scholarly journals Who is a terrorist? Exploring the utility of interdisciplinary fields

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-161
Author(s):  
Heba Mohamed Zahra
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sociological Factors ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Psychological Theories

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the dilemma of terrorism as a political phenomenon that many political scientists care about; however, they find themselves incapable of explaining some of its aspects and they resort to other disciplines. The second part of the dilemma is related to the incapability of well-established disciplines to provide political scientists with much help. This raises the following question: Will political scientists be able to enhance their knowledge of terrorism with the help of scholars from consolidated and well-established disciplines or with the help of scholars from interdisciplinary fields? Design/methodology/approach This research depends on the main theories of psychology and of social psychology and adopts a comparative approach to assess the effectiveness of both disciplines in providing political scientists with the knowledge they lack. Findings In spite of being a well-established and consolidated discipline, psychology is not the perfect discipline that can help political scientists know who a terrorist is. Social psychological theories of aggression provide political scientists with greater ability to understand what psychological and sociological factors motivate a person to turn to aggression and terrorism. Moreover, social psychology developed the “terror management theory” which clarifies various aspects of the phenomenon. Originality/value This research paper calls the attention of scholars of terrorism to the importance of adopting an interdisciplinary approach to understand the various aspects of a complex phenomenon such as terrorism. The interdisciplinary field adopted will differ according to the research question that a researcher needs to answer.

The Schoolie experience: social identity and disconfirmation

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kwek ◽  
Mitchell Ross
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
High School Graduates ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Gold Coast ◽  
Event Management ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Unique Nature ◽  
Management Context

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe experiences of high school graduates attending a significant annual celebratory event (Schoolies) on the Gold Coast, Australia. Design/methodology/approach An interpretive, qualitative paradigm informed by social construction ideologies was adopted. Data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews. Findings Key findings relate to attendees’ notion of excitement and perception of social identity, which was found to encompass both a rite of passage and event exclusivity. Attendees’ sense of identity developed from the unique nature of the event as well as the anticipation of excitement and the actual experience. Originality/value This study makes a novel contribution in that it takes an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together the sociological, social psychological, and marketing disciplines in an event management context.

Theory in Social Psychology: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaacov Trope
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Social Judgment ◽  
Judgment And Decision Making ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Psychological Theories

The phenomena social psychology seeks to explain–how people think, feel, and act in response to social situations–are rich and diverse. Therefore, explanatory power, the simplicity of a model relative to its empirical scope, is an important desideratum for social psychological theories. A model achieves high explanatory power to the extent that it integrates narrower models within a unified conceptualization, reconciles conflicting findings, and makes novel predictions regarding specific phenomena. This article first relates explanatory power to the various facets of scientific inquiry (modeling, derivation, observation, evaluation, and decision) and then discusses this criterion as a guide for 2 theory-based lines of research my colleagues and I have conducted in the area of social judgment and decision making.

The need for anti-corruption policies in developing countries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Brody ◽  
Gaurav Gupta ◽  
Angela N. Ekofo ◽  
Kehinde Mayokun Ogunade
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Laws And Policies

Purpose In this study, the authors examine the issue of corruption in the government institutions of developing countries. Additionally, this study aims to answer the following research question: How do developing countries implement and enforce these anti-corruption policies? Specifically, the authors look at the laws adopted in different developing countries to deal with issues related to corruption. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the qualitative approach to examine the causes of recent corruption among government officials in developing countries such as Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. A comparative approach was used to compare and contrast the anti-corruption practices of developing and developed countries. Findings The findings indicate that corruption is rampant in much of the developing world. On a positive note, the authors have found evidence of actions taken by governments in these developing economies to rapidly deal with issues of corruption. All the countries analyzed in this paper have developed anti-corruption policies and related acts to detect and punish the perpetrators of corruption. Originality/value This paper provides a greater insight as to how the anti-corruption policies are formulated and enforced in the developing world. Specifically, the authors provide examples of different emerging countries and their approaches to developing and enforcing anti-corruption policies. This guidance can help others around the world to deal with anti-corruption policies in their countries. Although the authors have learned a lot about the detrimental effects of corruption and laws enacted to combat it, the next step is to examine the processes used by the developing countries to develop these anti-corruption laws and policies.

Good in Theory: A Metatheoretical Review of Social Psychological Theories of Human Sexuality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Quistberg ◽  
John Kitchener Sakaluk
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Human Sexuality ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Psychological Study ◽  
Current State ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Sexual Science ◽  
Psychology Theory ◽  
Theory Generation ◽  
Future Theory

The fields of social psychology and sexual science have an intuitive and growing connection, with social psychology’s tradition of theory generation poised to enrich the psychological study of the sexual. For those interested in applying social psychological theories to topics of sexuality, however, there are questions regarding the features, qualities, and strengths and weaknesses of social psychology’s theoretical offerings. We therefore conducted a comprehensive metatheoretical review of social psychology theories applicable to sexuality (n = 44). In doing so, we (i)promote a deeper understanding of the current state of social psychology theory (ii)provide original theory maps to streamline future theory testing (iii)evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of current social psychology theories. Our review finds existing social psychology theory to present a range of clarity with regards to theory definition, theory applicability, and testability. We interpret our results as encouragement for the pursuit of contemporary methods of theorizing in social psychology.

Decolonising knowledge production in disaster management: a feminist perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shazana Andrabi
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Feminist Research ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Fields Of Study

PurposeThis paper focuses on how feminist research seeks to integrate the inclusion of women in society for them to be active participants in disaster management, and goes on to prove how crucial it is for disaster research to collaborate with feminist research to arrive at a cohesive, interwoven, interdisciplinary field and methodology, while at the same time giving the agency in the hands of local agents for them to bring about change through traditional methods interwoven with broader methodologies. To hand over the process to local agents would result in decolonisation of knowledge production and implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper was written using secondary sources, mainly in the form of books, journal articles and news articles. Reports by international organisations were used to augment data and other theoretical frameworks and references in the paper. The secondary sources were selected keeping in view one of the primary objectives of the paper, namely “decolonising knowledge production”. Analysis by postcolonial authors from the global South has been included. Research and literature based in local contexts form an important part of the sources consulted throughout this paper. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been used as a case study to highlight how disasters are still “gendered”; it opens up space for further research on the topic.FindingsEven though women are increasingly recognised as agents of positive change in prevention, mitigation and post-disaster efforts, very little is done at the policy and implementation levels to include their experiences and benefit from them. There is an urgent need for systemic, gender-aware changes at socio-economic and political levels so that hazards may be prevented from turning into disasters by reducing the vulnerability of populations.Originality/valueThe importance of this research lies in its interdisciplinary approach and the integration of three fields of study disaster management, feminist/gender studies and decolonising knowledge production. The attempt is to analyse the interdependence of these fields of study to understand the lacunae in planning and implementation of disaster management policies, and to pave the way for further research by way of this integration.

Increasing transparency is not always the panacea

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel De Vries ◽  
Iwona Sobis
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Morality ◽  
Corruption In Organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that the analysis of corruption must distinguish between corruption in organizations where this kind of behaviour is widespread and corruption in organizations where it is rare, and must also distinguish between corruption as the outcome of an economic cost-benefit analysis and corruption induced by social-psychological factors. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper. Findings – In order to be effective in combating corruption, a fit is needed with the main determinants of corrupt behaviour: first, at the individual level in which either personal morality, social or economic considerations are at stake; second, at the organizational level in which social-psychological factors might be determinative; and third, at the contextual level in which economic prosperity, the nature of the political system and cultural features are important. Practical implications – Especially in systems where corruption is widespread, policymakers could benefit from theories in social psychology to combat corruption. Social implications – To see corruption as the result of an individual cost-benefit analysis or as a lack of morality often misses the point in cases of widespread corruption. Originality/value – The paper points at the added value of social psychology approach to corruption as compared to the approaches at present dominant in public administration.

The future of governance in Iran

foresight ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Asghar Pourezzat ◽  
Mohammad Hoseini Moghadam ◽  
Maryam Sani Ejlal ◽  
Ghazaleh Taheriattar
Keyword(s):  
Driving Forces ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
Alternative Futures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
International Trends ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Government

Purpose Through an examination of macro-historical studies on the governance of Iran, the purpose of this study is to identify the most significant and important events and trends in the rise and fall of Iranian governments and introduce alternative futures in a range of possible, plausible and preferable forms of future governance. To carry out a foresight study of alternative futures of Iranian governance, the authors used futures studies, based on the detection of the most critical driving forces, which are also the most important uncertainties. Futures studies as an interdisciplinary field of study help to identify the events and trends that affect political change and offer scenarios of four alternative futures for the governance of Iran: Smart and Stable Government, Authoritarian Development-oriented Government, Irrational Government and Irrational Breakable Government. The authors believe that Iran’s endeavors to promote democracy, taking the changing international trends into account, make a more trustworthy future for Iran both possible plausible. Design/methodology/approach Based on macro-history approach and by using “shared history”, future triangle and then scenario planning, the future of Governance in Iran has been analyzed. Findings Whenever the government has distanced itself from the public and has neglected the trend of international change, it has been faced with a period of collapse and annihilation. And whenever these two important factors are understood, the result is a trend of development and growth. Therefore, the most favored image of Iran’s future relies on the maintenance and promotion of public participation and on increasing attention to the sustainable realities of international relations. Originality/value The complexities of events and trends affecting the rise and fall of previous governments of Iran make it necessary to use an interdisciplinary approach to understand the events that have emerged or are emerging in its governance. In this study, from futures studies point of view, transformation of governance has been studied.

scholarly journals Who Is This “We” You Speak of? Grounding Activist Identity in Social Psychology

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 237802311771781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Horowitz
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Collective Identity ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Role Based ◽  
Role Responsibilities ◽  
Distinct Role

What is an activist identity? Prior answers have focused almost exclusively on collective identity, without (a) considering the possibility of role-based identities or (b) grounding collective identities in broader social-psychological theories. The present study investigates activist identity through the lens of role-based and category-based identities and reports two major findings. First, there is a distinct role-based activist identity, one that involves internalizing role responsibilities and the expectations of friends and family. Second, collective identity represents a relationship between a social identity and an injustice frame; it either involves incorporating an injustice frame into a preexisting social identity or using the injustice frame to create a new in-group. The present findings help to illuminate the processes underlying collective identity, indicate that a great deal of role-based activist identity is mistaken for collective identity, and suggest new directions for the study of micro-mobilization and organizational forms and tactics in social movements.

Seeds of systemic corruption in the post-Brexit UK

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 705-718
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Pasculli
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Systemic Corruption

Purpose This study aims to assess the risks of systematisation of corruption in the UK following the Brexit referendum. Design/methodology/approach The study applies theoretical and empirical findings of criminological, social, psychological, economic and legal research on the causes of systemic corruption to the socio-institutional developments following the Leave vote. Findings The events surrounding the referendum confirm that the resort to corrupt practices is normalised in certain sectors of the British institutions, business and media and that socio-political processes activated by the Leave vote and inadequate UK policymaking and lawmaking can aggravate the situational and socio-psychological enablers of systemic corruption. Effective solutions must go beyond mere anti-corruption laws and address deeper social issues. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on some of the major situational and socio-psychological causes of systemic corruption, including the unintended criminogenic effects of the law. More interdisciplinary research is required to address other causes, such as historical and cultural factors. Practical implications The findings of this study can inspire practical solutions by policymakers and future research. Social implications The study contributes to raising social awareness and stimulating public discussion on systemic corruption in the UK and on the consequences of the referendum on public and private integrity. Originality/value The study offers the first systematic analysis of the effects of Brexit and the referendum on corruption through an integrated interdisciplinary approach to systemic corruption in the UK.

Looking at the gap between social psychological and psychodynamic perspectives on group dynamics historically

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra G.L. Schruijer ◽  
Petru L. Curseu
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Organization Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wilfred Bion ◽  
The Social

Purpose – The paper aims to describe and understand the gap between the psychodynamic literature on groups and the social psychological perspective on group dynamics. Design/methodology/approach – As Wilfred Bion is the most influential group dynamics representative of the psychodynamic tradition the authors performed a citation analysis of Bion's work to find out whether it influenced the social psychological research on group dynamics. They compared three domains of literature: therapy/clinical, management/organization studies and social psychology. Moreover, they depict (by drawing on interviews with European pioneers in social psychology) the historical context in which European social psychology developed to explain the gap between the psychodynamic and social psychological approaches in the study of group dynamics. Findings – The results clearly indicate the existence of a gap between the social psychological and psychodynamic perspectives on group dynamics. Moreover, the authors show that Bion did influence scholars studying or working with real-life groups and is cited more by American than European scholars. The attempt to build a legitimate scientific identity for social psychology provides a context for understanding of the neglect of the psychodynamic tradition. Research limitations/implications – The authors conclude by exploring ways in which the psychodynamic tradition may fertilize the social psychological tradition in studying groups. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to address the discrepancy between the social psychological and psychodynamic perspectives in the study of group dynamics.

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