Unwrapping Racism: Dealing with Differences

Chuck Grose

“A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tzu “Unwrapping Racism: Dealing with Differences” will connect the reader with recent social movements such as gun safety, Black Lives Matter, and college reform movements. The Early social movements would portray racial discrimination within the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Eugenics/Sterilization Movement. The Civil Right Movement of 1950s/1960s highlights Rosa Parks, Dr. M. L. King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis. This book will present key issues, such as cultural privilege and its prevalence. The reader will be lifted up from xenophobia, colonialism and slavery while creatively facing individual responses to those issues today. All those approaches move into our societal goals of assimilation, cultural pluralism and the “melting pot” concept. This volume will make the perfect complement to Dr. Grose previous book "Dealing with differences". Every reader can do something, sometime, somewhere to effectively deal with differences. As the book confronts race, it challenges the reader to grapple with action-oriented exercises, questions, and projects relevant to key paragraphs on every page. At the end of the book, the readers will be empowered to tell their own stories about their experiences with race within each chapter.

Handbook of Research on Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology

Edited by Chandan Maheshkar, East Nimar Society for Education (ENSE), Indore, India and Jayant Sonwalkar, Institute of Management Studies, University of Indore, India

In a human system, a major proportion of behavioral attributes and values are determined by respective cultures and interaction with other cultures. Cultural and cross-cultural psychology has emerged as an interdisciplinary area that explores how a culture regulates society and its business, how cross-cultural interactions affect the psychologies of individuals as well as societies, behavioral variability under various cultural conditions, and how to harmonize cultural diversities. Organizationally and philosophically, cultural and cross-cultural psychology differs from other areas of social sciences. It is a common phenomenon that as people engaged with cultural practices, their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors come to reflect their cultural values and beliefs. As a process, people formulate, replicate, transform, and/or transmit their cultural practices in their daily social and/or business interactions. This edited book ‘Handbook of Research on Cultural and Cross-cultural Psychology’ is focused on dynamics that amplify knowledge, skills, and behaviors relevant to deal with different cultural and cross-cultural issues. All the chapters suggest that ‘relevance’ and ‘being critical’ are qualities widely attributed to efforts that fill the gaps between theory and practice in cultural and cross-cultural psychology.

Life as an Intelligence Test: The Predictive Power of IQ

Anthony Walsh, Boise State University

This book examines intelligence as it applies to various facets of human life. It explores the evolutionary origin of intelligence and the genetics and neurobiology of intelligence. Every human being is intelligent, but some are more intelligent than others. We know this both by observing different people’s behavior and position in life and by their different intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Most of the business of life can be conducted on a basis of habit, with little need for exceptional intelligence, which is irrelevant for many day-to-day pursuits. However, people of higher intelligence do much better in life than those of lower intelligence in so many ways. They attain higher social class, better physical and mental health, are less likely to be criminals, and many other things. IQ tests measure different cognitive abilities, but there is a factor common to them all that psychometricians call Spearman's g, or simply g. What this means is that in tasks that tax the brain, however different they may be from one another, if a person is good at one mental task, he or she is likely to be good at others, although not necessarily to the same degree.

Mantha: Alchemies of the Cultural Turn

Mark K. Warford, SUNY Buffalo State University

Set against the rich and troubled tapestry of the West’s Greco-Roman inheritance, the Sanskrit root 'manth/-', which roughly translates to “a churn” ('mantha') or “to churn” ('manth'), serves as a cauldron into which age-old binaries are blended. A mantha of the Greek metaphysical notion of the One and the Many drives explorations of a variety of themes, including the Feminine and the Masculine, Self and Other, East and West, Heroes and Monsters, Olympians and Titans, Creativity and Innovation. Accordingly, the psychoanalytic canon is (re)introduced to a diversity of perspectives, from linguistics and Translation Studies to educational theory and horror fiction. Guided by the 'Opus Contra Culturam', Warford, infusing his background in linguistics, Translation Studies, Spanish, Sociocultural Theory, and Global Humanities, demonstrates the importance of stretching beyond what is known in one’s cultural milieu, that “one” taking many forms: the citizen, the student, the professional, the innovator, the scholar, and the infinite intersections of group identifications into which we are susceptible to being siloed. Specific topics include cultural complexes and trauma, Titanism, integrative approaches to human development and learning theory, the Monstrous, as well as creativity and innovation studies.

Predictive Minds: Old Problems and New Challenges

Edited by Steven S. Gouveia, University of Porto, Portugal and Manuel Curado, University of Minho, Portugal

The Predictive Processing Theory of Mind is a recent theory developed by philosophers, cognitive scientists, and neuroscientists about the nature and function of the brain and its role in creating the conscious mind that we humans, and perhaps some non-human animals, have. The authors that advanced those lines of research believe that there is a fundamental idea that has been overlooked in the research done about the brain until the present: that the brain is a prediction machine with the function of creating hypotheses about the causes of our sensory signals and predictions of possible future sensory signals. Moreover, the internal models of the world created this way are constantly challenged by incorporating the errors of the previous models into new models. From this point of view, the brain's work could be described as a process of making predictions about the upcoming sensory data based on its best current models of the causes of those data. This book intends to critically analyze this theory and its subsequent theoretical and empirical consequences. To achieve that, the volume brings together some of the best experts on Predictive Processing – such as Thomas Metzinger, Wanja Wiese, or Mark Miller – with the goal of presenting some of the advantages of this approach but also some of its caveats.

What are Coincidences? A Philosophical Guide Between Science and Common Sense

Pietro Salis, University of Cagliari, Italy and Alessandra Melas, University of Sassari, Italy

It is a common opinion that chance events cannot be understood in causal terms. Conversely, according to a causal view of chance, intersections between independent causal chains originate accidental events, called “coincidences”. Firstly, this book explores this causal conception of chance and tries to shed new light on it. Such a view has been defended by authors like Antoine Augustine Cournot and Jacques Monod. Second, a relevant alternative is provided by those accounts that, instead of acknowledging an intersection among causal lines, claim to track coincidences back to some common cause. Third, starting from Herbert Hart and Anthony Honoré’s view of coincidences (Causation in the Law. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1959). This book provides a more detailed account of coincidences, according to which coincidental events are hybrids constituted by ontic (physical) components, which is the intersection between independent causal chains, plus epistemic aspects, including but not limited to, access to information, expectations, relevance, significance, desires, which in turn are psychological aspects. The main target of the present work is to show that the epistemic aspects of coincidences are, together with the independence between the intersecting causal chains, a constitutive part of coincidental phenomena. This book aims to introduce and discuss recent work in psychology concerning one’s judgment about coincidences; this data offers further materials and reasons to reflect upon our understanding of coincidences and to refine our hybrid conception.

Behavior Analysis in Higher Education: Applications to Teaching and Supervision

Edited by Andresa A. De Souza, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Darlene E. Crone-Todd, Salem State University

This cutting edge, timely book is a primary resource for students, faculty, coordinators, and supervisors in the growing field of behavior analysis. This book acts as a single resource that pulls together the background, current status, and future directions related to the relevance of a behavior analytic approach to teaching, assessment, and supervision. The authors collaborating in this volume are experts at various stages of career development and have a known presence in the field. This combination of theory driven, and high-caliber authors have collaborated to create a one-of-a-kind book drawing from backgrounds of diversity in terms of gender, areas of expertise, and geography. The recent pandemic has resulted in a pivot to remote learning and online supervision; this text will provide an important contribution in terms of understanding how to provide high quality teaching, supervision, and assessment in behavior analysis and among other areas. As the field is moving to increasing standards for programs that correspond to accreditation body standards, this book also provides timely information about how to prepare for this process including cultural competency and ethics, which guide our teaching and practice.

Eros and Thanatos. Love across Civilizations

Alberto Castelli, Hainan University, China

'Eros and Thanatos' is about the deadly nature of love. It is remarkable that literary critics have paid so little attention to the combination between love and death in literature. This book seeks to address this significant scholarly lacuna by exploring key literary texts of the last two hundred years as exemplary of a consistent tendency toward love and death. Its emphasis on singular characters and close readings suggests the spectrum of an arbitrary dichotomy never fully resolved. The existential discussion triggered by each plot is so intense that the erotic and the merely sexual seem inappropriate. Indeed, each writer chose to reduce it to the setting and background of a story that takes place elsewhere. With this in mind, the author intends to reflect love’s paradoxical nature. If love is triggered by beauty, beauty can be immoral and love must die to preserve the illusion of beauty.

New quality management for the nonprofit sector

Guido Cuyvers, Thomas More University College, Belgium

For a long time, quality has been the center of attention in the nonprofit sector, influenced by all kinds of developments in society. Due to, among other things, the interference of the government and the increasing competition, all divisions in the nonprofit sector are obliged to work systematically with their quality. Quality has become necessary. However, as more people gain experience with quality assessments, visitations, and accreditations, so does the criticism. This has to do with how quality is assessed and with the criteria that are used. We will examine this critically in this book. Many questions remain unanswered, and contradictions have not been resolved. Moreover, it is no easy task to have all noses pointing in the same direction. In short, there is still work to be done. This book broadens the traditional vision of quality and quality assurance to a vision and approach that is compatible with the support of the organization’s missions in the nonprofit sector. Incidentally, we will speak of quality development rather than quality assurance. The use of the term ‘quality development’ hopes to inspire people to look differently at quality and how their organization deals with it. Furthermore, this book provides nonprofit organizations with methodologies and tools that can help in the process of permanent quality development. The pursuit of quality for nonprofit organizations is approached from a development perspective and a broader social context. This distinguishes it from the traditional quality management manuals. It offers a constructive and appreciative approach that is compatible with the specific mission of various nonprofit organizations (such as education, health care, social work, and government). The approach is also integral because everyone in the organization, as well as the external partners, is involved.

Tomar la palabra. Islamofobia y participación política después del 15-M

Johanna M. Lems, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain

'Tomar la palabra' es un análisis basado en la búsqueda de justicia social por medio de la participación sociopolítica, que aborda con cuidado muchos de los temas que determinan y contribuyen a reproducir las situaciones de subalternidad y subordinación a las que se ven sometidas las personas musulmanas en España. Desde un posicionamiento novedoso sobre el islam en el contexto español, al abordar su estudio desde la existencia de musulmanidades diversas, contribuye al avance de los estudios sobre la realidad social y política de las poblaciones musulmanas en nuestro país. El principal objetivo de la autora ha sido identificar los procesos mediante los que las personas musulmanas – o aquellas leídas como tales– tratan de ganar voz y reclamar los derechos que les son negados sistemáticamente. Todo ello con el fin de contribuir a una comprensión más crítica y menos estigmatizadora sobre el islam y las personas musulmanas que viven en España. Se trata de un trabajo interdisciplinario que parte de una investigación etnográfica llevada a cabo entre 2017 y 2020 en distintas partes del territorio estatal. Puede resultar de gran interés como monografía para profesores y estudiantes de cursos de grado y posgrado en disciplinas como sociología, antropología, ciencias políticas, ciencias de las religiones. Igualmente, será de utilidad como obra de consulta en estudios de subalternidad, feministas y de migraciones o para trabajadores sociales, líderes y comunidades religiosas, instituciones gubernamentales y aquellas personas u organizaciones centradas en los derechos humanos, el diálogo interreligioso o las que, en general, quieren estar informadas sobre el escenario político contemporáneo español.

Narrative Medicine: Trauma and Ethics

Edited by Anders Juhl Rasmussen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark and Morten Sodemann, University Hospital Odense and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

This new volume repositions narrative medicine and trauma studies in a global context with a particular focus on ethics. Trauma is a rapidly growing field of especially literary and cultural studies, and the ways in which trauma has asserted its relevance across disciplines, which intersect with narrative medicine, and how it has come to widen the scope of narrative research and medical practice constitute the principal concerns of this volume. This collection brings together contributions from established and emerging scholars coming from a wide range of academic fields within the faculty of humanities that include literary and media studies, psychology, philosophy, history, anthropology as well as medical education and health care studies. This crossing of disciplines is also represented by the collaboration between the two editors. Most of the authors in the volume use narrative medicine to refer to the methodology pioneered by Rita Charon and her colleagues at Columbia University, but in some chapters, the authors use it to refer to other methodologies and pedagogies utilizing that descriptor. Trauma is today understood both in the restricted sense in which it is used in the mental health field and in its more widespread, popular usage in literature. This collection aspires to prolong, deepen, and advance the field of narrative medicine in two important aspects: by bringing together both the cultural and the clinical side of trauma and by opening the investigation to a truly global horizon.

Catholic Neurotheology

Andrew Newberg, Thomas Jefferson University and Mary Clare Smith, Sisters of Notre Dame

The topic of “neurotheology” has garnered increasing attention in the academic, religious, scientific, and popular worlds. It is the field of study that explores the intersection between the brain and religious and spiritual phenomena. However, there have been no extensive attempts at exploring specifically how Catholic religious thought and experience may intersect with neurotheology. The purpose of 'Catholic Neurotheology' is to fully engage this groundbreaking area. Topics are related to a neurotheological approach to the foundational Catholic beliefs derived from Scripture and Tradition, an exploration of the various elements of Catholicism and of Catholic rituals and practices, and a review of Catholic spiritualities and mysticism. Specific Catholic scholars are considered in terms of the relationships among their ideas/teachings and different brain processes. 'Catholic Neurotheology' engages these topics in an easy-to-read style and incorporates scientific, religious, philosophical, and theological aspects of the emerging field of neurotheology. By reviewing the concepts in a stepwise, simple, yet thorough discussion, readers regardless of their background will be able to understand the complexities and breadth of neurotheology from a Catholic perspective. More broadly, issues include a review of the neurosciences and neuroscientific techniques; religious and spiritual experiences; theological development and analysis; liturgy and ritual; philosophy, epistemology, and ethics; and social implications, all from a Catholic perspective.

Magical Feminism in the Americas: Resisting Female Marginalisation and Oppression through Magic

Abu Shahid Abdullah, East West University

The book aims to show the way magical feminism resists female marginalisation and oppression in the Americas. Dealing with multiple victimisation of women in the Americas who have suffered not only because of their gender but also their race, ethnicity, political ideology, social status, financial insecurity and such, magical feminism provides a voice to them so that they can speak about their marginalisation and victimisation. In other words, by using magical feminism, these female authors attempt to give a voice to the oppressed women, enabling them to resist and challenge the traditional female role and to raise their voices against various social and political issues. The subversive and transgressive power of magical feminism enables the oppressed women to break patriarchal constraints and to reverse the traditional power structure. By creating an imaginary realm through traditions, local beliefs and rituals, myth, magic and the spirits of the dead ancestors as guides, magical feminist technique functions as a survival strategy for women in traumatic and oppressive situations and provides them consolation. The project includes a total of eight novels from African American (Gloria Naylor’s 'Mama Day'), Latin American (Isabel Allende’s 'The House of the Spirits'), Native American (Louise Erdrich’s 'Tracks'), Chicana (Ana Castillo’s 'So Far from God'), North American (Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s 'The Cure for Death by Lightning'), Central American (Gioconda Belli’s 'The Inhabited Woman'), Hawaiian American (Kiana Davenport’s 'Shark Dialogues') and Cuban American (Cristina García’s 'Dreaming in Cuban') background.

False Idols: How Diversion is Destroying Democracy

Kurt Warner

The ancient Roman poet and satirist Juvenal stated that people were distracted by “bread and circuses” rather than engaged in their civic duty. Juvenal argued these bread and circuses, or basic needs and entertainment, consumed the thoughts and lives of the average Roman no matter what was happening in the Republic around them. The powerful political forces in society used many different forms of distraction to enable them to do what they wanted unimpeded by the masses. 'False Idols: How Diversion Is Destroying Democracy' picks up where Juvenal left off. The book is a journey through contemporary America and it illustrates how the concept of “bread and circuses” is as powerful and as relevant now as it was in the days of ancient Rome. It examines the deliberate distractions that are created by the cultivation of false idols. The distractions include the adoration of celebrities and parasocial interactions, the economic culture and the implicit belief systems contained within it, sports and the adoration of athletes, the political system and structure, the art, music, and literature we spend our time listening to and watching, the internet and social media that occupies so much of our time, and the video games that occupy the minds and much of the lives of so many people. As long as everybody is chasing and distracted by these bread and circuses, they are willfully negligent to the goings-on in the very fabric of the social network that is of our society, government, and country. The more negligent they become, the more the democracy continues withering and dying. This book systemically deconstructs a modern society that seems designed to consistently pull us away from rather than draw us toward the creation of a better existence for all.

Ways Forward: Progressive Approaches to Providing Therapy with Autistic Individuals

Edited by Britt Angela Couchman, Autism Approach

'Ways Forward' is a groundbreaking text completely unique in its approach as it brings together the experiences of Autistic practitioners, research practices from the field and lived experiences. 'Ways Forward' offers progressive approaches and strategies for practitioners to better understand consumer needs. The text is designed to assist practitioners who work with Autistic individuals along with those who are completing undergraduate or postgraduate studies related to providing mental health support to Neurodivergent people. 'Ways Forward' is underpinned by research that notes the importance of the inclusion of first-hand accounts and co-researching within Autistic Communities. Reviews of this text have noted its importance in reshaping the landscape of therapy approaches for Autistic Individuals in that it is uniquely written by Autistic practitioners and can be employed in the field for the empowerment of Neurodivergent service users. Within the research, there is a call for more work of this nature to be increasingly present in an effort to inform therapists from a lived experience perspective.

The Senses and Memory

Edited by Chanelle Dupuis, Brown University

How are the senses and memory linked? What do sensory approaches to research reveal about the functions of memory? This edited volume encompasses various interdisciplinary projects that showcase the value of viewing the world through all of the senses and the ways that memory is multisensorial. From smell’s “Proust effect” to music’s ability to improve memory and mood, we remember and memorize the world through sensory input. This book expands research on multimodal work, the senses and materiality, the senses and methodology, sensing memories of the past, and technology’s impact on sensory lives. The chapters included cover all the senses, as well as the cross-modal experience of synesthesia. Each chapter further covers concepts related to memory studies, ranging from nostalgia, traumatic memories, and memorials to remembering the past (history), archives, and questions of identity. This edited volume is divided into five sections, each containing two to three chapters. The five sections, “Sensing Place and Space,” “Art as a Medium of Memory,” “In the Mind of Synesthesia,” “Making Sense of Materiality,” and “Technology and the Sensorium,” describe different groupings of interest. From questions of spatiality to digital life, each section invites the reader to explore new developments in the fields of memory studies and sensory studies and new insights on established topics. In these intimate, critical, and penetrating chapters, the authors of this book share new visions of what it means to write at the crossroads of the senses and memory and present new methodologies, frameworks, and pedagogies for examining this interconnection. A resource for both research and teaching, this volume represents a valuable guide for scholars working in sensory studies and memory studies. The hope is that "The Senses and Memory " will inspire future research and thinking in these evolving and expanding fields of study.

Second Star to the Right: Essays on Leadership in Star Trek

Edited by Jason A. Kaufman, Minnesota State University, Mankato and Aaron M. Peterson, Converse University

'Star Trek' provides an opportunity to explore the final frontier of leadership through its nearly six decades of series and films. With its basis in Enlightenment thinking (reason coupled to compassion) and its encouragement of diversity in its myriad forms, 'Star Trek' offers guidance on how to improve the human condition that has application in leadership across academic and professional fields. Leaders are constantly called upon to solve problems, direct institutional growth, and, on occasion, even solve humanitarian crises. Leadership development need not be complicated or overly staid. It should be engaging. 'Star Trek' provides us a venue through which to make it so. This book explores the application of 'Star Trek' to the practice of leadership across a diverse array of professional and academic fields. 'Second Star to the Right: Essays on Leadership in Star Trek' provides a set of exceptional chapters from a diverse range of scientists, professionals, writers, and thinkers. It will help you to utilize the wealth of 'Star Trek' canon applied across a robust array of fields to broadly inform the practice of leadership for a better world.

Women Empowerment for Gender Equality Volume 2

Diverse Initiatives from Across the World

Edited by Anita Brandon, UNFPA, India

This volume brings together powerful voices and lived experiences from across the globe, spotlighting how women are transforming their realities through health initiatives, education, entrepreneurship, social activism, and legal reforms. From rural India to urban Kenya, from the classrooms of Bangladesh to the legislative halls of the U.S., these stories reveal the multiple layers of struggle and strength that define the global movement for gender equality. Drawing from regions as diverse as Iran, Nigeria, and Latin America, the case studies dive deep into the intersections of gender with caste, age, class, and migration, showing how empowerment is not one-size-fits-all, but built through cultural context, resilience, and community. At the heart of this collection is a bold call to action: to rethink how we measure progress and to center women’s realities in policymaking and advocacy. Whether addressing reproductive health, digital entrepreneurship, or the challenges of elderly and immigrant women, the book highlights strategies that are as practical as they are inspiring. Finally, it offers a rich, comparative lens on how far we’ve come—and how much further we must go—to achieve true gender equality.

Women Empowerment Volume 1

Political, Economic and Legal Empowerment: Initiatives from Different Countries

Edited by Anita Brandon, UNFPA, India

This volume on Women Empowerment is a showcase for readers interested in case studies on Women Empowerment in the Political, Economic, and Legal Contexts from different countries across the world. The case studies here are presented under four sub-themes.

Cultural Influences and International Students

Understanding Academic Experiences in US Higher Education

Kruti S. Chaliawala, Boise State University

Navigating the intricate landscape of U.S. higher education can be profoundly challenging for international students. This groundbreaking work offers a vital, dual perspective, interweaving deeply personal lived experiences with rigorous academic research to illuminate the multifaceted journey of cultural and academic adaptation. Beyond the author’s compelling narrative in the preface, the book shares personal stories, making complex challenges tangible and relatable. From dissecting the nuances of U.S. grading systems and academic culture to exploring complex social integration, language proficiency hurdles, and the pervasive challenges of “othering” and discrimination, this book provides an honest and comprehensive account. A unique focus is placed on the distinct barriers faced by female students from conservative cultural backgrounds, offering empathetic insight into their unique struggles with participation, social norms, and mental well-being. Distinguished by its blend of personal narrative and evidence-based solutions, this book transcends mere description. It critically examines the role of institutional support, advocating for culturally sensitive mentorship, inclusive classroom practices, tailored mental health services, and essential cultural competency training for faculty and staff. 'Cultural Influences and International Students' is an indispensable resource for current and prospective international students seeking to understand and prepare for their journey. It is also an essential guide for higher education professionals, including faculty, advisors, administrators, and policymakers, providing actionable strategies to foster truly inclusive environments. This work stands as a powerful call to action for transforming U.S. campuses into spaces where every international student can thrive academically and personally.