Psychosocial analysis of the collective processes in the United States after September 11

This article studies alterations in the values, attitudes, and behaviors that emerged among U.S. citizens as a consequence of, and as a response to, the attacks of September 11, 2001. The study briefly examines the immediate reaction to the attack, before focusing on the collective reactions that characterized the behavior of the majority of the population between the events of 9/11 and the response to it in the form of intervention in Afghanistan. In studying this period an eight-phase sequential model (Botcharova, 2001) is used, where the initial phases center on the nation as the ingroup and the latter focus on the enemy who carried out the attack as the outgroup. The study is conducted from a psychosocial perspective and uses "social identity theory" (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986) as the basic framework for interpreting and accounting for the collective reactions recorded. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the interpretation of these collective reactions is consistent with the postulates of social identity theory. The application of this theory provides a different and specific analysis of events. The study is based on data obtained from a variety of rigorous academic studies and opinion polls conducted in relation to the events of 9/11. In line with social identity theory, 9/11 had a marked impact on the importance attached by the majority of U.S. citizens to their identity as members of a nation. This in turn accentuated group differentiation and activated ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986). Ingroup favoritism strengthened group cohesion, feelings of solidarity, and identification with the most emblematic values of the U.S. nation, while outgroup discrimination induced U.S. citizens to conceive the enemy (al-Qaeda and its protectors) as the incarnation of evil, depersonalizing the group and venting their anger on it, and to give their backing to a military response, the eventual intervention in Afghanistan. Finally, and also in line with the postulates of social identity theory, as an alternative to the virtual bipolarization of the conflict (U.S. vs al-Qaeda), the activation of a higher level of identity in the ingroup is proposed, a group that includes the United States and the largest possible number of countries¿ including Islamic states¿in the search for a common, more legitimate and effective solution.

Psychosocial analysis of the collective processes in the United States after September 11

This article studies alterations in the values, attitudes, and behaviors that emerged among U.S. citizens as a consequence of, and as a response to, the attacks of September 11, 2001. The study briefly examines the immediate reaction to the attack, before focusing on the collective reactions that characterized the behavior of the majority of the population between the events of 9/11 and the response to it in the form of intervention in Afghanistan. In studying this period an eight-phase sequential model (Botcharova, 2001) is used, where the initial phases center on the nation as the ingroup and the latter focus on the enemy who carried out the attack as the outgroup. The study is conducted from a psychosocial perspective and uses "social identity theory" (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986) as the basic framework for interpreting and accounting for the collective reactions recorded. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the interpretation of these collective reactions is consistent with the postulates of social identity theory. The application of this theory provides a different and specific analysis of events. The study is based on data obtained from a variety of rigorous academic studies and opinion polls conducted in relation to the events of 9/11. In line with social identity theory, 9/11 had a marked impact on the importance attached by the majority of U.S. citizens to their identity as members of a nation. This in turn accentuated group differentiation and activated ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986). Ingroup favoritism strengthened group cohesion, feelings of solidarity, and identification with the most emblematic values of the U.S. nation, while outgroup discrimination induced U.S. citizens to conceive the enemy (al-Qaeda and its protectors) as the incarnation of evil, depersonalizing the group and venting their anger on it, and to give their backing to a military response, the eventual intervention in Afghanistan. Finally, and also in line with the postulates of social identity theory, as an alternative to the virtual bipolarization of the conflict (U.S. vs al-Qaeda), the activation of a higher level of identity in the ingroup is proposed, a group that includes the United States and the largest possible number of countries¿ including Islamic states¿in the search for a common, more legitimate and effective solution.

Avaluació de necessitats i disseny de la intervenció per a la reintegració social dels delinqüents sexuals d’alt risc

Aquest treball recull les necessitats per la reintegració que presenten els delinqüents sexuals a les presons catalanes i com es poden abordar aquestes mitjançant un model que ha donat bons resultats a altres països: Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA a partir d'ara). L'objectiu és conèixer com funcionen els Cercles de Suport i Responsabilitat i quins són els requisits necessaris per adaptar aquest model als serveis penitenciaris de Catalunya. Amb aquesta finalitat s'ha fet una anàlisi quantitativa dels principals trets de la població penitenciària catalana, s'ha revisat la bibliografia sobre el model CoSA i s'ha fet observació de camp en la seva aplicació al Regne Unit. També s'ha comptat amb les opinions d'experts i professionals de Catalunya i s'han fet entrevistes a una petita mostra de delinqüents sexuals en règim de semillibertat. Tot i que a Catalunya hi ha programes a les presons per potenciar la rehabilitació dels delinqüents sexuals, la investigació destaca l’important paper del suport social i del manteniment dels canvis del tractament en el medi comunitari com elements clau per la reducció de la reincidència. El model Cercles optimitza l'efecte d'aquests processos i alhora ofereix un model de supervisió que concilia l'objectiu de protecció pública amb la reintegració del delinqüent. De l'estudi de la població penitenciària es conclou que hi ha una part d'interns que es podrien beneficiar d'aquest programa i que el reconeixen com una font important de suport davant les importants dificultats que troben en el procés de retorn a la llibertat. Es proposa un programa CerclesCat adaptat a la realitat del sistema penitenciari català i es descriu el procés d'implementació.

Evaluación de necesidades y diseño de la intervención para la reintegración social de los delincuentes sexuales de alto riesgo

Este trabajo recoge las necesidades para la reintegración que presentan los delincuentes sexuales de las prisiones catalanas y cómo se pueden abordar éstas mediante un modelo que ha dado buenos resultados en otros países: Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA a partir de ahora). El objetivo es conocer cómo funcionan los Círculos de Apoyo y Responsabilidad y cuáles son los requisitos necesarios para adaptar este modelo a los servicios penitenciarios de Cataluña. Con este fin se ha hecho un análisis cuantitativo de los principales rasgos de la población penitenciaria catalana, se ha revisado la bibliografía sobre el modelo CoSA y se ha hecho observación de campo en su aplicación en el Reino Unido. También se ha contado con las opiniones de expertos y profesionales de Cataluña y se han realizado entrevistas a una pequeña muestra de delincuentes sexuales en régimen de semilibertad. Aunque en Cataluña hay programas en las prisiones para potenciar la rehabilitación de los delincuentes sexuales, la investigación destaca el importante papel del apoyo social y del mantenimiento de los cambios del tratamiento en el medio comunitario como elementos clave para la reducción de la reincidencia. El modelo de Círculos optimiza el efecto de estos procesos, y muestra un modelo de supervisión que concilia el objetivo de protección pública con la reintegración del delincuente. Del estudio de la población penitenciaria se concluye que hay una parte de internos que podrían beneficiarse de este programa y que lo reconocen como una fuente importante de apoyo ante las importantes dificultades que encuentran en el proceso de retorno a la libertad. Se propone un programa CerclesCat adaptado a la realidad del sistema penitenciario catalán y se describe el proceso de implementación.

Asociaciones entre la red social y la discapacidad al comienzo de la vejez en las ciudades de Madrid y Barcelona en 2005

La pérdida de autonomía a edades avanzadas no se asocia únicamente con el envejecimiento sino también con características del entorno físico y social. Investigaciones recientes han demostrado que la red social, la integración social y la participación, actúan como predictores de la discapacidad en la vejez. El objetivo de este trabajo es nalizar el efecto de la red social sobre el nivel de autonomía(en términos de discapacidad instrumental y básica) en etapas iniciales de la vejez.

Instrumento de evaluación de competencias digitales para adolescentes en riesgo social

En este artículo se describe la creación y validación de un instrumento de evaluación de competencias digitales dirigido a adolescentes en riesgo social de 12 a 18 años. Éste, se elaboró a partir de un despliegue de competencias digitales y fue validado con un grupo de jueces expertos y una muestra de adolescentes en riesgo. La definición de criterios objetivos permitió evaluar los datos obtenidos y modificar los ítems del instrumento. El resultado es un cuestionario de 205 ítems.

The Impact of ICTs on Lecturer and Student Interaction in University Education Processes

Interaction is a basic element in any educational process, and it is something that needs to be reconsidered in the light of technology. In order to examine the methodological changes that ICTs bring to teaching from an interaction perspective, a study was carried out at the University of Lleida to observe interaction processes in various face-to-face, blended learning and e-learning subjects. The methodological design was based on three data collection techniques: documentary analysis of subject curricula, lecturer and student questionnaires, and lecturer interviews. The data showed that, as the online component of subjects increased, the lecturers and students used more technological tools to communicate (e-mail, forums, chats, social networks, etc.). Furthermore, we found that the lecturers and students basically communicated for academic purposes. While they hardly ever communicated for personal reasons (guidance, support, etc.), they claimed that closer contact with a non-academic focus would be preferable. We also observed that the students’ work was more individual in e-learning subjects. Although there is still a considerable way to go in ICT-mediated lecturer-student interaction, both the lecturers and students recognise the potential of such technologies, even though they still do not use them as they feel they should.

Protective effects of social networks on disability among older adults in Spain

The loss of autonomy at advanced ages is not only associated with ageing, but also with the characteristics of the physical and social environment. Recent investigations have shown that social networks, social engagement and participation act like predictors of disability among the elderly. The aim of this study is to determine whether social networks are related to the development and progression of disability in the early years of old age. The source of data is the first wave of the survey "Processes of Vulnerability among Spanish Elderly", carried out in 2005 to a sample of 1 244 individuals. The population object of study is the cohort aged 70 to 74 years in metropolitan areas (Madrid and Barcelona) and not institutionalized. Disability is measured by the development of basic activities of daily life (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily life (IADL). The structural aspects of the social relationships are measured through the diversity of social networks and participation. We used the social network index (SNI). For each point over the SNI, the risk of developing any type of disability decreased by 49% (HR = 0.51, 95%CI = 0.31-0.82). The SNI was a decisive factor in all forecasting models constructed with some hazard ratios (HR) that ranged from 0.29 (95%CI = 0.14-0.59) in the first model to 0.43 (95%CI 0.20-0.90) in the full model. The results of the present study showed a strong association between an active social life, emotional support provided by friends and confidents and disability. These findings suggest a protective effect of social networks on disability. Also, these results indicate that some family and emotional ties have a significant effect on both the prevalence and the incidence of disability.

Pedagogia Social Comunitària: un model d’intervenció socioeducativa integral

L’actual situació d’inestabilitat social i econòmica que viu la nostra societat ha evidenciat l’existència de grans bosses de persones que viuen en situació de marginació o exclusió social. Les polítiques socials han donat resposta a situacions concretes, però no han articulat un teixit social fort que permeti incorporar de manera efectiva la persona exclosa, ni prevenir aquests processos. Es presenta en aquest article un model d’intervenció socioeducativa anomenat Pedagogia Social Comunitària que centra la seva acció en dos objectius: la millora de la qualitat de vida i el benestar de les persones, especialment d’aquelles que es troben en situació d’exclusió social; i el foment de la cohesió social. Aquestes finalitats s’operativitzen mitjançant l’increment de la participació, l’empoderament individual i comunitari, la coresponsabilitat i la sensibilització social.

Measuring and making decisions for social reciprocity

Social reciprocity may explain certain emerging psychological processes, which are likely to be founded on dyadic relations. Although some indices and statistics have been proposed to measure and make statistical decisions regarding social reciprocity in groups, these were generally developed to identify association patterns rather than to quantify the discrepancies between what each individual addresses to his/her partners and what is received from them in return. Additionally, social researchers are not only interested in measuring groups at the global level, since dyadic and individual measurements are also necessary for a proper description of social interactions. This study is concerned with a new statistic for measuring social reciprocity at the global level and with decomposing it in order to identify those dyads and individuals which account for a significant part of asymmetry in social interactions. In addition to a set of indices some exact analytical results are derived and a way of making statistical decisions is proposed.

Economic and social convergence in Colombia

GDP has usually been used as a proxy for human well-being. Nevertheless, other social aspects should also be considered, such as life expectancy, infant mortality, educational enrolment and crime issues. With this paper we investigate not only economic convergence but also social convergence between regions in a developing country, Colombia, in the period 1975-2005. We consider several techniques in our analysis: sigma convergence, stochastic kernel estimations, and also several empirical models to find out the beta convergence parameter (cross section and panel estimates, with and without spatial dependence). The main results confirm that we can talk about convergence in Colombia in key social variables, although not in the classic economic variable, GDP per capita. We have also found that spatial autocorrelation reinforces convergence processes through deepening market and social factors, while isolation condemns regions to nonconvergence.

La inclusión laboral y social de los jóvenes con discapacidad intelectual : el papel de la escuela = Work and social inclusion of young people with intellectual disabilities : the role of the school

The transition to adult life from the standpoint of inclusion is a complex process, especially for young people with intellectual disabilities. This article analyzes the context of transition processes showing the main relationships and differences of the different scenarios where young people with disabilities develop personal pathways that lead to adulthood. Among these scenarios, the school -the period of compulsory secondary education- plays a key role. Therefore, a specific section is devoted to developing an approach to the role of the school in the construction of bridges that facilitate social and work inclusion. Finally, it presents some major challenges that need to be faced to improve the processes of transition from an inclusive perspective

The FaceUOC Project : An Open Social Learning experience by the Open University of Catalonia

The possibilities and expansion of the use of Web 2.0 has opened up a world of possibilities in online learning. In spite of the integration of these tools in education major changes are required in the educational design of instructional processes.This paper presents an educational experience conducted by the Open University of Catalonia using the social network Facebook for the purpose of testing a learning model that uses a participation and collaboration methodology among users based on the use of open educational resources.- The aim of the experience is to test an Open Social Learning (OSL) model, understood to be a virtual learning environment open to the Internet community, based on the use of open resources and on a methodology focused on the participation and collaboration of users in the construction of knowledge.- The topic chosen for this experience in Facebook was 2.0 Journeys: online tools and resources. The objective of this 5 weeks course was to provide students with resources for managing the various textual, photographic, audiovisual and multimedia materials resulting from a journey.- The most important changes in the design and development of a course based on OSL are the role of the teacher, the role of the student, the type of content and the methodology:- The teacher mixes with the participants, guiding them and offering the benefit of his/her experience and knowledge.- Students learn through their participation and collaboration with a mixed group of users.- The content is open and editable under different types of license that specify the level of accessibility.- The methodology of the course was based on the creation of a learning community able to self-manage its learning process. For this a facilitator was needed and also a central activity was established for people to participate and contribute in the community.- We used an ethnographic methodology and also questionnaires to students in order to acquire results regarding the quality of this type of learning experience.- Some of the data obtained raised questions to consider for future designs of educational situations based on OSL:- Difficulties in breaking the facilitator-centred structure- Change in the time required to adapt to the system and to achieve the objectives- Lack of commitment with free courses- The trend to return to traditional ways of learning- Accreditation- This experience has taught all of us that education can happen any time and in any place but not in any way.