The Cycle of Violence: Associations Between Exposure to Violence, Trauma-Related Symptoms and Aggression - Findings from Congolese Refugees in Uganda

Hecker T, Fetz S, Ainamani H, Elbert T. The Cycle of Violence: Associations Between Exposure to Violence, Trauma-Related Symptoms and Aggression - Findings from Congolese Refugees in Uganda. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2015;28(5):448-455.War-related trauma exposure has been linked to aggression and enhanced levels of community and family violence, suggesting a cycle of violence. Reactive aggression - an aggressive reaction to a perceived threat - has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In contrast, appetitive aggression - a hedonic, intrinsically motivated form of aggression - seems to be negatively related to PTSD in offender and military populations. This study examined the associations between exposure to violence, trauma-related symptoms and aggression in a civilian population. In semistructured interviews, 290 Congolese refugees were questioned about trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression. War-related trauma exposure correlated positively with exposure to family and community violence in the past month (r = .31, p < .001), and appetitive (r = .18, p = .002) and reactive aggression (r = .29, p < .001). The relationship between war-related trauma exposure and reactive aggressive behavior was mediated by PTSD symptoms and appetitive aggression. In a multiple sequential regression analysis, trauma exposure (β = .43, p < .001) and reactive aggression (β = .36, p < .001) were positively associated with PTSD symptoms, whereas appetitive aggression was negatively associated (β=−.13, p = .007) with PTSD symptoms. Our findings were congruent with the cycle of violence hypothesis and indicate a differential relation between distinct subtypes of aggression and PTSD

Männlichkeiten und Männer - Kritische Theorien im Vergleich

Kritische, feministisch situierte Forschung über Männlichkeiten und Männer ist im deutschsprachigen Raum wenig sichtbar. Diese Arbeit will einen Teil zur Schließung dieser Lücke beitragen, indem drei einflussreiche theoretische Zugänge dieses Forschungsfeldes vergleichend dargestellt werden: Raewyn Connells „Hegemoniale Männlichkeit“, Jeff Hearns „Hegemony of Men“ und Michael Meusers „Männlicher Habitus“. Um ein umfassendes Verständnis der Konzepte zu ermöglichen, werden sie theoretisch eingebettet in die theoretischen Zugänge der Autor*innen hinsichtlich des Verhältnisses von Körper und Gesellschaft sowie ihrer Konzeption von Geschlecht als Strukturkategorie. Davon ausgehend werden die Konzepte kritisch auf ihre Implikationen in Bezug auf Intersektionalität und Heteronormativitätskritik überprüft. Der Vergleich der Theorien schafft eine Grundlage, um die Konzepte wechselseitig zu kritisieren und davon ausgehend Vorschläge für eine angemessenere Theoretisierung des Gegenstandes zu skizzieren

Können Männer feministisches Wissen produzieren? Von Hegemonieselbstkritik hin zur pro*feministischen Politisierung der Universität

Feministische Standpunktepistemologien sind aus der feministischen Wissenschaftskritik am Androzentrismus in der Wissenschaft heraus entstanden. Vertreterinnen der feministischen Standpunktepistemologie diskutieren dabei Fragen nach dem wissenschaftsproduzierenden Subjekt und den Bedingungen der Wissenschaftsproduktion. Insbesondere das Verhältnis zwischen sozialer Positioniertheit - qua Geburt und Sozialisation - und der Einnahme einer epistemisch-politischen Positionierung auf Seiten der Marginalisierten steht im Mittelpunkt dieser Debatten. Wenn neues und differenziertes Wissen auch von privilegierten Positionen aus produziert werden kann, können dann Männer feministisches Wissen produzieren? Unter welchen Bedingungen ist dies möglich und welche Rolle spielt dabei die Institution Universität? Diese Fragen bearbeiten wir mit Blick auf die Figur des feministischen Wissenschaftlers, der zwar feministische Theorie rezipiert, jedoch neben seinem 15-stündigen Arbeitstag keine Zeit mehr für Reproduktionsarbeit hat. Wir schlagen daher eine profeministische Perspektive vor, die über das Individuum hinausgeht und letztlich auf eine profeministische Politisierung der Universität abzielt. Dabei greifen wir auf das Konzept der Hegemonieselbstkritik zurück und schlagen in Anknüpfung daran profeministische Praxen auf vier unterschiedlichen Ebenen vor, die in der Universität erprobt und theoretisch vertieft werden können.Feminist standpoint epistemologies have emerged from the feminist critique of androcentrism in science. Discussions within standpoint epistemology i.a. revolve around the question about the knowledge-producing subject and the conditions of scientific knowledge production. In particular, the relationship between social positioning - qua birth and socialization - and the adoption of an epistemic-political positioning on the part of the marginalized. If new and differentiated knowledge can also be produced from privileged positions, can men produce feminist knowledge? Under what conditions is this possible and what role does the institution of the university play in this? We address these questions with a view to the figure of the feminist scholar, who is well-versed in feminist theory but has no time left for reproductive work in addition to his 15-hour workday. Therefore, we propose a profeminist perspective that exceeds beyond the individual scientist and ultimately aims at a profeminist politicization of the university. In doing so, we draw on the concept of hegemony self-critique and, following on from this, propose profeminist practices at four different levels which can be tested and theoretically deepened within the university

Expert consensus-based clinical recommendation for an integrative anthroposophic treatment of acute bronchitis in children: A Delphi survey

Background: Acute bronchitis is one of the most common pediatric diseases. In addition to conventional therapies, a frequent use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been stated. Anthroposophic medicine (AM) is one of the most practiced complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) approaches in Central Europe but hitherto no consensus-based clinical recommendations or guidelines are available.Therefore, a consensus-based recommendation leading to an informed and reasonable use of AM in the treatment of acute bronchitis in pediatrics was developed. Methods: A total of 61 physicians in Germany with expertise in the field of anthroposophic pediatrics was invited to complete an online multistep Delphi process. Two independent reviewers quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the results. The survey was completed when >75 % consensus was achieved. Results: The clinical recommendation comprises 15 subitems related to treatment as well as clinical and psychosocial aspects. All items reached strong consensus (>90 %; N = 9) or consensus (75–90 %; N = 6). Conclusion: The comprehensive clinical recommendation creates a scientific base for the anthroposophic integrative treatment of acute bronchitis in children in Germany. It will make the anthroposophic approach more applicable, understandable and comparable to a wider public of physicians and other health professionals in Germany

Human hand function: the limitations of brain and brawn

Since the dawn of modern neurology in the late eighteenth century, understanding how the human hand is controlled has remained a foremost challenge because of the clinical reality that hand function is a major victim of stroke and recovers very poorly. For those who survive stroke, improvement of current rehabilitation strategies is the hope for improved functional outcomes (Wolf et al. 2006). Regrettably, our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying functional weakness, flexor spasticity and muscle contracture is woefully deficient. With this background, The Journal of Physiology hosted the symposium Human hand function: the limitations of brain and brawn at the 2011 Physiological Societymeeting held in Oxford. The five speakers were expected to tackle some of the roadblocks within the brain right down to the muscle. Each contributor illuminated one facet of the problem and suggested some current views that need to change