Social Trust as an Underlying Substance of Cultural Preferences

The role and the importance of social trust have been objects of a comparatively well-defined interest among investigators with sociology and social psychology backgrounds. Unfortunately, this is not so true when it comes to economists. In Economics, even the link between culture and economic development still lacks the necessary attention. On the other hand, in order to explain this link, it will be of help and importance to take social trust into consideration both directly and as an infrastructural element of some important cultural dimensions. This article – being generally with a nature of an overview – attempts to show social trust namely as such an element, offering a framework for its interpretation and showing the correlational link between trust and several cultural constructs. This will hopefully help future modelling when it comes to investigating correlational and causal links between economic parameters and generalized social trust.

Early childhood care and education in the cultural context of Aotearoa (New Zealand)

© 2018 Taylor and Francis. Early childhood care and education in Aotearoa (New Zealand) has been celebrated through the international interest in the innovative sociocultural curriculum, Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa (New Zealand Ministry of Education, 1996). This document is now 20 years old, and is at the time of writing being updated by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. 1 In this chapter, a brief overview of the historical and cultural contexts of early childhood care and education leads into a discussion of some key cultural constructs and values that are recognised in Te Whāriki; in particular, those of the Indigenous people, the Māori. Discussion of the narrative assessment models that were developed to support the implementation of Te Whāriki is followed by an outline of implications for teacher education. The chapter ends with some reflections on aspirations for the future of early childhood care and education in Aotearoa.

Face-Saving and Help-Seeking Among U.S. Chinese Older Adults With Elder Mistreatment

Chinese culture places a high value on saving face and not bringing shame to the family. This study aimed to examine the associations between face-saving and help-seeking among U.S. Chinese older adults who experienced elder mistreatment (EM). Data were retrieved from the PINE study. Regression analyses were performed. Most EM victims sought help from informal sources only (48.21%), followed by no help (26.79%), informal plus formal help (19.64%), and formal help only (5.36%). For EM screening, face-saving was associated with informal help-seeking intentions (p < .05). For EM subtypes, face-saving was associated with overall help-seeking intentions for financial exploitation (p < .05), but not on physical mistreatment, psychological mistreatment, and caregiver neglect. Face-saving was not associated with help-seeking behaviors. Study findings underscore the significance of a unique cultural value in understanding EM help-seeking intentions among Chinese older adults. Cultural constructs should be considered in future EM research in diverse populations.

Unvaxxed: A Cultural Study of the Online Anti-Vaccination Movement

In this study, the constructive communication process of anti-vaccination advocates is explored to provide insight into the challenges of communicating with an engaged, educated public that is distrustful of mainstream medical and governmental organizations. Using the circuit of culture as a theoretical and methodological model, this article examines how anti-vaccination advocates use social media to construct and reinforce a belief system that counters dominate understandings of health. Findings show that, through online communication, anti-vaccination advocates create shared cultural constructs embracing the identity of health information crusader, critic, and expert. This community consumes, produces, and distributes information that reframes mainstream health information and reinforces shared values. The purposes of this study are to better understand the culture of anti-vaccination advocates, identify communication barriers, and offer practical implications for health care professionals.

Building GLAMour: Converging practice between Gallery, Library, Archive and Museum entities in New Zealand Memory Institutions

<p>The development of new technology has created a catalyst for escalating amounts of integrative practice between cultural heritage institutions such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs). While discussion centres on collaborative or convergent practice in a digital milieu, there is minimal critical analysis of integrative models of operation in our physical GLAM environments. The increasing development of buildings designed to house collectively our galleries, libraries, archives and museums creates challenges and opportunities for the participating entities. Resource rationalisation, tourism ventures, community engagement and technological determinism are often the embedded drivers for the expansion of these new institutional forms. While the development of these institutions increases, there is a dearth of research considering the implications of these models on the participating entities. How do the gallery, library, archive and museum domains transcend institutional silos to build GLAMour? Through a theoretical framework of organisational symbolism, this interdisciplinary research explores the agency afforded to socio-cultural constructs in challenging the epistemological distinctions drawn between GLAM entities in a physical operating environment. By examining the symbolic points of intersection and integration in integrated memory institutions, this thesis addresses how the participating entities negotiate knowledge across GLAM domain boundaries to build and maintain a 'culture of convergence'. Data analysed from three New Zealand case studies shows how areas of intersection and integration manifest in the collections, identity, organisational infrastructure and institutional architecture of these models. These areas of intersection and integration recursively support and negate the development of a convergent GLAM culture. The depth of integration in the cases studied varied widely over the institutions‘ life cycle. Issues relating to differences in back of house functions, preservation management for individual collection formats, the use and appropriation of space, as well as entity worldviews also heavily influenced the development of a convergent culture. This thesis argues that in building GLAMour there is a tipping point, which, when reached, falls beyond the advantages of cohesiveness and collective representation to a point where integrity and scholarship are impeded. Moreover, integration works best as a layered concept, with the levels and types of integration being dependent upon, and responsive to, each unique operating environment. In theorising the data drawn from the cases, maintaining the integrity of the individual GLAM paradigms whilst looking for opportunities to build integrative layers on top of core GLAM functions has emerged as a constructive approach to the development of future joined-up models of operation. This thesis concludes that the theorised pathways towards convergence between the GLAM domains are not definitive, but rather are a fluid and dynamic process. This is a process that adapts over space/time and is recursively reflected in, and influenced by, the architecture, people, programming, services and unique integrative ethos present in individually integrated memory institutions.</p>

Building GLAMour: Converging practice between Gallery, Library, Archive and Museum entities in New Zealand Memory Institutions

<p>The development of new technology has created a catalyst for escalating amounts of integrative practice between cultural heritage institutions such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs). While discussion centres on collaborative or convergent practice in a digital milieu, there is minimal critical analysis of integrative models of operation in our physical GLAM environments. The increasing development of buildings designed to house collectively our galleries, libraries, archives and museums creates challenges and opportunities for the participating entities. Resource rationalisation, tourism ventures, community engagement and technological determinism are often the embedded drivers for the expansion of these new institutional forms. While the development of these institutions increases, there is a dearth of research considering the implications of these models on the participating entities. How do the gallery, library, archive and museum domains transcend institutional silos to build GLAMour? Through a theoretical framework of organisational symbolism, this interdisciplinary research explores the agency afforded to socio-cultural constructs in challenging the epistemological distinctions drawn between GLAM entities in a physical operating environment. By examining the symbolic points of intersection and integration in integrated memory institutions, this thesis addresses how the participating entities negotiate knowledge across GLAM domain boundaries to build and maintain a 'culture of convergence'. Data analysed from three New Zealand case studies shows how areas of intersection and integration manifest in the collections, identity, organisational infrastructure and institutional architecture of these models. These areas of intersection and integration recursively support and negate the development of a convergent GLAM culture. The depth of integration in the cases studied varied widely over the institutions‘ life cycle. Issues relating to differences in back of house functions, preservation management for individual collection formats, the use and appropriation of space, as well as entity worldviews also heavily influenced the development of a convergent culture. This thesis argues that in building GLAMour there is a tipping point, which, when reached, falls beyond the advantages of cohesiveness and collective representation to a point where integrity and scholarship are impeded. Moreover, integration works best as a layered concept, with the levels and types of integration being dependent upon, and responsive to, each unique operating environment. In theorising the data drawn from the cases, maintaining the integrity of the individual GLAM paradigms whilst looking for opportunities to build integrative layers on top of core GLAM functions has emerged as a constructive approach to the development of future joined-up models of operation. This thesis concludes that the theorised pathways towards convergence between the GLAM domains are not definitive, but rather are a fluid and dynamic process. This is a process that adapts over space/time and is recursively reflected in, and influenced by, the architecture, people, programming, services and unique integrative ethos present in individually integrated memory institutions.</p>

Exploring excellence in Indigenous education in Queensland secondary schools

In the national and international landscape, there is very limited exploration of cultural constructs of excellence, in particular, in Indigenous contexts. This pilot study aimed to centre the voices of Indigenous people in conceptualising excellence in Indigenous education, as well as to share understandings between Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners. Qualitative data collection methods were used including collaborative yarning, storying, and semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using cross-case analysis to examine the views of educators across three school sites. Indigenous participants highlighted the importance of nurturing culture and identity; building up young people; and, building a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Supportive leadership was also identified as an enabler for enacting excellence in schools. A direct outcome of this project was a whole-school policy that builds on a strengths perspective and forefronts the embedding of Indigenous knowledges and perspectives, supporting the wellbeing of Indigenous students, affirming the identities of Indigenous students and having specific strategies to engage with local Indigenous communities.

Apparitions of Mary as Revelation

The chapter will explore how apparitions of Mary are viewed as revelatory and prophetic, in that they are believed by devotees to articulate the divine perspective on history. The final published form of visionary messages is negotiated between visionaries, supporters, and Church authorities. The chapter charts developments and innovations in the understanding of Mary through a range of modern apparitions; using prominent examples, it concludes that prophecies are usually unfulfilled or at least unverifiable, and so are often understood by Catholic theologians as symbolic; finally, it argues that apparitions, even in the official Catholic view, are cultural constructs and thereby reveal aspirations about social change. The last section is illustrated through the apparition at Guadalupe in Mexico.

Examining the Influence of Power Distance on Psychological Safety Within Healthcare Teams

Cultivating good teamwork practices within healthcare teams is important for providing effective patient care and preventing adverse health outcomes. Psychological safety is one factor which is instrumental in developing a positive team environment, which fosters effective teamwork. The historically hierarchical nature of healthcare ascribes status to individuals based on profession, and this power differential is a contributing factor to a team member’s psychological safety. This study seeks to identify relationships between cultural backgrounds and teamwork in healthcare through examining how power distance influences psychological safety within healthcare teams. A cross-sectional questionnaire containing the Psychological Safety Scale and the Personal Cultural Orientation Scale was fielded to sets of Internal medicine teams working in a health system located in the Midwest region of the United States ( n=17). Levels of power-distance and psychological safety were similar amongst leaders and their team members. Upon comparison, there was no correlation found between power distance and psychological safety. Moderate to significant correlations were found between other deep cultural constructs.