Showing papers in "Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology in 2009"
TL;DR: In this paper, a framework of place change is proposed encompassing stages of becoming aware, interpreting, evaluating, coping and acting, with each stage conceived at multiple levels of analysis, from intrapersonal to socio-cultural.
Abstract: The ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My Back Yard) concept is commonly used to explain public opposition to new developments near homes and communities, particularly arising from energy technologies such as wind farms or electricity pylons. Despite its common use, the concept has been extensively critiqued by social scientists as a useful concept for research and practice. Given European policy goals to increase sustainable energy supply by 2020, deepening understanding of local opposition is of both conceptual and practical importance. This paper reviews NIMBY literature and proposes an alternative framework to explain local opposition, drawing upon social and environmental psychological theory on place. Local opposition is conceived as a form of place-protective action, which arises when new developments disrupt pre-existing emotional attachments and threaten place-related identity processes. Adopting a social constructivist perspective and drawing on social representation theory, a framework of place change is proposed encompassing stages of becoming aware, interpreting, evaluating, coping and acting, with each stage conceived at multiple levels of analysis, from intrapersonal to socio-cultural. Directions for future research and potential implications of the place-based approach for public engagement by energy policy-makers and practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
1,136 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors integrate the line of research in view of explaining how these antecedents may develop into workplace bullying, and they suggested three processes that may contribute to the development of bullying.
Abstract: Up to now, researchers have identified various individual and work-related factors as potential antecedents of workplace bullying. The aim of the present study is to integrate this line of research in view of explaining how these antecedents may develop into workplace bullying. Key informants, such as union representatives, employees with a confidence role concerning workplace bullying, human resource managers, prevention workers and social service employees, analysed bullying incidents or cases within their organization. We combined the various perspectives on the same incident into one plan. Then, all 87 case plans were united in a global model that reflects the development towards bullying. The results suggested three processes that may contribute to the development of bullying. Firstly, bullying may result from inefficient coping with frustration. Such coping mechanisms are likely to be active for perpetrators, and passive for victims. Secondly, bullying may be the consequence of escalated conflicts. Thirdly, bullying may result from destructive team and organizational cultures or habits. Individual and work-related antecedents may affect these processes in two ways: they may be at the origin of the three processes, and they may relate to the employees' coping style. Implications for theory and research are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
299 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a community psychology perspective to seek a broader understanding of what maintains situations of abuse, in order to suggest interventions in a rural County in the North of England.
Abstract: The prevalence of domestic abuse against women has been estimated as high as one in four. The risk is particularly high for women who are younger, economically dependent, unemployed and with children. Research about the factors that maintain situations of abuse has generally focused separately on the coping strategies of women, barriers to leaving the relationship and the perpetrators' means of abuse. In this study we used a community psychology perspective to seek a broader understanding of what maintains situations of abuse, in order to suggest interventions in a rural County in the North of England. Twelve women who had experienced domestic abuse and had used voluntary sector services agreed to be interviewed about their experiences and the resources and strategies available to them. Using grounded theory we generated four themes: (1) Commonalities and contradictions in the experience of abuse; (2) living with abuse; (3) the response of systems reinforced or challenged the abuse and (4) dealing with abuse beyond the relationship. These findings illustrate how situations of domestic abuse can be prolonged by limited options available to victims for support and protection, and a lack of active public acknowledgement that domestic abuse is unacceptable. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
182 citations
TL;DR: This article found that a larger perceived cultural distance between mainstream and immigrant culture is associated with less psychological (homesickness and stress) and sociocultural (behaviour with Russian students and behaviour with co-nationals) adjustment.
Abstract: The relations of perceived cultural distance, personality, acculturation orientations and outcomes were studied among exchange students (N = 187) in Russia who came from various countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the former Soviet Union. The hypothesis was supported that a larger perceived cultural distance between mainstream and immigrant culture is associated with less psychological (homesickness and stress) and sociocultural (behaviour with Russian students and behaviour with co-nationals) adjustment. The statistical relations between perceived cultural distance, personality and sociocultural adjustment were much stronger for host domain behaviour than for home domain behaviour. Adjustment was higher for participants with more cultural empathy, openmindedness and flexibility. Adjustment showed statistically stronger associations with cultural distance than with acculturation orientations. It is concluded that cultural distance may be more salient than acculturation orientations in studies of heterogeneous groups of immigrants. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
144 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative exploration into social psychological factors relating to young people's mobile phone use was conducted with 32 participants, aged between 16 and 24 years, and three major themes, connectedness, belonging and social identity, were explored in relation to mobile phone usage.
Abstract: Mobile phone use is a prevalent behaviour amongst youth; however, there is little research to determine psychological influences on mobile phone use. This paper reports the results of a qualitative exploration into social psychological factors relating to young people's mobile phone use. Focus groups were conducted with 32 participants, aged between 16 and 24 years. Three major themes, connectedness, belonging and social identity, were explored in relation to young people's mobile phone use. Easy contact with others when using a mobile phone facilitated connectedness between people. A need to remain connected emerged in participants' descriptions of their mobile phone use. Consequently, data were analysed for factors underpinning people's desire to be connected. It emerged that mobile phones were used to enhance feelings of belonging amongst youth. Additionally, group norms influenced mobile phone behaviour indicating that social identity processes are related to mobile phone use. Results in the study provide a foundation upon which to investigate further the relationship between mobile phone use and psychological factors impacting young people's social development.
109 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the relationship between school bullying and various aspects of the urban and scholastic environment where participants live, such as sense of community, exposure to dangerous and violent situations within the neighbourhood, perceptions of the safety of the neighbourhood and perceptions of school environment.
Abstract: The goal of the present study is to investigate the relationship between school bullying and various aspects of the urban and scholastic environment where participants live, such as sense of community, exposure to dangerous and violent situations within the neighbourhood, perceptions of the safety of the neighbourhood and perceptions of the school environment. The research, performed in Ercolano, a town near Naples, covered the whole of Ercolano's population (n = 734) of 7th, 10th and 13th grade students. Data were analysed using a multivariate analysis of variance. Results showed that bullying role (pure bullies, pure victims, bully victims, not-involved) is significantly associated with the way subjects perceive their exposure to dangerous and violent situations within the neighbourhood, their relationship with classmates and their relationship with teachers. Pure bullies and bully victims are especially likely to experience dangerous and violent situations in the neighbourhood where they live and have a more negative perception of their relationship with teachers; for pure victims and bully victims, a significant association is obtained with negative perceptions of relationships with classmates. These findings suggest the need for intervention strategies that extend beyond the classroom to the broader community and neighbourhood. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
83 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the mediating roles of intergroup anxiety, realistic and symbolic threats and the moderating role of group membership (Hindus vs. Muslims) in the relationships between cross-community contact, relative in-group status and prejudice were examined.
Abstract: In the context of Hindu–Muslim relations in India, the present study (N = 87) utilized Integrated Threat Theory (Stephan & Stephan, 2000) to examine the mediating roles of intergroup anxiety, realistic and symbolic threats and the moderating role of group membership (Hindu vs. Muslim) in the relationships between cross-community contact, relative in-group status and prejudice. Overall, intergroup anxiety and realistic, but not symbolic, threat emerged as proximal predictors of prejudice and partial mediators between the predictor and criterion variables. But these findings were qualified by majority (Hindu) versus minority (Muslim) group membership. As predicted, while symbolic threat was a predictor of prejudice for Hindus, realistic threat was a paramount predictor for Muslims. In-group status was as a significant predictor for low-status minority group only. The results are discussed with reference to their potential implications for future research and interventions aimed at improving intergroup relations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
78 citations
TL;DR: A qualitative study of the experiences and relationship young, middle-class, female students have with alcohol and how the young women's description of ‘problem drinking’ allows them to project an image of themselves as feminine and in control of their own drinking is discussed.
Abstract: In recent years concerns have been raised about the increase in alcohol consumption amongst young women in the UK. This paper presents a qualitative study of the experiences and relationship young, middle-class, female students have with alcohol. Interviews with five friendship groups were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal the integral part alcohol plays in the young women's social lives and its importance in the staging of the young female self. Drinking can be seen as empowering and confidence boosting. However, the ‘friendship’ between femininity and alcohol is a contemptuous and fragile one. Loosing public self-control is seen as an invitation to unwanted sexual attention and even exploitation. The interviews not only illustrate the gendered and classed behavioural codes imposed on women, but also how the women have made these their own. We discuss how the young women's description of ‘problem drinking’ as being, for the most part, the preserve of men and so called ‘chavvies’, allows them to project an image of themselves as feminine and in control of their own drinking. We conclude that this could have implications for the extent to which they see the messages of public health campaigns about the dangers of ‘binge’ drinking as relating to them. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
78 citations
TL;DR: This paper investigated a total of 4997 postings on an extreme right-wing Internet discussion board with regard to the groups and themes mentioned, and found that the most frequently mentioned target groups were Africans, Jews, Muslims, Poles, and Turks; the most prominent themes and contexts were conspiracy, criminality, exploitation, threats to German identity, infiltration, mind control and harassment, procreation, rape, and sex.
Abstract: We investigated a total of 4997 postings on an extreme right-wing Internet discussion board with regard to the groups and themes mentioned. The most frequently mentioned target groups were Africans, Jews, Muslims, Poles, and Turks; the most prominent themes and contexts were conspiracy, criminality, exploitation, threats to German identity, infiltration, mind control and harassment, procreation, rape, and sex. We analysed in detail postings about Africans/Blacks and Jews, that is target groups that were the most clearly connected to particular themes. The analysis reveals that extreme right-wing discourse essentializes the target groups of Jews and Africans/Blacks and ascribes them immutable group-specific attributes that effectively make them ‘natural kinds’. The group of Jews appears as a kind of their own with super-human powers and influence. Africans and Blacks are despised, firstly because their essential characteristics prohibit them to be categorically mixed with Germans (i.e. to become German by nationality) due to their incompatible essence, and secondly when they procreate with Whites. Such procreation produces ‘bastards’ that are met with disgust. We argue that essentialist thinking about social and ethnic groups explains a good part of their rejection by right-wing followers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
70 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the impact of a pool of variables on the willingness of the participants in five consultative arenas (Open Space Technology) to become involved in future experiences of civic engagement.
Abstract: The study was aimed at identifying the impact of a pool of variables on the willingness of the participants in five consultative arenas (Open Space Technology) to become involved in future experiences of civic engagement. The study also intended to verify whether such willingness varied among subgroups of participants. In total, 194 participants (49.5% men, 50.5% women; mean age = 37.04) were recruited during five OSTs held in Italy between May and November 2008 and asked to fill in a questionnaire composed of the following measures: perceived costs and benefits, emotions, sense of community, trust in institutions and need for cognitive closure. Findings suggested that the setting-related variables—namely the perception of costs and benefits and the arousal of positive feelings—were more influential than the community-related variables, such as sense of community and trust in institutions. Indications and suggestions for the design, implementation and evaluation of participatory settings were discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
65 citations
TL;DR: Riley, S. C., Rodham, K., Gavin, J. as mentioned in this paper, et al. (2009). Doing weight: Pro-ana and recovery identities in cyberspace. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology 19 (5), 348-359.
Abstract: Riley, S. C., Rodham, K., Gavin, J. (2009). Doing weight: Pro-ana and recovery identities in cyberspace. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 19 (5), 348-359. Special Issue: Beyond Psychopathology: Interrogating (Dis)Orders of Body Weight and Body Management
TL;DR: This article applied a broadly discursive approach to the representation of welfare reform and unemployment through an analysis of the deployment of an interpretative repertoire of effortfulness in posts to an internet discussion forum.
Abstract: The present study applies a broadly discursive approach to the representation of welfare reform and unemployment through an analysis of the deployment of an interpretative repertoire of effortfulness in posts to an internet discussion forum. It is argued that when posters construct versions of unemployed people or welfare recipients as characterized by ‘laziness’ or lack of ‘effort’ the attribution of responsibility for unemployment is frequently not the only piece of discursive business being attended to. In addition, posters attend to issues of their own accountability and, significantly, the accountability of the government or welfare system itself for the extent to which welfare recipients are formally held to account. It is argued that this approach extends previous social psychological work on the explanation of unemployment insofar as it pays attention to the context-specific functions performed by such explanations. Moreover, in orienting to the welfare system as having a responsibility to hold welfare recipients to account, posters are drawing on a set of discursive resources which essentially treat the government of individual psychology as a legitimate function of the welfare system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the extent to which social support and wider community perceptions/engagements among adolescents are connected with well-being and found that emotional support from friends and advice/concrete/esteem support from parents emerged as important predictive dimensions.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which social support and wider community perceptions/engagements among adolescents are connected with well-being. We compared adolescents in two different societal contexts, Florida in the United States and County Offaly, in Ireland, and posed the questions: What are the key predictors of subjective well-being from the various sources of support, and to what extent does the impact of social support on well-being vary across these two societies? Questionnaires were completed and returned for 607 respondents (322 in the Irish study and 285 in the Florida study). A variety of scales were adopted and designed to operationalize our key concepts of: Adolescent well-being, social support, school satisfaction, neighbourhood quality of life and community/voluntary participation. Our results indicate that informal social support and school satisfaction were the strongest predictors of youth well-being in both locations, despite some differences in terms of individual influencing variables. From informal sources, emotional support from friends and advice/concrete/esteem support from parents emerged as important predictive dimensions. Liking school, perceptions of doing well in school were the main predictors of school satisfaction in Ireland while, in Florida, student camaraderie and the experience of bullying emerged as significant. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: This article explored what it means to be British from the perspective of young British Indian and Pakistani adults and identified six boundaries of Britishness: racial, civic/state, instrumental, historical, lifestyle and multicultural boundaries.
Abstract: This study explored what it means to be British from the perspective of young British Indian and Pakistani adults. Fifteen respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured schedule in order to explore their self-descriptions and self-categorizations, how different contexts influence their identifications as British and as Indian/Pakistani, their sense of patriotism, and their perceptions of racism, discrimination and multiculturalism. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyse the interviews. The respondents' identifications and the role of context, threat and racism were studied in detail, and a model of how these individuals defined the boundaries of Britishness, and how they positioned themselves in relationship to these boundaries, was derived from the data. Six boundaries of Britishness were identified, these being the racial, civic/state, instrumental, historical, lifestyle and multicultural boundaries. Participants used these boundaries flexibly, drawing on different boundaries depending on the particular context in which Britishness was discussed. The implications of these multiple boundaries for the conceptualization of national identification are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: It is argued that understanding and validating girls' perspectives is essential in building and maintaining a therapeutic alliance in hospitals and how insights from poststructural analysis can assist in improving hospital practice.
Abstract: This paper examines how teenage girls diagnosed with and being treated for anorexia nervosa in hospital construct their anorexia, their identity as patients, medical authority and their doctors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 adolescent girls in two large, metropolitan hospitals in Australia. Using a discourse analytic approach informed by poststructural theory, we elucidate how girls perform as patients, contest the authoritative position of doctors and deploy popular, taken-for-granted discourses of femininity to resist treatment regimes and the construction of themselves by others as ‘anorexic’ and ‘sick’. Our analysis indicates that medical discourses in the hospital do not necessarily define or delimit girls' constructions of themselves, of anorexia, treatment or their relationships with doctors. The paper argues that understanding and validating girls' perspectives is essential in building and maintaining a therapeutic alliance in hospitals. We conclude by discussing how insights from poststructural analysis can assist in improving hospital practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the self-reported emotional reactions, coping responses and long-term impacts of discriminatory experiences among 50 Mapuche adults in Chile and found that discrimination was psychologically wounding, and aroused anger, undifferentiated bad feelings, shame and a sense of powerlessness.
Abstract: Although a substantial body of research has now documented the negative mental and physical health impacts of discrimination on various minority/non-dominant groups, little has been reported on the impacts of such discrimination on indigenous populations. In this study, we investigated the self-reported emotional reactions, coping responses and long-term impacts of discriminatory experiences among 50 Mapuche adults in Chile. The limited literature suggests that a substantial proportion of the Chilean majority society is prejudiced and discriminatory towards the indigenous Mapuche population, and that the Mapuche experience discrimination. Interviews with participants indicated that discrimination was psychologically wounding, and aroused anger, undifferentiated bad feelings, shame and a sense of powerlessness. Participants responded with self-protective, self-controlled or confronting actions. Although negative long-term effects were reported, ethnic re-affirmation and strengthening of bonds within the Mapuche community were positive outcomes that seem to provide resilience for the participants. This does not discount however, the need for more research assessing the impacts of discrimination in Chile nor the need for anti-discrimination measures to be implemented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: The findings indicate that with appropriately culture-sensitive measures, sexual abuse prevention programmes can have sustainable effects with young primary school children.
Abstract: The study reports a group-randomized trial of a theatre-based intervention to prevent sexual abuse targeting first and second grade primary school children in Germany. A sample of 148 first and second graders saw a live performance of a play designed to promote skills in dealing with abuse-prone interactions with adults, watched a recording of the play on DVD or were assigned to a no intervention control group. Both the live performance and the DVD groups showed significant increases in the target variables (distinguishing good/bad touch and secrets, getting help, rejecting unwanted touch) from baseline to post-intervention and a follow-up after 2 weeks, while the control group did not show changes. The live performance and DVD groups participated in a further follow-up 30 weeks post-intervention, which showed sustained effects of the intervention. The findings indicate that with appropriately culture-sensitive measures, sexual abuse prevention programmes can have sustainable effects with young primary school children. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative study of women's experiences of participation in a diverse range of community groups, and considers how such involvement can potentially have a negative impact upon mental well-being.
Abstract: Participation in community groups is argued to be an important way to create health-promoting social capital. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the ways in which gender affects the health promotion potential of participation. This paper reports on a qualitative study of women's experiences of participation in a diverse range of community groups, and considers how such involvement can potentially have a negative impact upon mental well-being. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 women in Adelaide, South Australia. Women's accounts of their group involvement reflected that their identities as mothers were particularly important in shaping their participation. Some women reported difficulties in combining group involvement with their family responsibilities. Stress attached to negotiating social interaction within groups was also raised as an issue. It was found that participation can reinforce gender inequality and potentially have severe negative consequences for mental health, issues that need to be considered alongside the potential health benefits. The findings are considered in light of Bourdieu's critical conceptualization of social capital. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: This cross-national study provides a new conceptual foundation for the international assessment of QoL in poverty in the low–middle-income countries of Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Peru and Thailand.
Abstract: Are existing health-related quality of life (QoL) measures adequate for use in poverty? Focus groups of development researcher-practitioners were convened to discuss QoL in the low–middle-income countries of Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Peru and Thailand. Newly elicited themes were mapped onto the QoL concept consisting of 25 original facets from the WHOQOL-100, plus 24 additional facets derived from five subsequent WHOQOL modules (49 facets) organized in seven domains. Qualitative themes and importance ratings were used to identify seven novel themes that relate to poverty in these countries. Most are not included in QoL instruments: physical fitness & survival, social status, community relations, family life, work opportunity and environment, fairness and equality, and perception of political institutions. Community relations extended the social domain, and a political rights and freedoms domain was consolidated as a seventh domain. This cross-national study provides a new conceptual foundation for the international assessment of QoL in poverty. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: Discursive psychology is used to examine how blame is managed in the turn-by-turn interaction in group meetings within NHS weight management treatment, focusing on those moments in which patients appear to resist the notion that they are responsible for their weight gain.
Abstract: Weight management services in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) are on the increase, partly due to rising rates of patients classified as obese. Those attending such services are held accountable, on some level, for their weight, although this issue is rarely addressed in clinical research in this area. By contrast, critical social research on obesity considers blame a prominent issue though has yet to examine this in situ, in interactions between patients and health professionals. This paper uses discursive psychology to examine how blame is managed in the turn-by-turn interaction in group meetings within NHS weight management treatment. The data corpus comprises of digital audio recordings of 27 discussion-based group meetings between patients and practitioners in a specialist weight-management service in central Scotland. The analysis focuses on those moments in which patients appear to resist the notion that they are responsible for their weight gain. Such moments are typically managed by patients in one of two ways: By denying having performed the blameworthy activity, or locating the blame as outside of individual control. Both strategies, however, rely on an individualistic concept of weight that reifies the medical model, while at the same time, troubling that model and its efficacy. The paper concludes with a consideration of the implications of these discursive practices and their relevance within the field.
TL;DR: The authors examined the ways children's fatness is explained in an anonymous Finnish Internet discussion, focusing especially on the ways parents are depicted as causing their child's obesity and as possibly blameworthy for this.
Abstract: Children's fatness has become a central concern worldwide, Finland included. In Finland, fatness is mainly discussed from the biomedical viewpoint as a considerable health risk resulting from individual ways of life. In the case of childhood fatness, it is the parents that are mainly held responsible for its prevention and treatment. It has been widely noted that fat people are often blamed for such things as laziness and lack of self-control. As regards fat children, however, the role and possible blaming of parents has received less scholarly attention. This paper examines the ways children's fatness is explained in an anonymous Finnish Internet discussion, focusing especially on the ways parents are depicted as causing their child's fatness and as possibly blameworthy for this. A discourse analysis revealed that parents were mainly viewed as the primary cause of the child's fatness and were negatively constructed as having ‘lousy’ characters, being unable to create an ‘adequate’ emotional bond with their child, or as otherwise engaging in ‘faulty’ child-rearing practices. Significantly, the latter two constructions included notions similar to the psychological expert notions of parenthood. All three constructions of parents were also gendered, being either implicitly or explicitly equated with the mother. Children's fatness was also explained, and parents' primary role thus questioned or mitigated, by reference to some other factors, such as genes. These explanations, however, did not seem to hold their ground in the discussion. The occurrence and implications of these explanations is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this paper, a standardized content analysis was carried out on 699 empirical studies published around 2000 in the European Journal of Social Psychology (EJSP), the British Journal of social psychology (BJSPP), the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology(JPSP), Journal of Community and Applied Social psychology (JCASP), Social Psychology Quarterly (SPQ), and Journal of JPSP publications.
Abstract: To what extent can social psychology study individuals within social contexts without strengthening theories and methods appropriate for the analysis of individual development within changing societies? Theoretical and epistemological arguments stressing the centrality of a temporal dimension are reviewed. In order to generate an objective picture of the current research practices, a standardized content analysis was carried out on 699 empirical studies published around 2000 in the European Journal of Social Psychology (EJSP), the British Journal of Social Psychology (BJSP), the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP), the Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology (JCASP) and Social Psychology Quarterly (SPQ). This corpus was completed by a four-point longitudinal analysis--1972/1986/1993/2000--of BJSP, EJSP and JPSP publications. Findings reveal that most empirical studies are carried out on student samples and do not include time- or age-related explanatory variables, particularly in European mainstream publications. Structural analyses taking into account research methods, research topics, journals, and countries of the first authors suggest two oppositions that organize the field of research: a laboratory versus contextualized approach and a developmental versus monographic approach of social psychology. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: This paper explored the discursive construction of Italian identity among a bilingual sample of Italian-born Western Australians and found intra-and inter-individual differences in identity construction, with much discourse devoted to demonstrating Italian authenticity and negotiating ethnic category boundaries.
Abstract: We explore the discursive construction of Italian identity among a bilingual sample of Italian-born Western Australians. Focus groups were held with two groups: Italians who had migrated to Australia as children and a group who had migrated as adults. We found intra- and inter-individual differences in identity construction, with much discourse devoted to demonstrating Italian authenticity and negotiating ethnic category boundaries. Shared markers of authenticity included language, heritage and food. The groups varied in their selection of referent groups to make authenticity claims, with the child migrants drawing upon the shared Australian stereotype of ‘wogs’ to construct and authenticate their Italian-ness. In contrast, adult migrants constructed Italian identity through comparisons with the dominant Australian ethnic group and in relation to a broader ‘migrant’ identity. The findings highlight the fluid and complex nature of ethnic identity and the need for further exploration of how it is constructed in talk. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: The authors explored the social representations of asylum seekers and found that public representations differ from formal discourses and are closer to media portrayals, indicating the need for accurate information to be disseminated through publicly accessible sources and for public engagement in debate about the issue.
Abstract: There is much political and media discussion about asylum in Britain and opinion polls indicate public hostility towards asylum seekers. The current research aims to contribute towards a greater understanding of public responses to this issue by exploring the social representations of asylum seekers. Social representations theory provides a useful framework for research on asylum as it conceptualizes public understandings of new and challenging social objects. Semi-structured interviews conducted with lay participants and experts working in support of asylum seekers were thematically analyzed and the results were compared with existing media representations. These comparisons suggest that public representations of asylum seekers differ from formal discourses and are closer to media portrayals. Public respondents perceived public hostility to be greater than the attitudes evinced by the current sample would suggest. The findings suggest that opinion polls may exaggerate public negativity towards asylum seekers and indicate the need for accurate information to be disseminated through publicly accessible sources and for public engagement in debate about the issue.
TL;DR: The authors examined people's accounts of charitable giving in their day-to-day lives in Ireland and found that Irish national identity can be strategically and flexibly used to manage participants' local moral identity in the light of Ireland's changing international relations and in particular how participants display concerns to be seen to intend autonomous rather than dependency-oriented helping.
Abstract: Research on helping behaviour has emphasized the importance of the group and particularly the nation in establishing the norms and boundaries of emergency helping. Less attention has been paid to the role of the national group in longer-term routine helping such as charitable giving. This is particularly important given recent research on intergroup helping which points to the impact of power relations on willingness of national groups to give and receive aid. The present research examines people's accounts of charitable giving in their day-to-day lives in Ireland, a country which has recently undergone a transformation in economic development and international relations. Discursive analysis of five focus groups with 14 Irish university students illustrates how participants proactively invoke national identity to account for giving or withholding charity. Our findings demonstrate how Irish national identity can be strategically and flexibly used to manage participants' local moral identity in the light of Ireland's changing international relations and in particular how participants display concerns to be seen to intend ‘autonomous’ rather than ‘dependency’-oriented helping. The findings suggest that both national identity and international relations provide resources for individuals negotiating the complex demands and concerns surrounding charitable giving. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the role of moral beliefs in predicting behavioural beliefs and attitudes and the role that subjective norms play in predicting moral beliefs regarding antimicrobial use in feedlot veterinarians.
Abstract: This cross-sectional survey research study examined the role moral beliefs play in predicting behavioural beliefs and attitudes and the role that subjective norms play in predicting moral beliefs. Using a self-administered questionnaire, one hundred and three feedlot veterinarians completed measures of behavioural beliefs, referent others, perceived constraints and moral beliefs regarding recommendations to use antimicrobials in four situations (i.e. acutely sick cattle, chronically sick cattle, at-risk cattle and high-risk cattle). Regression analysis and F-tests indicate moral beliefs as contributing significant increases in R2 to models predicting behavioural beliefs regarding antimicrobial use in each situation. In addition, subjective norms contribute a significant increase in R2 in models predicting moral beliefs in each of the four situations. The results indicate the effects of moral beliefs on behavioural beliefs are somewhat contingent on the condition; that is the level of risk associated with treating cattle with antimicrobials, the level of risk of not doing so, and the effectiveness of the antimicrobial in situations such as acute illness or being at-risk of illness. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the differences between men and women in three different groups: non-participants, social participants and political participants, and found that gender had a direct effect on leadership competence and policy control.
Abstract: One interesting perspective from which to investigate participation processes is that of gender (Angelique & Culley, 2007). The disparity between male and female participation is evident, in particular when dealing with politics. The research reported here examines any differences between men and women in three different groups: non-participants (N = 201), social participants (N = 167) and political participants (N = 184). Two specific aspects were considered: (a) the perception of sociopolitical control, that is leadership competence and policy control, and (b) the perception of costs and benefits derived from participation. In focusing on such perceptions, if any difference could be evidenced, we aimed to investigate if this difference was determined by gender, by the type of participation or by the interaction of gender and participation. Data show that leadership competence and policy control were both influenced by the type of participation. An interaction effect of gender and type of commitment for policy control was observed and gender had a direct effect on leadership competence. These results suggest that the gender gap seems to be connected more to the context than to effective gender characteristics. Other data on the perception of costs and benefits are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: This paper investigated social understandings of refugees from Africa in a regional town in NSW, Australia and found that place of origin may play an important role in differentiating, orientating and linking specific refugee groups to particular socio-political contexts.
Abstract: This study investigated social understandings of refugees from Africa in a regional town in NSW, Australia. Drawing from Social Representations Theory (Moscovici, 1984), the study investigated whether place of origin (Africa) mediated understandings held about refugees. Two studies were conducted. In the first study, a between-subjects manipulation using word association tasks revealed that the super-ordinate term Refugees, and Refugees from Africa shared a common core of elements (poor, war). Although sharing a core, these representations were differentiated by peripheral elements which concurred with social understanding of Africa (e.g. disease), and media portrayal of refugees/asylum seekers (e.g. boat). The salience of these meanings in the community was further explored using a self-report questionnaire. Results suggested that place of origin, manifested as peripheral representational elements, may play an important role in differentiating, orientating and linking specific refugee groups to particular socio-political contexts. Further, we contend that place of origin may be understood as a discursive resource, deployed for rhetorical ends. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: The authors conducted focus groups and interviews with 54 student and community participants to explore these perceptions of donors and non-donors in a living and posthumous context, as well as transplant recipients.
Abstract: Despite efforts to encourage organ donation, low organ donation rates in Australia and other Western nations do not meet the demand for transplantable organs. One influence on organ donation decision-making yet to be fully explored is that of prototype perceptions about organ donors, non-donors and transplant recipients. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 54 student and community participants to explore these perceptions of donors and non-donors in a living and posthumous context, as well as transplant recipients. Using content and thematic analysis, transcripts were analysed for consistently emerging themes. Donors were generally perceived positively as altruistic and giving and as ordinary people; however, some participants questioned the motives of living anonymous donors. Non-donors were commonly viewed negatively as self-absorbed and unaware, with living-related non-donors particularly perceived as cold-hearted and weak. Transplant recipients were generally viewed sympathetically (unfortunate and unwell); however, many participants also expressed negative views about transplant recipients as responsible for their predicament, depending upon the type of organ transplant needed. To encourage people's willingness to donate their organs, it is crucial to understand the extent to which these perceptions influence organ donation decisions.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the role of psycho-social variables identified by previous studies as potentially relevant moderators of identification: (a) Vested interest in natural resources, (b) evaluation of the designation process of protected areas and (c) institutional trust.
Abstract: The institutionalization of biodiversity conservation through legal instruments has led to mixed reactions at both the individual and community levels, with conflict and resistance co-existing with support The overall purpose of this paper is to describe how rural communities living in areas included in the Natura 2000 Network of protected sites, where local practices of land use are regulated by new legal directives, receive biodiversity conservation goals Previous studies suggest that this reception is strongly shaped by place identification, but their contradictory results demand further clarification This study examines the role of psycho-social variables identified by previous studies as potentially relevant moderators of identification: (a) Vested interest in natural resources, (b) evaluation of the designation process of protected areas and (c) institutional trust It further extends previous research by analysing the support given to contextually relevant ecological practices Results reveal a positive link between place identification and attitudes in the high vested interest condition and show that support for conservation practices is better predicted in the high vested interest and low trust conditions The discussion focuses on the relevance of analysing contextually relevant psycho-social moderators when attempting to understand how local communities' relation with biodiversity conservation is affected by legislative innovation Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd