Whose Sidewalk?

Home is a nodal point in a series of polarities, including family-community; space-place; inside-outside; private-public; domestic-social. These may not be stable but seem both solidified and undermined as they play out their meaning and practice in and through the home. The “public” is traditionally the state’s domain, while the “private” the citizens’. But where does “private” end and “public” begin? Can a border or boundary be placed between the two? Is such a boundary culture-specific or universal? Is it static or dynamic? Scholars often perceive borders as barriers and bridges, porous and impenetrable, and border studies have shown that urban entities have their own internal and external borders. I argue that such internal urban micro-boundaries can be found in the domain of domestic space, separating the private from the public, and that they are dynamic and constantly negotiated. Not necessarily marked, they are acknowledged by a mutual and tacit agreement, a social and cultural consensus. In this paper, I focus on common expansions of private into public space in Limassol, Cyprus, and the ways in which, this social consensus is achieved through the use of several tactics. As I illustrate, all these tactics seem to transform public space into private, on a symbolic level. The paper’s contribution lies in the examination of this type of boundary, which has received little academic attention, as well as in the introduction of the term “tactics of inhibition.”

Examining the Cultural Consensus on Beliefs about Mindfulness among US Early Adults

Objectives: Mindfulness programs are increasingly popular, yet little is known about how individuals perceive mindfulness: its origins, how it is learned, its functions, and practitioners. Using methods from Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT), the present study sought to examine whether a cultural consensus on mindfulness exists among early adults in the US, and what the content of that consensus might be.Methods: College-attending early adults aged 18-25 (Study 1 N = 275 – convenience sample; Study 2 N = 210 – nationally representative sample) completed questionnaires on beliefs about mindfulness, exposure to mindfulness, and demographics. Data were analyzed using a CCT-derived Bayesian cognitive psychometric model.Results: Early adults converged on a cultural consensus about mindfulness in both studies, and the content of this consensus was also replicated. Participants consensually agreed that mindfulness has Buddhist origins, is both spiritual (but not religious) and secular; takes patience to learn and a lifetime to master; is an antidote to suffering, but also gives one a competitive edge in the business world; is practiced more by women, and less by Conservatives. Prior exposure to mindfulness was related to greater knowledge of this cultural consensus.Conclusions: Early adults view mindfulness as a universal practice that people their age can learn, that serves both spiritual and instrumental functions, and that is not limited to wealthy or White people. Results provide useful information that can inform debates about mindfulness in the US, and guide practical efforts to increase inclusivity and participation in such programs for early adults in future.

Cultural Consensus Theory as a Method for Evaluating Culturally Shared Beliefs

A central endeavor in the study of culture and psychology is to understand how substantively meaningful cultural variables impact human behavior (e.g., cultural belief systems). Yet, the majority of studies within the field of cultural psychology neglect to do so, instead focusing primarily on group comparisons. One reason for this over-reliance on group comparisons may be the paucity of methods with which to adequately measure cultural variables. In the present paper, I describe a method for evaluating culturally shared phenomena, such as beliefs, based on Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT), and consider the utility of this approach as applied to the study of culture and psychology. Examples as to how this methodology can and has been applied are provided, as are comparisons it to other methods. In doing so, I demonstrate the potential for CCT methods to advance our understanding of cultural beliefs, while acknowledging the limitations inherent in the paradigm.

Using cultural consensus analysis to measure diversity in social-ecological knowledge for inclusive climate adaptation planning

Climate adaptation is context specific and inclusion of diverse forms of knowledge is crucial for developing resilient social-ecological systems. Emphasis on local inclusion is increasing, yet participatory approaches often fall short of facilitating meaningful engagement of diverse forms of knowledge. A central challenge is the lack of a comprehensive and comparative understanding of the social-ecological knowledge that various stakeholders use to inform adaptation decisions. We employed cultural consensus analysis to quantitatively measure and compare social-ecological knowledge within and across three stakeholder groups - government employees, researchers, and local residents in rural coastal Maryland. The results show that 1) local residents placed more emphasis on addressing socio-economic and cultural changes than researchers and government employees, and 2) that the greatest variation in social-ecological knowledge was found among local residents. These insights yielded by cultural consensus analysis are beneficial for facilitating more inclusive adaptation planning for resilient social-ecological systems.

Marine meteorological forecasts for coastal ocean users – perceptions, usability and uptake

The present study aims to address a disconnect between science and the public in the form of a potential misalignment in the supply and demand of information known as the usability gap. In this case, we explore the salience of marine meteorological (metocean) information as perceived by users in two Southern Hemisphere countries: South Africa and New Zealand. Here, the focus is not only on the perceptions, usability and uptake of extreme event forecasts but rather focused on general, routine forecast engagement. The research was conducted by means of a survey, designed around three research questions. The research questions covered topics ranging from forecasting tool ergonomics, accuracy and consistency, usability, institutional reputation, and uncertainties related to climate change (to name but a few). The online questionnaire was widely distributed to include both recreational and commercial users. The study focused on identifying potential decision-making cultures that uniquely impact coastal ocean users' information needs. Cultural consensus analysis (CCA) was used to investigate shared understandings and variations in perceptions within the total group of respondents as well as in sectoral and country-based subgroups. We found varying degrees of consensus in the whole group (participants from both countries and all sectors combined) versus different subgroups of users. All participants taken together exhibited an overall moderate cultural consensus regarding the issues presented but with some variations in perspectives at the country-level, suggesting potential subcultures. Analysing national and sectoral subgroups separately, we found the most coherent cultural consensus in the South African users' cohort, with strong agreement regardless of sectoral affiliation. New Zealand's commercial users' cohort had the weakest agreement with all other subgroups. We discuss the implications from our findings on important factors in service uptake and therefore on the production of salient forecasts. Several priorities for science-based forecasts in the future are also reflected on, considering anticipated climate change impacts. We conclude by proposing a conceptual diagram to highlight the important interplay between forecast product co-development and scientific accuracy/consistency.

I feel loved when other people feel loved: Cultural congruence in beliefs on love is related to well-being

Cultural conformity in psychological constructs has been shown to play a critical role in people’s health and well-being. The more people’s individual beliefs about a construct aligns with the cultural norms, their cultural identity is more cultivated, leading to higher levels of well-being. Considering feeling loved in everyday contexts as a social construct that people indicate shared beliefs and cultural consensus for, in the current study, we explored congruency in cultural beliefs on love and its association with well-being in the United States. 495 participants in the United States evaluated everyday life scenarios in terms of whether they elicit loving feelings or not. We examined the correspondence between people’s beliefs about what makes themselves (i.e., self) feel loved compared to what they think makes others feel loved and the cultural consensus on indicators of love. We then explored how individual differences in these correspondence measures are associated with people’s well-being. We reported evidence for the lack as well as for the existence of these associations using Bayes Factors in the Bayesian statistical framework. Results indicated that both self-other and self-consensus agreements are meaningfully associated with individuals’ well-being. Furthermore, when examining disagreements in self vs. other ratings of love, we found that one type of disagreement (believing other people feel loved in scenarios that I don’t), is associated with lower levels of well-being. This meaningful relationship to well-being was not visible in the case where a person would report feeling loved in a scenario while believing that others would not. Implications for well-being interventions are further discussed.

Human Rights as an Element of Mutual Recognition and Equality of Opportunity

The fact of multiculturalism or pluralism plays a significant role in forming the law as well as in the functioning of various state institutions, hence human rights take a lead in the protection of the rights of minorities or discriminated groups. Considering these problems in my article, I formulate the thesis that arguments for the justification of human rights should be sought in the principle of mutual recognition, which is an expression of a cross-cultural consensus, an individualistic conception of a person, and equal opportunities as universal premises for these rights. Such assumptions expressed in human rights – whether justified or even framed in an innovative way – are the main force shaping a cosmopolitan civil society.

Adapting services for autism: Recommendations from a specialist multidisciplinary perspective using freelisting

The guidance available for tailoring mental health services for autistic people is limited and dispersed. Practitioners attempting to appropriately adapt mental healthcare and therapy provision report low confidence and inconsistency in their approach. This study contributes to the guidance by providing a shortlist of usable and priority adaptations for diagnostic and therapy services as described by multidisciplinary staff members responsible for the design and delivery of a specialist autism service in the UK. Individual freelisting interviews were conducted with 15 staff, who were asked to list the ways that they adapt their practice individually, within therapy, and collectively as a service. Salience and cultural consensus analyses demonstrated the following agreed priority service adaptations: ensuring the suitability of the service environment with consideration of sensory demands, adapting communication, knowing individual gender identity preferences and minimising client uncertainty. Detailed examples are given for flexibly adapting therapy to individual needs to inform general and specialist services. The findings require replication and evaluation.

Student, Staff and Faculty Perspectives of Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence on Three Public University Campuses: The UC Speaks Up Protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Intimate partner and sexual violence are pervasive public health issues on college and university campuses in the United States. Research is recommended for creating and maintaining effective, relevant and acceptable prevention programs and response services for student survivors. OBJECTIVE The UC Speaks Up study aims to examine factors contributing to intimate partner and sexual violence on three University of California (UC) campuses and use findings to develop and test interventions and policies to prevent violence, promote health, and lay the groundwork for subsequent, large-scale quantitative research. METHODS A mixed-methods study at UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. Phase I (2017-2020) involved (1) a resource audit; (2) cultural consensus modeling of students’ perceptions of sexual consent; (3) in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with students to understand perceptions of campus environment related to experiences and prevention of, and responses to violence; and (4) IDIs with faculty, staff and community stakeholders to investigate institutional and community arrangements influencing students’ lives and experiences. Phase II (2020-ongoing) involves IDIs with student survivors to assess use and perceptions of campus/community services. Qualitative content analysis is used to generate substantive codes and sub-themes that emerge, using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS In January 2019 we conducted 149 free-listing interviews and 214 online surveys with undergraduate and graduate/professional students for the cultural consensus modeling. Between February and June 2019: 179 IDIs were conducted with 86 undergraduate students, 21 graduate and professional students, 34 staff members, 27 faculty members, and 11 community stakeholders; and 35 FGDs (27 with undergraduate and 8 with graduate/professional students) were conducted with 201 participants. Since September 2020, 8 of 30 planned student-survivor interviews have been conducted. Recruitment is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS Data analysis and phase II data collection is ongoing. Findings will be used to develop and test interventions for preventing violence and promoting health and well-being, and ensuring survivor services are relevant, acceptable to and meet the needs of all individuals in the campus community, including those who are typically understudied. Findings will also be used to prepare for rigorous, UC system-wide public health prevention research.