Showing papers by "Claudia Venuleo published in 2017"

Liminal transitions in a semiotic key: The mutual in-feeding between present and past:

Abstract: This article proposes a reading of liminal transitions in semiotic terms; that is, as a byproduct of the dynamics of sensemaking consisting of how two components of meaning interact: the observable side of meaning (Significance in Praesentia)—the rupture directly experienced by the interpreter—and a further generalized meaning—the semiotic scenario (Significance in Absentia), which makes the lived experience interpretable. Due to its pre-semantic and affective nature, in the liminal hotspot the semiotic scenario keeps a certain version of the self alive, regardless of the changes occurring in the real world. The conditions that favor such dynamics are briefly outlined as well as some implications for theory, methodology, and intervention.

An automated method of content analysis for psychotherapy research: A further validation.

Abstract: Objective: The aim of the study is to validate the ability of ACASM (Automated Co-occurrence Analysis for Semantic Mapping) to provide a representation of the content of the therapeutic exchange that is useful for clinical analysis. Method: We compared the clinical case analyses of a good outcome psychodynamic therapy performed by a group of clinicians (n = 5) based on the verbatim transcripts (transcript-based analysis) with the clinical case analyses performed by another group of clinicians (n = 5) based on the ACASM representation of the same sessions (ACASM-based analysis). Comparison concerned two levels: the descriptive level and the interpretative level of the clinical case analysis. Results: Findings showed that, inconsistently with our hypothesis, ACASM-based descriptions of the case obtained worse evaluations than transcript-based descriptions of the case (on all 3 criteria adopted). On the contrary, consistently with our hypothesis, ACASM is undistinguishable from the verbatim transcrip...

The Social Construction of the Pathological Gambler's Identity and Its Relationship With Social Adaptation: Narratives From Members of Italian Gambling Anonymous and Gam-Anon Family Groups

Abstract: According to a socio-constructionist perspective, pathological gamblers’ “subjectivities” emerge out of social networks and networks of meaning-making in which scientists, politicians, health services, and common people take an active part. We are interested in showing how a legitimated view (socio-cultural model) of problem gambling as a disease affects the way in which the members of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) self-groups understand and present their identity and talk about their problem and the help they have received. The work is based on a qualitative analysis of 35 in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews, 25 with gamblers who attend Italian GA self-help groups and 10 with gamblers’ relatives who attend Gam-Anon family groups. The main themes arising from the interviews show how a dominant view of problem gambling as a lifelong chronic illness opens the door to reconciliation with oneself and one’s relatives. This work provides insights into the close relationship between acculturation to a pathological identity, moral reconciliation, and “social belonging” that occurs through conforming to the GA group. Selon un point de vue socio-constructiviste, les «subjectivites» des joueurs pathologiques emergent des reseaux sociaux et des reseaux de creation de sens dans lesquels les scientifiques, les politiciens, les services de sante et les personnes ordinaires participent activement. Nous sommes interesses a montrer comment une vision legitimee (modele socio-culturel) du jeu problematique en tant que maladie affecte la facon dont les membres des groupes autonomes de Gamblers Anonymes (GA) comprennent et presentent leur identite et parlent de leur probleme et de l'aide qu’ils ont recu. Le travail est base sur une analyse qualitative de 35 entrevues approfondies, semi-structurees et ouvertes, 25 avec des joueurs qui frequentent des groupes d'entraide italiens de GA et 10 avec des parents de joueurs qui frequentent des groupes familiaux Gam-Anon. Les principaux themes decoulant des entrevues montrent comment une vision dominante du jeu problematique en tant que maladie chronique tout au long de la vie ouvre la voie a la reconciliation avec soi-meme et avec ses proches. Ce travail donne un apercu de la relation etroite entre l'acculturation a une identite pathologique, une reconciliation morale et une «appartenance sociale» qui se produit en se conformant au groupe GA.

Meaning and risk. The role of subjective cultures in the evaluation of hazardous behaviours

Abstract: Diversi studi evidenziano come gruppi sociali differenti esprimano valutazioni eterogenee su cosa sia rischio e su quale sia la natura dei comportamenti accettabili. Inscrivendosi entro una prospettiva culturale, il presente studio verifica l’ipotesi che le culture soggettive con cui le persone interpretano il proprio ruolo e il proprio ambiente sociale impattano la grandezza del rischio percepito in relazione a differenti comportamenti: consumo di sostanze (alcol, droghe pesanti, marjuana o nicotina), uso di internet e gioco d’azzardo. Lo studio ha coinvolto 198 studenti universitari del sud-est di Italia. Ai rispondenti e stato chiesto di valutare il rischio connesso a ciascun comportamento target, in tre domini: salute, relazioni e approvazione/stigma sociale. L’Analisi in Componenti Principali ha consentito di identificare due dimensioni fattoriali per ciascun dominio: sul piano della salute, i rispondenti esprimono differenti valutazioni del rischio associato al consumo di sostanze o a determinati comportamenti; sul piano delle relazioni, le differen¬ziazioni concernono i comportamenti socializzati e non socializzati; sul piano dell’approvazione sociale, i comportamenti leciti o illeciti. Il questionario sull’Interpretazione dell’Ambiente Sociale (Mossi e Salvatore, 2011) e stato somministrato per rilevare le culture soggettive. L’Analisi delle Corrispondenze Multiple ha consentito di identificare le due principali dimensioni di senso che le caratterizzano. Infine, correlazioni di Kendall sono state usate per analizzare il rapporto tra le componenti di valutazione del rischio e le componenti delle culture soggettive. I risultati sostengono l’idea che differenze culturali nel modo di valutare l’ambiente sociale corrispondono a differenti valutazioni del rischio associato a differenti tipologie di comportamento. Saranno discusse le implicazioni per le strategie di intervento.

The concept of context in the field of addiction research. A review

Abstract: In the field of addiction research, studies have typically focused on the identification of individual factors that affect the onset and maintenance of addictive behaviors. However, there has been growing interest in the role of social and cultural factors. The authors reviewed the literature on addictions with the purpose of investigating how scholars have conceptualized and incorporated contextual influences in their work. An analysis was made of studies investigating “context”, in the period 2012-2014, in one of the most representative journals in the field. From a total of 142 studies examined, 14 macro-categories and 48 sub-categories were identified. Most of the articles identify context with socio-demographic variables, exposition to addictive behaviors in the social environment and different social and family factors. The review reveals that many studies lack an explicit theoretical model; furthermore, there is a huge variability in the way of defining and analyzing the role of context; only a few studies addressed the role of culture and the meaning of the experience.