Knowing Me, Knowing You: Aboriginal and European Concepts of Nature as Self and Other

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Strang
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Transmission Of Knowledge ◽  
Explicit Discourse ◽  
Aboriginal Groups

AbstractBased on long-term fieldwork with Aboriginal groups, Euro-Australian pastoralists and other land users in Far North Queensland, this paper considers the ways in which indigenous relations to land conflate concepts of Nature and the Self, enabling subjective identification with elements of the environment and supporting long-term affective relationships with place. It observes that indigenous cultural landscapes are deeply encoded with projections of social identity: this location in the immediate environment facilitates the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and identity and supports beliefs in human spiritual transcendence of mortality. The paper suggests that Aboriginal relations to land are therefore implicitly founded on interdependent precepts of social and environmental sustainability. In contrast, Euro-Australian pastoralists' cultural landscapes, and constructs of Nature, though situated within more complex relations with place, remain dominated by patriarchal and historically adversarial visions of Nature as a feminine "wild-ness" or "otherness" requiring the civilising control of (male) Culture and rationality. Human spiritual being and continuity is conceptualised as above or outside Nature, impeding the location of selfhood and collective continuity within the immediate environment. In tandem with mobile and highly individuated forms of social identity, this positions Nature as "other". There is thus a subjective separation between the individualised life of the self, and the life of Nature/other that, despite an explicit discourse in which ecological well-being is valorised, inhibits affective connection with place and confounds sustainability.

scholarly journals Self-other representation in the social brain reflects social connection

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Courtney ◽  
Meghan L. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Brain

Social connection is critical to well-being, yet how the brain reflects our attachment to other people remains largely unknown. We combined univariate and multivariate brain imaging analyses to assess whether and how the brain organizes representations of others based on how connected they are to our own identity. During an fMRI scan, participants (N=43) completed a self- and other-reflection task for 16 targets: the self, five close others, five acquaintances, and five celebrities. In addition, they reported their subjective closeness to each target and their own trait loneliness. We examined neural responses to the self and others in a brain region that has been associated with self-representation (medial prefrontal cortex; MPFC) and across the whole brain. The structure of self-other representation in the MPFC and across the social brain appeared to cluster targets into three social categories: the self, social network members (including close others and acquaintances), and celebrities. Moreover, both univariate activation in MPFC and multivariate self-other similarity in MPFC and across the social brain increased with subjective self-other closeness ratings. Critically, participants who were less socially connected (i.e. lonelier) showed altered self-other mapping in social brain regions. Most notably, in MPFC, loneliness was associated with reduced representational similarity between the self and others. The social brain apparently maintains information about broad social categories as well as closeness to the self. Moreover, these results point to the possibility that feelings of chronic social disconnection may be mirrored by a ‘lonelier’ neural self-representation.Significance StatementSocial connection is critical to well-being, yet how the brain reflects our attachment to people remains unclear. We found that the social brain stratifies neural representations of people based on our subjective connection to them, separately clustering people who are and are not in our social network. Moreover, the people we feel closest to are represented most closely to ourselves. Finally, lonelier individuals also appeared to have a ‘lonelier’ neural self-representation in the MPFC, as loneliness attenuated the closeness between self and other neural representations in this region. The social brain appears to map our interpersonal ties, and alterations in this map may help explain why lonely individuals endorse statements such as ‘people are around me but not with me’.

The Rationale for a Well-Being Approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 13-24
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Truth Telling ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Social Narrative

This chapter presents the rationale for a well-being approach. A well-being approach—that is, establishing well-being as the goal and measure of what matters in order to create a future in which people, communities, and the planet can all thrive—provides a new compass for decision-making, resource allocation, social narrative, and even consciousness. The chapter highlights the benefits, positive outcomes, and potential for transformation via a well-being approach. Some of the key points include the ability of a well-being approach to: shift the focus to things that matter most to people and communities; create more urgency to address inequities and shift power; break down structural barriers and “silos” to encourage cross-sector collaboration; link human well-being and environmental sustainability; create a new expectation, demand, and accountability for a well-being agenda; and focus on the future through long-term agendas and inter-generational leadership. Meanwhile, key among the enabling conditions for well-being in the local context are truth telling about history and experiences, and ensuring that benefits are equitably shared.

scholarly journals Building a Sustainable Society: The Necessity to Change the Term 'Consumer'

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Chakori
Keyword(s):  
Economic System ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Transformation ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Consumption Culture ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Important Relationship ◽  
Definition Of

The profit-seeking system leads to many negative environmental impacts. Within this economic system, consumption reflects an important relationship between humans and nature. However, despite the growing international attention to environmental sustainability, our society does not necessarily acknowledge consumerism as the cause of global environmental degradation. Deconstructing the consumption culture and redefining what determines well-being, this paper will attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing definition of people in the economic system. Many authors have defined our role in the economy; however, in terms of customer, citizen-consumer, and socially conscious consumer, most of the literature in this domain remains rooted in consumerism. Consumerism cannot be fixed with further consumerism; therefore this paper discusses the importance of reclaiming our identity and the need to define new terms for people in a new economic system. Any new terms should integrate interests and responsibilities that go beyond simple utility maximization. Moving beyond the term “consumer” will change our worldview. This cultural transformation may help facilitate long-term environmental sustainability.

Cosmology, Worldview and Gender-based Knowledge Systems among the Tanimuka and Yukuna (Northwest Amazon)

1999 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Reichel
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Environmental Management Strategies ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Northwest Amazon

AbstractIn this article gender-based knowledge systems are related to the cosmology and worldview held by hunter-gatherer men and by female swidden cultivators among the Tanimuka and Yukuna Indians of the Northwest Amazon in Colombia. The terms 'cosmology' and 'worldview' are differentiated conceptually, to distinguish the scales of cosmoview and worldview as Amerindians contrast these. The positions of each gender in knowledge politics, property rights, environmental management strategies and in chiefdom polities are analysed to inquire why the cosmology and worldview asymmetrically empower the men and women to recreate social and environmental sustainability, endorse consciousness of ethno-eco-cosmic linkages and foster respect for life-enhancing dynamics. An analysis of the concepts of Thought or of Knowledge as the basis of existence itself across society, nature and cosmos is made to inquire why this Amerindian theory of knowledge and its application by gender-based agency consolidates ethnic alterity and a wise use of resources. The Tanimuka and Yukuna rejection of alien or unwanted Thought-Knowledge of other cultures and of rainforest forces is interpreted as a politics of distantiation. This affirms notions of a negotiatory universe with long term communitarian and environmental well-being, as the knowledge claims of the cosmology and worldview resist hegemonic ecocidal and ethnocidal dynamics.

scholarly journals Can We Sustain Sustainability? A Critical Synthesis of Pertinent Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12753
Author(s):  
Jay L. Brand ◽  
Sally Augustin
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
William James ◽  
Sustainable Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Biophilic Design ◽  
Environmentally Responsible ◽  
Health And Well Being

Architects and designers, along with their corporate clients, generally embrace the importance of environmental stewardship, saving the earth’s ecosystem, and sustainable design. However, research is needed to link sustainable design with relevant human behavior (e.g., in corporate offices and educational settings) to ensure its enduring legacy. Regarding changing people’s behavior, the majority of human experience results from unconscious processes, i.e., brain–environment interactions not available to awareness; thus, in general, people cannot articulate the nature of these associations. Using theoretical roots stemming from William James and running through ecological psychology (e.g., James J. Gibson to Roger Barker), Harry Heft has argued that the influence of environmental design precedes conscious awareness and information processing. Assuming Heft’s conjecture, this implies that—if informed by biologically influential signals (e.g., biophilic design)—the design of the ambient physical environment may positively ‘nudge’ human behavior in ways useful to sustainability and sensitivity to the environment—although relevant critical perspectives suggest that dynamic conditions and contextual complexity may modify the potential of nudge theory applications. Still, could it be that sustainable design can improve human health and well-being? Research suggests that environmentally responsible and biophilic design may accomplish at least a few elements of this goal and perhaps also enhance some aspects of cognitive performance. Could this approach support environmental sustainability by linking sustainable design to its potential economic benefits via worker productivity or student success? If so, then the strategy of improving positive well-being through design aligns well with the goal of maintaining the long-term viability of the earth’s ecosystem.

Learning About Others

2021 ◽  
pp. 15-30
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Social Conflicts ◽  
Self And Other

There is a necessary linkage between understanding the “self” by understanding the “other.” This chapter offers concrete experiences of “being the Other,” “being Othered,” “Othering,” and in general, getting to know and work with other people in processes of social transformation. Conceptually, the authors draw from social constructivism (Gergen) and theories of power (Deutsch) as a way to elucidate the array of how “self” and “other” is constructed collectively through social relationships mediated by power. This chapter discusses the process whereby social conflicts have roots in power relationships that hierarchize identities, rendering some as dominated and others as dominant, and how this produces personal and social struggles that have powerful transformative effects. This chapter offers the story of Son Batá, a group of Afro-Colombian artists and community leaders, that in their exploration of their personal and social identity have deeply transformed their community.

scholarly journals Predicting our own and others’ future preferences: The role of social distance

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 634-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Bauckham ◽  
Rachel Lambert ◽  
Cristina M Atance ◽  
Patrick SR Davidson ◽  
Vanessa Taler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
The Self ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
The Future

People underestimate how much their preferences will change in the future, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as a “presentism bias.” Recently, we found that this presentism bias is attenuated when thinking about the preferences of other people. The aim of this study was to investigate whether predicting future preferences also differs depending on the level of social distance between self and other. A total of 67 participants completed a perspective-taking task in which they were required to think about their own preferences, those of a generic peer, and those of a close other both now and in the future. They were also asked to consider the preferences of an older adult now. Participants predicted less change between their current and future preferences than between the current and future preferences of a generic peer. Predicted change in preferences for a close other were similar, but not identical, to those made for the self. When considering relevant future preferences, participants predicted less change for themselves than for their close others and less change for close others than for generic peers. In other words, as social distance increases, the presentism bias decreases. Interestingly, participants estimated that both they and their peers would not change so much that they become similar to current older adults. Simulating the future perspectives of a generic peer or, even better, the current perspectives of an older adult may thus result in improved long-term decision-making, as it may enable a more realistic estimation of the magnitude of likely changes in the future.

Improving Feeding Outcomes in the NICU: Moving From Volume-Driven to Infant-Driven Feeding

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 68-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Shaker
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Dynamic Systems ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dynamic Systems Theory ◽  
Feeding Problems ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
Extremely Preterm ◽  
Extremely Preterm Infants

Current research on feeding outcomes after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) suggests a need to critically look at the early underpinnings of persistent feeding problems in extremely preterm infants. Concepts of dynamic systems theory and sensitive care-giving are used to describe the specialized needs of this fragile population related to the emergence of safe and successful feeding and swallowing. Focusing on the infant as a co-regulatory partner and embracing a framework of an infant-driven, versus volume-driven, feeding approach are highlighted as best supporting the preterm infant's developmental strivings and long-term well-being.

Intraindividual Variability and Stability of Affect and Well-Being

GeroPsych ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Röcke ◽  
Annette Brose
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
Functional Implications ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Underlying Processes

Whereas subjective well-being remains relatively stable across adulthood, emotional experiences show remarkable short-term variability, with younger and older adults differing in both amount and correlates. Repeatedly assessed affect data captures both the dynamics and stability as well as stabilization that may indicate emotion-regulatory processes. The article reviews (1) research approaches to intraindividual affect variability, (2) functional implications of affect variability, and (3) age differences in affect variability. Based on this review, we discuss how the broader literature on emotional aging can be better integrated with theories and concepts of intraindividual affect variability by using appropriate methodological approaches. Finally, we show how a better understanding of affect variability and its underlying processes could contribute to the long-term stabilization of well-being in old age.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document