scholarly journals Project Earthrise: Inspiring Creativity, Kindness and Imagination in Planetary Health

Challenges ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Alan C. Logan ◽  
Susan H. Berman ◽  
Brian M. Berman ◽  
Susan L. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Value Systems ◽  
Pulitzer Prize ◽  
Dominant Focus ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Health Movement ◽  
Contemporary Science ◽  
Utopian Thinking ◽  
Earth Day ◽  
Normative Value

The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place and planet. At the same time, it emphasizes the integration of biological, psychological, social and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Our grandest challenges in the Anthropocene ultimately stem from human attitudes to each other and to our environment. However, solutions rarely confront the underlying value systems that created these interconnected problems, or the attitudes that perpetuate them. Too often, the dominant focus is on the “worst of human nature”, and devalues or neglects the importance of empathy, kindness, hope, love, creativity and mutual respect—the deeper values that unite, empower and refocus priorities of individuals and groups. Here, we call to normalize more creative, mutualistic approaches—including the perspectives of traditional and indigenous cultures—to positively influence normative value systems. We revisit the power of inspiration with the profound example of the Apollo 8 Earthrise photo which galvanized a fledgling planetary health movement over 50 years ago. Through the inaugural Earth Day that followed, we are reminded that its early organizers were not constrained in how they defined the “environment”. They and their primary speakers were as concerned about value systems as they were about pollution—that we cannot hope to solve our problems without addressing the attitudes that created them in the first place. We explore the ways in which the awe of Earthrise—and the contemporary science of creativity and studies of utopian thinking—might reinvigorate imagination, kindness and mutualism. We revisit the fundamental challenge offered by Pulitzer-Prize-winning microbiologist Rene Dubos and others in the afterglow of the Earthrise photo, and the inaugural Earth Day. This is a question of imagination: What kind of world we want to live in?

scholarly journals Project Earthrise: Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Conference of inVIVO Planetary Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 10654
Author(s):  
Susan L. Prescott ◽  
Ganesa Wegienka ◽  
Remco Kort ◽  
David H. Nelson ◽  
Sabine Gabrysch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Systems ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Great Transition ◽  
Earth Day ◽  
Natural Ecology ◽  
Shared Narrative

The “Earthrise” photograph, taken on the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, became one of the most significant images of the 20th Century. It triggered a profound shift in environmental awareness and the potential for human unity—inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970. Taking inspiration from these events 50 years later, we initiated Project Earthrise at our 2020 annual conference of inVIVO Planetary Health. This builds on the emergent concept of planetary health, which provides a shared narrative to integrate rich and diverse approaches from all aspects of society towards shared solutions to global challenges. The acute catastrophe of the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn greater attention to many other interconnected global health, environmental, social, spiritual, and economic problems that have been underappreciated or neglected for decades. This is accelerating opportunities for greater collaborative action, as many groups now focus on the necessity of a “Great Transition”. While ambitious integrative efforts have never been more important, it is imperative to apply these with mutualistic value systems as a compass, as we seek to make wiser choices. Project Earthrise is our contribution to this important process. This underscores the imperative for creative ecological solutions to challenges in all systems, on all scales with advancing global urbanization in the digital age—for personal, environmental, economic and societal health alike. At the same time, our agenda seeks to equally consider our social and spiritual ecology as it does natural ecology. Revisiting the inspiration of “Earthrise”, we welcome diverse perspectives from across all dimensions of the arts and the sciences, to explore novel solutions and new normative values. Building on academic rigor, we seek to place greater value on imagination, kindness and mutualism as we address our greatest challenges, for the health of people, places and planet.

Wise Ancestors, Good Ancestors: Why Mindfulness Matters in the Promotion of Planetary Health

Challenges ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Alan C. Logan ◽  
Susan H. Berman ◽  
Richard B. Scott ◽  
Brian M. Berman ◽  
Susan L. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Practical Wisdom ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Cultural Aspects

The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place, and planet. It emphasizes the interconnected grand challenges of our time, and underscores the need for integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Here, in our Viewpoint article, we revisit vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk’s contention that wisdom is central to the concept of planetary health. Our perspective is centered on the idea that practical wisdom is associated with decision-making that leads to flourishing—the vitality and fullest potential of individuals, communities, and life on the planet as a whole. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has illustrated the acute consequences of unwise and mindless leadership; yet, wisdom and mindfulness, or lack thereof, is no less consequential to grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, and social injustices. Since mindfulness is a teachable asset linked to both wisdom and flourishing, we argue that mindfulness deserves much greater attention in the context of planetary health.

scholarly journals The East and the West

2020 ◽  
pp. 107-134
Author(s):  
Hye K. Pae
Keyword(s):  
East Asian ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
The West ◽  
Philosophical Foundations ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
Attention And Perception ◽  
Analytic Problem

Abstract This chapter reviews the cultural aspects of the East and the West. A wide range of differences between the East and the West is discussed in terms of the extrinsic and intrinsic differences. The extrinsic differences comprise architecture, the mode of clothing, everyday practices, and language and script, while the intrinsic differences consist of culture and value systems, attention and perception (holistic vs. analytic), problem solving (relation vs. categorization), and rhetorical structure (linear vs. roundabout). The locus of these differences is identified with respect to philosophical foundations and the characteristics of Eastern and Western cultures. The prevalent interpretations of the differences between the East and the West center on Diamond’s (1999) guns, germs, and steel, Nisbett’s (2003) geography of thought, and Logan’s (2004) alphabet effects. However, these interpretations cannot explain differences in ideologies, religious practices, and societal values among Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans. Therefore, script relativity becomes a new interpretation of the engine behind the differences among the three East-Asian nations and between the East and the West.

Two Orientations of the Self

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey H. Boyd
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
The Self ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Relationship With God ◽  
Health Movement

This article defends the view that the Christian orientation of the self (i.e., soul) is that of a self-in-relationship-with-God, whereas the secular view of the self does not include that divine orientation. These different orientations lead to rival and incompatible value systems. To illustrate the two orientations of the self, this article will examine the secular mental health movement (SMHM), in which the author has been immersed for a quarter of a century. I seek to portray the spirit of the SMHM as a whole, without implying that any given SMHM practitioner suffers from that spirit. The spirit in question is definitely not-God-centered and may even promote the self as an idol. An idol is defined as anything or anybody that a person loves

scholarly journals STRUCTURES OF MODERN HEGEMONY: THE USA CASESTUDY

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Dynamic Characteristics ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
World System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mobility Control ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Stable Set ◽  
The World ◽  
Normative Value

The present paper is devoted to the study of hegemony as a process of power distribution, which is based on the constant interaction of modes – dynamic characteristics of hegemony. Hegemony was often viewed as a phenomenon or state of political and ethical reality though macrohistorical, world-system and socio-economic studies during the twentieth century showed that hegemony should be considered as a process, i.e. as a whole directed and stable set of relationships (economic, social, political, military, cultural, etc.), which form the normative-value space of both society and forms of political organization, such as empires or modern states. The article analyzes the hegemony of the United States of America as a modern empire, which is characterized by transnationality, the use of «reasonable power» and the creation of an extensive infrastructure of control and discipline in various spheres of life of both societies and states. The use of structural-functional and world-system approaches has shown that US hegemony consists of four main modes (as further research may reveal other modes): capital, power, power relations, and ideology, which have a specific set of structures with their own content that provide reproduction of hegemony and its further expansion. It is proved that dollarization of the world, control over the banking system and stock exchanges, constant use of its own military forces and their mobility, control over international associations (both global and local levels), transnationalization of culture, technology and information, production of global trends, transformation of hierarchies of values and globalization processes are components of modern hegemony, its dynamic characteristics and structures that ensure its functionality. The existing structures create a dominant position of the United States in the world, which is reflected in the transformation of normative value systems of different societies, and also serve as a basis for structural and functional metamorphoses in political systems of different countries in the orbit of hegemonic influence.

scholarly journals CROSS-CULTURAL ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoriia Bokovets ◽  
Nataliia Korzh ◽  
Lyudmila Davidyuk
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
International Business ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Business Efficiency ◽  
Moral Attitudes ◽  
Cultural Features ◽  
Business Relations

It is noted that knowledge of all cross-cultural aspects of behavior in international business, namely understanding the national characteristics of people's behavior in different countries, value systems, negotiation patterns, traditions and customs, increase business efficiency and enable mutual understanding during business negotiations and meetings.The article considers the approaches to determining the role of the cultural factor, the importance of national culture in planning international activities and conducting international business. It is considered that religion seriously affects the nature of business relations, moral attitudes of employees, appearance, consumer behavior and work schedules. The parameters that allow to identify cultural differences between countries are considered and a number of universal elements of behavior in international business, knowledge of which is important for effective cooperation and communication. The significant influence of cross-cultural aspects of behavior on activities in international business is determined. The necessity of research of such parameters of national culture as religion, language, attitude to formalities and importance of personal space in business relations is substantiated. It is also noted that an important parameter in doing business is language. Knowledge of the language of foreign partners increases the efficiency of communication, promotes better communication.It is indicated that an important parameter is the understanding of social and personal space. After all, in different countries there is a certain business distance between the partners, which must be observed in order not to create certain inconveniences. The importance of international business etiquette and its main categories is revealed, as well as the code of business communication, ie a number of rules that must be followed to establish strong relationships between foreign partners. Knowing all the cultural features of the partner country will allow you to establish a strong business relationship. Having studied the parameters that determine the cultural features of the country, a number of universal elements that need to be known to establish cooperation at the international level are presented.

The Peculiar Logic of Value

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 375-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Jackendoff
Keyword(s):  
Value Systems ◽  
Conceptual System ◽  
Moral Value ◽  
A Value ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
Affective Value ◽  
Intermediary Role ◽  
Orthogonal Dimension ◽  
Normative Value ◽  
Different Sources

AbstractA system of values plays an important intermediary role in the human conceptual system. An individual associates a value – an abstract valence and quantity – with a past, present, or contemplated object or action in the environment, and uses values to help determine what actions to take. Value can be categorized into a number of different types, the most important of which for the purposes of the present article are affective value (how good the action is for someone), normative value (how good the action is of someone), and esteem (how good a reputation someone has). Normative value in turn divides into several subdomains such as moral value, legality, etiquette, and religious value. In addition, values can be divided along the orthogonal dimension of objective (value tout court) versus subjective (value in the eyes of a particular person). Each type of value plays its own characteristic role in affecting choice of action in interaction with the others.Given an explicit formulation of systems of value, it then becomes possible to work out more precise accounts of value-laden systems of concepts. Two are explored here: fairness and freely chosen reciprocity, the latter including retaliation, restitution, honoring, shaming, and apologizing.The overall hypothesis that emerges from the investigation is that the basic categories of value and the inference rules built on them are human universals. Cultures' value systems differ primarily in (a) what actions and objects are assigned what values and (b) the relative weighting of different sources of value in cases where they interact.

scholarly journals Healing Anthropocene Syndrome: Planetary Health Requires Remediation of the Toxic Post-Truth Environment

Challenges ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Alan C. Logan ◽  
Susan H. Berman ◽  
Brian M. Berman ◽  
Susan L. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
World Health ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Alternative Facts ◽  
Rapid Dissemination ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Historical Antecedents

The term “Anthropocene Syndrome” describes the wicked interrelated challenges of our time. These include, but are not limited to, unacceptable poverty (of both income and opportunity), grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, social injustices, the spread of ultra-processed foods, consumerism and incivility in tandem with a diminished emphasis on the greater potential of humankind, efforts toward unity, or the value of fulfilment and flourishing of all humankind. Planetary health is a concept that recognizes the interdependent vitality of all natural and anthropogenic ecosystems—social, political and otherwise; it blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place and planet. Promoting planetary health requires addressing the underlying pathology of “Anthropocene Syndrome” and the deeper value systems and power dynamics that promote its various signs and symptoms. Here, we focus on misinformation as a toxin that maintains the syndromic status quo—rapid dissemination of falsehoods and dark conspiracies on social media, fake news, alternative facts and medical misinformation described by the World Health Organization as an “infodemic”. In the context of planetary health, we explore the historical antecedents of this “infodemic” and underscore an urgent need to remediate the misinformation mess. It is our contention that education (especially in early life) emphasizing mindfulness and understanding of the mechanisms by which propaganda is spread (and unhealthy products are marketed) is essential. We expand the discourse on positive social contagion and argue that empowerment through education can help lead to an information transformation with the aim of flourishing along every link in the person, place and planet continuum.

scholarly journals More Than Idyll Speculation: Utopian Thinking for Planetary Health

Challenges ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Fernando ◽  
Léan O’Brien ◽  
Madeline Judge ◽  
Yoshihisa Kashima
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Societal Change ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Lay Beliefs ◽  
Utopian Thinking ◽  
Society Perspective ◽  
Levels Of Support

The problems and challenges associated with planetary health are vast and interconnected, and are therefore requiring of research which takes an all-of-society perspective. Following calls for input from behavioural scientists in discussions about planetary health, we here present a review and synthesis of recent research on utopian thinking and lay beliefs about societal change. For some time, utopian theorists have recognised the capacity of ideals for society to motivate social change behaviour, but this has largely been ignored by behavioural scientists. However, recent research has shown that utopian thinking elicits social change behaviour among ordinary people, and that a utopia with pro-environmental content tends to be especially motivating. Furthermore, changes which are seen as increasing levels of warmth and morality in society elicit greater levels of support and motivation to bring about those changes. These findings have implications for how social movements for planetary health can proceed and provide hope for motivating the necessary social change. We present this work in the hope that it can contribute to the furtherance of efforts for the achievement of planetary health.

scholarly journals Eighth Annual Conference of inVIVO Planetary Health: From Challenges to Opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prescott ◽  
Hancock ◽  
Bland ◽  
van den Bosch ◽  
Jansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strong Solutions ◽  
Nutritional Ecology ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Societal Factors ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Local Initiatives

inVIVO Planetary Health (inVIVO) is a progressive scientific movement providing evidence, advocacy, and inspiration to align the interests and vitality of people, place, and planet. Our goal is to transform personal and planetary health through awareness, attitudes, and actions, and a deeper understanding of how all systems are interconnected and interdependent. Here, we present the abstracts and proceedings of our 8th annual conference, held in Detroit, Michigan in May 2019, themed “From Challenges, to Opportunities”. Our far-ranging discussions addressed the complex interdependent ecological challenges of advancing global urbanization, including the biopsychosocial interactions in our living environment on physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, together with the wider community and societal factors that govern these. We had a strong solutions focus, with diverse strategies spanning from urban-greening and renewal, nature-relatedness, nutritional ecology, planetary diets, and microbiome rewilding, through to initiatives for promoting resilience, positive emotional assets, traditional cultural narratives, creativity, art projects for personal and community health, and exploring ways of positively shifting mindsets and value systems. Our cross-sectoral agenda underscored the importance and global impact of local initiatives everywhere by contributing to new normative values as part of a global interconnected grass-roots movement for planetary health.

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