Racial bias in perceptions of disease and policy

Narratives about Africa as dark, depraved, and diseased justified the exploitation of African land and people. Today, these narratives may still have a hold on people’s fears about disease. We test this in three (pre-COVID-19) experiments ( N = 1,803). Across studies, we find that participants report greater worry about a pandemic originating in Africa (vs. elsewhere). In turn, they report greater support for travel bans and for loosening abortion restrictions. We then document these narratives in an archival study of newspaper articles of the 2015–2016 Zika pandemic ( N = 1,475). We find that articles were more negative—for example, they included more death-related words—if they mentioned Africa. Finally, we replicate the experimental results within the COVID-19 context, using a representative sample ( N = 1,200). Taken together, the studies make clear that reactions to pandemics are biased, and in a way consistent with historical narratives about race and Africa.

Gandharva and Their Livelihood in Baglung District, Nepal

This paper focuses on the changing livelihood of the Gandharva, a minority people of Baglung District, Nepal. This research adopts qualitative data based on observations, case studies, in-depth-interview, and a literature review. The data have been thematically analyzed and interpreted. Gandharva usually follow their traditional methods of singing and storytelling (Gainegeet), playing sarangi. Sarangi is a traditional musical instrument. Today many of them have adopted agriculture, carpentry, mason, driving, and labor jobs for their livelihood. They are forced to change their livelihood due to limited income insufficient to fulfill their basic needs. Switching to other occupations is not easy. They face lots of difficulty. Due to globalization and modernization, modern songs, radio, television, you tube, social media are getting popular than songs of Gandharva. People today rarely listen to Gandharva's songs and Sarangi, which is on the verge of extinction. This paper explores their lives closely to understand their difficulties and struggle for survival.

“Here Comes a Thought”: Steven Universe as Social Emotional Curriculum

The emphasis on social emotional learning as a focus in schools has led to the development of new materials for curriculum in classrooms for teaching social emotional content and competencies. This paper conceptualizes the use of narrative television and animation, specifically, the cartoons Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future as powerful pedagogical tools for engaging social emotional learning in classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of these cartoons as tools for classroom use given their emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and their popularity with young people today. Utilizing the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Competencies as a framework, the paper highlights selected episodes of the shows, and demonstrates ways the shows can be used to teach these competencies. As teachers continue to encounter ever-diversifying student populations, the use of media such as Steven Universe can help support inclusive classroom environments that engage the emotional lives and experiences of young people today.

Education as a priority direction of development of industrial enteprises and it’s digitalization

Problem setting. With increasing globalization challenges, the main productive force of society and the rapid socioeconomic revival of countries is human capital, which is becoming a powerful integral part of any model of innovative development. Human capital, ie knowledge, talents, skills, abilities, experience, intelligence of people today is the driving force of the digital economy. Digitalization will significantly increase labor productivity in Ukraine and become a powerful multiplier capable of launching the Ukrainian economy in the shortest possible time and ensuring its real growth. Today, digitalization is one of the key factors in improving the education system. Analysis of recent researches and publications. Various aspects of the introduction of digitalization in the educational space have been the subject of research by foreign (K. Bassett), C. Gere, G. Creeber, G. Deree, M. Deuze, G. Creeber and R. Martin (G. Greeber & R. Martin), L. Manovich (L. Vanovich), J. Stommel (J. Stommel), M. Hand (M. Hand) and domestic (V. Bykov, D. Galkin, M. Zhaldak, M. Leshchenko, P. Matyushko, O. Ovcharuk, V. Rebrina, O. Strizhak, M. Shishkina, A. Yatsyshyn) scientists, but despite the interest shown by the scientific community, the issue of digitalization in modern educational space need further research, especially in a pandemic and the need for distance learning. Target of this research is to determine the role of education in the context of the development of digital transformation of society, the formation of “intellectual enterprises” and “intellectual industry”. Article’s main body. Today, the governments of most European countries are making significant efforts to modernize their education systems through the use of digital technologies. The development of digital education initiates the emergence of new educational practices, which in turn contributes to the transformation of the educational system as a whole. The field of education, localized by institutional, temporal and spatial frameworks, is significantly modernized due to the introduction of digital technologies in the educational process. Ukraine has also embarked on the path of digitalization, as evidenced by the adoption in 2018 of the Concept of Development of the Digital Economy and Society of Ukraine for 2018-2020. According to the Concept, digitalization of education is a modern stage of its informatization, which provides saturation of information and educational environment with electronic and digital devices, tools, systems and electronic communication between them, which actually allows integrated interaction of virtual and physical, ie creates cyberphysical educational space. Today, based on the statutory powers, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the State Agency for e-Government have the greatest influence on the development of digital competencies. raising the level of digital literacy of the population. One of the main means of digitalization of education is the creation of the National Platform for Digital Education. Conclusions. It is concluded that human capital, ie knowledge, talents, skills, abilities, experience, intelligence of people today is the driving force of the digital economy. Digitalization will significantly increase labor productivity in Ukraine and become a powerful multiplier capable of launching the Ukrainian economy in the shortest possible time and ensuring its real growth. It is noted that today digitalization is one of the key factors in improving the education system. In addition to directly affecting the effectiveness of the educational process, digitalization provides a chain of indirect benefits, in particular through digitalization, the educational process becomes more personalized, accessible and flexible, which in turn provides comfortable conditions for self-study, effective development and career growth. Education is one of the basic elements of digital innovation and the digital economy in general, a priority for the development of industrial enterprises in Industry 4.0. It is noted that in today’s conditions it is necessary to focus on such areas as the development of human capital in enterprises through lifelong learning, training, awareness of staff on innovative transformations. It is stated that today there is no doubt that the world of digital technologies in general, and education in particular, is not only a new logical stage in the development of the technological sphere of mankind, but also the entire existing legal and socio-political reality.

Dialectics of Alienation and Abnormality

This chapter portrays dialectically intertwined issues of alienation (in the Frommian sense of estrangement from self and others), abnormality, anxiety, and authenticity. Giddens theorizes that modern society is undergoing a ‘transformation of intimacy’, where love and sex are freed from patriarchal traditions, and people increasingly value ‘pure relationships’ where authentic connection is the only motive and can be fully realised. We claim that this desire for authenticity extends beyond this in the society of the selfie, the persistent unrequited thirst for it directly clashes with the alienated status quo. ‘Authenticity strain’ haunts the social terrain with loneliness, anomie, and the threat of volatility and transgression of personal boundaries. The desire for authenticity, and the moral sense that surrounds it, dovetail with the frustrated voyeurism of life under the spectacle in the age of Web 2.0. Fromm says that the inability to genuinely connect with other people can inspire people toward sadomasochism instead, which primes them for authoritarian social movements. And once again we turn to Foucault, to describe his theories about the designation of ‘abnormal’ people. Today, the fear of abnormalities of self and Other, both inner and outer—of becoming or falling victim to predatory, psychologically unhinged Others such as cyberstalkers, violent obsessives, pedophiles with fake avatars, mass shooters, etc.—has become a rampant new nightmare. It is a nightmare that fuels a common desire for greater protection from ‘deviants’ and outsiders through an increase of coercive force, i.e., for authoritarianism.

On the stress potential of videoconferencing: definition and root causes of Zoom fatigue

As a consequence of lockdowns due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the resulting restricted social mobility, several billion people worldwide have recently had to replace physical face-to-face communication with computer-mediated interaction. Notably, the adoption rates of videoconferencing increased significantly in 2020, predominantly because videoconferencing resembles face-to-face interaction. Tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex are used by hundreds of millions of people today. Videoconferencing may bring benefits (e.g., saving of travel costs, preservation of environment). However, prolonged and inappropriate use of videoconferencing may also have an enormous stress potential. A new phenomenon and term emerged, Zoom fatigue, a synonym for videoconference fatigue. This paper develops a definition for Zoom fatigue and presents a conceptual framework that explores the major root causes of videoconferencing fatigue and stress. The development of the framework draws upon media naturalness theory and its underlying theorizing is based on research published across various scientific fields, including the disciplines of both behavioral science and neuroscience. Based on this theoretical foundation, hypotheses are outlined. Moreover, implications for research and practice are discussed.

NARRATIVE GENIUS AND THINKING IN TWO MALAY ORAL LITERATURE

In Malaysia, oral literature which is conveyed through a storyteller is the most ancient and instinctive art. Through the recording of the oral literature, which is then printed and marketed, the people today can enjoy the heritage of oral literature that narrates the structure of the society as well as various issues and conflicts of its time. In oral literature, it contains the genius of narrative and the genius thought of the nation’s storyteller, especially Pawang Ana through his masterpieces namely Hikayat Malim Dewa and Hikayat Anggun Che Tunggal. Both stories, recorded around 1886, narrate the voyage of a group of Malay warriors to Portugal to counter-attack the western colonists and gain victory. These two works of oral literature not only contain elements of ethnocentrism but are laden with postcolonial thinking, about seven decades ahead of postcolonial discourse by modern scholars that began to emerge around the 1950s.

Digital Developments in Society That Persons 75 Years and Older Have Been Part of: A Scoping Review

The population in Europe is ageing and people are becoming more than ever dependent on digital technologies. The present study aims to map relevant evidence about digital developments in society involving people aged 75 and over in European countries. It focuses on their experiences and the main barriers to, and facilitators of, societal digital demands. Scoping reviews can be used when the purpose is to identify types of available evidence and clarify concepts, this process was guided by a framework proposed by Arksey and O`Malley. The studies included in the review covered digital technology, digital devices and telehealth, and the context covered participants` own home or surroundings. A comprehensive search was made on CINAHL, Embase, Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Open Grey. Out of 727 identified citations, 13 sources which met the inclusion criteria (9 original study articles, 2 theses, 1 letter about a product and 1 project report). The studies included varied in their focus, design and location. Older European citizens have experienced technology making life easier and the opposite. The outstanding facilitator found was that technology should be easy to use. Interestingly, both social support and lack of social support were found as facilitators of using new technology and difficulty in remembering the instructions was seen as an important barrier. As technology develops rapidly, there is a need for new and additional research among older European citizens. Future research should cover participants` access to the devices, social support and the technical solutions most relevant to older people today.

Keeping life going: Plants and people today, yesterday and tomorrow

I review the contributions to this special issue by focusing on the relational qualities that bind people and plants together through religious ritualization of economic activities such as crop cultivation or plant gathering in the wild. I show how an attention to plants as teachers facilitates cross-cultural comparative analysis.

Irish song and the idea of tradition

Defining ‘tradition’ as something passed on within a community that provides a matrix for its understanding of past events and present choices, this essay discusses the evolution of Irish poetry and song since 1200. It explores the connections between vernacular poetry and various learned (literary) traditions, including bardic poetry (syllabic verse) and the later ‘poetic courts’ and ‘schools of poetry’, in terms of themes, verse structure, social context, and sung performance. It demonstrates that while some practices were bound to specific social contexts, the strand that most people today identify as ‘the Irish song tradition’ still employs centuries-old themes including panegyric and the Anglo-Norman ‘courtly love’ rhetoric, and displays prosodic features evidenced in Middle Irish bardic sources. Finally, we consider the emergence of ‘tradition’ as a concept, the impact since 1850 of song collecting and technology on repertoire and performance, and the implications of ‘authenticity’ for today’s definition of ‘tradition’.