Japanese tend to report lower self-esteem than do Westerners. What this behavioral difference indicates about the private sentiments of individuals in Japan and Western countries such as Canada has been earnestly debated in recent years. Consideration of self-esteem ratings as speech acts or performatives shifts the focus of cultural comparison away from the valence of assumed mental representations and onto the pragmatics of agreement with statements of personal value. This alternative framing highlights the importance of performative pressures and other normative considerations in guiding the speech acts whereby self-esteem is typically measured. To support our claim that the self-esteem ratings of Japanese and Canadians are shaped by contrasting performative pressures, we show that explicit instructions designed to offset these pressures predictably raise or lower reported self-esteem. Implications of the results for the meaning and measurement of self-esteem across cultures are discussed.
The authors propose that individuals transitioning to a novel environment will prefer upward comparisons, particularly those made with individuals who have experienced a similar transition. Such comparisons help to reduce uncertainty and demonstrate that future success is possible. Study 1 found that individuals facing transitions to unfamiliar situations seek upward comparisons as a result of their uncertainty. Study 2 demonstrated that individuals who perceive themselves to be making a significant life transition are especially motivated by upward comparisons. Study 3 provided evidence that upward comparisons are especially inspiring to individuals making a transition to a novel cultural environment. Study 4 provided experimental evidence that individuals in a novel cultural environment are particularly inspired by upward comparisons with other newcomers. These studies suggest that upward comparisons with individuals who have experienced a similar transition enhance individuals' sense of control over future outcomes and play a key role during adjustment to novel environments.
Background African American women are at a disproportionate HIV risk compared with other U.S. women. Studies show that complex structural and social determinants, rather than individual behaviors, place African American women at greater risk of HIV infection; however, little is known about women’s views of what puts them at risk. Aims This study sought to comprehend the perceptions of African American women living in low-income housing regarding the factors that influence both their personal sexual health behaviors and use of HIV prevention services. Methods We conducted seven focus groups with 48 African American women from 10 public housing communities in a small city in the southeastern United States. We analyzed the focus group transcripts using thematic data analysis to identify salient themes and points of interest related to the study aim. Results Women identified factors related to the health care system (trustworthiness of the health care system), the external environment (racism, classism, patriarchal structures, and violence/crime), as well as predisposing (health beliefs, stigma, and gender norms), enabling (agency to negotiate gendered power), and need (perceived HIV risk and perceptions of partner characteristics) features of individuals in the population. Conclusion African American women living in public housing are especially vulnerable to HIV infection due to intersectional discrimination based on racism, classism, gender power dynamics, and community conditions. Our findings confirm the need to develop HIV intervention programming addressing intersectional identities of those making up the communities they plan to address, and being informed by those living in the communities they plan to act on.
Rural communities of color in the southeastern U.S. experience a high burden of environmental hazards from concentrated industry placement. Community-engaged research and qualitative methods can improve our understanding of meaning-making in a community impacted by polluting facilities. This study applies the photovoice method to assess how a predominantly African American community in rural North Carolina, impacted by a landfill and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), perceives their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Two research questions were developed with community-based partners: (a) How do environmental health concerns in this community influence residents’ perceptions of their HRQoL? and (b) How do community and county factors facilitate or inhibit community organizing around these concerns? Three photo assignment sessions were held to engage participants in discussions related to the research questions. Researchers analyzed discussion audio recordings and identified themes related to concerns about the following issues: health and quality of life, the landfill industry’s influence on community cohesion and self-determination, and actions to address environmental injustice in Sampson County. Photovoice benefits community-engaged researchers by providing a process for assessing the research interests of a community. Photovoice also serves community organizers by providing residents with a structured way to discuss their lived experiences and strategize ways to reduce hazard exposure.
Les bibliothèques publiques canadiennes jouent un rôle important dans le soutien des communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire, tant sur les plans culturel et socio-économique que linguistique. Pourtant, il existe relativement peu de recherches sur les pratiques et l’impact des bibliothèques en contexte linguistique minoritaire. Cette enquête exploratoire présente les résultats d’un sondage pancanadien sur les collections en français des bibliothèques publiques desservant les communautés francophones minoritaires au Canada, en mettant l'accent sur les pratiques du personnel des bibliothèques et leur niveau de satisfaction en ce qui concerne le développement, la promotion et l'évaluation de ces collections. L’analyse des résultats du sondage révèle quatre principaux facteurs, souvent interreliés, qui influencent le développement des collections dans les communautés francophones en situation minoritaire : le niveau de connaissance du français chez les employés, le recours à des fournisseurs et à des intermédiaires, le manque de ressources et de soutien, et le confinement du développement des collections aux contenus pour enfants et aux publics d'âge scolaire. Les résultats de cette étude sont partagés afin de susciter des discussions et une réflexion sur les défis uniques de ce travail.
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