Acceptability and feasibility of public square dancing for community senior citizens with mild cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms:A pilot study

Objectives:To explore the acceptability and feasibility of public square dancing among community residents with mild cognitive impairment(MCI)and depressive symptoms.Methods:This mixed-method study consisted of a quantitative and a qualitative phase.From January to July 2018,a total of 241 community-dwelling senior citizens who complained of memory loss in one community in the Haidian District in Beijing were approached and screened,and 41 qualified for the study.Among them,35 senior citizens participated in the public square dancing intervention.By the end of the three-month follow-up,31 senior citizens completed the whole study.The Subjective Exercise Experience Scale(SEES)was used to survey senior citizens at the end of the three-month public square dancing intervention and follow-up to measure the participants’subjective exercise experience.Then 15 senior citizens were interviewed to collect attitudes,opinions,and suggestions related to the intervention.Results:During the intervention,90.6%of senior citizens met the requirement for defined hours.All senior citizens continued to dance at the three-month follow-up,and 32.3%met the requirement for defined hours.The scores of psychological well-being(11.03±2.82 vs.14.87±3.93,P<0.001)and fatigue(11.00[8.00,12.00]vs.14.00[9.00,18.00],P<0.001)increased at the end of the three-month follow-up.Qualitative research results extracted four major themes:increased confidence and a sense of accomplishment;easy to learn,close to real life,and sense of belonging;promotes physical and mental health;future expectations include music selection,reduced weather disruption,and self-organizing workouts.Conclusion:Public square dancing proved to be an acceptable,viable,and valuable intervention for MCI residents with depressive symptoms,which could be carried out by nursing staff in the community.Future studies should consider the appropriate population,intensity,and frequency of public square dancing and its effect on specific cognitive functions.

A Controversial Political View： Rorty＇s Moral Finitism and Religion in the Public Square

Richard Rorty＇s moral finitism is based on some ideas from John Stuart Mill＇s work On Liberty. For Rorty, religious truths would be the main obstacles for the development of freedom and, at the same time, for human happiness. Rorty introduces the concepts of contingency and literary culture to express the situation of personal moral development, stressing that our life must be seen as an endless narration. So, there is no fixed development given once and for all. Rorty＇s anticlericalism is also based on the idea that the creation of clerical institutions and hierarchies is dangerous in the sense that they pose demands which go beyond individual perspectives and make religious obligations be prior to moral ones. Nevertheless, there are some misconceptions in Rorty＇s position when he discusses the idea of moral obligation and the relationship between religion and religious institutions.

What Culture in European Cities?The Desperate Struggle of European Cultures against the American One

For a long time,American culture has been spreading and replacing other European cultures.This is a significant change.According to the French writer Régis Debray,images are replacing writing,the theme of happiness is replacing drama,and space is replacing time.Additionally,according to the German sociologist Max Weber,Protestantism has made Americans"ascetic inside the world,"meaning individuals are solely responsible for their own well-being and success in society.The idea of"collective grace"is suspect.In urban life,there is a void that is filled by tribalism,such as sports,music,and events.Unfortunately,in urban planning,public spaces for people to gather,like parks or public squares,are often neglected.Water and green spaces could be valuable resources in filling this void.However,there is a potential risk of private brands taking over placemaking.