Uncomfortable Decisions

Some decision-making processes are uncomfortable. Many of us do not like to make significant decisions, such as whether to have a child, solely based on social science research. We do not like to choose randomly, even in cases where flipping a coin is plainly the wisest choice. We are often reluctant to defer to another person, even if we believe that the other person is wiser, and have similar reservations about appealing to powerful algorithms. And, while we are comfortable with considering and weighing different options, there is something strange about deciding solely on a purely algorithmic process, even one that takes place in our own heads.What is the source of our discomfort? We do not present a decisive theory here—and, indeed, the authors have clashing views over some of these issues—but we lay out the arguments for two (consistent) explanations. The first is that such impersonal decision-making processes are felt to be a threat to our autonomy. In all of the examples above, it is not you who is making the decision, it is someone or something else. This is to be contrasted with personal decision-making, where, to put it colloquially, you “own” your decision, though of course you may be informed by social science data, recommendations of others, and so on. A second possibility is that such impersonal decision-making processes are not seen as authentic, where authentic decision making is one in which you intentionally and knowledgably choose an option in a way that is “true to yourself.” Such decision making can be particularly important in contexts where one is making a life-changing decision of great import, such as the choice to emigrate, start a family, or embark on a major career change.

Transformasi Misi Kristen Pada Isu Dominasi Gender Masyarakat Jawa di Era Masyarakat 5.0

Prinsip Keselamatan Kristen mengangkat isu persamaan hak antara pria dan wanita dimana keselamatan tidak ditentukan oleh perbedaan gender. Namun dalam tatanan masyarakat Jawa yang secara tradisi dan kultur masih didominasi oleh kaum pria, filosofi “swarga nunut, neraka katut” masih berakar erat dan memengaruhi persepsi wanita Jawa, khususnya yang masih memegang teguh tradisi. Masyarakat 5.0 membawa paradigma baru bahwa di tengah arus global–digital, teknologi hadir untuk lebih memanusiakan manusia dan mengembalikan harkat dan martabat manusia secara utuh. Bagaimana perkembangan teknologi yang mengubah tatanan kehidupan ini dapat dimanfaatkan dalam mentransformasi Misi Kristen pada wanita Jawa mengambil keputusan mandiri dalam keselamatan menjadi isu utama pembahasan. Metode untuk menjawab pertanyaan penelitian memakai metode studi Biblika dan riset literatur berbasis kontekstualisasi budaya dan implementasinya secara praktis di era Masyarakat 5.0 menjadi pilihan utama. Kesimpulan yang diambil mengarah pada kebenaran perlunya mengubah paradigma berpikir bahwa keselamatan merupakan keputusan pribadi yang tidak tergantung pada perbedaan gender dan ikatan tradisi. Kebaharuan penelitian ini terletak pada eksplorasi Biblika yang secara khusus menjawab filosofi Jawa tentang “swarga nunut, neraka katut” dengan memanfaatkan karakteristik era Masyarakat 5.0.The Christian Salvation Principle raises the issue of equal rights between men and women where salvation is not determined by gender differences. However, in Javanese society, which is traditionally and culturally still dominated by men, the philosophy of “swarga nunut, neraka katut” is still deeply rooted and influences the perception of Javanese women, especially those who still adhere to tradition. The era of society 5.0 brings a new paradigm that in the midst of global – digital flows, technology is present to more humanize humans and restore human dignity as a whole. How the development of technology and in life can be utilized in transforming the Christian mission for Javanese women to make independent decisions in safety is the main issue of discussion. Methods to answer research questions using Biblical study methods and literature research based on cultural contextualization and its practical implementation in the era of society 5.0 are the main choices. The conclusions drawn lead to the truth of the need to change the paradigm of thinking that salvation is a personal decision that does not depend on gender differences and traditional ties. The novelty of this research lies in the exploration of the Bible which specifically answers the Javanese philosophy of “swarga nunut, neraka katut”, by utilizing the characteristics of the era of society 5.0.

Utilising police knowledge and skills: Experiences from police practitioners studying a police specific degree

This article presents preliminary findings from a longitudinal study contributing to the current debate about police education and professionalising the police in England and Wales. The findings in this article are taken from a survey administered in 2016 to third-year students enrolled in a policing degree. Surveys were distributed to police officer students in the last year of their degree programme asking for their perceptions of the degree, their organisation's support for their learning and how they felt that learning was utilised in their workplace. Supplementary to the survey, interviews were conducted with the students after their graduation in 2018. The research findings suggest that students perceived the benefits of obtaining a degree-level qualification as fundamentally important to their professional development and personal decision-making at work. Early support initially received for study leave purposes, rarely extended beyond this practical provision. The extent to which police organisations valued the learning from the degree was perceived to be lacking. Senior-ranked students were more likely to be able to use and promote their newly acquired skills and knowledge in the workplace compared with lower-ranked students. Such findings may inform scholars’ and practitioners’ continued evaluation of police education reforms in England and Wales.

Celibacy in the Antiquity and Middle Ages – From Religious Practice to Religious Rule

Using a multidisciplinary approach, the paper provides a brief overview of the development of celibacy in the Antiquity and Middle Ages, shifting from a practice based on an individual’s personal decision to approach what they consider sacred, to a practice legally regulated in religious or social communities. In some cases of this regulation, celibacy becomes an obligation for members of those communities who want to occupy certain positions within it, while in others it is prohibited as a practice that destroys society. Greater attention was paid to celibacy in the Middle Ages, since in this period celibacy experienced its greatest affirmation in Christianity, passing within it the path from a practice that was desirable, but voluntary, to the norm for clergy.

The Influence of Social Networks in Travel Decisions

Social networks are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Now, in addition to the role of “socialization”, their basic role, marketing has also intervened. Marketing can be defined as the art of identifying and satisfying customer needs while producing profit. Nowadays, through social media marketing, a company can promote itself or present products and services very easily, while being able to target exactly the desired people, which translates into making more profit. Our paper provides arguments on the influence of social media in travel decisions, and it’s based on a study of consumer behaviour in this field. The study began from our interest in the way social networks influence our personal decision to travel, to visit a certain area or a certain landmark, so we wanted to find out more information about how this “hypnosis” works. The main hypothesis of the study was that people are influenced by social networks in their travel decisions and according to the results, the hypothesis was confirmed. 91.35% of the total participants in the study were tempted to travel because of a photo seen on a social network, therefore, a good social marketing campaign could really make a difference in travel decisions.

Letting students decide whether to work in pairs or individually in class

Communicative approaches to language teaching have advocated for the benefits of pair and group work when learning foreign languages. This paper reports an example of classroom research that has been carried out with intermediate students of English, level B1+, focusing on how they prefer to work in class as regards grammar and vocabulary exercises when given the chance to choose. In order to obtain the results for this classroom research study, the students’ teacher becomes a participant observer who records the data throughout the course and collects the data on observation worksheets. Contrary to what it might be expected, the outcomes show that many of the younger students prefer working on their own and then compare and justify their answers with their partners, rather than working in pairs from the very beginning. This is recommended to establish whether this is just specific of these students, or it is something common with other students and teachers have been unaware of it. Keywords: Classroom research, individual work, learning gains, learning preferences, pair work, personal decision.

Drug-Substance Abuse, Age at Onset and Contributing Factors to Stoppage of Drug Use among Students in Aluu Community

Background: Most drug-substance abusers do have withdrawal symptoms considering the type of drug. Some of the symptoms include: changes in appetite, changes in mood, congestion, seizure, fatigue etc. These symptoms make it difficult for someone to effectively withdraw. It therefore means that for someone to effectively withdraw from drug abuse, there are other factors that must come into play to enhance success. Hence, this study was done to determine the contributing factors to stoppage of drug use among students in university of Port Harcourt’s host communities as an attempt to curb the menace and its effect on students and the entire society at large. Materials and Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in ALUU Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State between August 2019 and December 2019. The study involved 150 volunteers recruited randomly through a multi-staged sampling technique which included secondary school students, undergraduates who are 13yrs and above residing in ALUU community while those who did not give consent were excluded. The data was collected using self-structured close-ended self-administered questionnaires and data analysis done using SPSS version 25. Results and Discussions: The results of the study showed that the proportion of students that have stopped drug/substance abuse was 7.34%, the most prevalent age group at onset of drug use was 16-18yrs, and 26.42% of students used drugs/substance daily. The most prevalent reason for stopping drug use was personal decision 54.55%, while the least proportion was other reason 9.09%; Family and religious leaders had equal influence (45.45%) in the stoppage of drug/substance use by students. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the most prevalent reason for stopping drug use was personal decision 54.55%, Family and religious leaders (45.45%) were the major contributing factors and had equal influence in the stoppage of drug/substance use by students.

Determinant Factors in Personal Decision-Making to Adopt COVID-19 Prevention Measures in Chile

The pandemic has challenged countries to develop stringent measures to reduce infections and keep the population healthy. However, the greatest challenge is understanding the process of adopting self-care measures by individuals in different countries. In this research, we sought to understand the behavior of individuals who take self-protective action. We selected the risk homeostasis approach to identify relevant variables associated with the risk of contagion and the Protective Action Decision Model to understand protective decision-making in the pandemic. Subsequently, we conducted an exploratory survey to identify whether the same factors, as indicated in the literature, impact Chile’s adoption of prevention measures. The variables gender, age, and trust in authority behave similarly to those found in the literature. However, socioeconomic level, education, and media do not impact the protection behaviors adopted to avoid contagion. Furthermore, the application of the Protective Action Decision Model is adequate to understand the protective measures in the case of a pandemic. Finally, women have a higher risk perception and adopt more protective measures, and in contrast, young people between 18 and 30 years of age are the least concerned about COVID-19 infection.