We are told that marihuana is harmless,except…

Some recent research suggests that marihuana, used in limited doses, may be no more harmful to users than some of the more commonly consumed alcoholic malt beverages, used in limited doses. But a careful examination of the medical research literature reveals specifics—often only hinted at in many of the recent articles on marihuana use—concerning excessive damage to individuals who may have certain physical or psychological inabilities to handle this substance, who may use it in doses that are more than minimal, or who may use it over extended periods of time.     

Putting Thoughts to Work: Concepts,Systematicity, and Stimulus‐Independence*

I argue that we can reconcile two seemingly incompatible traditions for thinking about concepts. On the one hand, many cognitive scientists assume that the systematic redeployment of representational abilities suffices for having concepts. On the other hand, a long philosophical tradition maintains that language is necessary for genuinely conceptual thought. I argue that on a theoretically useful and empirically plausible concept of ‘concept’, it is necessary and sufficient for conceptual thought that a thinker be able to entertain many of the potential thoughts produced by recombining her representational abilities apart from a direct confrontation with the states of affairs being represented. Such representational abilities support a cognitive engagement with the world that is flexible, abstract, and active.     

Rethinking Boundary Ambiguity from an Ecological Perspective: Stress in Protestant Clergy Families

Family researchers have virtually ignored the families of clergy as a population of interest. Their unique social ecology, however, can offer a profitable case study in family stress. The genesis of Boss's (1977, 1987) boundary ambiguity construct will be reviewed and critiqued. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) approach will then be applied to the boundary problems of clergy families. It is argued that an ecological analysis of boundary ambiguity in clergy families will lead to a higher-order understanding of the construct itself.     

Theories of Family Adaptability: Toward a Synthesis of Olson''s Circumplex and the Beavers Systems Models

Two typologies of family process, Olson's Circumplex Model and the Beavers Systems Model, are discussed, focusing particularly upon their definitions of family adaptability. It is argued that the two typologies are not simply "separate but equal" (11), but, rather, that there is an ambiguity in the Circumplex Model that disguises a fundamental theoretical overlap between the two. Olson's definition of adaptability is founded upon the concepts of morphogenesis and change; Beavers builds upon the concepts of negentropy and competence. It may be shown, however, that both understandings are necessitated by the theoretical writings of Olson and his colleagues. The nature of this ambiguity in the Circumplex Model is critically explored, and a higher-order model that attempts to synthesize these two theories is proposed.     

AN INTEGRAL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND WASTE REDUCTION

This article aims to demonstrate how the Integral approach can be utilized to understand and potentially resolve a particular human-ecological issue. It arises out of a research project that involved examining the factors inhibiting sustainable consumption and waste reduction in the community of Calgary. The Integral approach aims to ensure that no fundamental dimensions of the problem are neglected. It beckons us to consider body, mind, and spirit in the personal, cultural, and social realms of reality.