This book aims at shifting the emphasis from a general vision of gender-based violence to a more opaque, yet equally destructive one, that related to "proximity violence". The first type of violence is exercised in multiple situations and in the generality of relationships experienced by people involving others who are both strangers to and intimate with each other. Proximity violence provides and includes a fiduciary kind of "proximity", of "dependent intimacy", where the trust that the victim places in the other (her tormentor) favours the exercise of violence itself, allowing it to take place, thus making it practically imperceptible when not actually normal, in extreme cases. In turn, this confidence is comparable to "a veil of Maja" which, in conditions of vulnerability typical of victims, attenuates the consequences of the violence undergone or the omens of what becomes violent action. The conceptual triad: proximity violence, vulnerability, resistance-resilience is explored here, in the three main chapters and in the details aimed at identifying, in the final chapter, the mutual interconnections. This book will be of particular interest and use to undergraduate and graduate students of sociology and gender studies

In a world of ubiquitous surveillance, watching and being watched are the salient features of the lives depicted in many of our cultural productions. This collection examines surveillance as it is portrayed in art, literature, film and popular culture, and makes the connection between our sense of 'self' and what is 'seen'. In our post-panoptical world which purports to proffer freedom of movement, technology notes our movements and habits at every turn. Surveillance seeps out from businesses and power structures to blur the lines of security and confidentiality. This unsettling loss of privacy plays out in contemporary narratives, where the 'selves' we create are troubled by surveillance. This collection will appeal to scholars of media and cultural studies, contemporary literature, film and art and American studies.

This book takes the head-scratching out of human sexuality. Personal construct theory provides the foundation for a psychosocial explanation of sexuality that views everyday social interaction as key to the development of sexual identity and desires. The theory developed here accounts for stability and change in sexual identity through an understanding of the importance of experience and the importance of meaning in everyday life. The potential impact of erotica and pornography on sexual desire is discussed, as is the role of social power on sexual behaviour. The variation of sexual expression among individuals-everything from asexuality and sado-masochism to sexual assault-is examined and explained. Formal techniques for changing sexual desires are also presented.

This book presents the results of the most complete and updated assessment of cognitive resources of students in Latin America: the Study of Latin American Intelligence (SLATINT). During four years, top researchers of the region used a standardized set of cognitive measures to assess 4,000 students aged between 14 and 15 years from six countries: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The data collected and now analyzed in this volume is a first step to understand the human cognitive capital of the region, a crucial resource for any country today. Intelligence research has shown that the cognitive skills of a population are strongly associated with the school performance of its students and the development of a nation. This makes Intelligence Measurement and School Performance in Latin America a valuable tool both for Latin American researchers and authorities engaged in the improvement of each country's human resources and for psychologists, educators and other social scientists dedicated to the study of the impact of intelligence in the development of nations.

This unique reference surveys current theoretical and empirical advances in understanding individual differences in narcissistic personality, as well as the latest perspectives on controversies in the field. Wide-ranging expert coverage examines the many manifestations of narcissism, including grandiose, vulnerable, communal, and collective varieties. Narcissism's etiology, the role of social media culture in its maintenance and amplification, and the complex phenomena of narcissistic leadership, spirituality, friendship, and love are just a snapshot of topics that are examined. The book's section on intrapersonal processes delves into how the narcissistic mind works, as well as how narcissists feel about themselves and their peers. It also investigates narcissists' grasp of emotions. Chapters explore associated personality traits and numerous other important correlates of narcissistic personality. New approaches to research, assessment methods, and opportunities for intervention-both immediate and long-term, are discussed throughout. In addition, trait narcissism is examined in an even-handed manner that incorporates state-of-the-art research into antecedents and consequences (both good and bad) of narcissistic personality. Among the topics in the Handbook: What separates narcissism from self-esteem? A social-cognitive perspective. The many measures of grandiose narcissism. Parents' socialization of narcissism in children. What do narcissists know about themselves? Exploring the bright spots and blind spots of narcissists' self-knowledge. Understanding and mitigating narcissists' low empathy. Interpersonal functioning of narcissistic individuals and implications for treatment engagement. Offering nuanced analysis of a particularly timely subject, The Handbook of Trait Narcissism is fascinating and informative reading for psychologists and psychology students, as well as scholars in anthropology, sociology, economics, political scientists, and more.

Belief change lies at the heart of all human aspirations. From career progression, weight loss, spiritual commitment, and ideological passion, to love, grief, war, identity, and sport, beliefs guide our lives and to a great extent, determine our success, satisfaction and happiness. Cognitive Mechanisms of Belief Change is relevant to anyone interested in the machinations of how this occurs. It explains how certain ideas and concepts steal a place in the mind because they latch on to hardwired ways of thinking, experiencing, and behaving. Concepts throw light upon the mind's desires, which in turn casts a kaleidoscope of silhouettes against the walls of thought, with those taking distinct shape forging the outlines for beliefs to inhabit. Beliefs infiltrate our minds, and this book shows how they arrive and change in ways critical to our sense of meaning and identity.

This book outlines the history and developments of interactionist social thought through a consideration of its key figures. Arranged chronologically, each chapter illustrates the impact that individual sociologists working within an interactionism framework have had on interactionism as perspective and on the discipline of sociology as such. It presents analyses of interactionist theorists from Georg Simmel through to Herbert Bulmer and Erving Goffman and onto the more recent contributions of Arlie R. Hochschild and Gary Alan Fine. Through an engagement with the latest scholarship this work shows that in a discipline often focused on macrosocial developments and large-scale structures, the interactionist perspective which privileges the study of human interaction has continued relevance. The broad scope of this book will make it an invaluable resource for scholars and students of sociology, social theory, cultural studies, media studies, social psychology, criminology and anthropology.

This book offers a philosophical analysis of what it is to be a human being in all her aspects. It analyses what is meant by the self and the I and how this feeling of a self or an I is connected to the brain. It studies specific cases of brain disorders, based on the idea that in order to understand the common, one has to study the specific. The book shows how the self is thought of as a three-fold emergent self, comprising a relationship between an objective neural segment, a subjective neural segment and a subjective transcendent segment. It explains that the self in the world tackles philosophical problems such as the problem of free will, the problem of evil, the problem of human uniqueness and empathy. It demonstrates how the problem of time also has its place here. For many people, the world includes ultimate reality; hence the book provides an analysis and evaluation of different relationships between human beings and Ultimate Reality (God). The book presents an answer to the philosophical problem of how one could understand divine action in the world.

This book provides the first comparative analysis of the three major streams of contemporary narrative psychology as they have been developed in North America, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. Interrogating the historical and cultural conditions in which this important movement in psychology has emerged, the book presents clear, well-structured comparisons and critique of the key theories of narrative psychology pioneered across the globe. Examples include Dan McAdams in the US and his followers, who have developed a distinctive approach to self and identity as a life story over the past two decades; in the Netherlands by Hubert Hermans, whose research on the 'dialogical self' has made the University of Nijmegen a centre of narrative psychological research in Europe; and in Australia and New Zealand, where the collaborative efforts of Michael White and David Epston helped to launch the narrative movement in psychotherapy in the late 1980s.

This Handbook provides a broad and comprehensive overview of psychological research on alcohol consumption. It explores the psychological theories underpinning alcohol use and misuse, discusses the interventions that can be designed around these theories, and offers key insight into future developments within the field. A range of international experts assess the unique factors that contribute to alcohol-related behaviour as differentiated from other health-related behaviours. They cover the theory and context of alcohol consumption, including possible implications of personality type, motivation and self-regulation, and cultural and demographic factors. After reviewing the evidence for psychological theories and predictors as accounts for alcohol consumption, the book goes on to focus on external influences on consumption and interventions for reducing alcohol consumption, including those based on purchasing and consumption behaviour, technologies such as personalised feedback apps, and social and media phenomena such as "Dry January" and "Hello Sunday Morning". It brings together cutting-edge contemporary research on alcohol consumption in childhood and adolescence, including topics such as managing offers or drinks, "pre-drinking", online identities, how children develop their beliefs about alcohol and how adolescents discuss alcohol with their parents. The book also offers a rounded presentation of the tensions involved in debates around the psychological impacts of alcohol use, discussing its role in helping people to socialise and unwind; as well as recognising the possible negative impacts on health, education and relationships. This book will be of interest to academics, policymakers, public health officials, practitioners, charities and other stakeholders interested in understanding how alcohol affects people psychologically. This book will also be a key resource for students and researchers from across the social sciences.

Shoham presents existentialist and object-relationship personality theory using mythology as a projection of human behavior. Through the myth of Don Juan as well as the personality of Casanova, he highlights the biological parameter of the personality and the thought of Kierkegaard and Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. He concludes by relating the dynamics of personality to the predisposition of crime and madness.

This book explores the perception, construction and performance of professional identities in initial teacher education (ITE). Drawn from a collection of narrative data from postgraduate students, the author explores these topics through school placement, career choice motivations, the attractiveness of the teaching profession, the presentation of personal and professional selves, and professional standards. The findings of this study can be applied across both European and global dimensions. The use of narrative methodology for data collection, in addition to the implementation of various theoretical frameworks, ensures that the book holds a wide appeal. Interweaving theory with personal experiences, this reflective book will appeal to students and scholars of ITE, as well as early career researchers and practitioners.

This book explores creative solutions to the unique challenges inherent in crafting livable spaces in extra-terrestrial environments. The goal is to foster a constructive dialogue between the researchers and planners of future (space) habitats. The authors explore the diverse concepts of the term Habitability from the perspectives of the inhabitants as well as the planners and social sciences. The book provides an overview of the evolution and advancements of designed living spaces for manned space craft, as well as analogue research and simulation facilities in extreme environments on Earth. It highlights how various current and future concepts of Habitability have been translated into design and which ones are still missing. The main emphasis of this book is to identify the important factors that will provide for well-being in our future space environments and promote creative solutions to achieving living spaces where humans can thrive. Selected aspects are discussed from a socio-spatial professional background and possible applications are illustrated. Human factors and habitability design are important topics for all working and living spaces. For space exploration, they are vital. While human factors and certain habitability issues have been integrated into the design process of manned spacecraft, there is a crucial need to move from mere survivability to factors that support thriving. As of today, the risk of an incompatible vehicle or habitat design has already been identified by NASA as recognized key risk to human health and performance in space. Habitability and human factors will become even more important determinants for the design of future long-term and commercial space facilities as larger and more diverse groups occupy off-earth habitats. The book will not only benefit individuals and organizations responsible for manned space missions and mission simulators, but also provides relevant information to designers of terrestrial austere environments (e.g., remote operational and research facilities, hospitals, prisons, manufacturing). In addition it presents general insights on the socio-spatial relationship which is of interest to researchers of social sciences, engineers and architects.

This book investigates how, while children used as soldiers are primarily perceived as victims of offences against international law, they also commit war atrocities. In the aftermath of armed conflict, the mainstream justice system targets warlords internationally, armed groups and militias' commanders who abduct and enrol children as combatants, leaving child perpetrators not being held accountable for their alleged gross human rights violations. Attempts to prosecute child soldiers through the mainstream justice system have resulted in child rights abuses. Where no accountability measures have been taken, demobilised young soldiers have experienced rejection, and eventually, some have returned to soldiering. This research provides evidence of the potential of restorative justice peacemaking circles and locally-based jurisprudence - specifically the Baraza - to hold former child soldiers accountable and facilitate their reintegration into society.

The purpose of this book is to show that the prevalent view of personal characteristics, which has been influenced to a large extent by factor analysis, may not be the soundest or the most useful. Structural equation modeling entails a more comprehensive approach to modeling relationships between variables than factor analysis and enables one to test alternative models to the factor model in accounting for these relationships.

In this work this proposition is demonstrated by drawing on the research the authors have conducted in three important domains of personal characteristics--abilities, personality disorders, and self-attitudes. The authors' discoveries in these areas have far-reaching and innovative implications not only for psychological and psychosocial theory but also for applied areas such as teaching, psychotherapy, and communication.

This groundbreaking volume explores the concept of self-censorship as it relates to individuals and societies and functions as a barrier to peace. Defining self-censorship as the act of intentionally and voluntarily withholding information from others in the absence of formal obstacles, the volumes introduces self-censorship as one of the socio-psychological mechanisms that prevent the free flow of information and thus obstruct proper functioning of democratic societies. Moreover it analyzes this socio-psychological phenomenon specifically in the context of intractable conflict, providing much evidence from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moving from the micro to the macro level, the collected chapters put the individual as the focal unit of psychological analysis while embedding the individual in multiple levels of context including families, organizations, and societies. Following a firm conceptual explanation of self-censorship, a selection of both emerging and prominent scholars describe the ways in which self-censorship factors into families, organizations, education, academia, and other settings. Further chapters discuss self-censorship in military contexts, narratives of political violence, and the media. Finally, the volume concludes by looking at the ways in which harmful self-censorship in societies can be overcome, and explores the future of self-censorship research. In doing so, this volume solidifies self-censorship as an important phenomenon of social behavior with major individual and collective consequences, while stimulating exciting and significant new research possibilities in the social and behavioral sciences. Conceptually carving out a new area in peace psychology, Self Censorship in Contexts of Peace and Conflict will appeal to psychologists, sociologists, peace researchers, political scientists, practitioners, and all those with a wish to understand the personal and societal functioning of individuals in the real world.

This book explores how to help teachers become better advocates for sexual orientation equality in secondary schools. Examining this issue through the lens of qualitative emancipatory action research, a group of Australian teachers embarked on a journey of teacher advocacy. Critical theory has long highlighted teachers as key players in either challenging dominant social narratives, or else perpetuating oppressive systems of power through traditional forms of education. Despite this important role, the life stories of teachers, which contributed to the development of their beliefs and behaviours about sexual orientation are rarely considered in the development of anti-discriminatory policy, designing the curriculum and most importantly, in teacher training. This book suggests and frames a model for advocacy, whereby teachers engage with their personal beliefs about sexual orientation, with their role as a teacher, and commit to advocacy through action by promoting student safety, challenging heteronormative narratives and role modelling compassionate behaviours in their school environments.

This book examines the fourth wave of feminism within the United Kingdom. Focusing on examples of contemporary activism it considers the importance of understanding affect and temporality in relation to surges of feminist activity. Examining the wave's historical use in the feminist movement, the book redefines the symbol in an attempt to overcome difficulties of generations, identities and divisions. The author contends that feminism must develop its own methods for time keeping, in which past activism and future aspirations touch on the present moment. Through this unique temporality, she continues, feminism can make space for affective ties to create intense moments of activism, in which surges of feeling catalyse and sustain mass action. This thought-provoking book, with its exploration of the relationship between feeling, the personal and political, will appeal to students and academics working in the fields of gender studies, feminism and affect studies.

This book highlights international efforts to better understand the role of individual differences in healthy aging by exploring new directions, methods, and questions within the field. The book considers how to measure personality and personality change during adulthood, the associations between personality and healthy aging outcomes over time, and the role of personality in building interventions to promote healthy aging. The first section considers the value of personality constructs for healthy aging outcomes beyond the broad Big Five personality dimensions. It discusses the role of attachment, purpose, and affect, and also touches on the issue of psychopathology. The second section presents innovative assessment methods, research designs beyond classical longitudinal approaches, as well as sophisticated and integrative techniques for analyzing personality change processes. The third section raises new important questions, such as how interventionists from non-personality domains can incorporate personality processes in their intervention programs. It also discusses how different domains of individual functioning may interact in concert to predict healthy aging outcomes, as well as how more integrative lifespan models of healthy aging may advance research on personality and healthy aging. Overall, this book will spark interest and chart new directions for researchers, practitioners and interventionists in healthy aging, gerontology and applied fields.

This book explores a range of psychosocial resources, and discusses them in relation to lived experiences and outcomes in educational and socioeconomic domains. It offers close insights into the complex relationship between psychosocial resources, such as familial influence, religiosity, aspirations, and socioeconomic progression in Britain. This is achieved by exploring the lived experiences of a sample group of Caribbeans, one of Britain's most internally diverse but discernibly disadvantaged social groups. Detailed accounts of the participants' experiences are offered to provide insights to a wide range of stakeholders in education. Teachers, behaviour specialists, parents, policy advocates, psychologists, social researchers, social justice warriors and lay people will all benefit from this empirically informed perspective on psychosocial resources and their implications for educational attainment and socioeconomic progress. The book implores the reader to appreciate more fully how psychosocial resources play out in outcomes of achievement and progression, and how such outcomes may be improved among members of some disadvantaged social groups. It will be an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and educators in the fields of Education, Sociology, and Psychology.

Are our efforts to help others ever driven solely by altruistic motivation, or is our ultimate goal always some form of self- benefit (egoistic motivation)? This volume reports the development of an empirically-testable theory of altruistic motivation and a series of experiments designed to test that theory. It sets the issue of egoism versus altruism in its larger historical and philosophical context, and brings diverse experiments into a single, integrated argument. Readers will find that this book provides a solid base of information from which questions surrounding the existence of altruistic motivation can be further investigated.