Showing papers on "Contemporary society published in 2020"
Book•
17 Mar 2020
TL;DR: The Lonely Crowd is considered by many to be the most influential book of the twentieth century as discussed by the authors, and its now-classic analysis of the 'new middle class' in terms of inner-directed and other-directed social character opened exciting new dimensions in our understanding of the psychological, political, and economic problems that confront the individual in contemporary American society.
Abstract: The Lonely Crowd is considered by many to be the most influential book of the twentieth century. Its now-classic analysis of the 'new middle class' in terms of inner-directed and other-directed social character opened exciting new dimensions in our understanding of the psychological, political, and economic problems that confront the individual in contemporary American society. The 1969 abridged and revised edition of the book is now reissued with a new foreword by Todd Gitlin that explains why the book is still relevant to our own era.
1,054 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the human is considered as part of the "society" system and the human has to develop survival strategies and well-being strategies in order to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.
Abstract: New prospects for mankind in searching for and developing new sources of energy, arms race, overcrowding and ecological crises present the human with a serious choice. The choice may relate to the further existence of people on Earth. In the context of most challenging political, economic and social crises, the tandem of natural and human sciences produces unexpected results, despite the crises accompanying these processes. This article presents a model of the society and a model of the human in the systemic parametrical aspect. The human is considered as part of the “society” system. The research suggests applying the systems parametric method developed by Prof. A. Uyemov in the 1960s. Humanity creates increasingly frequent bifurcation conditions for human life. As an adaptive mechanism, the human has to develop survival strategies and well-being strategies. The paper presents some aspects of the adaptive mechanisms of the 21st century man. It also considers some threats arising out of environmental variability. Cyborgization is one of such threats. The research includes dual system modelling of the “society” system based on the complementarity principle. It shows that there are two definitions which have different concepts, structures and substrates but constitute the entirety of the object of interest.
117 citations
Book•
05 May 2020
TL;DR: Kellner argues that media culture is now the dominant form of culture that socializes us and provides and plays major roles in the economy, polity, and social and cultural life as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In this thorough update of one of the classic texts of media and cultural studies, Douglas Kellner argues that media culture is now the dominant form of culture that socializes us and provides and plays major roles in the economy, polity, and social and cultural life.
The book includes a series of lively studies that both illuminate contemporary culture and society, while providing methods of analysis, interpretation, and critique to engage contemporary U.S. culture. Many people today talk about cultural studies, but Kellner actually does it, carrying through a unique mixture of theoretical analysis and concrete discussions of some of the most popular and influential forms of contemporary media culture. Studies cover a wide range of topics including: Reagan and Rambo; horror and youth films; women’s films, the TV series Orange is the New Black and Hulu’s TV series based on Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale; the films of Spike Lee and African American culture; Latino films and cinematic narratives on migration; female pop icons Madonna, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga; fashion and celebrity; television news, documentary films, and the recent work of Michael Moore; fantasy and science fiction, with focus on the cinematic version of Lord of the Rings, Philip K. Dick and the Blade Runner films, and the work of David Cronenberg.
Situating the works of media culture in their social context, within political struggles, and the system of cultural production and reception, Kellner develops a multidimensional approach to cultural studies that broadens the field and opens it to a variety of disciplines. He also provides new approaches to the vexed question of the effects of culture and offers new perspectives for cultural studies. Anyone interested in the nature and effects of contemporary society and culture should read this book.
53 citations
TL;DR: In this article, actor-network theory, (neo-)Foucauldian governmentality studies, and empirical data gathered over a three-year period are used to expand the understanding of video game player agency and argue that video games provide an important example and perspective to consider the contemporary nature and political basis of agency.
Abstract: In recent years, the idea of player control, or agency, has become central and explicit in certain video games and genres, affecting many debates concerning the study or definitions of video games. In spite of this, the notion of agency in video games has been rarely explicitly explored or defined in relation to its sociological and political dimensions. Hence, drawing on actor-network theory, (neo-)Foucauldian governmentality studies, and empirical data gathered over a three-year period, this paper expands to our understanding of video game player agency and moreover, argues that video games provide an important example and perspective to consider the contemporary nature and political basis of agency.
39 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the idea of ageism is too totalising and contradictory and that it fails to address key aspects of the corporeality of old age.
Abstract: The development of social gerontology has led to the emergence of its own terminology and conceptual armoury. ‘Ageism’ has been a key concept in articulating the mission of gerontology and was deliberately intended to act as an equivalent to the concepts of racism and sexism. As a term, it has established itself as a lodestone for thinking about the de-valued and residualised social status of older people in contemporary society. Given this background, ageism has often been used to describe an overarching ideology that operates in society to the detriment of older people and which in large part explains their economic, social and cultural marginality. This paper critiques this approach and suggests an alternative based upon the idea of the social imaginary of the fourth age. It argues that not only is the idea of ageism too totalising and contradictory but that it fails to address key aspects of the corporeality of old age. Adopting the idea of a social imaginary offers a more nuanced theoretical approach to the tensions that are present in later life without reducing them to a single external cause or explanation. In so doing, this leaves the term free to serve, in a purely descriptive manner, as a marker of prejudice.
36 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, living alone has been indicated as a key variable to explain loneliness in older adults, in contemporary society, where technology has become one of the main means of communication and personal int...
Abstract: Living alone has been indicated as a key variable to explain loneliness in older adults. In contemporary society, where technology has become one of the main means of communication and personal int...
18 citations
TL;DR: The results provide new knowledge for occupational therapists to support positive risk-taking in internet-use for adolescents with ID, in collaboration with their parents, to enable the development of digital competencies and digital participation in everyday life in a digitalised society.
Abstract: Background: In contemporary society internet and digital competencies are used to perform activities.Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate opportunities and risks of internet use as perceive ...
16 citations
01 Jan 2020
TL;DR: In this article, the role of authentic leader behaviors (awareness, sincerity, balanced processing, positive moral perspectives, and informal influence) has been considered in enabling social entrepreneurs to create and innovate.
Abstract: Contemporary society is characterized by the prevalence of wicked problems to which the efforts and actions of some entrepreneurs have negatively contributed to social problems. Corporate social responsibility emerged as an early response to multifactor problems that are difficult to conceptualize or structure, but it has had limited success in engendering significant structural societal change. Social entrepreneurship is a contested construct that typically includes the social entrepreneur. A definition of social entrepreneurs is provided drawing on the literature. Social entrepreneurs offer leadership for social innovation outcomes as an antidote to prevailing social issues. This contributes to the literature on social entrepreneurs by examining how social entrepreneurs lead in the digital era. Importantly, this chapter considers the role that authentic leader behaviors (awareness, sincerity, balanced processing, positive moral perspectives, and informal influence) has in enabling social entrepreneurs to create and innovate.
15 citations
TL;DR: Despite the prevalence of professional sport in contemporary societies, there is little known by academics about professional sports consumers as discussed by the authors, despite the fact that we know much more about other cultural domains, such as...
Abstract: Despite the prevalence of professional sport in contemporary societies, there is little known by academics about professional sports consumers. We know much more about other cultural domains, such ...
15 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the impact of one augmented reality app designed for one of the landmarks of the Portuguese cultural heritage, Quinta da Regaleira, and discuss the positive and negative outcomes of this innovation, both for the dynamizing of cultural heritage and for the visitors.
Abstract: In the last two decades, contemporary society has been conceptualized and discussed around the assumption that digital technologies are its most defining feature. Jean Baudrillard’s take on the Fable of Borges suggests a replacement of the physical world by a virtual experiencing life, setting the tone for a pessimistic and somewhat fearful attitude towards technological development. On the verge of the dissemination of disruptive innovations that can be described under the “umbrella” of Internet of Things (IoT), we observe not a replacement, but a deep and complex intertwining of online and offline experiences, sketching the contours of what can become a phygital society. This alternative conceptualization of our contemporary society, combined with the possibilities of technological development, affords new opportunities for the expression and experiencing of culture, and also for the creative industries. In our research, we explore the impact of one augmented reality (AR) app designed for one of the landmarks of the Portuguese cultural heritage, Quinta da Regaleira. We explored this single-case study using qualitative data collection techniques, aiming to discuss the positive and negative outcomes of this innovation, both for the dynamizing of cultural heritage, and for the visitors. The article provides useful information for heritage spaces that wish to follow this path. It describes the main steps to be taken in the production of content and provides examples of the narrative model that helps people to visit the space and obtain information, knowing stories relevant to the past and present of the cultural heritage. The objective is to clarify, finally, due to the research developed in the Quinta da Regaleira case study, what kind of stories and experiences can be narrated, the strengths of this application, its limitations, and paths for future investigations.
14 citations
TL;DR: Religious literacy is defined as "the ability to discern and analyse the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses" as discussed by the authors, and it is a necessary component for successful citizenship across contemporary societies.
Abstract: Religious literacy has emerged as a commonplace term (amongst other identified and multiple literacies, e.g. media literacy, financial literacy, coding literacy) in education over the past 20 years, deemed to be a necessary component for successful citizenship across contemporary societies. Specifically, religious literacy is said to entail ‘the ability to discern and analyse the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses’. A religiously literate person is described as possessing: ‘a basic understanding of the history, central texts (where applicable), beliefs, practices and contemporary manifestations of several of the world’s religious traditions as they arose out of and continue to be shaped by particular social, historical and cultural contexts’ and ‘the ability to discern and explore the religious dimensions of political, social and cultural expressions across time and place’. Crucially, the religiously literate person will understand ‘religions and religious influences in context and as inextricably woven into all dimensions of human experience’ (Moore 2015, 30–31). Far from simply knowing the ‘facts’ about religion/s a religiously literate person will have managed to get ‘under the skin’ of religious life. They will, to use different terminologies, be able to imagine what it is like to exist within the schema of another’s worldview.
TL;DR: Social media facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts and information about older people and later life through online networks and communities in contemporary society as mentioned in this paper. But it is not suitable for children.
Abstract: Social media facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts and information about older people and later life through online networks and communities in contemporary society. Social media content about ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors outline some foundations of a critical, Marxist-humanist theory of communication in the age of digital capitalism, which is a counter-narrative, counter-theory, and counter-politics to neoliberalism, new authoritarianism, and postmodernism.
Abstract: This paper's task is to outline some foundations of a critical, Marxist-humanist theory of communication in the age of digital capitalism. It theorises the role of communication in society, communication and alienation, communication in social struggles, social struggles for democratic communication, the contradictions of digital capitalism, and struggles for digital socialist humanism.
Marxist humanism is a counter-narrative, counter-theory, and counter-politics to neoliberalism, new authoritarianism, and postmodernism. A critical theory of communication can should draw on this intellectual tradition. Communication and work stand in a dialectical relationship. Communication mediates, organises and is the process of the production of sociality and therefore of the reproduction of society. Society and communication are in class and capitalist societies shaped by the antagonism between instrumental and co-operative reason. Authoritarianism and humanism are two basic, antagonistic modes of organisation of society and communication. Instrumental reason creates and universalises alienation.
Digital capitalism is a dimension of contemporary society where digital technologies such as the computer, the Internet, the mobile phone, tablets, robots, and AI-driven (“smart”) technologies mediate the accumulation of capital, influence, and reputation. A Marxist-humanist theory of communication aims to inform struggles for a good, commons-based, public Internet in a good, commons-based society that has a vivid, democratic public sphere.
TL;DR: In view of the primary challenges facing contemporary society, such as globalisation and interdependence, the author reflects on the question of what the most appropriate educational policy and ped....
Abstract: In view of the primary challenges facing contemporary society, such as globalisation and interdependence, the author reflects on the question of what the most appropriate educational policy and ped...
DOI•
09 Jul 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on Garth Ennis' miniseries Bloody Mary (1996) and Kieron Gillen's ongoing series, Uber (2013-present) and demonstrate how one of the main products of postgenerational comics about World War Two is a representational mode originated from a multi-layered imagination of the war itself, rooted in historical records but contaminated by post-Cold War era cultural tropes.
Abstract: In recent years, the representation of the Second World War in US pop culture has undergone a radical transformation, especially in war comics. The conflict has indeed ceased to be depicted only in accurate historical reconstructions or on survivors’ personal memories: several recent World War Two comics memorialize historical events only up to a certain point, beyond which they reinterpret history and envision a hypothetical future staged on World War Two but inspired by contemporary elements and preoccupations. In light of this transformation, this essay will demonstrate how one of the main products of post-generational comics about World War Two is a representational mode originated from a multi-layered imagination of the war itself, rooted in historical records but contaminated by post-Cold War era cultural tropes. This examination transcends Marianne Hirsch’s notion of postmemory as strictly activated within familial bonds, but it implies the transfer of World War Two collective memory to a post-generation (broadly intended) of people “who were not actually there.” I will focus on Garth Ennis’ miniseries Bloody Mary (1996), and Kieron Gillen’s ongoing series, titled Uber (2013-present). Both texts envision dystopian contemporary societies torn apart by World War Two, which did not end in 1945 but continued into the 21 st century, and both narratives present elements pertaining to the official memory, as well as on a constellation of components which are part of a contemporary and deictic war imagination.
TL;DR: For better or worse, contemporary society places immense value on achievement and performance as mentioned in this paper, and the consequences of this emphasis on (if not obsession with) performance for people's sense o...
Abstract: For better or worse, contemporary society places immense value on achievement and performance. What are the consequences of this emphasis on (if not obsession with) performance for people’s sense o...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that "there is always change and there is no change qu...... " They argue that the challenges of contemporary society impinge upon their worldview.
Abstract: We live in tumultuous times – it is a common refrain for each new generation as the challenges of contemporary society impinge upon their worldview. There is always change and there is no change qu...
24 Aug 2020
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a sociological framework to conceptualise and examine the social, political, and economic dimensions and effects of self-help culture in contemporary society, arguing that the social influence of global therapeutic culture cannot be overstated.
Abstract: The chapter presents a sociological framework to conceptualise and examine the social, political, and economic dimensions and effects of self-help culture in contemporary society. It provides a general typology for classifying and organising the growing number of self-help genres, an examination of dominant messages and media, including a sociological explanation for their popularity. The chapter concludes by arguing that given its omnipresence, the social influence of global therapeutic culture cannot be overstated. The neoliberal era that fetishises the responsible, autonomous and “resilient” social subject also forces individuals to absorb sociostructural deterioration by way of self-help rather than community care, economic support, and social help. The chapter thus highlights sociopolitical forces that obscure the social processes, relations, discourses, and practices that give rise to individual suffering but are largely erased within self-help culture. Mainstream self-help thus pacifies subjects and depoliticises the political while simultaneously capitalising on the effects of social problems.
TL;DR: The 2019 Presidential Address to the American Society for Environme... as discussed by the authors addresses the social, political, economic, and ecological challenges that confront contemporary society, and responds to these challenges.
Abstract: Responding to the social, political, economic, and ecological challenges that confront contemporary society, this article—the 2019 Presidential Address to the American Society for Environme...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the first large-scale assessment of the views of practitioners of five major Christian denominations with regards to bell-ringing practice and its role in contemporary society.
TL;DR: In this paper, an empirical study on the professionalization of Islamic religious education, drawn on in this article, is based on Muslim teachers' own perspectives and experiences, which show how Muslims become Islamic education teachers, how Muslim teachers see their roles in secular public schools, how they teach and approach Islam or Islamic topics, what the challenges of teaching Islamic education in public schools are, and other related topics.
TL;DR: Connecting neuroscience and education is a desire in contemporary society, related to the recur- ring calls for education to become more evidence-based as mentioned in this paper, which is the goal of our work.
Abstract: Connecting neuroscience and education is a desire in contemporary society, related to the recur- ring calls for education to become more evidence-based. Research in educational neuroscience strives ...
Book•
21 May 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyse the concept of altruism starting from classical philosophy up to the systems of ideas of contemporaneity, considering the approaches and authors of reference in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way.
Abstract: This book aims to analyse the concept of altruism starting from classical philosophy up to the systems of ideas of contemporaneity, considering the approaches and authors of reference in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way. The representations of altruism and egoism in contemporary society are constantly changing, following the transformations of society itself. Having abandoned the idea that the factors leading to altruism or egoism lay only in human nature, we find them in people's conduct, freedom, relationships, their associative forms and society. The attention is thus turned to two elements of the daily life of individuals: culture and social relations. The book tries, therefore, through the meso-theories developed in recent decades, which study the relationships between life-world and social system, to describe the links between altruism, egoism, culture and social relations. We will pay particular attention to the relationality of individuals, in an attempt to overcome the dichotomy altruism/egoism by reading some aspects little considered by previous studies - or contemplated only indirectly or marginally. The ultimate goal is to highlight how positive actions are necessary for the contemporary society and how social sciences must go back and study positive socio-cultural actions and phenomena, not only negative, as a way to promote them for the well-being of the society.
TL;DR: In this paper, the meaning of the first article on the content of the Christian faith in recent theological works that have been produced, through the use of a hermeneutic exercise, conducting a bibliometric and categorical analysis and using NVivo software to analyse the qualitative data.
Abstract: Today, there are different understandings of the first article on the content of the Christian faith, for which an analysis from a theological perspective is necessary. This research sought to reveal the meaning of the first article on the content of the Christian faith in recent theological works that have been produced, through the use of a hermeneutic exercise, conducting a bibliometric and categorical analysis and using NVivo software to analyse the qualitative data. We concluded that the recent theological literature addresses the meaning of the first article of the Christian faith based on the existence, concept and definition of God and his attributes, as well as his power, behaviour, creation, revelation and reign. Although there is little extant material compared to other topics or areas of knowledge that can be explored using these tools, this fact is explained because, normally, theologians are not interested in publishing in high-impact journals. The way of approaching God in contemporary literature can be enriched by taking into account specific contexts, such as poverty, discrimination, suffering, violence, human trafficking, immigration and political realities, in such a way that it is not only a metaphysical reflection of God but also a historical and immanent and even an interreligious research that broadens the concept of the Christian God and answers questions that contemporary society asks in daily life.
16 Feb 2020
TL;DR: This article found that cognitive expertise about social privilege predicts social attitude differences between social groups, specifically whether people perceive the existence of social privilege as well as believe discrimination still exists in contemporary society.
Abstract: Social Implications – These classic measures of cognitive expertise about social privilege predict social attitude differences between social groups, specifically whether people perceive the existence of social privilege as well as believe discrimination still exists in contemporary society. Hypocognition of social privilege also carries implications for informal interventions (e.g., acting “colorblind”) that are popularly discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, a transnational research network investigating social work education is proposed, which consists of four European countries (Ireland, Italy, Norway, and the U.S.) with university based social work programs.
Abstract: This paper arises from a transnational research network investigating social work education. University based social work programmes from four European countries (Ireland, Italy, Norway, and the U....
TL;DR: The list of Omen compendia, lists of gods and their names, list of the names of one god, one god's name, one name, the name of one prophet, the list of saints, the lists of canonical books and lists of angels as discussed by the authors, lists of things forbidden and things that are allowed.
Abstract: Introduction Omen compendia, lists of gods, lists of the names of one god, catalogues of saints, lists of canonical books, lists of angels, catalogues of things that are forbidden and things that are allowed, lists of heresies... Religions would have looked very different without the aid of lists. And where had science been without taxonomies, registers, lexicons, catalogues, statistics and scientific bibliographies?
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the methods of how to encourage people to walk and provided practical solutions and steeps on how to promote walking among the contemporary society in order to maintain balanced and healthy lifestyles and to improve the environmental conditions.
Abstract: Walking represents a vital transport system for people to maintain balanced and healthy lifestyles and to improve the environmental conditions. Within a contemporary metropolitan society, other means of transport are often preferred. The presented paper aims to examine the methods of how to encourage people to walk. By organizing it into three main sections to begin with, the work of in order to investigate the nature of the metropolitan individual and the contemporary society. The second section builds on the outcomes of the first section. Hence it provides a clear rationale for the adoption of strategies that would encourage people to walk. Salim Street which is one of the important and vibrant streets inside Sulaimani city is being chosen for this study, its possibility to be a walk able street is analyzed. The third section provides practical solutions and steeps on how to promote walking among the contemporary society. then, a brief conclusion summarizes the key arguments encompassed in the presented paper and draws wider implications and recommendations for city planners to build more pedestrian friendly streets.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the state of democracy in Western Europe in the light of an essential change in public spheres towards more dissonance, disconnection, and noise, arguing that this condition is the unintended consequence of the co-occurrence of two long-term changes in contemporary societies: political culture changes in liberal democracy and changes in communication infrastructures.
Abstract: The aim of this essay is to discuss the state of democracy in Western Europe in the light of an essential change in public spheres towards more dissonance, disconnection, and noise. It is argued that this condition is the unintended consequence of the co-occurrence of two long-term changes in contemporary societies: political culture changes in liberal democracy and changes in communication infrastructures. The interaction of the disruption of democracy and digital communication has implications for public spheres as opportunity structures for democratic speech and institutions. The dynamics of dissonant public spheres have created a new disinformation order, pushing new political actors and communication modes to the fore. These conditions threaten established patterns of authoritative information flows and public debate, which puts contemporary democracy under serious stress.