Factors affecting the motivation of TEFL academics in higher education in China

This study investigates the motivation of English language lecturers in a Chinese university. Recent studies have shown that low morale and job dissatisfaction are significant problems identified in lecturers who teach English in universities in China. Given the importance of teaching English as a second language in China, this problem has potentially significant ramifications for the nation’s future. Low staff morale is likely to be associated with less effective teaching and poor student learning outcomes. Although the problem is acknowledged, there has been limited research to understand the underlying contributing factors. To address this, a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was adopted and implemented in two phases at a large regional university in Northern China. The participants in the main study were 100 lecturers from two colleges at this university. All of the lecturers were responsible for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); 50 were teaching English majors and 50 were teaching university students whose majors were not English. The research was informed by a synthesis of self determination theory and theories of organisational culture. The study found: 1) in contrast to previously reported studies, lecturers in this institution were in general autonomously motivated in teaching. 2) However, their level of motivation was influenced by their personal experiences and varied sense of competence, relatedness and autonomy. 3) In particular, personal experiences and contextual factors such as the influence of Chinese culture, societal context, and organisational climate were significant in regulating lecturers’ motivation to teach. The findings are significant for leaders in higher education who need to implement policies that foster effective work environments. The study has also provided insights into the capacity of self determination theory to explain motivation in a Chinese culture.

Volunteering, pro-environmental attitudes and norms

In the spirit of previous work in the compliance literature (e.g., tax, littering), we investigate whether environmental social norms affect volunteering in environmental organizations. Using two ‘environmental morale’ variables as indirect measures, we analyze the impact of social norms on the incidence of unpaid work in environmental organizations. In addition, we test whether violation of a specific environmental norm initiates a conditional cooperation response. We explore a large individual data set covering 32 countries from both Western and Eastern Europe, and extend the number of countries investigated to test the robustness of the relationship at the macro level. Our results indicate a strong positive relationship between the proxies for environmental social norms and volunteering in environmental organizations. The relationship persists despite our various robustness checks.

The Levels of Job Satisfaction, Stress and Burnout In Australian and New Zealand Haemodialysis Nurses

Background: Job dissatisfaction, stress and burnout is linked to high rates of nurses leaving the profession, poor morale, poor patient outcomes and increased financial expenditure. Haemodialysis nurses find their work satisfying although it can be stressful. Little is known, however, about job satisfaction, stress or burnout levels of haemodialysis nurses in Australia and New Zealand. Aims: To assess the current levels of job satisfaction, stress, burnout and nurses’ perception of the haemodialysis work environment. Methods: An observational study involved a cross-sectional sample of 417 registered or enrolled nurses working in Australian or New Zealand haemodialysis units. Data was collected using an on-line questionnaire containing demographic and work characteristics as well as validated measures of job satisfaction, stress, burnout and the work environment Results: 74% of respondents were aged over 40 and 75% had more than six years of haemodialysis nursing experience. Job satisfaction levels were comparable to studies in other practice areas with higher satisfaction derived from professional status and interactions with colleagues. Despite nurses viewing their work environment favourably, moderate levels of burnout were noted with frequent stressors related to workload and patient death and dying. Interestingly there were no differences found between the type or location of dialysis unit. Conclusion: Despite acceptable levels of job satisfaction and burnout, stress with workloads and facets of patient care were found. Understanding the factors that contribute to job satisfaction, stress and burnout can impact the healthcare system through decreased costs by retaining valued staff and through improved patient care.

Who are our repeating students? Profiling students persisting after failure

Research on attrition has focused on the economic significance of low graduation rates in terms of costs to students (fees that do not culminate in a credential) and impact on future income. For a student who fails a unit and repeats the unit multiple times, the financial impact is significant and lasting (Bexley, Daroesman, Arkoudis & James 2013). There are obvious advantages for the timely completion of a degree, both for the student and the institution. Advantages to students include fee minimisation, enhanced engagement opportunities, effectual pathway to employment and a sense of worth, morale and cohort-identity benefits. Work undertaken by the QUT Analytics Project in 2013 and 2014 explored student engagement patterns capturing a variety of data sources and specifically, the use of LMS amongst students in 804 undergraduate units in one semester. Units with high failure rates were given further attention and it was found that students who were repeating a unit were less likely to pass the unit than students attempting it for the first time. In this repeating cohort, academic and behavioural variables were consistently more significant in the modelling than were any demographic variables, indicating that a student’s performance at university is far more impacted by what they do once they arrive than it is by where they come from. The aim of this poster session is to examine the findings and commonalities of a number of case studies that articulated the engagement activities of repeating students (which included collating data from Individual Unit Reports, academic and peer advising programs and engagement with virtual learning resources). Understanding the profile of the repeating student cohort is therefore as important as considering the characteristics of successful students so that the institution might be better placed to target the repeating students and make proactive interventions as early as possible.

Rintamamiesten muonitus Suomessa sotavuosina 1939-1945

This study analyzes the war-time rations the Finnish soldiers received on the front from 1939 until 1945. The main objective was to determine the contents of the rations and how they affected the soldiers' nutrition and morale. The information concerning food and feeding is mainly based on the official documents found in the Military Archives. Some additional material was from the historical literature, some from memoirs, or from the veterans who personally experienced the front. The documents in the Archives of Military Medicine provided information on the soldiers' deficiencies. During the Winter War, which took place from 30 November 1939 until 13 March 1940, ample food was available. The cold climate caused problems and the fresh food got frozen. However, no severe deficiency cases were reported and the morale was high. By contrast, during the Continuation War, which began in June, 1941 and ended in September, 1944, difficulties were experienced. At the time farming in the country faced serious problems due to the shortage of labour, fuel, etc. Furthermore, importing food was generally not possible. However, importing food mainly from Germany saved the Finns from hunger. In addition, the self activity of the soldiers on the front added somewhat to the food production. But the rations had to be reduced. Their energy values were consequently low, especially for the young men. Food was monotonous and occasionally caused complaints. The main sources of protein, vitamins and minerals were the whole cereal foods. Butter was fortified with vitamin A and vitamin C tablets were also distributed, to compensate for the scant food sources. Only approximately 300 serious deficiency cases required hospital care during the three years time, out of a total of 400 000 soldiers. Feeding the young soldiers during the war (1944 - 1945) in Lapland, which had been destroyed, was problematic but the increased rations also saved them from deficiencies. In spite of the severe difficulties experienced occasionally in feeding the soldiers during the wars, the system worked all the time. The soldiers were fed, the cases of nutritional deficiency and epidemics caused by food were kept very limited and the morale of soldiers remained high.

Tax compliance and psychic costs: Behavioral experimental evidence using a physiological marker

Although paying taxes is a key element of a well-functioning society, there is still limited understanding as to why people actually pay their taxes. Models emphasizing that taxpayers make strategic, financially motivated compliance decisions seemingly assume an overly restrictive view of human nature. Law abidance may be more accurately explained by social norms, a concept that has gained growing importance as research attempts to understand the tax compliance puzzle. This study analyzes the influence of psychic stress generated by the possibility of breaking social norms in the tax compliance context. We measure psychic stress using heart rate variability (HRV), which captures the psychobiological or neural equivalents of psychic stress that may arise from the contemplation of real or imagined actions, producing immediate physiologic discomfort. The results of our laboratory experiments provide empirical evidence of a positive correlation between psychic stress and tax compliance, thus underscoring the importance of moral sentiments for tax compliance. We also identify three distinct types of individuals who differ in their levels of psychic stress, tax morale, and tax compliance.

Essays on Illegal Activities, Institutions and Economic Growth

In public economics, two extremist views on the functions of a government compete: one emphasizes government working for the public interest to provide value for the citizens, while another regards government mainly as a workhorse for private interests. Moreover, as the sole legitimate authority, the government has the right to define the rules and laws as well as to enforce them. With respect to regulation, two extremes arise: from too little regulation to too much of it. If the government does not function or ceases to exist, the state falls into anarchy or chaos (Somalia). If it regulates too much, it will completely suffocate private activities, which might be considered extralegal (the former Soviet Union). In this thesis I scrutinize the government s interventionist policies and evaluate the question of how to best promote economic well-being. The first two essays assume that the government s policies promote illegal activity. The first paper evaluates the interaction between the government and the mafia, and pays attention to the law enforcement of underground production. We show that the revenue-maximizing government will always monitor the shadow economy, as monitoring contributes to the government s revenue. In general, both legal and illegal firms are hurt by the entry of the mafia. It is, however, plausible that legal firms might benefit by the entry of the mafia if it competes with the government. The second paper tackles the issue of the measurement of the size of the shadow economy. To formulate policies it is essential to know what drives illegal economic activity; is it the tax burden, excess regulation, corruption or a weak legal environment? In this paper we propose an additional explanation for tax evasion and shadow production, namely cultural factors as manifested by religion as determinants of tax morality. According to our findings, Catholic and Protestant countries do not differ in their tax morale. The third paper contributes to the literature discussing the role of the government in promoting economic and productivity growth. Our main result is that, given the complex relationship between economic growth and economic freedom, marketization has not necessarily been beneficial in terms of growth. The last paper builds on traditional growth literature and revisits the debate on convergence clubs arising from demographic transition. We provide new evidence against the idea that countries within a club would converge over time. Instead, we propose that since the demographic transition is a dynamic process, one can expect countries to enter the last regime of stable, modern growth in stages.

The British Intervention in South Russia 1918-1920

Soon after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, a three-year civil war broke out in Russia. As in many other civil wars, foreign powers intervened in the conflict. Britain played a leading role in this intervention and had a significant effect on the course of the war. Without this intervention on the White side, the superiority of numbers in manpower and weaponry of the Bolsheviks would have quickly overwhelmed their opponents. The aim of this dissertation is to explain the nature and role of the British intervention on the southern, and most decisive, front of the Civil War. The political decision making in London is studied as a background, but the focus of the dissertation is on the actual implementation of the British policy in Russia. The British military mission arrived in South Russia in late 1918, and started to provide General Denikin s White army with ample supplies. General Denikin would have not been able to build his army of more than 200,000 men or to make his operation against Moscow without the British matériel. The British mission also organized the training and equipping of the Russian troops with British weapons. This made the material aid much more effective. Many of the British instructors took part in fighting the Bolsheviks despite the orders of their government. The study is based on primary sources produced by British departments of state and members of the British mission and military units in South Russia. Primary sources from the Whites, including the personal collections of several key figures of the White movement and official records of the Armed Forces of South Russia are also used to give a balanced picture of the course of events. It is possible to draw some general conclusions from the White movement and reasons for their defeat from the study of the British intervention. In purely material terms the British aid placed Denikin s army in a far more favourable position than the Bolsheviks in 1919, but other military defects in the White army were numerous. The White commanders were unimaginative, their military thinking was obsolete, and they were incapable of organizing the logistics of their army. There were also fundamental defects in the morale of the White troops. In addition to all political mistakes of Denikin s movement and a general inability to adjust to the complex situation in Revolutionary Russia, the Whites suffered a clear military defeat. In South Russia the Whites were defeated not because of the lack of British aid, but rather in spite of it.

El modelo de sexualidad de la sociedad cristiana medieval: norma y transgresión

[ES]En estas páginas se analiza el modelo de sexualidad conyugal establecido por la Iglesia medieval para poder responder a la pregunta de qué era lícito y qué no en las relaciones sexuales. Así, entre otras cuestiones, se pasa revista a las posturas, a los momentos, las frecuencias, etc. Igualmente se exponen diversas estrategias arbitradas por la sociedad medieval para vivir en pareja y disfrutar del sexo al margen del matrimonio canónico, como la barraganía,el amancebamiento o el estupro.

Da sujeição a coragem da verdade: um percurso no pensamento de Michel Foucault

Nossa tese tem por objeto o percurso Da Sujeição à Coragem da Verdade na obra de Michel Foucault, filósofo que, efetuando uma mudança radical do pensamento adotado pela tradição clássica, afasta-se da concepção cartesiana de sujeito como substância - res cogitans-, suporte a partir do qual todo conhecimento é possível e o insere como um sujeito objetivado e subjetivado, um efeito da relação poder-saber, que se efetiva nas práticas sociais, a partir de sua aproximação com os pensamentos de Nietzsche e Canguilhem. Temos como objetivo investigar de que maneira Foucault, a partir deste sujeito, objetivado e subjetivado, encontra a possibilidade de constituição de um sujeito ético, que resistindo à objetivação e à subjetivação dadas, elabora uma estética da existência. Nossa hipótese de trabalho é que Foucault, ao convergir suas pesquisas ao período helenístico-romano, identifica a possibilidade de um governo de si, que permite a elaboração de uma estética da existência, afirmada pela Coragem da Verdade, que tem no cinismo sua maior expressão. Utilizamos como metodologia, a leitura, interpretação e análise crítica de textos de Foucault, bem como de textos de seus comentadores. Como resultado de nossa pesquisa foi possível verificar que Foucault encontra a passagem de um sujeito assujeitado para um sujeito capaz de se subjetivar, através do exercício de um governo de si, de um cuidado de si, calcado na Parrhesía, na Coragem da Verdade. Através do exemplo cínico, pode ser colocada em prática, por um ato de escolha, uma filosofia militante, que faça da vida filosófica e da vida verdadeira uma vida outra: uma estética da existência.

A importância da solidão no Zaratrusta de Nietzsche

Esta dissertação tem o objetivo de analisar a importância da solidão em Assim falou aratustra. Entretanto, para isso, abordamos a questão do método genealógico como crítica aos valores morais, em A genealogia da moral. Também estudamos o problema da moralidade e da consciência a partir da crítica genealógica de Nietzsche, com o intuito de analisar as relações entre solidão e imoralismo. Outrossim, analisamos como a solidão é o estilo do caráter, com o qual alguém se torna o que se é, representada por Zaratustra. A solidão é, portanto, o estilo de Zaratustra como aquele que afirma a transitoriedade e a contraditoriedade na luta de forças. Tal é o estilo daquele que assume a vida como vontade de potência, ou seja, vontade de assimilação, de expansão e apropriação do que é estranho. Entretanto, a vontade é entendida como movimento de expansão das forças. Ela não é apenas um desejo, mas é a propensão das forças em constante batalha. Tal movimento, que é a vontade, ora produz o niilismo, que nega a existência, ora demanda na afirmação da vida. Nesse caso, Zaratustra é a personagem que dá estilo ao seu caráter porque afirma a vida como vontade de potência, como um jogo entre composições de forças posicionais, perspectivas.

Governo, resistência e práticas de subjetivação em Michel Foucault

O presente trabalho é resultado de uma pesquisa no campo da ética e da filosofia política contemporâneas cujo objetivo geral consiste em analisar o modo pelo qual se articulam, no pensamento tardio de Michel Foucault (1926-1984), as noções de governo, resistência e práticas de subjetivação. A questão que o conduz é a do papel das práticas de subjetivação na constituição de novas formas de resistência às práticas de governo da vida humana na atualidade. Procurando respondê-la a partir do pensamento foucaultiano, desenvolvemos a seguinte hipótese: em Foucault, as práticas de constituição dos sujeitos teriam papel de fundamental importância para a elaboração de novas formas de resistência política às diferentes técnicas de governo e condução da vida humana na atualidade, isto é, a importância conferida às formas de subjetivação ética ou às práticas de governo de si, não implica num individualismo ético ou numa redução da política à esfera da ética. Trata-se, ao contrário, de uma investigação acerca do modo pelo qual as práticas de si se encontram inseridas num contexto mais amplo de práticas sociais e de lutas, podendo se constituir como pontos de resistência aos tipos de governamentalidade que, ao longo dos séculos, impuseram aos indivíduos determinadas formas de existência. Trata-se, em todo o trabalho, de uma possível articulação entre ética e política a partir da noção foucaultiana de governamentalidade, que concerne ao par governo dos outros/governo de si, e que é também o fio condutor desta investigação. Método: para verificar nossa hipótese, julgamos necessário articular elementos da trajetória filosófica tardia de Foucault presentes em seus últimos cursos e livros, que permitissem compreender mais apropriadamente a relação que há entre: as formas históricas de governar os indivíduos e as populações nas sociedades ocidentais modernas; as formas de resistência possível a essas formas de governar; e as práticas de subjetivação. Com a pesquisa, verificamos o caráter estratégico e móvel tanto das práticas de governar a si mesmo e aos outros quanto das formas de resistência expressas nas lutas da atualidade e nos modos de subjetivação elaborados por indivíduos e grupos.

O serviço social do Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social - INSS a partir da década de 90: uma análise da implantação da matriz teórico-metodológica

Com a presente dissertação intitulada O Serviço Social do Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social - INSS a partir da década de 90 Uma Análise da implantação da Matriz Teórico-Metodológica, a autora buscou avaliar a concretização de uma nova proposta de trabalho profissional do assistente social do INSS, órgão responsável pela operacionalização da política previdenciária pública brasileira. A ação prioritária desenvolvida na nova proposta volta-se para assegurar o direito e acesso aos serviços e benefícios contribuindo para formação de consciência de proteção ao trabalho. Há um posicionamento dos assistentes sociais na defesa dos direitos sociais e da cidadania e a recusa dos profissionais a serem meros interlocutores institucionais, resgatando o caráter contraditório das políticas sociais na relação capital/trabalho, em favor da luta dos trabalhadores. A realidade brasileira apontou na década de 90, para uma crescente concentração de renda, aumento do desemprego e trabalho informal com o aumento das desigualdades sociais. Houve a adesão do país à política neoliberal configurando uma nova organização do trabalho, marcada por maior precarização e flexibilização das relações de trabalho e uma nova atuação do Estado, sendo realizada a contra-reforma com ênfase nas privatizações, reforma da previdência e do aparelho do Estado, dentre outras ações. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida numa abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa. Visou analisar a implantação, as ações realizadas, as possibilidades e limites da consolidação da Matriz Teórico-Metodológica adotada pelo Serviço Social do INSS a partir da década de 90, no Brasil, no contexto do neoliberalismo. Houve a concretização da proposta delineada no novo paradigma, conforme conclui a pesquisa. Este processo não se deu de forma homogênea, mas com o envolvimento dos profissionais em todo o Brasil, que se traduziu em desenvolvimento de projetos e ações nacionais. No entanto, a consolidação desse processo exige longo prazo além de um constante aperfeiçoamento teórico metodológico, capacidade técnico-operativa e compromisso ético político do assistente social.

A desconstrução é ético-política

Este trabalho tem como objetivo explicitar como os motivos da différance e da escritura evocam preocupações éticas e políticas que nos permitem afirmar que aquilo que se convencionou chamar, na segunda metade do século XX, desconstrução é, desde sua formulação inicial, ético-política. Neste sentido, percebemos como o alargamento da noção de escritura, evidenciado pelo filósofo franco-argelino Jacques Derrida, nos permite o deslocamento das categorias que tradicionalmente organizaram os campos ético, jurídico e político, que, agora sem os álibis metafísicos que lhes são característicos, nos possibilitam pensar novas formas de se fazer justiça à singularidade do outro.

Que lugar para a psicanálise no campo da saúde mental? elementos para um estudo sobre a clínica da psicose

A presente pesquisa é tributária de um interesse particular pela clínica das psicoses. A partir dela viemos endossar a proposta de Jacques Lacan segundo a qual o analista não deve recuar diante da psicose, acrescentando que não recuar diante da psicose implica em não recuar diante da instituição psiquiátrica, incluindo aí não só o hospital psiquiátrico e os ambulatórios públicos, mas também e, sobretudo, os dispositivos que compõem o que se denominou, a partir da reforma psiquiátrica, de campo da saúde mental. Tendo como ponto de partida a crença de que a maioria dos casos de psicose necessita da instituição psiquiátrica, seja esta uma instituição tradicional - o hospital psiquiátrico -, ou um dispositivo que se pretende substitutivo em relação a ele - um hospital-dia ou um CAPS (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial), propomos nessa dissertação um questionamento acerca do lugar da psicanálise no campo da saúde mental. Desde Freud a psicose vem colocando questões à psicanálise, convocando os analistas ao trabalho de sustentar o dispositivo analítico num terreno onde este parece ser colocado à prova. E quando se trata de sustentá-lo fora do setting do consultório privado - numa enfermaria ou num CAPS, por exemplo -, o desafio ainda é maior. Nessa dissertação tentaremos delimitar o que a psicanálise tem de específico no que tange à abordagem da psicose e enquanto clínica do sujeito, o que define um certo lugar para ela no campo da saúde mental. Freud nos apresenta a escuta como instrumento principal do analista na prática clínica. Lacan, em sua releitura de Freud, vai apontar para o que ela tem de específico - uma escuta referenciada numa ética particular: a ética da psicanálise, sustentada no desejo do analista. Portanto, é a partir dessa escuta que visamos sugerir um lugar específico para a psicanálise, independente do ambiente onde se dá a experiência analítica