Les pathologies hypermodernes: expression d'une nouvelle normalité?

Speaking about “hypermodern pathologies” aims to show the relation between features of the “hypermodern society” and different types of pathologies associated with these characteristics. Globalisation and the greater overall flexibility of the economy, the revolution in communication technologies and consequent need for ever-greater reactivity, the triumph of market logic and the disintegration of all limits that had previously overseen the construction of individual identities have led to the emergence of a compulsive individual, whose behaviour is marked by excess: an individual with no resources outside of his own person, whose sensations have overtaken his sentiments.

Physical and psychic pathologies affecting the hypermodern individual reflect the functioning of this society: attachment pathologies such as the addiction to substances designed to increase performance; eating disorders such as obesity and anorexia which also constitute ways of experimenting with the last remaining limits, those of the body; and professional “overheating” pathologies linked to the “hyperfunctioning” required of individuals, which compels them to an ever-quicker work rhythm, exhausts their limits and leads them to brutal disconnections.

In this article, I explain how these pathologies are the expression of changes in the normal/pathologic balance. They indicate the appearance of a new kind of normality, especially belonging to our contemporary society and linked to the adaptation skills that this society requires of individuals.     

Introvision als Entspannungsverfahren – Auflösung von chronischen Nackenverspannungen durch Konstatierendes Aufmerksames Wahrnehmen und Introvision –

According to current research, chronic back tensions – in contrast to other tensions – cannot be reduced permanently and significantly by existing relaxation techniques like for instance the “Progressive Muscle Relaxation” technique. The goal of the presented pilot study called “Eine empirische Untersuchung zur Auflösung von muskulären Dauerverspannungen durch Introvision als Methode der pädagogisch-psychologischen Intervention” was to show, based on a first survey, whether muscle tension, especially in the neck area, could be dispersed permanently or at least clearly reduced by another intervention process namely the “Konstatierende Aufmerksame Wahrnehmen” (attentive establishing perception) and introvision. A control group design with measuring repetitions (N = 17) and with pre-, post- und follow-up measurements could show that, during a five week introductory course, in combination with three individual consultations, a significant reduction (EMG and questionnaire) of neck tensions could be achieved.     

Addressing spiritual development in youth development programs and practices: opportunities and challenges

If strengthening children's moral and spiritual selves is the most important challenge facing youth-serving organizations in the United States today, three things are required to respond: a clear road map of where to go and how to get there, a critical mass of champions prepared to lead the way, and candid readiness assessments and strategies for individuals and organizations ready to take on this work. More clarity is needed on defining the concepts of spiritual development and spirituality, the boundaries and bridges needed between religious and secular organizations, and the activities and practices that are both effective and allowable under separation of church and state. Immediate steps to take include engaging frontline workers across sectors and identifying strategies for integrating spiritual development into youth practice.     

An Evaluation of Two Tact-Training Procedures on Acquired Tacts and Tacting During Play

A common practice in tact training is to include a supplemental verbal stimulus (e.g., “What is it?”) in addition to the presentation of a nonverbal discriminative stimulus. Previous literature has suggested that this supplemental verbal stimulus can impede acquisition and generalization relative to the presentation of the object alone, as it may establish faulty stimulus control or decrease spontaneous tacting. Research has yet to compare these 2 training methods on the generalization of learned tacts to more naturalistic, play-based environments. The present study evaluated the use of “What is it?” compared to the presentation of only the nonverbal discriminative stimulus on tact acquisition among 3 children with autism spectrum disorder and the extent to which these training procedures led to tacting in a play-based setting following discrete-trial training. Overall, participants learned to tact stimuli under both conditions, and all participants demonstrated generalization of tacts in a play-based setting. Recommendations for the development and evaluation of naturalistic posttraining assessment are discussed.     

Sexual orientation at work: Documenting and understanding wage inequality

A growing body of research focuses on the labor market experiences and outcomes of LGBTQ+ people. Yet sexual orientation has been incorporated unevenly into research on labor market inequality, developing in parallel across work in labor economics and the sociology of work and organizations. In this review, we describe research on sexual orientation and wage inequality, bridging insights from quantitative studies of wage gaps and qualitative work on the organizational and occupational experiences of sexual minorities. We further discuss theoretical developments in the sociology of sexuality to provide background to the concepts and measures both bodies of research employ in practice. We argue that future research should integrate these approaches to consider how local and diffuse cultural understandings of sexual orientation shape the valuation of workers.     

Effect of impact factor and discipline on journal data sharing policies

Data sharing is crucial to the advancement of science because it facilitates collaboration, transparency, reproducibility, criticism, and re-analysis. Publishers are well-positioned to promote sharing of research data by implementing data sharing policies. While there is an increasing trend toward requiring data sharing, not all journals mandate that data be shared at the time of publication. In this study, we extended previous work to analyze the data sharing policies of 447 journals across several scientific disciplines, including biology, clinical sciences, mathematics, physics, and social sciences. Our results showed that only a small percentage of journals require data sharing as a condition of publication, and that this varies across disciplines and Impact Factors. Both Impact Factors and discipline are associated with the presence of a data sharing policy. Our results suggest that journals with higher Impact Factors are more likely to have data sharing policies; use shared data in peer review; require deposit of specific data types into publicly available data banks; and refer to reproducibility as a rationale for sharing data. Biological science journals are more likely than social science and mathematics journals to require data sharing.     

The Potential of Information Technology to Navigate Caregiving Systems: Perspectives from Dementia Caregivers

Technologies designed to support caregivers of adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/RD) have been developing at an increasingly rapid pace. However, little remains known about caregivers’ perspectives on how technologies can and should help them navigate larger service systems they interact with to engage in caregiving. This study involved in-depth interviews and a beta test of an AD/RD caregiver app to learn more about how they currently use technologies and how potential technological features and functions can best meet their needs. Thematic findings suggest a conceptual model for designing AD/RD caregiver technologies. The findings suggest that eHealth and individual technologies may not fully meet the needs of caregivers as they navigate the larger systems within which they provide care. Findings highlight the need to develop technologies for caregivers that are effective, easy to use, and more widely disseminated – especially for caregivers from disadvantaged backgrounds.     

When work hurts: A conceptual framework explaining how organizational culture may perpetuate workplace bullying

This work was motivated by research findings, suggesting that the prevalence of workplace bullying is increasing across the world. The workplace bullying research further suggests that the basic risk determinants of bullying lie in an organization’s work environment and that prevalence of workplace bullying may vary by occupation, sector, and country. Upon reviewing the existing literature, it becomes apparent that while organizational culture can be both indirectly and directly related to workplace bullying, references to the relationship between organizational culture and workplace bullying remain scant and what is available lacks substantive conceptual foundation. To address this apparent gap in research, the main purpose of this article is to present an integrated conceptual framework proposing the relationships between specific organizational culture dimensions and workplace bullying. The article was specifically written in accordance with previous studies which highlight factors that may perpetuate workplace bullying within organizations. While highly theoretical and conceptual in nature, this article is one that may be important in explaining how some organizational cultures may motivate, facilitate, perpetuate, enable, and precipitate workplace bullying, and thus offers insights into how to prevent workplace bullying by creating less enabling environments. The article concludes by offering theoretical arguments for how organizations should monitor, manage, and eradicate changeable organizational cultural practices that may otherwise enable workplace bullying.     

Mapping the two levels of digital divide: Internet access and social network site adoption among older adults in the USA

Older adults have increasingly adopted Internet and social network sites (SNSs), but little communication scholarship has explored systematic differences in access within this population. Using a nationally representative sample of Americans over the age of 50 years from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study, we examine Internet access (N?=?18,851) and SNS adoption patterns (N?=?869) among this sample and explore how these patterns vary by age. Regarding Internet access, results suggest that while the gender divide has reversed in favor of women, older adults who are economically, socioculturally, or physically disadvantaged are less likely to have reliable Internet access. In addition, the view that the various divides in Internet access are less of a concern for those who are younger is only partially supported, as some access-related divides do not vary by age or even decrease with age. For SNS adoption, we found that access to technological resources (diversity of online activities) positively predicts SNS use. Moreover, SNS users are more likely to be younger, female, widowed, and homemakers, perhaps because these individuals are more motivated to use SNSs to complement or compensate for their existing social status. These findings reveal unique challenges and motivations in relation to Internet access and SNS adoption patterns across the later life span.