Exploring the Traits of a Grand Strategy for Turkey: Resilience, Protean Power, and Connectography

The international system is experiencing profound changes and has taken on an uncertain character as a result. The concept of strategy and its study has closely followed this trend, and new concepts have emerged both to adapt to and theoretically describe the practical changes and challenges it has engendered. This article explores the ill-suited features of mainstream debates and theorizing from a Turkish perspective and suggests that a critical realist analysis of agential strategizing is most useful to addressing the emerging context. It argues that Turkey has a long pursued grand strategy, but new concepts –resilience, protean power, and connectography– can enhance Turkey’s ability to strategize and can enrich the lately emerged vibrant debates exploring Turkey’s grand strategy.

Sport and International Relations: Qatari Soft Power and Foreign Policy Making

Sport plays a significant role in politics and international relations. However, the relationship between soft power and hosting a sports mega-event such as the Olympic Games, or the FIFA world cup is unclear. Most literature that has examined the role of sport in Qatari soft power adheres to the Realist School of international relations theory. It has tended to emphasize the size of the country in understanding what motivates its engagement in sports diplomacy. This paper attempts to move beyond this realist analysis of soft power by drawing on the post-structuralist –interpretive approach and discourse theory. This perspective better accounts for how sports diplomacy is used in different cultural contexts. In arguing that Qatar represents particular cultural and historical traditions, and sports define the country’s distinct political identity, the paper looks at how Qatar has exercised soft power through sports diplomacy and hosting major international sports events. The paper will analyze formal state discourses surrounding Qatar’s decision to host FIFA World Cup 2022, and we discuss how this use of sports diplomacy is helping achieve several Qatari foreign policy goals.

One size does not fit all – a realist review of screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation in Indigenous communities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States

Background/Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and it is increasing in prevalence and incidence globally. True prevalence is underestimated because silent/asymptomatic AF is frequent and under-detected, but can cause stroke. Guidelines recommend opportunistic screening for AF in patients aged ≥65 years old. A growing body of evidence from hospital and community-based studies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and United States indicates this age limit is lower for Indigenous people. Screening for AF meets the World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria for successful routine screening, yet little is known about successful implementation of AF screening in Indigenous communities in developed countries. Purpose The aim of this study is to use a realist approach to identify what works, how, for whom and under what circumstances for AF screening of Indigenous communities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States. Methods In the realist review, eight databases were searched for studies targeted at AF screening in Indigenous communities. Realist analysis was used to identify context-mechanism-outcome configurations across 11 included records (reporting on 5 studies). Snowball referencing and grey literature were used to iteratively incorporate evidence to enhance the refined programme theory that was the product of the realist analysis. Results The realist review included studies using multiple screening strategies such as using tools to increase screening, using different screening environments and training screeners to provide culturally centred care. The realist analysis identified a number of mechanisms that can improve AF screening in Indigenous communities. The contextual factors enabling AF screening programs in Indigenous communities include wider community engagement, opportunistic non-clinical settings, using portable and easy to use devices, increasing knowledge, motivation and confidence in screening amongst Indigenous healthcare workers as well as improving follow-up protocols for abnormal results tailored to screen setting. Barriers to effective AF screening include time-poor working environments, conflicting cultural issues, navigating communication of abnormal results and logistical issues with device use (Figure 1). Conclusion(s) Since the life-course risk for AF in Indigenous population is different, a modified screening strategy needs to be put in place. This realist review provides lessons learned for successful implementation of AF screening programs for Indigenous communities. In order to tackle the gap in cardiovascular burden in Indigenous people, this study calls for action to develop AF screening guidelines for Indigenous populations and provides a guide for policy makers about timely and effective AF screening programs for Indigenous communities. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Towards an Eco-decolonial Museology: A critical realist analysis of the crises of South African museums

South African museums face multivalent, simultaneous crises. The MELD dialectical framework of critical realist philosophy can be used to explore potential for a deep reimagining of museum theory and practice that may generate a new, relational mode better able than persistent dualist modes to respond to complex, emergent crises. This has been conceived by the author (Jeffery, 2021) as an ecological-decolonial, or eco-decolonial, mode of museology, and is further developed in the present analysis. At 1M, the MELD analysis surfaces the implicit neoliberal ontology of South African museum work and the emergent paradox of ‘emancipatory neoliberalism’. This paradox is generative of a number of constraints on practice and agency, including commodification of heritage, a restrictive form of official memory, and quantitative management practice. These limit potential for museums to respond to complex crises that require relational capabilities. 2E explores the potential negation of these constraints. To disrupt the principle of collection as the grounding ontological activity of museum practice may disrupt the implicit neoliberal ontology. This may contribute to emergent, sophisticated socialecological trends in museum practice, both in South Africa and internationally. At 3L, a dialectical view on the concept of cultural landscape offers a relational frame for an eco-decolonial museum practice that may better respond to the crises faced by museums. The practical implications of the eco-decolonial approach are considered at 4D. Keywords: museum practice, critical realism, ontology, eco-decolonial, collection, cultural landscape

Indonesia’s Global Maritime Fulcrum: From Hedging to Underbalancing

This article examines why Indonesia’s vision of the Global Maritime Fulcrum (GMF) was not properly developed in accordance to its strategic response to the increased rivalry between China and the USA in the Asia-Pacific region. Although the GMF initially focussed on achieving domestic agendas, Indonesia’s implicit intention is to utilise the GMF as a hedge in order to strengthen economic cooperation with China while keeping the USA engaged in the region’s security architecture. My article seeks to go beyond the existing literature’s employment of primarily structural realist analysis to understand Indonesia’s strategic behaviour by applying a neoclassical realist approach to Indonesia’s case, which better demonstrates current conditions exhibiting how conflicting elite interests generate political discord which in turn hinders the state’s ability to extract and mobilise domestic resources, ultimately hampering Indonesia’s ability to achieve its GMF goals. Although certain threats and opportunities within the international system have manifested themselves to actively encourage the proper implementation of GMF, this strategy remains underdeveloped since the time of its launch. Neoclassical realism provides a better explanation that enhances our understanding of how Indonesia assesses and responds to its strategic environment.

Development of a framework for the implementation of synchronous e-mental health: a protocol for a realist synthesis of systematic reviews

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to deliver mental health care using technologies (e-mental health). But there have been difficulties in its application. Quantitative systematic reviews such as meta-analysis doesn’t allow us to fully identify and properly describe this subject. Thus, our study has two main objectives: a) "to determine what evidence is available for synchronous e-mental health implementation"; and b) "to develop a framework informed by a realist analysis for the implementation of synchronous e-mental health". Methods: We will search MEDLINE, EBM Reviews, PsycINFO, EMBASE, SCOPUS, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science databases from 1st January 2015 to September 2020, with no language restriction. A systematic review with a narrative description and a realist synthesis will be conducted. Primary studies relating to adults with common mental health problems using any type of mobile mental health intervention that includes a synchronic component and communication with a mental health professional will be included. For the analysis, we will make a realist synthesis of the systematic reviews, using a grounded theory approach with an emergent approach to synthesize the information, prioritizing the systematic reviews with a lower risk of bias in the AMSTAR-2 tool. The realist synthesis will be based on the interpretation, integration, and inference of the evaluated elements and the generation of hypotheses to better understand the implementation process of synchronous e-mental health. Finally, we will present the overall assessment in a Summary of Qualitative Findings table. Conclusion: Our results will allow a better understanding of the facilitator and limitations in implementing e-mental health.