Czechoslovak Post-Stalinism: A Distinct Field of Socialist Visions

Recent historical research has looked at post-Stalinism as a specific and distinct historical era. Whereas Anatoly Pinsky points to the post-Stalinist emphasis on subjectivity, Pavel Kolář writes about post-Stalinist indecisiveness resulting from the tension between its inheritance from the past and an anticipated future. Having both approaches in mind, this article sheds light on the anticipatory character of post-Stalinist thought, which, by critically analyzing its present, aimed to achieve a socialist future. The opening part of the article articulates a theory of modernity, which is applied to the history of thought and is employed as a general framework for defining the post-Stalinist era. Second, the authors introduce the category of post-Stalinist reflexivity and analyze internal differentiation within the thought of the party intelligentsia, which led to the birth of various conceptions of socialism (an “internal plurality”). Third, the article analyzes humanist and techno-optimist thought in Czechoslovakia and demonstrates the future-oriented nature of post-Stalinism.

Circular Economy Business Models: a Repertoire of Theoretical Relationships and a Research Agenda

The shift towards a more resource efficient circular economy has become a necessity in the wake of current ecological, economic and social sustainability challenges. Mirroring circular-related developments in policy and business quarters, the circular economy literature is growing as a distinct field of academic enquiry. Yet, the conceptual and theoretical foundations of circular economy thinking need consolidation. Drawing from strategic management, sustainability transitions and systems theories, this article establishes some theoretical anchoring for circular economy business models. It finds that circular business models contribute to an understanding of both competitive advantage and the systemic nature of business. It also develops a future agenda for management research at the interface between the circular economy and business models.

Character Trouble

This book collects a sampling of Doris’ essays in moral psychology, from 1998 to 2021. Methodologically, the approach is thoroughly interdisciplinary, especially focused on philosophy and psychology. Substantively, the essays focus on issues having to do with moral character and morally responsible agency, and the ways in which human psychology orders, and fails to order, ethically significant behavior. Cumulatively, the essays give a sense of some of the major debates in interdisciplinary moral psychology, starting with its emergence as a distinct field of inquiry in the 1990s.

A Systematic Literature Review of Quality Management Initiatives in Dental Clinics

By considering the recently proposed definitions and metrics, oral healthcare quality management (OHQM) emerges as a distinct field in the wider healthcare area. The goal of this paper is to systematically review quality management initiatives (QMIs) implementation by dental clinics. The research methodology approach is a review of 72 sources that have been analyzed using the Context–Intervention–Mechanism–Outcome Framework (CIMO). The analysis identifies five mechanisms that explain how quality management initiatives are implemented by dental clinics. The simplest QMIs implementations are related to (1) overall quality. The next ones, in terms of complexity, are related to (2) patient satisfaction, (3) service quality, (4) internal processes improvement, and (5) business outcomes. This paper is the first attempt to provide a critical review of this topic and represents an important advancement by providing a theoretical framework that explains how quality management is implemented by practitioners in this field. The results can be used by scholars for advancing their studies related to this emerging research area and by healthcare managers in order to better implement their quality management initiatives.

Coherent Superpositions of Photon Creation Operations and Their Application to Multimode States of Light

We present a concise review of recent experimental results concerning the conditional implementation of coherent superpositions of single-photon additions onto distinct field modes. Such a basic operation is seen to give rise to a wealth of interesting and useful effects, from the generation of a tunable degree of entanglement to the birth of peculiar correlations in the photon numbers and the quadratures of multimode, multiphoton, states of light. The experimental investigation of these properties will have an impact both on fundamental studies concerning, for example, the quantumness and entanglement of macroscopic states, and for possible applications in the realm of quantum-enhanced technologies.

Equality

The right to equality and the prohibition of discrimination is normally formulated with respect to specific grounds. In the Charter of the United Nations, these are race, sex, language, and religion. The list was expanded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, where it was also prefaced by the words ‘such as’ thereby recognising that distinctions based upon unenumerated categories might also be encompassed. These might include age, disability, and sexual orientation, for example. International law also provides special protection for children. Related to non-discrimination is the distinct field of protection of minorities, which are identifiable on the basis of ethnicity, language, and religion, and of indigenous peoples.

The conformation of the disciplinary and professional field of pedagogy in Spain before the Civil War

PurposeThis article focuses on the study of the shaping of pedagogy as a discipline in Spain prior to the Civil War. Its aim is to identify those elements that helped pedagogy become constituted as a distinct field of knowledge that could offer rigorous insight into the world of education.Design/methodology/approachThe article uses the framework proposed by Rita Hofstetter and Bernard Schneuwly for the shaping of a disciplinary field. Finally, it briefly examines the process of professionalization, using the approach advocated by the sociologist Elliott Freidson.FindingsThe analysis carried out concludes that at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936 the process of professionalization and consolidation of pedagogy as a discipline had been completed in Spain.Originality/valueThe article presents the originality of reinterpreting the elements offered by Spanish history of education in the light of an international theoretical framework. This allows a new understanding of the process of constitution of pedagogy as a disciplinary field while offering the international public a case study according to international standards.

Cybernetics for the Social Sciences

This publication meets a long-felt need to show the relevance of cybernetics for the social sciences (including psychology, sociology, and anthropology). User-friendly descriptions of the core concepts of cybernetics are provided, with examples of how they can be used in the social sciences. It is explained how cybernetics functions as a transdiscipline that unifies other disciplines and a metadiscipline that provides insights about how other disciplines function. An account of how cybernetics emerged as a distinct field is provided, following interdisciplinary meetings in the 1940s, convened to explore feedback and circular causality in biological and social systems. How encountering cybernetics transformed the author’s thinking and his understanding of life in general, is also recounted.

Theological Eastern Orthodox Teachings and Ethical Business Practice for the 21st Century

What constitutes ‘good’ or ethical behaviour in business is a debatable issue in the increasingly modernistic profit-driven and materialistic world of the 21st Century. This article addresses this pertinent issue by examining the viewpoint of Orthodoxy as it relates to business ethics and ethics in general. It is argued that ethics as a distinct field of study cannot be found in the tradition of the Orthodox Church. What are the pitfalls of modernism when it comes to ethical issues in business as it is evident that modernism and Christianity diverge considerably. It is further argued that theology can undoubtedly make a distinguishing contribution to business ethics practice. Viewed through a moral realism lens, Orthodoxy communicates that any ethical vision is inseparable from and ultimately grounded in an Orthodox understanding of the Trinitarian Godhead. Viewed teleologically, the objective of human life is Theosis which commences in physical existence and continues into eternity in a spiritual sense. The limitations of the present study, as well as the areas of prospective research, have been taken into consideration. The paper nonetheless attempts to propose a tentative way of thinking about business ethics epitomising the implication of Orthodoxy for right business conduct.