O humor revela-se frequentemente como uma característica marcante nos rituais umbandistas. Diante disso, este estudo propõe-se investigar, numa perspectiva etnopsicológica, se e em que medida as teses psicanalíticas (freudianas e lacanianas) sobre o chiste e o cômico podem ajudar a compreender o humor na umbanda. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada na Fraternidade de Umbanda Esotérica Caboclo Pena Branca, em Ribeirão Preto, cujos rituais se mostraram comumente bem humorados. Procedeu-se a uma escuta participante, que implica em uma escuta psicanalítica, na qual a participação é entendida e utilizada como instrumento de refinamento da audição. Nessa medida, a implicação do pesquisador em campo foi indispensável, pois o efeito de sentido é também produzido nele, que escuta e ri. Após a análise dos episódios espirituosos, foi possível constatar que a compreensão psicanalítica do humor é aplicável às suas ocorrências no ritual umbandista. Nas falas dos próprios adeptos do terreiro, o riso revela seu uso terapêutico, é parte de um tratamento que quebra defesas, o que se coaduna com a perspectiva freudiana de descarga de catexias. No entanto, segundo as teses psicanalíticas, frequentemente os chistes permitem a expressão de impulsos agressivos dirigidos ao ouvinte, enquanto na umbanda a função de ser objeto do riso é deslocada para personagens cômicos que representam o que poderia haver de repreensível no outro, deslocando a censura sobre os seus filhos para o enredo de uma comédia atuada por espíritos. Além disso, ao brincar com metáforas e sentidos novos, os espíritos dão eco à complexidade do sujeito humano, refletindo-a além de intelectualizações. / Humor frequently reveals itself as an outstanding feature in Umbanda religious rituals. Given that, this study seeks to investigate, from an ethnopsychological perspective, if and to what extent psychoanalytic theories (Freudian and Lacanian) about wits and comic may help to understand Umbanda humor. The field research was conducted at Fraternidade de Umbanda Esotérica Caboclo Pena Branca in Ribeirão Preto, where the rituals generally proved to be humorous. The method was the participant listening, that involves a psychoanalytic listening in which participation is understood and utilized as an instrument of audition refinement. Thus, the researcher\'s involvement while in the field was essential since the effect of meaning is also produced on this individual who listens and laughs. After analyzing the witty episodes, it was concluded that the psychoanalytic understanding of humor is applicable to these occurrences in Umbanda ritual. In the religious own speeches, the laughter exposes its therapeutic uses; it is part of a \"treatment\" for \"breaking defenses\", which is consistent with the Freudian idea of catharsis. However, according to psychoanalytic theories wits regularly allow the expression of aggressive impulses, while in Umbanda the objects of laughter are comic characters that represent what could otherwise be considered objectionable, displacing the \"censure\" to a comedy plot acted by spirits. Moreover, while playing with metaphors and new meanings, the spirits mirror non-rational aspects of human complexity.

M.A. (Industrial Psychology) / The South African Personality Inventory (SAPI) project is an attempt to develop an indigenous personality measure that can be applied within the South African context. Such a measure is important as test developers and users are required to meet the requirements stipulated in South African legislation. The Extraversion cluster is one of the nine factors that make up the SAPI measure. The main aim of this study was to validate the Extraversion cluster for use within South Africa which included testing for equivalence and bias amongst the Germani, Nguni and Sotho language groups. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used within the current study. Data was gathered from working South Africans (N= 891) within the Gauteng province. The preliminary Extraversion scale consists of 31 items that yielded a three factor structure, namely Sociability, Talkativeness and Positive Emotionality. The Talkativeness factor was not found to be reliable although the overall Extraversion scale was identified as reliable. It was also found that Extraversion, as the higher order factor, was valid and reliable and had greater explanatory power than that of the individual factors. The results of the study also indicated that some of the language groups viewed the factors differently and that bias did occur for several of the items across the groups.

This study investigated what occurs in an individual's life when their culture is changed or irretrievably lost; and it investigated how an individual then regains personal meaning during a time of cultural loss and change. Peter Marris' innovative Theory of Loss and Change was used as the theoretical basis for the study. This theory states that a grief-like reformulation process occurs for individuals who experience any irretrievable loss of culture. The Native Indian cultures of British Columbia were used as the cultural foundation. Three Native Indian elders were interviewed and their life histories recorded (Bertaux, 1981). The data collected was then used as multiple case studies and analyzed according to Yin (1984) and Stake (1980). Cross-matching of patterns of loss and change, and patterns of recovery of personal meaning revealed six primary forms of loss and change in the elder's lives, and five primary characteristics of recovery of personal meaning. Secondary forms and characteristics in each area were identified as well. Marris' Theory of Loss and Change was supported. It was also expanded to include the Native Indian cultures of British Columbia. In addition, the emotional elements of the reformulation process were specified. The outcome of the study was a cognitive framework useful in understanding the Native Indian cultures in British Columbia and the personal conflicts of Native Indian individuals. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to compare western family therapy to the "imbizo" system that is used as a kind of family therapy in the black cultural environment. The "imbizo" system is different from western therapy in its composition. Relatives play a more prominent role than in western family therapy. The imbizo system provides unique support and aftercare to its clients. Unlike western therapy, it requires no payment of fees. The "imbizo" excludes children while western family therapy includes every family member as part of the system in the therapeutic process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three male respondents from the Nguni ethnic group and one male and two females from the Sotho ethnic group. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The current study investigates intercultural differences in suggestibility between Black, Coloured and White students at a South African university using the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS), (Wilson & Barber, 1978). The CIS and a short biographical questionnaire measuring embeddedness in traditional culture were administered to three samples (N=20 each) from students belonging to the above cultural groups. Statistical tests were applied to determine the effects of ethnicity, cultural embeddedness and gender on CIS scores. The results indicate that these three dimensions do not significantly impact on CIS scores. Implications of the results obtained are discussed and ensuing recommendations for future related research are made.

Os caboclos são entidades espirituais largamente encontradas no panteão umbandista. O objetivo desse estudo foi revelar, no recurso ritual a caboclos na umbanda, os seus sentidos e alcance psicológico. Para tanto foi utilizado uma combinação entre método etnográfico e atenção flutuante a significantes que se repetem. Dentre esse significantes repetiram-se alguns termos, como terra, luz, água, raiz, amadurecimento, liberdade e ideal, que podem assumir mais de um nível de significância, por meio de uma escrita por imagens. Caboclos se mostram em relação próxima com médiuns e também com outras pessoas e entidades espirituais, evidenciando seu cunho social. Interpelam seus fiéis iluminando processos de autodescoberta que impulsionam a consumação de potenciais rumo à realização de ideais de si. / Caboclos are spiritual entities widely found in Umbanda pantheon. The aim of this study was to reveal the signification and the psychological extent of caboclos ritual practice in Umbanda. Therefore ethnographic methods and continuous attention to recurrent significants have been combined. Among these significants, some terms were repeatedly noticed as ground, light, water, root, matureness, freedom and ideal, which may carry more than one significance level by means of an image script. Caboclos, as an evidence of their social feature, manifest themselves in a close relation to mediums and to other people and spiritual entities. They interpellate their followers enlightening self-discovery processes that push the completion of potentialities in direction to selfs ideals achievement.

A psicologia analítica de Jung é umas das principais vertentes psicológicas de estudo das religiões afro-brasileiras, contribuindo na compreensão desse universo. Os pesquisadores desta tradição são atraídos por estas religiões por serem povoadas por fenômenos, como a vidência, o transe, a incorporação, entre outros, que têm importância vital na existência de seus praticantes, e que são classificados como da ordem do imaginário por algumas correntes acadêmicas, e, as vezes, tratados como uma falsa percepção da realidade, ao serem tomados como subprodutos da imaginação. Nunca se averiguou em que medida os trabalhos junguianos refletem esta posição ou não, e, em que medida têm conseguido refletir a cosmovisão do campo. O objetivo desta pesquisa é o de: 1- Proceder a uma explicitação da concepção umbandista sobre este imaginário; 2- Contrastar esta concepção com um dos principais modelos teóricos aplicados aos estudos afro-brasileiros, a psicologia analítica; 3-Contribuir para um diálogo entre a psicologia científica e a cosmovisão desenvolvida no âmbito da religiosidade afro-brasileira. Os colaboradores (médiuns videntes) foram selecionados a partir do contato com terreiros de umbanda em Ribeirão Preto e Piracicaba. Devido a seus talentos imaginativos, foram acompanhados caso a caso, relatando suas experiências, sendo observados em performances rituais, nas quais se presta especial atenção aos processos da imaginação (estados de transe, previsões, sonhos, vidências, lembranças do passado, etc.). Para além da observação participante utilizaram-se, na coleta de dados, gravações em áudio das narrativas obtidas a partir de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e anotações em caderno de campo de dados e impressões. Em paralelo, foi feita uma análise sobre os estudos junguianos a respeito da religiosidade afro-brasileira. Sobre o material, de campo e acadêmico, foi feita a sistematização das suas respostas para uma tripla pergunta: Qual o estatuto ontológico, epistemológico e psicológico do imaginário? A partir das respostas obtidas levantou-se subsídios para a discussão dos pontos de divergências e semelhanças entre os dois modelos que, não obstante as suas diferenças, permitiu mostrar intersecções, relacionar incompatibilidades e, principalmente, resgatar nuances do fenômeno que escapem ao modelo acadêmico. Os resultados mostram que termos como individuação, inconsciente coletivo, arquétipo, tipos psicológicos, nem sempre são utilizados como conceitos efetivamente junguianos, o que parece indicar que adquiriram um valor heurístico que ultrapassa as fronteiras da psicologia analítica. Os trabalhos junguianos analisados superam a postura patologizante freqüentemente atribuída aos fenômenos do imaginário por pesquisadores clássicos como Nina Rodrigues, Arthur Ramos e o próprio Jung, porém não escapam a vieses psicologizantes, que, muitas vezes, distorcem, à cosmovisão do campo, o que contribui para a redução dos fenômenos a conceitos cunhados a partir de modelos etnocêntricos (CNPq). / Jungs analytical psychology is one of the main psychological approaches in the study of the African-Brazilian religions, contributing with the understanding of this universe. This traditions researchers are attracted by these religions for being them crowded with phenomena, like the clairvoyance, trance, impersonation, among others, which have vital importance in the existence of their followers, and that are classified as belonging to the imaginary by some academic currents and, sometimes, they are treated as a false perception of the reality, at being considered as imagination subproducts. People have never checked whether the Jungian works reflect this position or not and how they have been able to reflect the fields cosmovision. The goal of this research is: 1) gather an explicitation on the umbanda conception about this imaginary; 2) contrast this conception with one of the main theoretical models applied to the African-Brazilian studies, the analytical psychology; 3) contribute for a dialogue between the scientific psychology and the cosmovision developed in the scope of the African-Brazilian religiosity. The contributors (clairvoyant mediums) have been selected from the contact with umbanda yards in Ribeirao Preto and Piracicaba. Due to their imaginative talents, they have been followed individually, reporting their experiences, being observed in ritual performances, in which we pay attention to the imagination processes (trance state, previsions, dreams, clairvoyance, past memories etc). For reaching beyond the participant observation, audio recordings from the narratives, obtained from semi-structured interviews, notes on a field data notebook, as well as impressions were used. In parallel, an analysis about the Jungian studies regarding the African-Brazilian religiosity was made. About the field and academic material, the systemization of their replies was made on a triple question: Which is the ontological, epistemological and psychological statute from the imaginary? From the obtained replies, subsides were raised for discussing divergence points and similarities between both models which, despite their differences, allowed us to show intersections, to relate incompatibilities and, mainly, to rescue nuances from the phenomenon which escape the academic model. The results show that terms like individuation, group unconsciousness, archetype, and psychological types are not always used as effective Jungian concepts, which seems to indicate that they have acquired a heuristic value which trespasses the borders of the analytical psychology. The Jungian works under analysis overcome the pathologizing posture frequently attributed to the phenomena of the imaginary by classic researchers like Nina Rodrigues, Arthur Ramos and Jung himself, but they do not escape psychologizing biases which, mostly distort the fields cosmovision, contributing to the reduction of phenomena enhanced from ethnocentric models (CNPq).

A umbanda pode ser considerada uma religião que retrata por meio de seus rituais as raízes africanas de nossa sociedade. A presente pesquisa objetivou investigar a construção de laços afetivos e de filiação nos rituais de uma família de santo umbandista. Para esse efeito, com base na teoria psicanalítica lacaniana examinou-se em que medida a vivência afro-brasileira de ancestralidade poderia prestar-se à restituição e consolidação desses laços no âmbito de uma concepção simbólica de família (a família de santo). O método utilizado foi o da escuta participante. Este método combina recursos técnicos psicanalíticos, nomeadamente a atenção ao modo de inclusão do pesquisador no campo e a atenção a aspectos transferenciais, com procedimentos etnográficos. A pesquisa foi realizada no terreiro Templo Seara da Esperança e no Abrigo Lar Dona Cotinha, instituição social administrada pela família em estudo, ambos localizados na cidade de São Paulo. A concepção de família observada apresenta uma matriz africana que se reflete na compreensão do sentido do trabalho no Abrigo. Verificou-se que os guias espirituais do terreiro interpretam-se como pais e espíritos ancestrais e os fiéis e demais integrantes da comunidade como seus filhos. Os últimos são entendidos como crianças a serem cuidadas e como antepassados ao mesmo tempo potencialmente cuidadores uma vez que essas posições se alternam na cadeia geracional. Esta representação de pessoa e de família não apenas é decisiva para o entendimento das relações intrafamiliares como também se alarga à compreensão do sentido do trabalho com as crianças no Abrigo, traduzindo-se em saberes e práticas sociais includentes que merecem a atenção de uma Etnopsicologia afrobrasileira. / Umbanda can be considered a religion that portrays through its rituals the African roots of our society. The present study aimed to investigate the construction of affective and filiation bonds in the rituals of an umbandist family. To this end, based on Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, it was examined into what extent the African-brazilian ancestry experiences are able to repare and consolidate affective and filiation bonds through a symbolic conception of family (a família de santo). The method used is named participant listening. This method combines psychoanalytic technical resources, including attention to the mode of inclusion of the researcher in the field and attention to transference aspects with ethnographic procedures. The research was conducted in a Temple, named Seara da Esperança and Lar Dona Cotinha, social institution administered by the family under study, both located in the city of São Paulo. About the concept of family, it was observed an African-brazilian matrix of understanding which reflects in the meaning of work in the social institution. The spiritual guides of the temple interpret themselves as \"parents\" and ancestral spirits and the faithful and other members of the community as their \"children.\" These latter are defined as children but also as ancestors potentially caretakers, since these positions may alternate in the chain generation of the family. This representation of person and family is not only crucial to the understanding of the relationships within the family but also broadens the understanding of the work meaning with children in shelter, translating into inclusive social knowledge and practices that deserve the attention of an Afro-Brazilian Ethnopsychology