Department of Cultural Affairs Performance Plan, FY 2014

Agency Performance Plan, Department of Cultural Affairs

Social network architecture and the maintenance of deleterious cultural traits.

How have changes in communications technology affected the way that misinformation spreads through a population and persists? To what extent do differences in the architecture of social networks affect the spread of misinformation, relative to the rates and rules by which individuals transmit or eliminate different pieces of information (cultural traits)? Here, we use analytical models and individual-based simulations to study how a 'cultural load' of misinformation can be maintained in a population under a balance between social transmission and selective elimination of cultural traits with low intrinsic value. While considerable research has explored how network architecture affects percolation processes, we find that the relative rates at which individuals transmit or eliminate traits can have much more profound impacts on the cultural load than differences in network architecture. In particular, the cultural load is insensitive to correlations between an individual's network degree and rate of elimination when these quantities vary among individuals. Taken together, these results suggest that changes in communications technology may have influenced cultural evolution more strongly through changes in the amount of information flow, rather than the details of who is connected to whom.

La mediación con jóvenes inmigrantes en el ámbito de la justicia penal juvenil: un enfoque educativo

Nuestra sociedad cada vez es más diversa y multicultural. La creciente preocupación social en relación con las acciones y alternativas educativas que pueden ayudar a cohesionar nuestra comunidad, genera retos importantes. El desarrollo de una reflexión fundamentada, basada en la investigación fomenta una comprensión más real y menos estereotipada de determinados fenómenos. Es importante huir de tópicos interesados surgidos desde perspectivas políticas e ideológicas que tienden a sesgar el problema. La Justicia Penal Juvenil constituye uno de los ámbitos donde la diversidad cultural ha irrumpido, en los últimos años, de manera muy significativa. Tanto en los centros de menores como en otras medidas alternativas, la presencia de población inmigrante es claramente visible. Esta situación está generando una importante reflexión a cerca de la aplicación de las formas de gestión del conflicto recogidas actualmente en la Ley Penal Juvenil, para dar respuesta a las nuevas necesidades y demandas. Desde estas páginas se profundiza en la utilización de la mediación como alternativa en el ámbito penal, en aquellos casos donde una de las partes está constituida por jóvenes inmigrantes, para poder proporcionar unas bases comprensivas para la mejora de tales procesos.

La mediación con jóvenes inmigrantes en el ámbito de la justicia penal juvenil: un enfoque educativo

Nuestra sociedad cada vez es más diversa y multicultural. La creciente preocupación social en relación con las acciones y alternativas educativas que pueden ayudar a cohesionar nuestra comunidad, genera retos importantes. El desarrollo de una reflexión fundamentada, basada en la investigación fomenta una comprensión más real y menos estereotipada de determinados fenómenos. Es importante huir de tópicos interesados surgidos desde perspectivas políticas e ideológicas que tienden a sesgar el problema. La Justicia Penal Juvenil constituye uno de los ámbitos donde la diversidad cultural ha irrumpido, en los últimos años, de manera muy significativa. Tanto en los centros de menores como en otras medidas alternativas, la presencia de población inmigrante es claramente visible. Esta situación está generando una importante reflexión a cerca de la aplicación de las formas de gestión del conflicto recogidas actualmente en la Ley Penal Juvenil, para dar respuesta a las nuevas necesidades y demandas. Desde estas páginas se profundiza en la utilización de la mediación como alternativa en el ámbito penal, en aquellos casos donde una de las partes está constituida por jóvenes inmigrantes, para poder proporcionar unas bases comprensivas para la mejora de tales procesos.

Workers' perception of workplace bullying: a cross-cultural study

This study is one of the first studies to approach workplace bullying cross-culturally. It sought to compare employees' understanding of workplace bullying in two different world regions: Central America and Southern Europe, regarding three aspects of workplace bullying: psychological vs. physical harassment, hierarchical vs. horizontal bullying, and direct vs. indirect aggression. A convenience sample of 246 workers provided their own definition of workplace bullying through a single, open-ended question. The results showed that employees from Central America emphasized the physical component of workplace bullying more than the Southern European employees. However, similarities in the conceptualization of workplace bullying across both cultures were found as well. Both Southern European and Central American employees defined workplace bullying mainly as a hierarchical phenomenon, where the aggression took the form of direct strategies. Such differences and similarities bring to the field some positive inputs for the development and implementation of different strategies for dealing effectively with this phenomenon.

Workers' perception of workplace bullying: a cross-cultural study

This study is one of the first studies to approach workplace bullying cross-culturally. It sought to compare employees' understanding of workplace bullying in two different world regions: Central America and Southern Europe, regarding three aspects of workplace bullying: psychological vs. physical harassment, hierarchical vs. horizontal bullying, and direct vs. indirect aggression. A convenience sample of 246 workers provided their own definition of workplace bullying through a single, open-ended question. The results showed that employees from Central America emphasized the physical component of workplace bullying more than the Southern European employees. However, similarities in the conceptualization of workplace bullying across both cultures were found as well. Both Southern European and Central American employees defined workplace bullying mainly as a hierarchical phenomenon, where the aggression took the form of direct strategies. Such differences and similarities bring to the field some positive inputs for the development and implementation of different strategies for dealing effectively with this phenomenon.

Cross-cultural clinical competence and post-graduate teaching: any impact(s) on doctors?

Context: Cross-cultural clinical competence (CCC) requires a mixtureof "knowledge" (K), "attitude" (A) and "skills" (S), in order to develop theability to give quality care to patients of different cultures. Theseattributes allow, while providing medical care, consideration of thepatient's medical, social, cultural and language needs. The LausanneUniversity Medical Policlinic (PMU) provides approximately 30000consultations per year to migrant patients and over the past five yearshas implemented a training course on CCC that focuses on trialogue,stereotypes and administrative procedures for the healthcare ofmigrants.Method: A quantitative survey of 18 new residents, was carried outusing a validated questionnaire, the "Multicultural AssessmentQuestionnaire" (the MAQ, 16 questions on K, A and S) to evaluate theimpact of CCC training. The questionnaire was distributed before theCCC course (J-1), three days after (J+3) and three months later (J+90).A descriptive univariate analysis of the difference in MAQ scoresbetween the times J-1 - J+3 and J-1 - J+90 was made. Three FocusGroups were conducted, at three months, to explore residents' thoughtsabout the course.Results: A significant increase was observed in global performancedeclared by residents. Following the intervention, the score of the MAQincreased from 31.4 points to 38.0 points at three days (p = 0.004) andto 37.7 points at three months (p = 0.003). This increase was mostnoticeable in the field of acquiring K: total score J-1: 118, J+3: 189,J+90: 190 (difference J-1 - J+3 and J-1 - J+90: p <0.005). There was nosignificant difference in acquiring A (J-1: 222, J+3: 228, J+90: 229), andS increases in a significant way at first (J-1: 222, J+3: 265, J-1 - J+3:p = 0.035), then comes back to the start value (J+90: 217). The residentswere interested by the course which they felt provides useful informationfor clinical practice. They had a great number of expectations in varyingfields (medical anthropology, cultural differences, epidemiology, etc.),hoping a "ready-made" solution for the approach of migrant patients.Conclusions: A unique training of CCC at the post-graduate level,upgraded K, and to a lesser extent A and S, for these 18 residents. Theywere interest and they had many expectations. Subsequent coursesshould consolidate these acquisitions. Future study should demonstratethe impact on patients' clinical outcome.

Cos, identitat i diversitat cultural. Presentació

Cos, identitat i immigració constitueixen tres realitats que quan convergeixen generen un nou punt de mira del fet migratori a la societat actual. La vivència de la pròpia corporalitat i els matisos que adquireix aquest procés en la població immigrada permeten entreteixir un discurs que mostra una nova dimensió de la construcció de la pròpia identitat en les societats multiculturals. La principal intenció del present monogràfic és, doncs, obrir una nova via de reflexió sobre el fet migratori i alhora fer visible la implicació de la cultura corporal en les transformacions socials.

¿Cómo podemos entender la inteligencia en el siglo XXI?: una visión psico-socio-cultural.

Indudablemente, no podemos desligar el tema del alumnado con altas capacidades intelectuales del constructo “inteligencia”, ya que en el fondo las sucesivas definiciones de inteligencia o de conducta inteligente marcan qué vamos a evaluar como “capacidad intelectual superior”.El siglo XX, ha sido rico en definiciones e instrumentos de medida, especialmente desde el ámbito de la Psicología, aunque no debemos dejar de lado los aportes de otras ciencias como la biología, la cibernética, la antropología o la neurología por citar algunas. Muchos autores han intentado rastrear el concepto de inteligencia y su evolución en estos últimos 100 años...

Audit report on the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for the year ended June 30, 2013

Audit report on the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for the year ended June 30, 2013