Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / While research links the presence of meaning in life to better psychological well-being, the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being is less clear. The search for meaning is generally thought to be psychologically distressing, but there is evidence that this process is moderated by the presence of meaning in life. Because the search for meaning in life can be considered a goal pursuit, goal-related personality traits may also moderate the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being. The first aim of this cross-sectional study was to replicate the moderating effect of the presence of meaning on the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being in a sample of undergraduates (N = 246). The second aim was to examine the potential moderating effects of hope and optimism on these relationships. As an exploratory third aim, this study examined whether there was a unique combination of the presence of meaning, the search for meaning, and hope or optimism that differentially predicted psychological well-being. Results suggest that optimism and the presence of meaning, but not hope, are significant moderators of the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

<div>While research links the presence of meaning in life to better psychological well-being, the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being is less clear. The search for meaning is generally thought to be psychologically distressing, but there is evidence that this process is moderated by the presence of meaning in life. Because the search for meaning in life can be considered a goal pursuit, goal-related personality traits may also moderate the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being. The first aim of this</div><div>cross-sectional study was to replicate the moderating effect of the presence of meaning on the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being in a sample of undergraduates (N = 246). The second aim was to examine the potential moderating effects of hope and optimism on these relationships. As an exploratory third aim, this study examined whether there was a unique combination of the presence of meaning, the search for meaning, and hope or optimism that differentially predicted psychological well-being. Results suggest that optimism and the presence of meaning, but not hope, are significant moderators of the relationship between the search for meaning and psychological well-being. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.</div>

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Beatriz Ferrara Carunchio.pdf: 2166787 bytes, checksum: 47a56aae3621e5ca48eea02f933ca159 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-12-02 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This master study aimed to investigate the search for meaning in people who had made a pilgrimage on the Way of St. James. For this, beside literature research, we also made an empiric research. We developed a questionnaire based on interviews and testimonies collected by us. Subsequently, the questionnaires were tabulated and analyzed. We concluded that the Way of St. James is not only a Catholic route, not just a religious route. It includes numerous speeches and values, religious and secular. This allows the pilgrim to contact himself, enabling considerations and questions about himself, his life and the reality which the pilgrim belongs to. So it makes possible the construction of a new meaning for his own life / A presente dissertação de mestrado teve por objetivo pesquisar a busca por sentido para a própria existência em pessoas que tenham feito uma peregrinação no Caminho de Santiago de Compostela. Para isso, além da pesquisa bibliográfica, recorremos à pesquisa empírica. Desenvolvemos um questionário com base nas entrevistas e depoimentos recolhidos por nós, e o aplicamos a 20 peregrinos. Posteriormente os questionários foram tabulados e analisados. Concluímos que o Caminho de Santiago já não é uma rota apenas católica, nem uma rota apenas religiosa; engloba inúmeros discursos e valores religiosos e laicos. Isso permite que o peregrino entre em contato consigo mesmo, possibilitando reflexões e questionamentos acerca de si mesmo, de sua vida e da realidade da qual faz parte, o que permite que construa um novo sentido para sua vida

O presente trabalho apresenta o comportamento consumidor como uma das manifestações contemporâneas da religiosidade, e procura demonstrar como algumas marcas possuem características semelhantes às religiões ao proporcionarem aos seus consumidores sentido existencial. A pesquisa parte de uma breve descrição da capacidade simbólica dos seres humanos, como fonte das idéias e comportamentos religiosos, e responsável pela universalidade de tal fenômeno. Em seguida, o processo de secularização da sociedade judaico-cristã ocidental é apresentado como resultando entre outras conseqüências, em uma crise de plausabilidade das instituições religiosas e das explicações de ordem religiosas do universo, que caíram em descrédito, gerando o que Weber (1919) chamou de desencantamento do mundo. Se por um lado, com os grandes avanços científicos, as revoluções democráticas e o desenvolvimento industrial e econômico do mundo, entre os séculos 16 e 19, as perspectivas quanto aos avanços da sociedade eram as melhores possíveis, a chegada do século 20 não confirmou as expectativas. Pelo contrário, eventos como as duas grandes guerras, as crises econômicas e o surgimento de regimes ditatoriais totalitários, levaram o ser humano a perceber que, tal qual a religião, a ciência não dera conta de explicar e transformar o mundo e a sociedade. Assim, a contemporaneidade vivencia um resgate da religiosidade, uma espécie de reencantamento do mundo, que assume diferentes formas e conteúdos a partir da última fase da modernidade. O comportamento consumidor torna-se uma das manifestações contemporâneas da religiosidade, a relação com as marcas adquiri características semelhantes a da relação dos indivíduos com as religiões ao proporcionarem aos seus consumidores sentido existencial. Este fenômeno é exemplificado através do estudo de duas marcas, a Apple Computers, e o Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. A primeira parte da análise consistiu em uma identificação de conteúdos religiosos na estrutura, história e relação dos adeptos com as marcas, dentro do modelo de fenômeno religioso criado para este fim. Depois disso, para cada marca foram analisadas três entrevistas com adeptos das mesmas, e em seguida, feita uma análise de cada entrevista individualmente, que identificou características religiosas nas mesmas. Por fim, estas características identificadas e enfatizadas no discurso dos adeptos, foram analisadas à luz da noção de busca de sentido de Viktor Frankl / This paper presents the consumer behavior as a contemporary manifestation of religiouness, and seeks to demonstrate how some brands have similar characteristics to the religions, and provide existencial meaning to their consumers. The research starts with a brief description of the symbolic capacity of human beings as a source of religious ideas and behavior, being responsible for the universality of this phenomenon. Then, the process of secularization of the Judeo-Christian Western society is presented as resulting, among other consequences, in a plausibility crisis of the religious institutions and religious explanations for the universe. This situation brought forth what Weber (1919) called the disenchantment of the world. On the other hand the great scientific advances, as well as the democratic revolutions and the industrial and economic development of the world between the 16th and 19th centuries created the expectation that the advances of society were the best possible, but the arrival of the 20th century did not confirm the expectations, however, events such as the two world wars, economic crises and the rise of totalitarian dictatorships, led human beings to realize that, like religion, science would not be able to explain and transform the world and the society. Thus, the contemporary experiences a rescue of religiousness, a kind of re-enchantment of the world, which assumes different forms and contents from the last phase of modernity. The consumer behavior becomes a contemporary manifestations of religiosity and the relationship with the brands acquired characteristics similar to the relationship between individuals and religions, providing to their consumers existential meaning. This phenomenon is exemplified through the study of two brands, Apple Computers, and Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. The first part of the analysis consisted of a religious content identification in the structure and history of the brands.Thereafter, for each brand were analyzed three interviews with supporters of the same, and then an analysis of each individual interview, which identified the same religious characteristics. Finally, these features identified and emphasized in the speech of supporters, were analyzed under the light of Viktor Frankls search for meaning theory

O presente trabalho apresenta o comportamento consumidor como uma das manifestações contemporâneas da religiosidade, e procura demonstrar como algumas marcas possuem características semelhantes às religiões ao proporcionarem aos seus consumidores sentido existencial. A pesquisa parte de uma breve descrição da capacidade simbólica dos seres humanos, como fonte das idéias e comportamentos religiosos, e responsável pela universalidade de tal fenômeno. Em seguida, o processo de secularização da sociedade judaico-cristã ocidental é apresentado como resultando entre outras conseqüências, em uma crise de plausabilidade das instituições religiosas e das explicações de ordem religiosas do universo, que caíram em descrédito, gerando o que Weber (1919) chamou de desencantamento do mundo. Se por um lado, com os grandes avanços científicos, as revoluções democráticas e o desenvolvimento industrial e econômico do mundo, entre os séculos 16 e 19, as perspectivas quanto aos avanços da sociedade eram as melhores possíveis, a chegada do século 20 não confirmou as expectativas. Pelo contrário, eventos como as duas grandes guerras, as crises econômicas e o surgimento de regimes ditatoriais totalitários, levaram o ser humano a perceber que, tal qual a religião, a ciência não dera conta de explicar e transformar o mundo e a sociedade. Assim, a contemporaneidade vivencia um resgate da religiosidade, uma espécie de reencantamento do mundo, que assume diferentes formas e conteúdos a partir da última fase da modernidade. O comportamento consumidor torna-se uma das manifestações contemporâneas da religiosidade, a relação com as marcas adquiri características semelhantes a da relação dos indivíduos com as religiões ao proporcionarem aos seus consumidores sentido existencial. Este fenômeno é exemplificado através do estudo de duas marcas, a Apple Computers, e o Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. A primeira parte da análise consistiu em uma identificação de conteúdos religiosos na estrutura, história e relação dos adeptos com as marcas, dentro do modelo de fenômeno religioso criado para este fim. Depois disso, para cada marca foram analisadas três entrevistas com adeptos das mesmas, e em seguida, feita uma análise de cada entrevista individualmente, que identificou características religiosas nas mesmas. Por fim, estas características identificadas e enfatizadas no discurso dos adeptos, foram analisadas à luz da noção de busca de sentido de Viktor Frankl / This paper presents the consumer behavior as a contemporary manifestation of religiouness, and seeks to demonstrate how some brands have similar characteristics to the religions, and provide existencial meaning to their consumers. The research starts with a brief description of the symbolic capacity of human beings as a source of religious ideas and behavior, being responsible for the universality of this phenomenon. Then, the process of secularization of the Judeo-Christian Western society is presented as resulting, among other consequences, in a plausibility crisis of the religious institutions and religious explanations for the universe. This situation brought forth what Weber (1919) called the disenchantment of the world. On the other hand the great scientific advances, as well as the democratic revolutions and the industrial and economic development of the world between the 16th and 19th centuries created the expectation that the advances of society were the best possible, but the arrival of the 20th century did not confirm the expectations, however, events such as the two world wars, economic crises and the rise of totalitarian dictatorships, led human beings to realize that, like religion, science would not be able to explain and transform the world and the society. Thus, the contemporary experiences a rescue of religiousness, a kind of re-enchantment of the world, which assumes different forms and contents from the last phase of modernity. The consumer behavior becomes a contemporary manifestations of religiosity and the relationship with the brands acquired characteristics similar to the relationship between individuals and religions, providing to their consumers existential meaning. This phenomenon is exemplified through the study of two brands, Apple Computers, and Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. The first part of the analysis consisted of a religious content identification in the structure and history of the brands.Thereafter, for each brand were analyzed three interviews with supporters of the same, and then an analysis of each individual interview, which identified the same religious characteristics. Finally, these features identified and emphasized in the speech of supporters, were analyzed under the light of Viktor Frankls search for meaning theory

La ricerca propone una lettura pedagogica del disagio esistenziale degli adolescenti: un fenomeno che assume toni sempre più allarmanti nella nostra società. In riferimento ai consueti modelli interpretativi, di carattere psichiatrico, psicologico e sociologico, si avanza l’ipotesi che la frustrazione dell’inalienabile motivazione umana di trovare un senso nella vita possa costituire la matrice comune alle molteplici forme in cui si esprime il malessere giovanile: il bullismo, la demotivazione, il disorientamento, l’apatia, l’aggressività e la tossicodipendenza. Tale insoddisfazione esistenziale non può non chiamare in causa l’educazione e la modalità, specificatamente pedagogica, di rispondere al disagio facendo leva sull’educabilità e sulle risorse potenziali dei soggetti in formazione, al di là sia degli elementi patologici che dei bisogni da soddisfare. Così, alla luce dell’Analisi Esistenziale di Viktor E. Frankl, che funge da quadro teorico di riferimento lungo l’intero percorso di studio, si delineano i contorni della dimensione esistenziale del disagio degli adolescenti, nonché i fondamenti di un’antropologia pedagogica capace di legittimare le esigenze di significato della persona. La ricerca si conclude con la proposta di alcuni lineamenti metodologici utili per declinare la finalità generale dell’«affinamento della coscienza», cuore di un’educazione autenticamente orientata alla ricerca di senso. / The research suggests a pedagogic reading about adolescents’ existential disease: a phenomenon which assumes more and more alarming appearances in our society. Referring to usual interpretative psychiatric, psychological and sociological models, we express the hypothesis that the frustration of the inalienable human motivation of giving sense to life could be the common matrix of the various forms of youth disease: bullying, unconcern, disorientation, apathy, aggressiveness and addiction. This existential dissatisfaction involves education and the pedagogic way to give an answer to uneasiness through educability and potential resources of the growing subjects, beyond pathological elements and needs to be fulfilled. So, considering Viktor E. Frankl Existential Analysis, which is the theoretic background of this research, the borders of the existential dimension of the adolescents' discomfort reveal themselves, together with the foundation of a pedagogic anthropology able to legitimate the human being’s needs of meaning. The research ends with a proposal of some methodological features, useful to explain the general aim of the “conscience refinement”, heart of genuine search of meaning oriented education.

Este é um estudo sobre a busca de Deus e a procura de sentido para a existência, com ênfase nos buscadores que se dirigiram a Jesus, estimulados por um imperativo de seu âmago, tal como é narrado no Evangelho de Lucas. O objetivo é identificar motivações, resultados e exigências para a conversão pessoal, o seguimento e o discipulado de Jesus, que possam orientar as pastorais de grupos ligados às classes médias tradicionais. O primeiro capítulo trata da inquietude da alma e a procura humana - as motivações da procura, das necessidades básicas à busca de sentido, considerando correntes filosóficas e a autotranscendência. O segundo capítulo dedica-se à busca de Deus, o encontro como dádiva, e a perspectiva de Deus como Incondicionado (Tillich); apresenta Deus como buscador do ser humano (Heschel), e termina analisando a busca de Deus em outras vertentes espirituais. O terceiro capítulo estuda Jesus de Nazaré como buscador de Deus, partindo do contexto palestino e das opções tomadas por Jesus em seu ministério. No quarto capítulo os buscadores e Jesus são mostrados os critérios para escolha do Evangelho (Lucas) e seleção das perícopes: a pecadora de Betânia (Lc 7.36-49); o homem rico (Lc 18.18-29); Zaqueu (Lc 19.1-10), e Arimateia (Lc 24.50-55). Complementou-se a análise estudando os magos (Mt 2.1-12) e o endemoninhado de Gerasa (Lc 8.26-39). O quinto capítulo articula autotranscendência e seguimento de Jesus. Entre as conclusões, destaca-se que a conversão e a metanoia vêm acompanhadas da repartição das riquezas e o despojamento em favor dos pobres. Notou-se também que a busca de Deus está sempre relacionada à busca de sentido. O ponto de articulação é a misericórdia para com os pobres e a descoberta de Deus como Incondicionado. Conclui-se ainda que o seguimento, o discipulado, a conversão e a autotranscendência estão relacionados, e que o seguimento e o discipulado se manifestam através de níveis e de momentos sucessivos. Outra conclusão é que Jesus também viveu sua autotranscendência como buscador de Deus; e o diálogo entre as religiões e o ecumenismo pode ser facilitado pela especial relevância da misericórdia para com os pobres como imperativo da metanoia. / This is a study about the search for God and finding meaning in existence, with emphasis on seekers who went to Jesus, stimulated by an imperative of its core, as narrated in the Gospel of Luke. The goal is to identify motivations, results and demands for personal conversion, tracking and following of Jesus, that can guide the pastoral groups linked to the traditional middle classes. The first chapter treats with the restlessness of the human soul - the reasons for the demand of basic needs to the search for meaning, considering philosophical thoughts and self- transcendence. The second chapter is devoted to the Search for God: the encounter as a gift, and the perspective of God as the Unconditioned (Tillich), presents God as a seeker by human being (Heschel) and ends by analyzing the search for God in other spiritual dimensions. The third chapter considers Jesus of Nazareth as a seeker of God, starting from the Palestinian context and the choices made by Jesus in his ministry. In the fourth chapter - seekers and Jesus - are shown the criteria for choosing the Gospel (Luke) and selection of pericopes: the Bethany sinner (Luke 7, 36-49), the rich man (Lk. 18.18-29); Zacchaeus (Luke 19.1-10), and Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 24.50-55). the analysis was finished with one study the Magi (Matthew 2.1- 12) and owned from Gerasa (Luke 8.26-39). The fifth chapter articulates self-transcendence and follow Jesus. Among the findings highlight that the conversion and metanoia comes accompanied by the distribution of wealth and stripping in favor of the poor. It was also noted that the search for God is always related to the search for meaning. The pivot point is the mercy for the poor and the discovery of God as "Unconditioned." It also concludes that the follow-up, discipleship, conversion and self-transcendence are related, and that follow-up and discipleship are manifested through successive levels and times. Another conclusion is that Jesus also lived his self-transcendence, as a seeker of God, and interfaith dialogue and ecumenism can be facilitated by the special relevance of mercy to the poor as the imperative of metanoia.

The aim of this thesis was to find out what role psychological and social factors play in the motivation of jihadist foreign fighters to leave for Syria. The sub-questions examine, on the one hand, how authors of the studies focused on motivation of foreign fighters work with the theoretical background and concepts related to the psychosocial sphere, their interpretation of the key concepts and motivation of foreign fighters and, on the other hand, what psychosocial motivation to leave for Syria prevails in existing studies. In order to answer these questions, I chose several theoretical models of radicalization that work mainly with the psychological and social dimension of the problem.Subsequently, I chose several main psychosocial categories and narratives to analyse the studies, with the possibility of new categories occurring. I was particularly interested in existential motivation such as search for meaning or the identity crisis, in the case of jihadists also connected with the ideology and the influence of social groups. Based on the analysis, I found out that the theoretical basis, the specific definitions of individual key concepts and the logic of the interpretation of the respondents' words in the majority of the studies are missing or not fully described. Without the proper definition...

Au lendemain de la Première Guerre mondiale, un élan de créativité sans précédent métamorphose la conception de l’identité moderne. Les moyens d’expression que sont la philosophie, la psychologie et la littérature participent au développement de questions sur le sens de l’Être et de l’existence. À l’exemple de la position mise de l’avant par l’écrivain Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), ce mémoire tente de définir la question du sens de la vie en tant que problématique existentielle en Allemagne au début du XXe siècle. C’est en suivant le dispositif conceptuel de la conduite de vie et de la voie de délivrance, héritage de Max Weber aux sciences sociales, qu’il étudie le phénomène social de la quête de sens, significatif pour les conceptions modernes de l’identité humaine. Le mémoire aborde dans un premier temps la situation spirituelle occidentale par la notion de désenchantement du monde (Max Weber), le rôle des cadres socialisateurs des sources du moi (Charles Taylor) et l’importance de l’idéal de la transcendance pour l’homme (Marcel Gauchet). À partir d’un corpus de romans (Siddhartha, Le Loup des Steppes, Narcisse et Goldmund, Le Jeu des Perles de Verre), il suit la recherche de sens des personnages de Hesse. À la frontière entre biographie sociologique et sociologie littéraire, ce mémoire prend comme appui les conduites de vie de personnages romancés afin de montrer le phénomène de la quête de sens, moyennant une traversée intérieure pour découvrir leur version propre de la transcendance. Au fil des chapitres, il présente les conceptions de la vérité, de la transcendance, de la délivrance, du sens de la vie dans des allers-retours entre la vie de l’écrivain, son œuvre et la situation spirituelle de son époque. En conclusion, il revient sur l’intérêt de lire Hermann Hesse aujourd’hui et questionne la pertinence de ses personnages comme sources d’inspiration de nos conduites de vie moderne. / In the aftermath of World War One, an unprecedented surge of creativity transformed the conception of modern identity. The fields of philosophy, psychology, and literature challenged and questioned the experience of being and of the existence. Following the ideas put forward by the writer Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), this thesis attempts to define the meaning of life as an existential problem in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. It is through the concepts of life conduct (Lebensführung) and road to salvation (Erlösung), both legacies of Max Weber to social sciences, that it studies the social phenomenon of the search for meaning, significant for modern conceptions of human identity. The thesis first addresses the Western spiritual condition through the notion of disenchantment with the world (Max Weber), the role of socializing frameworks in the sources of the self (Charles Taylor), and the transcendent and immanent approaches to the self (Marcel Gauchet). Drawing on a corpus of novels (Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, Narcissus and Goldmund, The Glass Bead Game), it trails Hesse’s characters’ search for meaning. At the border between sociological biography and literary sociology, this dissertation is based on the fictionalized characters’ life conduct as they search for meaning, through their discovery of transcendence. The chapters presents conceptions of truth, transcendence, salvation, the meaning of life, and back-and-forth movements between the writer’s life, his work, and the spiritual condition of his time. In conclusion, the thesis discusses the relevance of reading Hermann Hesse today and questions the pertinence of his characters as source of inspiration for our modern life conduct.

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