbalances, or in any case a sexual upbringing that was not open and lacking in free communication. According to the PDM-Q, 27.7% (31/112) are affected by affective dependency, with greater emphasis on types I (neurotic), VI (covert narcissist), V (borderline) and III (histrionic), in that order of descent. Finally, the PDM-Q reveals the widespread psychopathological tendency of the functional ego framework for the mechanisms of isolation, denial, regression, reactive formation, denial, projection, removal, withdrawal, instinct, repression and idealisation. Conclusion: This research confirms the psychopathological nature of the alien abduction phenomenon, which deserves to be treated using a psychotherapeutic approach (preferably cognitive-behavioural and/or strategic) and possibly also pharmacological in serious cases, depending on the symptoms manifested and the severity of the morbid condition.

Inspiracje Grigorija G. Gagarina i jego rola w procesie kształtowania stylu rosyjsko - -bizantyńskiego w architekturze dziewiętnastowiecznego Imperium Rosyjskiego – zarys zagadnienia

The paper represents an attempt to outline Grigory G. Gagarin’s artistic interests and his influence on creating one of the national style variants in the 19th -century Russian Empire: the Russian -Byzantine style. This article is not only a selection of theoretician’s quotes, but also an attempt to create an appropriate background and clear context for his theses. Moreover, the paper is to constitute a coherent outline of his thoughts having an impact on the creating of the national style and the search for architectural inspiration from selected periods of history. An interesting fact is that because of Gagarin’s first attempts to develop consistent norms and determinants of inspiration, among others, for architects and artists, he created foundations to formulate in the future a clear theoretical assumption of the Russian -Byzantine style. What is more, the theoretician did not avoid the confrontation of Russian art with Western European culture. Gagarin tried to not only indicate the relationships between the evolution of specific styles in art and architecture, but also their mutual influences and consequences. In the paper’s narration another important thread in the theoretician’s activity is also mentioned: his attitude to the cultural heritage of the North and South Caucasus. In the 19th century, the region’s territories formed the southwestern borders of the Russian Empire, and moreover they were the destinations of Gagarin’s diplomatic activities for the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire. The paper is an introduction to further research not only into Gagarin’s position in the process of creating the national style in the Russian Empire in the19th century. Furthermore, the research will bring up his functioning in the Western European artistic-cultural society of that time and his attempts to find mutual inspiration in Western and Eastern Europe.

The Order in The Structure of Motives of Activity: Quantitative Description

The purpose of the study is to conduct an empirical verification of the validity of the theoretical assumption that there is an order in the structure of motives of activity, which is determined by the proportionality between the significance of each motive in their aggregate significance and is quantitatively manifested in the parameters of the hyperbolic H-distribution ranked by the parameter. The necessary conditions for solving this problem are highlighted: a) structural elements - weakly functionally dependent on each other motives; b) in the structure of motives, the functional significance of each has a quantitative expression, which must be measured through the organization of empirical research; c) the measure of the total functional significance of all motives is limited by the situation of activity and the costs of obtaining its product. On a sample of students of the first, second, third, fourth courses of technical and humanitarian specialties (N=860) using the method of subjective assessment of the significance of each of the three motives for studying at the university in their combined significance (“acquisition of knowledge”; “mastering a profession”; “obtaining a diploma”) and using a given level of the average error of approximation of empirical results with an H-distribution of 10%, it was found that statistically, at a level of error probability less than 20%, students with an average error below a given level predominate. The possible formal and substantive reasons that led to a decrease in the validity of the result are named. The interpretation of the results in the context of the “junction” of systems theory and activity theory is presented. The directions of further research in the context of the proposed model are determined.

Markers of emotionality in Russian news coverage of the 75-th anniversary of WWII Victory

The article explores how emotionality is manifested in the news texts covering politically sensitive topics, using as the case study coverage of the 75th anniversary of WWII Victory in news programmes of the Russian TV Channel One, Russia TV and RT. Proceeding from the key theoretical assumption of medialinguistics defining media texts as an integral unity of verbal and media components, the author singles out and analyzes markers of emotionality at both - language and media levels, paying special attention to lexis and the way it is supplemented by illustrations and video footing. The analysis of the news flow is based on the information model, which allows to structure the process of news formation according to the following stages - selection of events for news coverage, interpretation of facts, shaping images, forming stereotypes and cultural-ideological context. The goal of the study was to identify markers of emotionality and analyze how emotionality affects the interpretation and the perception of facts, paying special attention to realization of the category of broadcasting style defined as the tone of voice, or tonality news media use when addressing their audience. Conceiving emotionality as both explicitly manifested and implicitly present quality, the study singles out its three types as represented in the analyzed media texts - 1) specific pretentious style, used by newsreaders and commentators to stress the dignity and solemnity of the event; 2) deliberate affectation disguised as emotionality on the part of news anchors while presenting topically sensitive news items; 3) emotionality as spontaneous display of sincere emotions observed in interviews, dispatches of correspondents and commentaries of the participants of the events. The results of the study could serve as a basis for further analysis of emotionality markers in different types of media discourse, including news, commentary and debate on politically sensitive issues in traditional media and social networks.

Metoda badań komparatystycznych w recepcji staropolskich utworów literackich. Dyskurs o kompetencjach badacza w ujęciu Krytycznej Analizy Dyskursu

[The method of comparative research in the reception of Old Polish literary works. A discourse on researchers’ competences from the perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis] The paper discusses the use of the comparative research method to carry out explication of Old Polish literary works. The article has two main research aims: the first one focuses on theoretical aspects of discourse and the Critical Discourse Analysis, which is at the same time a tool to carry out the second aim, i.e. performing discursive activities concerned with the competences of a researcher using the comparative method while interpreting Old Polish literature. The paper consists of two planes. The first one is the completion of theoretical assumption, covering historical overview of the major moments in comparative literature and literary theory. The second plane is specification of the Critical Discourse Analysis in order to detail aspects referring to the comparatist’s research competences.

Autonomy and Performance: Proactive Vitality Management and Work Engagement as Sequential Mediators of the Relationship

A current trend in organizational job design is to provide employees increased autonomy to enhance their performance. Using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory as a working framework, the present study proposes proactive vitality management and work engagement as sequential mediators of this relationship. Thus, we test a parsimonious model that encompasses both individual strategies (i.e., proactive vitality management) and affective-cognitive (i.e., work engagement) factors as explanatory mechanisms in the link between autonomy and performance. Data from 256 Romanian employees were gathered and analyzed via structural equation modeling. The results provided support to our model. Specifically, we found proactive vitality management and work engagement to fully mediate the relationship between autonomy and performance. As such, our model validates the theoretical assumption of the JD-R theory that employees who engage in individual strategies (i.e., proactive vitality management) can capitalize on existing job resources (i.e., autonomy) to increase their well-being (i.e., work engagement) and performance. Furthermore, by identifying proactive vitality management as a mediator in the relationship between autonomy and performance, we provide practitioners with a set of proactive behaviors that can complement resource-replenishing activities (e.g., coffee break) in securing and sustaining high energy levels at work.

Value-Based Financial Risk Prediction Model

The model of financial risk prediction we developed and present in our paper is based on the theoretical assumption that there exists a significant relationship between actual economic situation and values. This assumption confirmed by the research influences the potential risk in financial behaviour and it becomes actual especially in the case of changing life conditions. The concept of the model is based on data received from 3768 respondents questioned across the Czech Republic. Measured variables were indexed, and the cluster and factor analyses were used for multivariate analysis. The model is unique in the combination of personal values projected into six generalized value types and developed economic indexes clustered in four types of economic situations. The primary purpose of the model is to identify the anticipated personal financial risk of clients. The model has fundamental applications as a diagnostic or auto-diagnostic tool in social work, counselling, psychotherapy, and other helping professions, or as a research instrument leading to various hypotheses and to the enhancement of theories concerning economic behaviour.

Multiple action options in the context of time: When exams approach, students study more and experience fewer motivational conflicts

University students’ study motivation in a particular moment is shaped by contextual factors such as upcoming exams and conflicts between different action tendencies. We investigated how these two contextual factors are related. Based on the theoretical assumption that students’ in-the-moment study motivation increases relative to their motivation for other activities as exams approach, we investigated how students’ study activities and their experience of motivational action conflicts develop when exams come closer in time. Using the experience sampling method, we tracked the in-situ activities and conflict experience of 134 first-semester university students over one week and a total of 4995 measurement points just before exams. Multilevel logistic regression revealed that the probability to study increased by 13.9% and the probability to experience a motivational conflict decreased by 17.5% each day the exam came closer in time. Multilevel regression showed that motivational conflicts were more intense the closer the exam was in time. Students were generally less likely to experience conflicts while studying and experienced more intense conflicts when the conflicting activity was study related. We discuss that both multiple goals and the temporal distance of relevant events should be considered as relevant contexts shaping the situated motivation of university students.

CURRICULUM AND INTERCULTURALISM IN PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE TEACHING AS A FOREIGN/ ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

This study is part of the research project approved by the Ethics Committee of PUCPR, with the title “Internationalizationof the Portuguese language curriculum: the concept of interculturality in the teaching of PFL (Portuguese as a Foreign/Additional Language), CAAE: 45577221.8.0000.0020, PARECER number 4.830.917. In parallel the study is tied to the Research Group Theories and Analysis of Language and Applied Linguistics (CNPQ - PUCPR). This article presents one of the stages of the research, which refers to the historical and social contextualization of the theme, in addition to the didactic presentation of the theoretical assumption that it is based upon. This is a topic of extreme relevance for literacy studies, since the target audience are foreigners in the process of learning the Portuguese language as a foreign/additional language. We present the results of this stage that involves theoretical and methodological investigations on literacy (reading and production of oral and written texts) in PFL, on the Portuguese language discipline and on the valorization of the culture of the immigrants. In language teaching, it is important not to disassociate language and culture, because in the production of meaning there is a relationship with the context and interpretation of the immigrant, which is based on cultural, economic, social, ideological and historical issues. When one learns a language, new perspectives of the world and ourselves are acquired due to contact with new cultures.