116 research outputs found
Complexity and Philosophy
The science of complexity is based on a new way of thinking that
stands in sharp contrast to the philosophy underlying Newtonian science, which is
based on reductionism, determinism, and objective knowledge. This paper reviews
the historical development of this new world view, focusing on its philosophical
foundations. Determinism was challenged by quantum mechanics and chaos theory.
Systems theory replaced reductionism by a scientifically based holism. Cybernetics
and postmodern social science showed that knowledge is intrinsically subjective.
These developments are being integrated under the header of âcomplexity scienceâ.
Its central paradigm is the multi-agent system. Agents are intrinsically subjective
and uncertain about their environment and future, but out of their local interactions,
a global organization emerges. Although different philosophers, and in particular the
postmodernists, have voiced similar ideas, the paradigm of complexity still needs to
be fully assimilated by philosophy. This will throw a new light on old philosophical
issues such as relativism, ethics and the role of the subject
Gilligan and complexity: reinterpreting the âethic of careâ
In In a different voice (1982) Carol Gilligan argues for an âethic of careâ, which she links to a âmoral voiceâ of women. This stance has been criticised as being essentialist and reinforcing gender stereotypes. This article, however, argues that the concept of an ethic of care could be a creative way of approaching ethics in a complex social system. Its position is supported by arguments from deconstruction discourses
The psychological well-being manifesting among master's students in industrial and organisational psychology.
Orientation: Psychological well-being among masterâs students is seen as a contributing
factor towards having a meaningful, enjoyable and productive experience as a student.
Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative description of the
psychological well-being experiences of first-year students in a part-time coursework masterâs
degree in Industrial and Organisational Psychology (IOP) in order to foster an empathetic
understanding of their experiences.
Motivation for the study: The understanding of their masterâs studentsâ psychological wellbeing
experiences will assist university IOP departments in facilitating the appropriate
psychological containment to students and the optimisation of their resilience towards
meaningfully completing their first year and perhaps also their masterâs degree.
Research design, approach and method: Qualitative research was conducted within a
hermeneutic interpretive stance. Data were gathered from a focus group with 10 conveniently
chosen participants. Thematic content analysis provided eight themes, which were interpreted
and linked to the literature on psychological well-being.
Main findings: Student distress caused by job demands leads to languishing and feeling
overwhelmed. In contrast, student eustress resulting from job resources leads to flourishing,
consisting of self-efficacy, locus of control and optimism.
Practical implications: University IOP departments can use the information towards
understanding their masterâs studentsâ psychological well-being experiences, which could
assist in the studentsâ successful and timeous completion of their studies.
Contribution: The study contributes to the literature on masterâs studentsâ real negative and
positive experiences and psychological well-being, which university departments often deny
or dismiss as idiosyncratic.Industrial and Organisational Psycholog
Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve syndrome: A 34-year African single centre experience
Background: Absent pulmonary valve syndrome (APVS) is most commonly associated with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). TOF with APVS is characterised by features of TOF with either rudimentary ridges or complete absence of pulmonary valve tissue. This is often associated with varying degrees of pulmonary stenosis and severe pulmonary regurgitation with massive dilatation of the proximal branch pulmonary arteries, causing compression of the tracheobronchial tree. Hence, respiratory symptoms are a common presenting feature.Methods: Cases of TOF with APVS were extracted from the paediatric cardiology database at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) for January 1981 - April 2016.Results: A total of 15 patients with TOF and APVS were seen at CHBAH over the 34-year study period. TOF with APVS comprised 3% of all TOF patients. Ten (67%) patients presented before 1 year of age. The majority of patients (67%) had respiratory symptoms as their cause of presentation, of which 6 (40%) were infants. Fourteen (93%) patients were described to have the characteristic to-and-fro murmur at presentation. Five patients (33%) were suspected of having 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, but only 4 were tested and 2 were found to be positive. A third of patients underwent surgical intervention and 4 of the 15 patients (27%) were known to be alive at 10 years of age.Conclusions: TOF with APVS compromised 3% of all TOF patients, correlating with the literature. It is associated with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and was suspected in 33% of patients. TOF with APVS should be strongly considered in a child less than 1 year presenting with respiratory symptoms and a characteristic to-andfro murmur
Narrating the self: Freud, Dennett and complexity theory
The original publication is available at http://ajol.info/index.php/Adopting a materialist approach to the mind has far reaching implications for many presuppositions regarding the properties of the brain, including those that have traditionally been consigned to âthe mentalâ aspect of human being. One such presupposition is the conception of the disembodied self. In this article we aim to account for the self as a material entity, in that it is wholly the result of the physiological functioning of the embodied brain. Furthermore, we attempt to account for the structure of the self by invoking the logic of the narrative. While our conception of narrative selfhood incorporates the work of both Freud and Dennett, we offer a critique of these two theorists and then proceed to amend their theories by means of complexity theory. We argue that the self can be characterised as a complex system, which allows us to account for the structure of the wholly material self.Publishers' Versio
Job satisfaction and its relationship with organisational commitment: A Democratic Republic of Congo organisational perspective
Orientation:Â The modern workplace, which is characterised by increasing turbulence and debilitating uncertainty, has led to renewed focus on whether employees experience satisfaction and how they commit themselves to the organisation.
Research purpose:Â The aim of this study was to measure the nature of the relationship between employeesâ levels of job satisfaction (JS) and organisational commitment (OC) in a public railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Motivation for the study:Â Although previous researchers have found evidence of the relationship between JS and OC in Western countries, there seems to be a paucity of research on the relationship between JS and OC in a developing country context such as that of the DRC. The results could make a valuable contribution to the current literature debate on these two constructs (JS and OC) and possibly employeesâ intention to stay in their present organisation.
Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used employing the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Organisational Commitment Scale. The sample (n = 839) comprised permanently employed staff. Correlations and regression analyses were conducted. The results indicated that employeesâ JS related positively to their level of OC and that JS predicted OC.
Practical and managerial implications:Â The results should also have interesting implications for top management and human resource practitioners. They could use this information to study how organisational psychological attachment is fostered in order to potentially master other organisational dynamics. The information could also be used to create positive working conditions with a view to reinforcing OC. JS manifested as a critical driver of OC, which could result in superior business performance. Management could use the results to create a working environment that actively fosters satisfaction and boosts employeesâ level of commitment.
Contribution or value-add:Â The results should contribute to the body of knowledge on the relationship between JS and OC in the context of a developing economy and highlight the practical implications for line managers and behavioural and wellness practitioners
From representation to emergence: complexity's challenge to the epistemology of schooling
In modern,Western societies the purpose of schooling is to ensure that school-goers acquire knowledge of pre-existing practices, events, entities and so on.The knowledge that is learned is then tested to see if the learner has acquired a correct or adequate understanding of it. For this reason, it can be argued that schooling is organised around a representational epistemology: one which holds that knowledge is an accurate representation of something that is separate from knowledge itself. Since the object of knowledge is assumed to exist separately from the knowledge itself, this epistemology can also be considered âspatial.â In this paper we show how ideas from complexity have challenged the âspatial epistemologyâ of representation and we explore possibilities for an alternative âtemporalâ understanding of knowledge in its relationship to reality. In addition to complexity, our alternative takes its inspiration from Deweyan âtransactional realismâ and deconstruction. We suggest that âknowledgeâ and ârealityâ should not be understood as separate systems which somehow have to be brought into alignment with each other, but that they are part of the same emerging complex system which is never fully âpresentâ in any (discrete) moment in time. This not only introduces the notion of time into our understanding of the relationship between knowledge and reality, but also points to the importance of acknowledging the role of the âunrepresentableâ or âincalculableâ. With this understanding knowledge reaches us not as something we receive but as a response, which brings forth new worlds because it necessarily adds something (which was not present anywhere before it appeared) to what came before. This understanding of knowledge suggests that the acquisition of curricular content should not be considered an end in itself. Rather, curricular content should be used to bring forth that which is incalculable from the perspective of the present. The epistemology of emergence therefore calls for a switch in focus for curricular thinking, away from questions about presentation and representation and towards questions about engagement and response
Exploring South Africaâs southern frontier : a 20-year vision for polar research through the South African National Antarctic Programme
Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstrac
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