Ethnic Identity and Ethnic Organizations: The Role of Self-Construal in the Psychological Well-Being of Migrants

This study attempted to highlight the role of ethnic organizations in maintaining the ethnic identity and self-construals of migrants and see whether such perpetuations were psychologically healthy or not in a contrasting culture. Two groups of migrants of Asian-Indian origin in the USA participated in the study, one group belonging to their respective ethnic organizations and the other group not belonging to any ethnic organization. Results indicated stronger ethnic identity and interdependent self-construal in members of ethnic organizations as compared to non-members. Self-construals were found to be significant moderators in the relationships between ethnic identity and well-being in members of ethnic organizations but not in non-members. Better well-being was seen in people who were engaged in their respective ethnic organizations and thereby still maintaining their home prototypical self-construal with strong ethnic identity. Non-members showed a match of self-construal to the host culture (independent) as well as weaker ethnic identity and poorer well-being, while the member group showed higher intergroup anxiety. Results were discussed in light of the debates on cultural diversity and role of ethnic organizations and social identity

Phonons in intrinsic Josephson systems with parallel magnetic field

Subgap resonances in the I-V curves of layered superconductors are explained by the coupling between Josephson oscillations and phonons with dispersion in c-direction. In the presence of a magnetic field applied parallel to the layers additional structures due to fluxon motion appear. Their coupling with phonons is investigated theoretically and a shift of the phonon resonances in strong magnetic fields is predicted.Comment: Invited Paper to the "2nd International Symposium on Intrinsic Josephson Effects and Plasma Oscillations in High-Tc Superconductors", 22-24 August 2000, Sendai, Japan, to be published in Physica

Associations between touchscreen exposure and hot and cool inhibitory control in 10-month-old infants

Touchscreen use amongst young children has proliferated in recent years, yet little is known about the association between daily touchscreen exposure and inhibitory control in the first year of life. Previous research has found a negative association between the amount of television viewing and inhibitory control in early childhood, but it is unclear whether negative associations with screen use extend to touchscreens. The current study presents an exploratory analysis of the cross-sectional associations between inhibitory control and the amount of touchscreen use amongst 10-month-olds (n = 128–156). Touchscreen exposure was assessed via parent-report. In order to include a range of “hot” and “cool” aspects of inhibitory control, these skills were assessed using lab-based response inhibition and prohibition tasks as well as parent-reported observations of infants’ inhibitory control abilities and broader regulatory behaviors. A “Cognitive Executive Function (EEFQ-CEF)” score (encompassing Inhibitory Control, Flexibility, and Working Memory items) was included as a secondary broader executive function construct to examine whether effects showed specificity to inhibitory control rather than executive functions more generally. Correlation analyses indicated no association between touchscreen exposure and the four indices of IC. However, a positive association was found for the amount of touchscreen exposure and EEFQ-CEF once accounting for sociodemographic variables. The implications of these findings and future directions are discussed

Popularizing Party Journalism in China in the Age of Social Media: The Case of Xinhua News Agency

The phenomenon of the “popularization” of journalism has become widespread in the process of media marketization, globalization and digitalization. This phenomenon has been studied mostly in the Anglo-American context. This article instead draws attention to China, where the tendency toward popularizing (party) journalism is also occurring but taking a rather different form. It focuses on the case of Xinhua News Agency—the pioneer as well as the most representative case of traditional party journalism in the country. The article considers to what extent Xinhua’s online media content concerning the ruling party since 1949—the Communist Party of China—has been popularized both in terms of content and style. The changes to online media content made by Xinhua are indicative of the extent to which it is possible to combine the status of a state-owned central news organization with a new journalistic orientation that seeks to make the messages from and about the party more appealing to technology-savvy and entertainment-driven audiences in the new media environment in mainland China

Culture, social interdependence, and ostracism

Recent research has demonstrated that cultural groups differ in how they experience ostracism and in how they behave in the wake of being ostracized. We review this literature paying particular attention to the role that one key cultural variable, social interdependence, plays in moderating responses to ostracism. Although the data present a complex picture, a growing number of studies have suggested that collectivistic cultures and high levels of social interdependence are associated with less negative responses to ostracism. We review explanations for observed cultural and individual-level differences in responses to ostracism and make a series of suggestions for future research that, we hope, will disambiguate current findings and offer a more nuanced picture of ostracism and the significance of cultural variation inherent within it

Lunar In Situ Materials-Based Habitat Technology Development Efforts at NASA/MSFC

For long duration missions on other planetary bodies, the use of in situ materials will become increasingly critical. As man's presence on these bodies expands, so must the structures to accommodate them including habitats, laboratories, berms, garages, solar storm shelters, greenhouses, etc. The use of in situ materials will significantly offset required launch upmass and volume issues. Under the auspices of the In Situ Fabrication & Repair (ISFR) Program at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Habitat Structures project has been developing materials and construction technologies to support development of these in situ structures. This paper will report on the development of several of these technologies at MSFC's Prototype Development Laboratory (PDL). These technologies include, but are not limited to, development of extruded concrete and inflatable concrete dome technologies based on waterless and water-based concretes, development of regolith-based blocks with potential radiation shielding binders including polyurethane and polyethylene, pressure regulation systems for inflatable structures, production of glass fibers and rebar derived from molten lunar regolith simulant, development of regolithbag structures, and others, including automation design issues. Results to date and planned efforts for FY06 will also be presented

Colin Marsh (1996) Handbook for Beginning Teachers. Addison Wesley Longman: Australia. 406 pp

This study examines the relationship between corporate irresponsibility (CI) and social evaluations of the firm. Utilising a large and unique corporate irresponsibility dataset, we explore how, when, and for whom corporate irresponsibility alters stakeholder perceptions of organisational reputation. By combining attribution theory and expectancy violations theory, our study elucidates the conditions under which organisational assessors attribute hypocrisy. Results generally indicate that organisational reputation, derived from the assessments of managers and market analysts, is infrequently influenced by acts of corporate irresponsibility alone. Contrary to previous studies, we find that stakeholder impressions of the firm are largely path dependent. In turn, our findings reveal that firms previously believed to be most socially responsible are perceived as hypocritical and sanctioned when causality for acts of CI can be externally validated. Conversely, our study reveals risks associated with firms believed to be least socially responsible, in that stakeholders may expect firms with reduced social performance to be culpable for corporate irresponsibility when accused of highly egregious behaviour