Bridging cultural divides with the power of poetry: an educator’s reflection

ABSTRACT

In this article I discuss the ways in which writing poetry and reflecting on its meanings may be a valuable tool for promoting an educator’s reflexivity surrounding issues of reconciliation. As Canada embarks on the work of healing the difficulties its colonial past has caused its original inhabitants (i.e. Indigenous peoples), educators must explore ways in which they can contribute to a more socially just, democratic, and healthy society. By utilising the theoretical framework of Dialogical Self Theory (DST) to describe and explore identity and the writing of poetry as an exploration of self, it becomes possible for myself, as an educator, to unearth my own biases and begin to create safe spaces for identity exploration, learning, and healing.     

Personhood in a World of Forgetfulness: An Ethnography of the Self-Process Among Alzheimer's Patients

This article assesses the self-construct of Alzheimer's patients residing in a care facility, using qualitative research methods to determine whether a sense of personhood was retained despite the deteriorative consequences of the disease. Through systematic observations of patient actions and interviews with family members and staff, the study assessed the patients' experience of self. The self was conceptualized in social constructionist terms emphasizing how patients configure meaning in seemingly trivial everyday aspects of residential care. The research developed ways of understanding the patients' humanity, confirming that a self-process was sustained despite the effects of the disease. The article explores implications of a contemporary approach to treatment of patients as transformed, yet distinctive, human beings with valid relational and cultural lives.     

A bridge between cultures: Linked ethnographic-empirical methodology for culture anchored research

Relatively little research in community psychology has explicitly focused on groups whose world views, values, and practices diverge from mainstream North American and social science culture. Furthermore, when research does include members of subcultural groups, the same research methodologies used to stydy mainstream populations tend to be employed. In the current article, it is proposed that a linked ethnographic—empirical methodology is critical for culturally anchored research of rarely studied subcultures which differ markedly form the dominant culture. The use of a linked ethnographic—empirical methodology in the study of a nontraditional religious subculture is described, and the study's primary findings summarized. Respective and combined contributions of the ethnographic and empirical (i.e., quantitative) research components in seven key areas are discussed: (a) selection of phenomenon to study; (b) generation of hypotheses; (c) culturally anchored measure development; (d) sampling; (e) analyses; (f) interpretation of findings; and (g) social action. Limitations of the linked methodology are discussed. The author thanks Julian Rappaport, Chris Murphy, Robert Serpell, three anonymous reviewers, and the editors of the special issue for their valuable feedback.     

我与另一个我:网络自我与现实自我的关系辨析

与现实自我相对,网络自我是个体在网络世界中的自我。在网络生活日益普及的今天,探讨网络自我与现实自我之间的关系具有重要意义。综合自我身份、外形及人格等方面的研究,可以得知网络自我在一定程度上是现实自我的虚拟投射,但对于一些容易受到社会评价的特征,个体会对网络自我进行适度的理想化。同时,网络平台属性以及用户个人特征都会影响网络自我与现实自我之间的关系。未来研究可以结合不同平台与场景、多种研究方法、在不同文化背景下对网络自我与现实自我之间的关系进行进一步探索。     

英文短文写作元认知、动机性因素与作文成绩之间关系的研究

随机选取大一、大二和大三学生共1043人为被试,采用协方差结构模型考察了非英语专业大学生英文写作元认知、自我效能、任务价值、成就目标、归N和英语作文成绩之间的关系。研究结果表明：（1）自我效能、任务价值、成就目标、归N两两相关且对英文写作元认知有直接影响,并通过英文写作元认知对英语作文成绩有间接影响;（2）英文写作元认知和自我效能对英语作文成绩有直接影响;（3）自我效能对英文写作元认知的影响力最大。     

Scientific empathy,American buddhism,and the ethnography of religion

This paper examines some of the current ideas and methods that have problematised the study of religion within a globalised community. Religion and culture cannot be considered bounded entities, to be described as unchangeable. However, their constant process of change is not something new. It becomes new due to writing patterns and contemporary ideas on the relevance of religion or the creativity of culture. By analysing some discussions on possession cults, the paper suggests that ritual and performance constitute the moments when culture and religion are mediated. It is through ritual that religious practices are adapted, and it is in a ritual performance where culture is contested and challenged. Religion becomes ‘confused culture’, that once again is re‐organised and made orderly by reflection on ritual practices. Finally, the paper suggests that the agenda for an anthropology of religion for this new century is two‐fold. Firstly, to try to become more conversant with ever changing localised practices of ritual, and secondly, to try to converse about those practices with other practitioners and scholars from different fields and in different fields.     

The effects of creative,expressive, and reflective writing on career learning: An explorative study

This study investigates whether creative, expressive, and reflective writing contributes to the formation of a work-life narrative that offers both meaning and direction among students in higher education. The content of writing done by students who participated in a two-day writing course at the start (or in preparation) of their work placements and of a control group who did not take part in the course were compared. Writing samples were analysed using the Linguistic Index Word Count program (Pennebaker, Booth, & Francis, 2007) and an instrument based on Dialogical Self Theory (Hermans & Hermans-Konopka, 2010). Results show writing promotes the development of career narratives.     

Institutional culture and individual behavior: Creating an ethical environment

Much of the work in professional ethics sees ethical problems as resulting from ethical ignorance, ethical failure or evil intent. While this approach gets at real and valid concerns, it does not capture the whole story because it does not take into account the underlying professional or institutional culture in which moral decision making is imbedded. My argument in this paper is that this culture plays a powerful and sometimes determinant role in establishing the nature of the ethical debate; i.e., it helps to define what are viable action options, what is the organization’s genuine mission, and what behaviors will be rewarded or criticized. Given these conclusions, I also argue that consulting ethicists need more than an understanding of ethics theory, concepts and principles; they also need a sufficiently rich understanding of organizational culture and a willingness and an ability to critique that culture. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the “Ethics and Social Responsibility in Engineering and Technology” meeting, New Orleans, 2003.     

幸福感的中西差异:自我建构的视角

幸福感本质上是文化定位的,然而以往的幸福感研究大都只关注中西幸福感的共同性,而很少考虑两者的差异性。以中西自我建构的差异代表个人—集体主义文化的差异,通过对比中西自我建构与幸福感的差异,发现中西幸福感在本源、意义、联系与时间四个维度存在显著差异。中国人的幸福感具有明显的和谐性、价值性、社会性与未来性四个特征。中国人幸福感四个特征的确认为我国幸福感理论和应用研究的本土化提供了一个有价值的视角。     

后现代主义思潮影响下的自我研究

后现代主义思潮的兴起使自我研究重新受到重视。后现代主义思潮影响下的自我研究将出现新的特征：从传统的个人主义取向的概念界定转向从社会和个人双重取向的概念界定;从单纯重视自我的稳定性研究转向将自我的稳定性与可变性结合;从重视自我发展的一般规律研究到重视文化对自我发展的影响。     

表达性写作应用于社会灾难时期心理救援的理论探讨

疫情等社会灾难时期, 创伤经历者急剧增加, 加之交通阻断, 传统的心理救援很难及时应对大范围的灾民心理危机; 而表达性写作便于心理学工作者大规模实施, 且可通过电话、网络等远程通讯工具进行指导, 治疗PTSD等心理创伤, 改善生理、心理健康。社会灾难时期表达性写作的机制复杂, 涉及暴露脱敏、意义重建、自我抽离—自我调节、工作记忆优化和认知神经机制正常化; 其疗效受到作者特质、干预时间和写作形式等潜在因素的影响。相应地, 未来应结合本土社会文化因素, 重视在线干预研究, 探索表达性写作相关的认知神经机制, 综合不同的生理、心理健康指标评估表达性写作的疗效。