Art as an educative and social tool

Since remote times, certain sectors of society have been exposed to inequality and vulnerability, where adequate intervention processes have become conspicuous because of their absence. Nowadays, current societies have the responsibility of contributing, based on their experience and knowledge, with more efficient policies and programs that improve the life quality of the most disadvantaged. It is here where art and its different tools play a very important role, not only on a physical level, but also as an education tool that allows the development of emotional, mental and communicative skills. The aim of this paper is to make clear the potential of art as an instrument of social and educational intervention. It starts by showing worldwide-collected experience related to education and arts, and then, it acquaints the reader with two parallel intervention projects that worked with youths under social vulnerability conditions. These interventions were developed based on a qualitative research (Grounded theory), using as methodology “The Artistic Mediation” with emphasis on body language. This methodology helped researchers to get close to the participants and to know their experiences and emotions. At the same time, it was possible to evidence the positive effects of educative interventions through art. These workshops were based on an artistic methodology especially focused on body language. Data in this work is qualitative, and as such, it permits a special approach to the personal and emotional experiences of the participants; clearly showing the positive effects of the referenced practice on them.

Book review: Studying mobile media: cultural technologies, mobile communication, and the iPhone, by Hjorth, Larissa, Burgess, Jean and Richardson, Ingrid (eds), Routledge, New York, 2012

A review of a series of articles exploring the role of online networked mobile devices, such as the iPhone, in changing communication, with multidisciplinary relevance. The articles examine the smartphone as a cultural object, a platform for specific uses as a multi-purpose input device and its evolution from a personal communication device to a multimedia tool with implications for politics and social change.

Networked masculinities and social networking sites : a call for the analysis of men and contemporary digital media

It is of course recognised that technology can be gendered and implicated in gender relations. However, it continues to be the case that men’s experiences with technology are underexplored and the situation is even more problematic where digital media is concerned. Over the past 30 years we have witnessed a dramatic rise in the pervasiveness of digital media across many parts of the world and as associated with wide ranging aspects of our lives. This rise has been fuelled over the last decade by the emergence of Web 2.0 and particularly Social Networking Sites (SNS). Given this context, I believe it is necessary for us to undertake more work to understand men’s engagements with digital media, the implications this might have for masculinities and the analysis of gender relations more generally. To begin to unpack this area, I engage theorizations of the properties of digital media networks and integrate this with the masculinity studies field. Using this framework, I suggest we need to consider the rise in what I call networked masculinities – those masculinities (co)produced and reproduced with digitally networked publics. Through this analysis I discuss themes related to digital mediators, relationships, play and leisure, work and commerce, and ethics. I conclude that as masculinities can be, and are being, complicated and given agency by advancing notions and practices of connectivity, mobility, classification and convergence, those engaged with masculinity studies and digital media have much to contribute.

Emotions & social change in Ireland:Exploring habitus shift in liquid modernity

Drawing on insights from a range of disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, history, politics, but particularly sociology and sociological theory, this thesis explores the relationship between emotions and social change in late or 'liquid' modernity. It deploys the Republic of Ireland in the twentieth century as a case study. It argues that the Irish case in an ideal site for this research given the speed and scale of changes that have occurred there, particularly since the 1950's. The primary research question guiding the study is: What has been the effect of 'social change' in Ireland on the emotional lives of Irish people? The thesis is structured in three parts. Part one (chapters one to three) is primarily theoretical. It aims to develop a distinctive theoretical framework, process-relational realism, and argues that three concepts, properly treated, are central to answering the research question. These are emotion, power and (emotional) habitus. Part two is a bridging chapter, in which the empirical portion of the study, its design and method, are outlined. This study is based on a series of qualitative life-history interviews conducted using the Biographical Narrative Research Method. Part three is primarily empirical. The first chapter critically explores Bauman's concept of liquid modernity in relation to the Irish case and offers a short social history of the Irish twentieth century, which focuses on emotions and power. The second deploys two (ideal-type) interview cases to support the argument that Ireland experienced a habitus shift, from a relatively homogeneous to a heterogeneous habitus, and a corresponding shift from a relatively repressive emotional regime to a more expressive one, with significant effects on the emotional habitus. The final chapter takes a broader view of these changes, suggests that social change has been ambivalent, and outlines a new typology of emotional pathologies that the study suggests are characteristic of contemporary emotional life.

The circumstantial activist : holistic practice, learning and social activism

The 21st century has seen renewed interest in issues relating to social justice, campaigning and social change globally. This paper considers the educational nature of activists’ learning as they engage in progressive social change within and against the state. A great deal has been written on learning in the workplace in recent years, it is widely believed that adults learn throughout all of their lives and that a majority of this learning occurs in the workplace. Drawing on current research, this paper argues that learning of a similar nature takes place in the unpaid work of social and political activists, through social learning. It is argued that activists’ learning is holistic and embodied, that is, they use cognition, the emotions and the physical body to learn. This paper explores the significance of learning associated with the processes and practices of activism; learning that has only recently been recognised in Australia as ‘real’ adult education.

The 'circumstantial' activist : holistic practice, learning and social activism

The 21st century has seen renewed interest in issues relating to social justice, campaigning and social change globally. This paper considers the educational nature of activists’ learning as they engage in progressive social change within and against the state. A great deal has been written on learning in the workplace in recent years, it is widely believed that adults learn throughout all of their lives and that a majority of this learning occurs in the workplace. Drawing on current research, this paper argues that learning of a similar nature takes place in the unpaid work of social and political activists, through social learning. It is argued that activists’ learning is holistic and embodied, that is, they use cognition, the emotions and the physical body to learn. This paper explores the significance of learning associated with the processes and practices of activism; learning that has only recently been recognised in Australia as ‘real’ adult education.

Head movement synchrony in social interactions of patients with schizophrenia indicates symptoms, cognition and social functioning

Background: Disturbed interpersonal communication is a core problem in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia often appear disconnected and "out of sync" when interacting with others. This may involve perception, cognition, motor behavior, and nonverbal expressiveness. Although well-known from clinical observation, mainstream research has neglected this area. Corresponding theoretical concepts, statistical methods, and assessment were missing. In recent research, however, it has been shown that objective, video-based measures of nonverbal behavior can be used to reliably quantify nonverbal behavior in schizophrenia. Newly developed algorithms allow for a calculation of movement synchrony. We found that the objective amount of movement of patients with schizophrenia during social interactions was closely related to the symptom profiles of these patients (Kupper et al., 2010). In addition and above the mere amount of movement, the degree of synchrony between patients and healthy interactants may be indicative of various problems in the domain of interpersonal communication and social cognition. Methods: Based on our earlier study, head movement synchrony was assessed objectively (using Motion Energy Analysis, MEA) in 378 brief, videotaped role-play scenes involving 27 stabilized outpatients diagnosed with paranoid-type schizophrenia. Results: Lower head movement synchrony was indicative of symptoms (negative symptoms, but also of conceptual disorganization and lack of insight), verbal memory, patients’ self-evaluation of competence, and social functioning. Many of these relationships remained significant even when corrected for the amount of movement of the patients. Conclusion: The results suggest that nonverbal synchrony may be an objective and sensitive indicator of the severity of symptoms, cognition and social functioning.

COMUNICAR PARA MUDAR: Estudo das metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade e da comunicação para o desenvolvimento e para a mudança social

Estudo sobre as metodologias de comunicação nas propostas de desenvolvimento comunitário. Com base em pesquisa bibliográfica o trabalho objetivou evidenciar os aspectos explícitos e implícitos da comunicação presentes nas metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade publicadas no Brasil. Para tal, foi realizada ampla revisão da literatura sobre os conceitos de comunidade, desenvolvimento, pobreza e participação, metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade, comunicação para o desenvolvimento e comunicação para a mudança social. Ao final, a pesquisa evidenciou que os conceitos de desenvolvimento e de participação invariavelmente constituem o fundamento a partir dos quais se erigem tanto projetos de desenvolvimento comunitário como de comunicação para o desenvolvimento/mudança social. Um modelo de desenvolvimento necessariamente leva a um modelo de participação, e viceversa, que, em projetos de melhoria das condições de vida comunitária se constituem como elementos catalisadores das demais instâncias do trabalho. Ambas propostas apresentam muitos pontos em comum e diversos espaços para contribuições recíprocas.(AU)

COMUNICAR PARA MUDAR: Estudo das metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade e da comunicação para o desenvolvimento e para a mudança social

Estudo sobre as metodologias de comunicação nas propostas de desenvolvimento comunitário. Com base em pesquisa bibliográfica o trabalho objetivou evidenciar os aspectos explícitos e implícitos da comunicação presentes nas metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade publicadas no Brasil. Para tal, foi realizada ampla revisão da literatura sobre os conceitos de comunidade, desenvolvimento, pobreza e participação, metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade, comunicação para o desenvolvimento e comunicação para a mudança social. Ao final, a pesquisa evidenciou que os conceitos de desenvolvimento e de participação invariavelmente constituem o fundamento a partir dos quais se erigem tanto projetos de desenvolvimento comunitário como de comunicação para o desenvolvimento/mudança social. Um modelo de desenvolvimento necessariamente leva a um modelo de participação, e viceversa, que, em projetos de melhoria das condições de vida comunitária se constituem como elementos catalisadores das demais instâncias do trabalho. Ambas propostas apresentam muitos pontos em comum e diversos espaços para contribuições recíprocas.(AU)

COMUNICAR PARA MUDAR: Estudo das metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade e da comunicação para o desenvolvimento e para a mudança social

Estudo sobre as metodologias de comunicação nas propostas de desenvolvimento comunitário. Com base em pesquisa bibliográfica o trabalho objetivou evidenciar os aspectos explícitos e implícitos da comunicação presentes nas metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade publicadas no Brasil. Para tal, foi realizada ampla revisão da literatura sobre os conceitos de comunidade, desenvolvimento, pobreza e participação, metodologias de desenvolvimento de comunidade, comunicação para o desenvolvimento e comunicação para a mudança social. Ao final, a pesquisa evidenciou que os conceitos de desenvolvimento e de participação invariavelmente constituem o fundamento a partir dos quais se erigem tanto projetos de desenvolvimento comunitário como de comunicação para o desenvolvimento/mudança social. Um modelo de desenvolvimento necessariamente leva a um modelo de participação, e viceversa, que, em projetos de melhoria das condições de vida comunitária se constituem como elementos catalisadores das demais instâncias do trabalho. Ambas propostas apresentam muitos pontos em comum e diversos espaços para contribuições recíprocas.(AU)

Comunicación y cambio social en España: el impacto del 15M, cinco años después

En este artículo introductorio se desarrolla un breve resumen de la situación actual del campo de la Comunicación para el Desarrollo y el Cambio social en España, tanto en su vertiente práctica como académica. Este resumen sirve para contextualizar los diferentes artículos que componen el presente monográfico de Obets. En él recogemos una selección de 12 artículos, predominantemente dedicados a la descripción y análisis de los resultados de una serie de estudios de caso, cuyo objeto se sitúa con frecuencia tras la estela del 15M. Pero también se incluyen otros actores pertenecientes a la sociedad civil estructurada, como los que actúan en el ámbito educativo. Igualmente, se incluyen aportaciones desde escenarios latinoamericanos y estudios conceptuales y teóricos, como los que sirven de apertura y cierre del volumen.

Hacia un enfoque epistemológico pluralista en los estudios de comunicación y cambio: humanismo, ciencia y ecologismo

El artículo propone una aproximación epistemológica pluralista a la investigación de las relaciones entre comunicación y cambio social. A tal fin, se parte de la propuesta de fusión epistemológica realizada por Johan Galtung para los Estudios para la Paz, tomando en cuenta, además, las particularidades del fenómeno de la comunicación. Según Galtung, la combinación del cartesianismo, del verum-factum (Vico) y del taoísmo permitiría contrarrestar los riesgos del monismo epistemológico y superar sus limitaciones. En este mismo sentido, el artículo plantea ampliar cada una de estas epistemologías en un nivel más general y abarcador (ciencia, humanidades, ecologismo holista-dialéctico), y describir su recorrido histórico para identificar las posibilidades de complementariedad y su valor para el estudio de la comunicación y el cambio.

Propuesta para un viraje en el estudio de los medios en Las Márgenes

Este artículo explora diferentes tipos de apropiación de tecnologías mediáticas en las márgenes y propone un cambio en el acercamiento investigativo en diferentes niveles: 1) en lugar de centrarse en tecnologías individuales, la investigación sobre medios en las márgenes debe examinar cómo los/as comunicadores locales se desenvuelven en ecologías mediáticas que ofrecen recursos y retos específicos en cada situación histórica; 2) en lugar de tratar de determinar si las tecnologías mediáticas usadas en las márgenes son nuevas u obsoletas, digitales o no, es urgente comprender cómo los/as comunicadores asentados en lo local detectan necesidades de información y comunicación específicas y usan las tecnologías disponibles para abordar tales necesidades; 3) la investigación sobre medios en las márgenes debe esclarecer cómo las/los protagonistas de este tipo de comunicación ciudadana y comunitaria reinventan, hibridan, reciclan y tienden lazos entre plataformas tecnológicas. En resumen, para entender las tecnologías mediáticas en las márgenes la investigación debe asumir altos niveles de complejidad, debe mantener la noción de ecologías mediáticas y entender cómo, a nivel local, comunicadores comunitarios profundamente inmersos en lo cotidiano e histórico, ajustan las tecnologías mediáticas a las necesidades de sus comunidades.

Identifying and using ehealth phobias to implement communication protocols and change cultural and social behaviours in ehealth

Standardisation of validated communication protocols that aid in the adoption of policies, methods and tools in a secure eHealth setting require a significant cultural shift among clinicians