8,490 research outputs found

    Learn, Teach, Heal: Articulations of Indigeneity and Spirituality in Indigenous Tourism in British Columbia, Canada

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    ‘Learn, Teach, Heal’ encapsulates what seems to be occurring in Indigenous Tourism on Vancouver Island and the Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. Operating as a ‘Tourist-researcher’ in 2017 and 2018, I was there at a time when Indigenous Tourism was booming, partly facilitated by the political movement of Truth & Reconciliation. Tourism is often seen as a shallow, commercial and artificial activity, yet such a view risks speaking over the various reasons why hosts choose to engage in the industry. This dissertation offers a case study based on tours, performances and interviews with six people. The research foregrounds the voices and experiences of: Andy Everson, Tana Thomas, Roy Henry Vickers, Tsimka Martin, K’odi Nelson and Alix Goetzinger. In listening to how they present their work, I study how indigeneity and spirituality were being articulated in ways that relate to processes of decolonisation. Whilst they were all engaged in tourism for their own different reasons, a common theme that emerged was the goal to use tourism to learn, teach and heal, both for themselves and for their guests. Learning how to be guides and performers, their languages, traditional practices, histories and politics, they were able to explore with tourists aspects of their indigeneity and spirituality, illustrate diversity of peoples and practices, and teach about their values and hopes for the future. Healing is gained through having a space to learn and to teach, and to restore pride to the communities by taking control of the narratives. It is my contention that Indigenous Tourism is offering these six people sites of ‘becoming’ and ‘reclaiming’ in a way that puts decolonisation into practice

    THE DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF CONTRACEPTIVE IDEATIONAL PROFILES AMONG URBAN SENEGALESE WOMEN: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH COMMUNICATION

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    In Senegal, 24 percent of in-union women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using modern contraceptive methods. Social, cultural, and cognitive factors are probable deterrents to contraceptive use. A better understanding of women’s ideational profiles as they relate to contraceptive readiness and health information consumption could help family planning (FP) programs reach and empower women.The objective of this dissertation was to identify and interpret meaningful contraceptive ideational profiles (CIPs) among in-union women of reproductive age in urban Senegal and examine how and why CIP structure and membership changed between survey waves in 2011 and 2015. We applied latent variable methods to identify and describe prototypical profiles of women based on their contraceptive awareness, misconceptions, self-efficacy, partner FP acceptance, partner communication, and perceived community support. In Aim 1, we identified three cross-sectional CIPs at baseline and two at endline. CIPs with higher ideational scores had larger membership at baseline and endline. Women reported similar sources of health information across CIPs, but women in CIPs with higher ideational scores reported more sources on average. In Aim 2, we extended this analysis to identify four longitudinal CIPs that represented ideational patterns at both baseline and endline. These profiles were labeled “CIP 1: Lowest efficacy and FP awareness, highest misconceptions, unsupported,” “CIP 2: Low efficacy and FP awareness, rejects misconceptions, unsupported,” “CIP 3: Moderate efficacy, high FP awareness, high misconceptions, moderate support,” and “CIP 4: Highest efficacy and FP awareness, fewest misconceptions, most supported.” Exposures to FP communication via TV, radio, religious leaders, and conversations with health workers were associated with lower odds of membership in less empowered CIPs, as was exposure to messages about the legitimacy of FP and birth spacing. In Aim 3, we examined contraceptive use and intention to use as a function of current and previous CIP membership. Consistent with our hypotheses, membership in CIP 4 and transition to CIP 4 were strong predictors of FP use and intention. This study demonstrated the potential of latent CIP methodologies to complement and enhance current social and behavior change approaches by identifying and responding to unique ideational needs and skills.Doctor of Philosoph

    Charms and Charming

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    In the book are presented studies of 18 renowned researchers focussing on the verbal aspects of everyday magic, placing in the centre the richest and most poetic manifestation of verbal magic – the charm or incantatio. Incantations are in Europe well spread folklore genre, which contain very old magical elemrnts. The book covers wide spectrum of regions, from United Kingdom to Russia and Iran, and includes also Slovenia. The researchers have devoted their attention to phenomenological and theoretical studies of incantatio, and have discussed various topics, from the origin of charms and ancient European magical practices, to the receptions and diffusions of different types of charms

    Letture anticanoniche della biofiction, dentro e fuori la metafinzione

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    Letture anticanoniche biofiction, dentro e fuori la metafinzione, aims at offering multiple interpretations to biofictions. For the critical analysis of these pieces, identified so far with a 'symptomatic' examination of various fictional texts on a given historical period or person, some possible non-canonical directions have been proposed: a 'horizontal' method, which brings biofiction into the 'fictional galaxy’ of a writing subject (as in the case of Michùle Roberts), and then a ‘vertical’ method, which explores a model-biofiction to deconstruct and then reconstruct the intertwining of the synchronic and diachronic voices of its singular modus operandi. The final part of the volume is dedicated to Mab's Daughters by Judith Chernaik, an extremely interesting case of biofiction 'with possible worlds'. Letture anticanoniche della biofiction, dentro e fuori la metafinzione: The 'possible' world of Mab's Daughters by Vannucci, Valentina is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Italy License.Based on a work at www.fupress.com

    Towards a sociology of conspiracy theories: An investigation into conspiratorial thinking on Dönmes

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    This thesis investigates the social and political significance of conspiracy theories, which has been an academically neglected topic despite its historical relevance. The academic literature focuses on the methodology, social significance and political impacts of these theories in a secluded manner and lacks empirical analyses. In response, this research provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for conspiracy theories by considering their methodology, political impacts and social significance in the light of empirical data. Theoretically, the thesis uses Adorno's semi-erudition theory along with Girardian approach. It proposes that conspiracy theories are methodologically semi-erudite narratives, i.e. they are biased in favour of a belief and use reason only to prove it. It suggests that conspiracy theories appear in times of power vacuum and provide semi-erudite cognitive maps that relieve alienation and ontological insecurities of people and groups. In so doing, they enforce social control over their audience due to their essentialist, closed-to-interpretation narratives. In order to verify the theory, the study analyses empirically the social and political significance of conspiracy theories about the Dönme community in Turkey. The analysis comprises interviews with conspiracy theorists, conspiracy theory readers and political parties, alongside a frame analysis of the popular conspiracy theory books on Dönmes. These confirm the theoretical framework by showing that the conspiracy theories are fed by the ontological insecurities of Turkish society. Hence, conspiracy theorists, most readers and some political parties respond to their own ontological insecurities and political frustrations through scapegoating Dönmes. Consequently, this work shows that conspiracy theories are important symptoms of society, which, while relieving ontological insecurities, do not provide politically prolific narratives

    Bridging the Gap Between Orthodoxy and Orthopathy in the Life of The Reformed Pastor

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    What if Reformed pastors cared about every aspect of their humanity with the same passion they care about their doctrine? When we think about the health of the reformed pastor, we tend to think mainly in terms of our orthodoxy. From 2018-2022 I have witnessed the most orthodox of pastors fall into marital unfaithfulness, resign due to relational conflict, and suffer from burnout. All of this within the state of Utah, where there are only 7 PCA churches. Therefore, there is a need to bridge the gap between Reformed Theology and the emotional, spiritual, and relational health in pastors of the Presbyterian Church in America in the state of Utah. The imbalance of the emphasis on doctrine stems from a misunderstanding of John Calvin’s famous statement on the knowledge of God and knowledge of self. Most see this knowledge as intellectual and doctrinal. Calvin, however, cared more about the emotional life of Christians than is often thought. He saw emotions as a vital part of what it means to be made in the image of God; not simply intellect and correct theology. This insight is important for PCA pastors in Utah because being a healthy pastor in our denomination emphasizes orthodoxy; orthopathy is suspect. Belief is most important and little attention is given to other aspects of their humanity. My role is to help them put on their own “oxygen masks” so they can be of help to others. I am not asking them to de-emphasize their doctrine; I am asking them to put a greater emphasis on the other important aspects of their humanity. The project I have created is a three-day retreat that gives pastors the time and space to get away from the routines of pastoral ministry, and to focus on their emotional, spiritual, and relational well-being

    Praise, Prayer, and the Power of God: Modern Miracles

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    Miracles exist, and the study of them and their existence has continued for years. By studying credible, contemporary research about miracles, scholars and everyday people alike can determine this fact. The research provides definitions, although one consistent definition is not agreed upon by scholars. Examples of Old Testament, New Testament, and modern-day miracles follow these definitions to prove to those who are searching for answers that miracles happen all the time. The only requirement is for everyday people to look around them and observe the miracles taking place in their lives. In this thesis, I will convey the definitions of miracles, prove they happened and still do, and give Biblical and modern examples of miracles which have been recorded
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