Trauma and Transgression in Nature-Based Leisure

The following article contains language, including discussion of racialized trauma, violent oppression, and more, that could trigger strong emotions and other physiological reactions. Our intent is not to retraumatize anyone, but to instead center the voices and experiences of people who have transgressed significant historical trauma and long sought lasting change and equitable outcomes for all.

In Afghanistan: Western and Soviet Methods of Counterinsurgency

The two-decade-long U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan ended in August 2021 after a chaotic departure of the NATO troops. Power in Kabul transferred back to the Taliban, the political force the United States and its allies tried to defeat. In its failure to achieve a lasting change, the Western mission in Afghanistan is similar to that of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. These two missions in Afghanistan had many things in common, specifically their unsuccessful counterinsurgency efforts. However, both managed to achieve limited success in their attempts to impose their style of governance on Afghanistan as well. The current study compares and contrasts some of the crucial aspects of counterinsurgency operations conducted by the Soviet and Western forces during their respective missions, such as special forces actions, propaganda activities, and dealing with crucial social issues. Interestingly, when the Soviets withdrew in 1988, they left Afghanistan worse off, but the US-backed opposition forces subsequently made the situation even worse. On the other hand, the Western mission left the country better off in 2021, and violence subsided when power in the country was captured by the Taliban, which the United States has opposed.

Analysis of the Areas of Social Discrimination in the Romani de Huelva Community

Although in recent years a whole series of measures and programmes have been carried out with the aim of having an impact on the situations of discrimination and racism in which the Romani population is immersed, the results obtained allow us to surmise that, although there has been some progress, the situation has not entirely changed. A stereotyped view of the Romani population still exists in some parts of Spanish society, meaning that this community continues to be immersed in a profound process of social exclusion. Objectives of research are to demonstrate whether there are situations of discrimination in the Huelva Roma population, as well as to know the areas in which these acts of discrimination are carried out. A qualitative method was chosen. The technique used was an in-depth interview, to allow us to understand the perspective of the professionals who work with this group. In general, we have seen how situations of discrimination against the Romani population persist. These situations extend to different spheres of life, and whose factors respond to a multiplicity of causes. There is a need for significant, long-lasting change. This means it is necessary both to change the processes of social intervention and to involve the Romani community itself, as without their collaboration and legitimacy any intervention will lack future perspective.

Telegenetics and COVID 19: Through the Pandemic and Beyond

Introduction - The COVID 19 pandemic led to restrictions on the conventional ways of healthcare delivery. Telemedicine provided a viable solution that was in line with the social distancing policies imposed to minimize disease transmission. This demanded physicians adapt to new ways of healthcare delivery. We surveyed geneticists across the country to determine their experience and to ascertain if telegenetics will be a lasting change. Materials and Methods - A 23 item standardized survey was distributed to various US-based geneticists via email and other social media platforms focusing on their experience of providing care via telemedicine. Results - We received 69 responses from physicians across 26 states. Of these, 91% practiced in academia. 70% responded that pediatric genetics takes up more than 50% of their practice. 68% had over 50% of their practice switch to telemedicine. 77% felt they could provide adequate care via telemedicine and 94% of providers would like to continue telemedicine post-pandemic. Conclusion - The future of telemedicine looks promising as the majority of clinicians would like to routinely use telemedicine post-pandemic. Uniform guidelines for use of telemedicine in genetics may need to be proposed by professional societies and supported by federal laws.

Thinking Like a Mountain: Exploring the Potential of Relational Approaches for Transformative Nature Conservation

Building on a review of current mainstream paradigms of nature conservation, the essence of transformations necessary for effective and lasting change are presented—namely, convivial solutions (or ‘living with others’), in which relationality and an appreciation of our interdependencies are central, in contrast to life-diminishing models of individualism and materialism/secularism. We offer several areas for improvement centred on regenerative solutions, moving beyond conventional environmental protection or biophysical restoration and focusing instead on critical multidimensional relationships—amongst people and between people and the rest of nature. We focus, in particular, on the potential of people’s values and worldviews to inform morality (guiding principles and/or beliefs about right and wrong) and ethics (societal rules defining acceptable behaviour), which alone can nurture the just transformations needed for nature conservation and sustainability at all scales. Finally, we systematize the potential of regenerative solutions against a backdrop of relational approaches in sustainability sciences. In so doing, we contribute to current endeavours of the conservation community for more inclusive conservation, expanding beyond economic valuations of nature and protected areas to include more holistic models of governance that are premised on relationally-oriented value systems.

Book Review Analysis

Opening Doors to Diversity in Leadership is a hard-hitting look at systemic racism in the workplace. The author provides eye-opening insights into the barriers that those who are marginalized must face when establishing respect and authority in leadership roles. This eight-chapter book examines the plight of four uniquely disadvantaged groups of individuals. These groups include Indigenous populations, women, persons with disabilities, and racialized minorities. These groups were examined with particular interest given the fact that on January 1, 2020, amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act went into effect and required a greater level of diversity amongst the aforementioned populations (p. 299). Issues within the context of building diversity into the workplace were approached from a triangular perspective, looking at the interplaying dynamics between the psychological, organizational, and cultural/societal dimensions. The author makes it clear that for real and lasting change to take effect, there must be sweeping overhauls within each of the three categories discussed.

Life after debt: The governmentalities of debt relief

To avoid a ‘tsunami’ of repossessions in the years following the global financial crisis, Ireland reformed its system of debt relief in 2013. For the first time Ireland was to have a state-of-the-art system to help debtors discharge their unpayable liabilities, at odds with the punitive Victorian system of bankruptcy which preceded it. While these changes were touted as ground-breaking and innovative, I demonstrate through original qualitative research with debtors, and the Insolvency Service of Ireland's (ISI's) operators that little has changed. When disaster strikes and debtors fall behind on payments, they are encouraged to undergo a process of soul searching and self-criticism involving reflection on their behaviour and finances. This article explores how this governmentalisation of debt and its relief creates responsible financial subjects fit for the market, simultaneously ensuring the stability of the fragile Irish credit system. The insolvency practitioners who run the service advise that only by confessing their wrongdoing (i.e. irresponsible spending), and making lasting change can they become worthy of debt relief.

Epilogue

When it comes to the who-decides questions at the local level, the states have been versatile over time, developing more and more democratic answers. At the national level, the country remains largely fixed in an eighteenth-century republican form of government, one that remains non-democratic in many ways. Are there ways in which these two different approaches to government can complement each other? The conviction of this book is that American constitutional structure cannot be understood without appreciating how the national and state governments handle it. The hope is that a greater appreciation of American federalism offers ways to improve the functioning of each side. The epilogue addresses the gap between the increasingly democratic state governments and non-democratic federal government, the role of the state and federal courts in addressing change, and the structural values of federalism and localism in creating stable and lasting change.

External Communities as Initiators of Organizational Change

Organizational change literature has long described the ways change efforts are designed and executed, with particular attention to where the change effort initiated: whether from the top down or the bottom up. In this paper, we expand this focus and describe how communities external to organizations can also be initiators of change within organizations. Through two examples, the Black Lives Matter movement and Old Coke Drinkers of America, we demonstrate the power of communities outside of organizations for initiating meaningful and lasting change within organizations. We explain that the power of such communities for initiating organizational change is derived in part from their members’ psychological sense of community (PSOC). We propose that scholars and practitioners alike should pay attention to this phenomenon by offering an agenda for developing research on impacts of communities and their PSOC that may affect organizational change.

Diversity in cardiothoracic surgery: The time has come

Historically, cardiothoracic surgery has been one of the least diverse specialties in medicine. There has been progress during the last 20 years, but we are far from equality in regard to gender or racial and ethnic makeup of the cardiothoracic surgical workforce. This phenomenon is not isolated to America, but exists throughout the globe. Diversity has been shown to improve productivity and profits in manufacturing and other fields. In addition, diversity has been shown to improve outcomes in select patient populations with a wide range of chronic and acute medical conditions. So, what can we do about it? This article summarizes the current situation in regard to equality and equity in cardiothoracic surgery and proposes solutions to bring about lasting change. Diversity in cardiothoracic surgery will not occur passively. It will require a concerted effort and a commitment to change.