Thoughts on the rhetoric that women and men are equal in Alevi belief and practice (Alevilik) – to Songül

ABSTRACT

A modernization project was started by the founding cadres of the Republic in Turkey during the nation-state building process. In the early years, policies towards creating a laic state and secular society became manifest in relation to women’s bodies which gained a symbolic meaning, and as an aspect of the modernization process, a significant component of the national identity. The Republic argued that equality between women and men was an indispensable part of social and political life. But Alevis, in fact, claimed that equality between woman and man had long been among the main principles of Alevism for centuries. However, the attitude towards equality formed a common ground between the fundamentals of the Republic and Alevi belief and emerged as an important element in strengthening Alevi loyalty to the Republic. This rhetoric of equality is examined in terms of the religious beliefs and practices of Alevis based on research into a local Alevi group, the An?abac?l?s. The claim of equality is found to be more to do with marking the boundaries of Alevi identity than putting equality into practice.     

Probability Size Matters: The Effect of Foreground-Only versus Foreground+Background Graphs on Risk Aversion Diminishes with Larger Probabilities

Graphs are increasingly recommended for improving decision-making and promoting risk-avoidant behaviors. Graphs that depict only the number of people affected by a risk (“foreground-only” displays) tend to increase perceived risk and risk aversion (e.g., willingness to get vaccinated), as compared to graphs that also depict the number of people at risk for harm (“foreground+background” displays). However, previous research examining these “foreground-only effects” has focused on relatively low-probability risks (<10%), limiting generalizability to communications about larger risks. In two experiments, we systematically investigated the moderating role of probability size on foreground-only effects, using a wide range of probability sizes (from 0.1% to 40%). Additionally, we examined the moderating role of the size of the risk reduction, that is, the extent to which a protective behavior reduces the risk. Across both experiments, foreground-only effects on perceived risk and risk aversion were weaker for larger probabilities. Experiment 2 also revealed that foreground-only effects were weaker for smaller risk reductions, while foreground-only displays decreased understanding of absolute risk magnitudes independently of probability size. These findings suggest that the greater effectiveness of foreground-only versus foreground+background displays for increasing perceived risk and risk aversion diminishes with larger probability sizes and smaller risk reductions. Moreover, if the goal is to promote understanding of absolute risk magnitudes, foreground+background displays should be used rather than foreground-only displays regardless of probability size. Our findings also help to refine and extend existing theoretical accounts of foreground-only effects to situations involving a wide range of probability sizes.     

Evaluating a multiple-family group access intervention for refugees with PTSD

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a multiple-family group in increasing access to mental health services for refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study investigated a nine-session multiple-family group called Coffee and Families Education and Support with refugee families from Bosnia-Herzegovina in Chicago. Adults with PTSD (n = 197) and their families were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or a control condition. The results indicated that a multiple-family group was effective in increasing access to mental health services and that depression and family comfort with discussing trauma mediated the intervention effect. Further well-designed studies of family interventions are needed for developing evidence-based interventions for refugee families.     

Using Real‐Time Decision Tools to Improve Distributed Decision‐Making Capabilities in High‐Magnitude Crisis Situations*

Multi‐organizational collaborative decision making in high‐magnitude crisis situations requires real‐time information sharing and dynamic modeling for effective response. Information technology (IT) based decision support tools can play a key role in facilitating such effective response. We explore one promising class of decision support tools based on machine learning, known as support vector machines (SVM), which have the capability to dynamically model and analyze decision processes. To examine this capability, we use a case study with a design science approach to evaluate improved decision‐making effectiveness of an SVM algorithm in an agent‐based simulation experimental environment. Testing and evaluation of real‐time decision support tools in simulated environments provides an opportunity to assess their value under various dynamic conditions. Decision making in high‐magnitude crisis situations involves multiple different patterns of behavior, requiring the development, application, and evaluation of different models. Therefore, we employ a multistage linear support vector machine (MLSVM) algorithm that permits partitioning decision maker response into behavioral subsets, which can then individually model and examine their diverse patterns of response behavior. The results of our case study indicate that our MLSVM is clearly superior to both single stage SVMs and traditional approaches such as linear and quadratic discriminant analysis for understanding and predicting behavior. We conclude that machine learning algorithms show promise for quickly assessing response strategy behavior and for providing the capability to share information with decision makers in multi‐organizational collaborative environments, thus supporting more effective decision making in such contexts.