non-Western Cultures Research Articles

Self-rated attractiveness predicts preferences for sexually dimorphic facial characteristics in a culturally diverse sample

Individuals who are more attractive are thought to show a greater preference for facial sexual dimorphism, potentially because individuals who perceive themselves as more physically attractive believe they will be better able to attract and/or retain sexually dimorphic partners. Evidence for this link is mixed, however, and recent research suggests the association between self-rated attractiveness and preferences for facial sexual dimorphism may not generalise to non-Western cultures. Here, we assess whether self-rated attractiveness and self-rated health predict facial sexual dimorphism preferences in a large and culturally diverse sample of 6907 women and 2851 men from 41 countries. We also investigated whether ecological factors, such as country health/development and inequality, might moderate this association. Our analyses found that men and women who rated themselves as more physically attractive reported stronger preferences for exaggerated sex-typical characteristics in other-sex faces. This finding suggests that associations between self-rated attractiveness and preferences for sexually dimorphic facial characteristics generalise to a culturally diverse sample and exist independently of country-level factors. We also found that country health/development moderated the effect of men’s self-rated attractiveness on femininity preferences, such that men from countries with high health/development showed a positive association between self-rated attractiveness and femininity preference, while men from countries with low health/development showed the opposite trend.

Feminist global decadence

ABSTRACT To conceive of modernist feminist decadence without rehashing, let alone reinscribing, the primacy of the historical movement demands particularly malleable approaches to feminism, including fresh ways of engaging with the women authors who are considered part of the modernist decadent canon and their own often fraught relationships with feminism. It requires an understanding and theorizing of the ways in which women, in their roles as authors, artists, advocates, translators, explorers, experimentalists, and provocateurs, contributed to an internationalist formulation of decadence. The essays in this issue of Feminist Modernist Studies address the association of decadence with imperialism, colonialism, and foreign encounters; its presence in non-Western cultures; the cosmopolitan character of decadent authors and artists; and the common turn by Westerners to non-European aesthetics and scenarios to evoke a sexualized exoticism. Of equal importance, the globalism of decadence is analyzed through its engagement with multilingualism, translation, and the trans-culturalism engrained within the reality and identity of any nation.

Alexithymia among patients with unexplained physical symptoms

IntroductionSome research suggests that mental health problems can be brought on by the stress of having unexplained symptom. In non-western cultures especially, psychological distress is often communicated through multiple somatic complaints. The biopsychosocial model takes into consideration all factors affecting health and disease, supporting the integration of biological, psychological and social factors in the assessment and treatment.ObjectivesIn our study we assess prevalence of alexithymia as a potential psychopathological attribute manifesting as unexplained somatic symptomsMethods196 patients aged 18 to 60 with unexplained physical symptoms for at least three months, after collection of demographic data, medical and psychiatric history, were subject to Arabic version of the following scales : patient health questionnaire PHQ-15 to assess severity of somatic symptoms, patient health questionnaire PHQ-9 to assess depressive symptoms, generalized anaxiety disorder GAD-7 to assess general anxiety disorder symptoms and Toronto Alexithymia scale TAS to assess alexithymiaResults90% of ours ample were female patients, 49,5% showed alexithymia, 27,6% were borderline alexithymic and 23% had no alexithymia. Patients with unexplained physical symptoms showed moderate to high depressive symptoms in 81,1% of the sample, moderate to severe anxiety symptoms in 73,5%. Severity of somatic symptoms as assessed by PHQ-15 were significantly highly correlated to scores for Alexithymia (TAS), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7) p<0,001ConclusionsAlexithymia is prevalent among patients with unexplained physical symptoms. This later population has high prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms that go with the severity of somatic manifestations

Experiences of a non-clinical set of adolescents and young adults living with persistent pain: a qualitative metasynthesis

PurposeAround 15%–30% of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) experience persistent or chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to synthesise evidence from qualitative primary studies on how AYAs in...

Assessment of knowledge of mental illness in a non-clinical population of tunisian students

IntroductionStigma, including beliefs about mental illness, can operate in different cultures in different ways, making Western theoretical bases considered “universal” on the stigmatization of theories not applicable to non-Western cultures; hence the need for international studies on this subject.ObjectivesThis work aimed to assess knowledge of mental illness, available treatments and recovery in a non-clinical sample of Tunisian university students.MethodsIn a cross-sectional descriptive study from October 1 to November 30, 2019, we evaluated 714 students from 3 Tunisian public universities using the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule scale (MAKS).ResultsWe found that 34.2% of students did not agree that drugs can be an effective treatment for people with mental health issues, while 76.4% agreed on the effectiveness of psychotherapy. In addition, 34.3% did not consider drug addiction as a mental illness and 21.9% did not consider depression as a mental illness. We objectified a significant correlation of the MAKS score with gender (p=0.019), living environment (p=0.001), high academic level of father (p=0.000) and mother (p=0.027) and presence of personal psychiatric history (p=0.013).ConclusionsAwareness and information campaigns aimed at developing the general public’s knowledge of the scientific, medical and psychosocial causes of mental illness and the means of management should be established.

Uterine transplant: an ethical framework analysis from a Middle Eastern perspective

Background Significant advances in infertility treatment have been achieved over the past several decades, but women with uterine dysfunction, anomaly, or agenesis still need support to carry a pregnancy to term. Recently, advancements in surgical, anesthetic and immunosuppressive therapy have brought the idea of successful uterine transplant closer to reality, but many challenges must be overcome before uterine transplant can become more common, including ethical challenges related to the study and the conduct of this procedure. Methods This was an updated ethical analysis of uterine transplant from a Middle Eastern perspective, using an established ethical framework that has been adapted for the analysis of research in non-Western cultures and developing countries. Results Using the ethical framework, this analysis explored research developments in uterine transplant to date, using the following categories: collaborative partnership, social value, scientific validity, a fair selection of study population, favorable risk–benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for recruited participants. The analysis revealed a significant need for region- and religion-specific ethical guidelines for uterine transplant procedures. Conclusions The horizons of research need to expand by addressing and researching the ethical issues related to uterine transplant trials and clinical procedures Limitations Limitations included the challenges related to applying ethical analyses to work in developing countries, and the fact that this analysis was based on the views and interpretations of a single researcher

Individual, Relational, and Sociocultural Determinants of Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction in Ecuador.

AimVarious individual, relational, and sociocultural variables have been identified as determinants of sexual responding, but these have rarely been investigated in non-Western cultures that are characterized by sexual conservatism. We aimed to explore the role of socioeconomic status and religion, sexual double standards, erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual dysfunctional beliefs, and relationship satisfaction to explain sexual function and satisfaction in Ecuador.Method599 participants (431 women and 159 men) completed an online survey.Main Outcomes MeasuresThe Female sexual function was predicted by sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual dysfunctional beliefs, and sexual double standards, while the male sexual function was predicted solely by sexual satisfaction. Additionally, female sexual satisfaction was predicted by sexual function, relationship satisfaction, and sexual dysfunctional beliefs, while male sexual satisfaction was predicted by sexual function and relationship satisfaction.ResultsFemale Sexual Function Index, International Index of Erectile Function, Brief Sexual Opinion Survey, Sexual Double Standards Scale, Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, New Sexual Satisfaction Scale, and Couple Satisfaction Index.ConclusionThis study provided novel information on the determinants of sexual function and satisfaction within a culture in which conservative religious beliefs still prevail. Results should be interpreted with caution given the unequal distribution of men and women, social desirability and volunteer biases, and the specific COVID-19 pandemic context during which the survey took place. Markers of sexual conservatism were inversely related to sexual function and satisfaction, mainly in women, and may, therefore, be important targets of treatment. Female sexuality seemed more context-dependent than male sexuality, although enhancing the general climate of the relationship may benefit feeling sexually satisfied in both men and women. DA Hidalgo, M Dewitte. Individual, Relational, and Sociocultural Determinants of Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction in Ecuador. Sex Med 2021;9:100307.

PATRIARCHY AND THE “OTHER” IN THE WESTERN IMAGINATION: HONOUR KILLINGS AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The purpose of this article is to explore the pedagogical challenges of teaching university-level, feminist, anti-racist courses that examine how Eurocentric patriarchal practices of male violence against women within Canadian society are normalized and obscured through the concept of honour killing. I argue that the normalization of Western structures and practices of patriarchy reproduces racism, sexism, and classism by focusing attention on the “Otherness” of non-Western forms of patriarchy. Honour killings are rendered as distinct from other forms of male violence against women on the basis that they are seen solely as a product of non-Western cultures and religions and not as part of a spectrum of forms of male violence against women practised by all patriarchal societies in Western and non-Western countries.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children (IUSC): Findings From Clinical and Community Samples in Iran.

The present study examined the psychometric properties of a Persian version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children (IUSC; Comer et al, 2009). Participating youth (n = 346) 8 to 18 years of age were nonreferred community youth (n = 279) or youth who met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder (n = 67) and their parents. Across child- and parent-report data, confirmatory factor analysis supported a shortened 12-item version of the IUSC, and the confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed a theory-driven correlated two-factor structure of the IUSC-12. (i.e., prospective/inhibitory IU). Results further supported reliability and validity of parent- and child-reports of the Persian IUSC-12 via evidence of internal consistency, 4-week retest, significant associations with established measures of internalizing problems, and the ability of the measure to reliably distinguish the clinical sample from the community sample. Findings demonstrate sound psychometric properties of the Persian version of the IUSC-12 and provide additional support for the reliability and validity of the measure and its use in non-Western cultures. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for assessment, treatment, and study of anxiety and related internalizing problems in Iranian youth.

Contemporary Grammars of Meaning Creation: Scientific Creationism and New Atheism

This article approaches the grammars of meaning creation by Scientific Creationism and New Atheism from an anthropological-communicological perspective. By grammars of meaning creation, we understand the different languages that the human being uses to communicate the meaning of their existence to themself and others. Nowadays, Scientific Creationism is disseminated around the world and has transcended evangelical Christianity by permeating non-Christian religions. On the other hand, New Atheism, headed by Richard Dawkins, has also reached non-Western cultures such as Muslim cultures. Starting from Apelian transcendental semiotics, the hermeneutics of Durand’s symbol, and Lluís Duch’s anthropological study on mythos and logos, we reflect on the horizons of understanding of both movements. Our study shows that, contrary to what one might think given the antagonistic metaphysical positions the two movements seem to profess, Scientific Creationists and New Atheists share the same grammar of meaning creation: positivism. What one could interpret as a new epistemological controversy between science and religion can be better understood as a fight based on positivist science to establish the true origin myth. Thus, creationists and atheists implicitly recognize positivism as the contemporary theological discourse, i.e., the self-evident grammar of meaning creation that allows the Truth to be expressed.

Chinese versions of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire: Psychometric properties, measurement invariance across gender and cultures.

Associations between unmet interpersonal needs and different aspects of suicide have been observed in both Western and non-Western cultures using the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ). However, measurement invariance is a prerequisite for comparing differences between culturally different groups, and to date, no studies have examined measurement invariance of INQ across cultures. This study aimed to (a) validate Chinese versions of the INQ, (b) assess measurement invariance across gender for the Chinese INQ, (c) assess measurement invariance across Australian and Chinese cultures for the INQ, and (d) comprehensively assess the association of interpersonal needs with suicide ideation. A sample of 469 Australian undergraduates and a sample of 854 Chinese undergraduates were used in this study. For testing measurement invariance across gender, the sample of Chinese undergraduates was split by gender into the Chinese male and Chinese female samples. Five versions of INQ (10-, 12-, 15-, 18- and 25-item) were tested. The 10- and 15-item Chinese INQ demonstrated adequate psychometric properties through various analyses (i.e., reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling) and also demonstrated measurement invariance across gender via multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The 10-item INQ demonstrated measurement invariance across Australian and Chinese cultures. Of the two interpersonal factors, only perceived burdensomeness was significantly associated with suicide ideation. Multigroup structural equation modeling demonstrated that perceived burdensomeness may be a greater risk factor of suicide among Australian undergraduates than among Chinese undergraduates. Practical and theoretical contributions of this study are discussed.

From Lotte Reiniger to Nguyễn Trinh Thi: Examining the Evolution of Non-Western Representation in Artists’ Film and Video

Experimental filmmakers are often celebrated for their radical engagement with both form and content. This article highlights how artists’ film and video have evolved in the past century when it comes to the representation of non-Western communities and their cultures. Employing close textual analysis, it compares Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed (), Len Lye’s Tusalava () and Free Radicals (), and Nguyễn Trinh Thi’s Letters from Panduranga (), through a postcolonial lens. Foregrounding how Nguyễn is engaged in the nuances of postcolonial identity in a manner that is not replicated by Reiniger and Lye, it concludes that depictions of non-Western cultures in artists’ film and video have developed in the past century from spaces of exoticization to sites of inclusion and respect.

Parental Antecedents of Locus of Control of Reinforcement: A Qualitative Review.

The construct of locus of control of reinforcement has generated thousands of studies since its introduction as a psychological concept by Julian Rotter (1966). Although evidence indicates its importance for a wide range of outcomes, comparatively little research has been directed toward identification of potential developmental antecedents of internal/external expectancies. A previous review of antecedent findings (Carton and Nowicki, 1994) called for more research to be completed, particularly using observational and/or longitudinal methodologies. The current paper summarizes and evaluates antecedent research published in the intervening years since Carton and Nowicki’s review. Results largely were consistent with expectations based on Rotter’s social learning theory, although there is still a need for researchers to use observational, rather than self-report methodologies, and to include data from non-western cultures.

In Their Own Words: Using Open-Ended Assessment to Identify Culturally Relevant Concerns among Kenyan Adolescents

Standardized assessment tools developed in western contexts may systematically miss certain problems that are considered important in non-western cultures. In this mixed-methods study, we used an open-ended assessment tool (the Top Problem Assessment; TPA) to identify culturally relevant concerns among low-income Kenyan youth. We then (a) applied thematic analysis to identify the most frequently reported problems and (b) examined the extent to which these problems were reflected in standardized mental health measures. Using the TPA, we identified common social, academic, and economic problems facing Kenyan youths. Specifically, 61% of the sample reported a social problem, 38% an academic problem, and 35% an economic problem. By contrast, the standardized assessments revealed that worrying and difficulty concentrating were the most commonly reported symptoms. However, the emotional and behavioral problems assessed via the standardized measures were only reported as top problems by 17% of the sample. Overall, our findings are consistent with the idea that standardized measures can miss certain culturally-salient concerns that can be acquired through open-ended assessments. We discuss how brief open-ended assessment tools could complement standardized measures, inform the development of culturally relevant standardized measures, and offer rich data about the experiences of people in understudied cultural contexts.

Similarities and differences in the management of psychiatric disorders by the colonial empires: an historical overview.

Colonial psychiatry represented the first, despite distorted, attempt to interpret psychiatric symptoms in non-Western cultures. This psychiatry, therefore, laid the roots for the subsequent development of ethnopsychiatry, but it also represented the first example of the political use of this discipline. Purpose of the present article is to provide a critical review about the management of psychiatric disorders in the different colonial empires. We critically summarized relevant literature about theory and practice of colonial psychiatry in the different European empires. All the colonial empires were characterized by few resources destined to mental health both for the colonizers, but especially for the local populations. The British used reports from psychiatric hospitals to maintain political control over the colonies. French colonial psychiatry focused more on cultural assimilation, while the Dutch one was based on theories of racial inferiority of local populations. In Italy, colonial psychiatry focused more on the differences between the north and south of the country than on non-European territories. Although with differences between the various empires, colonial psychiatry provided means and support for the political and social control of the occupied territories.

Adapting the body project to a non-western culture: a dissonance-based eating disorders prevention program for Saudi women.

The main aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an adapted version of the Body Project for young Saudi women as their eating and body issues are comparable to western culture and linked to internalization of westernization. The study also aims to assess predictors of attrition and preliminary effectiveness. The intervention was adapted to local culture in collaboration with a co-director of the Body Project Collaborative. 48 Saudi undergraduate females were recruited, mean age was 19.16years (SD = 1.23), baseline BMI was (M = 24.42, SD = 5.46). Eating pathology, body image, and comorbidities were assessed pre and post the intervention with adapted self-report measures. The Body Project is feasible for young Saudi women. Participants were willing to enrol, they found the intervention useful, understandable, and enjoyable. There was no difference between completers and non-completers. The preliminary effect sizes are similar or higher than other effectiveness trials in other cultures. A cognitive dissonance-based eating disorders prevention can be applicable across cultures where westernization is an influence. The effectiveness is yet to be affirmed. Future research is needed to investigate effectiveness in further robust studies and a bigger sample. Level IV (evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention, such as case studies. Dramatic results in uncontrolled trials might also be regarded as this type of evidence).

A Heuristic for All? A Multiple Needs Approach to Fairness Heuristic Formation in Digital Transformation in Chinese Work Organizations

Procedural fairness is an important issue in organizations because people consider it key to both favorable instrumental outcomes such as innovation and positive relations. This article proposes two possible relational issues in the Chinese workplace during the process of digital transformation: the exclusiveness of the authority–subordinate relationship and fate control in such relationships. Next, based on the multiple needs model of procedural fairness and the fairness heuristic theory, we argue that a subordinate with high self-esteem, a high need for control, and/or a high need to belong is more likely to have greater concerns about both relational issues, to show polarized reactions to the presence or absence of voice, and to form a heuristic for trust in an authority. The findings proposed the reason why people in the Chinese culture respond to voice differently. This article investigates the psychological mechanism of individual's procedural fairness perception in the process of organizational digital transformation and provides rare evidence that helps increase our understanding of how, in a non-Western culture, people's psychological needs interact to facilitate their formation of procedural fairness judgments and who uses these judgments as a heuristic for trust.

Saudi Arabian Parents' Perception of Online Marital Matchmaking Technologies

Finding a date or a spouse online is usually considered an individualistic endeavor in Western cultures. This presents a challenge for collectivist non-Western cultures such as Saudi Arabia where choosing a spouse is viewed as a union of two families with parents of both spouses being heavily involved. Our work aims to investigate how Saudi Arabian parents view the utilization of technology by their young adults to seek potential spouses online. We report our findings of interviews conducted with 16 Saudi Arabian parents (8 fathers, 6 mothers and 1 couple). We generate qualitative themes that provide insights about how parents wanted to preserve their values, integrate technology into the traditional process and protect their young adults from potential harms. These themes lead to implications for designing suitable marital matchmaking technologies in Saudi Arabia and opportunities for future work.

Non-Pregnant and Pregnant Women\u2019s Femininity Preferences in Male Faces: Tests Based on Within- and Between-Sex Sexual Dimorphism Facial Manipulations

Past research on women’s preferences for male facial masculinity in Western cultures has produced inconsistent results. Some inconsistency may be related to the use of different facial stimulus manipulations (e.g., between-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation or within-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation) that do not perfectly avoid non-facial cues, and pregnancy status may also influence women’s face preferences. We therefore recruited pregnant and nonpregnant Chinese women and manipulated the sexual dimorphism of male facial stimuli to explore the influences of manipulation methods, non-facial cues, and pregnancy status on face preferences. Results showed that: (1) in contrast with a general masculinity preference observed in Western cultures, both pregnant and nonpregnant Chinese women preferred feminized and neutral male faces generally; (2) pregnant women’s preference for feminized male faces was stable across manipulation methods, while nonpregnant women preferred feminized male faces except under between-sex sexual dimorphism manipulation; and (3) manipulation methods, rather than non-facial cues, influenced participants’ face preferences. Specifically, women showed the strongest preferences for femininity when face stimuli were manipulated by within-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation, followed by unmanipulated faces and between-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation. This effect was stronger for nonpregnant women in the unmanipulated condition and for pregnant women in the between-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation. This research provides empirical evidence of women’s preferences for sexual dimorphism in male faces in a non-Western culture, as well as the effects of facial manipulation methods, pregnancy status, and the interactions between these factors.

‘This is my story, this is my song’ the legacy of Walter J. Hollenweger’s narrative theology

ABSTRACT Narrative theology is a facet of Hollenweger’s work that, so far, has not received much attention in the English-speaking world, although Hollenweger has on numerous occasions undertaken to relate critical biblical exegesis with narrative perspectives on faith and life. He entertained not only an engagement with his Pentecostal roots and rigorous Reformed theological training but also a dialogue with non-Western cultures and a conversation with the world at large. Narrative theology from Hollenweger’s perspective allows all Christians to be involved in the process of interpreting God’s Good News. This article illustrates Hollenweger’s narrative exegesis and shows how he employed this hermeneutical approach to open doors to share the gospel with the unchurched. After an introduction explaining his background and discovery of narrative communication, a look at one of his biblical plays provides a concrete example of Hollenweger’s narrative theology.