The children of perestroika: Two sociologists on religion and Russian society, 1991 – 2006

Abstract

This paper examines the role of religion in identity formation and political development in postsoviet Armenia. It argues that the equation of Armenian identity with membership in the Armenian Apostolic Church contributes to an atmosphere of intolerance toward ethnic and religious minorities and inhibits the development of pluralism. This underdevelopment of a democratic culture therefore leads to weak opposition movements and delayed democratic consolidation. This paper is based primarily on interviews conducted in Armenia in 2005 with individuals in the religious and civil society sectors, but also draws upon evidence from published materials which demonstrate attitudes toward minorities in Armenian society.     

The Unheard Cry of a Successful Asian Psychologist

Abstract

This paper addresses the important issues of making it as an Asian psychologist in an overwhelmingly white academic field. Based on my professional and personal struggle to achieve success as a psychologist in both academia and clinical practice, I want to (a) expose the naked truth of being an Asian psychologist within a white academic field with regard to racial trauma, careerism, and expediency; (b) chart a course of maintaining personal and ethnic authenticity in truth-seeking in spite of all the visible and invisible obstacles in a foreign country; and (c) propose ways to fully recognize indigenous psychology and integrate Asian minorities in mainstream psychology.     

Are minority status children's cross‐ethnic friendships beneficial in a multiethnic context?

Past research has demonstrated the negative impact of perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) on psychological well‐being among children. Given research demonstrating the benefits of cross‐ethnic friendship for children's intergroup attitudes, we examined whether cross‐ethnic friendships would attenuate the effects of PED on well‐being and resilience within a multi‐ethnic context. Two hundred and forty‐seven South Asian British children (M = 11 years) recruited from 37 classrooms completed measures of perceived cross‐ethnic friendship quantity and quality, PED, psychological well‐being, and resilience. Friendship quality, but not quantity, had direct positive associations with psychological well‐being and resilience. A higher quantity of cross‐ethnic friendships moderated the negative effects of PED on both outcomes. Results suggest that cross‐ethnic friendships are beneficial for South Asian British children by functioning as a protective factor from the negative effects of discrimination within a multi‐ethnic context.     

Reply to Letter to the Editor

The current policy of the National Institute of Health designed to increase the participation of women and minorities is radically different from previous policies designed to protect minorities from abuses in research studies. The principal arguments to support this policy are twofold: 1) Increased representation of minorities and women in research would increase the generalizability of research data and allow for valid analyses of differences in subpopulations; and 2) being in a clinical research study is advantageous to participants regardless of the final research study results. It remains unclear whether minorities find these arguments compelling. Instead of telling minorities that participation in research is good for them, the research community should focus on understanding what minority communities want from clinical research and then tailoring the message to meet this need. Persuasive arguments to promote long-term increased representation of minorities in clinical research must come from within minority communities.     

The impact of a religious opera on a secular audience: the existential and religious importance of art

Abstract

Although there is a voluminous literature on the use of traditional healers by ethnic minorities, their use by psychiatric patients has been little studied. This study looks at the use of traditional healers by Asian psychiatric patients. Five of the sample of 14 patients had consulted a traditional healer at some time during their psychiatric illness. Three case histories are presented.     

Personality,Ideological Attitudes,and Group Identity as Predictors of Political Behavior in Majority and Minority Ethnic Groups

Prior research on personality and politics has largely investigated relationships using national samples from North America and Europe. In contrast, we used multigroup path analysis to assess how Big Five personality, ideological attitudes (RWA, SDO), and group identities (National and Ethnic Identification) predicted right versus left Political Behavior (party support, past voting, present voting intention) across majority and minority ethnic groups in a New Zealand national sample (N = 6,333). The effects of personality on ideological attitudes and group identities were mostly invariant across ethnic groups and consistent with prior findings. In contrast, the effects of ideological attitudes on Political Behavior varied across ethnic groups being moderately strong for the European majority but nonsignificant for the minorities. Group identities had little effect on Political Behavior. We discuss cultural and contextual factors that might account for this disconnect between ideology and politics among the minority ethnic groups.     

The role of spirituality in building up the resilience of migrant children in Central America: bridging the gap between needs and responses*

Abstract

Academic research across different disciplines has evidenced that spirituality contributes significantly to the building up of resilience. Little research, however, exists on the relationship between spirituality and resilience among displaced children. Enquiring into this particular area is urgent not only because of the increasing numbers of displaced children in the world today but also because of the insufficiency of current responses, which fail to address children’s deep questions about life, themselves, the world and God. This paper argues that spirituality has the potential to answer these deep existential needs, and, by doing so, can constitute a key resilience factor for migrant children. Furthermore, it argues for the value of using interdisciplinary approaches to explore these issues. Through a qualitative investigation involving adult professionals working with migrant children and adult faith leaders and/or experts in spirituality, this paper provides new insights into how to understand the relationship between spirituality and resilience among displaced populations, and how to nurture migrant children’s spirituality in multi-faith and non-faith settings.     

Exploring the psychology of extended-period expeditionary adventurers: Going knowingly into the unknown

AimThis research aimed to explore the lived experiences of extended-period expeditionary adventurers to understand why these individuals adventure, and what they perceive gaining from such experience. Most work in this area thus far has focused on exploring pre-determined elements of adventuring such as risk, stressors, and personality traits. However, rarely the aim has been to understand the overall why of this specific participant pool; the meaning and perceived benefits of going on an enduring adventure or expedition.DesignSeven participants were purposefully selected for their serial and extensive adventure involvement to explore their lived experiences and in-depth insights. Method: This study utilised a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interview techniques and an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).ResultsThree intercorrelated master themes were revealed: pre-, during- and post-adventure, all with subordinate themes: to go knowingly into the unknown; autonomy, the real outdoors and liberation; resilience and growth.ConclusionThe results suggest that enduring expeditionary adventures have the potential to accelerate and magnify individuals’ growth and facilitate psychological well-being.     

Defining and characterizing team resilience in elite sport

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to develop a definition of team resilience and to identify the resilient characteristics of elite sport teams.Design and methodFocus groups consisting of a total of 31 participants were conducted with five elite teams from a range of sports. An interpretive thematic analysis using inductive and deductive reasoning was employed to analyze the data.Results and conclusionsTeam resilience was defined as a dynamic, psychosocial process which protects a group of individuals from the potential negative effect of the stressors they collectively encounter. It comprises of processes whereby team members use their individual and combined resources to positively adapt when experiencing adversity. Findings revealed four main resilient characteristics of elite sport teams: group structure, mastery approaches, social capital, and collective efficacy. This study extends resilience research in sport psychology by providing greater conceptual clarity of resilience at a team level. The implications of the findings for those conducting research in this area and for those consulting with elite sport teams are discussed.     

Religious and national radicalism in Middle-Eastern countries: A psychoanalytical point of view

Abstract

This article explores the Adlerian concept of inferiority complexes that serve as a possible source of unconscious motivation for religious and national radicalism. The Middle-Eastern countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey serve as examples. Religious extremism and national radicalism are described as a result of the overcompensation of underlying inferiority complexes caused by belonging to ethnic and religious minorities.     

Social capital and economic outcomes for immigrants and ethnic minorities

The ambiguities of “social capital” can be clarified by reformulating it as a group-based resource derived from social relations, the effectiveness of which is contingent upon the extensity and intensity of social ties and the group’s resources, and the creation of which may involve a potential cost to an individual. This paper reviews the literature on immigrants and ethnic minorities to see how ethnic attachment as a form of social capital has affected the economic well-being of immigrants and minorities, and refines the concept of social capital. Studies of “ethnic attachment” and of the “ethnic mobility trap” have stressed the “penalty” of ethnic ties and affinity. However, studies on the ethnic enclave economy and transnational communities have attributed the prosperity of the enclave economy and the economic success of some ethnic diasporas to ethnic networks. The paper concludes that social capital can be enabling for individuals and groups, subject to the level of other forms of capital present. But social capital cannot replace other forms of capital to produce unrealistic outcomes beyond the material limits of its contextual boundaries. Thus, social capital is a useful concept, not as a universal virtue, but as a situation-based capacity bounded in specific social and class contexts.     

苔花盛开如牡丹？农村留守儿童负性生活事件与心理健康的关系

以1368名农村留守儿童为被试,通过问卷调查探讨农村留守儿童的负性生活事件与心理健康的关系,并检验心理韧性、同伴依恋的链式中介作用。结果发现：（1）农村留守儿童负性生活事件与其心理健康呈负相关关系,心理健康在性别、民族、年级和父母外出状况上差异显著;（2）农村留守儿童负性生活事件不仅能直接预测其心理健康,而且还通过同伴依恋、心理韧性发挥链式中介作用。     

Operationalizing Family Resilience: A Methodological Strategy

This article explores several research design and analysis strategies for examining family resilience, and presents a strategy argued to reflect the process-oriented nature of this construct. We advocate a quantitative, longitudinal strategy, sensitive to both the context of a family and the unique stressor being examined. Our strategy was tested with longitudinal data, assessing transitions relating to the birth of a first child. Challenges connected with this model are presented, as well as clinical implications and directions for future research. Identifying differing resilience trajectories which families exhibit in response to stress may aid in identifying factors instrumental in shaping those trajectories.     

苔花盛开如牡丹？农村留守儿童负性生活事件与心理健康的关系

以1368名农村留守儿童为被试,通过问卷调查探讨农村留守儿童的负性生活事件与心理健康的关系,并检验心理韧性、同伴依恋的链式中介作用。结果发现：（1）农村留守儿童负性生活事件与其心理健康呈负相关关系,心理健康在性别、民族、年级和父母外出状况上差异显著;（2）农村留守儿童负性生活事件不仅能直接预测其心理健康,而且还通过同伴依恋、心理韧性发挥链式中介作用。     

Psychosocial treatment research with ethnic minority populations: ethical considerations in conducting clinical trials

Because of historical mistreatment of ethnic minorities by research and medical institutions, it is particularly important for researchers to be mindful of ethical issues that arise when conducting research with ethnic minority populations. In this article, we focus on the ethical issues related to the inclusion of ethnic minorities in clinical trials of psychosocial treatments. We highlight 2 factors, skepticism and mistrust by ethnic minorities about research and current inequities in the mental health care system, that researchers should consider when developing psychosocial interventions studies that include ethnic minorities.     

The multiplicity of belonging: Pushing identity research beyond binary thinking

Abstract

To date, research has primarily used a singular identity framework for investigating how social identity shapes behavior. Thus, research has also largely ignored the role that having multiple, simultaneous identities may play in our lives. This paper reviews work that pushes that singular identity framework beyond either/or binary constructs of identity. Specifically, through exploring racial identity flexibility for biracial populations and activating a flexible, multiple identity mindset more broadly outside of racial domains, these results demonstrate the potential impact of multifaceted self-views on flexible behaviors. Related work concerning other multiply belonging individuals are also discussed in line with a call for needed research to pinpoint new models and mechanisms for understanding the multiplicity of belonging.     

Clinical Implications of Family Resilience

Family resilience is becoming an increasingly visible concept in the family field. This article discusses resilience as a family level construct and offers several ideas about how viewing families as resilient may affect clinical work. These include a focus on strengths, recognizing resilience as a developmental pathway, a search for commonalties among diverse paths of resilience, and an emphasis on helping families identify and develop a useful family schema. A case study utilizing these ideas is presented and discussed.     

EMDR and early psychological intervention following trauma

IntroductionThis article evaluates developments in the field of early psychological intervention (EPI) after trauma in general and the place of early eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) intervention (EEI) in particular. The issues and dilemmas involved with EPI and EEI will be outlined; related research presented and the current status evaluated.Literature and clinical findingsReviewing the literature and drawing on findings from initial research and case studies, the rationale and contribution that EMDR therapy has to offer is discussed relative to current evidence and theory regarding post-traumatic stress syndromes and trauma memories. The relative advantages of EEI will be elaborated.Discussion and conclusionIt is proposed that EEI, while trauma memories have not yet been integrated, may be used not only to treat acute distress but may also provide a window of opportunity in which a brief intervention, possibly on successive days, could prevent complications and strengthen resilience. Through the rapid reduction of intrusive symptoms and de-arousal response as well as by identifying potential obstructions to adaptive information processing (AIP), EMDR therapy may reduce the sensitisation and accumulation of trauma memories.     

The cultural theory and model of suicide

A growing body of research has demonstrated important variations in the prevalence, nature, and correlates of suicide across ethnic and sexual minority groups. Despite these developments, existing clinical and research approaches to suicide assessment and prevention have not incorporated cultural variations in any systematic way. In addition, theoretical models of suicide have been largely devoid of cultural influence. The current report presents a comprehensive analysis of literature describing the relationship between cultural factors and suicide in three major ethnic groups (African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos) and LGBTQ¹ sexual minority groups. We utilized an inductive approach to synthesize this variegated body of research into four factors that account for 95% of existing culturally specific risk data: cultural sanctions, idioms of distress, minority stress, and social discord. These four cultural factors are then integrated into a theoretical framework: the Cultural Model of Suicide. Three theoretical principles emerge: (1) culture affects the types of stressors that lead to suicide; (2) cultural meanings associated with stressors and suicide affect the development of suicidal tendencies, one's threshold of tolerance for psychological pain, and subsequent suicidal acts; and (3) culture affects how suicidal thoughts, intent, plans, and attempts are expressed. The Cultural Model of Suicide provides an empirically guided cohesive approach that can inform culturally competent suicide assessment and prevention efforts in future research and clinical practice. Including both ethnic and sexual minorities in our investigations ensures advancement along a multiple identities perspective.