50 research outputs found

    Unwanted Publicity, the News Media, and the Constitution: Where Privacy Rights Compete With the First Amendment

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    It is ironic that while recent legal history records the emergence of a constitutional right to privacy, the Supreme Court, in a line of cases from New York Times to Firestone, has restricted the common law tort of privacy. The legal issues are particularly complex and admittedly difficult to reconcile when the public disclosure tort comes in conflict with first amendment privileges. Expansion of the privacy tort need not necessarily impose an unreasonable burden on the news media, provided the Supreme Court distinguishes between defamation and privacy invasion and establishes and applies to the latter wrong its own legal principles

    Youth Resilience to Violent Extremism: An Evaluation of a Mentorship Intervention in Kenya

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    In response to the rise in extremist violence within Kenya, the Strengthening Resilience to Violent Extremism Programme was launched to counter the threat of violent extremism (VE) and prevent the radicalisation and recruitment of vulnerable youth. To assess the extent to which the Programme was able to achieve its objective, an evaluation of the Programme's key component – a mentoring and counselling-based project intervention, was conducted between 2017-19. In total, 347 youth,  identified as being 'at risk', were included as part of the evaluation. This paper presents the principal findings of the evaluation and assesses the effect of the intervention on three key dimensions: the youth's attitudes, their social networks and levels of awareness of the risks of VE and the strategies for countering violent extremist activities. Using logit models and controlling for any confounding effects of socio-demographic differences, the evaluation finds evidence of improvements in the at-risk groups' knowledge of the risks posed by VE groups as well as the strategies for countering VE. However, mixed results were noted in the groups' attitudes towards violence, their levels of self-confidence and the extent and diversity of their social networks. Across two of the dimensions, more significant effects were also observed among 'at-risk' groups who were employed versus those who were unemployed. Some variability in outcomes was also found among at-risk groups who had been exposed to the intervention for longer compared to those who had been in the Project for shorter periods. Taken together, these findings underscore the need for extending the Project's existing engagements and incorporating a nuanced and sustained approach for engendering more long-term change. The analytical insights presented also offer critical lessons for designing and implementing similar interventions in Kenya and in the wider global context

    Youth radicalization in Cabo Delgado: Root causes, triggers and drivers of Mozambique's jihadist insurgency

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    Since October 2017, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s most northern province, has been destabilized by the emergence of a jihadist group named Ahlu-Sunnah Wa-Jama (ASWJ). The group’s emergence had profound implications for the Southern African region, bringing an end to an era of peace and stability, in the only African region so far unaffected by terrorism. This dissertation thoroughly analyzes ASWJ’s inception and development by answering the following research question: Which factors brought the youth to radicalize in Cabo Delgado and what drivers have allowed the insurgency to prosper until now? Fundamentally, this dissertation analyzes the root causes, triggers and drivers of the insurgency by taking a chronological approach, which allows for the deconstruction of each individual layer accounting for the current status quo. The purpose of this dissertation is to create a solid and all-encompassing understanding of the reasons behind the conflict, an essential milestone to future research on potential peacebuilding solutions. Such an approach is needed as the existing literature on the subject has until this point focused on analyzing the root causes of the conflict or the triggers separately, not allowing for a more complete picture of the conflict. This dissertation seeks to close this gap by deconstructing and linking all existing layers. In order to achieve this goal, this research project adopts an interpretivist research philosophy and resorts to qualitative methods.Desde Outubro de 2017, Cabo Delgado, a província mais a norte de Moçambique, foi desestabilizada pela emergência de um grupo jihadista chamado Ahlu-Sunnah Wa-Jama (ASWJ). A emergência do grupo teve profundas implicações para a região da África Austral, pondo fim a uma era de paz e estabilidade, na única região africana até agora não afetada pelo terrorismo. Esta dissertação analisa minuciosamente o início e desenvolvimento do ASWJ, respondendo à seguinte questão de investigação: Que fatores levaram a juventude a radicalizar-se em Cabo Delgado e que fatores permitiram que a insurreição prosperasse até agora? Fundamentalmente, esta dissertação analisa as causas que desencadearam e impulsionaram a insurreição, adotando uma abordagem cronológica que permite a desconstrução de cada camada individual, explicando o atual status quo. O objetivo desta dissertação é providenciar uma compreensão sólida e abrangente das razões por de atrás do conflito, constituindo um marco essencial para investigação futura sobre potenciais soluções de construção da paz. Tal abordagem é necessária, uma vez que a literatura existente sobre o assunto se tem concentrado até este ponto na análise das causas profundas do conflito ou dos elementos que o desencadearam separadamente, não permitindo uma imagem completa do conflito. Esta dissertação procura eliminar esta lacuna, desconstruindo e ligando todas as camadas existentes. Para o conseguir, este projeto de investigação adota uma filosofia de investigação interpretivista e utiliza métodos qualitativos

    THE INFLUENCE OF YOUTH LEADERS’ COMPETENCIES, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, AND CLIMATE FOR CREATIVITY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE UAE GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

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    Nowadays, leadership is an essential asset in youth society. Thus, this study aims to identify the required capabilities to determine their readiness and openness amongst other qualities to be able to identify those youths who are able to take on federal government leadership positions in the upcoming 4th Industrial Revolution which is important for the future economic success of the country. This research utilized the leadership competencies theory to locate the important competencies that are needed to create strong youth leaders. The research has suggested a model and a positivist research philosophy was used to examine the suggested model. A survey was designed to cover the different research constructs and distributed in the UAE governmental organizations at the top level of management to collect their views regarding to the suggested model. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) and SPSS Software were used to examine the reliabilities and validity of the research constructs. The findings demonstrate change competence and team competence were the strongest drivers of youth leaders’ performance. Furthermore, the findings of this study indicated that ethical competence, across cultural competence, and self-competence have a significant influence on youth leaders’ performance. Contrary to the suggestion of this study, communication competence has no influence on Youth leaders’ performance. The results also indicate that only others’ emotional appraisal has a significant influence on youth leaders\u27 performance. The research results are expected to help the UAE government to create strong youth leaders who will be able to lead the country in the near future. Also, there are a lot of benefits for youth from the development of leadership such as; youth can communicate effectively with others, be responsible and make the right decision, and understand their values profoundly and better

    Methodism as an initiator of social thought and action in the area of world peace (1900-1956)

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    Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The central aims of this study are to analyze the sociological significance of Methodism as an initiator of social thought and action in the area of world peace, and to find what effect the position held by Methodism has had on the changing attitude toward war in the twentieth century. PROCEDURE The method of the dissertation is empirical, with an appeal to rational coherence as the means of interrelating the data. The criteria of social thought and action developed in Chapter One serve as the tool for making a qualitative analysis of the social programs of the churches. Chapter Two briefly traces the historical setting. In Chapter Three attention is given to the role taken by The Methodist Church, while Chapter Four deals with the part that Methodism has played in relation to national and international ecclesiastical organizations involved in the struggle for world peace. Summary The criteria cover six areas: (1) Range of Emotional Tone; (2) Range of Content; (3) Range of Responsibility; (4) Range of Community; (5) Range of Relevance; and (6) Range of Involvement. Each area is developed along a continuum in order to determine the degree of accuracy. In the early 1900's there was a great interest in isolationism and peace sentiment. Both these movements went into hibernation during World War I, only to return in the 1920's. The peace sentiment of the 1920's brought with it a concern with international affairs, which enabled the churches to maintain a universal theme in World War II and to preserve the harmony of the pacifist/non-pacifist camps. Following World War II the American people displayed a new concern for world affairs. The churches served as one of the causes for this change. This interest in world affairs was the by-product of the sect type tendencies found within some of the agencies of the major denominations and of the denominations' attempt to support a universalist religion. The uncompromising appeal to ethical ideals is apparent in such agencies of The Methodist Church as the Commission on World Peace, the Woman's Society of Christian Service and the Methodist Federation for Social Action. The attempt to educate Methodists concerning international affairs is evident in the work of the two Methodist Crusades for World Order and of the Board of Education. This desire to be informed and involved in the decision-making policies is seen in the work of the Department of International Goodwill and Justice of the Federal Council of Churches in America. The World Council of Churches has also sought peace through its attempt to mold world opinion and to express the consensus of its constituents. Conclusions 1. Methodism has been an initiator of social thought and action in world peace: by creating the first Board among the major denominations with the specific purpose of the achievement of world peace; by being the only major denomination to serve on the National Board of Civilian Service; by leading the Crusade for a New World Order to win acceptance for the United Nations; by educating for international understanding in the programs of the Church; and by providing leadership and at times direction to national and international organizations working for peace. 2. There has been a decided shift on the part of the churches in their degree of involvement in war. 3. The emphasis of a universalist religion was maintained throughout World War II and the post-war years. 4. The churches have become deeply involved in the responsibility to move from guiding principles to political propositions and to bring a Christian influence to bear on international events

    Cis-supremacy: Experiences of trans children and families in the UK

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    Growing numbers of trans children are being supported by their families in childhood, ‘socially transitioning’ pre-adolescence. Globally, there is limited literature on the experiences of this generation of affirmed trans children, with extremely limited literature on the experiences of trans children and families in the UK. This thesis addresses this research gap, listening to the experiences of trans children and their parents across important domains including in families, in schools and in healthcare. I approached the research as both an outsider and an insider, building on my experience as a non-binary parent of a trans child, prompting a significant emphasis on research ethics. The research sample centres UK-based families where a trans child socially transitioned under the age of eleven, with the average age of social transition within the sample being 7 years old (range 3-10 years old). The thesis draws upon a rich qualitative dataset formed from in-depth interviews with 30 parents and 10 trans children, with data analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Findings are interpreted thematically and theoretically, drawing upon concepts of cisnormativity, gender minority stress and pathologisation. The thesis pulls together diverse threads and experiences to explore how cis-supremacy shapes trans children’s lives, shedding light on the operation and impact of cis-supremacy in key systems and institutions. This research provides a valuable addition to the existing literature, enhancing understanding of experiences of cis-supremacy in families, school and healthcare, with analysis and insight relevant for policy and practice across diverse domains

    School-sponsored Service Programs and the Educational Development of High School Students

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    Currently, a growing number of our nation\u27s school districts are encouraging students to perform community service. Vermont, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, for example, all include community service activities as part of their K-12 education plans. Maryland requires all high school students to complete 60 hours of community service prior to graduation. And as part of California\u27s Challenge Initiative, it is expected that by the Year 2004, every student in California will engage in at least one community service or service-learning experience prior to graduation (1996, California Department of Education)

    Intergenerational dialogue within the Japanese American community

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    Exploring resilience among South African female masters students: an ecological systems perspective.

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Background: South Africa is a low-middle income country (LMIC) characterised by factors such as poverty, high teenage pregnancy, poor education and high levels of unemployment. However, recent South African Higher Education statistical reports have indicated a significant increase in the number of students enrolling for post-graduate courses particularly master’s qualifications. These are also predominantly female students. Master’s degrees are intensive and require extensive academic and personal development, knowledge synthesis and adequate resources to attain satisfactory results. The main objective of the study is to identify factors that contribute to the resilience of South African female master’s students in response to adversity and challenges. Methods: The study used a qualitative approach and analysed secondary data from life stories together with the individual semi-structured interviews of seven South African female post-graduate students enrolled for a master’s in Health Promotion at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Howard College. Data was categorised into codes using NVivo qualitative software and further analysed into themes manually using thematic analysis. The Ecological systems theory was used as the study’s theoretical framework. The theoretical framework is an integrated, holistic approach that is relevant when exploring subjective experiences. In this study, the socio-ecological systems model explores the interactions between students and their social environments as well as the impact of contextual factors on personal development. In addition, Resilience theory was applied as the study’s underpinning conceptual framework to explore the concept of resilience as it is experienced in the different contexts. The use of these theories helped obtain an in-depth understanding of the context and enhanced the analysis of the data set. Findings: The study unveils key findings relating to the influences of context on the adversity faced by South African female post-graduate master’s students and their coping strategies. At the micro- level, the study shows the positive contribution of students’ retrospective interpretations in gaining insight and making sense of past experiences. This propelled students towards a positive outlook on their experiences, including the challenges faced as students became more conscious of their personal strengths and internal ability to overcome adversities. The study found that at the meso- level, most students reported to have mobilised their internal resources such as agency, self-esteem and locus of control to overcome high risk factors imposed by their immediate vii environments. Most students did not receive external support. However, where support was available, within a family system for example, students reported it acting as a buffer to other external hardships at school or in the broader community. Lastly, at the macro- level, findings indicate that cultural beliefs, gender norms and policies around education and welfare in the South African context dismantle women’s aspirations in terms of furthering their education and succeeding in life. Participants indicated that males and females were not afforded the same opportunities, with females being expected to assume domestic roles while males are encouraged to go out and work for their families. The above listed contextual factors were experienced negatively, and participants reported dependency on their internalised abilities as preferred coping mechanisms in overcoming the adversities caused by those contextual factors. Conclusion: South Africa is a multifaceted country that is rich in diversity and the study depicts how participants individually have a role to play in their own development within broad contextual factors. Context was found to significantly influence the responses to adversity and inform coping. Based on the findings, dissemination of evidence-based research such as this study through conference papers, community presentations and policy briefs can be used to involve communities and policy-makers to work towards eradicating negative contextual factors experienced by students. The current research study also encourages government departments and university bodies to be more instrumental in creating access to more resources that are supportive to alleviate the pressures that students endure when they rely on their inner strength in response to external environmental hardships

    The dynamics of culture in an urban setting: a study set in western Kenya

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    Research was undertaken in the region that the research refers to as Western Kenya. This region brings together three cultural groups. In spite of the diversity of the community groups, past research identified development within the region that brought about the culture being shred between the communities. The research undertaken set out to deal with two sets of issues. Firstly, the traditions that were manifest in the rural settlements in terms of kinship relations and patterns of behavior relating to important activities and rituals. There were also the cultural requirements that were jointly performed by kinsmen in the setting of the homestead and the related open outside areas. The second issue is the matter of the continuance of these traditions in the urban settlements One of the basic assumptions underlying this research is the idea that any urban element of a regional town should be based on and influenced by the requirements of the surrounding culture. There are many reasons to support this idea. In most cases the majority of the residents of the regional town would be from the surrounding rural districts. In order that these people have a feeling of belonging in the urban setting, the respective urban elements should be responsive to their social and cultural needs. Further, as an urban area grows and spreads, so it wraps round it and incorporates the surrounding rural areas. It is often the case that the urban elements that are on the edge or periphery of the expanding area are mostly those that are not formally planned. Often the building and planning regulations have not been enforced. Thus there is uncontrolled growth. Past research in some towns has shown that the occupiers of the urban edge and other areas of uncontrolled growth still structure their life according to their cultural beliefs and also their individual and community obligations. The community would continue to hold on to those issues of culture that have been judged as necessary for identity and / or would provide security. The research was structured to collect data from selected rural settlements as well as corresponding urban ones. The urban settlements selected were in the towns of Kisumu and Kisii. These two towns could be easily identified with a particular cultural group. In Kisumu two neighborhoods were selected within the inner sector. In Kisii town, a settlement within the urban periphery, where urban and rural conditions met, was selected. All selected neighborhoods had been part of the urban landscape for over three decades. It was therefore assumed that the pattern of behaviors as well as adaptations made to the respective settings would have stabilized and it would be possible to evaluate the influence of traditional culture. Research was also undertaken in the hinterland of these towns. Case studies were taken of a number of rural settlements. It was assumed that in the rural settlements the integrity of cultural behavior and the corresponding fit between community activities and their respective settings would provide a point of departure for comparison with the urban settlements. This research has found that in both the urban and rural settings, the appropriate use of space is critical to certain important issues, to which far greater meaning is attached than normal daily exchanges. An example is the spatial relationship between the different levels of kinship, the context in which some of the themes for certain rites of passage should be held, and the general setting available for community activities. The research has found that in the region of study particular meaning was attached to the spatial context where some of the cultural activities were enacted. Some celebrations for the rites of passage, forms of kinship relationships and events that involved the community required a specific setting. The research found that some of the cultural events judged as being of social significance were scheduled to take place within the outside open setting. Spatial requirements and the required behaviour between some of the kinship members should be one of the primary reasons influencing the selection of an activity venue. In the town, three forms of development were noticed. The first one is that within any of these towns, the expansion of the edge is an ongoing process. Those people residing in the traditional homesteads are absorbed in the urban territory with a consequent change of context. The second development is that with all the towns, the large size of unplanned neighbourhoods makes them important urban areas having a great social impact. The third is that with the increase of rental dwellers, there is a change from a simple traditional type of settlement to a more complex one, with a related impact on the enactment of traditional rituals and the corresponding usage of the related settings. From the analysis of the data that was collected, this research has developed a recommendation in the form of policy guidelines. This should form part of the policy guidelines that may influence the structuring of some of the elements of a regional town. The types of urban elements provided should attempt to meet local cultural and social needs, and should be capable of providing settings that are congruent with those needs, and should be responsive to the customary usage of the open outside areas where some of the important regional cultures are performed. In this way the neighbourhoods would provide the preconditions for individual and group identity and social security for its dwellers by supporting them in their social and cultural activities and in the continuity of their traditional culture
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