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As international relations are directly related to societies and social/sociopsychological dynamics, the main axes of the IR theorising refer to social sciences to the point of making the IR studies a branch of them. However, they also differ fundamentally from them since they constitute a purely intersubjective field, including their "actors". Social sciences, while also operating in intersubjectivity, have their independently present and accessible actors, therefore a certain anchor in the objectivity. Social sciences theorise and build explicative narratives of genetic nature for phenomena and events, which are independently assessable on that ontological ground. The IR theorising, by importing social sciences' theoretical grounds and genetic approaches into their purely intersubjective sphere without being validly able to produce a similar anchor, bring serious ontological and temporal complications into their study of IR phenomena and events. These complications are amplified by a particular branch of the IR theorising, the constructivism, as it also theorises-thereforenarrates the IR intersubjectivity itself on social sciences' grounds and through their genetic approach, which are exogenous to IR. On the other hand, the IR phenomena and events may be studied in their pre-theoretical, immediate, postgenetic, intersubjective appearance/givenness on their own ontological and temporal grounds. Phenomenology, with contributions from the phenomenological ontology, already provides such an attempt with fundamental notions and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With Russia's full-spectrum war in Ukraine, NATO is rethinking its force posture and responding in ways that are consistent with its norms and identity as an alliance. While the war has been framed by some as a vindication of structural realism, we instead revisit constructivist arguments about security communities. This literature, which foregrounds learning and socialization processes, advanced scholarly and policy debates from NATO enlargement to defence sector reform. By contrast, how security communities engage with adversaries has received less attention. Noting the obvious balancing dynamics on display, we emphasize how threats take on particular meanings, which shape the types of military options considered. We also provide an explanation for NATO's resilience in the face of this external shock. Alliance disunity notwithstanding, we argue that collective defence is being redefined in real time, through dynamics that are not exclusively bound by a narrow focus on the military threat posed by Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are important gaps in the research on youth political action due to a lack of attention to the roles of place and the experiences of young people in rural places. To address these gaps, this article presents findings from intensive interviews with 15 young people (aged between 16 and 29 years) who identified as politically/socially engaged and lived or had recently lived in a rural place in Sweden. Analysis of their responses, based on constructivist-grounded theory, shows that place dimensions shaped three social processes of young people's political action: engaging in politics in (rural) places, finding recognition as political actors in (rural) places and negotiating political belonging in relation to (urban) places. By linking these processes with Agnew's three-dimensional understanding of place, the analysis provides novel insights into how various dimensions of place shape crucial social processes of youth political action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Sociales (13159518) is the property of Revista de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Zulia Venezuela and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Teaching can be challenging, especially when teachers are under-prepared to enter a workforce with a constantly changing landscape. Preparing teachers for STEM content has generated multiple approaches from varying perspectives. While some scholars advocate for content expertise, others promote pedagogy or social context as approaches for translating STEM content for students. Yet, many contend that teachers must be culturally knowledgeable to respond to student diversity effectively. While these arguments are valuable and needed, many have not considered the interconnectedness of these approaches, often used in silos. This conceptual paper unpacks some of these arguments using the social constructivism theory of learning as the epistemic lens to examine and interpret what STEM teacher knowledge should encompass in the 21st-century diversified classroom. After thoroughly evaluating the core elements of three commonly used teacher constructs, this paper presents an integrative, holistic teacher knowledge—culturally responsive pedagogical knowledge (CRPK) framework that considers the necessary qualities that teachers must possess that are functional, content-focused, and pedagogically inclusive. The proposed CRPK construct would be a valuable programmatic tool for teacher preparation, curriculum development, and classroom praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tens of thousands of students worldwide have been forced to start learning online, and online learning has never been more compelling. Understanding the effectiveness and satisfaction of online learning has become crucial. Previously, researchers have explored many determinants of online learning, but so far, only a few have focused exclusively on the field of higher education in dance. Therefore, this study delved into the satisfaction derived from online dance learning by employing the stimulus-organism-response framework, social learning theory, and constructivism theory. The aim was to examine how the effectiveness of online learning and the characteristics of online systems influence satisfaction in dance online learning. Data collection took place from January 1, 2023, to January 31, 2023, with university students majoring in dance participating as respondents in China. The analysis utilized structural equation modeling for data interpretation. The results reveal that the organism (students online learning effectiveness and the online system characteristics) directly impacted students' satisfaction with online education. While changes in four stimulus factors (learning experiences; instructor's inspiration; learning hindrance; quality of technology) indirectly impact online learning satisfaction. Our research enriches the exploration of students' satisfaction factors in dance higher online education, thus filling the research gap in related fields, intending to guide relevant practitioners in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nick Onuf's constructivism is one of the most important contributions to the field of international relations in what regards the interchange between social and political theories, and philosophy. In this text, I engage with Onuf's body of work taken as a whole. The guiding thread of the problematization I propose is woven through the attention to how Onuf's craft and creative undertaking sets certain beginnings in the construction of his framework, and how setting them has important implications for (the conception of) 'politics'. I would argue that Onuf's conception of politics is sustained on two central beginnings: the conception of humans as 'rational agents' and the framing of what has come to be called 'modernity'. This way, I emphasize what seems to me the most enduring contribution his body of work can provide not only to the field of international relations, but also to contemporary social and political theories more generally. The first section outlines the relation Onuf establishes between rules and rule, while the following two sections deal, in turn, with his conceptions of 'agency' and the 'modern world'. My goal in these first three sections is to reconfigure Onuf's constructivism. The fourth and final section moves ahead, giving a step further - perhaps too far, perhaps too radical -, paving a critical engagement with his work through peripheral (re)begininngs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nauki o Wychowaniu. Studia Interdyscyplinarne is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Iran's enmity with Israel is ideological in the first place and strategic in the second. Iran intends through anti‐Israel actions and messaging to internally mobilize its populace and, externally, to claim the leadership of the Muslim world and strike a balance against a regional nuclear power. This article uses a critique based on constructivism and realism to reveal how Iran's confrontation with Israel has evolved historically from "identity‐ideological" to "politico‐strategic." I argue that Iran's adoption of this approach without taking its internal and external capacities into consideration has ironically bolstered the Israeli far right, increased global sympathies for Israel, escalated Iranophobia, aligned conservative Arab states with Israel, and marginalized the issue of Palestine. To preserve its national interests and regional security, Iran needs to overcome this politico‐historical stage and replace conflict with competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social constructivism is the dominant pedagogical theory endorsed in educational discourse today. This study set out to examine teaching and learning in Grade 11 business studies classrooms from a social constructivist perspective. The data were obtained through document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. While the teachers were positive towards social constructivist pedagogy, they were not familiar with the epistemology that underpinned its emergence. The learning of multiple perspectives through discussion, a key tenet of the social constructivist theory of learning, was not evident. Teachers indicated that they preferred direct instruction, as it enabled curriculum coverage and better control over learners. Teachers viewed social constructivist approaches as slowing down syllabus coverage and leading to loss of control in overcrowded classrooms. Limited time and higher workload due to larger classes were common deterrents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkish foreign policy displays a distinct identity and certain characteristics that are continuous over the span of a century. This continuity and ideational permanence can be thoroughly explained via a social constructivist theoretical framework. This article employs a conventional constructivist lens to explain and analyze how Türkiye has adopted humanitarian and enterprising qualities in its foreign policy-making since the early Republican era. The initiatives, approaches and practices that have been recently put into effect by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye can indeed be traced back and interpreted as the marks of a distinct foreign policy in the international arena. The applied constructivist framework, which provides a broader analysis of Turkish foreign policy, facilitates a better understanding of its continuity and consistency, encompassing interests defined based on the Republic's distinct identity and guiding principles throughout a century of constant evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In The Sources of Normativity, Korsgaard argues for what can be called "The Universality of Humanity Claim" (UHC), according to which valuing humanity in one's own person entails valuing it in that of others. However, Korsgaard's reliance on the claim that reasons are essentially public in her attempt to demonstrate the truth of UHC has been repeatedly criticized. I offer a sentimentalist defense, based on Adam Smith's moral philosophy, of a qualified, albeit adequate, version of UHC. In particular, valuing my humanity, understood as (my awareness of) my perspective and the reasons determined from within it, entails valuing your humanity, understood as (your awareness of) your perspective and the reasons determined from within it. Given Korsgaard's emphasis on the publicity of reasons in her argument for UHC, I also discuss the role of reasons in my account. I argue that the relative weights of at least some of an agent's reasons are determined from within a shared evaluative point of view, namely, the standpoint of what Smith calls "the impartial spectator." These reasons have normative authority over and constrain the agent's private reasons, that is, those that are determined from within her own particular evaluative point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine how nature is defined and perceived and address the conflict between constructivism and essentialism. By exploring modern perspectives on the concept of nature that stem from the field of social sciences, we will review the analysis of Murray Bookchin's dialectical naturalism regarding the very essence of nature. We argue that dialectical naturalism offers a dynamic developmental concept of nature that goes beyond the context of constructivism and supports that the truth of nature can be conceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Paedagogica Ignatiana is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Istraživanja: Journal of Historical Researches is the property of Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Anales de la Cátedra Francisco Suárez is the property of Anales de la Catedra Francisco Suarez and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Any exploration of the power dynamics that underly the Franco-German tandem can surely benefit from the insights that the creation of the Common Agriculture Policy provides. The purpose of this article is to ascertain which government achieved its objectives more fully during the negotiations between France and West Germany leading up to the creation of the CAP, and to determine how those greater successes might be explained. This is achieved by applying discourse analysis and utilising actor-centred constructivist theory for rationalisation. While not entirely unsuccessful in reaching some of its objectives, the West German government had to deal with conflicting interests between ministries, overly influential lobbying groups, and ineffective coordination. The French side in the negotiations benefitted from more focused leadership, pursuing shared common goals under a cohesive strategy, in which their use of discourses proved decisive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From Plato to contemporary educators of Learning Sciences today, the aim of hard work is to reveal the nature of learning, how man learns, and how it could be perfected. As a result, different learning theories were created with cumulative effects of society, politics, and scientific developments. This paper outlines the crossroad of the conceptualizations of these learning theories and their social, political, and scientific contexts. The study was designed as a phenomenological study through which PhD students' conceptualizations of learning theories were aimed to be understood. The reflection papers they wrote on seven learning theories (Behaviorism, Connectionism, Operant Conditioning, Affective Learning, Social Learning Theory, and Constructivism) were analyzed through a contrapuntal lens to understand the sociology of learning theories. The reflection papers as a data source reflected the close ties of learning theories and their social, political, and scientific background. Students discussed each learning theory with their original concepts and timely backgrounds. The data obtained from student reflection papers outlined how learning theories are conceptualized within their own social, political, and scientific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Relaciones Internacionales (1699-3950) is the property of Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, International Relations Studies Group (GERI) Law Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Elementary Education in Theory & Practice is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a substantial literature in the tradition of constructivism and sociological new institutionalism that suggests the existence of shared EU norms. Yet, the issue of how EU norms are adopted and/or contested in EU member states remains underexamined. In the paper, we therefore study the public discourse on citizenship in Latvia and examine how the discourse relates to EU norms on citizenship, minority rights and in the broader sense human rights. The analysis takes its empirical starting point in the period after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and focuses on how the issue of statelessness was discussed in the Latvian online media. Looking at how the contested term ('statelessness') achieves different meanings in the Latvian discourse, and how the domestic actors try to reformulate the EU norms in question, we aim at a better understanding of the diffusion of norms within the context of a regional organization. The conclusion indicates that apart from the EU human rights norm, there are several different articulations of statelessness (i.e. othering, security and instrumental) that are present in the discourse. This has enabled Latvian governments to stress their commitment to human rights promotion, while simultaneously facing criticism regarding the country's stateless inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Filosofía UIS is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista UNISCI is the property of Unidad de Investigaciones Sobre Seguridad y Cooperacion International (UNISCI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is an overlooked similarity between three classic accounts of the conditions of object experience from three distinct disciplines. (1) Sociology: the "inversion" that accompanies discovery in the natural sciences, as local causes of effects are reattributed to an observed object. (2) Psychology: the "externalization" that accompanies mastery of a visual–tactile sensory substitution interface, as tactile sensations of the proximal interface are transformed into vision-like experience of a distal object. (3) Biology: the "projection" that brings forth an animal's Umwelt, as impressions on its body's sensory surfaces are reconfigured into perception of an external object. This similarity between the effects of scientific practice and interface-use on the one hand, and of sensorimotor interaction on the other, becomes intelligible once we accept that skillful engagement with instruments and interfaces constitutes a socio-material augmentation of our basic perceptual capacity. This enactive interpretation stands in contrast to anti-realism about science associated with constructivist interpretations of these three phenomena, which are motivated by viewing them as the internal mental construction of the experienced object. Instead, it favors a participatory realism: the sensorimotor basis of perceptual experience loops not only through our body, but also through the external world. This allows us to conceive of object experience in relational terms, i.e., as one or more subjects directly engaging with the world. Consequently, we can appreciate scientific observation in its full complexity: it is a socio-materially augmented process of becoming acquainted with the observed object that—like tool-use and perceiving more generally—is irreducibly self, other-, and world-involving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Roca: Revista Científico-Educacional de la Provincia de Granma is the property of Universidad de Granma, Departamento Editorial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ihde has developed what he calls a postphenomenology and a material hermeneutics of human-technology relations (in particular, he distinguishes between embodiment, hermeneutic, alterity and background relations), as well as a concomitant cultural hermeneutics that maps technologies' cultural embeddedness. As such he argues against an overly theoreticist approach to our predicament that he observes in both Ihde and Stiegler, irrespective of their empirical (Ihde) or transcendental (Stiegler) stance, and suggests a profoundly experiential approach, i.e., a philosophizing I from i experience rather than I about i it. Together with a select group of other philosophy of technology scholars, they set out to reflect upon points of convergence and divergence between their respective frameworks - postphenomenology in the case of Ihde and what may be called "techno-phenomenology" and "general organology" in the case of Stiegler - as well as on the near-future form that philosophy of technology should take, in a world struggling with multiple global crises - the planetary ecological crisis being the gravest and most challenging one. As Ihde declares at the end of his 2010 book I Heidegger's Technologies i : 'Philosophies of technology need to renew themselves constantly, just as the technologies themselves change' (Ihde [10], 139). [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Łódzkie Studia Etnograficzne is the property of Polish Ethnological Society / Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This pedagogical note presents a novel learning activity (the icebox challenge) that was designed to facilitate deep learning of building physics energy transfer principles through a planning, prediction and analysis process following the Kolb learning cycle. The success of this strategy was evidenced by students relating and collating their knowledge and theoretical ideas and applying them to successfully solve a series of complex and inter-related practical building physics problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two philosophical tools are used in this article, namely (1) that of philosophical-pluralism and (2) transcendent pluralism as a kind of glue to enhance our examining of creative pluralism. There is a diversity implant in positive modus of understanding this pluralistic pristine of creative pluralism within transcendence modus. To help facilitate this pluralistic pristine, the author makes use of three constructivist paradigms that are distinguished and used, namely (1) exogenous constructivism (rooted in a mechanistic metaphor) emphasising the reconstruction of structures preformed in the environment; (2) endogenous constructivism (rooted in an organismic metaphor) emphasising the coordination of previous organismic structures and (3) dialectical constructivism (rooted in a contextualistic metaphor) emphasising the construction of new structures out of organism and environmental interaction. Contribution: The aim of this article is to present a coherent metatheory by specifying the boundary conditions in which each root metaphor (constructive pluralism) best applies. These above-mentioned versions of pluralism as tools are a reminiscence and a jubilee of the efforts made by sapiens through diversity onto or into pluralism to enable the religious hamlet to think and share. This pluralistic approach of orientation, I hope, will empower sapiens in their respective hamlets to define, articulate and designate to enhance their own epistemological and ontological vantage points wherefrom their individual, coherent and contextual ways of thinking, acting and projecting their lives in a positive modus by emphasising the reconstructions of their performance in their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Filosofía (0185-3481) is the property of Universidad Iberoamericana Cuidad de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Neo-realism and neo-liberalism, which had been regarded as mainstream theories up until profound changes took place in the 1990s in international structure, considered the international area a domain in which states mainly pursue their strategic interests. In this period, NATO adopted policies that emphasized cooperation, and NATO countries developed collaborative and collective responses to tackle international problems. This approach demonstrated that pure interest-based mainstream theories could not provide enough theoretical framework for the new policies. In the same period constructivism, which is considered among critical theories and emphasizes the interaction of states, offered a different framework than classical theories. In this context, the study tries to understand transformation policies from a constructivist approach perspective. In the study, it has been found out that cooperative security, enlargement, and collective security policies could be understood by the constructivist approach's following claim; material force is given meaning according to the shared knowledge, norm and values and these could be spread by social interaction; though the success of this understanding depends on the suitable strategic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Quebecoise de Droit International is the property of Revue quebecoise de droit international and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revue Quebecoise de Droit International is the property of Revue quebecoise de droit international and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Przeglad Sejmowy is the property of Kancelaria Sejmu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyzes Maurizio Ferraris's "minimal realism" with the aim of showing that his criticisms of correlationism and constructivism are not convincing. Ferraris preserves both a substantivist vision of the objects of knowledge and a substantial difference between sensible things and concepts. These two issues prevent his Manifesto of New Realism from being considered the founding moment of the "new realism." The paper concludes with a reflection on those aspects that should be considered and avoided when proposing a philosophical realism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to show that Hegel's critique of Kantian Moral Philosophy, based on Rawls' interpretation, must be revised in some aspects, such as: the application of the categorical imperative; the problem of formalism and Kant's moral constructivism itself. A reconstruction of the main aspects of Rawlsian interpretation of Kant's practical Philosophy is necessary, considering Hegel's critique. This is explained in view of the advances it represents within a dialectical perspective and the possible repairs that can be made to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Warmińskie is the property of University of Warmia & Mazury in Olsztyn and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There have been tectonic shifts in the Indo-Pacific region, impacting relations among international actors, including traditionally close partners like Vietnam and India. By using the approach of realism and constructivism in international relations, this paper discusses Vietnam and India's approach to the Indo-Pacific region to expand their substantive strategic relationship. The paper finds out that geopolitical changes in the Indo-Pacific directly influence the bilateral relation and create challenges as well as opportunities. By using the SWOT model, the paper analyzes driving factors and challenges to the Vietnam-India relations. Through the findings, it suggests both countries need to take advantages of the regional cooperation to further Vietnam-India's strategic comprehensive partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental practice in contemporary molecular biology oscillates between the creativity of the researcher in tinkering with the experimental system, and the necessity of standardization of methods of inquiry. Experimental procedures, when standardized in lab protocols, might definitely be seen as actual recipes. Considering these protocols as recipes can help us understand some epistemological characteristics of current practice in molecular biology. On the one hand, protocols represent a common ground, i.e. the possibility of reproducibility, which constitutes one of the essential properties for contemporary science to define an actual discovery. At the same time, however, protocols are flexible enough to be adapted by the individual researcher (within a space of maneuver given by the experimental system and by the practices that each individual discipline gives to itself) to his/her specific needs. These variations, just like the recipes, remind us that the legitimacy of an experimental practice, involves both objective and subjective constraints and it is articulated on a fuzzy background rather than a rigid and clear context. Moreover, looking at experiments according to this perspective can provide a key to understanding how different forms of science (which adopt different methodologies but which investigate the same phenomena), such as computational biology, are precisely different in the use of a different “cookbook”. Indeed, given the procedural/operational realism of biologists towards phenomena, the clash of different procedures has opened a discussion also about the nature and the meaning of the obtained results. Thus, according to the recipe-perspective that, we propose a constructivist account arguing that the methodological struggle over the nature of biological phenomena (and their ways of discovery) among scientists, might be seen as a not always explicit, philosophical debate, however coming from the practice of science itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ankara Review of European Studies (ARES) / Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi (AAÇD) is the property of Ankara University European Union Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study seeks to explore the career trajectories of Black South African female academics at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Their lived experiences continue to include the political uncertainties of race and gender. Global scholarship on the challenges experienced by Black women in academia is palpable; the South African landscape is distinctive, resultant from the complex intersections of apartheid and the 2004 higher education transformation process. Fourteen in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 black female academics from five different campuses at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. They were invited to recount their lived experiences as academics. Notable themes that emerged when examining race and gender included the old boys' network, the leadership paradox of feminised leadership versus the "queen bee" as well as the impact of stress. The theoretical framework that underpins this paper is social constructivism with a specific focus on intersectional theory. The intersectional theory will give context to race and gender identity in the experience of academics. The South African government documents intersectional experiences recorded in legislation that addresses disparities that existed during apartheid; nonetheless, these intersectional experiences of disadvantage are perpetuated. The dimensions of race and gender play a critical role in academia, while transformational legislation is responsible for facilitating gendered targets. These findings seek to provide a tool of support for Black women, as they continue to be exposed to innumerable challenges, including perfunctory appointments, remuneration incongruence and inconsistencies in the apportionment of research funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of international relations (IR) is relatively recent compared to other disciplines of the social sciences. Although there has been an advance in terms of theoretical and methodological debates, after its incorporation as a scientific discipline post Second World War, several questions remain. In this text some of its main milestones are briefly discussed: the idea of an international society with the consequent expansion of the level and units of analysis beyond the State. Also the inclusion of approaches to international political economy (EPI) and constructivism that, on the one hand, challenge the strict separation of the domestic-international, and, on the other, the absolute objectivity. In the same way, the particularities and contributions from Latin America to the discipline are highlighted. In this sense, the relevance of representing the diversity of paradigms and societies outside the United States and Europe is argued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructivism is the metaethical position stating that although we cannot have direct access to moral facts, we can still come up with a set of principles that can be justified and that ought to be respected by individuals. The strength of these moral principles derives from the fact that they are the result of a procedure respecting certain desirable conditions. Constructivism concerns the methodology of political philosophy, being preoccupied with the process of generating and justifying moral principles. In this review article I present the main contentions of constructivism (focusing especially on the Kantian constructivism advanced by Rawls and Scanlon), describe its positioning on the realist-antirealist axis, and compare it with its main competitor in the field of metaethical views, intuitionism. I dedicate a separate section to the method of reflective equilibrium, which represents an important part of several metaethical accounts, be they constructivist, realist, or intuitionist. I show how reflective equilibrium represents the main instrument constructivists can employ in order to capture the appeal of relying on intuitions in moral theorizing, without leaning toward intuitionism. Toward the end of the article I present G. A. Cohen's (2003, 2008) criticism of constructivism. I focus on the replies Ronzoni and Valentini (2008), Hall (2013), de Maagt (2014, 2016) and Rossi (2016) give to Cohen, ending with a criticism of my own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]