Previous Issues - November 2008

Giving National Form to the Content of the Past: A Study of the Narrative Construction of Historical Events
IGNACIO BRESCÓ

This paper examines the role of narratives in the construction of historical events, focusing on the inherent relationship between aesthetical and moral dimensions in giving accounts of the past.

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Hey, I really enjoyed this article, and I am interested in this area of psychology. In my opinion ... click to see this comment in full

Cultural Responses to the Reintegration of Formerly Abducted Girl Soldiers in Northern-Uganda
FIONA SHANAHAN

This paper explores the contribution of a socio-ecological lens to understand identity in social reintegration of young mothers and their children returned from captivity in the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group in Northern Uganda.

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“There’s a Weakness in Them”: Representations of Suicide among Tamil Singaporeans
ARTHI

Suicidal behaviour is influenced by sociocultural context. To understand how this influence works, an understanding of the cultural meaning of suicide is essential. This paper proposes that social representations theory be used as a framework to investigate the cultural meaning of suicide and describes a qualitative study focused on Tamil Singaporeans.

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Going Back To Their Roots: Maintaining Continuity in the Dialogical Self through Signs
RIA O'SULLIVAN LAGO and GUIDA DE ABREU

In this article we argue that the societal-level change caused by the creation of cultural contact zones from increased immigration has implications for nationals' cultural identities. We propose that the resultant instability of cultural I-positions demands the development of identification strategies in the Dialogical Self to enable the individual to maintain identity continuity.

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“Scotland’s Shame”: A Dialogical Analysis of the Identity of Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training
LISA WHITTAKER

The theory of the dialogical self was used to explore the identities of one group of young people described by the media as 'Scotland's Shame'. The research highlights the importance of recognition and the need to further explore this notion for this group of young people.

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Establishing the ‘Truth’ of the Matter: Confessional Reflexivity as Introspection and Avowal
JOSEPH WEBSTER

The concept of 'reflexivity' commonly found in social anthropology is discussed through the lens of 'confessional reflexivity'. It is argued that a way forward might be found by blending Foucault's theory of confession with Bourdieu's theory of 'epistemic reflexivity'.

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This is an original and important paper on the unacknowledged dark side of 'reflexivity'. Anyone wh... click to see this comment in full

Reflexivity and its Usefulness When Conducting a Secondary Analysis of Existing Data
TRACEY MOON

This article discusses the use of reflexivity in conducting secondary analysis of data. It is argued that by using a reflexive grounded theory approach the researcher allows the data to dictate the analysis and development of research, promoting 'strong objectivity'.

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Misrecognition, Media And… Discrimination?
KARLA PEREZ PORTILLA

This paper argues that the media contributes to discrimination via the production and reproduction of demeaning stereotypes. This phenomenon is called 'discrimination through expressive means' (DEM). The breadth and depth of DEM are explored.

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This paper makes a most important contribution to our developing understanding of the ways in which ... click to see this comment in full

Internet Mediated Research: A Critical Reflection upon the Practice of Using Instant Messenger for Higher Educational Research Interviewing
VANESSA HINCHCLIFFE and HELEN GAVIN

Instant messenger (IM) was used to interview undergraduate students about their social support networks. This paper sets out how synchronous online interviewing was undertaken and how ethical issues arising from online interviewing were addressed. A critical reflection is presented of the utility of synchronous online interviewing using IM, by both respondents and researcher. 

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How to Trick ‘Angry’: Narrative Therapy For People With An Intellectual Disability Who Have Been Referred For ‘Anger Management’
LUCY HOOLE and SALLY MORGAN

This paper reports on a narrative therapy group for people with an intellectual disability who were referred for anger management. Narrative therapy consisted of three phases of 'externalising conversations', 'exploring exceptions and unique outcomes' and 'developing and anchoring the alternative narratives'. Evaluation of the therapy is discussed.

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This was an interesting use of externalisation and seemed very useful for the client group. Would be... click to see this comment in full