Fake News and News Anxiety in Early Modern England

This work defines and analyzes the concepts of fake news and news anxiety in early modern England, arguing that fears about the dishonesty, abundance, and intrusiveness of cheap newsprint became key cultural concerns—concerns that find frequent expression in the literature of the time. Professional theater and commercial news came of age together in England, and the dramatic stage, itself a kind of news venue, proved a trenchant critic of printed news. Other academic works have examined connections between commercial news and professional theater, but mine is the first to examine the theater’s anxious preoccupation with fake news. This study focuses on the role of news, fake news, and news-related anxieties in the plays of Shakespeare

Recovering the Promise of the Orderly and Fair Stock Exchange

U.S. stock exchanges do not exist in the form they historically took and our equity markets are no longer orderly or fair. In the place of the traditional stock exchange, which was oriented around human beings and featured single-venue floor trading, an array of fully-automated trading platforms across multiple venues has arisen. Some of these have been formally designated as stock exchanges for legal purposes, while others operate as trading platforms. Almost all facilitate high frequency trading. We believe that radical change is required to address the pathologies of inefficiency and unfairness that characterize the current structure of U.S. trading markets. Our proposal is to create multiple trading venues and then to allow trading in particular securities on only one of these venues. For the approximately 6,000 companies whose shares trade publicly in the United States, we propose licensing ten stock exchanges, each of which would provide a centralized-and exclusive-forum for trading approximately 600 stocks. Organizing our markets in this way would create exchanges that are large enough to benefit from scale, yet numerous enough to compete for listings

Women’s experiences of using vaginal trainers (dilators) to treat vaginal penetration difficulties diagnosed as vaginismus: a qualitative interview study

Background Recent research has highlighted controversies in the conceptualisation, diagnosis and treatment of vaginismus. Vaginal trainers are currently the most widely used treatment. Critiques have highlighted concerns that the evidence-base of its effectiveness is limited, with controlled trials reporting disappointing results, and its prescription promotes ‘performance-based’ sexuality which may be detrimental. Despite this, little has been done to seek women’s views about their treatment. This study set out to explore women’s experiences of vaginismus treatment with vaginal trainers, and to use their voices to propose guidelines for improving treatment. Methods 13 women who had used vaginal trainers for vaginal penetration difficulties diagnosed as vaginismus were recruited through a specialist clinic, university campuses, and online forums. The women took part in semi-structured individual interviews (face-to-face/telephone/Skype), which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Results Four superordinate themes were elicited and used to draft ‘better treatment’ guidelines. Themes were: (1) Lack of knowledge, (2) Invalidation of suffering by professionals, (3) Difficult journey, and (4) Making the journey easier. This paper describes themes (3) and (4). Difficult Journey describes the long and arduous ‘Journey into treatment’, including difficulties asking for help, undergoing physical investigations and negotiating ‘the system’ of medical referrals. It also describes the sometimes demoralising process of ‘being in treatment’, which includes emotional and practical demands of treatment. Making the journey easier highlights the importance of and limits to ‘partner support’. ‘Professional support’ comprises personal qualities of professionals/therapeutic relationship, the value of specialist skills and knowledge and the need for facilitating couple communication about vaginismus. ‘Peer support/helping each other’ describes the importance of supportive vaginimus networks and sharing tips with other women. Conclusions Accessing effective treatment for vaginal penetration difficulties is difficult. The practical and emotional demands of using vaginal trainers may be underestimated by professionals, resulting in inadequate provision of support and information in practice. At times vaginal trainers may be prescribed to women who are unlikely to benefit from this treatment in isolation. Core communication skills like non-judgemental listening are important for supporting women through treatment. However professionals also need greater specialist knowledge, which in turn requires more detailed research. New ways to disseminate specialist knowledge and suggestions for further research are discussed

Politics, Bureaucracies, and Financial Markets: Bank Entry into Commercial Paper Underwriting in the United States and Japan

Americans writing about Japan seem to fall into two camps: those who think the Japanese act according to very different rules than Americans, so that the apparent similarities between the two peoples actually mask deep cultural differences; and those who think that the Japanese and the Americans are really rather similar, so that the obvious cultural differences cover more deep-rooted continuities

The teaching and learning of health advocacy in an Australian medical school

Objectives: To determine if medical graduates from an Australian university are educated and skilled in health advocacy for their future practice with patients and the wider community. Methods: The authors used an exploratory mixed methodology starting with curriculum mapping of the medical curriculum, followed by key informant interviews with the University of Notre Dame, School of Medicine academics (n = 6) and alumni (n = 5) on teaching/learning and practice of health advocacy. The final stage consisted of a cross-sectional survey on teaching/learning health advocacy among third and fourth (final) year medical students (N = 195). Results: The medical curriculum contained no explicit learn-ing objectives on health advocacy. Key informant interviews demonstrated an appreciation of health advocacy and its importance in the medical curriculum but a deficit in explicit and practical ‘hands on’ teaching. Survey response rate was 47% (n = 92). A majority of students (76%, n = 70) had heard of health advocacy, with this being more likely among third (92%, n = 33) compared with fourth year students (67%, n = 37) (Fisher’s Exact Test χ2 (2, N = 91) = 7.311, p = 0.02). Stu-dents reported having opportunities to observe (76%, n = 70) and practise health advocacy (50%, n = 46) in the curriculum. Conclusions: Students and medical graduates demonstrated sound recognition of the term health advocacy. Deficits identified in the curriculum include lack of explicit learning objectives and “hands-on” learning opportunities in health advocacy

The Monstrous ‘White Theory Boy’: Symbolic Capital, Pedagogy and the Politics of Knowledge

This article presents a critical uncovering of the continued dominance of whiteness and maleness in processes and practices of knowledge formation. Tracking the figure of the ‘white theory boy’ or ‘dead white man’ across experiential accounts of theory, scholarship on canonicity, and pedagogical strategies, the article demonstrates his enduring authority in theoretical knowledge making and dissemination. Where this article moves somewhere different is its suggestion that a space of sympathy be extended to this hegemonic figure. Though the dominance of the ‘white theory boy’ undoubtedly perpetuates inequalities throughout social theoretic thought, it is necessary to locate a new method of tackling such ingrained problems. Though extending sympathy to the ‘white theory boy’ is perhaps initially counter-intuitive, my suggestion is that he does not hold the sort of monolithic power we might first assume. Bringing an intersectional analysis of gender, class, ‘race’ and ethnicity to bear on this figure, creates a space in which a more critical and fine-grained account of the relationship between power, knowledge, and social status can be uncovered. It is through extending this space of sympathy and mutual cooperation to ‘white theory boys’ that the practical and conceptual machinations of their power are further revealed. From here a more thorough dismantling of this power becomes possible