In this ground-breaking book, Aristotelian and evolutionary understandings of human social nature are brought together to provide an integrative, psychological account of human ethics. The book emphasizes the profound ways that human identity and action are immersed in an ongoing social world.

Bonds between brothers and sisters are among the longest lasting and most emotionally significant of human relationships. But while 45 percent of adults struggle with serious sibling strife, few discuss it openly. Even fewer resolve it to their satisfaction. In Cain's Legacy , psychotherapist Jeanne Safer, a recognized authority on sibling psychology (and an estranged sister herself) illuminates this pervasive but hidden phenomenon. She explores the roots of inter-sibling woes, from siblicide in the book of Genesis to tensions in Freud's family history. Drawing on sixty in-depth interviews with adult siblings struggling with conflicts over money, family businesses, aging parents, contentious wills, unhealed childhood wounds, and blocked communication, Safer provides compassionate guidance to brothers and sisters whose relationship is broken. She helps siblings overcome their paralysis and pain, revealing how they can come to terms with the one peer relationship they can never sever- even if they never see each other again. A heartfelt look at a too-often avoided topic, Cain's Legacy is a sympathetic and clear-eyed guide to navigating the darkness separating us from our brothers and sisters.

The Latino population in the United States continues to grow and now represents 12% of the population. Yet, remarkably little attention has been paid to understanding parenting and child development processes among Latino families. Although research on Latino parenting is beginning to emerge, the field is in need of further structure and direction. This volume addresses this need and advances the field both by presenting state-of-the-art research on Latino parenting and also by proposing conceptual and methodological frameworks that can provide the field with further integration and direction.

In addition to presenting innovative research examining parental beliefs and practices of Latino families from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, authors provide frameworks for identifying the origins of these beliefs and practices, and provide a rich picture of both the values that can be considered Latino and the social and demographic normative and at-risk Latino samples. Finally, methodological and conceptual recommendations for future research on each cited area, as well as the field, are presented.

No event of any significance in the world today -- be it an unexpected election result, a terrorist attack, the death of a public figure, a meteorological anomaly, or the flu pandemic -- takes place without generating at least a flutter of conspiracy speculations. Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction offers a well informed, highly accessible, and thoroughly engaging introduction to conspiracy theories, discussing their nature and history, causes and consequences. Through a series of specific questions that cut to the core of conspiracism as a global social and cultural phenomenon, the book deconstructs the logic and rhetoric of conspiracy theories and analyses the broader social and psychological factors that contribute to their persistence in modern society. / What are the defining characteristics of conspiracy theories and how do they differ from legitimate inquiries into actual conspiracies? / How long have conspiracy theories been around and to what extent are contemporary versions similar to those of yesteryear? / Why do conspiracy theories all sound alike and what ensures their persistence in modern society? / What psychological benefits do conspiracy theories bring to those who subscribe to them? / Why are conspiracy theories so often mobilized by political forces whose agenda is antithetical to democratic politics?

The Escape of the Mind is part of a current movement in psychology and philosophy of mind that calls into question what is perhaps our most basic, most cherished, and universally accepted belief-that our minds are inside of our bodies. Howard Rachlin adopts the counterintuitive position that our minds, conscious and unconscious, lie not where our firmest (yet unsupported) introspections tell us they are, but in how we actually behave over the long run. Perhaps paradoxically, the book argues that our introspections, no matter how positive we are about them, tell us absolutely nothing about our minds. The name of the present version of this approach to the mind is "teleological behaviorism." The approaches of teleological behaviorism will be useful in the science of individual behavior for developing methods of self-control and in the science of social behavior for developing social cooperation. Without in any way denigrating the many contributions of neuroscience to human welfare, The Escape of the Mind argues that neuroscience, like introspection, is not a royal road to the understanding of the mind. Where then should we look to explain a present act that is clearly caused by the mind? Teleological behaviorism says to look not in the spatial recesses of the nervous system (not to the mechanism underlying the act) but in the temporal recesses of past and future overt behavior (to the pattern of which the act is a part). But scientific usefulness is not the only reason for adopting teleological behaviorism. The final two chapters on IBM's computer, Watson (how it deviates from humanity and how it would have to be altered to make it human), and on shaping a coherent self, provide a framework for a secular morality based on teleological behaviorism.

This book is a landmark in contemporary cultural psychology. Ernest Boesch's synthesis of ideas is the first comprehensive theory of culture in psychology since Wilhelm Wundt's Volkerpsychologie of the first decades of the twentieth century. Cultural psychology of today is an attempt to advance the program of research that was charted out by Wundt-yet at times we are carefully avoiding direct recognition of such continuity. While Wundt's experimental psychology has been hailed as the root for contemporary scientific psychology, the other side of his contribution- ethnographic analysis of folk traditions and higher psychological functions- has been largely discredited as something disconnected from the scientific realm. As an example of ""soft"" science-lacking the ""hardness"" of experimentation-it has been considered to be an esoteric hobby of the founding father of contemporary psychology. Of course that focus is profoundly wrong-the opposition ""soft"" versus ""hard"" just does not fit as a metalevel organizer of any science.Yet the rhetoric discounting the descriptive side of Wundt's psychology is merely an act of social guidance of what psychologists do-not a way of creating knowledge.

The field of positive psychology has blossomed over the past several years. A positive psychology course has become the most popular elective at Harvard, and leaders in many fields regularly draw upon concepts and strategies from the field's growing body of research. Because positive psychology provides a framework for enhancing individual, group, and institutional well-being, it is particularly relevant for college campuses, which are ripe for such strength-based interventions. Positive Psychology on the College Campus provides innovative strategies that can be employed with students to enhance both their personal development and educational experiences. The book also provides an overview of the state of college students' mental health and relevant developmental issues. Individual chapters, all written by experts in their fields, describe practical strategies for readers to use with students. Additionally, the authors explain how positive psychology can be applied in general to the college experience. With its wide-ranging topics and distinguished contributors, Positive Psychology on the College Campus is a must-have resource for all those who work with college students, including faculty, academic advisors, administrators, residence-life staff, counselors, and student-activities staff.

While both the nature of families and the composition of the workforce have gone through radical changes, few adjustments have been made so that work and family are aligned in ways that promote strong families and a strong economy. Changing Realities of Work and Family takes a multidisciplinary look at the topic of work and family, ultimately addressing four primary questions: How do families and employers accommodate the demands of employment and children?; How does society deal with diversity and discrimination in areas such as age, community, and sexual orientation?; How does working and caring for families affect health?; and What is the effect of work-family integration in politics, business, and the legal system?These questions are addressed from a variety of perspectives and a diverse assortment of contributors, including a former Governor who gave birth to twins while in office; a distinguished legal professor and leading authority on workplace discrimination against mothers and pregnant women; a researcher whose work on parental stress includes videotaped interactions between parents and children as parents return home from work; and a consultant to corporations developing workplace flexibility with a particular focus on low-wage workers. Comprised of original empirical articles written expressly for this work and real world examples and strategies for balancing the two, this book presents the most current research on the field of work and family..

This volume provides a comprehensive and concise overview on the nature and causes of prejudice. The importance of a scientific understanding of prejudice and racism, different approaches to the definition and conceptualization of prejudice, and the relation of prejudice and behavior are considered. John Duckitt also contributes a unique historical analysis of social scientific understandings of prejudice. He integrates an otherwise confusing mass of popular theories and perspectives into a coherent explanatory framework and develops this into a systemic multilevel approach to the problem of reducing prejudice in society and individuals.

From Duckitt's perspective, prejudices are remarkable not in their existence, but in their ubiquity--the ease with which they can be aroused, their variety of expression, and the tenacity with which they are held. He demonstrates that, although it is unlikely that the universal psychological processes which underlie a fundamental propensity for prejudice can be changed, the degree to which they come to be expressed can be: at the level of social structure and intergroup relations, in the social influences to which individuals are exposed, and in individual susceptibility. The Social Psychology of Prejudice will be of particular use to social scientists in the fields of psychology, sociology, political science, and anthropology.

"HIV alters the lives of anyone that it touches, whether they are gay or straight. This book looks at all of the aspects of how HIV/AIDS has altered the lives of those it touches. . . . The titles of the 12 chapters give an excellent overview of what is covered in these extremely well-written reports. . . . This is a must-read book for everyone. It should be in all libraries, including school libraries. Young adolescents who are facing the problem of coming out would benefit from this book." --AIDS Book Review Journal Hit hard by the AIDS epidemic in the United States and in much of Europe, the gay and lesbian community has been forced to examine existing notions of what it means to belong to a community based on sexual orientation. The editors of this second volume in the annual series Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Issues have collected a perceptive array of chapters that explore sexual behavior, personal identity, and community memberships of gay men and lesbian women. With the exception of a few, the chapters reflect study findings from AIDS-related research and include discussions of AIDS in large urban centers and in less populated settings outside of major AIDS epicenters. Focusing on underconsidered AIDS populations, the contributors explore specific topics concerning the AIDS epidemic among gay and bisexual men of color, lesbian women, and gay and lesbian youth. Accessible and sensitive, the book also examines relevant public policy, volunteerism, and long-term survival as important to AIDS awareness and education. AIDS, Identity, and Community is an appreciable resource for AIDS researchers and caregivers, mental health practitioners, social service professionals, behavioral and social science students, and any reader who seeks deeper insight into the complex and subtle areas of the lesbian and gay community in the AIDS era.

Braun's work has a strong psychological focus on the ramifications of social change--with emphasis on modernization for meeting the psychological needs of the people involved. What is unique about the work (it represents the collaboration of seven scholars in such fields as philosophy, psychology, sociology, and political science) is that it makes a serious attempt to provide a realistic and relevant framework of analysis for interpreting the way the human personality reacts to strain and pressure, including cultural and social change. As societies become increasingly bureaucratic, anonymous, and materialistic, and social relationships become increasingly segmented rather than holistic, it is important to study how basic human needs are fulfilled and how personalities are molded.

As a reference that contains original and innovative research on the sociology of emotion, this book will not only appeal to sociologists but also to scholars of psychology, psychiatry, anthropology, history, social work, and business/management. With contributions from experts in the field, this text examines the role and influence of emotion in everyday social circumstances. It poses clear questions and presents the contemporary theoretical developments and empirical research linking social structure and emotion.
Comparable books are narrowly focused and less comprehensive, the breadth and depth of this new work is unmatched.
*Explores the roles played by emotion in social arrangements (i.e., the power of emotions in psychology, finance, economics, etc...)
*Poses clear questions and presents the newest theoretical developments and empirical research linking social structure and emotion
*Contributions from experts in the field

This reference examines the wide-ranging impact of military life on families, parenting, and child development. It examines the complex family needs of this diverse population, especially as familiar issues such as trauma, domestic violence, and child abuse manifest differently than in civilian life. Expert contributors review findings on deployed mothers, active-duty fathers, and other military parents while offering evidence for interventions and prevention programs to enhance children's healthy adjustment in this highly structured yet uncertain context. Its emphasis on resource and policy improvements keeps the book focused on the evolution of military families in the face of future change and challenges. Included in the coverage: Impacts of military life on young children and their parents. Parenting school-age children and adolescents through military deployments. Parenting in military families faced with combat-related injury, illness, or death. The special case of civilian service members: supporting parents in the National Guard and Reserves. Interventions to support and strengthen parenting in military families: state of the evidence. Military parenting in the digital age: existing practices, new possibilities. Addressing a major need in family and parenting studies, Parenting and Children's Resilience in Military Families is necessary reading for scholars and practitioners interested in parenting and military family research.

This collection of cutting-edge chapters contributes to the psychology of personhood especially (but not only) as applied in psychotherapy. The chapters are written from Jungian, dialogical-self, or both perspectives and give insights into the history of ideas, and clinical and research applications of these perspectives in the East and West.

"HIV alters the lives of anyone that it touches, whether they are gay or straight. This book looks at all of the aspects of how HIV/AIDS has altered the lives of those it touches. . . . The titles of the 12 chapters give an excellent overview of what is covered in these extremely well-written reports. . . . This is a must-read book for everyone. It should be in all libraries, including school libraries. Young adolescents who are facing the problem of coming out would benefit from this book." --AIDS Book Review Journal Hit hard by the AIDS epidemic in the United States and in much of Europe, the gay and lesbian community has been forced to examine existing notions of what it means to belong to a community based on sexual orientation. The editors of this second volume in the annual series Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Issues have collected a perceptive array of chapters that explore sexual behavior, personal identity, and community memberships of gay men and lesbian women. With the exception of a few, the chapters reflect study findings from AIDS-related research and include discussions of AIDS in large urban centers and in less populated settings outside of major AIDS epicenters. Focusing on underconsidered AIDS populations, the contributors explore specific topics concerning the AIDS epidemic among gay and bisexual men of color, lesbian women, and gay and lesbian youth. Accessible and sensitive, the book also examines relevant public policy, volunteerism, and long-term survival as important to AIDS awareness and education. AIDS, Identity, and Community is an appreciable resource for AIDS researchers and caregivers, mental health practitioners, social service professionals, behavioral and social science students, and any reader who seeks deeper insight into the complex and subtle areas of the lesbian and gay community in the AIDS era.

Bringing together leading scholars to investigate trends in contemporary social life, this book examines the current patterning of identities based on class and community, gender and generation, race, faith and ethnicity, and derived from popular culture, exploring debates about social change, individualization and the re-making of social class.

Altruism, understood as doing something for someone else at some cost to oneself, is contrasted with selfishness. Ozinga argues convincingly that altruism is a natural part of human nature that it is not just found in a few rare people-- that it has evolutionary value and is exhibited in some manner by everyone. Nonetheless, most people seem to feel that selfishness rules human behavior. Altruism is considered an environmental addition to the human character, often seen as naivete.

Ozinga attacks this view by examining the probable source of altruism--in the genes, in the concept of natural law, or in the instinct for social behavior. Various barriers to altruism are explored in the chemistry of a person, in terms of organized religions or ideologies, and in the goals people choose. Altruism, as Ozinga shows, is a multi-dimensional concept that can be understood and appreciated as a vital part of human nature.