Rita Phillips
Biographic Data
| ID | 4014867 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rita Phillips |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rita |
| FAMILY NAME | Phillips |
| SIGNATURE | PHILLIPS R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Klagenfurt |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4541-2565 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 6 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Between ideals and realities: Understanding teachers’ concerns about democratic student participation in classroom settings
Democratic student participation is widely endorsed as a pillar of civic education and inclusive schooling. However, its enactment remains complex and often contested in everyday pedagogical practice. This study investigates how teachers’ concerns about democratic student-participation are internally structured and shaped by individual beliefs and contextual conditions. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey of Austrian teachers ( n = 311), the stud…
From tools of violence to machines of uncertainty: Mapping public perceptions of autonomous weapon systems and manual weapon systems
Autonomous weapon systems (AWS) are emerging technologies capable of selecting and engaging targets without direct human control, raising profound ethical, legal, and political concerns. Yet, little is known about how the public conceptualizes AWS, despite the relevance of public conscience for international humanitarian law and national policy-making. This study examines Austrian representations of AWS in comparison with manual weapon systems (M…
Public interpretations of neutrality: Ideological and identity-based drivers of neutrality attitudes in Austria
Austria’s policy of neutrality remains a central element of the country’s foreign policy identity, yet citizens do not necessarily interpret neutrality in the same way. While neutrality is often treated as a clearly defined legal principle in political and academic debates, public understandings of neutrality may vary considerably. This article examines how Austrian citizens interpret neutrality and which factors shape these interpretations. Usin…
Understandings of neutrality and its origins in young Austrian adults
Introduction to the Special Multilingual Issue: European Perceptions and Care of Former Military Members from the Perspective of European Nation States
Since the substantive development in the field of European military research in the last decade, the Journal of Veteran Studies has seen different approaches to examine veteran- related issues. Although attempts to understand veteran-related issues from national perspectives have been made, wider contextual and cross-national perspectives on Eurocentric veteran-related issues are missing. The present special issue addresses this gap in knowledge …
Nasty wars and needy veterans? How cognitive polyphasia may explain conceptualizations of the U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as victims and heroes
Representative opinion polls indicate that members of the U.S. public may hold dichotomous perceptions of their veterans. While the majority of the U.S. public appreciates and honors their veterans, they are also considered to suffer from war-induced trauma and physical disabilities. Victimizing attitudes toward the veteran population may result in stigmatization and a more difficult transition into civilian society. This may be particularly prob…
The Role of ICT in Maintaining Social Cohesion: Understanding the Potential of Digital Initiatives for Social Networks in Rural Areas☆
Digital initiatives may have helped to maintain active social networks during restrictive, social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic. To examine how and under which circumstances digital initiatives can contribute to social cohesion, semistructured interviews with 35 stakeholders of local communities and clubs were conducted. The thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews identified four main themes, characterizing conditions under…
Differences and Similarities in Perceptions of Recruits, Soldiers, and Veterans in an Austrian Cohort
Evidence suggests that the majority of the Austrian public appreciates its Armed Forces. However, whether similarly favourable views are held for the Austrian Armed Forces’ recruits, soldiers, and veterans remains subject of debate, as the repercussions of Austrian military history remain unclear. The present study addresses this gap in knowledge by conducting a free-word association task. Participants (N = 266) provided three word-associations t…
How do Sociodemographic Characteristics Influence UK Civilian Opinions of UK Armed Forces Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans? A Mixed-Method Approach
Evidence suggests that UK veterans are seen as victims with concern for their perceived mental health needs. This study examined sociodemographic factors that contribute to victimizing conceptualizations of British Army Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. UK participants ( N = 234) provided three word associations to “British Army Iraq Veteran” and “British Army Afghanistan Veteran” and answered sociodemographic questions. A multiple linear regression…
Examining Myths of the Mad, Bad, and Sad British Veteran in Today’s Media: A Qualitative Approach
Previous research on British public perceptions of UK veterans has focused mainly on opinion polls and survey data. This is problematic, as the broader scope of public dialogue and discourse that informs and influences public perceptions of veterans remains largely unaddressed. To evaluate how the media frames British veterans, this study systematically assesses media discourse regarding veterans of the British Armed Forces. An inductively driven…
Exploring the Victimization of British Veterans: Comparing British Beliefs About Veterans With Beliefs About Soldiers
Evidence suggests that most of the UK public appreciate currently serving UK Armed Forces personnel but are less positive in their beliefs about veterans. This research examined the social representations held by civilian participants of UK veterans and serving soldiers to understand why veterans may be seen more negatively. An open-ended word association task was completed by 234 UK participants where they were asked to provide three initial res…
Representations of British Armed Forces Veterans in the Press: A Quantitative Analysis of Newspaper Articles
Previous research has shown that British public perception of veterans can be negative and erroneous. Surveys, for example, indicate that veterans are characterized as skilled and valorous individuals but also as suffering from ill-health, unemployment, and homelessness. To investigate how these beliefs may form, the present study examines the public dimension of knowledge by analyzing depictions of veterans in the media. A total of 335 newspaper…
Teachers’ faith, identity processes and resilience: A qualitative approach
Teachers are at risk to suffer from burnout and adverse mental health as a result of work-related stress and conflicts. The development of teacher resilience depends upon a complex interaction between extraneous factors (i.e. administrative and social support), and, intrinsic factors (i.e. personal values). Although it is known that personal faith plays a crucial in the development of resilience in different contexts (i.e. emotional exhaustion, i…
Explaining the relationship between religiosity and increased wellbeing avoidance of identity threat as a key factor
Previous research outlines a relationship between religiosity and increased mental and physical wellbeing. However, to date findings from quantitative and qualitative research do not offer an unambiguous explanation for this relationship. The study addresses this gap in knowledge by examining underlying identity construction processes in relation to religiosity and wellbeing in the light of Identity Process Theory. Eight Christian converts from d…
The Stigmatized Hero? A Review of UK Opinion Polls and Surveys on Perceptions of British Veterans in UK Society
Findings from representative opinion polls and surveys provide information on pertinent perceptions of veterans in British society. The present project compares these findings and contrast publicly pertinent perceptions of veterans with factually correct information. This allows researchers to determine erroneous and stereotyped perceptions of veterans that may be held by members of the British society. The present project reviewed 41 veteran-rel…
Exploring the Victimization of British Veterans: Comparing British Beliefs About Veterans With Beliefs About Soldiers
Evidence suggests that most of the UK public appreciate currently serving UK Armed Forces personnel but are less positive in their beliefs about veterans. This research examined the social representations held by civilian participants of UK veterans and serving soldiers to understand why veterans may be seen more negatively. An open-ended word association task was completed by 234 UK participants where they were asked to provide three initial res…
Understandings of neutrality and its origins in young Austrian adults
The Role of ICT in Maintaining Social Cohesion: Understanding the Potential of Digital Initiatives for Social Networks in Rural Areas☆
Digital initiatives may have helped to maintain active social networks during restrictive, social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic. To examine how and under which circumstances digital initiatives can contribute to social cohesion, semistructured interviews with 35 stakeholders of local communities and clubs were conducted. The thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews identified four main themes, characterizing conditions under…
The Stigmatized Hero? A Review of UK Opinion Polls and Surveys on Perceptions of British Veterans in UK Society
Findings from representative opinion polls and surveys provide information on pertinent perceptions of veterans in British society. The present project compares these findings and contrast publicly pertinent perceptions of veterans with factually correct information. This allows researchers to determine erroneous and stereotyped perceptions of veterans that may be held by members of the British society. The present project reviewed 41 veteran-rel…
Representations of British Armed Forces Veterans in the Press: A Quantitative Analysis of Newspaper Articles
Previous research has shown that British public perception of veterans can be negative and erroneous. Surveys, for example, indicate that veterans are characterized as skilled and valorous individuals but also as suffering from ill-health, unemployment, and homelessness. To investigate how these beliefs may form, the present study examines the public dimension of knowledge by analyzing depictions of veterans in the media. A total of 335 newspaper…
Teachers’ faith, identity processes and resilience: A qualitative approach
Teachers are at risk to suffer from burnout and adverse mental health as a result of work-related stress and conflicts. The development of teacher resilience depends upon a complex interaction between extraneous factors (i.e. administrative and social support), and, intrinsic factors (i.e. personal values). Although it is known that personal faith plays a crucial in the development of resilience in different contexts (i.e. emotional exhaustion, i…
Explaining the relationship between religiosity and increased wellbeing avoidance of identity threat as a key factor
Previous research outlines a relationship between religiosity and increased mental and physical wellbeing. However, to date findings from quantitative and qualitative research do not offer an unambiguous explanation for this relationship. The study addresses this gap in knowledge by examining underlying identity construction processes in relation to religiosity and wellbeing in the light of Identity Process Theory. Eight Christian converts from d…
Examining Myths of the Mad, Bad, and Sad British Veteran in Today’s Media: A Qualitative Approach
Previous research on British public perceptions of UK veterans has focused mainly on opinion polls and survey data. This is problematic, as the broader scope of public dialogue and discourse that informs and influences public perceptions of veterans remains largely unaddressed. To evaluate how the media frames British veterans, this study systematically assesses media discourse regarding veterans of the British Armed Forces. An inductively driven…
Exploring the Victimization of British Veterans: Comparing British Beliefs About Veterans With Beliefs About Soldiers
Evidence suggests that most of the UK public appreciate currently serving UK Armed Forces personnel but are less positive in their beliefs about veterans. This research examined the social representations held by civilian participants of UK veterans and serving soldiers to understand why veterans may be seen more negatively. An open-ended word association task was completed by 234 UK participants where they were asked to provide three initial res…
Differences and Similarities in Perceptions of Recruits, Soldiers, and Veterans in an Austrian Cohort
Evidence suggests that the majority of the Austrian public appreciates its Armed Forces. However, whether similarly favourable views are held for the Austrian Armed Forces’ recruits, soldiers, and veterans remains subject of debate, as the repercussions of Austrian military history remain unclear. The present study addresses this gap in knowledge by conducting a free-word association task. Participants (N = 266) provided three word-associations t…
How do Sociodemographic Characteristics Influence UK Civilian Opinions of UK Armed Forces Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans? A Mixed-Method Approach
Evidence suggests that UK veterans are seen as victims with concern for their perceived mental health needs. This study examined sociodemographic factors that contribute to victimizing conceptualizations of British Army Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. UK participants ( N = 234) provided three word associations to “British Army Iraq Veteran” and “British Army Afghanistan Veteran” and answered sociodemographic questions. A multiple linear regression…
Introduction to the Special Multilingual Issue: European Perceptions and Care of Former Military Members from the Perspective of European Nation States
Since the substantive development in the field of European military research in the last decade, the Journal of Veteran Studies has seen different approaches to examine veteran- related issues. Although attempts to understand veteran-related issues from national perspectives have been made, wider contextual and cross-national perspectives on Eurocentric veteran-related issues are missing. The present special issue addresses this gap in knowledge …
Nasty wars and needy veterans? How cognitive polyphasia may explain conceptualizations of the U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as victims and heroes
Representative opinion polls indicate that members of the U.S. public may hold dichotomous perceptions of their veterans. While the majority of the U.S. public appreciates and honors their veterans, they are also considered to suffer from war-induced trauma and physical disabilities. Victimizing attitudes toward the veteran population may result in stigmatization and a more difficult transition into civilian society. This may be particularly prob…
The Role of ICT in Maintaining Social Cohesion: Understanding the Potential of Digital Initiatives for Social Networks in Rural Areas☆
Digital initiatives may have helped to maintain active social networks during restrictive, social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic. To examine how and under which circumstances digital initiatives can contribute to social cohesion, semistructured interviews with 35 stakeholders of local communities and clubs were conducted. The thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews identified four main themes, characterizing conditions under…
Understandings of neutrality and its origins in young Austrian adults
Between ideals and realities: Understanding teachers’ concerns about democratic student participation in classroom settings
Democratic student participation is widely endorsed as a pillar of civic education and inclusive schooling. However, its enactment remains complex and often contested in everyday pedagogical practice. This study investigates how teachers’ concerns about democratic student-participation are internally structured and shaped by individual beliefs and contextual conditions. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey of Austrian teachers ( n = 311), the stud…
From tools of violence to machines of uncertainty: Mapping public perceptions of autonomous weapon systems and manual weapon systems
Autonomous weapon systems (AWS) are emerging technologies capable of selecting and engaging targets without direct human control, raising profound ethical, legal, and political concerns. Yet, little is known about how the public conceptualizes AWS, despite the relevance of public conscience for international humanitarian law and national policy-making. This study examines Austrian representations of AWS in comparison with manual weapon systems (M…
Public interpretations of neutrality: Ideological and identity-based drivers of neutrality attitudes in Austria
Austria’s policy of neutrality remains a central element of the country’s foreign policy identity, yet citizens do not necessarily interpret neutrality in the same way. While neutrality is often treated as a clearly defined legal principle in political and academic debates, public understandings of neutrality may vary considerably. This article examines how Austrian citizens interpret neutrality and which factors shape these interpretations. Usin…
Psychology (10 works) · Political science (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Politics (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Law (6 works) · Perception (6 works) · Social science (5 works) · Medicine (4 works) · Public opinion (4 works)