Systems thinking: fostering collaboration and connections to strengthen the field. A conversation with Umberta Telfener

Umberta Telfener is a highly respected figure known for her diverse contributions to various facets of family and systemic therapy. Her leadership style has earned her a reputation as somewhat of a ‘cultural anthropologist,’ reflecting her aptitude for creating connections, establishing relationships, and developing partnerships. Her unique ‘Umberta style’ is known for boundless energy, active leadership, and fierce commitment to challenging the status quo. Despite being in office for just a year at the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA), Umberta has conceived and developed numerous projects, establishing networks with practitioners, and systemic thinkers across the world. Rooted in classical philosophical training, her pursuit aligns with the systematic study of fundamental questions about existence, reason, knowledge, value, mind, and language. Umberta's role reminds one of a ‘Chasqui,’ a Quechua term for a ‘messenger,’ which aptly describes her agile networking skills. She actively communicates and shares vital messages, supporting the international community of systemic practitioners. This paper is based on an in-person conversation held in July 2023 at Umberta's country home in Tuscany. Our discussion delves into her extensive professional experience, from training at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, being mentored by Boscolo and Cecchin in Milan, to her leadership role as the current EFTA president. Umberta reflects on early pioneers who influenced her thinking and her impactful work with systems.     

论解放战争时期中央领导集体的决策艺术

解放战争时期,中共中央为推动中国革命取得最后胜利,在政治、军事、经济等领域制定实施了一系列重大决策,形成了一套独具特色的决策思想和工作原则。本文对中央领导集体选择决策目标、科学制定决策及保障决策实施等方面情况进行了初步探讨,并从中总结出中央领导集体在科学决策中遵循的工作原则、方法和程序。     

对我国《土地管理法》中若干法律制度的思考

本文针对当前我国实际存在的土地问题 ,分析了新《土地管理法》中设立的耕地保护法律制度、土地征用法律制度和监督检查法律制度的主要内容和立法不足。并提出了一些立法建议 ,旨在完善我国土地立法 ,促进土地资源的合理利用和保护     

Toward an integrated analysis of social movements and new religious movements research

Despite calls from researchers for intersectional studies between religion and social movements over the past few decades, scholars have not engaged in fruitful conversation about integrating the two disciplines. This article aims to facilitate such discussion by examining the topic of new religious movements (NRMs). I first review the existing literature on NRMs and discuss why NRM research has been neglected in social movement studies. Then, I explore a few research areas where both NRM studies and social movement research could intersect and benefit from a synthetic approach. Specifically, I suggest that social movement studies could advance through the examination of some relatively ignored subjects of research, such as persistent participation and disengagement, by drawing on empirical cases of NRMs. I also propose ways in which the application of social movement theories would enhance our understanding of different aspects of NRMs, such as their leadership and coalition practices. In making these arguments, I refer to one of the prominent, long-term NRMs, the Unification Church or Movement, to help illustrate my ideas.     

党的十八大以来意识形态领导权研究综述

意识形态领导权是马克思主义经典作家关注的重大问题。习近平在全国宣传思想工作会议上提出了“意识形态工作是党的一项极端重要的工作”重要论断,在党的十九大报告中要求“牢牢掌握意识形态工作领导权”。当前,我国关于意识形态领导权的研究主要围绕概念来源、基本内涵、重大意义、现存困境和实践路径等维度进行,体现出我国学界的问题意识和实践指向。在未来的意识形态领导权研究中,学界需要进一步厘清与意识形态领导权相关概念的基本内涵和理论渊源,在理论关切的基础上加强实证研究,在分析中国经验的基础上拓展国际视野,在既有学科研究领域中拓宽学科视野,从而为党和国家巩固意识形态领导权打下坚实的理论基础。     

Fraternal foreign policy transfer? Evaluating the case of Australian Labor and British Labour

ABSTRACT

The literature on policy transfer and policy diffusion is vast, but analysis of how this operates in the domain of foreign policy is limited. Is there evidence that policy-related knowledge and ideas in the foreign policy realm are transferred between jurisdictions? This article addresses this question in the context of the relationship between two fraternal social democratic parties – the British Labour Party and the Australian Labor Party. It focuses on the period between 2006 and 2010, which covers Kevin Rudd’s assumption of the Labor leadership and his first term as Prime Minister and the transition from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown in June 2007. Kevin Rudd’s Prime Ministership was terminated in a party room coup in June 2010 while Gordon Brown led the British Labour Party to electoral defeat one month earlier. The article investigates three prominent areas of foreign policy – regional engagement, climate change, and aid and international development – to evaluate the extent of policy transfer and diffusion between the Rudd and Brown Governments. Using the ‘degrees of transfer’ framework outlined by Dolowitz and Marsh, it finds that emulation, policy combinations, and inspiration all featured but that there was scant evidence of complete transfer.     

Advancing Hospice and Palliative Care Social Work Leadership in Interprofessional Education and Practice

The importance of interprofessional collaboration in achieving high quality outcomes, improving patient quality of life, and decreasing costs has been growing significantly in health care. Palliative care has been viewed as an exemplary model of interprofessional care delivery, yet best practices in both interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional practice (IPP) in the field are still developing. So, too, is the leadership of hospice and palliative care social workers within IPE and IPP. Generating evidence regarding best practices that can prepare social work professionals for collaborative practice is essential. Lessons learned from practice experiences of social workers working in hospice and palliative care can inform educational efforts of all professionals. The emergence of interprofessional education and competencies is a development that is relevant to social work practice in this field. Opportunities for hospice and palliative social workers to demonstrate leadership in IPE and IPP are presented in this article.     

An exploration of the use of power in social work supervisory relationships in Hong Kong

Supervision is considered to be a determining factor in the quality of service to clients, the job satisfaction of social workers, and the level of professional development they achieve. How supervisors use their authority affects their relationships with subordinates, which in turn influences service outcomes. This case study reveals the micro-process of the interplay of power in the supervisor–supervisee dyad, the influence of cultural factors on attitudes toward hierarchical relationships, and subordination to authority in the supervisory dyad. Respondents who considered supervision to be counterproductive or disempowering employed tactics to hide their negative attitude, and concealed important cases and project materials, which hindered the disclosure of mistakes. Redistributing power in the current hierarchical supervisor–supervisee relationship could lead to fewer instances of game playing in the supervisory dyad and facilitate disclosure, which is important in ethical practice.     

Strategic leadership in public relations: An integrated conceptual framework

Although scholars have recognized the importance for public relations executives demonstrating strategic leadership in facilitating effective public relations practice, few have attempted to explain the multi-faceted nature of the leadership construct. In this paper, the author proposes an integrated conceptual framework to explain the leadership construct and its key dimensions. In addition, the author also proposes that leadership effectiveness can be mediated by a core set of organizational structure and culture as well as the social culture within which the organization operates. The paper also offers suggestions for future research to better understand how leadership influences public relations effectiveness.     

美的的竞争战略——既成本领先又差异化战略

美的空调、压缩机、电风扇、微电机等九大主导产品产销量均居全国前三名,美的2003年实现销售收入175亿元,同比增长30%.在市场竞争日益激烈的环境下,美的是如何保持如此强劲的竞争力的?其既成本领先又差异化战略发挥了巨大作用.文章揭示了美的既成本领先又差异化战略的实施,主要有全面质量管理、MRPⅡ的成功实施、不断地降低成本、与供应商和经销商的战略联盟、核心技术的掌握、销售价格的差异化.并提出实施既成本领先又差异化战略应注意的几个问题.