Cultural Dynamics of Women's Lives

Cultural Dynamics of Women's Lives
Author: Ana Clara S. Bastos
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 646
Release: 2012-12-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1617355623

This book explores the diverse landscapes wherein women struggle for their personal and social identities and lives, between biology and culture, destiny and choice, shared and individual worlds, tradition and modernity. Their “peripheral lives” have “central meaning” (Chaudhary, this volume) in any society – and as such are approached as a primary subject in this book, as the chapters traverse ten different countries on three continents: North America (United States); Latin America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia); Asia (India); and Europe (United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Estonia). Throughout these different places, women's lives are an interesting stage for observing the interaction between biology and culture (e.g. sex vs. gender; pregnancy and childbirth vs. transition to motherhood). The focus on the cultural variability of human experience opens the door for the search of commonalities so needed in psychological theorizing. Here, this search is directed by how cultural models of womanhood (and motherhood) constrain personal experiences, especially through developmental transitions. This book is, ultimately, an opportunity to approach women’s lives from the perspective of the women themselves, particularly making audible and explicit their voices and the axis of logic that structures their world. Undoubtedly, it is a valuable opportunity for women and men interested in understanding and constructing human experience inside better worlds.

Making Meaning, Making Motherhood

Making Meaning, Making Motherhood
Author: Kenneth R. Cabell
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 430
Release: 2015-08-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1681231425

This volume is the firstborn of the Annals of Cultural Psychology-- a yearly edited book series in the field of Cultural Psychology. It came into being as there is a need for reflection on “where and what” the discipline needs to further develop, in such a way, the current frontiers and to foster the elaboration of new fruitful ideas. The topic chosen for the first volume is perhaps the most fundamental of all- motherhood. We are all here because at some unspecifiable time in the past, different women labored hard to bring each of us into this World. These women were not thinking of culture, but were just giving birth. Yet by their reproductive success—and years of worry about our growing up—we are now, thankfully to them, in a position to discuss the general notion of motherhood from the angle of cultural psychology. Each person who is born needs a mother—first the real one, and then possibly a myriad of symbolic ones—from “my mother” to “mother superior” to “my motherland”. Thus, it is not by coincidence if the first volume of the series is about motherhood. We the editors feel it is the topic that links our existence with one of the universals of human survival as a species. In very general terms what this book aims to do is to question the ontology of Motherhood in favor of an ontogenetic approach to Life’s Course, where having a child represents a big transition in a woman’s trajectory and where becoming (or not becoming) mother is heuristically more interesting than being a mother. We here present a reticulated work that digs into a cultural phenomenon giving to the readers the clear idea of making motherhood (and not taking for granted motherhood). By looking at absences, shadows and ruptures rather than the normativeness of motherhood, cultural psychology can provide a theoretical model in explaining the cultural multifaceted nature of human activity.

Racial and Cultural Dynamics in Group and Organizational Life

Racial and Cultural Dynamics in Group and Organizational Life
Author: Mary B. McRae
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2009-09-16
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1483317080

"The field has been waiting for a masterpiece like Racial and Cultural Dynamics in Group and Organizational Life for a long time. It provides a thoughtful account of the subtle, barely visible, and sometimes unspeakable influences of racial and cultural dynamics that occur in groups." —Leo Wilton, Binghamton University, State University of New York "I believe that by focusing on group diversity, this book aligns with a major trend that has not received enough attention." — Christopher J. McCarthy, University of Texas at Austin This book presents a theoretical framework for understanding leadership and authority in group and organizational life. Using relational psychoanalytic and systems theory, the authors examine conscious and unconscious processes as they relate to racial and cultural issues in the formation and maintenance of groups. Unique among group dynamics texts, the book explores aspects of racial and cultural influences in every chapter. Readers will enhance their analytic and practice skills in addressing factors that impact diverse groups and organizations, including ethical considerations, social roles, strategies for leadership, dynamics of entering and joining, and termination. Key Features Case examples help readers integrate theory and practice, as illustrated in transcripts of interactions from group sessions. A group work competencies list ensures that readers master concepts as they progress through the book. An assessment form allows the student or practitioner to evaluate concrete dynamics of groups, such as size, and gendered and racial composition. This text is appropriate for graduate-level courses incorporating group dynamics and multicultural topics in departments of psychology, education, counseling, and social work. It is also a valuable resource for counselors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals in preparation for group work.

Culture, Work and Psychology

Culture, Work and Psychology
Author: Pedro F. Bendassolli
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2019-04-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1641136340

This books arises from the observation that mainstream psychology, especially work and organisational psychology (WOP), suffers from critical limitations in its attempts to deal with the complexities of work as a cultural phenomenon. We can only mention a few examples here. In the WOP field, especially in Anglo- Saxon tradition, work experiences are seen through the lenses of traditional behavioural approaches, whereas culture is seen as a ‘software of the mind’, to use a popular definition found in this field (based on cross-cultural mainstream psychology). ‘Competences’, to take another example, are thought of as something that do or do not people have inside them. Suffering, like stress (a common work-based problem of our times), is considered to be dependent on a person’s personality, perceptions or as a set of behaviours triggered by facing an ‘objective’ environment. Even meaning-making process can be found to be defined from a WOP mainstream point of view: meanings are ‘social cognitions’ shared by people by means of unidirectional socialisation processes. Therefore, the goal of this book is to deliver to the reader a new and challenging theoretical and methodological tool box, inspired by insights developed from a broad cultural psychological perspective. Its focus is on the consideration of work and organisations based on core concepts developed inside cultural psychology. Therefore, it is designed to discuss potential extensions of these concepts to work psychology.

Cultural Realities of Being

Cultural Realities of Being
Author: Nandita Chaudhary
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2013-10-23
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1134743491

Cultural Realities of Being offers a dialogue between academic activity and everyday lives by providing an interface between several perspectives on human conduct. Very often, academic pursuits are arcane and obscure for ordinary people, this book will attempt to disentangle these dialogues, lifting everyday discourse and providing a forum for advancing discussion and dialogue. Nandita Chaudhary, S. Anandalakshmy and Jaan Valsiner bring together contributors from the field of cultural psychology to consider how people living within social groups, regardless of how liberal, are guided by collective reality and interconnected with life circumstances. The book discusses experiences and events in the lives of people of Indian cultures covering topics including family, food, pilgrimages, social dynamics and truth, in order to expand the material on human phenomena under the broad frame of cultural psychology. The book builds upon rich cultural traditions present in India, and precisely because of this focus, the book has much larger implications and relevance to the field and aims to orient the academic reader from around the world to viewing India and Indian society as a valuable area for research. Divided into three sections, the book covers: • Social presentation in culture • Representing relations • Children and youth in culture This book includes commentaries from expert academics from outside of India, providing a bridge between academic reality and cultural discourse and throwing fresh light on the everyday events presented in the text. Cultural Realities of Being will be essential reading for those studying Cross Cultural Psychology as well as those interested in social representation and identity.

New Frontiers In Women's Studies

New Frontiers In Women's Studies
Author: Mary Maynard
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2005-07-20
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1135747067

This text reveals the diversities which continue to shape women's beliefs and experiences. It includes debates on women and nationalisms, women and social policy, sexuality, black studies and ethnic studies, women and education, women and cultural production and women's studies and gender studies.

Internationalizing the Teaching of Psychology

Internationalizing the Teaching of Psychology
Author: Uwe Gielen
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 489
Release: 2017-08-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1641130075

"How can psychology professors in the USA and other nations make their courses more international?" This question is addressed in this indispensable new sourcebook, co-authored by 73 contributors and editors from 21 countries. In recent decades psychology has evolved from an American-dominated discipline to a much more global discipline. Preliminary estimates by Zoma and Gielen (2015) suggest that approximately 76%-78% of the world’s one million or so psychologists reside outside the U.S. However, most textbooks in the field continue to rely predominantly on research conducted in North America and Europe. Our book is intended to introduce psychology instructors to a variety of broad perspectives as well as specific suggestions that can support their efforts to internationalize their course offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In this way they can prepare their students to become more culturally sensitive and function more effectively as citizens and psychologists in the evolving globalized world. To achieve these ambitious goals the editors have assembled an international group of 73 distinguished contributors who, taken together, have taught and conducted research in all regions of the world. The chapters in the book include both core areas of psychology and subdisciplines that represent rapidly expanding and internationally important areas such as cross-cultural psychology and the psychology of gender. The chapters cover key topics and areas included in the course offerings of psychology departments both in the United States and in other countries. In addition to a discussion of international perspectives relevant to a given area, all chapters include an annotated bibliography of pertinent books, articles, web-related materials, films, videos, and so on. Based on this information, both highly experienced and less experienced psychology instructors can add globally and culturally oriented dimensions to their respective courses. This is important because universities, departments, and accrediting agencies increasingly put pressure on instructors to broaden and internationalize their courses. "As a long-time international psychologist myself, I see this bold new volume as a great leap forward for international psychology. The 73 distinguished contributors and editors from 21 countries have carefully crafted a handbook that will be the go-to resource on the topic for years to come. For psychology to continue to be relevant in the 21st century it must become more international; I am grateful this book will help us accomplish this challenging but rewarding goal." ~ Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D Past-President American Psychological Association "What could be more important than understanding human behavior and the thoughts and emotions that underlie it? By teaching psychology to the world, we offer the possibility of using our discipline to create a better future for all of us. The chapters in this excellent book help teachers of psychology move from an ethnocentric perspective to a global way of thinking about and telling about a truly international psychology." ~ Diane F. Halpern, Ph.D Past-President of the American Psychological Association and Professor of Psychology "This is a brilliant, unprecedented collection of international scholarship that every psychology professor and student should read. The 21st century in the teaching of psychology has truly arrived with this book, creating a thoroughly needed international focus for our pedagogy." ~ Frank Farley, Ph.D, L. H. Carnell Professor, Temple University; Former President, American Psychological Association (APA), International Council of Psychologists, American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the Society for International Psychology (Division 52 of APA) "Internationalizing Teaching of Psychology contains chapters authored by eminent psychologists of diverse cultural background, inclusive of different cultural perspectives on range of topics of contemporary importance. Thus, the volume integrates research emanating from varied cultural contexts facilitating development of a truly universal psychological science. The volume is a major resource for teaching courses on Cultural/Cross-cultural /Global psychology and in enhancing internationalization of psychology." ~ Prof. Janak Pandey, University of Allahabad, India, Editor, Psychology in India: The State-of-the-Art "All involved in the training of psychologists will want to recommend this book, which thoroughly presents an international perspective on the teaching of psychology. Rich, Gielen and Takooshian consider the basic nature of psychology, at the same time emphasizing cultural differences and relating it all to real life. As expert, cross-cultural researchers, the contributors provide a much needed resource and up-to-date reference for psychologists and students, as well as for any scholar interested in our discipline around the globe." ~ Laura Hernández-Guzmán, Ph. D. Professor of Psychology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Past-President of the Mexican Psychological Society "Since the mid-twentieth century the world has become an increasingly smaller place, at least in the figurative sense. And yet, Western psychology has been slow to grasp the culturally limited scope of much of our science. Although the movement toward a more culturally inclusive psychology had its roots at least as early as the 1960s, more recent meta-analyses have shown that a large percentage of the psychological literature has represented a small percentage of the world’s population. In Internationalizing the Teaching of Psychology, Grant Rich, Uwe Gielen, and Harold Takooshian are making a noteworthy effort to inform and support teachers who would move the field toward a psychology of all people. From advice about getting involved in international psychology, to stand-alone international psychology courses, to the problems of culture-bound specialized courses, these well-traveled and experienced editors have assembled a resource that psychology teachers will find both interesting and valuable." ~ Kenneth D. Keith, President, Society for the Teaching of Psychology, University of San Diego "This volume is a positive contribution to the internationalization of the psychology curriculum. Given the very large numbers of psychology undergraduate and graduate students across the world, such internationalization has significant potential to provide learners with opportunities to better understand the similarities and differences in the behavior of humans in different local, national and international contexts. Such understanding can lead to a greater appreciation of, and perhaps respect for and celebration of, these similarities and differences, thus potentially leading to actions that reduce global human suffering. This volume should become an indispensable tool for psychology educators interested in such outcomes." ~ Jacquelyn Cranney, Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Australia "This book is a necessity, given the increasing mobility of psychologists, use of technology in psychology practice, and need to regulate the psychology profession globally. The content in this book will go a long way to improve psychological literacy in our East and Central Africa region. I chaired the first ever East and Central African Regional Psychology Conference in Uganda in 2013 and am on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Applied Psychologists (IAAP), so am keenly aware that the internationalization of scientific psychology knowledge and skills is an imperative." ~ James Kagaari, Ph.D, President, Uganda Council of Psychologists "Teaching psychology in your own country—especially when it is a country as vast and diverse as the United States, where fewer than half its citizens hold a passport—makes it all too easy to give courses in which students come away with the impression that what psychological scientists have learned about behavior and mental processes at home applies equally in the rest of the world. That is not always the case, of course, and the chapters in this valuable volume serve not only to remind us of that fact, but to stimulate us to consider adjusting the content of our courses to make them, as they should be, more international in scope." ~ Douglas Bernstein, Courtesy Professor of Psychology, University of South Florida USA "Bravo to this all-star cast of international contributors for showing us how to help students appreciate both our cultural diversity and our human kinship—and for providing us with accessible articles, books, media, and online materials for teaching every area of psychology from a more international perspective." ~ David G. Myers, Hope College, co-author, Psychology 12th Edition and Social Psychology, 12th Edition "Imagine that you convened an invitation-only panel of 73 experts from around the world and asked that they guide the profession in internationalizing the teaching of psychology. This book would be the impressive result! Here’s the definitive, how-to guide on adding global and cross-cultural perspectives to courses throughout the psychology curricula." ~ John C. Norcross, Ph.D, ABPP, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at University of Scranton, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University "In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the ever-emerging importance and impact of integrating psychology into education is powerfully presented in this book. The editors – themselves outstanding experts in the field – have assembled an exceptionally impressive collection of 28 chapters by 73 expert contributors covering varied aspects of teaching psychology from an international and multicultural perspective. Educators, students, psychologists, as well as stakeholders in related disciplines will find the theories and practical guides as essential and useful resources." ~ Judy Kuriansky, PhD, United Nations NGO representative, the International Association of Applied Psychology; Department of Psychology, Columbia University Teachers College

The Power of Perception

The Power of Perception
Author: Shawn Andrews
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2017-12-18
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1683505808

The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and the Gender Divide serves as a practical guide to educate women, men and organizations on the barriers that keep women from fully contributing in the workplace. These include differences in leadership style and emotional intelligence, gender bias and stereotypes, breadwinner and caregiver responsibilities, and differences in gender culture which show up every day at work and home. The Power of Perception also explores significant changes in global demographic trends and how our youngest generations are impacting the workplace. The Power of Perception clearly illustrates the reasons that we don’t see more women leading our global businesses. It has nothing to do with women’s skills and competencies and everything to do with perceptions of women as leaders, as workers, as mothers, and as wives. These perceptions have a significant impact on promotion for many women. Perception is reality—and it’s powerful. The Power of Perception provides personal stories of women’s journeys, real-world examples, and is based on the author’s own research as well as that of many others. Every chapter includes practical, easy-to-apply strategies, summary points, and reflection questions to empower women, men, and organizations to fully leverage talent and diversity.

The Cultural Nature of Attachment

The Cultural Nature of Attachment
Author: Heidi Keller
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 445
Release: 2017-10-27
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0262036908

Multidisciplinary perspectives on the cultural and evolutionary foundations of children's attachment relationships and on the consequences for education, counseling, and policy. It is generally acknowledged that attachment relationships are important for infants and young children, but there is little clarity on what exactly constitutes such a relationship. Does it occur between two individuals (infant–mother or infant–father) or in an extended network? In the West, monotropic attachment appears to function as a secure foundation for infants, but is this true in other cultures? This volume offers perspectives from a range of disciplines on these questions. Contributors from psychology, biology, anthropology, evolution, social policy, neuroscience, information systems, and practice describe the latest research on the cultural and evolutionary foundations on children's attachment relationships as well as the implications for education, counseling, and policy. The contributors discuss such issues as the possible functions of attachment, including trust and biopsychological regulation; the evolutionary foundations, if any, of attachment; ways to model attachment using the tools of information science; the neural foundations of attachment; and the influence of cultural attitudes on attachment. Taking an integrative approach, the book embraces the wide cultural variations in attachment relationships in humans and their diversity across nonhuman primates. It proposes research methods for the culturally sensitive study of attachment networks that will lead to culturally sensitive assessments, practices, and social policies. Contributors Kim Bard, Marjorie Beeghly, Allyson J. Bennett, Yvonne Bohr, David L. Butler, Nandita Chaudhary, Stephen H. Chen, James B. Chisholm, Lynn A. Fairbanks, Ruth Feldman, Barbara L. Finlay, Suzanne Gaskins, Valeria Gazzola, Ariane Gernhardt, Jay Giedd, Alma Gottlieb, Kristen Hawkes, William D. Hopkins, Johannes Johow, Elfriede Kalcher-Sommersguter, Heidi Keller, Michael Lamb, Katja Liebal, Cindy H. Liu, Gilda A. Morelli, Marjorie Murray, Masako Myowa-Yamakoshi, Naomi Quinn, Mariano Rosabal-Coto, Dirk Scheele, Gabriel Scheidecker, Margaret A. Sheridan, Volker Sommer, Stephen J. Suomi, Akira Takada, Douglas M. Teti, Bernard Thierry, Ross A. Thompson, Akemi Tomoda, Nim Tottenham, Ed Tronick, Marga Vicedo, Leslie Wang, Thomas S. Weisner, Relindis D. Yovsi

Encyclopedia of Women's Folklore and Folklife [2 volumes]

Encyclopedia of Women's Folklore and Folklife [2 volumes]
Author: Pauline Greenhill
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 864
Release: 2008-12-08
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0313088136

From the stone age to the cyber age, women and men have experienced the world differently. Out of a cosmos of goddesses and she-devils, earth mothers and madonnas, witches and queens, saints and whores, a vast body of women's folklore has come into bloom. International in scope and drawing on more than 130 expert contributors, this encyclopedia reviews the myths, traditions, and beliefs central to women's daily lives. More than 260 alphabetically arranged entries cover the lore of women across time, space, and life. Students of history, religion and spirituality, healing and traditional medicine, literature, and world cultures will value this encyclopedia as an indispensable guide to women's folklore. In addition, there are entries on women's folklore and folklife in 15 regions of the world, such as the Caribbean, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe. Entries provide cross-references and cite works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes with a selected bibliography of print and electronic resources. Students learning about history, world cultures, religion and spirituality, healing and traditional medicine, and literature will welcome this companion to the daily life of women across time and continents.