The Weekly Roundup is an opportunity to recap a week in news and share recently discovered materials that might be of interest.
THE NUZZO LETTER IN THE NEWS
Psychreg Journal of Psychology, 2024
Abstract: “Woke” is a colloquial term that refers to a raised consciousness or awareness of purported social injustices that are believed to be caused by unjust power dynamics in society. “Woke” ideas, which originated in the humanities, have been criticised by many commentators. “Woke” ideas now appear in health research, but their proliferation has not been formally documented. Here, the aim was to describe the proliferation of “Woke” ideas (or related ideas) in the health sciences by quantifying use of “Woke” nomenclature in biomedical research articles. A total of 156 “Woke” terms, representing concepts (e.g., equity, social justice) or names of relevant people (e.g., Foucault, George Floyd), were searched in titles and abstracts of articles indexed in PubMed. Use of “Woke” terms was common and has increased exponentially in the past 15 years. The most frequently used “Woke” terms were: disparit* (94,667 articles), equalit*/inequalit* (53,672), climate change (50,822), equit*/inequit* (47,705), underserv* (14,062), social determinant* (13,103), marginaliz* (11,457), global warming (10,990), transgender* (10,192), health equit*/inequit* (8,730), health equalit*/inequalit* (8,257), racial parity/disparit* (7,732), feminis* (5,349), social equalit*/inequalit* (5,102), cultural competenc* (4,902), gendered (4,869), built environment (4,813), social justice/injustice (3,933), gender equalit*/inequalit* (3,724), intersectional (3,082), underrepresentation (2,989), gender parity/disparit* (2,800), and gender bias (2,552). The results suggest increased uptake of “Woke” ideas in health research. Irrespective of intentions, the possibility that “Woke” ideas might harm patients through misallocating research funds or misinforming patients about health causes warrants discussion. At minimum, the results document the rise of “Woke medicine.”
PODCASTS
The Vast Majority of Men Are Good, But We Focus on a Tiny Minority Who Do Bad Things: Martin Seager
British Thought Leaders, 2024
Episode description: NTD’s Lee Hall sits down with Martin Seager, male psychology specialist and mental health campaigner. Viewed as one of the founders of men’s psychology, Martin talks about society’s bias against males—and why he considers "the patriarchy" and "toxic masculinity" to be myths.
The Devil and Karl Marx | Dr. Paul Kengor | EP 455
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, 2024
Episode description: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down in-person with author, historian, and professor of political science, Dr. Paul Kengor. They discuss the lifestyle, writings, and religious ideations of Karl Marx, how communist dogma evolved through modern day, and why equal outcome is wrong on the level of malevolence. Paul Kengor, Ph.D., is a professor of political science at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and editor of The American Spectator. He’s a New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books, including “The Devil and Karl Marx” and “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” which is the basis of the new movie “Reagan,” starring Dennis Quaid. Kengor is a renowned historian of the Cold War, communism, and Reagan presidency.
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Taboos and Self-Censorship Among U.S. Psychology Professors
Perspective on Psychological Science, 2024
Abstract: We identify points of conflict and consensus regarding (a) controversial empirical claims and (b) normative preferences for how controversial scholarship—and scholars—should be treated. In 2021, we conducted qualitative interviews (n = 41) to generate a quantitative survey (N = 470) of U.S. psychology professors’ beliefs and values. Professors strongly disagreed on the truth status of 10 candidate taboo conclusions: For each conclusion, some professors reported 100% certainty in its veracity and others 100% certainty in its falsehood. Professors more confident in the truth of the taboo conclusions reported more self-censorship, a pattern that could bias perceived scientific consensus regarding the inaccuracy of controversial conclusions. Almost all professors worried about social sanctions if they were to express their own empirical beliefs. Tenured professors reported as much self-censorship and as much fear of consequences as untenured professors, including fear of getting fired. Most professors opposed suppressing scholarship and punishing peers on the basis of moral concerns about research conclusions and reported contempt for peers who petition to retract papers on moral grounds. Younger, more left-leaning, and female faculty were generally more opposed to controversial scholarship. These results do not resolve empirical or normative disagreements among psychology professors, but they may provide an empirical context for their discussion.
Living Alone and Feelings of Depression Among Adults Age 18 and Older
National Health Statistics Report, 2024
Abstract: Objectives-This report presents national estimates of self-reported feelings of depression among adults by whether they lived alone or with others. Methods-Data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey were used to describe differences in self-reported feelings of depression and living arrangement by selected sociodemographic characteristics and social and emotional support among adults age 18 and older. The measure of living arrangement was categorized as living alone or living with others. Results-Overall, 16.0% of adults lived alone in 2021. Reported feelings of depression were higher among adults living alone (6.4%) compared with adults living with others (4.1%), for both men and women, across most race and Hispanic-origin groups, and by family income. Adults who reported never or rarely receiving social and emotional support and living alone were almost twice as likely to report feelings of depression than those never or rarely receiving social and emotional support and living with others (19.6% compared with 11.6%, respectively). Yet no significant difference was seen in reported feelings of depression among those who reported sometimes, usually, or always receiving social and emotional support by whether they were living alone or living with others. Conclusion-Adults living alone had higher reported feelings of depression than adults living with others. Differences in feelings of depression by living arrangement were observed for most of the characteristics examined.
HISTORICAL ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Men's health: Impact on women, children and society
Journal of Men's Health & Gender, 2007
Abstract: Men's health is often considered unimportant to the well-being of other demographic groups. However, men's health challenges may impact the health status of women and children profoundly, impairing family health, economics, and the stability of relationships. Society is adversely affected economically by preventable male illness and death through lost time from work, disability and diminished work productivity. Widowed women commonly experience financial hardship and increased death rates. Fathers' age, alcohol/tobacco use, and military exposures are associated with specific birth defects in children. Infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papiloma virus (HPV) and Chlamydia among men are readily transmissible to women through sex, often with significant consequences for women and children. Males as a group are less likely to utilize preventive health care, less likely to have health insurance, and less likely to have seen a physician in the previous year than women. Studies show that many men do not respond to pain and illness by seeking health care. There is a pervasive lack of awareness concerning men's health issues. Men's work hours frequently eclipse the hours when health care is typically available. Depression in men is likely under-recognized significantly given a male suicide rate that is four times greater than that for women. Men's health is a vital but neglected component of community health. A tetrad approach is necessary to optimize public health outcomes, including children's health, women's health, men's health, and minority health as coequal partners. Addressing the health needs of males would very likely lead to overall improved health outcomes for communities and nations.
GRAPH OF THE WEEK
Physical Activity By Education Level
This week’s graph shows the percentage of adults in the United States who meet both muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activity guidelines by level of educational attainment. Overall, 22.5% of adults achieved recommended levels for both activity types in 2022. Individuals who had lower educational attainment were less likely to meet recommended guidelines for physical activity.
Source: QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥25 Years Who Met the 2018 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Both Muscle-Strengthening and Aerobic Physical Activity, by Educational Attainment — United States, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:521.
*Graph of the Week is available as a separate, shareable post here:
RUBBISH BIN
Nursing Philosophy, 2019
Abstract: The argument that nurses should be Marxists is made by looking at the primary areas of nursing activity in turn, giving an example of how capitalist economic relations negatively impact upon that activity, and providing a Marxist explanation of the reasons why it has that impact. In relation to the nursing activity of health promotion, it is argued that capitalism's generation of social inequality undermines the health of the population. In relation to curative activities, the focus is on how capitalism's reckless pursuit of profit has subverted the sustainability of bactericidal interventions. The argument in relation to comforting and assistive care is that the ownership and control of health services by capitalist corporations undermines therapeutic relationships. Finally, in relation to supportive care, it is contended that capitalism's requirement for a disciplined workforce can compromise healthcare professionals' support of employees. It is concluded that if nurses aspire to have some control over their activities, then it is a good idea for them to avail of Marxism's capacity to identify the socio-economic mechanisms by which capitalism affects nursing care.
Journal of Homosexuality, 2024
Abstract: In this article we describe and analyze five videos created through an arts-informed research project, Precarious Inclusion: Studying Ontarian 2SLGBTQI+ parents’ experiences childrearing in a post-legal parity framework. Precarious Inclusion used interviews and digital storytelling to investigate Ontario 2SLGBTQI+ parents’ current experiences of inclusion and exclusion when navigating institutional and social interactions in everyday life in a post-legal parity context. The study centrally explored how intersecting identities with regards to sexuality, gender, geography, disability, class, race, Indigeneity, and ethnicity intersect with structural forces to influence 2SLGBTQI+ parents’ inclusion and exclusion experiences. We examine research creation activities that supported 2SLGBTQI+ parents in making short videos about their experiences of parenting. Our analysis of the five videos created by Indigenous, racialized, trans, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, and disabled parents show how consistent experiences of exclusion mark 2SLGBTQI+ parents’ everyday lives. We deepen theorizations of the material and psychological impacts of exclusion for 2SLGBTQI+ families through foregrounding three themes: 1) the operations of racism, white supremacy, and colonialism in makers’ lives; 2) misrecognition and its psychic effects of bifurcation and disjuncture; and 3) love, joy, and multi-species kinship as powerful sites of healing and belonging. We further demonstrate how parents used their videos as self-advocacy for resisting precarious inclusion.
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