Young adults and the tuning of the entrepreneurial mindset in neoliberal capitalism

Enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit of young people is a means by which their employability and future potential as well as economic growth, the core goal of national policies, are incubated. Consequently, individuals performing entrepreneurial mindset are seen to possess the most future potential. We sketch the contours of this mindset and develop the idea of ‘tuning’ the entrepreneurial mindset with other discursive elements, or ‘ingredients’, available in society in order to make the overarching idea of entrepreneurialism more manageable, bearable, and even enjoyable at the individual level. The ingredients with which the mindset is tuned are non-depressiveness, happiness, and gratefulness. This tuning of the mindset is itself necessary and difficult mental work, even though it is invisible. Our analysis is based on 40 interviews with 18–30-year-old women and men from Tampere, Finland.     

The Zen of physician initiatives

Many physicians today feel ravaged by the brutal speed with which change has been occurring. They see the beliefs and practices of a lifetime being abandoned and replaced by the flavor of the month, management du jour. But if you are willing and able to take the brave step of approaching your physicians without an agenda, meeting with them to listen to their concerns, and can also avoid hanging a lightning-rod label on every bright new idea that comes out of the sessions, you'll be on the way to effective new management. This new style is a "Zen" approach (but don't give it that label) that lets real collaboration come into the place that is supposed to be all about healing--the health care organization. From "never call it anything" to "stay with them until they get it," ideas on how to be a Zen manager are presented, with the ultimate goal of truly partnering with physicians and infusing them with a desire to move beyond the frustration and disenchantment they are feeling.     

Moral dialogs and public opinion research

Etzioni’s article is thought provoking, and contains a series of arguments that would be useful lines of inquiry for scholars of public opinion. In many ways, these ideas link to, and can enrich existing areas of research on opinion formation, opinion change, and political behavior more broadly. Specifically, the elite vs. mass nature of these dialogs, the extent to which they are actual political discussions, and the impact of polarization on them are avenues where these ideas can inform broader understandings of public opinion, and vice versa. Etzioni’s arguments about the role of morals in political discussion and as agents of opinion change warrant further inquiry.     

‘Drink a 12 box before you go’: pre-loading among young people in Aotearoa New Zealand

The practice of pre-loading—drinking large amounts of alcohol rapidly in private spaces prior to socialising in the night-time economy—has come to notice recently in the study of alcohol-related harm, but no studies have explored these phenomena in Aotearoa New Zealand. We used a theoretical framework developed with public health alcohol studies for understanding drinking cultures that conceptualises patterns of behaviours as arising within a dynamic interaction between forces of hedonism, function and control. We report findings from 34 focus groups conducted with 18–25 year olds as part of a project supported by the Marsden Fund, between 2011 and 2012, to investigate drinking cultures among young people. Our thematic analyses of participants’ accounts of pre-loading show that the term is in common use, applying to a range of practices motivated by price of alcohol but influenced by the pleasures of intoxication, the importance of peer processes and certain aspects of the regulatory system. We conclude with a discussion of the usefulness of the framework and the implications of the findings for public health policy that aims to reduce alcohol consumption and the harm that arises from it.     

Relational Factors Associated With Depressive Symptoms Among Stroke Survivor-Spouse Dyads

Depression following stroke is a major problem for survivors and spouses, but few studies have focused on the experiences of couples. This study investigates associations between perceived relationship quality, communication and coping patterns, interpersonal misunderstandings and expectations, and survivors’ and spouses’ depressive symptoms after controlling for sociodemographic and proximal factors. It also compares the relative strength of these associations between partners to identify shared versus unique correlates of depressive symptoms. This study adds to a thus far underdeveloped literature about the range of factors that affect partners’ psychosocial adjustment to stroke. Implications for practice, research, and theory are discussed.     

Proximity (Mis)perception: Public Awareness of Nuclear,Refinery, and Fracking Sites

Whether on grounds of perceived safety, aesthetics, or overall quality of life, residents may wish to be aware of nearby energy sites such as nuclear reactors, refineries, and fracking wells. Yet people are not always accurate in their impressions of proximity. Indeed, our data show that only 54% of Americans living within 25 miles of a nuclear site say they do, and even fewer fracking-proximal (30%) and refinery-proximal (24%) residents respond accurately. In this article, we analyze factors that could either help people form more accurate perceptions or distort their impressions of proximity. We evaluate these hypotheses using a large national survey sample and corresponding geographic information system (GIS) data. Results show that among those living in close proximity to energy sites, those who perceive greater risk are less likely to report living nearby. Conversely, social contact with employees of these industries increases perceived proximity regardless of actual distance. These relationships are consistent across each site type we examine. Other potential factors—such as local news use—may play a role in proximity perception on a case-by-case basis. Our findings are an important step toward a more generalizable understanding of how the public forms perceptions of proximity to risk sites, showing multiple potential mechanisms of bias.     

Don't be an accidental physician executive

How can physicians begin crafting a career with intention and careful thought? Before you go leafing through The Physician Executive or the New England Journal of Medicine's Positions sections, you'll need to conduct a thorough career evaluation of where you are and where you want to go. There are more career tracks in more types of organizations available to you as a physician executive than ever before. There is also considerable turbulence, creating unexpected opportunities. The times have never been better for aggressive, energetic physician executives who want to move up and out.     

Diagnosis of a stalled career

What should physician executives do to prepare for a career move? This is not a list of items to improve technical skills and knowledge, but information on how to accurately and clearly present your experience and gain credibility. A few of the basic career preparations that physician executives must make include: (1) Get your paperwork in order, both a resume and a curriculum vitae; (2) seek feedback and critical input; (3) refresh or establish your interviewing skills; and (4) focus on your communications techniques. Physicians executives cannot rest on their deserved laurels as strong practitioners when aspiring to a senior management role. It is critical to emphasize other skills--decisiveness, communication, and management experience in a range of health care organizations.