The Work That Maps Do

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-481
Author(s):  
Charles W. J. Withers

Martin Brückner’s The Social Life of Maps will appeal to scholars from many disciplines—material studies and English literature (his home fields), geography, American studies, and, not least, the U.S. historical community. Maps have never been the preserve of geographers, certainly not in their making nor, as Brückner convincingly shows, in the various practices of public and popular “mappery.” One of the strengths of this book is that it re-affirms and deepens the connections of geography as an educational and imaginative practice with the power of the historical imagination in shaping America’s national identity, territorial reach, and, if only nascent in the period that Brückner considers, empire.

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (36) ◽  
pp. 138-154
Author(s):  
Renata Tarasiuk

The article shows how the symbolism contained in the image of the Jewish state influenced, especially recently, the vectors of Israel’s security policy. Attention is paid to these aspects aimed at protecting national identity. The author tries to substantiate the influence of the cultural factor on Israel’s security policy. The research is based on historical analysis, source analysis, and descriptive narrative. The instruments and tools used by the state in the implementation of the aforementioned tasks are presented – from the basic laws and compatible legal acts regulating the social life of Israeli citizens to the policy of cultural and ethnic isolation and separation carried out by the armed forces. In the Middle East emphasizing one’s own individuality is a strategic goal, but the price of internal a conflicts can be high.


Author(s):  
Wahbie Long

Psychology has always been a discipline immersed in the social and political currents of the day. At the level of psychological theory—whether one considers early pioneers such as Freud, Skinner, and Rogers, or, more recently, Seligman and the neuroscientific turn—its affinity with dominant socio-political concerns is easily demonstrated. Far from such individuals being calculating ideologues, however, they were interpellated—inevitably—by a field of power in which their personal and working lives were already embedded. On the other hand, it is equally true that Psychology’s phenomenal growth in the 20th century was built—most deliberately—on the alliances it formed with powerful bureaucratic elites. The discipline’s proximity to power, that is, meant not only that it could be co-opted ideologically but also that it would collude with oppressive regimes to enhance its own prestige. Project CAMELOT is one example where psychologists were willing to cooperate with the U.S. military in the service of a foreign policy that terrorized Latin America. The discipline also thrived under the Nazis with psychologists heavily involved in meeting the operational requirements of the Wehrmacht. Afrikaner psychologists in South Africa formed a close association with the apartheid state in both ideological and practical terms. More recently, the involvement of the American Psychological Association in a torture scandal has drawn attention once again to the discipline’s potential for collusion with institutional powers. In historiographic terms, some will take issue with the delivery of moral judgments when documenting the history of Psychology. However, the writing of history does not preclude such judgments, especially at a time when the exercise of power permeates disciplinary, institutional, and social life.


Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Andriessen ◽  
Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart ◽  
Julie Cerel ◽  
Myfanwy Maple

Abstract. Background: Suicide can have a lasting impact on the social life as well as the physical and mental health of the bereaved. Targeted research is needed to better understand the nature of suicide bereavement and the effectiveness of support. Aims: To take stock of ongoing studies, and to inquire about future research priorities regarding suicide bereavement and postvention. Method: In March 2015, an online survey was widely disseminated in the suicidology community. Results: The questionnaire was accessed 77 times, and 22 records were included in the analysis. The respondents provided valuable information regarding current research projects and recommendations for the future. Limitations: Bearing in mind the modest number of replies, all from respondents in Westernized countries, it is not known how representative the findings are. Conclusion: The survey generated three strategies for future postvention research: increase intercultural collaboration, increase theory-driven research, and build bonds between research and practice. Future surveys should include experiences with obtaining research grants and ethical approval for postvention studies.


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