The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission... more The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission of personal construct psychology. It is undertaken within a very special relationship with someone who helps open up space for personal development and understanding. Perhaps the best way to view what has gone wrong is to envision the person as having become stuck or trapped. In the everyday course of events, one would be getting on with life and not need professional assistance. As a matter of course there would be an opening ...
To critically understand the complexity of the concept and practice of reflexivity, I offer an ex... more To critically understand the complexity of the concept and practice of reflexivity, I offer an exploration of some of its epistemological and ontological foundations. Specifically, I discuss 3 assumptions that tend to be entailed in most views of reflexivity: realism, humanism, and linguistic representationalism. I provide for each of them a social constructionist or posthumanist reinterpretation on the basis of relational views of ontology and on constitutive understandings of knowledge. I suggest some alternatives to these 3 assumptions in order to foster a plurality of viewpoints about practices of reflexivity and entanglements of objects and subjects. In particular, posthumanist theories may provide the language to counter postpositivist inclinations within qualitative inquiry and to offer horizontal, diffractive, and transformative modes of knowing that more fully embrace reflexivity not as a tool or strategy but as a discursive and performative practice—that is, as inquiry in itself.
The narratives and images on websites of US hate groups that oppose undocumented immigrants repre... more The narratives and images on websites of US hate groups that oppose undocumented immigrants represent and reproduce discourses that contribute to the subject formation of group members, who feel ethically obliged to counter unauthorized immigration. Left alone by the government, which is seen as unreliable and uncaring of patriotic values, they position themselves as heroic saviours of the nation. We argue that these hate groups’ ‘games of truth’ develop in response to the perception that irregular immigration threatens specific social orders and values, for instance about citizenship, national identity and otherness. This article helps to understand the ways in which anti-immigrant narratives serve the functions of countering these threats and of asserting the group members’ ethical obligation as a form of care of the self. In other words, from a Foucaultian viewpoint, we interpret the problematizations of ‘illegal’ immigration as discursive practices for the subject formation of hate group members.
Abstract In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relat... more Abstract In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relation to ethics and the problematization of extrinsic research ethics. They argue that institutional review boards (IRBs) and other similar institutional mechanisms promote extrinsic forms of ethics that are exemplified through institutionalized structures such as (a) the Belmont Report,(b) IRB protocol,(c) informed consent, and (d) localized interpretations of IRB rules and regulations. However, at the same time, institutional normalization enables ...
Experiences of compassion, fatigue, responsibility, and identification were both desirable and ch... more Experiences of compassion, fatigue, responsibility, and identification were both desirable and challenging pedagogical processes of a psychology service-learning course in which students worked with recently-arrived refugees. In this qualitative case study, I conceptualize these experiences as linked to three main themes: the students’ first practical application of psychology-related knowledge; the social construction of their professional identity; and the perceived effectiveness of their fieldwork. These themes operated within social constructions of psychology as a practice of help, which are inevitably linked to dynamics of power and responsibility. Rather than seeing the students’ engagement in their community service as an obstacle to effective service-learning, I argue that experiences of compassion and identification can be constructive tools and occasions for critical reflection, engagement with the field, self-knowledge, and understanding of the limits of power and responsibility in community service.
Especially in the case of refugees, the past and its memory tend to be definitional components fo... more Especially in the case of refugees, the past and its memory tend to be definitional components for personal and social constructions of identity. At the same time, the relationship with the past is frequently problematic and challenging. This study identifies two main narratives and subject positions adopted by refugee participants from the former Yugoslavia: ‘the past is past’ and ‘the past is our strength.’ I analyse the complexity implicit in these two narratives about the past. Although these narratives at first appear contradictory, the participants’ stories illustrate the ways in which they co-operate for the development of mental health in refugees. The ongoing dialogue between the two narratives allows for the participants’ endorsement of subject positions that refer to both individual and collective identities. The strategic use of history permits reinterpretations and relocations of traumatic memories as well as the formation of self-healing narratives that reframe refugee identities in the light of ethnic history and shared experience. I critically discuss the implications of this narrative reframing in relation to aspects of dominant discourses about refugee mental health and postmodern considerations in psychology and counselling.
When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s ... more When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s identities and subjectivities, the process of inquiry is likely to generate significant emotions, attachments, and reactions that transgress traditional forms of data and research positions. If embraced and addressed, the researcher’s emotional reactions can be an important source of reflexivity and data as well as creativity, motivation, and engagement. This relational aspect of the research parallels psychotherapists’ experience of reacting to their clients’ concerns and narrations. This process—called countertransference (CT)—may leave the researcher open to vulnerability and the need to account for the necessary presence of personal biographies and identities in qualitative inquiry. From my research with refugees, I provide examples of my CT reactions and interpretations and the ways in which they became crucial assets to the study.
In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relation to et... more In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relation to ethics and the problematization of extrinsic research ethics. They argue that institutional review boards (IRBs) and other similar institutional mechanisms promote extrinsic forms of ethics that ...
The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission... more The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission of personal construct psychology. It is undertaken within a very special relationship with someone who helps open up space for personal development and understanding. Perhaps the best way to view what has gone wrong is to envision the person as having become stuck or trapped. In the everyday course of events, one would be getting on with life and not need professional assistance. As a matter of course there would be an opening ...
Psychological constructivism and the social …, Jan 1, 2003
In psychology, multiculturalism is a social and political position and movement that holds that d... more In psychology, multiculturalism is a social and political position and movement that holds that differences between individuals and groups are a potential source of strength and renewal. It values the diverse perspectives people develop and maintain through varieties of experience and backgrounds stemming from racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and/or class differences in our societies. At the same time, multiculturalism is a means for sensitizing mainstream theories about individuals who do not share the same system of ...
This article illustrates the state of the art for mental health counseling in Italy through a his... more This article illustrates the state of the art for mental health counseling in Italy through a historic and postmodern perspective. The context of Italian mental health counseling is complex and full of new and old premises, events, and arguments. On the one side, the way counseling has developed and is perceived in Italy results from the intersection of old cultural legacies, such as Christianity, and new challenges, such as a multicultural and multiethnic society. On the other side, the development of mental health counseling in Italy ...
In a world of growing migration and intercultural contacts, postmodern individuals and societies ... more In a world of growing migration and intercultural contacts, postmodern individuals and societies increasingly question pre-established orders and systems of knowledge. This study investigates the narratives that a sample group of seven refugees from Kosovo, currently in the Boston ...
In this paper, we take issue with the supposed superiority of specific epistemologies, methodolog... more In this paper, we take issue with the supposed superiority of specific epistemologies, methodologies, and research practices, as well as the neocolonialist practices of discovery, development and interpretation of evidence. Furthermore, we illustrate how the colonization of evidence is enacted through discourses of domination, subjectivication, and civilization. We maintain that these practices and discourses intend to establish more unified, narrow, and easily controlled fields of science. In reaction, we argue that the dismantling of ...
Abstract 1. Reviews the book, The Future of Visual Anthropology: Engaging the Senses by Sarah Pin... more Abstract 1. Reviews the book, The Future of Visual Anthropology: Engaging the Senses by Sarah Pink (see record 2006-08982-000). In this book, the author has collected a series of essays that examine the current stage of visual anthropology and its future development within the social sciences. She explores the challenges and potentialities of this discipline and resituates the position of the visual into the field, offering an excellent formulation of the history of visual anthropology, its present implications, and its future developments toward ...
The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission... more The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission of personal construct psychology. It is undertaken within a very special relationship with someone who helps open up space for personal development and understanding. Perhaps the best way to view what has gone wrong is to envision the person as having become stuck or trapped. In the everyday course of events, one would be getting on with life and not need professional assistance. As a matter of course there would be an opening ...
To critically understand the complexity of the concept and practice of reflexivity, I offer an ex... more To critically understand the complexity of the concept and practice of reflexivity, I offer an exploration of some of its epistemological and ontological foundations. Specifically, I discuss 3 assumptions that tend to be entailed in most views of reflexivity: realism, humanism, and linguistic representationalism. I provide for each of them a social constructionist or posthumanist reinterpretation on the basis of relational views of ontology and on constitutive understandings of knowledge. I suggest some alternatives to these 3 assumptions in order to foster a plurality of viewpoints about practices of reflexivity and entanglements of objects and subjects. In particular, posthumanist theories may provide the language to counter postpositivist inclinations within qualitative inquiry and to offer horizontal, diffractive, and transformative modes of knowing that more fully embrace reflexivity not as a tool or strategy but as a discursive and performative practice—that is, as inquiry in itself.
The narratives and images on websites of US hate groups that oppose undocumented immigrants repre... more The narratives and images on websites of US hate groups that oppose undocumented immigrants represent and reproduce discourses that contribute to the subject formation of group members, who feel ethically obliged to counter unauthorized immigration. Left alone by the government, which is seen as unreliable and uncaring of patriotic values, they position themselves as heroic saviours of the nation. We argue that these hate groups’ ‘games of truth’ develop in response to the perception that irregular immigration threatens specific social orders and values, for instance about citizenship, national identity and otherness. This article helps to understand the ways in which anti-immigrant narratives serve the functions of countering these threats and of asserting the group members’ ethical obligation as a form of care of the self. In other words, from a Foucaultian viewpoint, we interpret the problematizations of ‘illegal’ immigration as discursive practices for the subject formation of hate group members.
Abstract In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relat... more Abstract In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relation to ethics and the problematization of extrinsic research ethics. They argue that institutional review boards (IRBs) and other similar institutional mechanisms promote extrinsic forms of ethics that are exemplified through institutionalized structures such as (a) the Belmont Report,(b) IRB protocol,(c) informed consent, and (d) localized interpretations of IRB rules and regulations. However, at the same time, institutional normalization enables ...
Experiences of compassion, fatigue, responsibility, and identification were both desirable and ch... more Experiences of compassion, fatigue, responsibility, and identification were both desirable and challenging pedagogical processes of a psychology service-learning course in which students worked with recently-arrived refugees. In this qualitative case study, I conceptualize these experiences as linked to three main themes: the students’ first practical application of psychology-related knowledge; the social construction of their professional identity; and the perceived effectiveness of their fieldwork. These themes operated within social constructions of psychology as a practice of help, which are inevitably linked to dynamics of power and responsibility. Rather than seeing the students’ engagement in their community service as an obstacle to effective service-learning, I argue that experiences of compassion and identification can be constructive tools and occasions for critical reflection, engagement with the field, self-knowledge, and understanding of the limits of power and responsibility in community service.
Especially in the case of refugees, the past and its memory tend to be definitional components fo... more Especially in the case of refugees, the past and its memory tend to be definitional components for personal and social constructions of identity. At the same time, the relationship with the past is frequently problematic and challenging. This study identifies two main narratives and subject positions adopted by refugee participants from the former Yugoslavia: ‘the past is past’ and ‘the past is our strength.’ I analyse the complexity implicit in these two narratives about the past. Although these narratives at first appear contradictory, the participants’ stories illustrate the ways in which they co-operate for the development of mental health in refugees. The ongoing dialogue between the two narratives allows for the participants’ endorsement of subject positions that refer to both individual and collective identities. The strategic use of history permits reinterpretations and relocations of traumatic memories as well as the formation of self-healing narratives that reframe refugee identities in the light of ethnic history and shared experience. I critically discuss the implications of this narrative reframing in relation to aspects of dominant discourses about refugee mental health and postmodern considerations in psychology and counselling.
When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s ... more When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s identities and subjectivities, the process of inquiry is likely to generate significant emotions, attachments, and reactions that transgress traditional forms of data and research positions. If embraced and addressed, the researcher’s emotional reactions can be an important source of reflexivity and data as well as creativity, motivation, and engagement. This relational aspect of the research parallels psychotherapists’ experience of reacting to their clients’ concerns and narrations. This process—called countertransference (CT)—may leave the researcher open to vulnerability and the need to account for the necessary presence of personal biographies and identities in qualitative inquiry. From my research with refugees, I provide examples of my CT reactions and interpretations and the ways in which they became crucial assets to the study.
In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relation to et... more In this article, the authors discuss the technologies of normalization and self in relation to ethics and the problematization of extrinsic research ethics. They argue that institutional review boards (IRBs) and other similar institutional mechanisms promote extrinsic forms of ethics that ...
The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission... more The project of helping others to undertake profound changes in their lives is the central mission of personal construct psychology. It is undertaken within a very special relationship with someone who helps open up space for personal development and understanding. Perhaps the best way to view what has gone wrong is to envision the person as having become stuck or trapped. In the everyday course of events, one would be getting on with life and not need professional assistance. As a matter of course there would be an opening ...
Psychological constructivism and the social …, Jan 1, 2003
In psychology, multiculturalism is a social and political position and movement that holds that d... more In psychology, multiculturalism is a social and political position and movement that holds that differences between individuals and groups are a potential source of strength and renewal. It values the diverse perspectives people develop and maintain through varieties of experience and backgrounds stemming from racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and/or class differences in our societies. At the same time, multiculturalism is a means for sensitizing mainstream theories about individuals who do not share the same system of ...
This article illustrates the state of the art for mental health counseling in Italy through a his... more This article illustrates the state of the art for mental health counseling in Italy through a historic and postmodern perspective. The context of Italian mental health counseling is complex and full of new and old premises, events, and arguments. On the one side, the way counseling has developed and is perceived in Italy results from the intersection of old cultural legacies, such as Christianity, and new challenges, such as a multicultural and multiethnic society. On the other side, the development of mental health counseling in Italy ...
In a world of growing migration and intercultural contacts, postmodern individuals and societies ... more In a world of growing migration and intercultural contacts, postmodern individuals and societies increasingly question pre-established orders and systems of knowledge. This study investigates the narratives that a sample group of seven refugees from Kosovo, currently in the Boston ...
In this paper, we take issue with the supposed superiority of specific epistemologies, methodolog... more In this paper, we take issue with the supposed superiority of specific epistemologies, methodologies, and research practices, as well as the neocolonialist practices of discovery, development and interpretation of evidence. Furthermore, we illustrate how the colonization of evidence is enacted through discourses of domination, subjectivication, and civilization. We maintain that these practices and discourses intend to establish more unified, narrow, and easily controlled fields of science. In reaction, we argue that the dismantling of ...
Abstract 1. Reviews the book, The Future of Visual Anthropology: Engaging the Senses by Sarah Pin... more Abstract 1. Reviews the book, The Future of Visual Anthropology: Engaging the Senses by Sarah Pink (see record 2006-08982-000). In this book, the author has collected a series of essays that examine the current stage of visual anthropology and its future development within the social sciences. She explores the challenges and potentialities of this discipline and resituates the position of the visual into the field, offering an excellent formulation of the history of visual anthropology, its present implications, and its future developments toward ...
Especially in qualitative research, working with vulnerable populations and on issues for which t... more Especially in qualitative research, working with vulnerable populations and on issues for which the researcher cares significantly in terms of ethical responsibility and emotional connection presents numerous challenges. Exploring one’s dedication to the participants and the research project is crucial to think complexly about “data” and more critically about reflexivity. The relational dimensions of inquiry are also important to reflect and learn from aspects of the research process that tend to be less immediate, such as “the untold,” positionality, and power. Drawing a parallel with the concept of counter-transference (CT), I argue that gaining some awareness about impossibilities of knowledge in light of personal biographies, social constructions of the other, and cultural discourses may encourage qualitative researchers to engage in important reflections to bridge personal and social processes, subjectivities and subjectivation practices, and data and games of truth. These reflections are also likely to influence the researcher’s rapport with the research participants and the subject of inquiry. Nonetheless, exploring CT dynamics is often challenging and requires the readiness and ability of both researcher and research supervisors to openly question taken for granted positions and truths.
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