Social Dominance Orientation: A root of resistance to intercultural dialogue?

Intercultural dialogue is a process central to creating a just social world. Despite this, people are often prejudiced against it. In order to better understand the nature of this antagonism, the present research investigated the role of Social Dominance Orientation as one potential source of resistance. Across three studies, the direct and mediated impact of SDO on both self-reported and behaviorally-indicated dialogic engagement was assessed. Results provide evidence that increasing levels of SDO encourage ideological beliefs and social evaluations that, in turn, prejudice participants against dialogue with an African-American woman. The significance of these results is discussed, along with suggestions for future research.     

Peace-building with the hawks: attitude change of Jewish-Israeli hawks and doves following dialogue encounters with Palestinians

This research examines the effect of initial political affiliation (hawks or doves) of Jewish-Israeli youth on attitudes toward planned contact with Palestinians and examines the extent of change in attitudes of these youth toward Palestinians following the intergroup contact. It was hypothesized that Jewish-Israeli hawks will show less favorable attitudes towards these encounters, indicating less motivation to participate in them and lower satisfaction with these encounters. It was also hypothesized that attitude change following the encounter with Palestinians will be smaller for hawks than for doves. These hypotheses were examined by attitude questionnaires completed by Jewish-Israeli hawks and doves both before and after participation in the encounter. In line with the first hypothesis, hawks expressed less favorable attitudes toward the encounter than doves. However, in contrast to the predictions of the second hypothesis, the findings of this study indicated that while doves showed no attitude change following the encounter, hawks’ attitudes toward Palestinians became significantly more favorable after participating in the intergroup dialogue.     

Student learning approaches in the UAE: the case for the achieving domain

The deep versus surface learning approach dichotomy has dominated recent research in student learning approach dimensions. However, the achievement dimension may differ in importance in non-Western and vocational tertiary settings. The aim was to assess how Emirati tertiary students could be characterized in terms of their learning approaches. The study looked into emergent learning factors that may be important in Emirati students. The students were Emirati men in a first-year English for academic purposes programme at a tertiary college (N?=?252). The students completed the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to determine learning orientation along the deep and surface approach dimensions. A factor analysis was carried out to assess emergent dimensions in the data. The results on the deep and surface dimensions were inconclusive. However, the factor analysis suggested a disposition towards a construct that we characterize as ‘attainment of satisfaction from learning’. In addition, the factor analysis suggested the possibility of the achieving domain emerging as a separate construct from the surface domain in this context, contrasting with previous research employing the R-SPQ-2F. The results suggest that the deep versus surface learning approach model may not sufficiently represent the complexity of student motivations and strategies in the current context. In addition, student affect tied to outcomes is discussed as an important though perhaps overlooked dimension in non-Western contexts. The implications of the results to future research are considered.     

婚恋的追求与需要的层次--《傲慢与偏见》中婚恋观的人本主义心理学解读

马斯洛的“需要层次”理论分析《傲慢与偏见》中三对青年男女的婚恋观：韦翰与丽迪雅的结合纯属“生理需要’’层次的冲动；柯林斯与夏绿蒂的婚姻基本上出于对“生理需要”与“安全需要”的满足；达西与伊丽莎白的婚恋过程则主要是爱情与尊重的有机结合，并体现出“自我实现的需要”。由此揭示出个人不同婚恋选择的最直接原因在于其内驱力因素以及需要层次的差异。     

One or multiple paths to quality assurance of higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven autonomous emirates that follow different economic models. There is a process for quality assurance at the federal level, however, each emirate takes its own approach to assure the quality of its institutions. This has resulted in different procedures and varying levels of oversight and scrutiny of quality. Since the majority of higher education providers in the UAE are market-driven, this poses the challenge of maintaining the quality of education in those institutions. This study explores how well quality assurance systems support the quality of commercial higher education institutions using two research methods: semi-structured interviews with 38 stakeholders to investigate their perceptions of the quality assurance processes in the UAE; and focus group discussions with 161 students to collect their views of the quality of education in the commercialised institutions. The research confirms earlier findings that quality of education is a function of quality assurance processes.     

The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis

We propose a communication analogue to Allport's () Contact Hypothesis called the Parasocial Contact Hypothesis (PCH). If people process mass-mediated parasocial interaction in a manner similar to interpersonal interaction, then the socially beneficial functions of intergroup contact may result from parasocial contact. We describe and test the PCH with respect to majority group members' level of prejudice in three studies, two involving parasocial contact with gay men (Six Feet Under and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) and one involving parasocial contact with comedian and male transvestite Eddie Izzard. In all three studies, parasocial contact was associated with lower levels of prejudice. Moreover, tests of the underlying mechanisms of PCH were generally supported, suggesting that parasocial contact facilitates positive parasocial responses and changes in beliefs about the attributes of minority group categories.     

论伊斯兰教在阿拉伯穆斯林世界中的独特作用

作为世界三大宗教之一的伊斯兰教,其产生时间晚,且发展迅速,尤其在当今世界更显现其强劲的发展态势.本文通过伊斯兰教的产生、发展状况及社会现实剖析伊斯兰教在阿拉伯国家建立、发展中的凝聚作用;各种教派矛盾斗争中的调和作用;阿拉伯国家社会前进探索道路上的激励作用.正是这些独特作用,才使阿拉伯国家的伊斯兰教充满活力,经久不衰.     

喜剧背后的觉醒——从喜剧的角度谈《傲慢与偏见》中简·奥斯丁的女性意识

<傲慢与偏见>是一部充满喜剧色彩的现实主义杰作.在这部作品中,奥斯丁通过喜剧手法的运用,成功地将喜剧人物的刻画和女性意识的表达交织在一起,从而间接地表达了她那个时代所不能公开表达的女性的声音,唤醒了女性沉睡已久的觉醒意识.     

从《傲慢与偏见》的婚恋模式看奥斯丁的婚恋观

简.奥斯丁的代表作《傲慢与偏见》把当时英国中上层社会的妇女对婚姻如饥似渴的期盼刻画得淋漓尽致。小说描述了多对男女的婚恋关系和故事。贝内特夫妇、夏洛特和柯林斯、莉迪亚和威克姆、简与宾利等婚恋模式反映了当时英国社会的婚姻状况及其价值取向。伊丽莎白与达西的结合体现了奥斯丁的婚恋理想。小说反映出来的婚恋模式,表现了奥斯丁既屈从于世俗又超越于世俗的婚恋观。     

‘The accommodation I make is turning a blind eye’: faculty support for student mothers in higher education

The levels of support which faculty provide to students have been linked to a number of positive effects on students such as lower rates of attrition, greater satisfaction with college life, enhanced self-concept, improved academic performance and more likelihood of remaining enrolled in college through stressful life periods. There are surely fewer periods of life that are busier than new motherhood. This paper presents research carried out at a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. We look at the ways in which faculty interact with new student mothers and employ interviews to explore ways in which faculty acknowledge and offer academic and pastoral support to the new mothers. Their perceptions of students’ coping strategies when they combine motherhood and college studies are reported, and the ways in which faculty navigate college policy which relates to the student mothers. Faculty saw themselves as being extremely supportive and flexible towards new mothers. Whilst undergraduate student motherhood was uncommon in their home countries, it was generally felt that the increased organization, efficiency, time management and resilience witnessed in student mothers were assets to the college community. This study also has wider applicability to faculty support of non-traditional students in other settings.