Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Conceptual Clarity (conceptual + clarity)
Selected AbstractsMAKING ORDER OF DISORDER: A CALL FOR CONCEPTUAL CLARITY*CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 2 2008CHARIS E. KUBRIN First page of article [source] HIV disclosure among HIV positive individuals: a concept analysisJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 9 2010Rosemary W. Eustace eustace r.w. & ilagan p.r. (2010) HIV disclosure among HIV positive individuals: a concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(9), 2094,2103. Abstract Aim., This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept of HIV disclosure. Background., There is a growing interest among healthcare providers and researchers in HIV disclosure as an effective HIV prevention and early disease management initiative. However, the concept still remains unclear. Conceptual clarity is important for providing an expanded theoretical definition and understanding of attributes of HIV disclosure. This information is useful in constructing better HIV disclosure measures in HIV/AIDS nursing practice and research. Data sources., A computer search of the following databases was conducted to capture the meaning and processes of HIV disclosure among HIV-positive individuals: PubMed, CINAHL and PSYCINFO. Only English language journals were used. Publication dates of the literature review ranged from 1999 to 2009. The following key words were used: HIV disclosure, self-disclosure, disclosure and serostatus disclosure. Methods., The Walker and Avant (2005) concept analysis model (Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing, Pearson Prentice Hall, River, NJ, 2005) was used to guide the analysis process, which was completed in 2009. Results., The concept analysis revealed that HIV disclosure is a complex process characterized by the following attributes: experiencing an event, communicating something, timing, and contextual environment, protecting someone, relationship status and improving something or being therapeutic. In addition, the process of HIV disclosure varies across time. Conclusion., The proposed HIV disclosure attributes provide nursing scholars and researchers with new directions on how to reframe research questions, develop measurement tools to reflect better the diversity and fluidity of the process of HIV disclosure among HIV-positive individuals. Policy implications include the need to develop approaches that protect individual and public rights. [source] Fairness and Electoral Reform*BRITISH JOURNAL OF POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2004Adrian Blau First-past-the-post is often seen as unfair. But this reflects a narrow understanding of fairness. Several ideas of fairness exist, some of which help to defend first-past-the-post. Two key parts of the British electoral reform debate are discussed: the translation of votes to seats, and the translation of votes to power. Several arguments about fairness by both critics and defenders of first-past-the-post are questioned. Tensions within and between certain ideas of fairness are addressed. Stronger justification of different notions of fairness, and more rigorous empirical assessment of normative claims, are advocated. Conceptual clarity requires that protagonists identify explicitly which ideas of fairness they favour, or preferably, that they simply avoid the misleading and overly rhetorical language of fairness. [source] Hope in psychiatry: a review of the literatureACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2008B. Schrank Objective:, Hope has long been considered an important therapeutic factor in medicine, nursing and mental health and recently received attention as a central component of recovery. However, conceptual clarity, applicability and the predictive value of hope remain unclear. This review aims to define hope, review current approaches to assessment, and outline research evidence linking hope with effectiveness. Method:, We conducted a comprehensive review of publications on the conceptualisation and measurement of hope, and on its use as a predictive variable specifically in mental health patients. Results:, Forty-nine definitions of hope were identified, which were grouped into seven emergent dimensions. Thirty-two measurement tools were identified, although few have been used in research involving mental health patients. Eleven studies investigated hope as a predictive variable for differing outcomes, with inconclusive results. Conclusion:, Many conceptual frameworks for hope have been proposed, but empirical evidence on its predictive power in mental health is lacking. [source] Paranormal beliefs: their dimensionality and correlatesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 7 2006Marjaana Lindeman Abstract Lack of conceptual clarity and multivariate empirical studies has troubled research on superstitious, magical and paranormal beliefs. We defined paranormal beliefs as beliefs in physical, biological or psychological phenomena that feature core ontological properties of another ontological category. The aim was to bring together a range of beliefs and their potential correlates, to analyse whether the beliefs form independent subsets, and to test a structural model of the beliefs and their potential correlates. The results (N,=,3261) showed that the beliefs could be best described by one higher-order factor. There were also four lower-order factors of paranormal beliefs but their explanatory power was low. Magico-religious beliefs were best explained by high intuitive thinking, a humanistic world view and low analytical thinking. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A concept analysis of renal supportive care: the changing world of nephrologyJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2007Helen Noble Abstract Title.,A concept analysis of renal supportive care: the changing world of nephrology Aim., This paper is a report of a concept analysis of renal supportive care. Background., Approximately 1·5 million people worldwide are kept alive by renal dialysis. As services are required to support patients who decide not to start or to withdraw from dialysis, the term renal supportive care is emerging. Being similar to the terms palliative care, end-of-life care, terminal care and conservative management, there is a need for conceptual clarity. Method., Rodgers' evolutionary method was used as the organizing framework for this concept analysis. Data were collected from a review of CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences and ASSIA (1806,2006) using, ,renal' and ,supportive care' as keywords. All articles with an abstract were considered. The World Wide Web was also searched in English utilizing the phrase ,renal supportive care'. Results., Five attributes of renal supportive care were identified: available from diagnosis to death with an emphasis on honesty regarding prognosis and impact of disease; interdisciplinary approach to care; restorative care; family and carer support and effective, lucid communication to ensure informed choice and clear lines of decision-making. Conclusion., Renal supportive care is a dynamic and emerging concept relevant, but not limited to, the end phase of life. It suggests a central philosophy underpinning renal service development that allows patients, carers and the multidisciplinary team time to work together to realize complex goals. It has relevance for the renal community and is likely to be integrated increasingly into everyday nephrology practice. [source] Exploring a taxonomy for aggression against women: can it aid conceptual clarity?AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2009Sarah Cook Abstract The assessment of aggression against women is demanding primarily because assessment strategies do not share a common language to describe reliably the wide range of forms of aggression women experience. The lack of a common language impairs efforts to describe these experiences, understand causes and consequences of aggression against women, and develop effective intervention and prevention efforts. This review accomplishes two goals. First, it applies a theoretically and empirically based taxonomy to behaviors assessed by existing measurement instruments. Second, it evaluates whether the taxonomy provides a common language for the field. Strengths of the taxonomy include its ability to describe and categorize all forms of aggression found in existing quantitative measures. The taxonomy also classifies numerous examples of aggression discussed in the literature but notably absent from quantitative measures. Although we use existing quantitative measures as a starting place to evaluate the taxonomy, its use is not limited to quantitative methods. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 35:462,476, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Within and Beyond Communities of Practice: Making Sense of Learning Through Participation, Identity and Practice*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 3 2006Karen Handley abstract Situated learning theory offers a radical critique of cognitivist theories of learning, emphasizing the relational aspects of learning within communities of practice in contrast to the individualist assumptions of conventional theories. However, although many researchers have embraced the theoretical strength of situated learning theory, conceptual issues remain undeveloped in the literature. Roberts, for example, argues in this issue that the notion of ,communities of practice', a core concept in situated learning theory , is itself problematic. To complement her discussion, this paper explores the communities of practice concept from several perspectives. Firstly, we consider the perspective of the individual learner, and examine the processes which constitute ,situated learning'. Secondly, we consider the broader socio-cultural context in which communities of practice are embedded. We argue that the cultural richness of this broader context generates a fluidity and heterogeneity within and beyond communities. Finally, we argue that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish conceptually between the terms ,participation' and ,practice' because of occasional duplication of meaning. We propose, instead, a refinement of the definition to allow for greater conceptual clarity. [source] From gap gazing to promising cases: Moving toward equity in urban education reform,JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2001Alberto J. Rodriguez A case analysis of the Miami-Dade Urban Systemic Initiative is presented in this article, citing this initiative as one of the sites with the greatest promise for affecting equity issues. Using a grounded-theory methodological approach, a general framework for systemic reform was developed as a tool to examine the particulars of systemic reform initiatives and their potential to impact the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in diverse school contexts. It was found that to better understand the effectiveness of systemic reform initiatives requires answering two basic questions: What is the (pedagogical and ideological) systemic conceptual clarity guiding the reform efforts? And, what is the operational approach? Once answers to these questions are found, it becomes easier to explore how key officials are implementing or not implementing other aspects of systemic reform. The article also explains why less attention should be given to student outcomes (based on standardized tests) as the main indicator of success in systemic reform. Instead, it is proposed that insights gained from studying the particulars of promising initiatives can help others stimulate systemic reform in their own contexts, especially in urban contexts, which usually have few resources and a large population of students who are traditionally underserved. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 1115,1129, 2001 [source] Partnerships versus Regimes: Why Regime Theory Cannot Explain Urban Coalitions in the UKJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2003Jonathan S. Davies Regime theory, as developed by Elkin and Stone, neither describes nor explains the contrasting forms of collaboration in the UK. The development of urban regeneration partnerships has been driven by a combination of two main factors: the development of an ideological perception within local government elites that urban regeneration depends on market led growth, and a series of central government regeneration initiatives. These initiatives, designed to encourage, and where necessary coerce, local authorities into cooperative arrangements have resulted in highly bureaucratized, but symbolic, partnerships with local business elites. Business activity in these partnerships thus far has been marginal. It is unlikely to be fruitful, therefore, for scholars to seek Stonean regimes in the UK. On the other hand, to describe such partnerships as regimes is misleading and results in a lack of conceptual clarity. Despite the fashion for copying urban policy from the US, the institutions of urban politics in the UK are likely to remain resolutely different. [source] Flexibility: A Concept AnalysisNURSING FORUM, Issue 1 2000Michele August-Brady RN Flexibility is a quality that is deemed essential for nursing as the healthcare environment escalates into greater complexity. The word "flexibility" appears in nursing literature addressing the need to prepare for the next millenium, yet the concept of flexibility is rarely defined. Other disciplines, such as engineering, have struggled for years and continue to struggle to achieve conceptual clarity with regard to flexibility. A concept analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary method was undertaken to understand the meaning of flexibility. [source] Professional knowledge and the epistemology of reflective practiceNURSING PHILOSOPHY, Issue 1 2010Elizabeth Anne Kinsella PhD Abstract Reflective practice is one of the most popular theories of professional knowledge in the last 20 years and has been widely adopted by nursing, health, and social care professions. The term was coined by Donald Schön in his influential books The Reflective Practitioner, and Educating the Reflective Practitioner, and has garnered the unprecedented attention of theorists and practitioners of professional education and practice. Reflective practice has been integrated into professional preparatory programmes, continuing education programmes, and by the regulatory bodies of a wide range of health and social care professions. Yet, despite its popularity and widespread adoption, a problem frequently raised in the literature concerns the lack of conceptual clarity surrounding the term reflective practice. This paper seeks to respond to this problem by offering an analysis of the epistemology of reflective practice as revealed through a critical examination of philosophical influences within the theory. The aim is to discern philosophical underpinnings of reflective practice in order to advance increasingly coherent interpretations, and to consider the implications for conceptions of professional knowledge in professional life. The paper briefly examines major philosophical underpinnings in reflective practice to explicate central themes that inform the epistemological assumptions of the theory. The study draws on the work of Donald Schön, and on texts from four philosophers: John Dewey, Nelson Goodman, Michael Polanyi, and Gilbert Ryle. Five central epistemological themes in reflective practice are illuminated: (1) a broad critique of technical rationality; (2) professional practice knowledge as artistry; (3) constructivist assumptions in the theory; (4) the significance of tacit knowledge for professional practice knowledge; and (5) overcoming mind body dualism to recognize the knowledge revealed in intelligent action. The paper reveals that the theory of reflective practice is concerned with deep epistemological questions of significance to conceptions of knowledge in health and social care professions. [source] An overview of continuing interprofessional educationTHE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 3 2009Scott Reeves PhD ScientistArticle first published online: 2 SEP 200 Abstract Interprofessional education, continuing interprofessional education, interprofessional collaboration, and interprofessional care are moving to the forefront of approaches with the potential to reorganize the delivery of health professions education and health care practice. This article discusses 7 key trends in the scholarship and practice of interprofessional education: conceptual clarity, quality, safety, technology, assessment of learning, faculty development, and theory. [source] Intimate partner violence and child abuse: a child-centred perspectiveCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Chris Goddard Abstract A substantial body of literature assessing the impact of intimate partner violence on children and associations between intimate partner violence and child abuse now exists. Central to knowledge about these areas of practice and research is a robust, child-centred consideration of some of the more challenging conceptual issues they give rise to. In this paper, we aim to stimulate debate by presenting a critical, child-centred perspective on the intersection between intimate partner violence and child abuse. Initially, we provide the context for the review by presenting a brief overview of the literature. We then consider three central issues from a child-centred perspective. We discuss the language used to describe children forced to live with intimate partner violence, and the importance of hearing children's perspectives on their experiences of such conflict. Finally, we consider similarities and differences between the intimate partner violence and child abuse fields from a child-centred viewpoint. We conclude that increasing conceptual clarity around these issues will enhance research in the field, and ultimately improve interventions designed to protect children forced to live with intimate partner violence. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||