The Relevance of Sociocultural Theory to Culturally Diverse Partnerships and Communities

The phenomenal growth of information technology and globalization promises a future where education about diversity and difference will be very significant. In this information age where existing knowledge and technology are constantly being replaced in an ever changing interdependent global environment, the fundamentals of education are also changing. Education will focus on building new knowledge rather than passing on existing knowledge. The increasing interconnectedness between cultures and their concomitant intermixing as a result of globalization requires that pedagogies about cultural diversity also focus on creating new knowledge and meanings about cultures as they change. In this article, we discuss sociocultural theory as an alternative educational pedagogy that situates the teaching and learning of cultural diversity within rapidly changing local and global conditions. We argue that features of this theory are especially relevant to providing a guiding pedagogy for valuing difference in inclusive environments. We engage the literature on cross-cultural communication and collaboration between culturally diverse professionals and parents of children with disabilities to illustrate sociocultural perspectives on conceptualizing cultural differences and their interaction, and the possibilities for creating culturally inclusive partnerships and communities.     

Caught Between Culture,Society, and Globalization: Youth Marginalization in Post‐industrial Japan

In this article, we review the controversies regarding how representative Japanese psychological patterns are of an interdependent orientation and discuss understanding these controversies in the context of seeing Japanese youth as being marginalized in their own society. We review specific studies on shifting values and motivational patterns at the individual level and incorporate a sociological perspective to understand the causes of these patterns at the social‐structural level. We argue that traditional cultural practices are maintained to protect the senior elites of Japan at a cost of increasing the rift between culture, society, and post‐industrial trends. The unsustainability of this rift then ends up asymmetrically marginalizing Japanese youth who bear the brunt of the cost of institutional resistance to globalization pressures. Therefore, the “demotivation” and psychological distancing from interdependent norms among marginalized Japanese youth are not the causes of marginalization, but rather, are an outcome of it. Thus, we argue that psychology of globalization and the psychology of marginalization can go hand‐in‐hand, especially for societies with dominant institutions that are interdependent, relatively inflexible, seniority‐based, and are entering a post‐industrial economy due to globalization demands.     

A Field-Tested Task Analysis for Creating Single-Subject Graphs Using Microsoft<Superscript>®</Superscript> Office Excel

Creating single-subject (SS) graphs is challenging for many researchers and practitioners because it is a complex task with many steps. Although several authors have introduced guidelines for creating SS graphs, many users continue to experience frustration. The purpose of this article is to minimize these frustrations by providing a field-tested task analysis for creating SS graphs using Microsoft^® Office Excel. Results from the field test are presented and the task analysis, which includes steps for creating a variety of SS graphs, is provided. The article includes various illustrations, a list of prerequisite skills, tips, and troubleshooting items.     

Between Open-minded Critical Thinking and Closed-minded Allegiance: Educational Tensions in Societies Involved in Intractable Conflict

In modern democratic societies, one of the main roles of education is to promote critical thinking and open-mindedness. However, this objective can sometimes be seen as clashing in many societies with another one of education's primary objectives—to inculcate in the younger generation a set of common values and beliefs that reinforces collective identity. The current article examines the tension between these two educational goals—fostering open-mindedness and critical-thinking skills, on the one hand, and promoting closed-minded national identity, on the other hand, in the context of intractable conflicts. In particular, we offer an analysis of the unique challenges of nurturing open-minded and critical thinking among students in the presence of processes and content common in education systems of conflict-ridden societies. These challenges are discussed in relation to the role that open-mindedness and critical thinking could play in promoting peace-building processes were they not hindered by nationalistic educational approaches designed to ensure unwavering support of the conflict.     

Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective

This article presents the basic tenets of social cognitive theory. It is founded on a causal model of triadic reciprocal causation in which personal factors in the form of cognitive, affective and biological events, behavioral patterns, and environmental events all operate as interacting determinants that influence one another bidirectionally. Within this theory, human agency is embedded in a self theory encompassing self-organizing, proactive, self-reflective and self-regulative mechanisms. Human agency can be exercised through direct personal agency; through proxy agency relying on the efforts of intermediaries; and by collective agency operating through shared beliefs of efficacy, pooled understandings, group aspirations and incentive systems, and collective action. Personal agency operates within a broad network of sociostructural influences. In these agentic transactions, people are producers as well as products of social systems. Growing transnational imbeddedness and interdependence of societies are creating new social realities in which global forces increasingly interact with national ones to shape the nature of cultural life.     

Globalizing Tibetan Buddhism: modernism and neo-orthodoxy in contemporary Karma bKa’ brgyud organizations

This article addresses the wider issues of continuity and change in the context of the globalization of Tibetan Buddhism. Specifically, it looks at the emergence of lay oriented convert movements within the global Karma bKa’ brgyud school, which are led by ‘crazy wise’ teachers. Firstly, the activities of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939–1987) are interpreted on the background of the tension between tradition and modernity. In dialogue with modernity, Trungpa gradually pushed the borders of Tibetan Buddhist identity to the point of collapse and established a secular teaching lineage and discourse. Trungpa's case is then compared to the development of one of the fastest growing and largest global lay movements of contemporary Tibetan Buddhism, the Diamond Way of the Danish lay teacher Ole Nydahl. The Diamond Way has transitioned into a late-charismatic stage, in which the traditionalist and modernizing features of Nydahl's teachings are creating an increasing tension. Post-Buddhist secularization and modernist packaging of neo-orthodoxy emerge as contesting paradigms of the globalization of these Tibetan Buddhist movements, which produce surprising intertextualities and shed light on the negotiation of converted Buddhist identities in a global context.     

Planetary Secularisms: Delayed Messianism,Climate Change,and the Space for Pluralism

As many scholars have pointed out, Western secularism (or neoliberalism) is itself a faith‐filled and religiously located concept. It forces other understandings of secularism (and along with it other religions) to adhere to the public reason/private faith distinction, for instance, or else face the charge of being unenlightened or somehow in the dark (ages). This article agrees with and builds upon these ongoing critiques of secularism by suggesting that the two important bio‐historical factors that are beginning to shed light on the religiously filled foundations of Western‐style secularity are those of globalization and climate change. The contemporary situation of globalization and climate change is forcing the hidden faith of secularism out of its foxhole.     

Visions & visualizations: negotiating space for European Muslims

Whether one chooses to view it as a negative or a positive development, history refers us to a difficult fact to ignore; the development of European civilization and consequently European identity, is impossible to imagine without Islam and Muslims. How deep the input has been is open to discussion and debate by historians, but it is clear that it was significant and considerable, and as twenty-first century Europe moves towards creating more cohesive societies in the EU, the impact of Muslims on European society, historically and presently, has become a topic of concern. With such a background, and the effect of Islamophobia on Muslim communities, how can Muslim communities negotiate their space in European societies?     

Globalization Shuffles Cards of the World Pack: In Which Direction is the Global Economic-Political Balance Shifting?

The article offers forecasts of the geopolitical and geo-economic development of the world in the forthcoming decades. One of the main accusations directed toward globalization is that it deepens the gap between the developed and developing countries dooming them to eternal backwardness. The article demonstrates that the actual situation is very different. It is shown that this is due to the globalization that the developing countries are generally growing much faster than the developed states, the World System core starts weakening and its periphery begins to strengthen. At the same time there is a continuing divergence between the main bulk of developing countries and the group of the poorest developing states. The article also explains why the globalization was bound to lead to the explosive rise of many developing countries and the relative weakening of the developed economies. In the forthcoming decades this trend is likely to continue (although, of course, not without certain interruptions). It is also demonstrated that this convergence constitutes a necessary condition for the next technological breakthrough. This has important implications for the hegemony debates. A rather popular theory of hegemony cycles implies that the eclipse of the global hegemony of the United States should be followed by the emergence of a new global hegemon. This generates the dichotomy of the two main current points of view—either the United States will continue the global leadership in the forthcoming decades, or it will be replaced by China in this capacity. We do not find the study of the future within this dichotomy fruitful. We believe that in a direct connection with the development of globalization processes the hegemony cycle pattern is likely to come to its end, which will lead to the World System reconfiguration and the emergence of its new structure that will allow the World System to continue its further development without a hegemon.     

Governmentality, Critical Scholarship, and the Medical Humanities

Foucault's work has had a profound impact on the medical humanities over the last decade or so. However, most work to date has focused on Foucault's earlier writings rather than his later contributions on the self and governmentality. This article assesses the significance of the concept of governmentality for critical scholarship in the medical humanities, particularly in creating ethical awareness in the field of health care. It examines the context for Foucault's later work, and contributions arising from scholarship building on this work. The governmentality literature, it is argued, raises novel questions about the ways we have come to think about health care in late modern societies. However, there are some limitations with this body of work which have not been fully acknowledged by scholars. The article discusses some of these limitations and offers some suggestions for a fruitful way forward.     

Counseling Specialties: A Case of Basic Preparation Rather Than Advanced Specialization

This article focuses on many of the issues and questions involved in creating counseling specialties. The determination and means of creating specialties by other professions are discussed and compared with the current status and proliferation of means for determining specializations in the counseling profession. An argument, supported by relevant research, is presented to counter suggestions that specializations are necessary for counselor employment and competent practice with clients. Recommendations for providing a uniform approach to specialty designation and creation within the counseling profession along with potential outcomes affecting professional unity are included.     

Global bioethics and communitarianism

This paper explores the role of ‘community’ in the context of global bioethics. With the present globalization of bioethics, new and interesting references are made to this concept. Some are familiar, for example, community consent. This article argues that the principle of informed consent is too individual-oriented and that in other cultures, consent can be community-based. Other references to ‘community’ are related to the novel principle of benefit sharing in the context of bioprospecting. The application of this principle necessarily requires the identification and construction of communities. On the global level there are also new uses of the concept of community as ‘global community.’ Three uses are distinguished: (1) a diachronic use, including past, present, and future generations, (2) a synchronic ecological use, including nonhuman species, and (3) a synchronic planetary use, including all human beings worldwide. Although there is a tension between the communitarian perspective and the idea of global community, this article argues that the third use can broaden communitarianism. The current development towards cosmopolitanism is creating a new global community that represents humanity as a whole, enabling identification of world citizens and evoking a sense of global solidarity and responsibility. The emergence of global bioethics today demonstrates this development.     

Biculturalism amongst ethnic minorities: Its impact for individuals and intergroup relations

This review article offers an integration of acculturation, biculturalism, and intergroup relations research. Additionally, it argues that bicultural identities can be more accurately conceptualised as a third, hyphenated cultural identity (e.g., Chinese‐Australian), in addition to one's ethnic and the dominant national identity. In doing so, this article proposes that hyphenated cultural identities may be personally meaningful for many ethnic minorities and discusses the function of hyphenated cultural identification for individuals and society. Given the relevance of bicultural identification, it is argued that recognising and understanding a hyphenated cultural identity is fundamental to ethnic minorities' wellbeing, as well as improving the quality of intergroup relations in multicultural societies, such as Australia.     

Approaching Homelessness: An Integral Re-Frame

This article explores a metaview of the many faces of homelessness. It analyzes an evolutionary meaning of home and suggests that ever-complexifying life conditions influence how societies enforce conformity to the status quo of homefulness. It goes on to describe how homelessness might be reframed as a complex adaptive form of survival for diversity generators who cannot or will not conform to the status quo. The article proposes an integral framework on which intervention strategies could be structured to provide evolutionary, appropriate, and flexible approaches to homelessness.     

Evangelism in “Christian” Societies

The globalization of the economy and the unthinkable development of mass media and transportation and communication have transformed the oldest Christian societies of the northern hemisphere and especially of Europe into multicultural societies. Re‐evangelization is the answer to the question of what must be done. Faith originates from hearing; the missionary preaching that is directed toward the people who are ignorant of the world‐saving work of Christ needs to be articulated, keeping in mind the scheme of communication and the special significance of the following factors: transmitter, receiver, topic, message, channel and code. The gospel is addressed to all ages. Youth and intellectuals exhibit more difficulties in acceptance, which calls for the adoption of a special code of communication. Of the utmost necessity is the flame of the transmitter. Electronic channels of communication offer unthinkable possibilities for the transmission of the message of the gospel to innumerable receivers by the use of a variety of codes.     

Christian–Muslim Relations in Contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa

Socio-economic developments in Africa in an era of globalization, the rise of charismatic and evangelical Christianity, and the call for Islamization and application of the Shari^ca in parts of Africa are in danger of creating tension and destroying the apparently peaceful co-existence between the two faith communities. The article offers a conceptual basis for the relationship between Christians and Muslims from the Islamic perspective, addressing the need for Christians and Muslims to work in concert and the inherent problems that must be faced, and makes recommendations to foster a better relationship. Since any discussion of the contemporary is rooted in the past, reference is made to historical situations in order that Muslims and Christians may learn from history. Examples from Nigeria and the Sudan, where there has been polarization of Muslims and Christians, and where the problem is endemic, seek to illustrate the point, together with personal experiences and observations from Ghana.     

Challenges in studying the effects of scientific societies on research integrity

Beyond impressionistic observations, little is known about the role and influence of scientific societies on research conduct. Acknowledging that the influence of scientific societies is not easily disentangled from other factors that shape norms and practices, this article addresses how best to study the promotion of research integrity generally as well as the role and impact of scientific societies as part of that process. In setting forth the parameters of a research agenda, the article addresses four issues: (1) how to conceptualize research on scientific societies and research integrity; (2) challenges and complexities in undertaking basic research; (3) strategies for undertaking basic research that is attentive to individual, situational, organizational, and environmental levels of analysis; and (4) the need for evaluation research as integral to programmatic change and to assessment of the impact of activities by scientific societies. This topic was initially discussed at the AAAS-Office of Research Integrity (ORI) meeting in Washington DC on the theme: “The Role and Activities of Scientific Societies in Promoting Research Integrity” held on April 10–11, 2000. Joyce Miller Iutcovich, PhD, is President of the Keystone University Research Corporation.     

Disadvantage, Ethnic Niching or Pursuit of a Vision?

As immigrant groups grow older, host societies are faced with new challenges of integration. In a labor market that is structured by ethnicity and gender, the demand for culturally competent care provides immigrant women with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs within the care sector. This article analyzes 20 in-depth interviews with immigrant women from 13 countries who are entrepreneurs in home-help services for elderly people. The article analyzes the complex motives behind the women??s entrepreneurship. Ethnic entrepreneurship has mainly been approached as a way for immigrants to survive in the labor market??the disadvantage theory??or as a means to create job opportunities for co-ethnics within ethnic economies. Opposed to this, three main motives appear in the analysis: first, the processes of ethnic and gender sorting in the care sector; second, ethnic strategies in the labor market; and third, the wish to gain independence and improve the quality of care. Only in a few cases is ethnic entrepreneurship practiced within ethnic economies; instead, it is mainly found within cross-cultural economies, consisting of employees and customers of mixed origin who are embedded in a majority society. The women construct their ethnic identities to compete in the segmented Swedish labor market by creating ethnic identities of care that are adjusted to meet the needs of their customers in a cross-cultural society.     

Home is My Area Code: Thinking About,Teaching, and Learning Globalization in Introductory World Religions Classes

There has been significant and growing interest in teaching religious studies, and specifically world religions, in a “global” context. Bringing globalization into the classroom as a specific theoretical and pedagogical tool, however, requires not just an awareness that religions exist in an ever‐globalizing environment, but a willingness to engage with globalization as a cultural, spatial, and theoretical arena within which religions interact. This article is concerned with the ways that those of us interested in religion employ globalization in the classroom conceptually and pedagogically, and argues that “lived religion” provides a useful model for incorporating globalization into religious studies settings.