Search

Christianity is in long-term decline in the United Kingdom, with decreasing levels of affiliation, practice, belief, and social authority. At the same time, however, Britain's churches and the faith they represent remain deeply embedded within culture and society. This paper offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of how the "sector" of UK Christian interest groups—that is, organizations with a Christian character that seek to influence government policy—operates within this changing socio-religious context. Based on survey and interview data, it examines the extent of Christian interest group activity in the UK, before assessing their issue agendas, lobbying strategies, and influence. The results indicate that the activities of Christian interest groups have been affected by decline, but also by Christianity's continued strengths within society. These findings provide a basis for deeper investigation of Christianity's political influence in the UK, and will also have implications beyond this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we argue that policy assumptions are shaped by mythical narratives carrying underlying beliefs and values. Drawing on narrative studies, organisational theory and Gramsci's cultural hegemony theory, we examine how sense-making narratives create consensus, how they imply causation and individual agency, and finally how narratives fragment to reveal alternatives to hegemonic 'common sense' assumptions. Applying this framework to cultural policy we examine the place of mythic, sense-making narratives in the historical development of foundational national cultural policies in the UK and Mexico – respectively, narratives of 'the civilising mission' and 'social transformation'. We then consider narrative emplotment and individualisation underpinning assumptions about individual creativity in the UK creative industries policy. Finally, we address the postmodern turn in narrative studies, showing how fragmented, polysemous narratives fracture cultural policy into 'personalised truths' and give voice to other, counter-hegemonic perspectives. We conclude by proposing an agenda for narrative research in cultural policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS) is the most widely used measure of general belief in conspiracy theories. The scale comprises five related but distinct factors (Government Malfeasance, Extraterrestrial Cover-up, Malevolent Global Conspiracies, Personal Wellbeing, and Control of Information). Despite this, investigators have typically treated the GCBS as unidimensional by referencing only overall total. Although, the GCBS possesses established psychometric properties, critics question its factorial structure, suggest alternative models, and recommend routine examination of GCBS dimensions as part of analysis. Through two studies, the present paper assessed GCBS factorial structure, internal reliability, convergent validity, and invariance. This involved comparing the original five-factor solution with alternative one, two, and three-factor models. To ensure that the best fitting model was robust, the authors conducted analysis in two independent samples (Study one, N = 794, UK university-based sample; and Study two, N = 418, UK respondents collected via a market research company). Results in both studies indicated superior fit for the correlated five-factor solution. This solution demonstrated invariance across gender, and samples (Study one and two). Furthermore, the total scale and five subfactors evinced good alpha and omega total reliability. Convergent validity testing exhibited associations of an expected strength between conspiracist beliefs, reality testing, and cognitive insight. Large intercorrelations existed among GCBS subfactors, suggesting that the measure reflects a narrow set of interrelated conspiracist assumptions. These findings support the use of overall scale scores as an index of belief in conspiracy theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for a place for linguistics within the UK Modern Languages curriculum as part of a more pluralistic approach to languages study. Based on an intervention involving over 300 A-level students of French, German and Spanish, we demonstrate: 1) that it is feasible and appropriate to include linguistics topics on the A-level Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) curriculum; 2) that many of these topics are inherently interesting for A-level language students; and 3) that pupils report increased confidence in their language skills after having been exposed to a short linguistics course (four hours). In light of our further finding that there is already considerable untapped scope for linguistics within the current formal framework of the A-level MFL qualification, we recommend that linguistics topics should be included in MFL A-levels as a matter of priority. This is the case not least because linguistics has the potential to attract new pupils to the study of MFL, while also providing a crucial bridge between language skills and cultural content, which are so often kept apart in existing MFL curricula. Lastly, we argue that the introduction of linguistics into languages teaching raises awareness of the harmfulness of deeply entrenched prescriptive and standard-language-ideological beliefs in schools, and this will lead to a more inclusive discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assumption that scientific knowledge would bring an end to religious belief has challenged many scholars, particularly since such a belief persists even among those devoted to scientific activities. In this paper the occurrence and nature of religious belief in groups of life scientists working in the UK and Brazil is discussed in the context of their degree of training. Data obtained through one-to-one interviews went beyond mere yes/no answers to questions on belonging to a religion or believing in God. Categories were created to assess how open these scientists were with regard to the possibility of the supernatural. The results suggest that scientific training affected their religious belief and reduced the number of believers. Nevertheless there were scientists in both groups whose beliefs persisted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores black African children's experiences of the child protection system in the UK. The central focus of the paper is a review of the available literature on the social circumstances and environmental influences affecting many black African families involved in the child protection system; specific parenting practices and caregiving environments; and their experiences of social work and other professional interventions aimed at safeguarding and promoting the needs of African children. This paper examines these themes to elucidate the factors that contribute to the pro- vision of effective, culturally competent interventions with black African children at risk of significant harm. It suggests that there are a number of tensions inherent for professionals in working with culturally diverse African families such as reconciling different beliefs and behaviours concerning child-rearing practices; affirming the parenting practices of these families in the engagement process; adopting a strengths-based orientation whilst at the same time safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews late Roman ‘nail-cleaner strap-ends’, a group of objects first discussed by Hawkes and Dunning (1961 ). The precise function of these objects is unclear as their shape suggests use as toilet instruments but the split socket suggests that they were part of belt-fittings. We suggest a detailed typology and discuss the dating evidence and the spatial distribution of the type. Regardless of their precise function, it is argued in this paper that nail-cleaner strap-ends of this type are unique to late Roman Britain and thus represent a distinct regional type. The use of nail-cleaner strap-ends can be viewed in the context of gender associations, military status and religious beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joanne Belknap's recent ASC presidential address included a critique of Convict Criminology's activism. A number of concerns were provided, although of particular importance here are, first, Belknap's concerns regarding the absence of 'marginalized voices' in the Convict Criminology network. Second, the issue of defining how non-con academics function as Convict Criminology group members. This paper responds to these criticisms. Specifically, we discuss the question of 'representation' in BCC and our attempts to remedy this issue. We also draw attention to the academic activism that British Convict Criminology is conducting in Europe. This includes a detailed discussion of the collaborative research-activist activities that involve non-con as well as ex-con academic network members. We demonstrate how these collaborations explain the vital group membership role that non-con academics assume in the activism of Convict Criminology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the concepts of truth, truth-making and truth- preservation and their role in defining deductive validity as analysed by the late-medieval nominalist scholar Martin Le Maistre (1432-1481) in his Tractatu consequentiarum. This treatise, examined from the point of view of fourteenth- century British and Parisian influences, can be characterised as a critical adoption of the previous logical tradition and as the analysis of validity in term of truth-preservation. Part of this analysis is a study of self-referential phenomena, in particular, of self-referential inferences which are addressed in terms of a Bradwardinian implicit-meaning analysis of self-reference by Le Maistre. Also, his analysis of "consequentia farmalis" summarises the fourteenth-century development of the discussion and compares alternative approaches towards formality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cognitive processes underlying belief are still obscure. Understanding these processes may lead to more targeted treatment to better address functional impairment, such as occurs with delusions. One way in which this might be accomplished is to understand healthy, everyday beliefs, and how these may relate to characteristics observed in delusions. As yet, no such measure exists to accurately measure belief across a range of themes and dimensions. This paper outlines two studies documenting the creation and psychometric properties of a novel measure assessing three different dimensions of belief across themes of politics, science, the paranormal, religion, and morality in UK samples (n = 1,673 total). Reliability estimates suggested good to excellent consistency (alpha > 0.8 per theme) with moderate to excellent reliability at 48 h (ICC = 0.61 -0.96) and 3.5 months (ICC = 0.61 -0.89). Factor analyses suggested good support for our five chosen themes of belief, suggesting they are distinct topic areas. Correlations across theme and dimension suggested dissociable characteristics within themes. These results have implications for 1. understanding the stability and relationship between themes of belief in a population and, 2. exploring how beliefs may change over time or as a result of an intervention. Full analysis code and data are available from the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/hzvwr/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1This article employs a broad concept of memory in order to examine the reconstruction of the past in various migrant religious and educational settings in the period after 1970. In educational projects designed to promote good community relations, and in attempts to develop non-dogmatic forms of religious belief, British history became the subject of extensive discussion and debate. A small space opened up in which the legacies of British imperial history, so often a matter of visceral feeling, could be publicised, explored and taken seriously. Using case studies from London and Birmingham the article argues that religious groups played a small but important role in enabling new, more inclusive and more critical historical narratives to enter metropolitan British society. 1Part of the research for this paper was funded by a grant from the Nuffield Foundation whose support I gratefully acknowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passage of the Human Rights Act 1998 led to considerable speculation that it would be followed by a rise in litigation in the area of health care law as patients sought to assert claims in the English courts based upon the ECHR. This paper considers one area where the Human Rights Act might have been thought to have an impact namely where matters of faith and belief are concerned. It focuses in particular upon two aspects of the relationship between health care law, faith and belief in particular--that of the patient and of the health care professional. It explores what has happened since the Act came into force. The paper examines why eight years on the overall impact of the Act upon health care law in general and upon matters of faith and belief in particular has been so limited. The paper suggests that despite the initial hope generated by the passage of the legislation in some respects it has represented a missed opportunity. It suggests that there is a case for a new dialogue exploring the relationship between fundamental rights in relation to faith and belief and the development of health care law and health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many observers have commented on disparities between the theoretical understandings of environmental education portrayed in academic literature and the environmental education that takes place in schools. In much of the literature and in curriculum documents there has been an increasing emphasis on promoting positive attitudes towards the environment, and the results of several surveys suggest that many teachers support this aim. This paper explores the beliefs of three geography teachers teaching controversial environmental issues in UK secondary schools. In contrast to the findings of prior studies, the teachers in this study feel strongly that they should try to avoid influencing students' attitudes, or imposing any kind of pro‐environmental agenda. There is a substantial divergence between the teachers' beliefs and the espoused aims of much environmental education literature and the geography syllabus they were following. This suggests that, unless curriculum developers take account of teachers' beliefs in designing new curriculum materials, those materials are unlikely to be implemented in their intended format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines lay accounts of illness and health gathered - by means of eight focus groups - from people living in two Cantonese-speaking communities in England. The authors concentrate on the manner in which Cantonese speakers recruit and mobilise various agents - such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), spirits, demons, food and the weather - to describe and explain aspects of their bodily and mental wellbeing. As well as providing information on what Cantonese speakers say about such matters, the data are also used to indicate how a concentration on 'accounts', rather than on 'beliefs', enables sociology to side-step a concern with the subjective and psychological and to focus, instead, on what is publicly available and verifiable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding and interpretation of the presumed "secularization" of Britain and other European nations is clouded by a lack of adequate information regarding the substance and timing of religious change. This paper represents the first systematic effort to collect and analyze existing survey data on religious belief in Britain from the late 1930s to the present. Overall, the results show an increase in general scepticism about the existence of God, the related erosion of dominant, traditional Christian beliefs, and the persistence of nontraditional beliefs. A theoretical perspective is needed that recognizes the often corrosive effects of modern life on the transmission of religious beliefs and the continued popularity of worldviews which presume a transcendent referent, however broadly defined.

Implementation of any inclusive policy is dependent on longstanding conceptions, beliefs, and public discourses on schooling, learning, and including children in mainstream schooling. The adoption of inclusive education in education policies in France and the United Kingdom requires discursive support to reshape the meaning and content of teachers' work, duties and practices. Although inclusive education is widely debated, analyses of the variations in policy narratives promoting inclusive teaching in Europe are lacking. This article reports on comparative and international analysis of discourses and policies for empowering teachers for continuous professional development and inclusive school practices. The analysis focuses on an exploration of varieties of articulations, resources, and conceptual dynamics in the UK and France. These elements are discussed within the broader scheme of the teaching profession, with reference to the inclusive education paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst based on Traditional Christian theology, Quakerism is distinct from other Christian groups in terms of the non-hierarchical structure of the group, a lack of clergy and a particular style of worship. The British Quaker worshipping style, characterised by still and silent waiting, allows for a diversity of beliefs to he held that may not necessarily be recognised by the group. It is argued that it is the conservative attitude towards how the Society is organised and certain behaviours (such as how decisions for church affairs are conducted), rather than coherence of belief, that unites the group. However, some researchers have voiced concern that diversity of belief, if taken to the extreme, may lead to a disruption of adherence to this 'behavioural creed' and thus disrupt the Society as a whole. This concern, coupled with declining numbers, has inspired research to be conducted that examines the types and trends of those who call themselves Quaker. The current research had four aims: to summarise the dominant beliefs and characteristics of British Quakers (Aim 1); to investigate the characteristics of those taking on clerking responsibilities (Aim 2); to identify patterns of religious beliefs and practices amongst British Quakers (Aim 3); to make temporal comparisons over three national surveys of British Quakers, spanning 25 years (Aim 4). A questionnaire was developed and administered via Local Meetings. 649 responses were obtained using a quasi-random sampling method. Exploratory statistics showed that the majority of respondents were members (70%) rather than recognised attenders (29%). Other exploratory statistics addressing Aim 1 revealed that 14% of those that identified as Quaker did not hold a belief in God. Although a statistically non-significant association, such a result was unlike that which one would expect from a religious group and added support to investigation of beliefs held by those in the Society. Aim 2 was addressed using logistic regression techniques. A multivariate analysis, following a series of univariate analyses, revealed twelve predictors to be statistically significant for taking on clerking responsibilities. Temporal comparisons (Aim 4) were conducted using chi-square techniques and found a statistically significant decrease in belief in God. The latent class analysis, conducted to investigate the religious beliefs and practices of modern British Quakers (Aim 3), can be thought of as the main contribution of this study. Using questions from the survey concerning religious beliefs, attitudes and practices, the analysis revealed three distinct underlying classes. The first class, labelled Traditional Quakers, represented 32% of those identifying as Quaker. This group held traditionally Christian attitudes in terms of belief in God, Jesus as Saviour and the importance of the Bible. The second class, labelled Non-theist Quakers, represented 18% of those identifying as Quaker. The labelling and constituency of these groups are informed by the latent class analysis results rather than any formal groupings, e.g. the Non-theist group referred to throughout the paper is based on this study alone rather than any formal Non-theist group such as the Non-Theist Network. This group held a distinctly different set of beliefs, the most striking of which was an apparent lack of belief in God. The third class, labelled Liberal Quakers, represented 50% of those identifying as Quaker. This group held a pattern of beliefs similar to, but less pronounced than, the Traditional Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper uses evidence from focus groups in England to consider how consumers think about and, more importantly, distinguish foods by both primary and secondary qualities, using both their own judgement but also advice produced by various organisations acting as ‘knowledge intermediaries’, such as independent certification bodies. We thus consider the ‘sorting out’ that consumers do with food, particularly in developing typologies of ‘goodness’ and ‘badness’, and the cues on which they base these judgements, from the material immediacy of ‘mucky carrots’ to the abstract remoteness of organic certification. In particular, we problematise the ‘knowledge-fix’ that underlies attempts to provide knowledge to promote more sustainable and ethical consumption. This raises problems of how consumers give assurance schemes meaning, how ethical and sustainable schemes are subject to re-fetishization and how consumers tend towards increasing scepticism and distrust of such claims, thus making a ‘politics of reconnection’ far from easy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article concentrates on a pilot study for the Alister Hardy Society, Great Britain. The study was conducted on the religion followed by people who do not visit public worship. This religion can be explored in terms of experiences, beliefs, and practices. Experiences include passing through crisis, meeting the dead, and extra sensory perception and relational consciousness. Out of the 804 people interviewed during the study in 1998, only 10 percent of those questioned did not believe in God. Most of the sources performed their research for the church, and used their results to recommend angles for Christian evangelism.

This paper examines the effects of beliefs about the future on conduct and attitudes in the present. It uses questionnaire responses of Christian ministers belonging to the four main Pentecostal denominations in the UK. These ministers hold views about the future defined by their theology, specifically by their eschatology. Ministers who expect to go through persecution are compared with ministers who expect to escape persecution supernaturally. The persecution-expecting ministers are more likely to emphasise charismatic phenomena and are better educated. They are less likely to emphasise restrictive holiness codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an expectancy-value approach, personal beliefs about the consequences of quitting were studied in a sample of 1,305 cigarette smokers derived from a representative sample of the United Kingdom population. Subjects evaluated 32 outcomes of continuing to smoke or stopping smoking in terms of how much they ‘wanted’ or ‘feared’ them (outcome evaluation, or OE) and then rated the likelihood of each outcome occurring under the two alternatives, yielding a likelihood difference (LD) score for each outcome. Subjects with relatively strong and relatively weak intentions to try to quit were compared with respect to their OE, LD, and OE X LD scores. The results showed consistent differences between intenders and nonintenders. Intenders rated every positive outcome as more desirable and every negative outcome as more undesirable. Intenders also believed that stopping smoking would lead to a larger increase in their chances of obtaining the benefits (health, financial, social, self-esteem) and a smaller increase in their chances of incurring the costs (negative affect, loss of enjoyment), compared with nonintenders. The product scores showing the largest relationships with intention were for the outcomes ‘feel proud of yourself,’ ‘feel a sense of achievement,’ ‘enjoy yourself,’ ‘feel energetic,’ and ‘set a good example to children.’ The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for efforts to encourage more smokers to try to quit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of scales designed to measure the moral and religious beliefs of Catholic adolescents in U.K secondary schools is outlined. Responses to 67 items, using a sample of 1,284 students, describing moral and religious issues associated with an innovatory curriculum project in the humanities furnished eight groups of items which were scaled by the method of reciprocal averages. Six of these item clusters were retained as scales and five of them significantly discriminated between externally defined criterion groups who differed in moral orientation The structure of the moral belief domain mapped by the six scales is relatively well defined by two components termed moral conservatism and moral liberalism. In this paper our concern is largely with the quanitification of qualitative data on issues which have a particular salience for Catholic adolescents and arises from the need to develop scales of moral opinion and belief to serve as tools for researching an innovatory program of instruction in humanities adopted by a number of Catholic secondary schools in different geographical areas of the U.K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The standard approach to treat cataracts is Delayed Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (DSBCS), during which patients have a separate operation date for each eye. An alternative method of delivery is Immediately Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (ISBCS). The aim of this project was to examine the attitudes and beliefs of UK ophthalmologists towards ISBCS, explore their reasons to either practise or not practise ISBCS and identify barriers hindering its implementation in the UK.Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to consultant members of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth, UK) and collected electronically. An initial screening question in regards to prior experience with ISBCS directed the rest of the survey; participants were asked to rate the importance of several factors with regards to performing ISBCS. Free text options were also available. Descriptive analysis was subsequently performed.Results: Of the 1357 recipients, 130 (9.6%) ophthalmologists completed the survey. Of those, 13.9% were currently performing ISBCS, 83.1% had never performed, and 3.1% had previously done so but since stopped. The main factors that acted as barriers were lack of: (1) College approval (20.5%); (2) medico-legal approval (20.2%); (3) evidence to support the use of ISBCS (16.0%); and (4) hospital approval (13.3%). Additionally, the perceived risk of complications for patients played an important role when considering ISBCS, with the risk of endophthalmitis being most feared.Conclusions: This survey demonstrates some of the barriers that prevent ophthalmologist's performing ISBCS in the UK. There is a need for further exploration in this field to evaluate the effect of addressing any of these concerns on the implementation of ISBCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study students' motives to obtain sixth form and university education in a sample of 885 secondary school students in the UK. At each educational stage, perceptions about the consumption value of education explain a substantial share of the variation in students' intentions to obtain further education, while beliefs about the monetary benefits and costs are not found to play an important role. Beliefs about the consumption value of university predict not only students' intentions to go to university but also their intentions to go to sixth form, highlighting the importance of dynamic considerations in the choice. We further document that students' beliefs about the consumption value of further schooling strongly predict students' perceptions about how likely it is that they will obtain the necessary grades to proceed to the next educational stage. Differences in the perceived consumption value across gender and socioeconomic groups can account for a sizeable proportion of the gender and socioeconomic gaps in students' intentions to pursue further education as well as in their perceptions about their own performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate policy across the developed world remains inadequate, despite high levels of concern about climate change among the public. Yet public opinion on climate change is complex, with individuals differing on three key opinion dimensions: belief and concern, issue salience, and support for government action. In this study, we investigate how these dimensions intersect at the individual level. Based on data from an online survey conducted in 2018 in the United Kingdom (N = 787), a latent class analysis reveals that there are five climate change opinion publics. The two largest publics have strong beliefs that climate change is occurring, but view it as a low salience issue, or are wary of government action to address it. We also investigate sociopolitical covariates of each public. By providing a detailed picture of climate change views, these findings can help us to better understand the relationship between public opinion and climate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite significant interest in the attributions employees make about their organization's human resource (HR) practices, there is little understanding of the antecedents of HR attributions. Drawing on attribution theory, we suggest that HR attributions are influenced by information (perceptions of distributive and procedural fairness), beliefs (organizational cynicism), and motivation (perceived relevance). We test a model through a two‐wave survey of 347 academic faculty in the United Kingdom, examining their attributions of the purpose of their institution's workload management framework. After two preliminary studies (an interview study and a cross‐sectional survey) to establish contextually relevant attributions, we find that fairness and cynicism are important for the formation of internal attributions of commitment but less so for cost‐saving or exploitation attributions. Fairness and cynicism also interact such that distributive fairness buffers the negative attributional effect of cynicism, and individuals are more likely to attribute fair procedures to external forces if they are cynical about their organization. This study furthers the application of attribution theory to the organizational domain while making significant contributions to our understanding of the HR‐performance process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial body of evidence suggests that favoring reason over intuition (employing an analytic cognitive style) is associated with reduced belief in God. In the current work, we address outstanding issues in this literature with two studies examining the relationship between analytic cognitive style (as measured by performance on the Cognitive Reflection Test) and belief in God. First, prior research focused on Judeo-Christian cultures, and it is uncertain whether the results generalize to other religious systems or beliefs. Study 1 helps to address this question by documenting a negative correlation between CRT performance and belief in God, r = -.18, in a sample of 513 participants from India, a majority Hindu country. Second, among 150 participants from the United Kingdom, Gervais et al. (2018) reported the first and (to date) only evidence for a positive relationship between CRT and belief in God. In Study 2, we assess the robustness of this result by recruiting 547 participants from the United Kingdom. Unlike Gervais et al., using the same items, we find a negative correlation between CRT and belief in God (r = -.19). Our results add further support to the argument that analytic thinking undermines belief in God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'secular' has long been interpreted in academia either as opposition towards religion or as a neutral position. As a Western concept deeply entangled with Christianity, its application to non-Christian and non-Western societies is highly contested. In our first case study, we analyse the British debate about including non-religious belief groups in the radio segment Thought for the Day. The BBC conceives secular as opposition to or absence of religion, whereas secularist groups argue secular worldviews should be treated on par with religious ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disease prevention and control practices are frequently highlighted as important to ensure the health and welfare of farmed animals, although little is known as to why not many practices are carried out. The aim of this study was to identify the motivators and barriers of dairy cattle farmers towards the use of biosecurity measures on dairy farms using a health psychology approach. Twenty-five farmers on 24 farms in Great Britain (GB) were interviewed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. Results indicated that farmers perceived they had the ability to control what happened on their farms in terms of preventing and controlling disease, and described benefits from being proactive and vigilant. However, barriers were cited in relation to testing inaccuracies, effectiveness and time-efficiency of practices, and disease transmission route (e.g., airborne transmission). Farmers reported they were positively influenced by veterinarians and negatively influenced by the government (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)) and the general public. Decisions to implement practices were influenced by the perceived severity of the disease in question, if disease was diagnosed on the farm already, or was occurring on other farms. Farmers described undertaking a form of personal risk assessment when deciding if practices were worth doing, which did not always involve building in disease specific factors or opinions from veterinarians or other advisors. These results indicate that further guidance about the intricacies of control and prevention principles in relation to specific animal diseases may be required, with an obvious role for veterinarians. There appears to be an opportunity for farm advisors and herd health professionals to further understand farmer beliefs behind certain attitudes and target communication and advice accordingly to further enhance dairy cattle health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between scientific practice and doubt in Victorian Britain. When compared to the rich historiography of Victorian science and religion, our current image of science and doubt is strikingly monolithic and limiting. Science is treated largely as a stimulus to narratives of doubt, for example, in the form of geology and evolution. This study, focused on the mathematician and mechanic William Froude and his close friend John Henry Newman, reconsiders the various levels on which doubts shaped scientific practice and informed the criteria by which knowledge of the physical and spiritual world were deemed certain and trustworthy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Legal judgments concerning equality or human rights and religion or belief have frequently provoked controversy in Britain. This article examines why this has occurred. It does not attempt a detailed analysis of the case law; rather, it discusses how the law has been understood and invoked in public discourse. It argues that debate about religion or belief and its place in society has been unduly dominated by particular—and sometimes partial—understandings of legal judgments. It proposes that the most productive level of engagement for those who wish to advance debate, practice and understanding in relation to religion or belief is with ‘front line’ decision-makers, such as public servants and workplace managers. It ventures that in the long term an approach based on human rights principles is likely to be more satisfactory than one which is based principally on equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines one of the most widely believed episodes in the life of Charles Darwin, that the death of his daughter Annie in 1851 caused the end of Darwin's belief in Christianity, and according to some versions, ended his attendance of church on Sundays. This hypothesis, it is argued, is commonly treated as a straightforward true account of Darwin's life, yet there is little or no supporting evidence. Furthermore, we argue, there is sufficient evidence that Darwin's loss of faith occurred before Annie's death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study showed that many people spontaneously report vivid memories of events that they do not believe to have occurred [1]. In the present experiment we tested for the first time whether, after powerful false memories have been created, debriefing might leave behind nonbelieved memories for the fake events. In Session 1 participants imitated simple actions, and in Session 2 they saw doctored video-recordings containing clips that falsely suggested they had performed additional (fake) actions. As in earlier studies, this procedure created powerful false memories. In Session 3, participants were debriefed and told that specific actions in the video were not truly performed. Beliefs and memories for all critical actions were tested before and after the debriefing. Results showed that debriefing undermined participants' beliefs in fake actions, but left behind residual memory-like content. These results indicate that debriefing can leave behind vivid false memories which are no longer believed, and thus we demonstrate for the first time that the memory of an event can be experimentally dissociated from the belief in the event's occurrence. These results also confirm that belief in and memory for an event can be independently-occurring constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The study investigates theoretical debates on the contribution of spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs (SRPB) to quality of life (QoL) in health, by examining contrasting models. Design and method. The WHOQOL‐SRPB assesses QoL relating to SRPB where 33 QoL facets are scored in 6 domains, of which SRPB is one. The measure was completed by a heterogeneous sample of 285 sick and well people representing a cross‐section of religious, agnostic, and atheist beliefs in UK, and structured for gender (52% female) and age (mean 47 years). Results. No evidence was found to support the model of spiritual QoL as a concept that overarches every other QoL domain. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that SRPB is an integral concept to overall QoL, with a very good fit (comparative fit index=.99). Spiritual QoL made a significant, relatively independent contribution, similar to the other five domains (β=0.68). Spiritual QoL is most closely associated with the psychological domain, particularly hope and optimism and inner peace; two of the nine SRPB facets. Spiritual QoL, but not most other aspects of QoL, is higher for religious people. Conclusion. The results explain theoretical confusion arising from previous research. Spiritual QoL makes a significant and distinctive contribution to QoL assessment in health and should be assessed routinely in health care populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that any 'nomination' of a president for Transatlantica, interpreted here as being a 'territory' primarily occupied by the United States and the United Kingdom, should have three elements. The first is an acceptance by the 'governed' of the said 'president', with the former in this case being the leadership of the UK. The second is a unity of purpose founded on a common world view and evidenced at all levels, from the identification of enemies abroad to the proffered solutions to practical issues at home. The third is a consistency of action and a resiliency of trust in the face of differences in opinion or policy. Margaret Thatcher, while prime minister, accepted Ronald Reagan's leadership, despite the fact she was arguably the more experienced international politician. The two shared a form of 'conviction politics' that drove not only their foreign policies, but also their domestic ones, throughout their extended and shared tenure. When disagreements inevitably arose between them, they were able relatively quickly to reestablish a strong working relationship, based upon their close personal partnership. This article concludes therefore that Ronald Reagan certainly satisfied the criteria of president of Transatlantica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of studies have systematically examined the relationships between religiousness and value priorities. However, few studies have utilized multidimensional constructs of religiousness or attempted to distinguish among the value priorities of the religious. Using a general public sample and a churchgoer sample in the United Kingdom, this article examines the associations between Schwartz's values, several general religion measures, and conceptualization of God. Religiousness aligns most strongly along the conservation/openness to change value dimension, and spirituality is rotated further toward self-transcendence values. Findings suggest a shift among the religious away from an emphasis on security. God concepts are uniquely related to some value types. Particularly among the churchgoers, for whom God concepts may be especially formative, characteristics attributed to God are reflected in value priorities. These findings support the theoretical assertion that conceptualization of God is a foundational religious belief implicated in more specific values, attitudes, and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence from outside the United Kingdom to show that physicians' religious beliefs influence their decision making at the end of life. This UK study explores the belief system of consultants, nurse key workers and specialist registrars and their attitudes to decisions which commonly must be taken when caring for individuals who are dying. All consultants (N = 119), nurse key workers (N = 36) and specialist registrars (N = 44) working in an acute hospital in the north-east of England were asked to complete a postal questionnaire. In all, 65% of consultants, 67% of nurse key workers and 41% of specialist registrars responded. Results showed that consultants' religion and belief systems differed from those of nurses and the population they served. Consultants and nurses had statistically significant differences in their attitudes to common end of life decisions with consultants more likely to continue hydration and not withdraw treatment. Nurses were more sympathetic to the idea of physician-assisted suicide for unbearable suffering. This study shows the variability in belief system and attitudes to end of life decision making both within and between clinical groups. This may have practical implications for the clinical care given and the place of care. The personal belief system of consultants was not shown to affect their overall attitudes to withdrawing life-sustaining treatment or physician-assisted suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The percentage of workers who choose not to join the union available to them at their workplace has been rising in Britain and New Zealand. Using comparable data for both countries this article shows factors such as perceptions of union instrumentality, the number of problems employees have at work, social custom, ideological convictions, and the costs of union joining all influence the propensity to free-ride. Employer-inspired policies substituting for unionization play no role. Having accounted for all these factors, free-riding remains more common in New Zealand than in Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of fear's investigation in patients health care in Great Britain in December 2006. The author states that due to Shipman murdered victims under guise of medical care and provoked against the medical profession as a whole, they could be under suspicion. He inferred that the investigations are obviously very stressful for those being investigated.

This study is the first of its kind aimed at exploring attitudes towards Trinitarian theological constructs by means of quantitative empirical method. The sample of theology students from the United Kingdom (N = 244) was drawn from 11 institutions representing Adventist, Ecumenical, Evangelical and Pentecostal educational contexts training students for Christian ministry. From a principle components analysis scales were developed to measure five empirical-theological models: orthodox-exclusivist, pneumatic-social, modalist, subordinationist and transgender. Attitudes to these empirical-theological models were then analysed in relation to background variables, educational contexts and Trinitarian theology. The findings show that the background variables and educational contexts are significantly associated with theological attitudes, and that there are important relations and distinctions between the different empirical-theological models and other related Trinitarian concepts. The implications of these findings are also noted in relation to the practice of preaching the doctrine of the Trinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to document and explore British university students' immediate understanding of the events of September 11th. A network analysis of lay causal perceptions procedure was employed to capture the social perceptions and sense-making of respondents at a time when they and the world struggled to impose meaning and coherence on the events. The study also examined the possible effects of "belief in a just world 'and 'right-wing authoritarianism 'on the pattern of perceived causes. The results suggest that most participants perceive cultural and religious differences, the history of conflict in the Middle East, unfairness and prejudice as being the distal causes of the individual agent's emotions and actions. There is also some evidence that right-wing authoritarianism and belief in a just world have an interactive effect on the strength of the perceived link between some of these causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the religious hate provisions in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill 2001 in the Great Britain Parliament. Definition of hate speech according to Helen Darbishire; Remarks from J.S. Mill, a proponent of free speech, on the issue of biased perceptions against the object of hate; Factors that set religion apart from other belief system.

This article responds to Bruce's reluctance to consider the decline in church-going in Britain in relation to wider changes in social behaviour, more especially the unwillingness of increasing sections of the population to participate in voluntary activity or civic engagement of any kind. It covers two points in particular: the first relates to the Putnam thesis and the particular place of religion in this; the second considers in more detail the relationship between religious belief and religious practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the research done in Great Britain which concerns religious education in schools that recommends the purpose of a personal quest for truth. Based from the works of Edwin Cox, the values and beliefs that are going to be existent and imperative to them denotes the aim of religious education. On the other hand, religious education should be aimed to explore the place and significance of religion in human life. Thus, contributing to the search for faith in every pupil by which to live is significant.

This article discusses the sociological concept of superstition. Sociological studies of religion in Great Britain have been restricted largely to institutionalized and sectarian forms; folk religion and superstition have been neglected areas. Indeed, superstition has often not even been regarded as lying within the orbit of religion at all. Beliefs not accepted by rational theologians have frequently been relegated to the realms of mere superstition. Perhaps the conceptualization of religion itself has been so affected by this rationality that whole areas of man's religious quest have been excluded from contemporary study. Superstition, like many other words, is employed in common speech with its meaning assumed, rather than defined. However, that meaning has different connotations for different people. For instance, an individual might say that because a person walks around, rather than under, a ladder, he is being superstitious; another person will say that a mother being 'churched' is practicing a superstitious rite--but probably neither she nor the priest performing the ceremony will see this ritual as anything other than religious. Since the term is most frequently used in everyday speech a dictionary definition may provide a starting point. It defines superstition as: irrational fear of the unknown or mysterious, credulity regarding the supernatural; habit or belief based upon such tendencies; irrational religious system, false or pagan religion.

This study examines aspects of the relationship between religious belief and anorexia nervosa. It uses data from postal questionnaires sent to members of a U.K. national self-help organization for people with "eating disorders" which elicited a profile of symptoms and other clinical data arid information about personal and family religious beliefs. The data suggest that the majority of respondents were or had been afflicted With anorexia nervosa. Subjects with a religion, particularly those with strong beliefs, and particularly those who were Anglican, reported particularly lowest ever adult Body Mass Indices (BMIS). Part of the explanation for these findings would seem to be an increase in the importance of subjects' religious beliefs during their anorectic illness. Conversely, bulimic symptomatology seemed to be associated with a weakening of subjects' beliefs. Religious conversion seemed to serve as a protective function against severe weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differing beliefs about the acceptability of living-donor kidney transplants (LDKTs) have been proposed as explaining age, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in their uptake. We investigated whether certain patient groups hold beliefs incompatible with LDKTs. This questionnaire-based case–control study was based at 14 hospitals in the United Kingdom. Participants were adults transplanted between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017. LDKT recipients were compared to deceased-donor kidney transplant (DDKT) recipients. Beliefs were determined by the direction and strength of agreement with ten statements. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the association between beliefs and LDKT versus DDKT. Sex, age, ethnicity, religion, and education were investigated as predictors of beliefs. A total of 1240 questionnaires were returned (40% response). DDKT and LDKT recipients responded in the same direction for 9/10 statements. A greater strength of agreement with statements concerning the 'positive psychosocial effects' of living kidney donation predicted having an LDKT over a DDKT. Older age, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) group ethnicity, and having a religion other than Christianity were associated with greater degree of uncertainty regarding a number of statements, but there was no evidence that individuals in these groups hold strong beliefs against living kidney donation and transplantation. Interventions should address uncertainty, to increase LDKT activity in these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]