Competent Counseling for Middle Eastern American Clients: Implications for Trainees

The authors used a factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine whether counselor trainees’ group differences on measures of multicultural competence, empathy, and multicultural counseling self‐efficacy (CSE) when working with Middle Eastern American (MEA) clients were moderated by trainee race. Two hundred and fifty‐six trainees responded to 3 different clinical vignettes that gave information on clients who had varying degrees of MEA characteristics. MANOVA results revealed a significant main effect for trainee race. Follow‐up analyses demonstrated that trainees of color reported higher multicultural competence and multicultural CSE than White trainees. Los autores usaron an análisis factorial multivariante de la varianza (MANOVA, por sus siglas en inglés) para determinar si las diferencias en grupos de consejeros en formación respecto a competencia multicultural, empatía y autoeficacia en consejería (CSE) multicultural al trabajar con clientes americanos con ascendencia de Oriente Medio (MEA) estaban moderadas por la raza del consejero. Doscientos cincuenta y seis consejeros en formación respondieron a 3 viñetas clínicas que ofrecían información sobre clientes que tenían diversos grados de características de MEA. Los resultados del MANOVA revelaron un efecto principal significativo para la raza del consejero. Análisis de seguimiento demostraron que los consejeros de color en formación comunicaron un mayor nivel de competencia multicultural y CSE multicultural que los consejeros blancos.     

Cross-sectional age differences in the HEXACO personality: Results from a Japanese sample

Little research has been conducted on personality development in non-Western countries. The present study investigated age differences in personality in Japanese middle adults (N = 2000; M = 40.94 years; SD = 5.35, range 30–49; 1000 women). After controlling for educational level, annual income, marital status, and gender, it was found that the level of Emotionality was negatively associated with age. Honesty–Humility, on the other hand, was positively associated with age. However, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness were not associated with the participant age. These findings suggest that trends in personality development may differ slightly between Western and non-Western countries.     

The influence of family context on life,educational and occupational ideal among middle school students in China

This study examined the relationship between family context of middle school students on their educational and occupational ideals. Middle school students (N = 2000) responded to questions assessing family location, family structure, parental educational level and family economic status, as well as to the Middle School Students' Ideals Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that life, educational and occupational ideals of female students and students in lower grades were higher than that of male students and students in higher grades. Regression analysis indicated that paternal education level have a positive association with educational and occupational ideals, but not life ideals, and family economic status have a positive relation to life ideals, but not educational and occupational ideals. Moreover, the interaction between family economic status and family location has a negative association with students' life, educational and occupational ideals. These results suggest that different factors predicted different ideals of adolescents, and that family economic status had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between family location and ideals of students.     

Trauma,Emotions, and Memory in World Politics: The Case of the European Union's Foreign Policy in the Middle East Conflict

This article focuses on the impact of emotions on the European Union (EU)'s international identity and agency in the context of the memory of trauma. Emotions are understood as performances through which an actor expresses itself to others while constructing its identity, creating its agency, and potentially affecting the social order. It is argued that the memory of trauma is translated into EU foreign policy practice through emotional performances of EU representatives. Empirically, we explore this impact in relation to the EU's engagement in the Israel‐Palestinian prolonged conflict that has many underlying emotions linked with past traumatic experiences. By doing so, we aim to instigate a discussion between the emotions literature in International Relations and the European Union studies literature to nuance understanding of the politics of emotions that increasingly constrain what kind of a global actor the EU actually is or can become.     

‘Thank God We Are in Syria!’ Modernization,Interfaith Relations and Women’s Rights in Syria Before the ‘Arab Spring’ (2000–2010)

The status of women is generally considered a measure of ‘modernity’ and it has often been exploited by the West to highlight the ‘backwardness’ of non-Western countries and to justify colonialism and ‘civilization’ endeavours. The question of women’s rights and its connection to ‘modernity’, however, is not simple. This article considers the example of Syria immediately before the revolts of 2011, and highlights that the government’s approach to the issue of women’s rights appears to have been inspired by a peculiar idea of ‘modernity’ that is not in line with the Western mainstream view, because it is not based on the centrality of the individual and does not include a view of secularization that underestimates the social and political importance of religious beliefs. Reflections on the peculiarities of the Syrian approach may help avoid simplifications and – more generally – may help us reflect on the premise of the mainstream Western approach to the issue in countries considered as ‘other’.     

Trauma Recovery in Interprofessional Cross-Cultural Contexts: Application of an Ethical Framework

Research into the complex interactions of personal, professional, and interprofessional ethics is in its infancy. Where interprofessional decision making is made in cross-cultural contexts, ethical dilemmas multiply; inversely, research to guide judgments is sparse. This study sought to explore interprofessional ethical decision making within a project, which delivered Western trauma-recovery training to counselors in Palestine. A cross-cultural interprofessional ethical framework was adapted and later applied to project decision making. A case study is presented based on field note reflections. Researchers perceived the following to be important in addressing ethical decision-making dilemmas: defining interprofessional and cross-cultural language; long-standing relationships of trust; workers liberated from organizational agendas; democratized processes; and flexible structures. Recommendations are provided to help plan and evaluate interprofessional cross-cultural initiatives.     

The influence of functional social support on executive functioning in middle-aged African Americans

ABSTRACT

Social support has a positive influence on cognitive functioning and buffers cognitive decline in older adults. This study examined the relations between social support and executive functioning in middle-aged adults. A community-based sample of African Americans completed the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, a measure of functions of social support, and two measures of executive functioning, the Stroop Color and Word Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to explore the hypothesis that different facets of perceived social support influence performance on measures of executive functioning. After controlling for age, gender, and education, social support facets including belonging support, selfesteem support, appraisal support, and tangible support were significant predictors of Stroop performance. In addition, tangible support significantly predicted WCST performance. These findings add to previous literature on social support and cognition; however, findings for middle-aged adults are unique and suggest that social support has a positive influence on some executive functions in African Americans prior to old age.     

Three Ways of Being Church

This article proposes a theological re-appraisal of three images of the Church: institution, servant and community. The defining characteristics of an institution can be applied positively to the Church when it is seen to have been instituted by Jesus Christ. But what is instituted is a continuing relationship grounded in Christ's own presence. The servant Church is characterized by its commitment to the purposes of God in ‘secular’ society and the promise of God's kingdom. The community model of the Church has two common expressions, one emphasizing social relationships, one stressing mystical communion, but these are grounded in the trinitarian community itself. While each model has its own contribution and integrity, taken together they suggest mutual inter-dependence, itself reflecting the divine community and expressed in the mutually affirming virtues of faith, hope and love.     

Children's and adolescents' intuitive judgements about distributive justice: Integrating need,effort, and luck

This study investigated the principles that children and adolescents rely on when allocating a resource fairly. In a series of three experiments, 51 Swiss children (aged 7 and 9 years) and 309 German children (aged 6, 9, and 15 years) participated. A different situational context was presented in each experiment, where luck, need and effort of two protagonists were systematically varied. Primary-school children relied mainly on need when making distributive justice judgements. Effort became more prominent as the allocation principle in adolescence. Equality occurred rarely in all age groups. Integrational capacity and the ability to differentiate between the three situational contexts increased from childhood to adolescence. The data suggest the conclusion that the development of distributive justice decisions has both generalized and context-specific components.