Gender Socialization during Adolescence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries : Conceptualization, influences and outcomes

Adolescence is a critical period in the development of gender attitudes and behaviours, which have potentially life-long effects.The rapid changes that take place during adolescence provide opportunities for the development and implementation of policies and programmes, which can influence the gender socialization process, in order to maximize positive outcomes.This paper set out to provide a conceptual understanding of the gender socialization process during adolescence, its influences and outcomes, and practical suggestions on how to use this knowledge in the design of policies and programmes to improve gender equality. First, theoretical contributions from psychology, sociology and biology were reviewed to situate the gender socialization process during adolescence in a broader context of multi-level influences. Second, a socio-ecological framework was introduced to bring together the main factors that influence the gender socialization process and its outcomes.Third, knowledge on how to influence the gender socialization process and its outcomes was summarized in order to provide practical recommendations for policies and programmes.This included: a) reviewing changes in demographics, the global media and gendered economic opportunities, to understand how the gender socialization process, gender norms and identities have been transformed at the macro level; and b) conducting a literature review of smallscale programmes designed to impact the gender socialization process.The literature review identified 31 programmes grouped around three broad strategies: 1) empowering young people (mainly girls) with information, skills, and social support to challenge norms; 2) fostering an enabling environment in which to challenge gender norms; and 3) working with men and boys, including directly with young individuals and with influential males to change attitudes and beliefs The paper concludes with recommendations for more holistic policy and programming efforts around gender socialization in adolescence

Working in Indigenous conflict resolution: Some considerations for non-Indigenous practitioners

The lives of Indigenous Australians are characterised by a history of discrimination, oppression and violence, much of it prevailing into present time. Non-Indigenous conflict resolution practitioners working with Indigenous Australians need to be sensitive and respectful of their history and values, as well as the challenges they face today. Discrimination and cultural stereotyping are embedded in many levels of mainstream Australian society, with attempts to apply Western conflict resolution techniques in Indigenous settings another possible reflection of this phenomenon. Conflict resolution practitioners need to adopt a case-by-case approach, where they enquire about the preferred procedures and customs of each Indigenous client. Mediations and negotiations may take longer and seem less goal-driven in such cases, but the establishment of trust and guidelines that are comfortable for all parties are imperative to a fair conflict resolution process

15th Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace Bridging Across Generations: Turning Research into Action for Children and Families, in collaborazione con UNICEF – Office of Research Innocenti, Associazione Italiana di Psicologia (AIP) e International Committee for the Psychological Study of Peace (CPSP). 21 – 27 Maggio 2017 Firenze e Roma

The theme of the 15th for Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace is Bridging Across Generations: Turning Research into Action for Children and Families. This multi-faceted theme captures the research topics and priorities not only of peace psychology, but also of the host country and its convening partner the world’s largest child rights organization, UNICEF. The symposium program will examine pressing research issues for children and families, but also look at how to leverage findings to make the most of them in programming, policy and advocacy and bring about change at all levels for children and their families. Present day Italy is faced with many interrelated challenges, which span across the study of psychological processes, intergenerational changes and international dynamics, and are pivotal to contemporary peace research. Individuals, families and institutions are increasingly more confronted by the need for constructing new forms of identity and co-existence as Italians, Europeans and Mediterraneans. The generation who lived through World War II is disappearing, leaving to families and institutions the duty of memory, but at the same time, young Italians are becoming more intercultural, espousing an unprecedented mix of values, origins and narratives. Finding itself in the middle of the European “refugee crisis”, Italy has also become one of the main landing places for children and families escaping from instability and extremism, arriving from across the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East. Italy is facing new needs and fears, many of which are also present elsewhere in Europe and globally. The challenges are mirrored in the topics of research and intervention of local peace psychologists, who while also examining more traditional peace psychology topics such as dehumanization, victimization and intergroup contact, have a strong focus on studying intergenerational relationships, emerging citizenships, shared knowledge and family narratives, resilience and prosociality in families and children. The vision for this symposium is to turn the focus to children and adolescents, including and their parents and caregivers, and build a picture of the challenges and opportunities they face: from the local context to the diverse cultural and socio-political settings in which local and international researchers and practitioners, members of CPSP and UNICEF work. In true peace psychology spirit, the aim is also to go beyond exchanging interesting findings to turning research into outputs and actions that have the potential to positively impact on the lives of children, their families and communities

Current trends in the selection, training and support of Australian and Canadian volunteers: The issue of volunteer stress

Recent studies of humanitarian aid fieldwork report increased stress levels among workers, urging agencies to improve pre-departure training and field support. The first part of the present study examined agency selection, training and support mechanisms, while the second part examined volunteers’ perceptions of their field placements. Representatives from four Australian and three Canadian volunteer sending agencies participated in structured interviews, revealing that agencies in these countries operate similarly, but most need some improvement in their volunteer selection, training and support processes. Particular attention is needed in areas of stress management and re-entry shock. In the second part, thirteen Australian and five Canadian volunteers from the interviewed agencies participated in focus groups. Participants reported gaining valuable skills, cultural knowledge and career prospects, but also indicated that more stress management training was needed before deployment and upon re-entry into the home culture. The findings lead to recommendations for cooperation between agencies, governments and academic institutions to improve and broaden the applicability of volunteer skills and experiences. Suggestions for future research are also made

Peace Psychology in Australia

XXVI, 358 p.online resource

Australia\u27s response to asylum seekers

Australia\u27s asylum seeker policies are not widely understood. They are complex, and have changed many times, particularly since 2001. This chapter outlines Australia\u27s policies towards asylum seekers and refugees. First, it highlights the fundamental tenets of the Refugee Convention, which forms the basis of Australia\u27s obligations to refugees. It then explaines the different categories of intake, and the different procedures asylum seekers and refugees encounter to start a new life in Australia. We demonstrate that Australia\u27s policies are based on a distinction between two groups of people needing protection: \u27offshore\u27 refugees and \u27onshore\u27 asylum seekers. The different reception of these two groups by the Australian government could not be greater. The result is a system of two classes of refugees - a distinction that contravenes our international obligations

Making meaning from collective apologies : Australia\u27s apology to its indigenous peoples

This article considers the meaning of intergroup apologies for their recipients. Our research examined Indigenous people&rsquo;s responses to the 2008 Australian apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples forcibly removed from their families under previous governments (the Stolen Generations). We interviewed Indigenous men (n=10) and women (n=22) about their attitudes toward the apology and forgiveness. To cover the breadth of Indigenous responses to the Australian apology, we sought out participants from diverse geographic, cultural, and occupational contexts across Australia. After pooling the transcripts and entering them into NVivo, we identified key concepts and themes. Participants expressed positive, negative, and mixed views toward the apology and forgiveness. A dominant theme emerged as participants indicated that for the apology to be truly meaningful, there needed to be action commensurate with the emotion of the apology. Though participants indicated that the apology promoted reconciliation, this was not true for forgiveness. We conclude by discussing implications of these findings for theoretical models of intergroup apology.<br /