BackgroundSmoking prevalence is still high, which requires effective interventions that help many people who smoke at once in addition to time-consuming individual interventions. 'I Quit' is a... Show moreBackgroundSmoking prevalence is still high, which requires effective interventions that help many people who smoke at once in addition to time-consuming individual interventions. 'I Quit' is a large-scale smoking cessation course in The Netherlands. This qualitative study explored I Quit participants' experiences during and after the course, and perceptions of whether and how the course may have altered their smoking behavior.MethodsWe performed individual semi-structured interviews with course participants (N = 21) who had either quit successfully, attempted to quit but relapsed, or had continued to smoke after 'I Quit'. Shortly after qualitative data collection was completed, Foundation I Quit was accused in the media of a number of misbehaviors. Although unplanned, this provided a unique opportunity to explore participants' views on alleged fraud in a second round of interviews (N = 16). Data were collected from 2016 to 2018.ResultsQualitative findings showed two psychosocial processes that may explain smoking cessation after course attendance. First, the confrontation with a large group of people who smoke, of whom some had already developed smoking-related complaints, triggered identity processes both towards and away from quitting smoking. Unorthodox methods used in the course appeared to trigger identity processes. Second, social support after the course from participants' own social network facilitated maintenance of successful quitting. The study also found that interview participants' opinions on I Quit did not change much after allegations of fraud in the media.ConclusionsFindings suggest that a one-time course might initiate psychosocial processes that could help certain smokers to gain motivation to quit, requiring a minimum of resources. Identity processes triggered by the course seem tricky as people have different ways of dealing with identity threat, some of which can be counterproductive and even result in more difficulty quitting. More research is needed to examine who can benefit from a one-time course, and who needs more support in order to quit successfully. Show less
BackgroundSmoking prevalence is still high, which requires effective interventions that help many people who smoke at once in addition to time-consuming individual interventions. ‘I Quit’ is a... Show moreBackgroundSmoking prevalence is still high, which requires effective interventions that help many people who smoke at once in addition to time-consuming individual interventions. ‘I Quit’ is a large-scale smoking cessation course in The Netherlands. This qualitative study explored I Quit participants’ experiences during and after the course, and perceptions of whether and how the course may have altered their smoking behavior.MethodsWe performed individual semi-structured interviews with course participants (N = 21) who had either quit successfully, attempted to quit but relapsed, or had continued to smoke after ‘I Quit’. Shortly after qualitative data collection was completed, Foundation I Quit was accused in the media of a number of misbehaviors. Although unplanned, this provided a unique opportunity to explore participants’ views on alleged fraud in a second round of interviews (N = 16). Data were collected from 2016 to 2018.ResultsQualitative findings showed two psychosocial processes that may explain smoking cessation after course attendance. First, the confrontation with a large group of people who smoke, of whom some had already developed smoking-related complaints, triggered identity processes both towards and away from quitting smoking. Unorthodox methods used in the course appeared to trigger identity processes. Second, social support after the course from participants’ own social network facilitated maintenance of successful quitting. The study also found that interview participants’ opinions on I Quit did not change much after allegations of fraud in the media.ConclusionsFindings suggest that a one-time course might initiate psychosocial processes that could help certain smokers to gain motivation to quit, requiring a minimum of resources. Identity processes triggered by the course seem tricky as people have different ways of dealing with identity threat, some of which can be counterproductive and even result in more difficulty quitting. More research is needed to examine who can benefit from a one-time course, and who needs more support in order to quit successfully. Show less
Centuries of intense and involuntary migrations deeply impacted the development of the creolised cultures on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. This volume describes... Show moreCenturies of intense and involuntary migrations deeply impacted the development of the creolised cultures on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. This volume describes various forms of cultural heritage produced on these islands over time and whether these heritages are part of their ‘national’ identifications. What forms of heritage express the idea of a shared “we” (nation-building) and what images are presented to the outside world (nation-branding)? What cultural heritage is shared between the islands and what are some real or perceived differences? In this book, examples of cultural heritage on these three islands ranging from sports to questions of reparations, from museums to digital humanities, from archaeology to music, from language and literature to tourism, and from visual art to diaspora policies are compared to developments elsewhere in the Caribbean. Show less
Nakane, Ikuko; Maree, Claire; Ewing, Michael C. 2023
Identity, or 'who I am', is important for smoking behaviour. Identity constructs (parts of a person's identity) are typically examined as separate entities, but emerging evidence suggests that the... Show moreIdentity, or 'who I am', is important for smoking behaviour. Identity constructs (parts of a person's identity) are typically examined as separate entities, but emerging evidence suggests that the multifaceted nature of identity is relevant in the context of smoking. This cross-sectional study examined how smoking-related self- and group-identity constructs cluster within adult daily smokers (N = 231), whether classes of smokers can be distinguished based on clusters of identity constructs, and which factors explain class membership. Data were collected online in The Netherlands and Belgium, 2017-2018. Latent class and regression tree analyses showed that participants in Class 1 of 'Identified smokers' (estimated population share 54%) reported stronger smoker self- and group-identities, stronger expected identity loss when quitting smoking, and weaker quitter self-identities and non-smoker self- and group-identities (vs. Class 2 of 'Conflicted smokers'). Class membership was explained by the interaction between mental smoking dependence (dominant explanatory variable), consideration of future consequences, age of smoking onset, self-efficacy, and future self thought clarity. Models had good fit. The identity of more dependent smokers is more strongly oriented toward smoking. Smoking is also more strongly embedded in the identity of smokers who started smoking young, are less inclined to think about the future, and have lower self-efficacy. Show less
Meijer, E.; Gebhardt, W.A.; Laar, C. van; Chavannes, N.H.; Putte, B. van den 2022
Identity, or ‘who I am’, is important for smoking behaviour. Identity constructs (parts of a person’s identity) are typically examined as separate entities, but emerging evidence suggests that the... Show moreIdentity, or ‘who I am’, is important for smoking behaviour. Identity constructs (parts of a person’s identity) are typically examined as separate entities, but emerging evidence suggests that the multifaceted nature of identity is relevant in the context of smoking. This cross-sectional study examined how smoking-related self- and group-identity constructs cluster within adult daily smokers (N = 231), whether classes of smokers can be distinguished based on clusters of identity constructs, and which factors explain class membership. Data were collected online in The Netherlands and Belgium, 2017–2018. Latent class and regression tree analyses showed that participants in Class 1 of ‘Identified smokers’ (estimated population share 54%) reported stronger smoker self- and group-identities, stronger expected identity loss when quitting smoking, and weaker quitter self-identities and non-smoker self- and group-identities (vs. Class 2 of ‘Conflicted smokers’). Class membership was explained by the interaction between mental smoking dependence (dominant explanatory variable), consideration of future consequences, age of smoking onset, self-efficacy, and future self thought clarity. Models had good fit. The identity of more dependent smokers is more strongly oriented toward smoking. Smoking is also more strongly embedded in the identity of smokers who started smoking young, are less inclined to think about the future, and have lower self-efficacy. Show less
This book starts with Vansina, who holds that old cultural traditions in Africa have been destroyed, but that new ones are emerging. With Prah, the study argues that a key role is played by... Show moreThis book starts with Vansina, who holds that old cultural traditions in Africa have been destroyed, but that new ones are emerging. With Prah, the study argues that a key role is played by education, which has to be based on African languages and values. Using a new quantitative comparative analysis, the study shows that maintaining former colonial languages as medium of instruction will become impossible to sustain. Over the next decade, some African countries will have to transition to African languages. The issue of language choice has vexed researchers and policymakers. The study shows how all over the world, designed languages serve speakers of several discerned languages. This solution could also be used in Africa, as demonstrated through six brief case studies. African languages in education will bolster the new, decolonised cultural traditions already taking shape on the continent. Show less
Duyvesteyn, Isabelle; Wal, Anne Marieke van der 2022
Studying change in the course of human history, in different places, through the lens of a diverse set of core themes, World History for International Studies offers readers a set of windows into... Show moreStudying change in the course of human history, in different places, through the lens of a diverse set of core themes, World History for International Studies offers readers a set of windows into different debates historians have been conducting. Key themes, such as communication, trade, order, slavery, religion, war, identity, modernity, norms and ecology, are linked to specific world regions, which tell a story about how local ideas and individual contacts developed, started to overlap and became globally understood and used by ever larger groups of people. These themes are brought to life by a diverse set of key primary sources, such as a book, a letter, a medal, a temple and an epic, to showcase how historians have used sources to tell these stories and conduct debates. The book provides an introductory resource into the study of history and includes detailed suggestions for further study. Show less
Slam poets in Africa are part of an emerging social movement. In this article, the focus is on women in this upcoming slam movement in francophone Africa. For these women, slam has meant a change... Show moreSlam poets in Africa are part of an emerging social movement. In this article, the focus is on women in this upcoming slam movement in francophone Africa. For these women, slam has meant a change in their lives as they have found words to describe difficult experiences that were previously shrouded in silence. Their words, performances and engaged actions are developing into a body of popular knowledge that questions the status quo and relates to the ‘emerging consciousness’ in many African urban societies of unequal, often gendered, power relations. The women who engage in slam have thus become a voice for the emancipation of women in general. Show less
This introductory piece outlines the lens adopted in this special issue, which foregrounds the examination of language and semiotics as a means of revisiting the concept of diaspora. Guided by... Show moreThis introductory piece outlines the lens adopted in this special issue, which foregrounds the examination of language and semiotics as a means of revisiting the concept of diaspora. Guided by posthumanist applied linguistics,the papers here envision human experiences as more complex than critical social theory may suggest; moreover, grass-roots agency–a focus that may be inadvertently overlooked in work that adopts a solely critical perspective–representsan important area of attention. Such an approach is grounded in the diversity of human realities that emerge from dif-ferential interfaces between structures and individuals who, themselves, possess the capacity to recognize these struc-tures and respond to them in unique ways. Together, the diverse pictures of inventive, creative, and, in some cases,dynamic constructions of diasporic identity presented here supplement, broaden, and challenge common conceptual-izations of diasporic positionality. Show less
This chapter focuses on interreligious encounter in contemporary Nigeria with the notion of ‘religious field’ at the forefront. This analytical frame acknowledges how lived religious experience can... Show moreThis chapter focuses on interreligious encounter in contemporary Nigeria with the notion of ‘religious field’ at the forefront. This analytical frame acknowledges how lived religious experience can cut across multiple religious traditions, which leads to a more holistic understanding of everyday lived religion. The bulk of the chapter is split into two sections. The first section utilizes two case examples from the Yorùbá region of Nigeria. Both case examples are based on participant observation and in-depth, longitudinal interviews that explore how two individuals, Ṣadé and Agbo, negotiate multiple religious belongings and identities within the multireligious milieu of contemporary Nigeria. The final section of the chapter shifts the discussion to case reflections, paying close attention to the methodological lessons related to World Christianity that can be gleaned from these cases. While it is recognized that every religious field is distinct and needs to be contextualized, the methodological lessons offered on religious belonging and identity, everyday lived religion, entangled religion, bias and hierarchy, and multi-directional exchange can be applied broadly in World Christianity scholarship. Show less
This article aims to redefine the identity traits of an Andean protagonist presented in the narrative of Peruvian author Ulises Gutiérrez Llantoy. In first novel, Ojos de pez abisal, I shall... Show moreThis article aims to redefine the identity traits of an Andean protagonist presented in the narrative of Peruvian author Ulises Gutiérrez Llantoy. In first novel, Ojos de pez abisal, I shall concentrate on the way he modifies the traditional landscape. Andean geography is readjusted as it is presented through the eyes of an andino living in Japan. His second novel, Cementerio de barcos, presents the global experience of the main character, how he engages in the construction of urban alliances as part of peripheral dynamics. Gutiérrez Llantoys’s Andean protagonist emerges as a polyglot inhabitant of shanty towns, a world traveler that loves rock. Following James Holston’s concept of insurgent citizenship, I aim to reveal the contribution of recent Andean narrative to the global debate on identity construction. This exploration of the globalized andino implies taking on the challenge of redescribing traditional Andean components in a radical new setting. Show less
Many European countries have been the target of jihadist terrorist attacks between 2015 and 2017. While the chance of becoming a victim of a terrorist attack is low, terrorism scholars have... Show moreMany European countries have been the target of jihadist terrorist attacks between 2015 and 2017. While the chance of becoming a victim of a terrorist attack is low, terrorism scholars have emphasized that terrorism does not revolve around statistics and casualty numbers. Terrorists use attacks to reach an audience and affect groups beyond the direct victims. To this date, little is known about how terrorist attacks might affect the salience of terrorism beyond national borders. This paper investigates possible convergence of issue salience of terrorism among citizens within the European Union for ten jihadist attacks in the period 2015–2017 using Eurobarometer survey data. The results indicate that it is not simply a question of convergence or divergence of salience of terrorism after a terrorist attack. The connection is multidirectional and depending upon a variety of factors. Most importantly, we observed convergence on the EU-level, but divergence on the national level. This raises important questions about the transnationality of the effects of terrorism. As this research does not test nor find a causal mechanism and is solely dependent on existing data, further research is necessary to test some of its findings. Show less
Within studies of World Christianity, an approach to identity construction and negotiation that foregrounds multiple identities has been gaining momentum in recent years. Some of this research has... Show moreWithin studies of World Christianity, an approach to identity construction and negotiation that foregrounds multiple identities has been gaining momentum in recent years. Some of this research has focused primarily on Christians with multiple religious identities. The most insightful work in this regard has combined a social-scientific approach with theological reflection, as seen in work from Catherine Cornille (2002), Peter C. Phan (2004), Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar and Joseph Prabhakar Dayam (2016), and André van der Braak and Manuela Kalsky (2017). In other research, the attention has been on how Christians construct and negotiate non-religious identities. For instance, in work on the Middle East, scholars such as Andrea Pacini (1998), Sidney H. Griffith (2008) and Kail C. Ellis (2018) vividly illustrate how Christians in the Middle East have negotiated a range of competing ethnic, national and cultural identities. Similarly, research on religion in Africa from J. D. Y. Peel (2015), Marloes Janson and Birgit Meyer (2016) and Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator (2018), among others, has advanced our understanding of the interdependence and fluidity of various cultural and social identities in multireligious settings. In line with this forward momentum, this special issue of Studies in World Christianity examines the topic of Christianity and multiple identities from diverse methodological approaches, conceptual lenses and geographic locations. Show less
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}James Purdy’s novel Eustace Chisholm and the... Show morep.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}James Purdy’s novel Eustace Chisholm and the Works (1967) challenges the notion that sexuality is part of an identity that is interior to one’s self. Central to this argument is a brief scene from the novel in which the sexual identity of one of the characters, Amos Ratcliffe, is narrated as an Oedipal fantasy of patricide and incest. Read through the lens of melodrama this article suggests that the novel, and this scene in particular, exposes sexual identity as an exteriority that is projected onto a person by his or her environment. This constitution of sexual identity is enforced through the confession, which is central to both the psychoanalytic Oedipal scenario and melodrama. Melodrama, however, problematizes the psychoanalytic confession to an interior truth that is subsequently assumed as sexual identity, for it foregrounds the exteriority onto which the truth-claim of the confession is based. As such, reading Eustace Chisholm through the lens of melodrama opens up a way to think about sexuality without taking recourse to identity. Show less
The [UK] Government plans to digitise more public services by 2015 to improve efficiency and reduce costs. As more daily activities, services and transactions are conducted online, increasing... Show moreThe [UK] Government plans to digitise more public services by 2015 to improve efficiency and reduce costs. As more daily activities, services and transactions are conducted online, increasing amounts of personal data are used on the internet. This POSTnote describes online identity, government projects to secure online access to public services and the issues arising from a more online society. Show less
