201 research outputs found
Twenty Years After Genocide: The Role of Psychology in the Reconciliation and Reconstruction Process in Rwanda
This Special Thematic Section brings together eight papers that showcase different aspects of the contribution of psychology to the processes of recovery in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide. The Section is noteworthy in part because a majority of the papers have Rwandan authors. In summarizing the contributions I make six observations about the remarkable context of the genocide and its aftermath: a) it was distinctive from previous mass violence in its intensity and character; b) it has been characterized by bystander inaction and the problems of positioning outsiders to help; c) hundreds of thousands of accused or convicted perpetrators have lived alongside survivors; d) electronic media played a profound role not only in promoting violence but also in building peace; e) Rwanda has been the site of unprecedented societal interventions with political goals that have the character and content of social psychological experiments; and f) the role of memorialization in repairing or sustaining harm needs further examination. I conclude by noting that the study of recovery is clear proof that the genocide in Rwanda, as is the case with genocides of the past, failed to achieve its aims
Mobilizing Cause Supporters through Group-Based Interaction
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Collective action expresses group-based identities, formed by supporters seeking to further particular social causes. While the development of groups linked to action necessitates interaction among supporters, little research has examined how these groups form. Utilizing responses of supporters who participated in 1 of 29 action-planning sessions, this research presents an initial attempt to identify the ingredients important to this process. It shows that to the extent that the actions agreed on in the course of group interactions were seen as capable of making a difference (action efficacy), and worthy of public expression (action voice), supportersâ group-based identification was enhanced. This in turn increased their willingness to engage in collective action. Practical implications and avenues for future research to understand the mobilization process are discussed.Australian Research Counci
Scalable quantum field simulations of conditioned systems
We demonstrate a technique for performing stochastic simulations of
conditional master equations. The method is scalable for many quantum-field
problems and therefore allows first-principles simulations of multimode bosonic
fields undergoing continuous measurement, such as those controlled by
measurement-based feedback. As examples, we demonstrate a 53-fold speed
increase for the simulation of the feedback cooling of a single trapped
particle, and the feedback cooling of a quantum field with 32 modes, which
would be impractical using previous brute force methods.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Messages of hope: Using positive stories of survival to assist recovery in Rwanda
For the past twenty years, the overriding story of Rwanda has been centred around the events and consequences of the genocide. In Rwanda, public expressions of that story have occurred in the gacaca courts, where survivors and perpetrators testified about their experiences and actions, during ongoing annual remembrance and mourning commemorations, and in memorial sites across the country that act as physical reminders of the genocide. While important as mechanisms for justice, testimony, and commemoration, on their own such events and installations also have the potential to re-traumatise. Accordingly, Rwandan agencies have encouraged a focus on the future as the overarching theme of recent national commemorations. Yet, opportunities for Rwandans to recount and disseminate positive, future-oriented stories of survival and healing remain sparse. Creation and awareness of positive stories have the potential to assist in recovery by increasing feelings of hope and efficacy; and recent research has demonstrated the value of hopefulness, well-being, and social support for vulnerable people. The Messages of Hope program seeks to leverage those ideas into a framework for generating positive messages by Rwandan survivors, providing an opportunity for everyday Rwandans to record and transmit their own positive stories of survival to demonstrate recovery and growth after the genocide, and to reinforce connectedness by sharing their challenges and aspirations. We describe the development and early implementation of this initiative and its potential longer-term application in other contexts of vulnerability
Protocols for optimal readout of qubits using a continuous quantum nondemolition measurement
We study how the spontaneous relaxation of a qubit affects a continuous
quantum non-demolition measurement of the initial state of the qubit. Given
some noisy measurement record , we seek an estimate of whether the qubit
was initially in the ground or excited state. We investigate four different
measurement protocols, three of which use a linear filter (with different
weighting factors) and a fourth which uses a full non-linear filter that gives
the theoretically optimal estimate of the initial state of the qubit. We find
that relaxation of the qubit at rate strongly influences the fidelity
of any measurement protocol. To avoid errors due to this decay, the measurement
must be completed in a time that decrease linearly with the desired fidelity
while maintaining an adequate signal to noise ratio. We find that for the
non-linear filter the predicted fidelity, as expected, is always better than
the linear filters and that the fidelity is a monotone increasing function of
the measurement time. For example, to achieve a fidelity of 90%, the box car
linear filter requires a signal to noise ratio of in a time
whereas the non-linear filter only requires a signal to noise ratio of .Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Stochastic simulations of conditional states of partially observed systems, quantum and classical
In a partially observed quantum or classical system the information that we
cannot access results in our description of the system becoming mixed even if
we have perfect initial knowledge. That is, if the system is quantum the
conditional state will be given by a state matrix and if classical
the conditional state will be given by a probability distribution
where is the result of the measurement. Thus to determine the evolution of
this conditional state under continuous-in-time monitoring requires an
expensive numerical calculation. In this paper we demonstrating a numerical
technique based on linear measurement theory that allows us to determine the
conditional state using only pure states. That is, our technique reduces the
problem size by a factor of , the number of basis states for the system.
Furthermore we show that our method can be applied to joint classical and
quantum systems as arises in modeling realistic measurement.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure
Adaptive phase estimation is more accurate than non-adaptive phase estimation for continuous beams of light
We consider the task of estimating the randomly fluctuating phase of a
continuous-wave beam of light. Using the theory of quantum parameter
estimation, we show that this can be done more accurately when feedback is used
(adaptive phase estimation) than by any scheme not involving feedback
(non-adaptive phase estimation) in which the beam is measured as it arrives at
the detector. Such schemes not involving feedback include all those based on
heterodyne detection or instantaneous canonical phase measurements. We also
demonstrate that the superior accuracy adaptive phase estimation is present in
a regime conducive to observing it experimentally.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, submitted to PR
Inequalities and identity processes in crises: recommendations for facilitating safe response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Structural inequalities and identity processes are pivotal to understanding public response to COVIDâ19. We discuss how identity processes can be used to promote communityâlevel support, safe normative behaviour, and increase compliance with guidance. However, we caution how government failure to account for structural inequalities can alienate vulnerable groups, inhibit groups from being able to follow guidance, and lead to the creation of new groups in response to illegitimate treatment. Moreover, we look ahead to the longitudinal impacts of inequalities during pandemics and advise government bodies should address identityâbased inequalities to mitigate negative relations with the public and subsequent collective protest
Children's use of multiple categorisations in practice in a multicultural setting.
Little is known about whether and how children combine categories of race, ethnicity, language and religion in multicultural settings where more than one of these dimensions is salient. Ethnographic data from a multicultural London primary school found that children usually organised multiple categories congruently (e.g. 'If you're Indian you are Sikh'), despite strong opposition from teachers. This congruent organisation may originate in an undifferentiated experience of categories in the family, and/or represent the best 'fit' with a local population in which categories were correlated. Children used congruent organisation to infer peers' group membership, which may amplify intergroup contrasts
Public division about climate change rooted in conflicting socio-political identities
Of the climate science papers that take a position on the issue, 97% agree that climate change is caused by humans1, but less than half of the US population shares this belief2. This misalignment between scientific and public views has been attributed to a range of factors, including political attitudes, socio-economic status, moral values, levels of scientific understanding, and failure of scientific communication. The public is divided between climate change 'believers' (whose views align with those of the scientific community) and 'sceptics' (whose views are in disagreement with those of the scientific community). We propose that this division is best explained as a socio-political conflict between these opposing groups. Here we demonstrate that US believers and sceptics have distinct social identities, beliefs and emotional reactions that systematically predict their support for action to advance their respective positions. The key implication is that the divisions between sceptics and believers are unlikely to be overcome solely through communication and education strategies, and that interventions that increase angry opposition to action on climate change are especially problematic. Thus, strategies for building support for mitigation policies should go beyond attempts to improve the publicâs understanding of science, to include approaches that transform intergroup relations
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