Can good science be logically inconsistent?

Some philosophers have recently argued that contrary to the traditional view, good scientific theories can in fact be logically inconsistent. The literature is now full of case-studies that are taken to support this claim. I will argue however that as of yet no-one has managed to articulate a philosophically interesting view about the role of logically inconsistent theories in science that genuinely goes against tradition, is plausibly true, and is supported by any of the case studies usually given.     

Technological and organizational innovation: A dilemma of fundamental change and participation

This article reports the findings of a study of graduates' expectations and experiences of organizational and individual career management practices and of the relationships between organizational career management, career selfmanagement, and organizational commitment. It finds that, despite the prevailing rhetoric that individuals must take responsibility for their own careers, organizations are still heavily involved in the career management of their graduate recruits. Furthermore, organizational career management makes a positive contribution to graduates' organizational commitment, whereas most forms of career self-management do little to discourage it. However, graduates appear to benefit from different kinds of career management at different stages in their first 10 years in the organization.     

Religion,ethnicity, coping style,and self-reported self-harm in a diverse non-clinical UK population

Previous studies of ethnic and cultural differences in self-harm have focussed on overdose and suicide attempts by South Asian women. Research comparing ethnic groups has rarely examined religion or nationality. To achieve a more balanced approach this study examined self-harm methods and self-injury across gender, religion and ethnic group in a non-clinical population. Six hundred and seventeen university students completed a questionnaire asking whether they had ever harmed themselves, and the frequency and method of any self-harm. White participants and participants with no religious affiliation were more likely to report repeated incidents of self-harm, mainly scratching and cutting skin. Hindu religion was associated with lower levels of repeated self-harm. Asian males were less likely to report self-harm than both Asian females and other males. Black students were less likely to report cutting and scored highest on Rational coping style. The results raise questions about differential disclosure of self-harm across gender and culture.     

The emotionally intelligent ministry: why it matters

Pizarro and Salovey hypothesise that religious systems are frequently “inherently emotionally intelligent” and that religious leaders may be experts in emotional regulation due to the inherent demands of their role. Despite such assertions, to date there appears to be little exploration of Emotional Intelligence (EI) amongst religious populations. Thus, suggesting that statements such as this may be based on supposition, speculation and stereotypes rather than grounded in sound empirical evidence. In an attempt to explore EI amongst religious systems, this study examined levels of EI amongst 226 Irish clergy. Participants completed the EI Scale. Results revealed that clergy levels of EI were lower than expected and below other diverse populations previously assessed using the same instrument. The emergence of such knowledge regarding clergy EI begins to suggest that religious systems may indeed not be conclaves of emotional abilities as previously assumed. Given the relevance and the potential value of employing EI abilities within the ministry, this result is both surprising and disconcerting.     

MESSIANIC JEWS AND JEWISH IDENTITY

In recent years Messianic Judaism has grown considerably worldwide and has caused much concern within the contemporary Jewish community. Messianic Jews claim they are completely Jewish, but they are considered by the majority of the Jewish community to be Christian apostates. This paper considers the practices and beliefs of the Messianic community, explores the issue of their identity and reflects on this in relation to Jewish identity throughout the universal Jewish community. It explores the question of placing Messianic Jews outside the Jewish fold, given that the various branches of contemporary Judaism are deeply divided over central tenets of faith and practice. It considers the Messianic belief in Jesus as the Messiah in the light of normative Jewish approaches to aspects of Halakhic teaching.     

Factors influencing self-rated fear to a novel animal

Abstract

This study attempted to assess some of the factors that influence self-rated fear of a novel animal. Subjects were: (1) shown a picture of an animal that was novel to them; (2) given a brief snippet of information about it; and then (3) asked to make a variety of assessments about their likely reaction to the animal. Self-reported levels of fear to the novel animal were significantly higher if subjects were told that people were generally frightened of the animal. However, the extent to which individual levels of disgust sensitivity informed fear to the novel animal was dependent on: (1) the information that subjects were given about the reasons why other people might fear the animal; and (2) the interaction between disgust sensitivity levels and other beliefs about the animal (such as beliefs about being attacked by the animal or being made ill by the animal). Although disgust sensitivity has been found to be a factor important in generating fear to fear-relevant animals, the present study suggests that it also plays an important role in informing fear to a novel animal.     

Rural Embedded Assistants for Community Health (REACH) Network: First-Person Accounts in a Community–University Partnership

Community research and action projects undertaken by community–university partnerships can lead to contextually appropriate and sustainable community improvements in rural and urban localities. However, effective implementation is challenging and prone to failure when poorly executed. The current paper seeks to inform rural community–university partnership practice through consideration of first-person accounts from five stakeholders in the Rural Embedded Assistants for Community Health (REACH) Network. The REACH Network is a unique community–university partnership aimed at improving rural health services by identifying, implementing, and evaluating innovative health interventions delivered by local caregivers. The first-person accounts provide an insider’s perspective on the nature of collaboration. The unique perspectives identify three critical challenges facing the REACH Network: trust, coordination, and sustainability. Through consideration of the challenges, we identified several strategies for success. We hope readers can learn their own lessons when considering the details of our partnership’s efforts to improve the delivery infrastructure for rural healthcare.