Contemporary Cultural Influences Research Articles

A Few Remarks on the Influence of Contemporary Culture on Rehabilitation and About Attempts at Educational Impact Through Artistic Creativity

In the ongoing struggle of resocialisation pedagogy for its greater effectiveness, an important place is occupied by research and programmes on the use of various forms of cultural activity (meetings with culture and art) and artistic creation for social rehabilitation purposes. These activities perfectly fit into the interdisciplinary character of rehabilitation itself. In practice, many such projects are currently being implemented in Poland, including correctional facilities, juvenile shelters, and penitentiary units. Moreover, it is noteworthy that Polish rehabilitation can boast significant achievements in this field. The author suggests the existence of the undoubted influence of the background culture and mass culture on the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The tasks undertaken by social rehabilitation pedagogues and people involved in the re-use of different types of cultural engineering should consider the influence and the image of contemporary Western culture affected by the crisis of values. Presented concepts of resocialisation through cultural activity and artistic creation testify to a truly humanistic search for remedial shaping of socially maladjusted people and show an important current in contemporary resocialisation.

Psychoanalysis and the 21st Century: A Critique and a Vision

The author traces a current crisis in psychoanalysis to its inwardness and insularity, which have left it insufficiently progressive in relation to cultural shifts. We must more expansively open ourselves to contemporary cultural influences and connect inclusively with wide-ranging therapeutic approaches and intercultural disciplines—the arts, humanities, and sciences. This outward-leaning orientation opens psychoanalysis to interdisciplinarity, broadens its methodological integration, and promotes its growth by positioning it in the current of progress of a variety of other disciplines and psychotherapeutic schools.

Research vs. Me-search: Thinking More of Thee and Less of Me When Working Within the Context of Culture

The ascendance of cultural sport psychology as a concentrated focus of academic inquiry is timely, and emergent investigations therein represent welcome areas of scholarship. The invitation embedded in this forthcoming discussion to sport psychology researchers and practitioners to stretch beyond their comfort zones is being extended with a request to consider pursuing sport psychology research and practice with a “more of thee and less of me” mindset. The North Star goals articulated herein are to stimulate avant-garde and imaginative thinking by expanding the concepts of reflective practice and reflexivity, thereby creating a portal through which to see how perceived stumbling blocks to overcoming traditional approaches to the study of sport psychology can be transformed into stepping stones. Six premises provide the context within which this discussion is presented. Collectively, these premises support and raise caution about the scientific method and suggest that the time has come to rethink commonly held beliefs about color-blindness, melting pot formulations, and alleged-to-be-absent historical and contemporary cultural influences on in-the-moment interpersonal interactions. A context-sensitive across-cultures communication model is offered as a way of synthesizing the premises and creating a portal through which to enter into new domains of investigative inquiry. Implications for the future of sport psychology relative to research, practice, training, and consultation will be offered for consideration.

The Cinematic Genesis of the Mel Casas Humanscape, 1965–1967

The 153 paintings that San Antonio–based artist Mel Casas calls Humanscapes were inspired by a glimpse of a drive-in movie screen. This article treats the first three years of work on this series, a period in which the artist referenced cinematic settings and audiences while registering aspects of the sexual revolution. Marshall McLuhan’s Mechanical Bride (1951) deeply influenced the analysis of media imagery and technology that is evident in these paintings. In addition to contemporary cultural influences, the early phase of the Humanscape series also drew on the same artistic influences, namely surrealism and Dada, that shaped the work of other pop artists. By the end of 1967, Casas included parts of signs within his paintings. These signs led to freestanding, independent texts that doubled as subtitles. By juxtaposing punning texts and images, Casas broke from the explicit cinematic setting. Interviews with Casas and statements by the artist assist in discerning the inner logic of this remarkable series.

Status, taste and distinction in consumer culture: acknowledging the symbolic dimensions of inequality

The relationship between social position and health has been the focus of extensive public health debate. In the UK and elsewhere, most researchers have focused on physical aspects of health, using indicators such as mortality and morbidity to draw a picture of profound and widening social inequalities. This paper draws attention to the (neglected) influence of contemporary culture on wellbeing, arguing that the social meanings created within consumer culture possess symbolic force that can add to wider inequalities. The possession of greater material and cultural resources by people of higher social status enables them to label their preferred forms of consumption and lifestyle as desirable and legitimate, thus conveying messages about superior taste and social distinction. Symbolic rather than material forms of inequality are implicated here, with consequences for the psychological wellbeing of disadvantaged people. This paper argues that analyses of inequality need broadening to include such considerations. However, there are implications for efforts to address health inequalities because this analysis suggests that if some forms of social inequality are removed, elements within society would be motivated to invent new forms to replace them. Therefore, this article suggests processes whereby people can develop the self-awareness needed to resist the glossy illusions of the good life represented by modern consumer capitalism.

Lounge Caravan: A Selective Discography

PRECURSORS AND NOT-SO-DISTANT COUSINS genre designation describes a complex of music ranging from light instrumentais (easy listening) to experimental uses of instruments and cutting-edge technology (not-so-easy listening). word network is used here instead of genre because lounge emerged from many different kinds of sources and embraces many different kinds of music, contemporary cultural influences, and technological innovations. Its roots may be found in the very beginnings of background or incidental music, in music that exhibits unusual uses of traditional western musical instruments as well as newly-invented electronic instruments, in avant-garde and futuristic music, in arrangements emerging from the era of light music on the radio (the 1920s and 1930s), and in instrumental versions or covers (i.e., recordings by other artists) of popular and classical songs. Lounge's musical influences and inspirations are a hodgepodge: Dixieland jazz; Latin dance; the croon; experimental music, and the song. Most lounge music is composed and performed to create a particular mood or to transport the listener to another placeoften a jungle, an island paradise, or outer space. There are numerous excellent monographs and discographies that focus on this large of music. Joseph Lanza's Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong, now available in a second revised and expanded edition (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2004) provides a detailed history and discography focusing on easy-listening recordings. Other sources for discographies and reviews include back issues of Cool and Strange Music! Magazine, Space Age Pop Music Page (available on the Internet at http://spaceagepop .com), and Weirdomusic.com (http://weirdomusic.com/index.html). focus of this discographical essay is on lounge music that tends to impel listeners to pay attention to their stereos or radios, music that offers both listener and stereo a workout, as opposed to the notion of easy listening. discussion in the essay section will consider sound quality, variety (particularly of compilations), and accessibility of reissued recordings for the purpose of starting a library collection; these are also the inclusion criteria for the discography itself. Turning now to the milieu of lounge music, please adjust your VU meters, sit back, and read further. NOVELTY A typewriter dings after being cued by an orchestra; a waltz meows; a clock tick-tocks to a tune in common meter. From the late 1930s into the 1950s compositions by Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) were popular favorites among radio audiences as well as concertgoers (the Harvardeducated composer was an arranger for the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler and later became a composer of Broadway musicals). Such descriptive or novelty songs predate the gimmick songs that gained popularity in the early 1960s. They demand the attention of listeners-causing them to sit and listen. With a sense of humor, Anderson transformed everyday sounds into music. Leroy Anderson Collection (MCA Classics MCAD2-9815A and MCAD2-9815B [1988]) is a two-compact disc set that includes Anderson's best known works: Blue Tango, The Typewriter, The Waltzing Cat, The Syncopated Clock, Sleigh Ride, and his theme song Forgotten Dreams. largest compilation of Anderson's songs available, this CD set includes selections (some monaural) from Anderson's Broadway musical Goldilocks (1958) as well as less well-known songs such as Sandpaper Ballet, Jazz Pizzicato, and Clarinet Candy. A more accessible compilation of Anderson's popular songs is on the CD The Typewriter: Leroy Anderson Favorites (RCA Victor 09026-68048-2 [1995]). recording features performances by the St. Louis Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. Raymond Scott (1909-1994), Anderson's contemporary, was a bandleader, composer, pianist, recording and electronic music engineer, and producer. …

New Westers: The West in Contemporary American Culture

Yeeeeehaaah! Nightly that raucous cry breezes out from beneath the broad-brimmed Stetsons of boot-scootin line dancers at boisterous bars called Cadillac Ranch, Cactus Moon, or Stallions & Stars. And that, Michael Johnson tells us, is just one of the many signs that Americans have rekindled and refashioned their love affair with the American West. These New Westers, Johnson reveals, line-dance and two-step, listen to Garth Brooks and George Strait, drink beer from long-neck bottles, wear clothes ordered from Sheplers, watch rodeo on ESPN, play Wild West arcade games, eat fajitas and tacos in stucco-style Mexican cafes, collect Western art and Native American crafts, and vacation in and move to the West. New Westers rewrite the history and biography of the West. They reimagine the West in cowboy sagas and poetry, Native American novels, Mexican-American drama, nature writing, revisionist films, eclectic visual artwork, and neo-traditional music. They flock to movies like Thelma and Louise, Unforgiven, and Dances with Wolves or mini-series like Lonesome Dove and read bestsellers like The Crossing and All the Pretty Horses. New Westers are men and women who may or may not have ever hitched up a horse but who want a West. At the end of an urbanized century adrift in confusing change, they seek a more natural home, a fuller and wider sense of place, and a deeper and more colorful personal identity. They also want, Johnson shows, to revive the dream of the mythic West-but on new and different terms. They overrun the Old West and yet strive to preserve it, raising troubling new concerns about the differences between the mythic and the real, between traditional and contemporary cultural influences. Infused with true grit and true affection, Johnson's immensely entertaining book takes us on a lively jaunt through a colorful and amazing landscape. His celebration of things Western will be treasured by all armchair cowpokes or anyone who's ever dreamed of riding the high country.

Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods

Each chapter concludes with Readings and References. Foreword, by Salvador Minuchin, M.D. Preface. I.THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY THERAPY. 1.The Foundations of Family Therapy. The Myths of the Hero. Psychotherapeutic Sanctuary. Family versus Individual Therapy. Psychology and Social Context. The Power of Family Therapy. Contemporary Cultural Influences. Thinking in Lines: Thinking in Circles. 2.The Evolution of Family Therapy. The Undeclared War. Small Group Dynamics. The Child Guidance Movement. The Influence of Social Work. Research on Family Dynamics and the Etiology of Schizophrenia. Marriage Counseling. From Research to Treatment: The Pioneers of Family Therapy. The Golden Age of Family Therapy. Summary. 3.Early Models and Basic Techniques: Group Process and Communications Analysis. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions for Behavior Change. Techniques. Lessons from the Early Models. System's Anxiety. The Stages of Family Therapy. Family Assessment. Working with Managed Care. 4.The Fundamental Concepts of Family Therapy. Systems Theory. Functionalism. Structuralism. The Legacy of Cybernetics and Structural-Functionalism. General Systems Theory. Satir's Humanizing Influence. Bowen and Differentiation of Self. The Road Not Taken. Enduring Concepts and Methods. Conclusions. II.THE CLASSIC SCHOOLS OF FAMILY THERAPY. 5.Bowen Family Systems Therapy. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. 6.Experiential Family Therapy. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. 7.Psychoanalytic Family Therapy. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. 8.Structural Family Therapy. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. 9.Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. III.RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FAMILY THERAPY. 10.Family Therapy Enters the Twenty-First Century. Erosion Boundaries. Postmodernism. Constructivism. Collaborative, Conversational Approaches. The Hermeneutic Tradition. Social Constructionism. The Narrative Revolution. Family Therapy's Answer to Managed Care: Solution-Focused Therapy. Feminism and Family Therapy. Family Violence. Multiculturalism. Race. Poverty and Social Class. Gay and Lesbian Issues. Spirituality. Tailoring Treatments to Populations and Problems. Empirically Based Treatment Programs. Medical Family Therapy and Psychoeducation. The Self in the System. Managed Care. Conclusions. 11.From Strategic to Solution-Focused: The Evolution of Brief Therapy. The MRI, Strategic, and Milan Systemic Models. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. 12.Narrative Therapy. Sketches of Leading Figures. Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Evaluating Therapy Theory and Results. Summary. 13.Integrative Models. Eclecticism. Selective Borrowing. Specially Designed Integrative Models. The Internal Family Systems Model. Summary. IV.THE EVALUATION OF FAMILY THERAPY. 14.Comparative Analysis. Theoretical Purity and Technical Eclecticism. Family Therapist - Artist or Scientist? Theoretical Formulations. Normal Family Development. Development of Behavior Disorders. Goals of Therapy. Conditions of Behavior Change. Techniques. Context and Applicability of the Schools of Family Therapy. Selection of a Theoretical Position: Rational and Irrational Factors. Summary. 15.Family Therapy Research: Science into Practice, Practice into Science. How Effective Is Family Therapy? What Makes Family Therapy Effective? Practice into Science. Appendix A: Recommended Readings. Appendix B: Glossary. Appendix C: Careers and Training. Name Index. Subject Index.

Toward a more comprehensive medical anthropology: the case of adolescent psychopathology.

This article argues for a more comprehensive analytical approach in medical anthropology than is currently followed, one that combines attention to structural factors (political, economic, medical/psychiatric), experiential/symbolic expressions and meanings, and biological/bodily features of disorders. We show how subject matter that may be defined as "adolescent psychopathology" would be better understood by a comprehensive approach than by partial views. Three areas within adolescent psychopathology are chosen as illustrative: anorexia nervosa, dissociation, and social aggression. Each of these, like adolescence itself, is powerfully shaped by historical and contemporary cultural influences, and each implicates important theories in medical anthropology.

The Psychology of Religion in Australia

Reasons for the late emergence of the psychology of religion in Australia include the history and growth of psychology, early resistance of institutional religion to a scientific study of religion, changes in direction of psychology in the 1960s, and renewed interest in the study of religion after World War 2. Research in Australia between 1960 and 1990 reveals three trends: theory-based, phenomena-based, and combined approaches. Contemporary cultural influences, including secularization, urbanization, multiculturalism, and the changing status of women and Aboriginals, challenge and present opportuni- ties for the psychology of religion in Australia.