Splits are emerging in the EU over China’s push to gain market economy status

China has argued that all World Trade Organisation members should grant it market economy status by 11 December 2016, under the terms of the agreement signed when the country joined the WTO in 2001. If China were to be granted market economy status then states would be prevented from imposing higher duties on imports from China in so called ‘anti-dumping’ cases. Laurent Donceel writes that the EU faces a difficult decision over the issue, with some research suggesting up to 3.5 million jobs could be at risk from granting China market economy status, while a rejection of China’s request could harm flows of investment from China into the EU

The Notion of Eikos Within Conspiracy Theories. A Rhetorical Analysis

Based on the analysis of one specific conspiracy theory, this paper will explore, from the rhetorical framework, the antic concept of likelihood [eikos]. Indeed, we believe that the rhetorical approach could allow us, on a larger scale, to (re)question, in the light of contemporary challenges, the complex relationship we have with the notions of rationality and truth. More precisely, to proceed with the rhetorical analysis, we will mobilise two types of logical reasoning: first, “the logic of the pot” argument from pragmatic logic and second, the logic of amplification and poetization of discourse. This will allow us to draw some comparisons between conspiracist speeches and, respectively, the rhetorical genres of judicial and epideictic discourses. The comparisons will be based on the criteria of likelihood, eikos, in order to propose a first definition of this notion in conspiracist discourses

Deliberation and the Extraordinary: The mobilization of fear and hope in divination and conspiracy theories

Divination and conspiracy theories are societal phenomena that share at least two features: they both seek out explanation for a peculiar state of the world and perplex most members of our modern occidental societies. In this paper, we will explore these phenomena through the glance of rhetorical deliberation, with a particular focus on the impact of fear and hope on the process. Doing so, we hope to achieve a better understanding of the deliberative genre, especially for what concerns the role of the emotions of fear and hope in persuasio

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Le témoin face au défi de la vraisemblance. L’usage de l’ekphrasis chez une rescapée du génocide des Tutsi au Rwanda

Cet article part du constat suivant : même si penser le génocide n’est pas nouveau, chaque massacre de cette nature reste un événement inédit dans sa singularité. Or, comment faire pour raconter un événement qui est, par essence, unique, un événement qui, littéralement, ne ressemble à rien de connu ? Ce défi-ci, est d’un ordre particulier : il n’est ni juridique, ni historique, il est rhétorique. Le défi rhétorique que constitue l’expression d’un fait ineffable, ici génocidaire, a notamment été étudié par Marc Dominicy et Emmanuelle Danblon qui, dans leurs travaux sur les témoignages des rescapés de la Shoah, ont souligné deux points. Ils remarquent le recours aux figures pour exprimer l’ineffable et ont qualifié ce défi, de défi pour la vraisemblance. Dans cet article, nous nous proposons, à partir de ces deux considérations, d’analyser l’ekphrasis comme stratégie du témoin pour figurer l’invraisemblable. Plus précisément, nous soutiendrons que le recours à cette figure permet deux choses. D’une part, l’évocation mentale et sensorielle de ce que peut être un génocide. D’autre part, l’évocation d’une image mémorielle que l’on peut ensuite transmettre. Enfin, la question de la transmission nous permettra de clôturer notre étude par une brève réflexion sur la fonction sociétale des témoins rescapés des grandes catastrophes humaines

The attitude of Belgian social insurance physicians towards evidence-based practice and clinical practice guidelines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Evidence-based medicine has broadened its scope and is starting to reach insurance medicine. Although still in its initial stages, physicians in the area of insurance medicine should keep up-to-date with the evidence on various diseases in order to correctly assess disability and to give appropriate advice about health care reimbursement. In order to explore future opportunities of evidence-based medicine to improve daily insurance medicine, there is a need for qualitative studies to better understand insurance physicians' perceptions of EBM. The present study was designed to identify the attitude of insurance physicians towards evidence-based medicine and clinical practice guidelines, and to determine their ability to access, retrieve and appraise the health evidence and the barriers for applying evidence to practice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey study was carried out among all Dutch-speaking insurance physicians employed at one of the six Belgian social insurance sickness funds and at the National Institute of Disability and Health care Insurance (n = 224). Chi-square tests were used to compare nominal and ordinal variables. Student's t-tests, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis were used to compare means of continuous variables for different groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The response rate was 48.7%. The majority of respondents were positive towards evidence-based medicine and clinical practice guidelines. Their knowledge of EBM was rather poor. Perceived barriers for applying evidence to practice were mainly time and lack of EBM skills.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the majority of physicians were positive towards EBM and welcomed more guidelines, the use of evidence and clinical practice guidelines in insurance medicine is low at present. It is in the first place important to eradicate the perceived inertia which limits the use of EBM and to further investigate the EBM principles in the context of insurance medicine. Available high-quality evidence-based resources (at the moment mainly originating from other medical fields) need to be structured in a way that is useful for insurance physicians and global access to this information needs to be ensured.</p

Survived but feeling vulnerable and insecure: a qualitative study of the mental preparation for RTW after breast cancer treatment

BACKGROUND: Improvements in treatment have resulted in an increasing number of cancer survivors potentially being able to return to work after medical treatment. In this paper we focus on the considerations regarding return to work (RTW) of breast cancer absentees in the Belgian context and how these considerations are related to reactions from their social environment. METHODS: A qualitative study was performed to understand the RTW considerations of Belgian breast cancer absentees who had undergone breast cancer surgery in 2006. Twenty-two participants (mean age 46) were included and interviewed between May 2008 and August 2009 in their personal environment. An in-depth analysis (Grounded Theory) took place using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (Quagol). RESULTS: Before the actual RTW, breast cancer employees try to build an image of the future resumption of work based on medical grounds and their knowledge of the workplace. Four matters are considered prior to RTW: (i) women want to leave the sick role and wish to keep their job; (ii) they consider whether working is worth the effort; (iii) they reflect on their capability; and (iv) they have doubts about being accepted in the workplace after returning. These inner thoughts are both product and input for the interaction with the social environment. The whole process is coloured by uncertainty and vulnerability. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that mental preparation for RTW is not a linear process of improvement. It shows a detailed picture of four types of considerations made by breast cancer survivors before they actually resume work. Vulnerability appears to be an overarching theme during mental preparation. As the social environment plays an important role, people from that environment must become more aware of their influence on decreasing or increasing a woman’s vulnerability while preparing for RTW

Nouvelle rhétorique et formation du citoyen : perspectives sur l’enseignement du discours à partir d’une université d’été

Il est maintenant clairement établi que le modèle rhétorique fournit une réponse pertinente aux questionnements sur les méthodes et sur les contenus d’une formation à la citoyenneté en démocratie. En Europe toutefois, ce modèle rencontre encore des difficultés pour être reconnu comme une formation au discours légitime. À partir de l’expérience d’une université d’été intitulée « Citoyenneté européenne et argumentation rhétorique : le cas du changement climatique », nous répondons aux principales critiques adressées au modèle rhétorique et montrons comment il peut être utilisé, aujourd’hui, pour développer l’esprit critique et les compétences citoyennes.Even though it is now clearly established that the rhetorical education model provides a relevant framework to question the methods and contents of a democratic citizenship education, this model still encounters difficulties in Europe for recognition as a valid pedagogical approach for working on critical thinking and citizenship skills. Based on the experience of a summer school entitled “European Citizenship and Rhetorical argumentation: the case of climate change”, we will try to answer the criticisms addressed to rhetoric and show how it can be used to develop citizenship skills nowadays

Enseigner la rhétorique à l’École de Bruxelles

Cet article expose la conception de l’enseignement de la rhétorique à l’École de Bruxelles. Il explique l’origine de la démarche dans la pensée de Perelman. Il montre ensuite comment l’équipe du GRAL a retrouvé l’enseignement des exercices de rhétorique par les sophistes. Il propose une réflexion épistémologique pour montrer la spécificité de cet enseignement. Il termine enfin par l’exposé d’un exercice de délibération conçu et animé par les membres du GRAL