A contextual behavioral approach to the study of (persecutory) delusions

Throughout the past century the topic of delusions has mainly been studied by researchers operating at the mental level of analysis. According to this perspective, delusional beliefs, as well as their emergence and persistence, stem from an interplay between (dysfunctional) mental representations and processes. Our paper aims to provide a starting point for researchers and clinicians interested in examining the topic of delusions from a functional-analytic perspective. We begin with a brief review of the research literature with a particular focus on persecutory delusions. Thereafter we introduce Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS), Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and a behavioral phenomenon known as arbitrarily applicable relational responding (AARR). Drawing upon AARR, and recent empirical developments within CBS, we argue that (persecutory) delusions may be conceptualized, studied and influenced using a functional-analytic approach. We consider future directions for research in this area as well as clinical interventions aimed at influencing delusions and their expression

Anthropology of Family Business: Ten Desiderata. In Proceedings, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 27th Annual Conference

For anthropology to realize its potential for contributing to family business, what would it be like? I would emphasize 10 desiderata. These are: (1) familiarity with relevant ethnographies; (2) knowledge about kinship studies; (3) focus on important questions; (4) alertness to sources of solidarity and of conflict; (5) knowledge about human variation and possibilities; (6) attention to wider contexts; (7) systematic comparison; (8) attention to lived experiences; (9) cross-disciplinarity; and (10) methodological soundness. For these 10 properties, I outline key elements, suggest readings, and argue for their importance by considering the consequences if they were not included

Do You Trust Me(dia)?: How Students Perceive and Identify Fake News

Social media has become an increasingly popular source of news among young adults. However, with the rise of “fake news,” credibility comes into question and young adults are left on their own to determine which news is real and which is false. Two focus groups were employed in this study to gain a greater understanding of how college students aged 18-24 determine what news to trust on social media and the factors that impacted those decisions. Young adults in that age group trust news found on social media based on a variety of factors including the person that is sharing the news, the particular social media site it comes from, and the ability to verify the news with other alternative sources

Hangul - The Korean Language

Postcard from Jennifer Stewart, during the Linfield College Semester Abroad Program at Yonsei University in Seoul, Kore

Identity, citizenship, and moral constructs from the virtual self

Many young people now access digital networks that include individuals very unlike them who promote different cultural, religious and ethical value systems and behaviour. Such value systems can create conflicts of expectation for young people seeking to resolve their relationship to a national citizenship in a pluralistic society, especially if they are experiencing adolescent uncertainties or a growing awareness of social inequalities. The emergence of trans-national political structures and their differing value systems, together with the rise of international tensions, have increased uncertainty about the nature of identity and entitlement to a national citizenship. This paper describes the ongoing Citizens project study of identity development in young people, using real-world scenarios to discover the values that underpin their engagement with this wider range of religious and cultural value systems and to explore personal identity, political issues and citizenship

Coming late to the game: how to create a totally integrated (!) repository system

This paper recounts the experiences and lessons learned in developing a repository system from scratch, using Eprints and Symplectic Elements, at City University London. The system is called City Research Online (CRO). Contrary to the title, the system created is not “totally integrated” (in fact far from it!). However the author was able to draw upon experiences learned in his previous role as Repository Manager at LSE, as well as those from the broader repository community, to implement automation of processes and systems integration. These lessons were implemented in light of the fact that City was relatively late in setting up its repository, and benefited from lessons learnt by other institutions. The paper details the set-up at City; explains how decisions made on the set-up were informed by past lessons; and examines the level of integration judged by a number of different criteria

Gettysburg Against Gun Violence

On April 4th, the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Saheed Vassell, a 34 year old black man, was shot nine times and killed in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY. Plain clothes police officers responded to several calls complaining of a man walking through the streets pointing gun at people. They later found out that Saheed was unarmed, and the object in his hand was merely a showerhead. Saheed had a history of mental illness, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years prior. He was well known by longtime residents of the neighborhood who described him as quirky and harmless. He would often wander aimlessly through the neighborhood offering to help carry bags and sweep the floors of local barber shops. Like Saheed, my younger brother Aaron also has a history of mental illness. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a young boy and suffers from episodes just like the one that cost Saheed his life on April 4th. It is because of him that, I stand here today. When I first learned about the killing of Saheed my heart ached. [excerpt

Purity in Seclusion: Exploring the Anchoritic Lifestyle through an Archaeological Lens

This paper uses both archaeological and ethno-historical data to cross-examine theoretical explanations for understanding the anchoritic lifestyle, which are grounded in gender and feminist theory, sexuality and queer theory, as well as theories of personhood and permeability. For interpretations related to gender and feminist theory, I will crossexamine case studies involving other circumstances of ordained seclusion in Christianity. These case studies include the monjeríos, or the separate living quarters built for unmarried indigenous women of Spanish colonial California, as well as seclusion of “wayward women” by the Magdalen Society of Philadelphia. In addition, I examine archaeological studies conducted by Roberta Gilchirst and Michelle Sauer, who interpret aspects of the anchoress’ worldview through the lens of sexuality and queer theory. I offer a critique of these various theoretical frameworks and also consider theories of personhood, particularly the notion of permeability, as a more productive theoretical approach for understanding the lifestyle and choices of the medieval anchoress. The physical remains of the anchoress’ lifestyle and archaeological analysis provide a new lens with which to imagine the anchoritic worldview, a subject which has only been explored using literature written by men from this time. By exploring the anchoritic lifestyle in this way, we can let the anchoresses, who wrote very little, speak a little more for themselves