E.O. Wilson's Conquest of Earth

The publication of Edward O. Wilson's recent book, The Social Conquest of Earth, launches a new missile in the purported warfare between science and religion. The launching-pad is Wilson's embracing of group selection over kin selection to explain the evolutionary success of cooperation and even altruism in complex social groups. Rather than the selfish gene, groups of genetically diverse individuals who cooperate with one another drive evolution toward increased social organization, toward eusociality. Within the field of sociobiology, this is interesting. But Wilson does not stop here. He proceeds to engage in combat with all competing points of view, especially religious points of view. By relegating religion to a primitive stage of evolution and elevating science to an advanced stage, he provides justification for science to eliminate all its enemies and to establish hegemony in the worldview war. This article provides a critical analysis of Wilson's scientific method, especially his attempt to replace creation myths with his own scientized myths of origin. It concludes that Wilson need not do battle, because he could find among theologians allies in his understanding of human nature and his concern to make the world a better moral place.     

Four Myths about Subjective Well‐being

Subjective well‐being is a broad construct that reflects an individual's subjective evaluation of the quality of his or her life. Psychologists know a great deal about the causes and correlates of well‐being, but some important misconceptions have developed and are often repeated. The purpose of this article is to address the evidence for four such misconceptions that we believe reflect ‘myths’ about subjective well‐being. These myths include the idea that well‐being measures are strongly influenced by irrelevant contextual factors, the idea that money is not an important correlate of well‐being, the idea that social relationship variables are a particularly strong correlate of well‐being, and the idea that well‐being cannot change.     

The Wundt Myths

Three myths about Wundt have been perpetuated in English language accounts of his work. First, he is said to have founded a Psychologisches Institut (a formally recognized psychological research laboratory) in 1879. Second, he is said to be the first psychologist, as distinct from the first contributor to psychology. Third, he is said to have formulated an elementarist psychology of mental content or experience. The first and second are trivial myths which in isolation would be scarcely worth a comment. The third is a gross misrepresentation which ignores the purposivist-voluntarist underlay of his experimental cognitive psychology and the humanistic, cultural concern of his Völkerpsychofogie.     

Response

The theme of love has long been neglected in studies on African myths. The often-heard explanation is that African myths and folktales do not tell stories about love because they primarily express social interests and obligations while love ‐ intended as both emotional imperative and biological drive ‐ is an individual need and feeling. This latter definition relies on a very specific understanding of ‘love’: the Romantic love of 19th century European novels. This paper argues that when love means attraction, affection, passion, and necessity, it turns up as liaisons dangereuses in many African narratives. Love becomes a driving force that generates gender constructions by reinforcing the unity of the couple or by fuelling the struggle between partners. In the case of Kabyle narratives (Algeria),1 conceptualisations of love as well as the relationships between myths and folktales are explored by analyzing formula tales2 and the only known collection of Kabyle Berber myths: those collected by Leo Frobenius, ethnologist and historian of religion, at the beginning of the 20th century and published in the first volume of his Volksmarchen der Kabylen in 1921. The discussion of the relationship between Kabyle myths and folktales touches upon a well-known interpretative problem in the study of religion: the articulation of myth and ritual with history as communities respond to sweeping social, political, and religious changes, such as the coming of Islam, colonization, decolonization, and globalization.     

Rape Myths and Social Distance Toward Sex Offenders and Victims among Therapists and Students

This study was designed to investigate the relationships between gender role stereotypes, rape myths, and social distance from sex offenders and sex crime victims among students and therapists. A Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, an Attitude Variables Questionnaire, and a Social Distance Scale were administered to 125 female social science students and 51 female therapists. The findings validated our hypothesis: traditional gender role attitudes and belief in rape myths were positively related to social distance. Although therapists were willing to be in social contact with both victims and offenders to a much greater degree than were students, both groups expressed a decline in willingness to have social contact with victims and offenders, especially when the relationships were closer and more intimate. It seems that three decades after the first studies of rape myths, prejudices and stereotypes concerning rape and rape victims still exist.     

中国西南少数民族的竹王神话与竹崇拜

中国西南少数民族世代相传的竹王神话,多维度反映出西南各族群的宗教观念。本文详细考察竹王神话的流播及其影响,分析西南少数民族宗教仪式所体现的竹崇拜。认为具有原始思维特色的西南少数民族竹王神话,蕴涵着西南少数民族自然崇拜、图腾崇拜、祖先崇拜的文化要素。竹王神话和竹崇拜长期影响着西南各族群的社会生活,其神话思维模式反映出各族先民的宗教情结和自然生态意识。     

Dangerous love in mythical narratives and formula tales

The theme of love has long been neglected in studies on African myths. The often-heard explanation is that African myths and folktales do not tell stories about love because they primarily express social interests and obligations while love – intended as both emotional imperative and biological drive – is an individual need and feeling. This latter definition relies on a very specific understanding of ‘love’: the Romantic love of 19th century European novels. This paper argues that when love means attraction, affection, passion, and necessity, it turns up as liaisons dangereuses in many African narratives. Love becomes a driving force that generates gender constructions by reinforcing the unity of the couple or by fuelling the struggle between partners.In the case of Kabyle narratives (Algeria),¹ conceptualisations of love as well as the relationships between myths and folktales are explored by analyzing formula tales² and the only known collection of Kabyle Berber myths: those collected by Leo Frobenius, ethnologist and historian of religion, at the beginning of the 20th century and published in the first volume of his Volksmärchen der Kabylen in 1921.The discussion of the relationship between Kabyle myths and folktales touches upon a well-known interpretative problem in the study of religion: the articulation of myth and ritual with history as communities respond to sweeping social, political, and religious changes, such as the coming of Islam, colonization, decolonization, and globalization.     

The Relations of Pro-Drug-Use Myths With Self-Reported Drug Use Among Youth at Continuation High Schools1

Drug-use myths, questionable beliefs regarding the effects of drug use, may help to explain why people engage in self-injurious drug-use behavior. While clinicians and applied social researchers have used this concept of drug-use myths extensively when developing substance abuse prevention or cessation programs, drug belief-type myth measures have not been investigated empirically. The present study examined the internal consistency and discriminant validity of a drug-use myth measure among 362 continuation (alternative) high school youth and found it to be discriminable from demographic, drug use, and other psychosocial measures. Controlling for its relations with its correlates, social desirability, perceived friends' drug use, ethnicity items, and gender, the myth measure remained significantly associated with 4 drug-use measures. Future research regarding drug use myths as predictors of drug use is encouraged based on these results.     

Domestic Violence Between Same‐Sex Partners: Implications for Counseling

Over the past 2 decades, awareness and concern about the incidence and severity of domestic violence have increased. Although information about domestic violence has grown, much of the literature does not address domestic violence between same‐sex partners. This article discusses the dynamics of domestic violence between partners of the same sex. The social and cultural issues in the gay and lesbian communities play a large part in perpetuating the myths of domestic violence, which keeps the abuse hidden. This article is based on an extensive review of the literature and a clinical consensus among experts in the field.     

DARWIN AND CHRISTIANITY: TRUTH AND MYTH

In recent years many historical myths about the relations between science and religion have been corrected but not always with sensitivity to different types and functions of “myth.” Correcting caricatures of Darwin's religious views and of the religious reaction to his theory have featured prominently in this myth‐busting. With the appearance in 2017 of A. N. Wilson's depiction of Darwin himself as a “mythmaker,” it is appropriate to reconsider where the myths lie in discourse concerning Darwin and Christianity. Problems with Wilson's account are identified and his provocative demeaning of Darwin is contrasted with an image gleaned from Darwin's friend and colleague George Romanes. The article concludes with a brief reference to the problem of suffering and to the work of Christopher Southgate.     

The Rape Myth and Blame‐Based Beliefs of Counselors‐in‐Training Toward Male Victims of Rape

The authors surveyed counselors‐in‐training at counselor education programs nationwide, accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, to examine trainees' acceptance of rape myths and their willingness to make blame‐based attributions toward a male victim of rape. Results suggested that male counselor trainees with no experience counseling sexually assaulted clients tended to endorse the greatest degree of acceptance of rape myths. Trainees of both sexes thought that a male rape victim who showed no resistance to his attacker should have done so. The authors discuss implications for counselor training and supervision.     

Alcohol use as a strategy for obtaining nonconsensual sexual relations: incidence in Spanish university students and relation to rape myths acceptance

This study analyzed the strategy of college men who give alcohol to girls to facilitate their acceptance when pursuing sexual relationships. It also studied the role of attitudes towards sexual assaults (rape myths) in the social perception of this practice; finally, this research examined how the fact that, in some cases, college women accept taking alcohol in their interactions with college men was perceived. Participants were 349 heterosexual students (154 men and 195 women) from the University of Granada. 28% of males reported having given alcohol to females in order to have sexual contacts with them, while 44% of females acknowledged having suffered this practice. Men, compared to women, were more favourable to this practice; however, this effect was moderated by their rape myths endorsements. It was also found that males and, in general, those participants who endorsed rape myths, tended to consider that girls who accept alcohol in their interactions with boys are promiscuous.     

Pastoral work,metacommunication and myth

The writer discusses two phenomena the pastoral counselor encounters in work with families and individuals: family survival myths and individual survival myths or fatal statements. Family survival myths are inefficient defense mechanisms, directed at the support of the parental relationship and the maintenance of the family balance. Fatal statements are expressions inherited from the family of origin. They function as myths and are intended to help one survive. From his perspective the pastor can, through a process of metacommunication, open the possibility to discuss the myth and so help people to free themselves from an unhealthy and life inhibiting bondage.     

The definition of sociology and the sociology of definition: Durkheim's Rules of Sociological Method and high school philosophy in France

Despite his attempts to break with philosophy and found a science of society, Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) was involved with philosophy throughout his career. Academic philosophy in France was a highly centralized institution that produced professors capable of teaching a standard curriculum. These professors made up a significant portion of the audience whose support Durkheim hoped to win for his sociological project. The concepts of Pierre Bourdieu and the literature on the rhetoric of the human sciences can help reconstruct the field of academic philosophy, Durkheim's relationship with it, and the ways in which he drew upon it to formulate his method and to persuade his philosophical colleagues. Durkheim's definition of the social fact in The Rules of Sociological Method can only be understood in the context of French academic philosophy. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Myths,metaphors, and mentors

This article begins with a discussion of myths as visions that transform life. The primary myth is that of death and rebirth. Metaphors are images which illumine our myths. Therapists are thus both scientists and poets. The process of being a mentor occurs in a variety of relationships. Our search is for an understanding of this process which then transcends the positions of master and disciple. Mentors need to have a sufficient degree of self-transcendence to enable the focus to be on the person's own unique vision. Mentors light sparks which ignite our myths and metaphors and thereby expand our understanding of ourselves. Mentors become catalysts for our growth and thereby facilitate the process of transformation.The author would like to express his gratitude to Anne Nelson, who helped with editing this article.     

Oedipus and the Oedipus complex: A revision

The authors consider whether those aspects of the Oedipus myths that have been ignored by Freud could improve our knowledge of how the Oedipus complex develops. They conclude that the myths can provide an answer to Freud's question posed on the 25 February 1914 (Nunberg and Federn, 1975, p. 234) concerning “the extent to which the Oedipus complex is a reflection of the sexual behavior of the parents” with Fenichel's (1931, p. 421) view that the “child's Oedipus complex reflects that of his parents”.     

The Impact of Contemplated Exposure to a Survivor of Rape on Attitudes toward Rape1

Male and female college students were asked to rate the truth of myths about rape either before or after contemplating how they would react if a close friend or relative told them she had been raped. It was expected that such contemplation would decrease endorsement of rape myths, by increasing sympathy for victims and reducing the tendency to blame victims for sexual assault. Typically, studies have found that women are less accepting of rape myths and more sympathetic to rape victims than men. A reason for this may be that women have thought about rape more and are more likely to have experienced sexual assault or to be acquainted with a survivor. Based on the above findings, it was hypothesized that contemplating exposure to a rape survivor would be particularly beneficial to men's attitudes. Results contradicted the hypothesis and showed that contemplating exposure increased rejection of rape myths for women but slightly increased men's endorsements. In contrast, men and women who were actually acquainted with a rape survivor rejected rape myths more strongly than those who did not claim acquaintance.     

An Emerging Action Science of Social Settings

Seymour B. Sarason's innovative ideas have influenced much of my work. These same ideas-in particular, his concepts of social settings, behavioral and programmatic regularities, and the universe of alternatives-also serve as the foundation for an action science of social settings. Questions regarding theory, measurement, intervention, and research design and data analysis are central to the development of this action science, and there have been recent innovations in each of these areas. However, future challenges remain for the field. We must continue to move forward to advance an action science of social settings and make a real difference in people's lives.     

Attitudes Toward Prostitution and Acceptance of Rape Myths1

Rape myths and prostitution myths are a component of culturally supported attitudes that normalize violence against women. Prostitution myths justify the existence of prostitution, promote misinformation about prostitution, and contribute to a social climate that exploits and harms not only prostituted women, but all women. This study investigated the relationship between prostitution myth acceptance and rape myth acceptance in a sample of university undergraduates. Rape myth acceptance was positively correlated with prostitution myth acceptance among 783 university undergraduates from California, Iowa, Oregon, and Texas. College men were significantly more accepting of prostitution myths than were college women. Results suggest that acceptance of prostitution myths are a component of attitudes that justify violence against women.     

Pro-drug-use myths and competing constructs in the prediction of substance use among youth at continuation high schools: a one-year prospective study

Experimentation with drugs among adolescents often is preceded by faulty beliefs (myths) regarding drug effects. The present study provides empirical demonstration of the utility of a drug use myths index in the prediction of subsequent drug use in a prospective study of substance use among high-risk adolescents. Drug use was measured as an index of recent cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use. A belief-type drug use myths index was compared as a predictor of drug use with four other frequently researched correlates of drug use. The other measures were of social influence, outcome expectancies, attitudes toward wrongness of drug use and sensation seeking. The belief-type drug use myths, attitudes toward wrongness and sensation seeking indices were found to be significant predictors of drug use among our sample of 1074 youth when controlling for gender, ethnicity and prior drug use. These findings have implications for understanding factors contributing to individual differences in drug use behaviors and could benefit the development of drug education programs for high-risk individuals.