Social Practices and Cultural Contexts

This chapter builds on the assertion that spirituality is best understood as one dimension of the larger phenomenon of lived religious practice, rather than as a phenomenon separate from or opposed to religion. Spirituality is situated in a multidimensional analysis that also includes embodiment, materiality, emotion, aesthetics, morality, and narrative. By analyzing spirituality as a distinct dimension of religious practice, we can see the internal dynamics among all the dimensions. Understanding spirituality and religion at this micro level is incomplete, however, without attention to the distinct legal and cultural contexts around the world. This chapter elaborates on four ideal-typical macrosocial contexts that each shape quite differently the practice of religion and its spiritual dimensions: entangled, established, institutionalized, and interstitial contexts. These contexts identify differences in modal expectations for the fields within which religious practices will be found and the modes of regulation that will constrain religious action.

The Gender Mobility Paradox: Gender Segregation and Women’s Mobility Across Gender-Type Boundaries, 1970–2018

In this article, we examine trends in women’s mobility among male-dominated, gender-neutral, and female-dominated occupations. Earlier research, largely employing data from the 1970s and early 1980s, showed that along with significant net movement by women into male-dominated fields, there was also substantial attrition from male-dominated occupations. Here, we build on previous research by examining how “gender-type” mobility rates have changed in recent decades. The findings indicate that while still quite high, levels of women’s occupational mobility among female, gender-neutral, and male occupations have decreased considerably over time. We suggest that this is the result of increasing differentiation among women. In particular, many women, especially those in high-status occupations, plan to pursue employment in a male-dominated field, succeed in gaining entry, and tend to remain in these fields more often than their counterparts in previous decades. We interpret these findings as evidence that gender segregation is maintained by an enduring but imperfect system of social control that constrains women’s choices before, during, and after entry into the labor market. The evidence presented here underscores the importance of studying gender-type mobility as a distinct dimension of labor market inequality.

Grading of architectural heritage using AHP and TOPSIS methods: a case of Odishan Temple, India

PurposeRanking and grading of architectural heritage (AH) are common for the conservation process. Decision-makers are often intuitively made decisions for the selection of the AH. However, on many occasions, these decisions are not transparent and sometimes focused only on a few aspects of the AH.Design/methodology/approachA transparent and robust methodology must be adopted to select and manage AH for the present and future generations. Selecting the list of parameters that are affecting the AH, and assessing their significance can strengthen the holistic assessment. From the literature, parameters and dimensions are identified for the evaluation of AH and its application for Odishan temple architecture (OTA). For minimizing biasedness associated with assessment, the research considered the opinion of experts, researchers and various stakeholders. For objective decision-making, the Delphi, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solutions (TOPSIS) methods were adopted.FindingsLater, by observing the dimension-wise ranks and comparing the obtained grading of OTA with the existing state of protection, it was found that some temples, though having higher values with distinct dimension, lack significantly in other dimensions. However, for unbiased evaluation, all the possible dimensions should be considered. This methodology will also be useful for other decision-making processes concerning the same.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to the OTA. However, this methodology can be adopted by changing the definitions of the parameters according to the contextual needs.Practical implicationsThis methodology may be helpful for the further policy-making process for the conservation and management of such AH.Originality/valueTo date, OTA is not graded through such a methodology. Also, limited studies are found in similar line worldwide.

Open-mindedness in Three Dimensions

In this programmatic essay, I approach the question "What is open-mindedness?" through three more specific questions, each designed to foreground a distinct dimension along which the analysis of open-mindedness might proceed: When is open-mindedness? What is not open-mindedness? and, Where is open-mindedness? The first question refers to the temporal dimension of open-mindedness, which I analyze in terms of Dewey’s distinction between recognition and perception and the psychoanalytic concept of disavowal. The second question refers to the dialectical dimension of open-mindedness, to what the many aspects of closed-mindedness reveal about open-mindedness. Here I recall Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean. The third question refers to the dimension of scale, asking what open- and closed-mindedness look like on the interpersonal and social levels. To bring out this third dimension, I draw on Jonathan Lear's reading of the Republic and psychoanalytic group dynamics theory. Through these three related inquiries I show the range of this central intellectual virtue and bring out its connections to two central, related features of the moral life: the need for integration and the need for openness to newness and complexity.

How Underlying Dimensions of Political Risk Affect Excess Return in Emerging and Developed Markets

Political risk is expected to increase due to emerging markets’ increasing influence on the world economy. We identify legal, tension, conflict and policy as underlying dimensions through principal component analysis by using a disaggregated political risk index. Using a two-way error correction model, ethnic and religious tension is identified as a new and distinct dimension of political risk. Consequently, global investors are likely to benefit from understanding which dimension implies a reward. Investors in particular should direct their attention towards tension, which seems to command a risk premium regardless of both market and time. JEL Classification: C33, F30, F50, G15

Mestizaje and the Significance of Phenotype in Guatemala

Ethnic issues in Guatemala are commonly analyzed using theoretical frameworks that underscore the role of Maya activism in promoting Mayan identification. However, these frameworks often pay insufficient attention to the local significance of phenotype. In this study, I propose an alternative framework to explain ethno-racial status in contexts of mestizaje. Based on this framework, I investigate whether phenotype, captured by skin color, is a significant dimension of ethno-racial status in Guatemala using nationally representative survey data and regression analysis. I specifically examine the association between skin color and ethnic self-identification, and differences by ethno-racial characteristics in the perception of skin color discrimination and in the desire for a whiter skin color. I find evidence of a direct association between skin color and ladino self-identification, evidence of a greater perception of skin color discrimination by individuals with more indigenous characteristics, and evidence of a direct association between indigenous ancestry, captured by indigenous first language, and the desire for a whiter skin color. These findings reveal the significance of phenotype as a distinct dimension of ethno-racial status in Guatemala beyond ancestry and ethnic self-identification.

Worry about performance: a unique dimension of caregiver burden

ABSTRACTBackground:Recent studies that describe the multidimensionality of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) challenge the traditional dual-factor paradigm of personal and role strains (Whitlatch et al., 1991). These studies consistently reported a distinct dimension of worry about caregiver performance (WaP) comprising items 20 and 21.The present study aims to compare WaP against conventional ZBI domains in a predominantly Chinese multi-ethnic Asian population.Methods:We studied 130 consecutive dyads of family caregivers and patients. Factor analysis of the 22-item ZBI revealed four factors of burden. We compared WaP (factor 4) with the other three factors, personal strain, and role strain via: internal consistency; inter-factor correlation; item-to-total ratio across Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) stages; predictors of burden; and interaction effect on total ZBI score using two-way analysis of variance.Results:WaP correlated poorly with the other factors (r = 0.05–0.21). It had the highest internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.92) among the factors. Unlike other factors, WaP was highly endorsed in mild cognitive impairment and did not increase linearly with disease severity, peaking at CDR 1. Multiple regression revealed younger caregiver age as the major predictor of WaP, compared with behavioral and functional problems for other factors. There was a significant interaction between WaP and psychological strain (p = 0.025).Conclusion:Our results corroborate earlier studies that WaP is a distinct burden dimension not correspondent with traditional ZBI domains. WaP is germane to many Asian societies where obligation values to care for family members are strongly influential. Further studies are needed to better delineate the construct of WaP.

Evolution in the symbolic dimension: The devil is in the details

Evolution in Four Dimensions argues convincingly that non-genetic inheritance systems have the potential to be agents of evolution and that, in some circumstances, acquired information can be heritable. However, we found the authors' four-dimensional approach to evolution problematic, and doubt that symbolic evolution can be adequately modeled as a distinct dimension of organismal evolution.

Entrepreneurial Orientation, Risk Taking, and Performance in Family Firms

This article focuses on risk taking as one important dimension of entrepreneurial orientation and its impact in family firms. Drawing on a sample of Swedish SMEs, we find that risk taking is a distinct dimension of entrepreneurial orientation in family firms and that it is positively associated with proactiveness and innovation. We also find that even if family firms do take risks while engaged in entrepreneurial activities, they take risk to a lesser extent than nonfamily firms. Moreover, and most importantly for our understanding of entrepreneurial orientation in family firms, we find that risk taking in family firms is negatively related to performance. Both theoretical and practical implications of our findings are provided.