Social anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders, with high impact on the life of an affected social system and its individual social system members. We developed a manualized disorder-specific integrative systemic and family therapy for SAD, and evaluated its feasibility in a pilot randomized controlled trial. The ISFT is inspired by Helm Stierlin’s concept of related individuation developed during the early 1980s, which has since continued to be refined. It integrates solution-focused language, social network diagnostics, and genogram (...) work, as well as resource- and problem orientation for both case conceptualization and therapy planning. Post-Milan symptom prescription to fluidize the presented symptoms is one of the core interventions in the ISFT. Theoretically, the IFST is grounded in radical constructivism and “Cybern-Ethics,” multi-directional partiality, and a both/and attitude toward a disorder-specific vs. non-disorder-specific therapy approach. SAD is understood from the viewpoint of social systems theory, especially in adaptation to a socio-psycho-biological explanatory model of social anxiety. In a prospective multicenter, assessor-blind pilot RCT, we included 38 clients with SAD : 18 patients participated in the ISFT, and 20 patients in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Within-group, simple-effect intention-to-treat analyses showed significant reduction in social anxiety, while intention-to-treat mixed-design ANOVA demonstrated the advantage of ISFT. Per-protocol analyses supported these results. The remission rate based on blind diagnosticians’ ratings was good to satisfactory ; this has yet to be verified in a subsequent confirmatory RCT. The article will present the ISFT rationale and manual, including a special focus on multi-person settings, and the central findings from our pilot RCT. (shrink)

Die philosophie und das Christentum.--Griechischer und christlicher logos.--Die totalität und der geist des idealismus.--Kant und die kritik.--Spruch und widerspruch.--Die kritik des systems und der wissenschaft.--Von der kritik zur reflexion.--Von der reflexion zur antwort.

Making Social Science Matter presents an exciting new approach to the social and behavioral sciences including theoretical argument, methodological guidelines, and examples of practical application. Why has social science failed in attempts to emulate natural science and produce normal theory? Bent Flyvbjerg argues that the strength of social sciences lies in its rich, reflexive analysis of values and power, essential to the social and economic development of any society. Richly informed, powerfully argued, and clearly written, this book opens up a (...) new future for the social sciences. Its empowering message will make it required reading for students and academics across the social and behavioral sciences. (shrink)

Die sechzehn Beitrage stellen in vielen Schwerpunkten die rasante Entwicklung dar, die die Eurolinguistik seit der ersten Tagung 1997 genommen hat. Den Hintergrund bilden der Europa-Begriff und die Vorgeschichte der Eurolinguistik im 20.

Die Internationale Konferenz vom Oktober 2007 in Leipzig hat die erste Phase der neuen linguistischen Disziplin der Eurolinguistik von 1991-2007 resumiert. Die sechzehn Beitrage stellen in vielen Schwerpunkten die rasante Entwicklung dar, die die Eurolinguistik seit der ersten Tagung 1997 genommen hat. Den Hintergrund bilden der Europa-Begriff und die Vorgeschichte der Eurolinguistik im 20. Jahrhundert, die wissenschaftlichen Quellen, ihre spezielle Geschichte seit den 90er Jahren und die moderne Ausfacherung in verschiedene Zweige. Einen Schwerpunkt bildet naturgemass die Arealtypologie, mit Akzenten auf (...) der dynamischen Sprachtypologie, der Rolle von Nichtstandard-Varietaten, der speziellen Typologie, auf dem Balkansprachbund oder dem Inselkeltisch. In einem weiteren Schwerpunkt werden die Unterschiede zwischen Ost- und Westeuropa hinsichtlich der sozialhistorischen, konfessionellen und textuellen Funktionen ihrer Sprachen beschrieben. Spezielle Akzente setzen weitere Beitrage zu den Themen Subdisziplin der?Euromorphologie' anhand des romanischen Morphems -icus und an deutsch-bulgarischen Aquivalenzen werden die Leistungen eines kommunikativen Prinzips (?Mitteilungspotenzial') fur die Eurolinguistik beleuchtet. Des Weiteren werden Sprachkontakte des Russischen in Sibirien analysiert, anhand von Minderheiten in Sudosteuropa Perspektiven auf Sprachidentitaten und Weltbilder in eurolinguistischem Kontext erlautert. Eher mit zukunftigen Aspekten der Eurolinguistik befassen einige Beitrage, die mogliche soziookonomischen und sprachokologischen Funktionen der Disziplin beleuchten, die Frage nach einem Eurotyp der Sprachwissenschaft thematisieren und die aktuellen Plane einer europaweiten Institutionalisierung der Eurolinguistik vorstellen. (shrink)

This article is about nursing theories, the development of nursing knowledge and the underlying, hidden epistemology. The current technical–economical rationality in society and health care calls for a specific kind of knowledge based on a traditional Western, Socratic view of science. This has an immense influence on the development of nursing knowledge. The purpose of the article was therefore to discuss the hidden epistemology of nursing knowledge and theories seen in a broad historical context and point to an alternative epistemology (...) for a future context. It is a question about which nursing theories and what nursing knowledge should be developed in order to benefit patients and relatives of the future. We suggest that future knowledge development in nursing be developed in an interchange between theory and practice and guided by philosophy like a kind of pendulum where all three elements are treated as equals. We suggest a framework for the development of nursing knowledge based on a caring‐ethical practice, a theory on life phenomena in suffering and relationship‐based nursing, and thereby, we may be able to help patients to be cured, to recover, to be alleviated or comforted when suffering. (shrink)

A theory of learning for the future advocates the teaching of a preparedness to respond in a creative way to difference and otherness. This includes an ability to act imaginatively in situations of uncertainties. John Dewey’s pragmatism holds the key to such a learning theory his view of the continuous meetings of individuals and environments as experimental and playful. That pragmatism has not yet been acknowledged as a relevant learning theory for the future may be due to the immediate connotation (...) and the many interpretations associated with the term ‘experience’, which is at the heart of Dewey’s educational thinking. Dewey defi ned experience in a way that is not well understood within educational research, and in a way that is easily confused with the term ‘experiential learning’. The latter refers to the importance of participants’ ‘experiences’ derived from bodily actions and stored in memory as more or less tacit knowledge. (shrink)

Real Social Science presents a new, hands-on approach to social inquiry. The theoretical and methodological ideas behind the book, inspired by Aristotelian phronesis, represent an original perspective within the social sciences, and this volume gives readers for the first time a set of studies exemplifying what applied phronesis looks like in practice. The reflexive analysis of values and power gives new meaning to the impact of research on policy and practice. Real Social Science is a major step forward in a (...) novel and thriving field of research. This book will benefit scholars, researchers and students who want to make a difference in practice, not just in the academy. Its message will make it essential reading for students and academics across the social sciences. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Der Islam Jahrgang: 92 Heft: 2 Seiten: 530-533.

German description: Johann Hinrich Claussen beschaftigt sich mit der uralten und dennoch aktuellen Frage nach dem Gluck: Was konnte das Gluck sein, und inwiefern stellt die Jagd nach dem Gluck ein sinnvolles Lebensziel dar?

In recent years, there have been many attempts at defining learning as a social phenomenon as opposed to an individual and primarily psychological matter. The move towards understanding learning as social processes has also altered the concept of knowledge as a well-defined element stored in books, brains, CD-Roms, disks, videos or on the Internet. Instead, knowledge has been perceived as a social and context related construction. The roots of the social angle within theories on learning and knowledge are much older (...) than the current literature suggests. This paper illustrates how these theories can be traced back to pragmatism as a philosophy and foundation for an educational approach introduced by the American, John Dewey, more than one hundred years ago. The paper also suggests that Dewey avoids some pitfalls that have come with the new theories, particularly the strong division between individual vs. social and school vs. everyday life learning. (shrink)

In the present context of intertwined and intensifying economic, environmental and climate challenges and crisis, we need to enlarge our thinking about food systems change. One way to do so is by considering intersections between our longstanding interdisciplinary interest in food and agriculture and new scholarship and practice centered on transitions to sustainability. The general idea of transition references change in a wide range of fields and contexts, and has gained prominence most recently as a way to discuss and address (...) sustainability challenges. To explore connections to food systems change, I highlight two broad approaches in the sustainability transitions research field. First is a multi-level perspective that examines sustainability innovation pathways and second is a social practices approach that illuminates the possibilities for shifts in normal everyday routines and practices. Taken together, these approaches offer different and useful ways to think about the dynamics, durability and significance of innovations in food and agriculture, and the part they play in transitions to sustainability. Numerous opportunities exist to forge more productive links between work on food systems change and the broad and growing sustainability transitions field. First, our research and practice insights about the importance of politics, governance, values and ethics in food and agriculture could help to strengthen the sustainability transitions field, which initially underplayed such questions. Second, the sustainability transitions field’s implicit systems sensibility and its futures orientation could help to widen the scope of inquiry and the contribution to policy and planning of research and practice on food systems change. (shrink)

BackgroundBefore participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway.Methods24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning’s Fog Index and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook grading.ResultsThe mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 and 14.2 respectively. The mean FOG and SMOG grades were (...) 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual study.ConclusionsAs the readability level of the PICDs did not match the participants’ educational level, consent may not have been valid, as the participants may have had a limited understanding of what they agreed to participate in. There should be more focus on the readability of PICDs. National guidelines for how to write clear and unambiguous PICDs in simple and easily understandable language could increase the focus on the readability of PICD. (shrink)

There is limited knowledge about sleep in adolescents with elevated levels of anxiety treated within primary health care settings, potentially resulting in sleep problems not being sufficiently addressed by primary health care workers. In the current study self-reported anxiety, insomnia, sleep onset latency, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms were assessed in 313 adolescents referred to treatment for anxiety within primary health care. Results showed that 38.1% of the adolescents met criteria for insomnia, 34.8% reported short sleep duration, and 83.1% reported (...) long sleep onset latency. Total anxiety symptoms were related to all sleep variables after controlling for age and sex. Furthermore, all anxiety symptom sub-types were associated with insomnia and sleep onset latency, whereas most anxiety subtypes were associated with sleep duration. Adolescents’ depressive symptoms accounted for most of the anxiety-sleep associations, emphasizing the importance of depressive symptoms for sleep. However, anxiety was associated with insomnia and sleep onset latency also among youth with low levels of depressive symptoms. The findings suggests that primary health care workers should assess sleep duration, sleep onset latency, and insomnia in help-seeking adolescents with anxiety. (shrink)

The human genome contains about 30,000 genes, each creating several transcripts per gene. Transcript structures and expression are studied by high‐throughput transcriptomic techniques using microarrays. Generally, transcripts are not directly operating molecules, but are translated into functional proteins, post‐translationally modified by proteolysis, glycosylation, phosphorylation, etc., sometimes with great functional impact. Proteins need to be analyzed by proteomic techniques, less suited for high‐throughput. Two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D‐PAGE), separating thousands of proteins has developed slowly over the past quarter of a century. (...) This technique is now quite reproducible and suitable for differential proteomics, comparing normal and diseased cells/tissues revealing differentially regulated proteins. 2D‐PAGE is combined with protein‐identification methods, currently mass spectrometry (MS), which has been significantly improved over the last decade. Other proteomic techniques studying protein–protein interactions are now either established or still being developed, such as peptide or protein arrays, phage display, and the yeast two‐hybrid system. The strengths and weaknesses of these techniques are discussed. BioEssays 26:901–915, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

Although many aspects of the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms remain unknown, recent advances in our knowledge suggest that the CREC proteins are promising disease biomarkers or targets for therapeutic intervention in a variety of diseases. The CREC family of low affinity, Ca2+‐binding, multiple EF‐hand proteins are encoded by five genes,RCN1,RCN2,RCN3,SDF4, andCALU, resulting in reticulocalbin, ER Ca2+‐binding protein of 55 kDa (ERC‐55), reticulocalbin‐3, Ca2+‐binding protein of 45 kDa (Cab45), and calumenin. Alternative splicing increases the number of gene products. The proteins are (...) localized in the cytosol, in various parts of the secretory pathway, secreted to the extracellular space or localized on the cell surface. The emerging functions appear to be highly diverse. The proteins interact with several different ligands. Rather well‐described functions are attached to calumenin with the inhibition of several proteins in the endoplasmic or sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, the vitamin K12,3‐epoxide reductase, the γ‐carboxylase, the ryanodine receptor, and the Ca2+‐transporting ATPase. Other functions concern participation in the secretory process, chaperone activity, signal transduction as well as participation in a large variety of disease processes. (shrink)